《MoPako System》 Prologue - White Void Prologue ¨C White Void *BANG* A thunderous explosion tore through the walls, the walls burst asunder, as a monstrous roar obliterated the once silent peace. Everywhere was fire. Everything was too hot. Smoke had filled the surroundings; breathing became barely possible. Amidst the burning wreckage lied one child on the verge of unconsciousness, heavily bleeding, his back extremely red. A laceration on his head could be seen. He tried desperately to scream, for his parents, siblings, anyone¡ªeven as his bloody snot tears masked his face. But his throat was gone, ripped by a rock. Just as his life slowly fell to darkness, a man grabbed him and barked: "Hold on boy, you will be saved! Hey, cast greater healing sphere now!" "On it!" Immediately a healing sphere formed around the boy. His wounds started to disappear without a trace of pain, and a soothing effect appeased the boy''s disorderly emotions. The last thing he saw was a man, a rugged man with a beard and a scar. Then, he fell to darkness. "Good, at least we managed to save one last person...." The rugged man carried the boy over his shoulders, turned his head towards the distant reverberations. The silhouette of the humongous creature, a Continental-Ender class, could be distinctly made out beyond the smoke and the blinding sunset. The skies above were bloody red, signifying the destruction incarnate''s descent. "Bloody hell... that thing is impossible to subjugate. We shouldn''t have signed up for a fucking Elder Ancient." "Hey, what''s the situation over here? Oh¡ªshit, we got a boy?" Another person came by, this time with the company of dozens of others, varying races alike. "Yeah, the last survivor for this village." The rugged man shrugged. "Lucky him, we managed to pass by on the way here." "Maybe." The rugged man turned somewhere, where the remains of the boy''s parents crushed under a pillar already burnt to charcoal crisp could be seen. "Hey, where''re the others?" He asked, changing the topic. But the group went silent. "All dead huh." The rugged man''s face darkened, before he shuddered. An acute whistling sound shrilled. "QUICK GET DO¡ª!" *BANG* The white void. Everything went into the white void. Noise retreated, in fear of the blank whiteness that suddenly painted the whole world. Eternity seemed to pass before it gradually fades out of existence, like a dream just as it appeared out of nowhere. When the scene cleared down, the rugged man noticed he was still alive, he could still feel his limbs. He got up and tried to gather the situation. "Anybody out th¡ª?" When he opened his eyes at the same time as the others, what they saw shattered their hearts. Although their group survived, the same couldn''t be said of everybody else. There were supposed to be thousands of them still fending off the calamitous creature, yet for the whole 100 miles in front of them, a gigantic crater appeared. It was bottomless. Above which, a vacuum of smoke formed trying to fill up the freed-up space and before it could¡ªthey saw the creature''s menacing figure roaring to the celestial bodies above. The world shook, the earth quaked under it. Their eardrums threatened to burst, and indeed, some fainted with bleeding ears. Even their eyes bled for some strange reason. "Fuck, look away damn it. Go, go go RUN AWAY!" The rugged man instantly bolted out as did the others. A few tried to pick up their fallen comrades, however. "Leave them behind, DON''T LOOK BACK!" It was too late. Those few also fell back down, never to breathe again. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story."Curses, curses. curses! Just why did it have to show up here?!" Their group ran and ran. It was unknown for how long they did. Even after running for so long that their legs became a pulp, they could still feel the presence of that creature. It was unknown, as well, how many survived in their group. By miracle, the rugged man survived as did the boy. He laid down beside a ruined wall of a building as he checked their group. He chuckled dryly. "Three of us only left huh. Cough." The others coughed too. "How much time do we have left?" "3 hours give or take." The others spoke. Their faces looked like accepting of their fate. The rugged man pitifully looked at the boy. "And here I thought you could''ve survived. What a pity you''d have to die with us strangers...?" The boy whom he thought was on death''s door, appeared completely fine though covered in dirt, grime and blood. Looking closer, his hair had turned white. Realizing something, the rugged man laughed. "What the hell? Have you finally gone crazy fool?" Someone asked, prompting the rugged man to point at the boy. They all realized then. "Well, well I''ll be damned. The boy will survive then." "Maybe, but he won''t wake up for at least a week. Someone has to take care of him." Then silence. No one knew what they thought at that moment. "Bah, we all know we won''t survive a day longer. That monster''s radiation is a super bitch that not even our meager antibodies can hope to resist for a while. Come what may, let us defy fate until the very end. Dine with our gods for struggling like the worms we are, and perhaps expect a miracle. Don¡¯t let a little lad beat us now." They all smiled as they got up. Days of their time flitted through each their minds before it all went to smoke. Twelve hours later, they were all dead. Lying in the middle of a dirt road outside a forest. An entourage of knights meant to rescue any surviving refugees stumbled upon them. Planning to give the unfortunate enlisted hunters their proper burial grounds and pray for their souls when somebody shouted: "My lord, th-there''s a boy along with them! He''s alive! He''s alive, my lord." The commotion gathered many people along with the leader of the knights. The noble knight came up and inspected the boy, who appeared to be dead at first glance, only to be weakly breathing. "But how could a boy survive...?" The noble knight muttered. "This boy, I''ll take him in." Everybody turned towards the raspy old voice, almost grating like the sound of stone and metal. A mysterious robed figure walked towards the center where everyone parted, but their frame did not look human¡ªstrange proportions and shapes were apparent all over them. "Master Hartold, is there something about this boy?" The leader asked. "Indeed," Master Hartold put his hand on the boy''s head, a glassy shard of sorrow and pain reflected on his voice, "This boy would be my adopted son." .... Archived History: 2nd War of the Beasts Revelation. The Ancients'' First Reappearance. The Miiphul region, its surrounding 2127 square kilometers, located in the southwestern part of the Atlas Confederation Republic, Karan Continent, in the 3rd Common Wealth Era, the 22nd year of the Eagle Moon Cycle, which prospered for hundreds of years¡ªwas a major collateral damage during the 27th hunting attempt of the Calamity-rank beast, one of the Elder Ancients, Seventh Stage Monster, the White Void Hydra: Ithivora. It is estimated around two million people died. The monster is only repelled back into the dungeon by the Hunters'' valiant effort. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¨C Loss It was hard to take in. No, it was impossible to accept. The loss of his parents, his hometown, and thrown into a hospital camp as knights asked about you the details of the nightmare whilst the doctors attempting to convince them otherwise. It was like a dream out of a grim fairy tale. How could that be real? Also, his hair was white. His body was weak. So weak that he might as well die. During these past few hours, that scene kept occurring in his mind, a recursive nightmare. Eventually, even his spirit had to shut down to protect his consciousness. He wasn''t responding a zilch when the knights suddenly kneeled and the doctor and nurses respectfully bowed to the old mysterious robed figure who entered. And their presence was unlike any other. "Child, what is your name?" They asked. Or a he, as the voice sounded like a hoarse grating elderly male''s. Mettel looked towards him but did not say anything. He couldn''t even see the depths of his hood, shrouded in shadows. "Mettel, respected sir. The boy''s name is Mettel." One nurse replied. "Hmmm, Mettel. From the word ''mettle'', meaning dignity and honor, achievement and glory, and even excellent resolve and ability. What a good name." The figure lowered himself before the child. "What do you say you become my apprentice? Or an assistant, for starters." Yet Mettel still did not respond. His heart was missing still. The old figure noticed, but he continued anyway. "Oh silly me, I have not introduced myself yet. I am called by many names but the most I walk the lands with is Hartold. Old Man of the Spire. A monk, an ascetic. A wizard." That name... sounded vaguely familiar to the boy''s ears. But the memory was blocked. "Now I know you must be feeling... quite a shock, to say the least. To all the knights in here, I could only apologize on their behalf. But more personally, I am sorry." He bowed down to the boy. "If only I came a bit sooner. Perhaps I could have saved your town. Your parents. It was my fault that I couldn''t come in time to help repel that beast. I am responsible for your suffering." Finally, the boy had a reaction. The person responsible, at least possibly, is right before him apologizing. Mettel gazed at him deeply. But shook his head. He was smart enough to acknowledge it wasn''t this old man''s fault. Yet, his emotions didn''t care. "Why didn''t anyone come to help us?" He choked out. Slowly, as if releasing a trinkle through a broken faucet, as the salty tears fell out his eyes, the memory of this person the boy recalled: Hartold, a hero of the masses, great powerful wizard of the Aederdalus Spire. Humanity''s wise sage. "Why couldn''t you save my parents? You''re a powerful magician, aren''t you? A great monster hunter, they say. Why? Why weren''t you there!?" "...." Hartold was silent. The knights and doctors were silent as well, the shadows veiling their eyes. "I am sorry." The old man''s hoods conveyed in just a bit of light, revealing a grayed patch skin of the chin. "I¨C! I..." Mettel then broke down into a crying mess. The mourning of an innocent child was a gloom not anyone could shrug off. The death of one''s parents at such a young age, especially from such a traumatizing nightmare could potentially end a child''s future right then and there. The boy continued to shed his sorrow until his heart was empty. A relief it may be, but the scars of everything pierced ever more upon his numb insensitive state. "In time... I will give you strength. Enough to avenge your parents." Hartold spoke. A grim weight added onto his tone. "I promise you this. So that no one will ever experience like you did. No one has to suffer injustice. I swear on this on my life." Hartold then stood up. "I will come back again. In a few days'' time, become my student. Or not, if you wish. Regardless, people like me will continue to hunt those beasts down until one party is wiped out. We are monster hunters, after all." With those parting words, his footsteps reverberated across the expanse, resonating with the beating hearts of the people inside, including Mettel''s. Master Hartold went outside the hallway, his thoughts ruminating on a myriad of anchors burdening his mind. Though they grounded him, it was especially heavy today; when his footsteps stopped in the middle. A voice echoed out from his chest pocket:Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Hartold, where you''ve been?" Hartold pressed on the device within his pocket and spoke, "A personal matter. It''s taken care of." Thereafter, Hartold vanished, a few scatterings of blue sparks displacing where his body was. When he reappeared, he was already in a magnificent circular marble hall domed by the hide of a mammoth-class creature, a glass marble monster. A few others, each with such a presence that the world subtly acted different around them, were present. A grand templar, a legendary sorceress, a hermit renowned for his mystic Tezhe, a high chancellor of a scholar researching academy, an adeptus council master of a great kingdom, and the Hunter, the Archontus. And the last was him, a wizard. "I''m here." Hartold spoke. One of them, the hunter, pointed at the map. "We investigated more of the recent outbreak. The first reappearance of an Elder Ancient after hundreds of years became the catalyst for the numerous disruptive events happening throughout the realm. Our organization had already mustered a call to arms deployment in all the areas affected within the various countries and kingdoms, namely: the Eboncliff Bastion, Stonehearth Haven, Aethermoor, Duskwarren, Caerondale, and Frostfall Hamlet. Emberreach Keep is also likely to be invaded but it is currently occupied by¡­ Infernal Fire Bang Bang Explosive Mega. The Keep is in safe hands." Hartold nodded. "This is outrageous!" Someone slammed on the wall, but the wall only shimmered in response. "How come we didn''t even predict that damn Ithivora''s arrival? A seventh stage monster, in Kalyntus spit! Any such monster is enough to destroy a continent. The dungeon''s entrances should be strictly guarded by the Argonautica Praeda Order. What happened to their oracles? Are the Guardians of the Abyss, Ferrarius Artifex, actually doing their jobs!?" The high chancellor asked with a sonorous yet stringent voice, glaring murderously at the hunter Archontus. "That''s not even the most urgent matter: What of the other Elder Ancients? Other seventh stage monsters? Have they been sighted? The recent aether outbreak has been unprecedented for the last century, if one such being could ascend so would the other horrible atrocities down there. To boot, the number of monster outbreaks from the dungeon is overwhelming for each of our frontier territories even with the reinforcements from the Praeda. The situation is reaching critical point. Words from the diplomats and the International Press had already demanded we personally take action. While that might be recommended, our responsibilities cannot be delegated to another." "We also do not know where is Ithivora located presently. It is said the monster was repelled back to the depths, Is this true?" The sorceress expressed her doubt to the Hunter, which they affirmed. "Incredible¡­ to repel an Elder Ancient, the White Void at that, the Aegis Vanatoria lives up to their name. The legendary couple. It is a shame then." The sorceress sighed as her bronze eyes dimmed. The adeptus council master spoke calmly as he looked at Hartold. "Have you¡­ uncovered their corpses? The Aegis Vanatoria?" Hartold sighed. "I did not." "Why not?" "Because their corpses did not remain. Not devoured¡ªbut simply deleted. Effect of the White Void''s breath." The hall was silent. Then, the Hunter declared: "In any case, the course of action is clearly determined. As the White Void was repelled, and due to the sacrifice of the oracles and scholars, it is determined that the aether outbreak wont be enough to allow for another Elder Ancient to ascend. Furthermore, this wave is the one of the shortest recorded, just only lasting three days. Although the number of monsters makes up for it. We, of the Argonautica Praeda Order, are doing everything we can. Rest assured; our hunters are capable still." The high councilor scoffed. "Say that to the representatives from the nations sent outside. They''ve been clamoring for a while now. Spare us your PR talk." The Hunter smiled, and turned towards the double door of the meeting hall. "Then meeting is concluded. Let''s give them the details." Each and every one followed the Hunter out, the hermit and the wizard followed behind. The hermit, also hooded with a baggy unkempt appearance and undeterminable outline, spoke with a voice neither man nor woman. "Hartold. You got a boy?" Hartold was not surprised this person asked such a question. "Yeah, I did. A mutated boy. Could have potential for a great Tezhe manifestation. Survived the White Void''s radiation." The hermit hummed. Not saying a single word after. .... A few days of nothing significance passed to Mettel. He had thought over it, a lot. News had spread outside that a stupid number of monsters were attacking everywhere. Every day, a mass migration of refugees kept coming into the settlement. The boy even had to share in a bed. And the sights he saw was disturbing. People with the same eyes he had. Compounding ever more the negativity he withheld. Until it almost busted apart at the seams. When the wizard Hartold came, his appearance a bit haggard, the boy''s body already burned with an intense blaze. "What is your decision? Know that I will not hold against you; and in fact, I wish to repay my debts to you and all the others by giving you the best I could think of, my tutelage. If you so wish to reject it, then it''s no slight. I will not lie to you that I see potential within you¡ªfor surviving the White Void''s breath. That is why my interest in you was piqued." Mettel, standing with a defiant look, clenched his teeth. "If you really can make me strong, then I accept. I will come with you." Hartold smiled under the hood, which no one saw. He reached his gloved hand. The boy held it. "Well then, you best be prepared." Mettel had great expectations of his future from those words. But he never expected¡ªthat he wouldn''t receive any direct teachings whatsoever but forced to live like a normal boy in a settlement community for the refugees. For years. New Beginning A few years had passed after the calamitous invasion of the Hydra Dragon, one of the Ancients. Many kingdoms and nations were alarmed by the news that a majority of the human population had a massive panic outbreak. There were massive waves that underwent, changing everyone¡¯s lives for better or for worse. But none of it mattered for someone who lost his parents. The village of Gathos, a small settlement town populated by a thousand people lorded over by Mayor Gathos, an assigned representative in the Republic of Lonos Tumu. Refugees who lost their homes due to the monster attacks presides peacefully in here, recovering from their wounds. Currently, delightful noises were winding around the town square as a number of lively children ran. An intricate fountain, resembling a statue of a great Monster Hunter, lay in the middle. Following them was a lady of the church, a nun who caught up to one of them, the child giggling the breath out of their nostrils within her bear-hug embrace. In the distance watched the others casually. Such was an everyday normal scene. Except for a solitary small figure who had his eyes downcast, under the shadow of a two-story house roof. As the children passed along his periphery, a child took notice of him and smugly smiled. "Oh look, its Mettel the freak!" The child pointed. "Boy with white hair, always gloomy and grumpy. What are you doing here?" Though receiving the words, the boy did not respond but merely gazed at them with a dark gaze. The children were cautious around him, as if afraid of a beast. "Why are you looking at me like that? Y-you want a ¡®iece of me? I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll show you I am not scared!¡± A boy came closer with trembling legs when a hand pulled on the child''s ear. "Kids, don''t do this. Be kind to your neighbors. Didn''t Mother Laresa teach you? Or did you want to be spanked in the butt by her again? Stop bothering Mettel.¡± The nun chided. Hearing this, all the kids paled and zipped their mouth. They went away without a word. The lady then turned towards the solitary kid. "Mettel, why are you being hostile towards them? I see the look in your eyes and I could see your anger. Are you angry at them? Did they do something wrong?¡± But Little Mettel only took off his shoe and threw it towards her, which was calmly received by a big hand and a yelp from the nun. The boy looked at the man who interfered. "Erick. Do you think I am a freak too?" Mettel asked. The tall and broad man with ebony skin, wearing a braided weaves hairstyle, Erick the street-smart everybody¡¯s uncle, raised his brows. "I ain¡¯t say no such thing kid. And I ain¡¯t thinkin¡¯ no such thing either. What got ya so jumpy now? Do ya want a cookie or sumthin¡¯?¡± "Erick, don¡¯t tease him with your usual antics. He¡¯s just a kid, alright? Jess, are you okay?" Scolded another woman¡¯s voice. With a blonde platinum reaching her shoulders, freckles on her face like polka dots under her auburn eyes. Mettel¡¯s face became gloomier. "Litney, I ain¡¯t teasing no one. Besides, the kid¡¯s eleven years old. He gon¡¯ be big in no time. No time at all for sure. Best to start early." But the woman Litney simply ignored Erick, apologized to the nun and came towards Mettel with a hand. "Come, Mettel. Why are you here in a random street? Are you looking for something, or perhaps an errand?¡± Mettel looked her in the eye and shook his head slowly. Litney remained smiling. "Okay, are you hungry? Luckily for you, I just made some bread. I''ll give you one for free, come with me." Litney took his hand and stood up, gesturing with an eye for Erick to come along with them. Before that, the nun came along with them and spoke with the two. ¡°Listen, Litney. This may also concern you too Erick, there¡¯s been a slight tiny problem, yes only really tiny.¡± Erick gave her the eye. ¡°What up, Jess? Church have somethin¡¯ goin¡¯ on their alley?¡± Jessica, the nun, nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s actually related to¡­ Old man Hartold.¡± She peeked at Mettel. But nevertheless continued. ¡°He said to take care of Mettel for the time of the festival. Said he has some official matters to take care of before he went, a mysterious phenomenon he says. Might be connected to a stray monster¡¯s trail or worse, a dungeon tunnel.¡± Erick shrugged. ¡°What the deal at? Me and Litney already takin¡¯ care of him. It ain¡¯t gon¡¯ be different now.¡± ¡°Still, he asked you two to watch over him more so than usual.¡± Erick made a long face as Litney only agreed without a break in composure. Meanwhile, Mettel only looked around the town scenery. In front a certain shop, a father was feeding his daughter an apple, in a clothing shop for simple garment, a mother bought his two sons a pair of matching hats, and then another of a family house through the windows lies a scene of a disobedient teen going away amidst his parents¡¯ disapproval. Seeing the parents and kids together, even the arguments ongoing, felt like a theater play that he heard about. He remembered his own, like a broken piece of mirror. In the end, he acted indifferent. He tried to. When they arrived in front of Litney''s house, a bakery shop, Erick whistled. Jess had already gone away somewhere. "Oh man, your family''s fresh baked bread, best brand of the town over 50 years. I¡¯ll get a piece free, right?" Litney remained non-responsive to Erick. They came inside the shop and made little Mettel sit down in an unoccupied table before giving him a random piece of bread roll with a piece of chocolate inside. "Now chow down. Don''t be shy." Litney said as she smiled. But that face of hers only made Mettel look down. "I don''t want your pity. I don''t want freeovers." He pushed the plate away. Pushed the chair and stood up. "Ah." Litney raised her hand, but her mouth couldn''t move. What could she even say that won''t hurt the child''s feelings? Yet realizing that was exactly what he didn''t like, it made it all the more impossible. "Stop little dude," However, Erick stood in the doorway. He sighed looking at the twelve-year old¡¯s face. "Alright, if you don''t want a freebie, how about you help us out on the festival preparation? We do need a hand in setting up and sorting stuff. Can you do that for me? This bread would be your pay." Said Erick as he raised the plate. Mettel was silent. "Erick! What are you making him do?" He only shrugged, replying the boy wasn''t a boy but to be treated as a man if you want him to be strong. Litney dissuaded but Mettel simply nodded. "Good, come with me. Make sure earn your keep. You already know most of us Harvest Day Company anyway." Just like that, the two left the bakery leaving Litney stupefied. "But the festival¡¯s tomorrow, what other sorting is he even gonna do?" Sighed Litney. On the way there, Erick initiated a conversation with him. ¡°Heya kid. Just so you know, I¡¯d known you told me once you really thought the old man Hartold gonna teach you. But he didn¡¯t. So you now feel like the world owe ya somethin¡¯. I get it but you must understand he ain¡¯t just a plain figure. Put simply, he¡¯s like a demigod. In status, strength, knowledge etc. If he told ya you ain¡¯t ready, then you ain¡¯t ready. Impatience would do you no good¡ªtrust me I know. Damn emotion got to me and made me lost my whole in-laws family from the attack, ¡®cause I did no trainin¡¯ my composure. I may be a retired hunter, one reason why Old man Hartold hired me as your babysitter, but I was still powerless. So, relax, you doin¡¯ good. It hurts, probably forever, but you become strong enough to take it on. You strong, right?¡± Erick then plopped a hand on Mettel¡¯s shoulder, pointing a hand to the surroundings ¡°Those people out here? I known you were looking at them with full emotions, but every one of ¡®em. But let me tell ya, even the happiest man hides their sorrow. Look at that one man tending to his horses by the public stable, he lost his wife. Then at that young woman selling flowers, she lost her parents too, like you. Surely you known a few people who lost somethin¡¯?¡± Mettel kept silent but he eventually nodded. ¡°Then you ain¡¯t special kid. Those other children are scared of you because you ain¡¯t normal. So they resort to harrasin¡¯. You don¡¯t have to force anythin¡¯, but you must learn how to be flexible. Flexible mind baby, that gotta be one of the most important qualities of bein¡¯ a hunter.¡± ¡°¡­ You taught me more than my supposed teacher supposed to."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Erick slapped the boy¡¯s shoulder hard, Mettel winced. "By the by, Wanna let me and a few others crash over at your place for a night? I can''t do it with mine, the landowner will kill me." The boy looked at him quizzically and asked why. "Come on, it ain¡¯t the annual harvest festival for nothin. Everybody get their own holiday¡ªwell most of us, hospitality dudes have it real tough¡ªand what''s a festival without a night-over with the reals? (AN: short for real ones) You best expect some heavy booze, so I''ll buy some juice for you. Old Man Hartold won¡¯t be back for days anyway." Mettel pursed his lips. ¡°Okay, sure, why not?¡± Erick smiled smugly to that, cheering with a fist pump. Soon, they arrived in another location where Erick led him into an office, or a warehouse, perhaps, with all the random crates and packaged boxes around here, before giving him a paper, a clip, and a pen. "Now, all you gotta do is jus¡¯ check down the items on the list, the date delivered, how many pieces, and the condition of package whether it be good or bad. If you spot any damaged goods or spoilt edibles, leave a red circle mark on the item name. Refer to the labels attached to the crates. For the ones on the far right, yeah, the fruits, you gotta have to stick some sticker labels on ¡®em, I already made some by the table. Oh, for the ones with an ice symbol in it, you could have this charm. Crafted by our master craftsman of the town. Let¡¯s you open them safely, just hold it in your hands like so." Erick wrapped the stringed charm, shaped like a flame with a wicked face on it, on his wrist before unwrapping it. "Make you warm and resistant to cold when you touch ¡®em cold items, so use when necessary. That''s really all of it. You could have your break in an hour and a half." Mettel all took it in and asked to be clarified on some parts he couldn''t understand. After that, he was left to his own devices. The work did keep his mind busy, enough to remove the gloom from his heart somewhat. The time passed by and it was already one hour and half when break time was given to all the workers, who oddly enough seemed kind of relaxed. Mettel followed the others to the canteen and sat down in one of the benches whilst sipping some water. His ears couldn''t help but overhear. "I wonder... games probably like... Aether rush... , or... Monster Relay." "Those are... join Capture the Lost... Pyramid Crash... Tug of War, Francis would win that event." It was fragmented but he could make out enough. Sadly, most of those games would involve standing out. What would people think if someone like him joined? "White haired freak." Mettel muttered. ..... Time passed by and he was about to complete the job by dusk. Erick didn''t seem to check up on him not once, strangely enough. Just as Mettel was about to finish, due to his negligence, he bumped into a wooden cart. His elbow stung, electrified. Then a large crash banged which made him jump. He looked behind and saw the chest on top of the crate had toppled down¡ªits lock broken. Cold air seeped out from it. "Oh no." He tried to replace the wrapped-up bundle into the chest hurriedly but the frost-covered surface made him flinch away. His hands hurt like hell. "Oh, oh, I have to put on the wrist band." As he wrapped it around with shaking numb hands, he saw a cute-looking ice cream. Cute, because it was shaped in a fish-like design. It particularly caught his attention because it was unpacked, no plastic or whatever. At least it was frozen so it wasn''t like it was dirty. Looking a bit, he saw it came from a box of those ice creams. An impulse came to him. "Why not steal it?" But why? Because it would be tasty. It does look tasty. He shook his head but then someone opened the door fast. It was Erick. "What happenin in here, kid- Oh, it fell down. An accident?" He asked calmly. Mettel had already gazed away, afraid to meet his eyes. "Hey kiddo, sometimes accidents happen. We''re all human, and you of course couldn''t probably see a small chest on top of a large crate. Here, let me help ya." Then he suddenly raised his hand and arced it in an instant. Mettel flinched. But there was no slap. "Heh. Got you thinkin'' I''m bout to whoop you didn''t I? Relax, jus'' pranking you. You gotta remember¡ªI''m the one who asked you for this, so it would be my fault whatever mistake you did, follow me?" Erick patted his shoulders reassuringly. "... I understand." "Alright, now this chest block is heavy, give me the fire strap." Erick then methodically organized the items back in and replaced the chest back on top of the crate. He dusted his hands after taking off the strap. "Whew. That''s a portable refrigerator by the way. Really expensive stuff, as well as the things inside it. One product, the Glaciocarp ice cream, personally made by the ice sprinkles from their scales along with a Lactobovus¡¯ milk. If you ever let a a fire-based monster taste one of these bad boys, they''ll immediately be your friends for life. And I meant paralyzed for only a few minutes. Don''t give it to a water-based monster though, they¡¯ll jus gon¡¯ get stimulated. Of course, its also safe to consume for humans. Popular with capital rich kids I heard." Erick talked a lot in his exposition that Mettel thought why was he even going this far. Perhaps it was to educate him? But said value of the frozen ice cream which he pocketed made him feel scared and yet excited. Then Erick plopped out a wrapped plastic bread roll from his jacket, from earlier. "Your pay, by the way. Come here sit in the couch." The two sat in the couch, Mettel instinctively followed. When he was given the bread roll, his stomach grumbled. Erick chuckled to his embarrassment as he ate it. It was cold. "Though it''s cold, it should still be one of the best breads you ever tasted. Litney''s family are magicians, I tell you." "Ruh''y?" Mettel asked. "Err ah no, that was just a figure of speech." Then they were quiet. Through all the silence, Erick side glanced at him, with a smirk on. "Don¡¯t worry so much, kid," Erick says, patting his shoulder. "Tomorrow¡¯s the festival. Have fun. Ya ain''t have a damn need to prove yourself t'' anyone¡ªjust be a kid for a while." Mettel only nodded after a second or two. He didn''t really buy what Erick said. Be a kid? With no parents and no friends? How could he become ''just'' a kid after all he went through? Erick then continued to talk to himself all the while, ranging from the fun activities and events to what he''s planning himself. Not much of interested Mettel except for the popular legend of the shooting star where someone could make a wish to it. "Way back when¡ªcenturies ago, they say¡ªa streak of light cut through the night sky, gleamin¡¯ like a diamond in a dark bed of sparkling stars. Folks been talkin¡¯ ''bout it ever since. Some say it had all kinds of colors, like a heavenly rainbow trailin¡¯ behind it. Others? They figure it was just bright white¡ªlike a spark shot outta one of the Great Human¡¯s Tezhe. And then there¡¯s the version folks use to scare their kids¡ªa big ol¡¯ fire-breathin¡¯ dragon, shootin¡¯ across the sky faster than you¡¯d believe." Erick let out a chuckle. "But the story most folks go with around Lapas Dejuren continent¡ªthat it was the descent of the celestial huntress herself. The one who blesses monster hunters, harvests, and the essence of the Hunt. A star-made goddess, they say¡ªcarryin¡¯ a bow forged straight from the cosmos. Every arrow she let fly? That was a shootin¡¯ star, lightin¡¯ up the night and takin¡¯ down the baddest monsters that ever dared to roam. And it all started when that very star wiped out a fearsome beast¡ªa Borelynx Raja." "A- a Borelynx Raja?" Mettel knew of that monster. It was a mixture of bear, leopard, and boars into one creature. Its height reaching over 30 meters and 17 meters wide. Limbs as thick as a huge tree. Such a fearsome beast could eviscerate a fortress town. Erick continued. "See, folks always believed that every time one of them flyin¡¯ stars showed up, a monster got took down. Later on, it turned into a whole celebration¡ªan¡¯ that¡¯s how we got this festival comin¡¯ up. They say that same star¡¯s supposed to show up again, bringin¡¯ the blessin¡¯ of the Celestial Huntress. But don¡¯t hold your breath, kid¡ªit don¡¯t always show." "Do you believe in that legend, Mr. Erick?" Erick shook his head. "I ain''t. But why not, though? I just don¡¯t do it myself, you feel me? Sometimes you hear ''bout it in other hunters¡¯ stories."" "I think, I heard something about that from Mr. Hartold, actually." Erick raised his brows. "That the legend of flying star had some merit to it. He did say something about a goddess-like being, a human, who had contented against one of the Ancients. But also, it was such a long time ago that the records might not be accurate. The aftermath of their great battle resulted in the formation of the Thousand Mile Valley." "Oh yeah, what else did the old pops say?" Mettel scrunched up his lips, narrowing his eyes. "That err, that people need something to believe in to get through hard times? I am not sure if I trust that though..." "That old man''s somethin'' else. Anyway, kid," Erick stood up and helped the boy get up, "It''s . Let me come with you." But the boy shook his head. "It''s not that dark nor that far. I won''t get lost." "You a big boy then, I like it. Go to sleep early, a''ight?" Mettel nodded. And the boy went home with a ponderous expression. Scenes of earlier kept popping in his mind, the sunset ruby-hued town made him feel something. So what if there''s a festival tomorrow? Why does he need to participate in this stupid event? Questions, questions spun round his mind. But then, he noticed something, his left thigh felt absolutely cold. In fact, his left pocket was frozen. ¡°Oh sh¡ª¡± The boy hurriedly ran back home. The moment he did, he placed the strangely enough still-frozen ice cream onto the table. Mettel was seriously regretting this. ¡°Perhaps I should just give it back¡­¡± But upon remembering it was very delicious he had to reconsider. The ice cream pack had like 50 pieces on it anyway. Surely one couldn¡¯t hurt? This must be expensive too; he could sell it if he ever needed pocket change. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for a special occasion.¡± Mettel stashed it away in the refrigerator¡ªthe greatest invention of the century as people praised it for. Some scientist with an ice-related Tezhe managed to create this after all. Jolting out of his thoughts, he saw the same note from his master still placed on the same spot by the side. Master Hartold hadn''t taught him anything yet. The reasoning; because he wasn''t ready. What a load of dung, Mettel thought. Why does he need this profoundly confusing state of spiral alignment, saying like "¡ªyou''ll know when you get there, that¡¯s when you will have your Tezhe". Or when he becomes the age of 14 if the former doesn''t work, only then could he learn the old man''s arts. His anger rose, and remembering that giant figure, that white monstrosity brought the burbling red to a new height. "Someday, someday, I won''t be powerless to face you." Mettel shook his head and decided to have his dinner: a normal bread, sausage, a strip of pork meat, and water. ¡®Tomorrow would be hard.¡¯ He thought. But what did the festival have to with him? He didn''t want any part of that anyway. Having nothing else to do, he went to bed very early. only falling asleep after a long-time past midnight. After a new day arrived, it was the day of the festival. Mettel did not get enough sleep¡ªthough he would greatly need it for the next coming of days. Important days. Robert Aphens Awakens It was cold. Very very damn cold, every inch of it. I feel like I am going to freeze to death. I can''t see anything too. I swore I was just dozing off¡ªdid I get kidnapped again and placed in a freezer? I wouldn''t put it past my pursuers, but why can''t I feel anything else? Then, as I struggled to ponder over my problematic situation, a singular sensation came over me. It was warm, sweet, light, pleasant. Wrapping around my fragile trembling being. A voice, as if heralding from the heavens itself, called out to me. "Robert Aphens. You have been given the privilege of reincarnating into a new world. Though, you had lived with many tragedies and pain, I hope that you might be able to live a good life in the next world I will be sending you to." Huh. Huh? Wuwazzat? The soothing feeling was too much for me that I couldn''t focus. But something about a new world? Wait, is this heaven then, and here I stand before the great arbitrary judge of the myriad lives? Then, a silhouette appeared in front of me. Woah, I gained sight. And what I saw was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The very cosmos itself laid out before me, like a blanket of infinite gems-studded tapestry covering the all horizons. Nebulas, galaxies, planets, a hundred thousand colors amidst the blackness of space. Each and every one singular point connected to another through sophisticated flares of light, a branching divergence the only apt description, as if the branches of a world tree spreading the channels of the universe. Is this actually the Universe, then? It was so mind-blowing that it took me a full five seconds before I became aware of the figure in front of me. Clothed in white, a suffused radiant glow framing them as tendrils extended out as if seeking something. A blinding halo above their head, held a wooden staff, a sizable amount of beard below their chin. Their face, shrouded in luminescent light, recalled a memory. Is he that famous prophet from one of the world-renowned religions? But then I saw the radiant light shrouding his face go away. The figure was not the prophet, I say. I repeat, it was not the prophet. That face was absolutely gorgeous, I have trouble knowing if its male or female but¡ª "I shall bestow upon you a gift to accommodate your new life. This tool would be called the MoPako System. May it serve you well in the dangerous magical world teeming with beasts. Farewell, Robert Aphens. Perhaps you will be fated to meet me again one day. Live well." And then I got sucked into a non-existent vacuum. Wai-WAITTTT I DON''T UNDERSTAND!! WHEEEEAAAA!! ..... When I got to, I felt a dizzying weakness in my veins. I tried to move but I can''t. More accurately¡ªI am trapped somewhere dark. I thought about that figure''s words and I just can''t wrap my head around it. All of a sudden, I am reincarnated now? As a human baby? Why do I still have memories then? MoPako System? Wait, I actually died? With all these distracting thoughts and wild emotions, my body instinctively wiggled out of whatever the heck I am trapped into and broke out of the protective membrane. Bazzah! I am out. My eyes became clear and I saw: *Screeecch!* *Kapow!* The first sight I was greeted at was green. Moving flailing green with a dozen limbs. Ah, so many violets, blue and green¡ªthousands of shades in two sides each. Oh, the light, the light is overwhelming! They''re like reflective currents, cocoon of currents spreading all out in varying intensities. What in the¡­? *Munch* *Squelch* It took a while but my mind adjusted to my ''new'' eyes a little bit and recognized a humongous armored centipede, almost half of my entire eye set, crushing a dozen also gigantic bees and eating them within its slithering embrace. Around the centipede are crushed honeycombs and more half devoured honeybees. Then I realized. This is an ambush on a honeybee nest and I am a honeybee. Wait. Wait. I thought I was being born a human infant? Without memories, perhaps? Why am I here? But the grim reality in front of me did not change even for half a minute. Soon, that centipede is going to realize my presence and eat me as well. However, it was too busy fending off the surviving army of honeybees stinging it. One fellow particularly appeared to be glaring at me to attack it. Sorry chump, I think we have no chance. If an army of honeybees can''t take that thing out then what chances I have, who''s a bumbling newborn who can''t even control its body instinctively? Impossible. I will certainly die. Alright, before panic could lead me to ruin, I have to compose myself. Right, this isn''t anything new. I''ll think about other things later. With burning dire efforts, I desperately tried learning to move my wings. Alas, it only twitched in spasms. Shortly, controlling my six legs are no problem. Okay back muscles are the key here, or thorax muscles, more accurately. For the time being I crawled sneakily away from the centipede and the few remaining honeybees and hid behind a rock. Move, move, move damn it! "KRAAAH!" The rock I hid behind crashed into little shrapnel, hitting my body in several spots. One of it got into my eye¡ªwhich hurts like stepping on a Lego as a baby. In other words, I have a fractured skul¡ªnot, my head and eyes are actually kinda tough. Still though, the raging centipede already wiped out the others. It locked its red menacing eyes on me and¡­ SHITTT! I ran like the fat ass bastard that I am with my comical six legs. I maneuvered through the trees and jumped over bushes but the centipede was rapidly outgaining me. That centipede really is pining for this booty. I would definitely die in less than five seconds if this keeps up. If I die again, would I be able to complain to that mysterious prophet? Damn it, this kinda unfair ain''t it? Then, something magical happened¡ªmy wings started to move up and down. Gosh darn it, make it faster like the wheels of a hyper cog! There you go, good job me. Steady, steady, this feels like an old-model airplane gaining its momentum not gonna lie. Time it right, and oomph! I pushed my legs with all the force, lo and behold, I took flight off the ground like the shooting of a catapult. Flight is back online!!!! Hah you can eat my butt, centipede, which admittedly you almost took a huge chunk out half a second ago. I was almost celebrating in tears when I crashed into the tree''s bark. "SKREEECH!" Oh centipede, you still got half a dozen corpses of my kind back there, why do you hunger for mine? Is my big yellow booty butt that appealing? Eat it, sucker! Fortunately, I didn''t drop all the way to the ground and set off flying. Soon, I left the centipede far behind. I was super-fast more than I expected. Or was that centipede just slow? Now that I think about it, it did look injured in multiple places. Must be the work of my kind. Eventually, once I got far enough, I decided to perch on the top branch of a tree relatively taller than the others, honestly, I don''t know how big I am or this tree was. But the fact that my size resembles an eagle''s or more relative to this tree, it should be significant.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Okay then, scout the surroundings first. This forest area is guaranteed dangerous, information is imperative for survival. I took a look and went gob smacked. The world was¡­ huge. Filled with all kinds of flying monsters blotting out the blue, violet wide sky and the tops of humongous monstrosities jutting out of the forests. A bulbous bag of flesh, a moving craggy mountain top, another even appeared like towering cicada wings, then the broad torso of titan. A majority of the monsters crawling through the forest and engaging war. Yet all seemed insignificant compared to the imposing azure mountains in the horizons. A whole mountain range of ''em. The zeniths obscured by the clouds - nature''s attempt to overreach the stars beyond, that''s the only way to describe them. Now I don''t know what they''re made of but this is no time to be wowin'' since a flying pterosaurs-like monster is coming this way. Ah seriously man? ... After flying and rolling and sprinting and flying around, I just can''t help but want to hide in a hole and hopefully get out of this place by melting through the earth. To be honest, this is even worse than being chased by a bloodthirsty gang because you stole something of their property. Well, only slightly worse but come on. I expected something better. Because this place is absolutely bonkers. A giant moth, a giant stick insect, a flying winged wolf, another flying winged deer with drill antlers, a muscle-packed gorilla that even King Kong would get jealous of, a bear clothed with thorns, an ox-boar hybrid, a leopard with tiger stripes, a snake, a termite colony warring on moving trees etc. etc. Heck I even saw a tree dryad, but instead of a sexy hot lady luring you in, there''s only a dryad that''s taken the form of a big apple. What''s up with that? But worse of it all are the flower monsters. Oh my god. Why is this land cursed with such abominations of a creation? One glance, and instead of where the pistil and stamen business are, there''s an entire viscera of organs inside, pulsing with unholy green ichor. Granted, there are safe flowers here and there¡ªbut none that are big enough to hide in. My only way to survive was to hide in an unoccupied mountain cave. This is a massive risk but its all I have at this point¡ªeverywhere else is a big no no. And I did got lucky, managing to get inside a coastal grotto. It''s a shallow one so I believe there''s no other monster lurking deeper inside. Phew! My body is not in good shape, I tell ya. Numerous scratches here and there, thankfully my body''s kind of resilient without incurring a bleeding injury. I came close to death numerous times though. I was slumped down to the cold wet ground floor, resting for all I was worth when I appraised my present situation. Seriously these new eyes of mine still disorients me a whole lot. The colors of green blue and ultraviolet are all I can see, the compound eyes are way too different from a human''s, not to mention, it''s so blurry past beyond 10 meters. At least I could move with this new body somewhat, along with the helpful motion detection of my ocelli. Honestly, it''s a miracle I got to survive. Ah but man. From a honeybee caretaker to a bee himself, what an ironic twist of fate. I have no small number of grievances to that mysterious prophet figure but I have no choice but to accept what I am now. Can''t help it, can we? Now, what''s this MoPako System prompt box in my eyes? From that figure''s words, this should be like a game-like feature, right? Maybe to facilitate my level ups, status, skill etc.? Okay, expand system! Didn''t work. Is it a physical touch thing? Gingerly, I placed one leg on the prompt box and it quickly expanded. From its contents reads: [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world''s fate. { Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} { ???} {???} {???} Name: Robert Aphens Race: Mel Apis Infans (Worker Honeybee Infant) Level: 1 (Evo 1) Strength: 10 Agility: 9 Constitution: 6 Intelligence: 14 HP: 16/24 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Bee Sting lvl 1, Bee Bite lvl 1 Auxiliary Abilities: N/A Titles: N/A Skill points: 0 Stat Points: 0 Click here for more details ] Huh uh. Hmmmm. Destined ones to change the world, eh? Okay, gehehehe. HAHAHAHA. So, I am a typical isekai protagonist then? Golly gosh, guess I could forgive you, mysterious prophet. Not sure about the companion part, I could assume there are others like me, then? But my status sheet is rather pathetic huh? Surely, there''s some special ability to be unlocked that would make me overpowered. Let''s take a look around the store first. It should be there where my overpowered-ness lies! [ Tier 1 Store Feats: 1 (!) Achievements: 0 Total Points: 50
  1. Minor healing: 5 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  2. Minor mana restoration: 6 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  3. Minor stamina refill: 4 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  4. +3 stat points: 10 pts
  5. +3 skill points: 15 pts
  6. Tier 1 Navigation Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  7. Tier 1 Tracking Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts (Requires Navigation Ability)
  8. Tier 2 Navigation Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 25 pts
  9. Stealth lvl 1 Core Ability (Primitive): 8 pts
  10. Stealth lvl 5 Core Ability (Primitive): 16 pts
  11. Vision Focus lvl 1 Core Ability (Primitive): 15 pts
  12. Upgrade Tier 1 Store to Tier 2 Store: 35 pts
  13. Unlock Evolutionary Path Evo 2 Requirements: 50 pts
Click here for more details Details: Points could be attained through Feats and Achievements to buy from the store. Additionally, one could exchange ability and skill points for store points. Feats ¨C Significant actions done under special circumstances. Gives 5 up to 100 points, depending on the difficulty and level of store. 1. Tier 1 Store ¨C 50% reduction of points 2. Tier 2 Store ¨C 35% reduction of points 3. Tier 3 Store ¨C 25% reduction of points 4. Tier 4 Store ¨C 15% reduction of points 5. Tier 5 Store ¨C No reduction 6. Tier 6 Store ¨C 20% bonus points Achievements ¨C Monumental actions and outstanding contributions worthy of being passed down in history. All Achievements comes with a new unique title. Gives 350 up to 500 points, depending on the difficulty and the resulting effect on the world. This is not affected by the level of the store. Buying a higher tiered auxiliary ability would remove the lower tiered auxiliary ability out of the store. If you already have a lower tiered auxiliary ability, the next upgrade of the auxiliary ability cost would be lowered to half. If the auxiliary ability the user owns is higher than the store¡¯s, the store would automatically delete it. Buying all the abilities in the store would rotate the next cycle of auxiliary abilities randomly. Upgrading the store would not remove the items not purchased from the previous level. Feat gained! Survived Tremendous Low Odds! +90 store points! Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, gained +45 store points! ] Robert Aphens (1) Unbelievable. Are you kidding me? 50% reduction of points? This is daylight robbery! Call the manager, I wish to speak with him, right this instant! More importantly, where the heck is my overpowered ability? All I see are support skills damn it. So what, I am actually a true-n-proven weakling here and that would stay for a long long time? I oughta¡­! Hell difficulty right off the bat for a newbie, seriously? I have to do something, and quick. My mind spun rapidly for solutions, survival tactics, and contingencies I could set up. First off, I am a honeybee without his comrades. Typically, an insect colony type monster are the weakest individually. That means: hiding in the shadows and ambushing. For now, this place seemed safe, so this would be my base. I have to map out my surroundings and know about my enemies as much as possible. Then I hafta plan when, where, and how to strike. But before I could even think of battle¡ªI have to get used to my body first, as effective as I could train it before I go weak and hungry. Wait a second, don''t honeybees eat nectar to survive? No, that was true of ordinary ones, but I am a monstrous honeybee. I could probably eat normal and magical, if it exists, flower nectars, but most likely I have to eat meat to satiate myself. Water too. To test it out, I brought out my proboscis tongue. Even going so far as taste-testing the sea waters flowing inside the grotto. Water seems clear, of course it tasted awful salty. But what do ya know? Honeybees can actually safely drink seawater, though they still prefer clean water. How about my mandibles? *Clack clack* Niceee. I could use it to bite. While I may never know my full anatomy, I have to let my instincts guide me here. With the plan settled, it¡¯s shopping time. ¡®When he brought out the shop, he shopped all over the system¡¯, indeed! With a measly 45 points, I have to really be careful of what I should be buying. First off, this damn vision problem. I splurged 15 points down the drained for the Vision Focus lvl 1 Core Ability. And¡­ nothing changed. What the? Just when I was starting to get anxious, a system info popped out: * Vision Focus lvl 1 Core Ability is an active ability used to focus on a particular point or region with your eyes. To activate, you can either say Vision Enhance or mentally command it.* Oh okay¡­ I guess it¡¯s better than nothing. Attempting to activate took me several tries before I got my mind intensely lasered on that one skill and thought its name out loud. Suddenly, one far away pebble I''ve been eying got tunneled into my vision. As if the other images became blurry through a camera lens. I turned it off and was satisfied. Although I have 360 degrees vision, it''s really useless beyond ten meters. One of the silver linings however are my ocelli. Motion-detecting eyes using the sun and its light. Although it really feels feverish jumpy to be literally attuned to ultraviolet waves. It feels like being Neo from M*trix, able to see the lines of codes making up of the simulation, I guess. Next up, I bought navigation auxiliary ability tier 1. All of them are obviously good for a weakling like me but navigation is the most important. Except its preeettyy difficult to use. I thought the Navigation would make a mini map show up in my perception, but it''s more like a mental mind map. If it stopped there, it would''ve been fine but it''s adjusted to my new perception too. Which means¡ªit''s not a normal mini map, it''s a bee mini map of the places I travelled! Aghawababushfeh! I turned it off instantly. Tracking is useless too, in that regard. Good thing I held off buying that and the Tier 2 Navigation. Next up I have to decide between Stealth Lvl 1, +3 stat points, +2 skill points. The skill points are too expensive, they may not give me the immediate boost I need. Stealth is of course great, but how would I be able to kill others if I am so god awful weak? I just gotta wing it, rogue-like style. +3 points it is. A total of 41 points¡ªleaving me with 4¡­? Motherfu¡ª This feat was at the risk of my own life. One mistake and I coulda gone straight back to the prophet dude. Yet, only 45 points¡ª45 points!? It¡¯s not just about me being a cheapskate, this store is literally a lifeline for me. This Evo 2 requirements item, to boot, no idea on what that is but if it¡¯s like a class progression system and I have to have learned specific skills, killed a certain boss/es, or require specific items before I could evolve, then sh*t. If that¡¯s the case, I have to upgrade the store as soon as possible before I could purchase anything else. Composing myself, I set off to getting used to my body. Flying, stinging, biting, sprinting, rolling, sidestepping with my legs. I must look like an idiot dancer to any outsiders. Just like that, one or two days had passed by before I believed I was ready, plus my strength was starting to wane. Now is the best time to scout and hunt. Square the F up monsters, I amma sting you to death! .... Through the tall thickets of the forest beside the coastal shore, a solitary small plated worm-like creature, separated from its colony, was burying through the ground, appearing to dig its prized prey of a decaying meaty chunk into its nest. Small was relative, as it measured 10 meters long and 3 meters wide. It paused its movements, raising its head into the air, turnings its head to and fro like a bird of prey. After short seconds, it resumed its work. Up high in one of the branches of a tree, a silent honeybee was stalking the worm, readying to launch itself at the closest vantage point. Its stinger pointed readily down. When the worm lowered its guard down just as it was about to bury itself in the soil, the honeybee shot off. KILL! Make it there, damn it!! Inches away from piercing the wretched worm, as the stupid prophet above would have it, the worm reacted with a lightning-fast movement, dodging the stinger whereby it pierced the soil. The worm shrieked its jagged maw out, releasing a debilitating soundwave. Gragh! That hurts my antennae so friggin much! My ambush failed, shit. Steering clear of the rampaging worm, I tried to fly away to regroup but I quickly got grazed by a flick of its plated body. That hurt like hell, my exoskeleton rattled with small cracks on the abdomen. Sent flying away, I used the distance to my advantage and hovered over the worm. Alright, what''re your patterns? Left? I go right. A flick of its tail, I go upwards. Going head on? I STING! With a deft twist of my bee body, I stabbed the worm head on the side, right on one gap of its plates and injected my venom. Quickly taking it out, I flew away to avoid being brought down along with it. The worm crashed to the ground twitching and a swollen area on its head. But it wasn''t dead. How many injections do you need? I''ll give you a buffet of bee stings! Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee! I attempted my strategy once again but the worm learned its lesson. Counter-stabbing it blindly didn''t work, my bee stinger kept sliding off of its plates. I have to strike precisely in the gaps. Then just as I thought I dodged one attack; a surprise flick of the worm sent its tail out¡ªthwacking me by the thorax. My wings barely hang on but there were multiple cracks on my chitin by that one attack. By this point, I was bleeding profusely. Shit, shit. It hurts so much. Did I just rupture my organs? I am not stranger to pain but this is way too different from just receiving pain.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. This worm is the only possible prey I found in the surroundings, any more days of scouting I would simply grow weaker and risk being discovered¡ªand its game over for me. I can''t dig a pit like an ant, I can''t weave a web trap like a spider, I can''t camouflage myself like an insect. My flight is the only thing I have. It''s do or die, damn it! I landed on the ground with my six legs, poised and crouched. The worm peers at my general direction, its beastly intelligence analyzing the state of the battle. It had no eyes nor ears, its receptors only detecting vibration and light. I intentionally made a slight movement. Come to me, worm! It instantly flashes out to me, opening its maw wide. Steady. Steady, at the last second. DODGE AND STING! Sparks flew in the air from the intense collision, a ringing numb sensation spread through my abdomen, then an acute pain. My stinger pierced through the plate, but the momentum of the worm ripped the stinger right off. You know, when I said flight is the only thing I have? That was a lie. System, buy minor health. I ain¡¯t training for nothing, after all¡ªI gained two new feats whilst bettering myself! *Confirm purchase?* Confirm. Then a shimmer of green bright light came over me, my stinger magically growing back from its broken bleeding edge, as well as the numerous wounds over my body. The worm, with a stinger stuck on its head, spun around intending to crush my body. But I was faster, I was more cunning and therefore, more dangerous. I precisely stroke into the same exact spot I pierced through, now swollen¡ªinjecting the venom. Dodge again. Repeat. Of course, I wasn''t leaving unscathed, its plated body segments kept battering my body. But even as a world of pain burned me, I kept piercing and piercing, stabbing the same wound over and over again. Even as the worm bit off a part of my wings, a section of my compound eyes barely inches from the brain, and crushed my abdomen and my thorax, I kept pressing on. Injecting all the venom in my body. Die, die, DIE!!! And eventually, just as I was about to give out and purchase another minor healing from the mind-numbing fear, a notification sound rang out: *You killed a Lumbrica Burrowling Evo 1 Level 4.* *+2 Level up. +6 Stat Points and +2 Skill Points* *Feat gained! First kill in a life and death battle! +75 store points. Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, gained +38 store points! * Then, the worm stopped moving. It ceased to be. Within its crushing embrace, its maw spilling out its greenish yellow blood on the ground, I lay motionless. Ha ha ha. I won. I won! Ahk. I think, I might actually bleed to death, if it weren''t for the timely level up that significantly healed me. Its efficacy was on the level of a minor healing, so although my wounds remain, it wasn''t fatal anymore. Still though¡­ my first life and death battle. I... this is how my life is going to be from now on, isn''t it? From an unforgiving life to an even more ruthless grim life. What a joke of a reincarnation. Well, I have no choice anyway. I did try calling out to the prophet-like figure during my training, calling the system out in very creative ways¡ªno response. To my despair, this is my new reality, I suppose. Anyway, I have to move quickly. Pretty sure all this ruckus and blood would attract monsters very soon. I got to take what I can, cuz there''s no way I could carry this guy to my hide out. Besides, its scent will lead other monsters. With that in mind, I used my mandibles to take a bite in an unprotected area. *Squelch* Eeeww. F*cking¡ªThis tastes like¡­ oddly okay? Huh? Then a feat notification popped up. *Feat gained! Ate monster meat for the first time! + 45 store points. Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, + 23!* But I had no time to ponder over it as roars and howling were already converging here. I swallowed as much as I can and bolted out of there like a thief finishing his handiwork in someone''s grandparents'' house. ...¡­. You might wonder why I said I should take what I can when I only ate all I could? Well, you see, bees have this other stomach where they safely deposit their foraged nectars. I don''t know how it worked, but with a thought in mind, I managed to direct a lot of the chunk of meat into my storage stomach and ate some of it for my digestion. What does it feel like having two stomachs in one body, you further ask? Interesting question, I could only answer in a way a former man like myself could¡ªlike having two different ball sizes. Yep. And you could distinctly make out the difference in shape and size. But inside. Peh! Enough of that, I want to talk about the taste first. What I expected was a shitty taste of a slimy meat and gore, I found that it tastes like¡­ seafood. Shrimp specifically, with an earthy tangy taste infused to it. Its texture was like a jelly''s, juicy and chewy. Even without having to cook, it''s actually pretty edible. Not sure if that''s a perk of my being a monster. Next up is the fun part. My gains in the battle. I leveled up twice. Twice! 6 stat points and 2 skill points was really damn good. Even more store points as well¡ªyet still far away from that damn store upgrade BS. Moving on, with the insight I received from my latest battle, bee sting was my most reliable means of attack. I placed 2 skill points into my Bee Sting. The bite would have to wait. Before I decide where to put my juicy six stat points, I took a look into the guide as there''s this suspicion I have. [ System Guide Skill Tree Chart ¨C A tree chart of your skill progression, with two distinct tabs namely: Core Abilities (Racial Abilities) and Auxiliary Abilities (Supporting Abilities). Core Abilities have many branching skills categorized into skill paths revolving around your preferred style of combat. Conversely, Auxiliary Abilities are versatile abilities for supporting combat and/or life in general. Both have a separate hierarchy of tiers. Depending on your build, you can choose to focus on one specific skill path, or any combination of skill paths. Standard builds to build around your skill paths: Phys Offense Build Phys Defense Build Mobility Build Stealth Build Utility Build Aether Build (Locked) ¡­.. ¡­ ] Huh uh. Aether? Clicking it isn''t giving me any information. I guess it''s like magic? Okay, the guide is way too long, it''s a friggin wall of text! Good thing there''s a search function, so I found the information I was looking for. [ ¡­. Stats Details: Strength: Refers to the amount of power able to be exerted by an individual. Agility: Refers to the flexibility, speed able to be exerted, and deftness of using one''s body. Constitution: Refers to both the external, internal durability, toughness, resilience and endurance of an individual. Intelligence: Refers to how much, how fast and precise can the individual process information, and how long they retain such information. Intelligence 10 and onwards imply intelligent consciousness, which adds the intelligence factor of how creative and expansive the individual''s mind could be. Could only be improved by manual training, skills, evolution, titles, ???, and ???. Info: The first three stats form the foundation of one''s physical body. More stats will affect the body structure to improve the related stat. You cannot subtract stats. You cannot add points to intelligence. Lastly, the change only applies slowly with sleep. More than 5 points increase would take more than 8 hours of sleep for it to apply fully. ..... ] Skimming the text, I knew I was right. If there''s an imbalance between the three stats, pretty sure they''ll break their body. Ain''t that how people get their injury from working out? Too much straining of one group muscle will cause it to fracture bones, tear muscles ligaments. I have to maintain an optimal balance. With that information, I simply decided to add one to agility, five to constitution¡ªmaking my foundation stats 10, 10, 11. Alright, since this would only apply in my sleep, let''s move on. Next, give me the progression in both auxiliary and core abilities. [ Core Abilities Primitive Rank ¨C Raw and natural talents. The basic abilities of the user''s race, or mutation. Unrefined techniques emerging from one¡¯s inherent traits. (e.g., Bite, Slice, Slash, Pierce, Parry, Sprint etc.) Mastered Rank - Refinement and Foundation. Techniques evolved through rigorous training and experience, showcasing expert control and a solid foundation. (e.g., Perfect Assault, Graceful Dance, Fortress Body, Nascent Battle Art, Unrefined Elemental Control) Exalted Rank - Culmination and Ascendancy. Abilities pushed beyond normal limits, accessing one¡¯s deepest potential and utilizing rare traits to its fullest¡ªoften linked to unique bloodlines or talents. (e.g., Battle Art Culmination, Peak Mana-Elemental Manipulation, Unique Bloodline Abilities) ??? (Requires Evo 6, Level 200, Tier 6 Store unlocked) Auxiliary Abilities Survival Phase ¨C Basic support skills that enhance personal abilities and general utility skills for survival. (e.g. Basic Navigation, Tracking, Resource Identification, Trap Laying) Crafting Phase ¨C All related support and utility skills to bolster one or multiple crafting professions. Requires foundational skills from Survival Phase. (e.g., Potioneering, Blacksmithing, Woodworks, Tailoring) Aether Imbuement/Bestowal Phase ¨C Temporary buffs, boosts, and enhancement aether spell formulas to apply unto a living being or a non-living thing via chanting or sketching. The formulas are derivatives of aether runes. (e.g., Minor Agility Bestowal, Minor Luck Bestowal, Minor Vitality Bestowal, Minor Precision Bestowal) (Progression: Minor, Intermediate, Major, Advanced, Peak) ??? (Requires Evo 6, Level 200, Tier 6 Store unlocked) ] Robert Aphens (2) It took me a moment or two of understanding the explanation provided, but after taking a look at the store and the skill path tree, it became clear. Core Abilities undergoes qualitative change as the higher phase one goes, combining multiple lower tier skills to form a higher-tiered one. What would the final level look like then, as Exalted already have the peak of mastery? Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s locked. ¡®Cuz it would be beyond anyone¡¯s wildest imagination. As for Auxiliary abilities, it¡¯s similar in the same way except there¡¯s really no relation between Crafting Phase and Aether Bestowment Phase¡ªwhich I guess works like a buffing spell? Man, this is kind of complicated. All in all, it¡¯s an evolution of the abilities themselves. Utter brain-gasm. I moved onto the skill tree chart, which looked like a constellation system of some famillliiiarr thing (a honeybee), I noticed four abilities branching out from my initial two general abilities: Forceful Sting, Barrage Sting, Mandible Thrust, Mandible Slice. But they were blacked out. When I clicked on the blacked-out icons, it stated that you need initial practical experience to be able to learn it. Additionally, the system said I could manually learn the skills myself by training. Neat. Although they were locked, I did acquire the Evasion primitive core ability by myself. Heh, I have a natural knack for avoiding stuff, even responsibilities! Taking a moment to glance at the future abilities and considering which build I should take, I closed it and checked my status sheet: [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. {Skill Tree Chart} {Evolution Path} {Store} {Title Traits} {???} {???} { ???} {???} Name: Robert Aphens Race: Mel Apis Infans (Honeybee Worker Infant) Level: 3 (Evo 1) Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Constitution: 11 Intelligence: 14 HP: 20/44 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Bee Sting lvl 3, Bee Bite lvl 1, Evasion lvl 1 Auxiliary Abilities: Tier 1 Navigation Auxiliary Ability Titles: N/A Skill points: 0 Stat Points: 0 Do you wish to confirm the changes? ] Hmmm I have injuries, but as a magical monster, I probably have the ability to heal just by digesting. This is but mere speculation though, if I don¡¯t heal during my sleep, I have no choice but to go for another level up. And hit that change, Mister or Miss MoPako System! When I affirmed, I felt a slight tingle over my entirety. That was weirdly therapeutic? When all was said and done, the only thing left to do¡­ is make up my bed. Make sure the entrance is well hidden and go to sleep. So, I went on to work, gathering any clumps of thickets and vines along with these willow tree branches outside the grotto, making sure to be stealthy. All the plant life surrounding the shore had this characteristic striped vibrant pastel purple spiraling their frames. It was quite frankly, aesthetic. My stealth powers from hours of playing RimSky, Gear Metal, and Creed Assassins came into play at this juncture, my buzzing wings moving the minimum degree to fly me. Zipping to and fro hiding spots of rocks, bark and bushes. Not one monster caught onto my presence. After the designing work, the entrance appeared glamorously fabulous, I must say. *Feat gained! Simple Joys under Pressure. +10 store points! Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, gained +5 store points! Well would you look at that? I entered inside with a jump, piled the stack of these fluffy looking leaves like oregano leaves the size of a palm tree leaf. I laid down. It wasn¡¯t easy to sleep. But how can I without an eyelid? Right, the honeybees just stay still, relaxing until a state of quiescence. I worried if this was going to work, but eventually¡ªthe fatigue slowly closed off my mind. I let everything wash over me. Then, the emotions swept down. All that I experienced shattered my restraint. How does a miserable honeybee look like? I wish I never knew. ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­.. Bazzah! I am up. Yep, that¡¯s going to be my morning call. Gotta pump my energy. And already I could feel the physical changes in my body from the system changes. Tougher. Slightly faster. Stretching my limbs and antennae feels great. Wow, this is amazing, I could get used to this. I took a look at my hp and saw that, precisely, I recovered 10 hp! Nice. I had a few test runs on my durability; banging my head against the wall. It hurts less, alright. I think? Alright, time to put my plan into motion. I wasn¡¯t sure about my goal other than survival was, but to find where my colony and reunite would take priority. Many bees are more than a single bee. Strength in numbers. On that account¡ªdo I know how to use my pheromones? The answer is: I don¡¯t know. I could feel something else being released when I was injecting my venom into the worm. Pretty sure those were my alarm pheromones. No way of proving it, though. Other than that, pure ignorance. Surely, I could discern a bee pheromone if I come across it? I gotta be careful though, if it¡¯s a stranger honeybee colony, I might just be ripped to shreds. Ah damn, I don¡¯t remember the scent of my comrades. In that dilemma, the course of action came to me: investigate where I was born. That centipede wouldn¡¯t have remained there all this while and I still recall the way.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I set out abuzz with purpose, sneaky-sneaking making my way through. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Without any hitches, I arrived at the place. It only took half an hour to get here. If I accounted my first run-away, only estimated around 12 minutes of all-out buzzing, then my survival was truly tremendously lucky. How¡¯d that even happen? I scouted the whole area out. The muddy soil was utterly ravaged. A whole section of the forest became a broken clearing, where bits and pieces of honeycomb lie like toys. The ground had a gaping hole, as if leading to the unknown depths. A high-pitch was blowing through the tunnel, cold wind venting out. Not one remains of my comrades left behind. Not even our home. Remembering the scene of their last-stand added a weight I never was aware. Yet even now, it was being scavenged by scavenger monsters. Crows, Hyenas, the same Lubrica Burrowlings. Only a few of them. Desecration flit through my mind. It was weird. I never spent time nor exchanged affection with my fellow honeybees. Do I actually feel camaraderie? A sense of kinship? Perhaps. Loneliness is a poisonous mistress, after all. Where else to get strength but my supposed friends? But I did manage to find my goal, even as I hid in a high tree branch. It was faint, very, very faint. A pheromone trail, its direction pointing to the azure mountain range far away. Although I could see its peaks, it merely resembles a pebble in my position. How far away is it? I clench my mandibles hard. Someday. I turned away, returning the way back. I have to get stronger first. Strong enough to survive on my own in this jungle forest of macabre. And so, days of slaughter had passed. The honeybee fully leaned into his monstrous instincts. Struggling to scout, learning an enemy¡¯s habits and habitat, planning the perfect moment to strike. Only one time my ambush succeeded in one strike, and it was a wounded monster. The others, I had to fight mandible and sting. Blood. Guts. Pain. Hunger. A cycle of it all around. At some point, I started thinking if I was truly a honeybee myself, and the memories of the human Robert Aphens was simply implanted into me as a cruel joke. This is a cruel joke. I could only laugh to survive. Stay still and bazzah! Go out and observe, at some point¡ªI acquired the auxiliary ability Living Observation, naturally. Helps me analyze monsters better. Man, I wish I had someone to talk to. I killed another three monster worms, two monster moths, a monster cricket, a wounded wolf, a monster crow, and a monster rat. All of them Evo 1, most are higher-leveled than I. However, I failed one time. It cost me agony. I had to run away with almost half of my body melted into a puddle. Ah, it hurts. It was against a harmless-looking poisonous frog. Simply assuming its modes of attacks were its spit and tongue, I didn¡¯t expect that it could expel a poisonous fume out of its porous body from an instantaneous kick. Although I dodged the kick, I couldn¡¯t escape from its fume discharge. So thick and sticky was it that it attached right away to my exoskeleton. I only managed to scrape by through with a mere 5 hp remaining even by exhausting one minor healing and one stamina refill. I didn¡¯t want to waste the last minor healing, so I endured it. It took a whole week before I could completely digest all my stocked-up food, with only a bit more than half of my total hp restored. In this time, I gained 12 levels, making me a level 15 Mel Apis Infans. [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. {Skill Tree Chart} {Evolution Path} {Store} {Title Traits} {???} {???} { ???} {???} Name: Robert Aphens Race: Mel Apis Infans (Honeybee Worker Infant) Level: 15 (Evo 1) Strength: 22 Agility: 22 Constitution: 23 Intelligence: 17 HP: 50/92 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Bee Sting lvl 7, Bee Bite lvl 6, Vision Focus lvl 4, Evasion lvl 5, Stealth lvl 3, Flight lvl 4. Mandible Constellation: Mandible Slice lvl 3, Mandible Thrust lvl 2 Abdomen Constellation: Venom Tip lvl 5 Forceful Sting lvl 4, Barrage Sting lvl 3, Wing Constellation: Buzz Evasion lvl 1, Aerial Strike lvl 2, Auxiliary Abilities: Tier 1 Navigation Auxiliary Ability, Tier 1 Living Observation Titles: N/A Skill points: 0 Ability Points: 0 Do you wish to confirm the changes? ] [ Tier 1 Store Feats: 8 (!) Achievements: 0 Total Points: 229
  1. Minor healing: 5 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only one time)
  2. Minor mana restoration: 6 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  3. Minor stamina refill: 4 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only two times)
  4. Tier 1 Tracking Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts (Requires Navigation Ability)
  5. Tier 2 Navigation Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 25 pts
  6. Upgrade Tier 1 Store to Tier 2 Store: 35 pts
  7. Unlock Evolutionary Path Evo 2 Requirements: 50 pts
Feat gained! Endured Torture. +85 store points. Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, gained +43 store points! Feat gained! At Death¡¯s Door. +95 store points. Tier 1 Store Point Reduction 50%, gained +53 store points! ] * Confirm purchase of Tier 2 Navigation Auxiliary Ability (Survival), Tier 1 Tracking Auxiliary Ability (Survival)? * *Do you wish to upgrade Tier 1 Store to Tier 2 Store? Costs 35 points.* Yes and yes to all. Still, looking at my ever-increasing wall-of-text of a status sheet I now have, I really¡­ got through so much, huh? How long have I been here? Weeks? Pushing myself to the brink, honing my skills as much as possible, scouting and killing. Consecutively. Well, I had to go that far. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have survived till now. Ah here comes the tingle. Whooo. *Grumble* Yep, I know. My body needs sustenance. Have to go out soon. Should be fairly strong against the normal mobs ¡®round here. Even if I make a mistake, it shouldn¡¯t be fatal. Yet, before that, I gotta check out the new store. [ Tier 2 Store Feats: 9 (!) Achievements: 0 Total Points: 154
  1. Minor Healing: 5 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only one time)
  2. Intermediate Healing: 15 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  3. Minor Mana Restoration: 6 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  4. Intermediate Mana Restoration: 18 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  5. Minor Stamina Refill: 4 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only two times)
  6. Intermediate Stamina Refill: 12 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times)
  7. +3 stat points: 20 pts
  8. +3 skill points: 60 pts
  9. Tier 1 Trap Laying Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  10. Tier 1 Shelter Building Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  11. Tier 1 Resource Identification Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  12. Tier 1 Non-verbal Language Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  13. Tier 1 Tracking Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts
  14. Upgrade Tier 2 Store to Tier 3 Store: 75 pts
  15. Unlock Evolutionary Path Evo 2 Requirements: 50 pts
] This is unreal. 20 points for +3 stat points? 60 points? What has the world come into¡­ but, I could literally buy all of them and still have plenty left¡ªI am literally rich! I am a self-made wealthy noble, damn it! The question is, do I greed now? Of course, with 154 remaining I could just simply upgrade the store now, maybe even twice. All my other feats so far are things I did while surviving like setting up base, training for the first time, ate monster meat. Going forward, I need to get more value out of my feats, and god allow it, achievements, for the long term. I am pretty comfy right now so let¡¯s do it. *Do you wish to upgrade Tier 2 Store to Tier 3 Store? Costs 75 points?* But just as I was about to say yes, another holographic system prompt popped in my face. *Another user of the MoPako System is nearby.* Huh? Festival Day The day of the festival had come and the boy already felt tired. Of course, who wouldn¡¯t be looking forward to this annual important holiday? He was the same, too. Yet, every year he¡¯d get his expectations up and every year it was dashed. After all, the boy only spent the three-day festival without doing anything. Watching became a chore. As everyone¡¯s spirits soared as the delicate lanterns garlanded with a flower bloom hanging by every household¡¯s and stores¡¯ main doors, Mettel, with his eyebags, was alone. Erick did say he should just loosen up and become a kid¡ªjoin a game or two. But how was he supposed to do that? Firstly, the games of the first day were mostly for older people and not for 11 years olds like him: Capture the Lost Flag, Hill Defense, Tug of War, and the Mystical Relic Hunt. All games requiring a team. He wasn¡¯t good at talking to people¡­ Though he said all that, there are mini games for the children and elderly as well. A party dance off, a normal version of the relic hunt using ordinary items, an eating contest, the who-can-hold-their-voice-the-longest game, and indoor board games. Mettel simply wasn¡¯t interested in any of them. There was one last event, however, that was yet to begin: LandScape Rush. Clearly, hundreds of people alone were clamoring about to get to outside town to witness the start of the race. ¡®Erick was participating in that event, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ Mettel thought. Should he go watch too? But it would be too crowded on the spectator path. He hesitated, struggling on over what to do, seeing as his caretakers weren¡¯t here to take him away somewhere else¡ªLitney busy helping her store¡ªhe simply sat on the fountain by the square, merely observing the passer-goers. That was when he got disturbed. A boy with yellow-ish black hair and rich brown skin with an expensive vibrant tunic, common pants and leather shoes was running by in a hurry. He was about to pass by when he saw Mettel. ¡®Uh oh, this is trouble.¡¯ The boy came up to him, puffing and sweating. ¡°Hey Mettel, why aren¡¯t you joining the festival?¡± No hesitation in his voice, no malice¡ªsimply a curious look on his face. Mettel had a hard time answering him, partly because he¡¯s lazy. Mostly he didn¡¯t know how to deal with a friendly boy of his age. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want to, Cevian.¡± Someone spoke from behind. a black-haired boy with a glum color in his face. His eyes were a black lake¡¯s. Raynel, an orphan like him. Cevian looked back at him. ¡°Huh uh. That¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it? No one would miss watching LandScape Rush¡ªit¡¯s the most popular exciting sport of the continent! Two teams of people with their tamed beasts¡¯ companions, racing against each other with unique sorts of Tezhe and 2nd stage monster abilities, what more one could ask for? Especially in a frontier town with so many veteran hunters?¡± ¡°For starters, you could stop spitting on my face. Secondly, it¡¯s not the most popular sport nor is it the most exciting. Imagine masses of sweaty shouting people pushing each other to watch, blocking the short and unlucky people¡¯s view most of the time. Thirdly, Midling Catch Arena is better¡ªin all objective accounts.¡± ¡°Says who!? I agree that Midling Catch is great, but it doesn¡¯t compare to¡ª¡± Just then a loud announcement boomed out from the western side of the town. It was the start of the race. Cevian went wide-eyed. ¡°Oh come on! We¡¯re late, come on Raynel and you too Mettel!¡± ¡°H-huh? Why me?¡± Mettel asked, which Cevian ignored. Or he may not have heard at all. This is exactly why he didn¡¯t want to deal with Cevian¡ªthough he¡¯s the most popular kid, Mettel¡¯s energy was constantly being drained around him. Raynel gazed sympathetically at him. It was only one year ago that he met Cevian, and a few months later Raynel. Perhaps that¡¯s why they weren¡¯t particularly unfriendly towards him. If they had been around in his first year at this town¡­ The church bell echoed, as if resonating with his protesting thoughts. It was a bright afternoon right before the sun set, and the boy with white hair didn¡¯t realize he was secretly enjoying being dragged around. For all his misgivings with the festival, perhaps he may finally make friends. ¡­¡­ Inside the church, where a few people were praying by the pews, a nun with a pale face and thin lips was amidst them. Praying as well. An ambiance of unapproachable solemnity surrounded her pristine dark habit. At the front of the hall stood a magnificent robed statue holding a staff, a sacred air emanating from it. Though the statue¡¯s face could not be seen, its making was of the highest work. It is undetermined whether the statue was a male or female. The nun continued her prayer until she felt a tap on the shoulder. ¡°Sister Jess, I apologize for the interruption.¡± A young man with a simple cotton tunic spoke to her, calmly, even under the stoic gaze of the nun. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I was just about to finish. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Miss Litney. She asks you to take of Mettel for the time being. She¡¯s worried about Mettel being lost in the town. I would have done it myself but you¡¯re the closest in age and relation with the boy amongst the church people, including me.¡± ¡°Litney too busy helping out in her bakery shop, I suppose?¡± Jess asked. The young man shook his head. ¡°Nah, she¡¯s patrolling the town perimeters. It¡¯s the LandScape Rush event today.¡± ¡°Ahh, that was today? I thought it was tomorrow.¡± ¡°It got replaced, since tomorrow, Mayor Gathos is returning to town. Planning to celebrate with the townspeople for the birth of his youngest daughter¡ªhe¡¯ll be hosting a charity fair for the orphans of the invasion. A fun performance would be held or like so and such something.¡± Said the young man with a weird look. Jess nodded to herself. ¡°Alright then. The only thing I had to do was cleaning the confession cells anyway. I¡¯ll do it.¡± The man smiled sheepishly with a thanks and was about to go away when Jess continued, ¡°By the by Quin, you say you can¡¯t be friends with the boy, always using that excuse to Master Hartold, but I reckon you will be great friends with him. You two are alike in so many ways.¡± Quin scratched his head. ¡°Then even more the reason we can¡¯t be close. At that age, I hated people, generally. My younger brother, Raynel, would have better chances to being friends. Though he¡¯s an unfriendly-looking kid, he¡¯s kinder than most.¡± ¡°You¡¯re proud of your younger brother I see. Ah, you said something about a performance, what was that about?¡± Quin crossed his arms. ¡°Second-hand information from my friend. Apparently, it¡¯s a travelling group of performers, an illustrious well-known at that, who¡¯s going to be performing here. One of their leading performers is a hunter.¡± ¡°I see, what¡¯s the name of this group?¡± ¡°Wanderer¡¯s Troupe.¡± Jess gazed narrowly in thought. She can¡¯t recall any names like that. ¡°I am not surprised you haven¡¯t heard of them when you¡¯ve been stuck cooped up here in the church.¡± ¡°Ahem. Excuse me, I have to go look for the boy with white hair. I must see you later.¡± Then she went away, leaving Quin behind.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Man, she still is scary to be around with.¡± Muttered Quin. ¡­¡­. ¡°Hurry hurry you slowpokes, the first complete lap is around the corner!¡± Cevian shouted as he went on ahead of the three. The hill around the area was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people, with makeshift spectator seats settled and some with picnics. Though those with the picnics were on higher vantage points. Those below, like the one Mettel and the others were, had a steel boundary separating the race track valley below. The sun was glaring up in the sky, the wind blowing from the eastern high mountains to the western plateaus. The town of Gathos was several minutes by main road away. With the three children having actively ran, they were all puffing large gulps of breath. At that moment, a group of dots appeared in the distance with a dust and smoke plumes emerging behind them. Small at first, gradually becoming larger until the leading racer¡ªno, two leading racers could be seen. The people cheered loudly as they pumped their fists into the air. The announcer with his amplifier mic screamed. ¡°Woahh! It¡¯s Erick and Tryndale neck and neck in the lead! With Velocidon Almahline and Auronis Pa¨ªsrend, respectively and relatively unscathed! They¡¯re going at it super hard, neither giving more than half a step lead. And with the first lap just around the corner, the two contenders are spurring to get their first advantage rune. Behind them are their teams still wrestling against the other. Yet!¡± Just as the announcer said that, a group of people on two sides of the valley pulled down on a lever, revealing pits and potholes that were covered by a camouflaged layer. That wasn¡¯t all, they let down several large boulders down the slope. For the air, a spell brought forth wind arrows in the air and was sent hurling through the skies. Hundreds of them. Along with the small thunder currents lashing out from flying nimbus clouds, and heavy, large snow hail pelting around carried by continuous breezes¡ªthe sky was perhaps arguably more dangerous than the land. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± One spectator asked. ¡°No worries, all the racers are experienced hunters. Their bodies tough enough to handle them even if they make a mistake.¡± Another replied. ¡°Let¡¯s see how will they fare against this obstruction!¡± The announcer continued. Cevian yelled in excitement to add onto the chorus of several yells and stomps. Other kids had already approached them, Cevian to be exact, to cheer alongside. ¡°Curses, I know this was a bad idea. This event is too, oof ¨C can¡¯t see anything at all! And this is way too dangerous, what if we get hit by a stray projectile?¡± Mettel felt the same way as Raynel. Yet, the two got helplessly dragged by Cevian¡¯s hands forward, just in time as the two leading racers successfully passed the first lap. The ground shook, dust ¡®n bits and pieces of everything flew away from their beasts¡¯ rapid marching. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Cevian shouted. ¡°We¡¯re protected by a protection spell rune, look, see there? It¡¯s invisible but its blocking anything larger than a pebble out.¡± Mettel looked and saw that was the case. Though he¡¯s been here for a few years, it was clear he never watched a LandScape Rush before. How much aether mana and how complex does it have to be to cover such a large area with such precision? He thought. ¡°The pressure is on! The rivalry between these two is so thick you can literally taste it in the air, can you taste it? Sniff Sniff. It has the flavor of fire and dust, cough!¡± ¡°Stop being weird in the head, do your job properly as an announcer come on.¡± ¡°But I am doing my job, look, Tryndale is about to get the first rune and¡ªhe got it! Let¡¯s see what kind of effect he¡¯s going to get¡ªwait? Who is right on their tails? They¡¯re being super quick even with a Cervalis Muruwind.¡± ¡°A dark horse contender? She¡¯s the youngest racer of the group, wait let me check the list. ¡°She¡¯s rapidly gaining on Erick and Tryndale, just who is she?¡± Moments earlier¡­. ¡°Hahahaha! You eatin¡¯ the dust today, Tryndale!¡± Erick propelled his Velocidon forward with a shout and a kick, the quadrupedal beast lunging at its top speed. Tryndale, silent and calm, never lost sight of the hidden traps going forward. Just then, the race organizers released all the obstructions prepared for the first lap. Erick dodged deftly through the potholes and the boulders, the Velocidon crushing small boulders underfoot, never stopping. Tryndale, for his part, stayed on course. Instead, his Auronis launched a gust of strong wind that repelled the projectiles. The two appeared exactly even but Tryndale was slightly ahead. When they crossed the first lap, the two of them sensed someone from behind coming up. ¡°Erick, just who is that girl?¡± Tryndale asked even as he instantly dispatch the random blindflash rune on the direction of Erick. Erick simply deflected it with a flick of a whip, answering: ¡°Dunno, I only know her name and that she only 15. Crazy talented, I know, might hafta get serious if we wanna keep our undefeated champions status, hah!¡± Erick dodged a sudden pit that collapsed from the race track. ¡°Interesting. To think she acquired the trust of a beast that young¡­¡± The two continued on ahead with a sudden burst of speed, furthering the gap between them and the girl. And the girl¡­ ¡°Argh, these two old geezers still have some juice? What is their beast made up of, anyway? Aren¡¯t they just 2nd Stage Monsters too?¡± The girl with the rust-colored pixie undercut with a pair of long bangs on either side, patted her beast companion. ¡°Cer, think you can keep up for the next two laps?¡± The silver-skinned deer with wings and a tail snorted with a head flick, crushing a stray snow pellet. The girl could hear the mass of people¡¯s shouts and the enthusiastic shouting of the announcers cheering. No one was paying attention to her at first, which was good, but now, they¡¯re directed at her. ¡°Arwen! Arwen! Arwen!¡± ¡°Hagh! People are going to be asking for my autographs after this¡­!¡± Arwen had her conflicting thoughts about this. Nevertheless, the cheering burned a brighter fire in her chest. Her movements became sharper and heavier as she blocked any projectiles coming her way. Her balance was impeccable even as she stood on top of Cer. Yet, try as she might, Arwen never surpassed the two geezers in front of her for the next two laps. Although it was a team battle of six people, she seriously chased for the first position. That frustrated her quite enough to blow a fuse. Arwen gulped massive air into her lungs as she laid, when Erick, the second-place contender, came up to her with a bottle of water.¡± ¡°Heya girl. You crazy good. Good fight, good fight. Seriously, where¡¯d you learn all that moves? You were slick as a fish in water!¡± Arwen accepted the bottle of water, grumpily, and finished it within two seconds. ¡°Self-taught. Ain¡¯t telling ya where¡¯d I get my Cer, though.¡± ¡°Of course, no one is idiotic enough to share every secret unlike buffoon here.¡± Tryndale, with his cool hunter armor¡ªa set of cuirasses, greaves, vambraces, with a leather vest underneath¡ªthat somehow remained dashing, came over with a towel by his hand. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s called bein¡¯ charismatic. If ya share your secret, no matter how small, others would be inclined to share theirs too.¡± Tryndale offered an extra towel to Arwen, which puzzled her enough. ¡°I can see you¡¯re from the outskirts, with the way you dress. What¡¯s your name? My name is Tryndale Velstone.¡± ¡°¡­ Arwen. Just Arwen.¡± She took the towel and wiped off the sweat. With the way she looked? What does that mean? Sure, she could be a lil bit rough around the edges with her rough skin, her clothes being a ragged regular hunter¡¯s leather attire, but she shouldn¡¯t look that shabby. Her hairstyle is super cool, to boot. ¡°Your friend,¡± Tryndale gestured to the resting giant deer, ¡°She¡¯s a good Cervalis.¡± Hearing that, Arwen beamed. ¡°Yeah, definitely. She¡¯s the coolest Monster ever. I wouldn¡¯t trade her for another, but how¡¯d you know she¡¯s a she?¡± ¡°Experience.¡± Tryndale succinctly replied. The racing event concluded officially as the two teams completed the race. The announcers hastily attempted to corner Tryndale for an interview, but he¡¯d already disappeared. Instead, they settled for Erick with his off-the-bat non-stop yapping. To his credit, it made everyone entertained with his quips. Eventually, the event host presented the championship prize¡ªwhich was a ticket of 10 silver coins and a trinket artifact. A small pocket watch imbued with the spell formula of something called Time-Dilation. Arwen gazed at the stage and left off a tired sigh. ¡°What makes you sigh so? Third place, though I don¡¯t see it as such and better yet view it as a group effort, is praiseworthy enough to be complimented nothing short of excellence.¡± Tryndale spoke to her from behind, which spooked her. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you supposed to be up there?¡± Tryndale shook his head, then he continued. "I have an offer for you. Would you like to take up on a scouting mission? Preferably, I would hire you as a trainee hunter, but that goes through several tedious channels and procedures at the moment which are unnecessary. Initial reward of 50 bronze, the complete reward nets 150. Equivalent to a total of 20 silver, if you so prefer. What do you say?" Arwen''s eyes blinked for three times, closing her mouth and opening it. ¡°For how long? And where?¡± ¡°Dajien Highlands. Western perimeter of around 200 meters around the canyons. Travel takes one day on foot and few hours with a Monster companion. 2 days of scouting. You start tomorrow.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Arwen immediately accepted and shook his hands with a gleam on her eye. The two went further away to a comfortable place to iron the details. On the far sides of the crowd below the hill and just next to forests, stood a person cloaked with a muddy undertone and a barely visible insignia by the chest. There were several others around him yet they don¡¯t pay him any attention. ¡°She seems promising. Never thought I''d find a promising Monster Raider here.¡± Then another person spoke from beside them, without warning. ¡°Yep, but it looks like Tryndale already hired the girl. Always so fast and direct, like a true lightning user. He¡¯s actually worse back in our hunting days, never thinking about others, could you believe it?¡± A girl clothed in ranger attire sat hunchback by the tree branch, a twin dagger right by her hips and a rifle on her back. She was looking over with a hand over her eyes. The cloaked figure turned towards her, and vanished on the spot the next moment. A slight curve wryly appeared on Litney¡¯s lips. ¡°And you¡¯re also too serious about skulkin¡¯ around. You¡¯re already discovered anyway.¡± She whistled a tune as she returned deeper into the mountain forest. Lycren’s Arrow Mettel meanwhile, was sitting by a circular wide table stuffed to the brim with Cavien¡¯s family¡¯s cultural dishes. When he tasted it, the lamb curry almost burst its juices in his mouth. ¡®Juicy, so spicy. No, it¡¯s explosive!¡¯ This was arguably the tastiest dish the boy ever had. ¡°So, what¡¯d you think of the race? As for me, the race made my chest pumping! So many twists, surprise attacks and turns¡ªmost of all, that girl Arwen!¡± Cavien shouted out loud, forking a particularly tender vegetable piece. Raynel bumped his shoulder into the former. ¡°What, Raynel?¡± Raynel gave Cavien the rise of eyebrows and a mischievous smirk on. ¡°You like that girl, don¡¯t ya? I can see your eyes shining when looking at her.¡± ¡°W-what no! I don¡¯t like that girl; she looks scary. No, I just, I just thought it would be nice if I could be as good as her someday and talk to Tryndale in person.¡± ¡°Ah jealousy. From an aspiring monster raider.¡± Raynel sipped calmly. Cavien¡¯s cheeks flushed, from embarrassment or frustration, perhaps both. Mettel grasped his fork while he watched the banter. Awkward didn¡¯t put it, he felt out of place as a whole. Just what was he even doing here¡ªin Cavien¡¯s family home which looked like an exotic world of a mansion? Mettel gazed at the walls, the paintings hung, the little trinkets, the pelts of animal fur and then the other kids around the table. They were too busy eating their fill. ¡°Hahaha, Cavien, I would not stop you if you wanted to be a raider but you going to need either talent or lots of connections¡ªwhich you and I don¡¯t have¡ªto get a monster companion. I bet that Arwen girl had a master help her tame that Cervalis.¡± A heavy booming voice filled the dining hall from Cavien¡¯s father. A big bellied brown skinned man, with the same luxurious clothing that Cavien wore, except he had an additional animal hide wrapped around his waist. If out of place was the end of it, that would also be okay¡ªit¡¯s free food for a slight uncomfortable seat. But the other kids kept glancing at him, whispering, the look in their eyes like he was a flying roach. It¡¯s¡­ really disorienting. Cavien did not notice, but Raynel did. The blank look of the boy¡¯s face become even more devoid of light. Mettel searched for a way out of this not-so-pleasant experience and just as he let up from his seat, willing to excuse himself in the bathroom but actually getting out when a familiar person appeared by the entrance. ¡°Ah there you are Mettel. I was just looking for you. Having a late afternoon lunch with friends, I see.¡± ¡°Sister Jess! Everybody¡¯s friendly neighborhood nun, how wonderful to see you here. Welcome, welcome. Take a seat, I never expected you to visit my abode so I¡¯m really surprised. Did Vatiri let you in?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Sahid, he respectfully let me in after I expressed my purpose of looking for Mettel. But seeing as he¡¯s settled here, I see no problems in just leaving him be.¡± Sahid powerfully laughed. ¡°Yes yes. Let him be new friends with my shining sun Cavien here. All is good, all is good. Why don¡¯t you partake in having some food, as well? Though, I am not sure if any here you¡¯re allowed to eat.¡± Jess shook her head in politeness, stating that she¡¯s full already. Unexpectedly, Mettel called out, his chair scraping against the floor. ¡°Wait, take me with you!¡± Jess momentarily appeared surprised. But she agreed anyway. ¡°Sure, come with me now. You¡¯ve eaten your fill?¡± Mettel nodded, and while showing his gratitude to Cavien¡¯s father with a hasty bow, he went out before Cavien could voice a protest. ¡°Ah. Wait¡­ Pa, why did you let him leave? We haven¡¯t talked much at all.¡± ¡°Oh, then you talk to him another day. What¡¯s the big deal? Though, if you want to make friends with him, do it soon.¡± The father then went on to making jokes for the other kids, such as how the goat kicked him in the bum one day while herding sheep or how working in the repairs of a ship, he and his crewmates angered the repair leader by playing a board game without permission which made the leader slap him in the head and falling to the water. Such and such stories. Cavien quizzically looked at his father¡¯s comment and promptly forgot about it as he listened to the same stories he already heard; Raynel understood though. ¡®Is what he did really that serious? Hmmm couldn¡¯t tell, couldn¡¯t care. It¡¯s not my business. Better think more about the project I have¡­¡¯ Raynel chewed on his steak curry. Meanwhile, outside, Mettel also felt oddly awkward around Sister Jess. He did throw a shoe at her yesterday. What was he supposed to even talk with the pale and thin-lipped nun about? Sister Jess spoke suddenly which threw him out of the loop. ¡°I must mention that Master Hartold is soon to return, perhaps around evening by dinner.¡± ¡°Huh? He¡¯s about to return?¡± Jess softly nodded. ¡°Before then, where would you like to go? Have you joined any games yet?¡± ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t.¡± Mettel was too nervous to ask why Sister Jess continued to treat him any different, but he backed off, so he changed the topic, ¡°I¡¯d stay in the church instead. Listen to the church organ and read some passages, maybe. To pass the time.¡± Jess glanced at him. ¡°Are you sure? Most kids find the music boring and the scripture passages dull that they often feel asleep when I read them some verses. We do have some entertainment, like the card game created by Sonia¡¯s, for our orphanage activities. But they¡¯re not fun to play with just two people.¡± The two arrived at the church¡¯s door by then. When Mettel saw the holy statue in front of the prayer hall, he asked: ¡°How about Mother Laresa? How is she?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ she¡¯s still bedridden. Not long to live, however.¡± Jess said matter-of-factly. Mettel was taken aback. He apologized. The nun then sat by one of the empty pews, the church hall itself was already scarce of visitors who went to pray. ¡°You know, you¡¯re mature for your age Mettel. For the last three years you¡¯ve been here, you¡¯re no longer as angry as you were. And yet, you clearly felt out-of-place even back there. Or perhaps you remain that way of choice, hmm?¡± Mettel also sat by down beside her. Where was this going to? He hemmed and hawed before he answered:Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I, I don¡¯t, no, why should I even answer you?¡± ¡°Ah you don¡¯t have to, so spare me the shoe please. I was just curious is all.¡± Jess answered without ripple. Silent. Before long Mettel remembered Erick¡¯s words and all the things he¡¯d done. Why was he so aggressive anyway? To this person? ¡®Ah. She reminds me of my mother.¡¯ That thought passed through his mind when Jess opened her mouth. ¡°Alright, to pass the time, how about a story of the god in front of us? Are you interested? I¡¯ll continue anyway even if you¡¯re not. Ahem.¡± ¡°Long ago, around the time the Great Dungeon Chasm was discovered, an unknown explorer found a strange gem-like stone found in one of its depths. The gem held extraordinary powers and transcendent luck, as the records say, and when the explorer held it for long enough¡ªthey heard a voice. It is unknown or lost in the records what has been said but there¡¯s one word that stuck; ¡®System¡¯. After that, the explorer experienced the loss of their country due to a calamitous event; the first Monster Outbreak. Driven to grief, they smashed the gemstone in an altar and transcended their mortal shell¡ªbecoming the god we see now. The Deity of Great Sorrow, Serath. That is not the sole reason they were named that way however, for Serath was believed to be related to the Celestial Huntress, the very same legend we are now celebrating this harvest festival. I believe her name was¡­¡± ¡°Lycren. Lycren¡¯s Arrow.¡± A weak voice called out from one of the alcoves, footsteps rung out and revealed an emaciated figure of an elderly woman, cloaked in all black. Cassocks, a soft-rounded cap, and a mantle. Her eyes were all white. ¡°Mother Laresa! What are you doing here?¡± In quick movements, Jess stood up from her seat to support Mother Laresa, which she pays no heed to, looking at the boy with white hair instead. ¡°Mettel, Hartold¡¯s adoptive son. This is the first time we met I believe.¡± A kind smile crept on the elderly¡¯s face, leaving Mettel greatly flustered. ¡°Ah uhm, huh?¡± Adoptive son? What is she talking about? She was sat down by Jess, who took the length to persuade her to return. ¡°Jess, my sweet daughter. I may have to bring you the trouble of bringing your brothers and sisters in my cell. I have something to tell them. I sense my time growing near¡ªI fear this is the last time I will be able to walk. However, I have a message to send to Hartold before I finally go bedridden for good.¡± Jess grew silent. ¡°¡­. I understand.¡± She stood and bowed to her waist, going away at once. It was unknown what she thought with her stone-like face. ¡°Now then, how are you, Mettel boy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good¡­ what message do you have for my master?¡± Mettel came up to the elderly woman, taking her hand as she sat by his side, sighing with relief. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, I just want to impart a message to your old man Hartold. I am not sure if I¡¯ll have the time later to talk to him. Still, yes, I¡¯ll tell the message after the story. That reminds me, you two there, you hiding boy come here and sit by us.¡± A startled yelp came out of nowhere. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Furious whispers then could be heard behind the pillar where Raynel and Cavien came out from. Raynel was particularly embarrassed whereas the other was only smiling sheepishly. Mother Laresa chuckled as she pointed the seat beside Mettel, who was looking at them with a massive question mark on his face. ¡°Why are you two here?¡± He asked. ¡°Well, you know, I kinda got bored staying in my house. The others left very soon so Raynel suggested we go follow you and I thought it was a fun idea. Here we are.¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t put the blame on me, you were the one who asked for my input.¡± Cavien shrugged his shoulders, as if saying ¡®who asked?¡¯ Raynel¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Now, now, boys. Don¡¯t argue. At least, don¡¯t argue in front of my old bones. Do it somewhere in a safe place. Hahaha.¡± The three were dumbfounded at her remarks¡ªshouldn¡¯t she admonish them or something? Why encourage it? Finally, the two boys sat down after the fanfare. ¡°Now, listen.¡± Mother Laresa continued the story from before, amidst the boy¡¯s confusion. ¡°Lycren, that¡¯s the name of the Celestial Huntress. A person of great importance to Serath, though the scholars weren¡¯t able to finalize on their relationship. Lovers, siblings, friends, family member¡ªthey kept on arguing on the subject. What was proven from the ancient records is that Lycren was a powerful talented human, even without any Tezhe she could slay monsters with her own hands. Serath, however was unknown so there is not much about them aside from being the earliest record of them as an explorer. At the day of the calamity, Lycren and other brave heroes fought off the monster invasion¡ªthe first of many as you might know them as Aether outbreak. Where the world¡¯s mana anther reaches a critical point that makes the Monsters go into a frenzy. Without any Tezhe at the time, humanity and other races were hard pressed to deal with them. Although it helped that the monsters were weaker as well, for there were only 5th stage monsters as the apex predators. At the moment of deepest hopelessness, Lycren¡¯s Arrow, a sparkling radiant star flew across the night sky, illuminating the fires and black smoke ravaging their land¡ªand vanquishing a being equivalent to an 5th stage Monster. At the cost of her own life. Yet even that was not enough to stop the invasion. Eventually the country fell and everybody Serath loved perished. That was how they became the Deity of Great Sorrow. The rest is history as you know, Serath was the one of the first gods to create their own Tezhe, related to the rainy weather and storms, using it to usher a new growth of life. All Tezhe pathways that relate to weather or storms are to come from him, as the scriptures say. Kind of ironic, isn¡¯t it? Sorrow and pain bringing forth life.¡± Mother Laresa coughed occasionally during her speech, stopping one or two times to catch her breath. Her voice gradually became weaker at the end until it became almost whisper. ¡°Woah, so that¡¯s why a lot of the passages in the scripture related to sorrow, pain, anger, and hatred. Instead of avoidance, embrace it for change.¡± Cavien opined. Raynel, who was silent all the while, asked: ¡°There¡¯s something off. The legend stated that the Celestial Huntress, Lycren, shot her arrow, killing the monster, and brought victory upon all, hence why people come to remember her legend as a wish-granting event. How come in that story, Lycren presumably failed?¡± Mother Laresa¡¯s eyes gleamed at his response. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Even I don¡¯t know the answer to this. Perhaps you may ask Hartold about this. He knows more about the legend and the Deity of Great Sorrow more than I. As for the message,¡± She turned to Mettel, who was still digesting the story, ¡°The matter you asked me to: it¡¯s close. Extremely close. You must *cough* hurry and find *cough* them¡­¡± ¡°Mother Laresa!¡± A nun of the church hurriedly came by from within the halls, rushing over in hearing the elderly woman¡¯s increasingly harsh condition. She supported Mother Laresa, excusing themselves to the three boys. They disappeared under their concerned looks. ¡°What just happened? Will Mother Laresa be okay?¡± Cavien asked. ¡°Beats me. That story of the legend is really curious. I¡¯d better go to the library to know more about this. After I came here for my purpose.¡± Raynel turned to Mettel and cleared his throat, ¡°Mettel, I want to ask, did your Master leave you any materials to study? Any study books about monsters and such?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I do, but why?¡± ¡°Can I take a look at it? Better yet, can I borrow it?¡± Mettel¡¯s eyes were laden with doubt. ¡°¡­. Sure, why not? More importantly, why are you two even here? I recall you were just having an early dinner back in the house.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I was indeed just enjoying my time when Raynel snuck in the middle of the party. I tagged along, the others too but their parents came to fetch them, so here we are. But this works, since we¡¯re going to Mettel¡¯s house, why don¡¯t we go to the place I always talked to you about, Raynel? Since it¡¯s close by Mettel¡¯s part of the neighborhood.¡± Raynel rolled his eyes at that reasoning. ¡°Yeah yeah alright. What¡¯s it to you anyway? It¡¯s just some shady scheme¡ªI mean, a magical artifact that¡¯s been hidden and has special properties could be found there? Better say it¡¯s a special rock that makes you feel special something. Lubba dubba woo.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t believe it either, but there¡¯s bound to be some interesting stuff. Like a rock that levitates or something. I gotta get one for myself after Orion showed off his powered ore.¡± ¡°Uhmm, why am I needed for this adventure, exactly? And why now in the festival we¡¯re having?¡± Mettel asked with suspicion. He was NOT going to get forced somewhere again, even if he did see an exciting scene of LandScape Rush. First Signs Raynel and Mettel turned towards Cavien, who was hugging his arms. "That''s a good question, why indeed Cavien? Why now?" "I ¨C I, I don''t haven''t any gotten no special reason, why you asking me something not real?" Raynel laughed. "Look at this blubbering stutter mess. Could you repeat that slowly? Did you understand what you said?" Cavien suddenly became calm. "How about you? Why are you asking Mettel for his study materials now? Anytime is alright, you could''ve spent time with your brother instead. Or maybe that mysterious pretty girl you caught a glimpsed of." Raynel raised his eyebrows. "Because now is the best time¡ªif it had been any other day, I doubt I would get Mettel to agree. Because of what you did, and the festivity''s fun time raising everybody''s spirit up, I went along the flow and took advantage of it. Also, that mysterious pretty girl is a princess, I already told you that. I am just a bum." Cavien was taken aback. "Alright you win. I wanted to talk to Mettel because I wanted to make friends with him. That''s all." "Huh?" What in the world? What''s more astonishing is that Cavien wasn''t particularly embarrassed and seemed proud of it, even. "My uncle advised me to make friends with interesting people. They often surprise you in unexpected ways, good or not. So, I followed that advice and went along with the festival flow, like Raynel said. Mettel is interesting, as the only normal boy here with relation to one of the greatest wizards to ever exist, I just had to." Raynel nodded to himself, self-assuredly. "Alright, there you have it Mettel. What do you say?" It seemed reasonable then, why these two in particular kept coming to him sometimes. He''d always assumed they had a secret motive to humiliate him or something, but it wasn''t like that. But could he accept it? Should he? ''Why am I hesitating? This is stupid¡­'' Seeing Mettel still silent, Cavien spoke up. "I mean, why not? We could start being one right now. Dunno what happened with you, but I lost my mother. Raynel here lost his parents. Perhaps I could never understand the pain you went through, but my father say that isn''t necessary to bond together¡ªsometimes even strangers could become lifelong friends in an instant. Hunters make their companions that way many times, and I want to become a hunter someday. So, I thought, why not act as a hunter now?" "Cavien, your head surely rubbed off of mine, seeing as you''ve transformed so eloquent enough that you could deliver such rich lines of profound wisdom." Raynel turned to Mettel amidst Cavien''s lost look of trying to understand ''transform'', ''eloquent'' and ''profound'', "So?" Raynel asked again as he reached out his hand. "¡­. Fine. I''ll take you up on your offer." Mettel took his hand and shook it. He''d made his first friends in this life.
A battered rough street, uneven soil, flying scraps of paper and thrown garbage bags on the corners of the street with equally battered stalls and two-story stores. That was the first layer. The second layer above it were connected mainly with wooden bridges; the residences of the neighborhood. Shabby grooved sheets and wooden boards, graffities, blinking lightbulbs, quilts draped over the windows and doorways, ropes as clotheslines between the houses, and electrical lines separated from the ropes. Though the area was largely unmaintained, the opposite of pristine, many people lived here. Strived, even. Some wear complete cotton or linen attire of tunic and pants, some wore somewhat wrinkly dirty ones, and the others simply rags. The last simply sat on the street begging for alms. The sun had set and it was now evening. In one well-lit large tavern, the most frequented in the whole avenue which were just beside the empty canal of the underground market, two figures were drinking ale by the countertop. They were Arwen and Tryndale. "You know, I wanted to ask. Why did you hire me for this? Aren''t there other hunters or suitable people for the job instead of a rat like me?" Tryndale, wearing a black cloak veiling almost all of his features tapped on the wall. "Refill." The bartender, who wore a scary mask shaped like an octopus, poured his glass. As the liquid sloshed, Tryndale spoke softly: "I did not hire you for your competence, a bare minimum is enough, which you met. I needed a complete unknown who requires money, someone like you, for this mission. Admittedly, you''re quite well-known in this town for the race we just did, but outside? I doubt no one knows." "Hmmm, you just dissed me, did ya? I know I said I am a rat but I ain''t letting you treat me like one either¡ªon account of being my client, I''ll forgive you. So, what''s this highly suspicious scouting mission on the Dajien Highlands really all about? And why not any other Hunter?" A group of other tavern-goers passed by behind them, going down the wooden creaky stairs. They appeared to be heading towards the bulletin board beside the countertop, nearby them. "Do you understand this question you''re asking?" "It''s because I understand and I am a disposable brat that I need to know; otherwise, I''ll be riskin my life for nothing. Dajien Highlands is the most common hunting area for beginner hunters before venturing to the dungeon proper, after all. But you can sometimes see monsters that shouldn''t be there, too. Of course, the ''bare minimum'' info is enough, I know I ain''t pushin my boundaries for troubles I won''t like." Tryndale looked to the ceiling, there - billowing smoke was gathering round. The kitchen oven pumping them out through the vents and pipes behind the tavern countertop. "It''s not monsters but people. Illegal dungeon smugglers. They may or may not pass through Western Dajien Highlands but if they do, it''ll be better to have an inexperienced unrelated scout. ''Inexperienced'' in the context of hunter-related ways. Unrelated in the context of not having joined any organization." Tryndale finished his drink then. In comparison, Arwen barely touched hers.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "So, like, you expect me to be found by them? What''s the point of a scout then?" "I will give you an unassuming artifact that will alarm its other pair if it hasn''t returned to being whole after three days. I will know then should something undesirable befell upon you. If they didn''t find you out and you spotted them, good, but I don''t expect it to happen. Better to get caught and released later than outright killed. These dungeon smugglers are brutal, in particular." "¡­ Can I request 10 gold coins for mission completion reward?" "That depends if you successfully report the relevant information to me. Otherwise, don''t bother." Arwen sighed. "Okay but this is un¡ª" *Bang* All of a sudden, a group of intimidating thugs wearing a black bandana wrapped around their head came inside. Snarls were on their faces as they checked each person in the tavern out. Their appearance made the tavern staff approach them for their business. "We''re looking for some suspicious people. Especially a young man, white tunic of medium build. Anybody here saw one?" Whether by coincidence or not, the only person fitting the description was Tryndale. There was another a young man but he looked sickly and weak, small. The people surrounding them gazed at Tryndale, with his now auspicious black cloak on. The group of thugs stomped their way through. "Hey you. Take off your hood." Tryndale lifted up his glass, playing it around with his palm. "I believe it''s quite rude to involve unrelated parties for your troubles¡ªexcept that I do appear someone you''d suspect." Tryndale pulled his hood down, which made other people gasp. "Oh it''s Tryndale the Eighth Star! Didn''t he just win the LandScape Rush today?" Tryndale didn''t react. The group of black-bandana thugs observed him for a moment or two before moving away. One could see the tattoo of a gun on their spine. "Why don''t you tell me what you''re looking for?" Tryndale asked. One of the thugs paused before he turned around and spoke hoarsely: "None of your business." Then, they disappeared. As if nothing had happened, the customers simply continued their day. Tryndale meanwhile was smiling softly. "How cute." "¡­?!" Did she really hear that right? ''Cute''? No wonder people say he''s still single even with all the women pushing themselves onto him! In reality, he was ga- "Before you misunderstand, I was talking about their attempts at playing gang. Like little boys. I believe they''re called the Outskirt Syndicate?" "Oh." So that was it. "Wait, little boys? Don''t let them hear you that, those Outskirt Syndicate are the big bosses around here." Even though their name is literally something like a second-rate bandit group''s, and they''re actually kind of pus*ies against Gathos'' guards. She didn''t say this out loud though. Not too long, however, a cluster of noise came from the outside. Shouts and voices of aggression could be heard. Some sort of panic spread through the tavern customers'' faces. "What''s happening now? Did those Outskirt Syndicate really pick a fight so quickly?" "¡­. Let''s take a look outside. I need to confirm something."
Earlier, right after the LandScape Rush event ended, Erick was celebrating a party in a bar along with his Harvest Invent Co. In an hour of drinking, however, he remembered his other, more important job. "Ah, I forgot I got to look out for those naughty bunch. Sorry, my friends, yep, excuse me, next time next time. See y''all." Sobering himself with a few headcracks and a mental exercise he''s always done, Erick set out towards the outskirts. ''Litney should still be patrolling. Jess should be takin care of the brat. Tryndale should be seducing the talented lady with his devilish charm to do his devilish bidding.'' Erick hummed a tune as he pocketed his hands. With his characteristic sunglasses on, he was particularly feeling stylish. "It''s funny man. Hunting monsters, fending off cults, confronting extremists, defending innocents from greedy delulus¡ªbein'' a hunter ain''t like this! Guess that''s why I retired, too. Too much responsibility." Shaking his head, Erick thought about what led on to this. After the destruction havocked by that damn lizard, the Atlas Confederation''s southwestern region not only misplaced millions of people, but it also opened up hundreds of possible dungeon entrances. With many of the passageways still unaccounted for¡ªmostly due to the noxious air remaining in the Miiphul Region¡ªthis opened up the avenue for mass unauthorized dungeon smuggling. And as the primary road leading in and out of the Miiphul Region passes through Gathos Town, it''s inevitable some would pass by here to resupply or whatnot. Seriously, it was such a troublesome task that even Gathos had to hire retired mercenaries like himself, Tryndale, and Litney. When he arrived by his assigned area, he could see the outskirts people enjoying the festival, much like the same as the inside town. Just standing around here like an idiot wouldn''t net him anything, however. He had to disguise himself and search suspicious dim alleys, the kind where the act of procreation often happens. "Yikes. Don''t wanna come up on that by accident." As he went to a hidden corner to dress up, he came upon a peculiar sight. A young man of medium build, Quin, from the church was sneaking through the crowd with a somber expression. "Freak? What he doin with this tell-tale sign he''s about to do somethin'' crazy? Freaky. Oh, that rhymes." Shaking his head, he''d decided to confront the guy on his dubious intentions when he saw something even crazier. Jess, the nun, was following Quin, who was unaware he''s being followed. "¡­.???" Who was taking care of Mettel then? ''These two on a tryst or something? No way, that ain''t it. But¡­ oh well, it ain''t none of my business. I''ll search the dark alleys as planned.'' He didn''t expect that Quin was heading to such a place in mind. Erick went on about here and there¡ªalmost as if sightseeing the dilapidated yet lively outskirts. A look of nostalgia on his face. It was about two hours before his efforts were rewarded. He witnessed a bunch of angry Outskirts Syndicate thugs picking on an old shopkeeper who was almost dementedly drooling and whispering. Probably from fear. That was when the most shocking thing happened by far¡ªand he''d just attended a race and chanced upon a church couple tryst! From his position, he could see it clearly, several crates suddenly fell on the thugs'' heads. No force. Nor was it at the edge of falling. Something invisible pulled on them. And he could feel it. The air of Aether is disturbed. ''Someone used their Tezhe? A telekinesis-related Tezhe or a spell¡­ no one in town I know has something like that. An outsider then.'' Erick''s gaze became sharp as he took off his sunglasses and scanned the surroundings like a hawk. That was when he saw it. A fleeing small figure up there on a second layer building, going inside the tarp-covered window. The Aether flowed from their location. He recognized that figure. That white hair. "Impossible¡­ it can''t be? Mettel?"
Archived History: The First Signs. It was unknown when and where exactly did the Maverick first used their astonishing powers. It was stated that it only happened in great crisis, against the onslaught of a fearsome monster, inside the dungeon depths. Some say however, it was when they were about to lose something precious. The intensified emotion of fear pushed them to the brink, forcing out their latent Tezhe to act upon the world¡ªan invisible force of will that is only often seen in higher rank, more special Tezhes. Which was unseen and unheard of at that era. Yet, after that first usage against the people who wished them harm, the Maverick disappeared. For many years. Quin’s Escapade It was right after notifying Sister Jess about her task that Quin put his plan into motion. Master Hartold''s personal issued mission since a few months ago--and his own personal matters. Both coincided that it perfectly fit Quin for the job. It was about time to harvest the weeks-long plan. ¡°With the festival high¡ªthey should be letting their guard down. Ray should be fine with Cavien, so I don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Quin got back to his home for the necessary materials; a vial, a short rope, a pair of tension wrench and pick, a pocket knife, a handkerchief, a slip of paper, a pen, a withered flower. Lastly, two identical leather strips. All stored in a sizable handy pouch. He set off to his first destination: an unassuming two-story brick building located in a lonely corner of the town where no one frequents, with the head entrance bearing the name: General Security Company. He entered the first floor, which was an ordinary reception hall with stacks of ads plastered on one side of the wall. There was only a bored-looking aunty by the reception desk, who didn¡¯t mind him any attention. Quin called for her attention. ¡°Excuse me, may I know if the other members of the Club are upstairs?¡± The reception lady eyed him and nodded. Slowly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please give me the knowledge token.¡± The lady fished out a wooden chip in the shape of a book under the desk. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Quin took it as he climbed up the stairs. Whereupon reaching it, finding a couple of rooms with spotless white doors. A sticker of a hexagon, of a book, of a sword and shield, of a staff, of a beast maw, of a board, was attached to each of the distinct doors. He knocked on the door with the book sticker. He waited before a person wearing a frog mask opened the door. She, at least shaped like a woman, gestured for Quin to come in the bright room silently. The inside was unlike one¡¯s expectations, far larger and expansive than it appeared as people of various cultural attire with different organization insignia could be seen roaming about, particularly clustering to the many reception cubicles. A staff member, all wearing a mask, manned cubicle to talk to the clients. Quin himself headed to one of the empty ones as soon as possible. He brought out a gold coin with a barely constrained shaking hand and a barely twitching face to the staff member. ¡°I want confirmation on the location of the highly-confidential mining operation plan of Stoneheart Haven¡¯s Solquar Plant Chem Inc. in the years 22nd and 23rd Eagle Moon Cycle.¡± The staff member received the gold coin swiftly. They took some papers under their desk, searched the cabinets, with a hint of frustration before calling on their stationed telephone. Quin was starting to become nervous when another staff member came by and gave the requisite documents. ¡°Here.¡± The envelope slid into the glass slot. Quin scanned it quickly with a discerning eye, and upon confirming its final location, the same as the tip he got¡ªhe gave his gratitude and left the information guild¡¯s hall. Before he left though, he went by the billboard listing the most popular trendy news as he unwrapped his leather strip and made it coil around his ear. ¡°I want information on the Amber Fortress¡¯ general¡ª" ¡°4th Princess of the Selune Lunar Empire scandal¡ª¡± ¡°Betrayal at the house of the hill, killed¡­¡± ¡°Dragons, and a dungeon, a donkey, and what?¡± ¡°Ashwind¡¯s undefeatable championship streak¡­¡± ¡°Last rumors on the Vanatoria¡¯s secret heir¡­¡¯ ¡°Risque pictures of Garahuta¡¯s prized 12-year old¡­¡± Alright, the last one made him stop. Nothing of interest except that. Just as he went his way out after replacing his leather strip, someone caught him by the wrist. When he looked up with startlement, he saw it was a scary-looking guard. ¡°Your leather strip. What kind of artifact is it?¡± Calmly, without any ripple in his voice nor expression, Quin unwrapped it and gave it to the guard¡ªexcept it was a counterfeit and the original one was in his left-arm¡¯s sleeve behind his back. ¡°As you can see sir, it¡¯s just a normal minor focus leather strip so I can quickly scan the announcement billboard.¡± The guard took a close look, weighing it in his hands before finally giving it back. The guard didn¡¯t even excuse themselves as they stomped away. Quin released his breath before exiting the hall. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that old rat gave me a genuine tip for once. I¡¯ll thank him personally next time.¡± Quin then departed out of the General Security building and headed for the outskirts. However, he did not notice when he passed through a main street, Jess saw him. She was about to call out to him when Quin disappeared from her sights. The nun looked around some more and it was only when she peeked at an alleyway that she saw a glimpse of Quin scaling a fence. ¡°What in Serath¡¯s name¡­?¡± Immediately, Jess¡¯ alarm bells rung off. This wasn¡¯t the first time she noticed peculiarities in the sub-church staff¡¯s behavior. Often times, he could be seen doing shady stuff with the older people and other times, he could barely be seen with Raynel in their own home. Raynel didn¡¯t even know where his brother went to at some nights when Jess asked about it. In the end, Jess decided she¡¯d follow him. Eventually, they passed the threshold between the outskirts and the town. With the way Quin was moving, Jess had all but confirmed he was doing something criminal. The choice was: confront and stop him, or follow him and see what he¡¯s up to. Jess chose the latter. For a while, Quin seemed to be going in random places: a tavern, a diner, local junk shops, a shabby inn, and even visited a dingy building with a somewhat scantily clad woman in the entrance smoking. Quin gave five bronze coins to the woman before he went in. Realizing what sort of place this was made Jess disgusted but it wasn¡¯t even five minutes before Quin came out. What exactly happened inside?! Around the underground market place, though, he¡¯d noticed the conspicuous stalker. ¡®Impressive. Someone already noticed I was scouting out their hideouts one by one.¡¯ Locking his mind in, Quin only needed three rounds of misdirection before he lost them. At one corner of the underground market, an alleyway¡¯s had a draped banner over its entryway. A pair of the bandana thugs was guarding the entrance. ¡°Now now, how do I go about distracting them¡­ there¡¯s only one way in.¡± Quin contemplated. He can¡¯t outright fight them, that has to be avoided at all costs. He¡¯s not a fighter per se, except maybe he has good senses and deft hands. A disturbance has to be created or he has to trick himself way in. The latter he could do but was he willing to take a risk? Just as he decided on what to do, someone tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Who!?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± A surprised gasp came out from the nun.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Jess!? How in the goddess are you here? Wait,¡± Realization crept on his face. ¡°Were you the one following me?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same. I always knew you were an odd fellow with his own motives for joining the church, but I didn¡¯t expect for you to be a member of this gang¡ªare you here to steal some of our treasures? Profane Mother Laresa¡¯s secret?¡± ¡°Goodness no, what are you talking about? I am not a part of them¡ªthis is, damn, I can¡¯t explain now. I will tell you everything later, first we have to go away before they notice us¡ª¡± But it was too late. ¡°What¡¯s a nun doin¡¯ here?¡± An imposing voice fell on their ears as the thug towered over them. Quin''s mind rapidly spun and he''d arrived at the best solution: bullshitting. ¡°Ah you see sir; I have some shipments to deliver to Mr. Gun Hotez. I need to deliver this to him personally.¡± Quin fished out the very same documents he¡¯d received from the information guild hall. Of course, inside were just some random papers he¡¯d scooped from the various places he visited. The thug scoffed. ¡°Personally? Hand it over, I¡¯ll deliver it myself.¡± Quin put on a helpless expression. ¡°Ah I knew you were gonna say that. See, the boss strictly instructed me to not give this document to anyone. Inside are pictures of some¡­ let¡¯s say salacious pictures of his favorite, the 2nd daughter of Mayor Gathos; Jaina Dunewalker in her bare body. I assume you know the consequences if someone else were to see this? Even I am not safe from delivering this.¡± Saying the last line, Quin¡¯s hands were visibly shaking with a flash of fear haunting his eyes. The thug¡¯s face also changed at this. ¡°Still, I must know your identity at least, I cannot let a rival gang member get inside and assassinate our boss just like that.¡± ¡®As if that guy is important enough to be assassinated, even Tryndale doesn¡¯t bother with him.¡¯ Quin thought inwardly as he brought out his secret weapon. Yet, there was one problem. The nun he was blocking, slapped his hand away with a simmering red rage. ¡°I cannot believe this. All just to provide a little bit of dirty income, you resort desecrating the body of a pure maiden? So that is why you were good friends to Jaina Dunewalker! You despicable bastard, may Serath smite you!¡± ¡®Ah¡­ this is my greatest mistake of the lifetime. Second greatest. How do I deal with this? I can¡¯t deal with her roughly¡ªthere¡¯s only one choice.¡¯ Gritting his teeth and hardening his heart, Quin prepared himself to tell the second greatest lie he would utter. ¡°Sister Jess, this is untrue¡ªI was threatened by Mr. Gun himself that if I were not to do his bidding, he would harm my little brother. Please believe me when I say this!¡± Quin pleaded, pouring out his sincere emotions into his words. ¡®Please don¡¯t make this worse¡ªI cannot afford you to get involved in this. I¡¯ll explain everything later!¡¯ Jess, unknown if she saw the look in his eyes, went quiet. Her face transformed into a stone-like mask as utter cold emanate from her inky black eyes. She turned around and walked away. ¡°You¡¯re a disappointment.¡± The nun muttered, heard by the people in the vicinity. Quin secretly sighed a relief and turned to the astonished thug, the face of someone who just witnessed a drama play right in front of his eyes. ¡°My true name is Lemay. Do you know of him?¡± ¡°Ah, the outskirts¡¯ deranged rambler, a trusted lapdog of the boss. But you don¡¯t look like a deranged rambler at all¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an act. Even this face is the use of an artifact lent by Sir Gun. Hurry, hurry let me in!¡± As if turning rabid, Quin spat at the thug¡¯s face. With a disgusted expression, the thug finally allowed him inside the alley, where at the end lies a door. The door led to a series of steps going down. After arriving at the bottom, an underground tunnel extended out. Along the tunnel¡¯s path were identical doors like the one they came in from. Eventually, they paused on an entryway of stairs where the wall beside them had the massive graffiti of a gun. The thug seemed to admire, even paying respects to the graffiti before they went up. At the destination, Quin saw a tall abandoned stone tower in the middle of the forest. Draped in vines, ivy, moss and bushes, gates rusted with chains, windows and openings nailed by ¡ªthe Outskirt Syndicate¡¯s hideout was a living creature of nature. Apparently, it was a scouting post once. By the first floor, there were only dirty broken furniture around with used plates and kitchen utensils before coffee tables, and a smell akin to dust and alcohol lingering around in the air. More thugs could be seen playing and joking around on the first floor. ¡°I am feeling iffy. Can I go to the restroom for a sec¡¯?¡± The thug glanced at him and gestured at the corner where the toilet was. Going inside the men¡¯s and locked inside a cubicle, Quin quickly took out things from his pouch. He coiled his leather strip around his ear, written a few words on his slip of paper with his pen placed it on the toilet cover and whispered: ¡°An echo of the night The ghosts of future Makes a haunting tale Reoccurring the silence Where sound touches mirror Reflecting weary siren A call of the night.¡± After enchanting the paper, Quin unwind the short rope and tied it around the wooden bar for locking. When he went out by the cubicle door with the rope under the door, he pulled it down. *Cachak* The bar was put into place. After which, he retrieved the rope. Master plan done, now he has to hide behind the toilet room¡¯s door and activate the paper slip. ¡°Help, I need help! Ahhgh! Kuhack!¡± It was his voice, desperate and muddled with the sounds of vomiting, but it didn¡¯t come out from his mouth. It came from the paper slip. The thug outside was alerted and came to check on the cubicle door. When he was distracted, Quin surreptitiously got to his back and placed the drugged handkerchief on their mouth! ¡°HmmM! HMMM!¡± With a masterful twist of their arm, the thug was unable to resist and was soon pulled to slumber. Gasping for breath, Quin quickly placed the thug in one of the stalls and replaced their clothes. ¡°I still have half of the vial. Should be enough for the big guy.¡± Donning the thugs¡¯ clothes, he went out¡ªheaded towards the end of the hallway. Quin saw that the staircase leading to the second floor was barred. He ignored it and found the boss¡¯s room. He knocked on the door and entered. Inside was Gun Hotez, a large man with thick muscles the size of a man¡¯s waist was drinking alcohol in the sofa along with two barely clothed beautiful men by his side. They appeared to be flirting with Gun. The guy himself did not mind them, continuing to read a book: ¡°Insights into the Seduction Aether Spells: How to Use Magic Formulas to Make a Monster Fall in Love With You.¡± ¡°Sir, I have a new delivery from the outside by Lemay. Says it might interest you with the pictures of a young nubile woman.¡± Quin naturally was changing his voice into a more rough, hoarse deep one. Gun gazed at him by his book. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just give me this book just yesterday? Besides, I have my hand full with these two desserts by my side. And I told you don¡¯t disturb ¨C wait, you don¡¯t look familiar. I know my goon¡¯s face in and out, are you a new recruit?¡± Quin respectfully bowed, carefully hiding his face. ¡°Yes sir, I got tired of all the outskirt festivities and wanted to join this Outskirt Syndicate. Yesterday, my wife just left me, I want to take revenge against the world.¡± Quin¡­ can¡¯t help but cringe with his obvious lie. Who even says something like that? Yet for some reason, Gun accepted it naturally. ¡°Oh yes, the world is filled with injustice. That bastard Gathos can¡¯t hurry up even with all the suffering we¡¯re all enduring that I just can¡¯t help but take matters into my hands¡ªtell me, am I at fault for acting like a tyrant? For acting like a sexual deviant!? I have no choice when my godforsaken spiritual pathway Tezhe forced me into this path, tell me am I at fault?!¡± ¡°¡°No sir, you are our beloved!¡±¡± The two men cooed by his side. Seeing this scene, Quin almost couldn¡¯t hold back his retch. What in the abomination was even this man? ¡°Sir, I believe Lemay specifically told me he got it from an insider from the Church¡ªgood friends with Jaina Dunewalker themselves. It coincided with the festival¡¯s first day because of the LandScape Rush earlier. I believe you should take a look.¡± At that mention, Gun Hotez¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay give it to me here.¡± Quin gave it to the man himself by the table and stood behind the sofa as naturally as possible. When Gun opened the envelope which contained only scrap papers and the withered flower, Quin finally used his Tezhe. ¡°Bloom Iris.¡± A violet-infused crystal iris grew from the withered flower in front of Gun and exploded in an instant¡ªshowering a scatter of a multitude of petals and blossoms. Momentarily blinded and stunned by the blossoms¡ªQuin firmly pressed the handkerchief into Gun Hotez¡¯ mouth. In seconds, Gun Hotez wasn¡¯t resisting no more. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± The two escorts screamed. Quin flashed his pocket knife out and threatened with a dangerous smile. ¡°Get the hell out of here if you don¡¯t want to get hurt. I¡¯ll roughen your pretty faces up in 3, 2, 1¡­¡± And they¡¯re gone like the wind. ¡®I better be quick before the other thugs come.¡¯ He jammed the door with a chair and a desk. He hurriedly searched around and found the inner room¡¯s door. Quin expertly picked the lock within five seconds and entered the room. Inside were sacks, desks, bags of coin, plentiful artifacts, and a desk. Quin came by to the desk and opened the drawers one by one, until eventually he got what he wanted. *21stEagle Moon Cycle Factory Mining Operation Schematic Plan ¨C Solquar Plant Chem Inc.* *21st Eagle Moon Cycle Factory Mining Operation Report ¨C Solquar Plant Chem Inc.* *22nd Eagle Moon Cycle Mining Operation Schematic Plan ¨C Solquar Plant Chem Inc.* *22rd Eagle Moon Cycle Factory Mining Operation Report ¨C Solquar Plant Chem Inc.* Quin’s Escapade (1) Quin narrowed his eyes. This was it; this was the map to finding out the hole in their past. Quin folded it and kept in his pouch. It was time to make his escape. The problem was that the thugs were already banging on the doors. Nevertheless, he went to the closed rusty window covered by a barricade and used his pocket knife to force out an opening from the gaps. Exerting all his strength, the wood splintered and gave in with some of the nails coming off. Unfortunately, it also curved his pocket knife. *BANG* He kicked the board, escaping through the window right in time as the thungs crashed open the door. ¡°Quick get the intruder!¡± Quin ran through the side of the building, intending to escape through the forests when he saw through the corner of his eye that the thugs posted there was gone. ¡®A trap?¡¯ He didn¡¯t hesitate for long and took that path instead. When he got down from the stairs, he could see the guys were passed out. Above them stood the nun, Jess. Her uniform still as pristine black. ¡°I see what you¡¯re up to then. You¡¯re doing what Master Hartold asked you to do, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Jess! What are you doing here? I thought you¡ª¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time. We have to get away first.¡± ¡°Hey where the hell are the people guarding in here!¡± Some screamed from above. The thugs were gaining on them. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Jess ran ahead of Quin, who was bewildered at the turn of the events. Against his expectations, the nun appeared to know where she was going as she went up the first exit way he¡¯d marked on the way here. When they ascended the stairs, there were no other thugs. ¡°Is this your handiwork too?¡± Quin asked. Jess shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not. The gang members posted here went away after learning of a situation¡ªthat¡¯s how I got inside with no problems.¡± She explained as they ran. As soon as they exited the alleyway behind a local shop, Quin could see some disturbance on the main street. People were all going towards in one direction. ¡°That should be¡­ the underground market. What¡¯s happened over there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someone pulled a prank, perhaps.¡± Quin narrowed his eyes at her even while they blended in with the crowd. Her being so composed when she shouldn¡¯t, in all rights, be here, was a cause of concern. It reminded him of the face she has whenever she gets serious about church matters¡ªespecially praying. He kept these questions to himself for another day while the two kept their heads down. Soon, as they arrived at the threshold gate between the outskirts and the main town, they met up with an unexpected party. Mettel, Cavien, and his younger brother Raynel. All of whom looked worse for wear. ¡°Huh? What are you doing here, Ray?¡± Quin asked. ¡°No, what are you Three doing here?¡± Jess interrogated. The three boys were tongue-tied. Obviously hiding something as they averted their eyes.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Uhhh, we were just playing here yep. Cavien was interested in looking around the outskirts so we came here. More importantly, what are you two doing here, together even?¡± Raynel gazed at them. ¡°Don¡¯t change the question Ray, I can see your attempts.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Before Raynel could answer, an enraged yell reverberated the outskirt streets¡ªthe bystanders distancing themselves with fear from the source. ¡°Bastard! You took something from my Secret Room! I know its you, Quin, don¡¯t think you can hide from me, I know your scent!¡± Gun Hotez, with an angry face was charging towards them like a bull. A retinue of the black bandana co. accompanied him with scary faces. Quin and three kids paled. ¡°L-l-let¡¯s run!¡± ¡°Go go go!¡± Yet, Jess remained where she was, still as a statue. Quin was about to take her hand when a flash of red and white light blinded everyone there. ¡®It¡¯s over!¡¯ When they all opened their eyes, they saw Tryndale apprehending Gun Hotez while Erick standing over the groaning thugs lying on the floor. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve forgotten your place, dog. Your barks may have been entertaining for a while but it has crossed the line for the degree of disorder you¡¯ve caused.¡± ¡°Bastard! That guy stole someth¡ª ugh!¡± A boot stepped on his face. ¡°Even if that may be the case, I simply don¡¯t care.¡± Erick whistled. ¡°Let up on your judgement, let¡¯s hear him out on what he has to say¡ªI knew you¡¯d been ruling here as a boss or whatnot, but is it my eyes trickin me or were your thugs about to beat up an old man? That¡¯s somethin¡¯ I can¡¯t ignore.¡± ¡°Wa-wait. I don¡¯t know what you saw, but I am talking about that guy who broke into my sweet home and stole personal valuables¡ªam I not under your law as well?¡± ¡°Ah that sentry post you loiter around at, personal valuables most likely stolen or acquitted through unofficial means. How that different again from what you do? Hmmm, none, right?¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± ¡°Okay alright, we all pay y¡¯all for that. But how do you explain the beating an old man part?¡± ¡°Th-that! I don¡¯t know! They just did that on their own, nothing to do with me.¡± Erick laughed as if he¡¯d heard a funny joke. Indeed, it was a funny joke. ¡°I think playtime¡¯s over. We¡¯ll let you off with a slap on your wrist and call it a day. What you say?¡± Gun Hotez glared at Quin for a while before he nodded. With a quick wrap-up, the Outskirts Syndicate were left alone just like that. However, there were a lot of questioning for Quin and the others. Arwen somehow found herself being a part of the group after the situation has been defused. ¡°Would you mind telling me what exactly led on to this happenstance/ Best tell everything.¡± Tryndale asked Quin. Erick, meanwhile, held Mettel¡¯s wrist while ¡°Uh uh uh, ain¡¯t goin anywhere just yet. You got some explainin¡¯ to do, young man. Did you just, is it what I think it is? You use some magic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mettel¡¯s face was lost. ¡°Don¡¯t go acting coy. I saw you using a Tezhe on those bandit gang over the underground market. And what even led you to that place with two other kids? Hartold may blast me¡ªno, Jess why did you leave Mettel alone anyway?¡± Erick shifted his attention to Jess, who averted her eyes with a funny-looking quivering smile. ¡°I-it¡¯s not what you think. I thought I could leave him alone with Mother Laresa. Mettel must have sneaked out or something.¡± ¡°Am I really seeing a nun shifting responsibilities? To the Mother at that? First time I saw this in my life.¡± Arwen spoke by herself, which were heard by the others. Jess couldn¡¯t help but hide herself even more. ¡°No excuses eh? Hey little man, I know you don¡¯t like being treated a baby but we take our eyes for a sec and you shootin¡¯ blast magic explosive fireballs outta nowhere.¡± ¡°I did not! There wasn¡¯t any fireba¡ª¡± Raynel covered his mouth, Mettel¡¯s eye widened. ¡°Aha. Got you. I am not even sure why you¡¯re hiding this fact¡ªit is utterly stupid if you ask me. Now give me all the details just like Quin over there.¡± Quin was like a meek child in front of Tryndale¡¯s stern gaze. But as Tryndale listened further, his eyes changed and the two went away in secrecy. ¡°Hey listen, it¡¯s all my fault!¡± Cavien shouted. ¡°I was the one who forced Raynel and Mettel to come along with my stupid plan. I am not sure either what happened back there on the underground market, but it¡¯s my responsibility this even happened!¡± Erick slapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Good accountability. I like that. But Mettel ain¡¯t getting off. I had to have the whole story. Now, come clean.¡± Eventually, Mettel sighed and was about to do as he said when: ¡°Who¡¯s confessing what?¡± Out of the nowhere, right amidst their group of party was the disproportionate figure of a cloaked figure holding a gray wooden staff, blue sparks flickered around him¡ªHartold the Old Man of the Spire appeared. Spider *Crack* In the forgotten reaches beneath the caged light, where silent death reigns emperor, a monster is about to be born. Inside a trembling egg, the creature within attempted to forced its way out. One crack and another. Then, something red. Something white. A hairy limb cut its way through the cracks. A long sharp leg, one after another. Until the egg finally separated into two. What came out into the lightless world was an arthropod with eight legs: a spider. It looked confusingly around, just as any newborn were, but in its movements lies a sense of panic and severe anxiousness. It checked its own body, feeling the weight and shape of its legs, the confounding experience of having six eyes. What was going through its own head as it brought two front legs over its head? Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I became a spider!?? Really!? Really, oh my, that is just ¨C why? I didn¡¯t even know I died, much less how! I was just doing my thing then kaboom, some white light then black, white again¡ªnow I am a spider? MoPako System? Destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate? Misumena Dumu? But why a spider!? I tried to remember, any recollection of any memory, of how this came to be. The only clue I had was talking to that black-cloaked armored mean-looking guy with one singular eye in their hood glaring at me. If you can imagine a final-boss evil looking angel, it¡¯s the guy I faced. Is he Sauron? He sure does look like Sauron from Rings Lord. But before I could think more about my situation, I hear a crack. Then another. An unexplainable dread washed over me even as the wind whispered its shrilly cry, distant and echoing. I frantically look around, tense as a springlock, and saw the shell remains of eggs¡ªsame as mine¡ªand on top are spiders. Spiders that look like me. They all looked around. What if they recognized I am an outsider? An enemy? Fear gripped my heart. But they simply ignored me, and turned ahead upwards. Everywhere was fog in this place, the ground was all sand. I did not know where I was but even I could tell¡ªI should get the hell out of here, away from that ominous obscure cloud of fog coming towards us. My kin¡ªI should call them that, at least¡ªdid not fear but screeched their inhuman battle cry and charged forward. As if there¡¯s something within that fog. They shoot their webs, spat their acids, lashing out their fanged jaws. Sounds of quaking ground and squelching flesh could be heard, that¡¯s what I expected. But no, everything that came to contact with that fog simply disappeared. As if it contained the end of the world. Nope. This is the biggest nope of the entirety of my life, both lives, in this eerie godforsaken place that even Chernobyl¡¯s incident would pale in comparison. And I am supposed to be the abnormal biggest nope around here! I ran, even as I trip over myself with shaking tangling legs. I¡¯ll crawl even if I have to. There were no places to web onto and I am not confident that I could swing like spiderman from my butt. I ran until I saw that the fog surrounding me became less obscure, more transparent and scarcer, and then I could hear the sound of the waves gently murmuring against the sandy rocky shores. My eight eyes took in the coastal shore of the silver chromatic ocean, shining like silver or mercury or oil. Around here and there were rocky sea stacks standing tall on the shallow waters. The plant life was beyond anything I¡¯d seen or imagine. Stripes of vivid psychedelic colors, mostly of the purple pastel, irregularly marked the towering trees¡¯ canopies. There were green leaves too, but hugging in between were crawling vines the thickness half of the tree trunks, draped between the green and lavender. Some glowed with a running bioluminescence, pulsing and glimmering like an otherworldly heart. Down on the ground, I saw red mosses and fungi spreading from the forest, in patterns like the Buddhist-like abstract symbols. World-shaking roars and horrifying screeches hail beyond the labyrinthine plants as it shook. Yet what really shook me was the huge mountain in the distance. Its zenith veiled by the clouds. I look to the ocean, and it¡¯s just as eerie silent as what I encountered back in the fog¡ªperhaps the fog creature came from the ocean. The jungle was alien. The ocean was alien. And I¡­ somehow was dropped into this alien world. I shudder. No. I cannot give in to despair. I am now a monster spider. And it¡¯s up to me to survive on my own. Hahaha. I could only laugh. That¡¯s it, wasn¡¯t I equipped with a game-like system? MoPako System, come out. With one try, a holographic game box popped in front of my face. Aoi Nagase: [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. { Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} {???} {??? } {??? } Name: Aoi Nagase Race: Misumena Dumu (Flower Crab Spider Infant) Level: 01 (Evo 1) Strength: 12 Agility: 14Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 15 HP: 40/40 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Spider Bite lvl 1, Prey Grasp lvl 1, Venom Spit lvl 1, Webbing lvl 1 Auxiliary Abilities: N/A Titles: N/A Skill points: 0 Stat Points: 0 ] Nothing much to find here. It looks like your typical RPG status screen. Then how about the store? I took a look at it and saw various auxiliary abilities listed down; I had no points to buy them. How do I get store points? Reading the explanations regarding Feats and Achievements, I got the general gist of it. So, I can¡¯t buy anything at all just yet. As a certified gamer myself, the most important thing to buy are the stat points and skill points. But for auxiliary abilities¡ªthere¡¯s really only one choice: the Resource Identification Ability! It¡¯s basically Appraisal from the games I played, it should be op. The instant I get the store points, I¡¯ll buy it. Around the shore, the only hiding spots were behind the rock outcroppings, above sea stacks, or below the ocean. That or the jungle. Preferably a cave, I am a spider after all. Darkness is my ally; I am born to be one with darkness. I sent off in pursuit of the destination I had in mind. But I didn¡¯t go far before the sand violently exploded in front of my face. A giant crab pincer was hanging in the sky, coming straight to bash me in. Oh my god, a jump scare off the bat? I avoided it by dodging at the last second, the enemy was a giant blue crab with pulsing veins of moss covering its frame. But it was wounded, one leg missing and one pincer claw ripped off brutally. A section of its shell cracked. I don¡¯t know who done you in buddy, but why are you so aggressive? Chill. It lunged at me like a truck, ignoring what my nonexistent words. Seriously¡­ I evaded it once or twice before I tripped over my own leg, making a trail in the sand. Beyond was a rock and above was the menacing shadow of the pincer claw. Duck and roll! Don¡¯t underestimate a souls player, damn it! *Bang!* A splinter of rocks sprayed but I was already far away. I hurriedly tried to get up and ready my stance, maybe dodge another attack. But it was stuck. Trying to get its claw out of the huge rock. Isn¡¯t this the moment to punish the bastard? I ready my fangs, prepared to bite into the big shellfish. Hopefully, my venom will spread inside that exposed limb flesh dripping with viscous blue blood. Icky. In any case, here goes! For Gond*r!!! *Puchi* The two-pointed tips sunk deeply. The ichor splashed on my face. It was burning hot, and I could almost hear some sizzling noise on the top of my head. It feels like a burning hot water was poured on me. But I didn¡¯t let go even as the crab flailed wildly. I held onto the crab¡¯s limbs with my own, using the grasping skill I had. Go, my venom, ravage its insides! Wait, that kinda sound wrong. *Thwack* Just as the crab¡¯s movements started to wane, it finally released the pincer claw out of the rock, before forcefully swatting me away. Guheh! That hurts! The air was forced out of me as I could hear my abdomen cracking. I rolled around the sand, directing my behind at the crab with the intent to release my web. But how do I release it? Meanwhile, the crab already regained its balance and was coming towards me. Ok, change of plans, never mind this, never mind! I say, never mind! The pincer claw slammed into the sand; the sand flew everywhere. I thought I dodged it but when I turned behind, I felt a searing pain from two of my legs. One was crushed to a pulp. Ahh... Ahh! It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. The pain was unlike anything I ever experienced. It was enough to overwhelm the adrenaline out of my brain. I had to run. I wanted to run. It hurt like hell twice over. What did I even think trying to fight a monster? Such questions danced in my mind. I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing then, I was just crawling with the intent to run. Run. I kept repeating in my head when I heard something high-pitched. A scream. A blood-curdling scream tingling chills on my back. And then, a thud. *You killed a Portuna Br¨¦phlet Evo 1 lvl 2.* *+1 Level up. +3 Stat Points and +1 Skill Point* *Feat gained! First kill in a life and death battle! +75 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +38 store points! * But my darkened dull perception, perhaps from the loss of blood and fear, did not register the notification¡ªI must survive, even as a spider¡ªmy body didn¡¯t stop crawling away. My mind was frozen in this one motion. Later on, I would deeply regret leaving that loot¡ªleaving free food is against my principles, oh my goodness! Still, my first encounter of that mind-numbing fear, far worse than even the bullying I went through, was far enough to make me cooped up in some hole I dug up around the coast. My soul was crushed then. It was cold and dark, but worse I was hungry. I could taste the sand on my mouth. I wanted to eat. So much so I felt like I could eat my own limb. I was growing weaker, too. I really felt I was about to die back there, left in some abandoned hole in an alien world. Yet, my body moved. There was something fresh-smelling up on the ground so I dug up and ate it. Even as it tasted horribly disgusting like eating a cockroach. I ate it. It wasn¡¯t until I finished the entirety when I recognized what it was. * Feat gained! Cannibalism! +65 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +33 store points! * * Feat gained! Ate Monster Meat for the First Time! +45 store points. Tier 1 Store Price Reduction 50%, gained +23 store points! * * Feat gained! Survived Severe Hunger! +80 store points. Tier 1 Store price reduction 50%, gained +40 store points! * I just ate a fellow Misumena Dumu. Unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t affect me much. I just thought it was a relief¡ªthat it offered itself up in front of me. But no! Bad, bad, bad. I still have my conscience, I wouldn¡¯t willy nilly kill a living human, for instance. Besides, it was most likely dead when I found it, seeing as I didn¡¯t get a kill notification. I was about to die myself, so I really had no choice. Thank you for the sacrifice, sibling, I will live on for your part as well. That was about the extent of my gratitude after the trauma I had. But the system wasn¡¯t done. * Title gained! Nascent Horror. Check Title Traits for the Title Description * * Nascent Horror Description: For hundreds of years, the bloodline of the spiders was one of bloodshed and cannibalism. All in order to gain the Forbidden Bloodline as designed by the foremother. You have consciously taken the first step forward in the battle to the throne of the Circle of Spiders. The Eye of Horror is not yet upon you¡ªbecome Evo 4 and betray a kin¡¯s trust to gain her attention. To gain ??? you must kill and eat 100 spider kins, 50 Misumena species. * ¡­¡­ Yep, it was totally unreal. I am not done yet, though. Remember, I was on the opposite side of the beach before I met you, Robert Aphens. Spider (1) I wasn¡¯t anywhere near the state to be thinking about what I just did, not at all¡ªI mean, what? Nascent Horror? Am I about to become an eldritch being if I were to follow this path? In terms of title, it was literally useless too. No way I¡¯d call the attention of an incomprehensible SCP-like being and make my life go beyond unreal impossible nightmare difficulty! I just had a slow burn with death¡­ Sob. Makes me almost want to cry after what I went through. If I could cry, that is. But I had no time to mull over all that¡ªI had to get going before any monster comes my way. Before that, I need to buy that surely-overpowered ability. [ Tier 1 Store Feats: 4 (!) Achievements: 0 Total Points: 134 Minor healing: 5 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times) Minor mana restoration: 6 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times) Minor stamina refill: 4 pts (non-consumable, repeatable only three times) +3 stat points: 8 pts +3 skill points: 15 pts Tier 1 Shelter Building Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts Tier 1 Scene Investigation Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts Tier 1 Resource Identification Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 10 pts Tier 2 Shelter Building Auxiliary Ability (Survival): 25 pts (Requires Navigation Ability) Stealth lvl 1 Core Ability (Primitive): 8 pts Stealth lvl 5 Core Ability (Primitive): 16 pts Upgrade Tier 1 Store to Tier 2 Store: 35 pts Unlock Evolutionary Path Evo 2 Requirements: 50 pts Confirm the purchase of Tier 1 Resource Identification Auxiliary Ability? ] Huh uh, yes. Then an indescribable feeling came over me, as if someone was tickling my whole body over in a pleasant way. I didn¡¯t test that right away; I knew I had to do it in a safe space first. Thinking about it now, it was a miracle that not one monster came by to disturb me while I was eating. The otherworldly jungle that became creepily silent, the shores behind still as unnerving as ever. It was hard to stay calm. I skittered away from that place asap. Though I had urgency, I wasn¡¯t just wandering around¡ªI was looking for a cave. Yes, as a spider, that¡¯s where I should be. Luckily or not, there weren¡¯t any monsters around. What exactly happened? Nope, not investigating, just a death¡¯s wish curiosity like questioning what would happen if I jump off a cliff. I was walking around the perimeter of the alien jungle, occasionally climbing up trees I confirmed safe to have a look around. But what I saw was¡­ fog. The sun had descended and it was night¡ªbut where the stars should be was fog. An all-pervading mist. Over the distance, I could see the glint of the azure mountain ranges. Goosebumps. I quickly got down. The air is death¡¯s abode, So, I continued to walk. It was then I heard something sharp. Something ringing. It was high-pitched¡ªfaint as the call tone of an old cell phone. I swear if I had to hear it any more, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I heard a baby¡¯s cry and something beyond my nightmares would¡¯ve come gobbled me up straight out of a horror movie. That didn¡¯t happen. Since I chanced upon a rock formation of titanic proportion and took shelter. Or should I say, a mineral hill. It was made up of yellowish, blue mineral crystals, as if welded together by a mad architect in an abstract intercrossing shape. A spire, or a foreign pagoda, perhaps. In one of the intersecting pieces, a gap could be seen through¡ªjust enough I could squeeze inside. Is this where my sweet home is, my shelter that will protect me from the cold winds and rain? Though there aren¡¯t any here. Once I got inside, I just didn¡¯t really expect there was a giant blue gecko staring at me from the darkness. With its large glowing slit eyes. I trembled. Sweet holy Mary¡­! It immediately launched its tongue right at me. No, thank you! Remembering my past lessons, I didn¡¯t turn around to go away but faced the adversary head on. I swiftly crawl around the narrow cave whilst controlling my new body as much as possible. But the opponent¡­ can do the same. The battle transformed between two crawling monsters dancing around the tunnel in an attempt to one-up the other. This can¡¯t continue, I have to attack soon. With that in mind, I forced out whatever I could out of my abdomen¡ªif it¡¯s like shitting, I have plenty of experience with that! Indeed, some silk came right out of my bum. Meanwhile, the gecko got impatient and charged on melee combat with its sharp fangs and nimble limbs. Oh no you don¡¯t! Turning behind like a master car drifter, I sprayed my web onto its face, effectively blinding the gecko and closing its mouth. Yet, I could already see it ripping in a second. With a flash of murderous impulse, no hesitation whatsoever, I sunk my spider fangs into its face. Huh? How did I even¡­? The gecko jerked away its two clawed limb as I backed away. Then, it thrashed about as it got into a convulsing salivating frenzy. My venom seemed to be working effectively, it seems. I didn¡¯t know what happened, nowhere was the panic from my first battle now. It was like I was completely different. That thought gave me dread. For even though my spider heart kept beating¡ªmy mind was clear. Clear with the thought: kill or be killed. And I won¡¯t be killed so easily. I can go toe to toe with the gecko head on. At the end, I could only settle with the conclusion that my sanity readjusted itself. Enraged, the gecko lunges forth, trying to bite my head off. It was so obvious that I only had to duck and pierce its belly with my two front sharp legs. It wasn¡¯t really sharp enough but with the momentum of the gecko, it got through. Tsk. Shallow. The gecko tumbled down behind me, standing right back up to see another silky ball. It stuck onto its face. Before it could do anything else, I released more web, until it was almost completely covered in a cocoon¡ªit squirmed about desperately but I was already upon it with the force of mayhem.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. *Puchi* *Squelch* *Puchi* *You killed a Tarentola D¨§ti Evo 1 lvl 3.* *+1 Level Up. +3 Stat Points and +1 Skill Point.* *Learned the General Core Skill: Evasion!* Hah. I won. I actually won, no injuries at that. But I didn¡¯t feel relief nor pleasure nor fear. I just felt normal, I guess. Completely different from my first kill. Seriously, why is my sanity so stable? Also, what¡¯s up with that monster name? Is that a native language of this world or something? Meh, I can¡¯t be bothered. Anyways, I wrapped the gecko in a cocoon¡ªthe ways of a spider are soon to be in my grasp! Also, level up. And a new skill. I took a quick peek at my status sheet. [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. { Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} {???} {???} {??? } Name: Aoi Nagase Race: Misumena Dumu (Flower Crab Spider Infant) Level: 03 (Evo 1) Strength: 14 Agility: 15 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 15 HP: 40/40 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Spider Bite lvl 2, Prey Grasp lvl 1, Webbing lvl 1, Evasion lvl 1 Auxiliary Abilities: Resource Identification Titles: Nascent Horror Skill points: 1 Stat Points: 3 ] Nice, nice. I placed two points into strength, one point to agility, and one skill point to spider bite. Ow. Why¡¯d you hit me for? I know, I know, I was supposed to balance my stats¡ªbut how was I supposed to know something so intricate like that? What¡¯s that? What do you mean a gamer is supposed to¡ªResource Identification, what¡¯s wrong with that? It helped us so much! I¡ªOkay, I have no comebacks to that, wait, my story isn¡¯t over. Let me continue. Ahem. Right, after checking proudly on my gains, I headed on deeper the tunnel to find a spot for my sweet sweet home. Naturally, I saw the shelter building ability in the store but who needs that stupid thing? Carrying my precious gecko carcass, I went further in. At some point, there seemed to be glowing moss embedded into the walls. Moss and some sort of crystalline structure the size of a¡­ actually how do I even compare? It¡¯s like a pebble. It was shining in an iridescent color, from teal, red and purple. Honestly, it was beautiful to look at. Huh? What do you mean I could see red? You mean you can¡¯t? I- I don¡¯t know! Spiders can¡¯t see red, you say¡ªbut I do. Maybe you¡¯re just born with a skill issue¡ªno, sorry that was a bad joke for both of us. I¡¯ll continue. Eventually, the tunnel got wider until I believed I was at the heart of the massive mineral formation. It was a massive tunnel, connected to many other paths. Here, the colorful moss and crystals pebbles were manifold. I remembered it reminded me like the night gardens from DisneyLand. It was here, I could feel it. I should build my web home here. I got to shooting webs. Shoot, spout, stick to the wall. Four corners, let¡¯s go. Go to the tunnels and spout some webs go go. But¡­ why am I feeling empty? In fact, I could somehow tell I am about to run out of silk. They¡¯re beginning to be more wobbly, more loose, more weak, less sticky and more liquid-y too. At that point, I just simply stopped halfway to making a web of maze. Okay! I built my sweet home, although incomplete. When this gets finished, unsuspecting prey would just get stuck in my webs, then I will finish their ugly mugs. Free food simulator. Finally, I can become a shut-in again. I am a genius spider, indeed. Now that¡¯s out of the way, let¡¯s see what this bad boy can do. Resource Identify! * Tarentola D¨§ti Evo 1 Carcass. * Hmmm. A bit¡­ lacking, simple, wouldn¡¯t you say? That¡¯s not all, is it? Resource Identify! * Tarentola D¨§ti Evo 1 Carcass. * Hahaha, no that can¡¯t be. System, Sauron¡ªlend me a leg here, it¡¯s not every day you reincarnate someone like me, right? Wasn¡¯t I a destined one? Resource Identify! Resource Identify! * Unknown Mineral. * * Unknown Mineral. * ¡­.? Okay, I think I¡¯ll just go to sleep. Several days had passed after that. Resource Identification turned out to be the most useful skill there is! I just found out that it does absolutely no jack apart from making me contemplate my life choices¡ªwhich means it identified my miserable mental resource. Perfect. Also, there was no food. No prey even got close to my home. I can feel my hunger. There¡¯s really no easy way in this life, huh? No, I can¡¯t rely on another lucky chance. I have to hunt. I have to fight. *Confirm purchase of Stealth lvl 5 Core Ability (Primitive), +3 stat points, +3 skill points? * For that, I am going to need these. ¡­.. In a cavernous expanse, a brutal war was underway. Hordes of three armies were ripping each other apart as their inhuman bestial sounds reverberated the clash. The splash of poison, hissing liquid, ground booming, crunching bone and chitin, whizzing air, sonar screeches¡ªRoaches, Bats and Millipedes. Hundreds of them. The ground shook crazily as I hid in one of the ceiling tunnels. It was a crazy scene. For lack of a better word. I don¡¯t know, after facing two confrontations in a battle to death twice, coupled with my strange sanity state¡ªthis just feels lacking. The numbers are overwhelming, yes, but I don¡¯t have the chills thinking about it. Mostly, since I don¡¯t have to kill them or anything. Well, I did feel fear, just a bit. But nevertheless, it was like watching a movie. Sadly, I am not here to watch, I am here to pick off any survivors. Scavenging mission. Right now, there were only a few dozen in each side remaining. If I am lucky, they could altogether wipe themselves out and I¡¯d have a free unlimited buffet of¡­ scrumptious insects and bats. Ah, this is unreal. Disgusting. The battle was coming to a close, and that¡¯s when it happened. The three armies were down to six, two for each army. The bats were on the other side of the ceiling I was in, thankfully¡ªthis is my time! I sneakily scuttered downwards, hoping to grab one corpse before any of them could notice me¡ªand even if they did, don¡¯t they have their own enemies? That was my thought process when the moment I did grab one during their battle, a corpse just twitched, and turned towards me. A bat, still surviving with its red demonic eyes. Sh-shit! *Tchack-Splurt* I hurriedly bit down in an attempt to silence. I didn¡¯t get the chance to check the system notification when a body crashed into me. Kehak! Who threw a bus at me?! But that body was dead. Worse, the three remaining monsters were looking at the newcomer: me. H-hi there? I was just, stealing? ¡°¡°SCREECH!¡±¡± The hairs on my body shoot straight up from the deafening jarring noise, especially from the bats. From far away, it didn¡¯t affect me but this close, it was especially effective as a disorientation attack. Wobbly me., wooly world. The disgusting roach flew over and raised its limbs, its mandibles closing on me. GROSS! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! It was a hard, hard effort, a real sweat-worker¡ªthough I don¡¯t sweat¡ªto avoid the disgusting thing. It was outrageously fast! If it wasn¡¯t wounded, I would probably be dead by now. Then, sensing the chance, the millipede and bat homed in to target the roach and myself. The bat rocketed towards me, missing by a hairsbreadth. I couldn¡¯t even react properly but twitch. I was way out of my mind when I decided to sneak up a scavenger hunt against these guys. At that moment, the millipede released toxin air gas out of its body sides as a response to the roach¡¯s counterattack. The roach retreated away in time¡ªits back towards me. While the bat was coming for another round. I was cornered, or am I? I turned around and kicked the roach behind me with four of my left legs, simultaneously evading the bat once more with the boost of speed. The roach, screeching, dived right back into the millipede¡¯s noxious fume. The bat, having missed me once again by an inch, collided against the two of them with its mouth opened wide, taking a huge chunk of the millipede¡¯s head. At the same time, the millipede also pierced its mandibles into the bat¡¯s sides. The bat, roach and millipede wrestled together in a squirming mess, barely surviving. It was a revolting yet funny sight. But I had my genius ingenuity spark. I dragged one corpse with my mouth over and threw it towards them with all my might. Granted, it was weak as hell but it did the job of crushing all three underneath. They eventually finished each other off with their mouths, bodies and venom. *Assist kill a Desmoda Deti Evo 1 lvl 20.* * Assist kill a Blatta Balaka Evo 1 lvl 12.* * Assist kill a Julida Infans Evo 1 lvl 14.* * Assist kill a Desmoda Deti Evo 1 lvl 15.* *+4 levels. +12 Stat Points and +4 Skill Points.* *Feat gained! Triple Kill! +75 store points. Tier 1 Store Points Reduction 50%, gained +38 store points. * *Feat gained! Kill Steal! + 50 store points. Tier 1 Store Points Reduction 50%, gained +25 store points. * Spider (2) I know. I know. It was an amazing feat that even the system acknowledged. Just how great am I? Anyway, with all the free food right in front of me, no matter how icky it all was, I can be particularly picky¡ªalright, one millipede and one bat comin¡¯ right up to my nest. I wasn¡¯t eating any roach. No way. Chow chow time! Blergh. It was as abhorrent and bad-tasting as I expected. I had to vomit four times just to eat a sizable part. With that out of the way, I checked my status. [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. { Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} {???} {???} {??? } Name: Aoi Nagase Race: Misumena Dumu (Flower Crab Spider Infant) Level: 07 (Evo 1) Strength: 19 Agility: 16 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 15 HP: 40/40 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Spider Bite lvl 4, Prey Grasp lvl 1, Webbing lvl 2, Evasion lvl 2, Stealth lvl 5 Auxiliary Abilities: Resource Identification Titles: Nascent Horror Skill points: 4 Stat Points: 12 ] Ohhh. Four levels up in a row! Rubbing my legs together, I¡¯d already knew what I wanted¡ªa balanced 21, 21, 15 ratio. As for the skill, I wanted to put more points into spider bite but I couldn¡¯t. The reason why. * Spider Bite lvl 5 upgrade costs 2 skill points.* Huh uh. That was a bummer indeed. I could already see how the system is going to be such a cheapskate by increasing more skill point cost later on. Oh well, depending on how much I could level up, it may be just a classic balancing feature. Before deciding where to put my skill points, I took a look into the skill tree chart¡ªmaybe I could use something new. The skill chart was in the form of a spider constellations, the star nodes were as labeled: Head, Right Side Legs, Left Side Legs, Cephalothorax, and Spinneret. With five or six abilities per each star node for a specific purpose¡ªbiting, gripping, evasion, senses/reflexes, silk. There were some passives too, like improving my wall climbing, increasing my venom potency, increasing my silk production etc. but most are basic active ones. I had taken 10 minutes to get a read over each of their description when I¡¯d locked my gaze on three essential abilities: Vibration Sensitivity, Chemoreceptors, Venom Potency (Passive). It did not leave me that the way I perceive the world was now completely different. Maybe with the life and death scenarios, my mind was forced to adapt quickly with this new body. I am not sure either how I did that so easily. In any case, I can sense the earth, the air vibrate. And I can smell and taste it too, with my legs and the two short ones on my mouth. I am not sure about all this chemoreceptor business, but I believe it should help me detect chemical signals better¡ªwhich may or may not be lifesaving. Vibration Sensitivity is the same case, but its more guaranteed to have a use at least. That¡¯s one. Venom Potency is obvious¡ªI need a means to defend myself, and by that, since I am a monster with a game-like system presumably have an easier time to get stronger than other monsters, a way to kill more effectively and get stronger faster (later on, I found out it was not exactly the case¡ªthe system was more like a helpful organizer with a relative aid). These two skills then would help me greatly *Confirm to learn Venom Potency (Passive) and Vibration Sensitivity (Passive)? * Yes. And then upgrade them to level two respectively, using up all of my skill points. Ah that feeling again. Alright! As for the store, I am not really sure about what to buy over there. That¡¯s when I noticed the details. 50% Points Reduction. And I got how many feats? Seven¡­ So I wasted half of around 400 potential points. I can¡¯t accept this. What the hell is up with that!? Damn it, upgrade the store right away! *Upgrade Tier 1 Store to Tier 2 Store?* *Upgrade Tier 2 Store to Tier 3 Store?* *Error. You have to Evo 2 to upgrade to Tier 3 Store* Say what??? So I have to be stuck at 35% points reduction? I was about to fume in anger when I noticed¡ªcompared to how much store points I have and the store items purchase points, I still have significantly more even if I indulge. That kind of offset my peeve a little. But my gamer sense tells me this is a trap. Che, I¡¯ll think about that later. For now, let¡¯s bring more corpses to bring here then I can think whether I should hunt or not. It won¡¯t be long until I encounter an impossibly strong monster and I¡¯ll just be squished like a bug¡ªso I need strength to be free.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With that in mind, I returned to the cavern expanse. And when I did, I almost spat out profanities. A giant yellow lizard was devouring large clumps of the corpses. Munching and crunching, reaching with its thick muscled hands and sending its tongue to coil around a corpse back into its mouth, as if it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Except it immediately turned towards my direction when I gazed at it for five seconds. Even though I was hidden in darkness, I knew it found me¡ªbut how? I didn¡¯t even do anything but land sight upon it. That question was irrelevant, I had to get away, I could tell that monster is above Evo 1, at least. since it just¡­ ignored me. Instead of killing one pathetic spider, it just continued to eat. Phew. I scurried back to return to my nest. It kinda feels belittling, you know, insulting even. To be ignored to such degree. Of course, my vanity didn¡¯t matter and I was thankful otherwise. I¡¯ll just let it eat its fill and come back. Even that monster shouldn¡¯t be able to finish thousands. But I was wrong. The ground shaking. The grumbling of some creature, heavy footsteps thudding through the tunnel as my web nest shook along the ground. Once it passed through the corner, I could see it. The damn lizard chased me back. It had a malicious glint in its glowing slits. Hatred. It¡¯s belly, which was supposed to be brown leather lizard skin, was glowing red. Was this karma for what I just felt earlier? No, that¡¯s, this is- why? You¡¯ve got thousands to fill your belly over there, why chase after me? Within one second¡ªI chose to run away. Abandon my nest. I knew I had no chance against it. Fear was one thing, but it was just different. The magnitude in our auras. I felt it was simply playing around with me when it was striding like a goddamn horror-movie monster. It was hot behind me. I could feel the crackling roar of the fire as it burned my own nest. Remember this lizard, I¡¯ll remember this for sure. Whatever the case, it didn¡¯t give chase¡ªat least I thought so. I couldn¡¯t be sure. Thinking back now, I didn¡¯t know if it was coincidence or not. I continued to just wander aimlessly, cursing the lizard and perhaps finding a new spot when the solid floor beneath me caved in¡ªno, it disappeared. As if it was made up of an illusion or something, my legs just passed through it. Ow, ow, ow! I kept hitting rocks as I fell, it was quite long too. Around a full minute give or take. I suspect I was deep below underground by the time I landed at the bottom¡ªsuffering light injuries on my part. Why was there even a glitching disappearing floor on one of the tunnels? The game is bugged, jeez. Once I recognized where I was, my breath stopped. Right in front me, before where I stood, was a gigantic purple crystal in the contours of a heart. It was unmoving, still, the world may have forgotten this thing even existed judging by how ancient the crystal looked. What was more eye-catching, however¡ªwas that the center of the heart was carved out meticulously into the shape of a gate opening, where a swirling spark of dark-red strands spun in a wheel inside. Gate of Mystery. The word came to my mind. But it had nothing to do me. I could already tell it¡¯s something ominous so I tried to climbed back up. Except when I got to the top, there was no hole nor opening. Huh? D-don¡¯t tell me I am stuck here, right? Right? I searched about and there was no illusionary rock. Just all solid mineral. That was when the world shook again. How many times am I going to experience an earthquake? But this time was the worst of all, intense to the point that the ending of a world could apply to this shaking. The minerals in this vertical prison lit up gradually, additionally. Shards of minerals were falling down in a downpour rain. Then I felt the crystal heart pulse. It drummed. I took a look and it was indeed shimmering. What the hell is happening!? Ah! My legs felt a loosening then I fall for the hundredth time as the walls I was sticking to broke off. With desperation coloring my mind, I shot out a web silk strand to pull myself in. With clumsily efforts and a few failures, I managed to just catch myself on an intact piece. The situation rapidly turned from neutral to worst case in an instant¡ªhow bad was my luck? I just had a successful adventure now I am on. Now, I¡¯m trapped in here and the mineral hill is imploding. That was when I noticed it; a symbol or a rune lighting up on the whole flooring of this chamber. It all lead to the crystal heart gate. Gate: ¡°Hey hey, just come inside me and it¡¯ll lead you too somewhere safe!¡± Me: ¡°No, sir, thank you! And mind your language, please.¡± Gate: ¡°But you¡¯re going to die in here, crushed by rubble, don¡¯t you wanna come inside me?¡± I told you to mind your language! Why do you keep using that term, oh my god. Alright, alright! Fine, this is unreal. It¡¯s like I¡¯m in a game or manga, where¡¯s my plot armor instead? With trembling legs and thoughts of doom dreading my spider heart, I came right before the gate as the chamber continued to break down. Ahhh let¡¯s just screw it all! Then the gate sucked me in. *SWOOSH* When I came to, I could hear water. And rocks. Ruin rocks around. Hah, who goes there!? Nothing. Just ruins, and the ocean in the distance. I found myself in a broken-down ruin on a steep broad precipice, overlooking a wide river and a waterfall on the side. This was probably a pyramid structure ruin. Where the hell am I? I stepped out and saw the same jungle right behind the ruins. But what was different was that there was a large clearing of felled-down trees and a wreckage of what appeared to be¡­ the bone remains of a dinosaur-like monster. Infested with red squirming veins. Better stay away from it. I had two choices then, no matter how confused I was: Stay here and build my nest again. Or find another similar hunting spot. That¡¯s when I saw the coastal shore underneath the cliffs, a river branch leading to a grotto cave, on the opposite side of where I am. I knew then that¡¯s where I should go. It was such a convenient spot to reach as well, since there¡¯s a humongous tree here bent over to that side which made it near enough for me to just web swing to another branch. When I did arrive near the cave, a notification jumpscared me. *Another user of the MoPako System is nearby.* ¡­¡­¡­. Archived History: The Nightmare and the Devil The Flower of Nightmare, The Devil of the Labyrinth. Hunting parties happened to encounter them are extremely advised to stay far away and disengage as fast as possible. It is estimated that even while they¡¯re Crescent Core 4th Stage Monsters, their prowess and danger level reaches the Low-Apocalyptic Rank. It is also proven that they will not attack you if you don¡¯t threaten them. The last platinum-rank Hunter Circle that attempted to fight them were annihilated. Their last reported sighting is in the Brutalist Layer in the third strata. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Aoi Nagase Status: [ MoPako System ¨C Monster and Companion; destined ones to change the world¡¯s fate. { Skill Tree Chart} { Evolution Path} {Store} { Title Traits} {???} {???} {???} {??? } Name: Aoi Nagase Race: Misumena Dumu (Flower Crab Spider Infant) Level: 07 (Evo 1) Strength: 21 Agility: 21 Constitution: 15 Intelligence: 15 HP: 60/60 Skills: Core Abilities: General: Spider Bite lvl 4, Prey Grasp lvl 1, Webbing lvl 3, Evasion lvl 6, Stealth lvl 8 Abdomen Constellation: Venom Potency lvl 2 Cephalothorax Constellation: Vibration Sensitivity lvl 4 Auxiliary Abilities: Resource Identification Titles: Nascent Horror Skill points: 0 Stat Points: 0 ] Foreboding It was supposed to be just a normal visit to the outskirt¡¯s underground market, just see how the people setting up their vegetables or meat. We knew from Cavien¡¯s word that it wasn¡¯t anything dangerous like the so-called black market. It was literally just that, a market in the underground. Cavien even visited it twice with his uncle. From his boasts, he said there might be some interesting curios lying around like a mysterious book, a magical gem, a moving ship toy or whatnot. But those can only be found in one shopkeeper: an old lunatic. The old lunatic wasn¡¯t harmful, and he turned out to be very humorous with his unusual jokes. The others only called him lunatic since he babbles nonsense sometimes. His wares were definitely bizarre. As the three of us checked out each item, I suddenly felt it. A resonance. That¡¯s how I could only describe it. It came from a fragment of a gem, just lying there on a shelf. Black and blue, from my perspective, it radiated an aura colored like so. Cavien and Raynel couldn¡¯t see it when I pointed it out. I touched it out of curiosity. And¡­ there was a ringing. I felt a pulling force of gravity into myself. My whole being sucked in and at the same time, unravelling the threads of what made me me. If this how an Astral Projection feels like, a Tezhe Master Hartold told me once, I imagine this is how it would feel. It was as if I was a spinning top, being loosened and tied at each spiral loop¡ªlike a pool of water strips. Suddenly, I came back to reality. I was at the same place with the same Cavien and Raynel, the old man and his store. Except, the rock¡¯s glimmer was gone and the old man was looking at me with wide creepy eyes. He started babbling then. ¡°Oh oh oh!¡± It was an utter gibberish, as if the old man was speaking another language. We couldn¡¯t understand any of it but it scared us off. Then, the thugs came by. They seemed to be looking at the old man as they angrily walked over, grabbing the old man by the shoulders. ¡°Hey, why is that stupid monster repellent potion not working? We tested it in the Dajien Highlands and it didn¡¯t work!¡± But the old man kept babbling on and on. Drooling, even. The thug couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started beating up the old man. I saw that scene before we left. I felt an indescribable anger took over me when I saw the helpless being trampled. Why was he being treated so unjustly? I thought suddenly. Amidst my anger, I just raised my hand and pulled it down. Then the crates came tumbling over. Raynel and Cavien was looking at me in shock. What just happened? I didn¡¯t know. It was certain we were in trouble though. We escaped before anyone could notice us. That was it. ¡­¡­ In Mayor Gathos¡¯ estate, in one of the luxurious parlor rooms, a hodgepodge of people was gathered together. Tryndale, Erick, Jess, Litney, Quin, the trio kids, Arwen, Master Hartold, and one man. He wore a rich velvet suit with frills on the breast, above a white shirt and black vest, finished with a top hat and loose fitted trousers. It was a classic gentleman¡¯s attire. But the most eye-catching feature of the man was his blonde hair and slightly sharp angled ears. Mayor Gathos was a half elf. Albeit, he had a small bulge on his belly. ¡°Oh man, here I thought my reporting of the Wanderer¡¯s Troupe leader sneaking attempts would be the bombshell." Jess commented while munching on a cookie. ¡°No, no, no that is an interesting piece of news. That you were even able to discover that person is excellent, too.¡± Mayor Gathos replied. Mettel was looking at Hartold, who evidently did not look different from how he remembered him. After telling the story, Erick and Tryndale in particular were gazing at him intently. The wizard himself, though, did not look too surprised. Then, Hartold finally spoke. ¡°I believe Mother Laresa wished for you to relay a message to me: what is it?¡± Mettel almost forgot about that! He hurriedly retold the message and added in that Mother Laresa did not seem too well. ¡°Is it true then, Jess? Mother Laresa has not long to live?¡± Hartold asked. The nun nodded. ¡°Yes, she specifically told me to gather the church members before she departs. Only, after your return, she says it be postponed instead and wishes to speak to you personally.¡± Hartold contemplated with his hood down. He had with himself his staff, wrapped in an ordinary-looking brown cloth, tapping it with his finger. ¡°Quin, regarding the thing I asked you to look into¡ªI hope you did not involve anyone?¡± Quin wryly smiled. ¡°I involved Jess. But that wasn¡¯t my intent, she followed me of my own accord. Regardless, I¡¯ll take the blame. I should¡¯ve been more careful.¡± Now that things were at this point, Quin could only tell the truth. He really didn¡¯t want to break things to his brother who was looking at him with his silent piercing eyes but the cat was out of the bag. Even if he lied and partially hid the truth¡ªthe smart boy would sniff it out. Besides, Master Hartold was here. ¡°Hmm. I will take a look at what you found later.¡± Hartold nodded and gazed at Cavien and Raynel who was beside Mettel, before setting his gaze to the boy himself. ¡°Mettel, did you remember what I told you once? Before I could teach you my arts?¡± ¡°That, that I should have that esoteric feeling of the spiral alignment enlightenment you talked about?¡± ¡°Then recall to me what you felt when you held the jewel fragment?¡± Mettel¡¯s eyes were lost but as he thought it over¡ªwasn¡¯t it almost like¡­?! ¡°Indeed, you awakened your Tezhe. Prematurely, on your own.¡± Hartold smiled, ¡°It seems I could finally start your training.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°¡­How? But how did that happen? Was that jewel fragment special?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s the shard of a monster core, holding a remnant aether amount. That was the catalyst.¡± It wasn¡¯t Hartold who respond this time but Tryndale. ¡°But that¡¯s not right! I touched a monster core that Master Hartold gave me before, saying it might produce that spiral alignment thingy. I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡± ¡°Three cases: one, your body wasn¡¯t saturated with the world¡¯s aether mana enough ¨C meaning you were too young then. Two, that specific monster fragment resonates with your affinity Tezhe. Three, both cases.¡± Mettel¡¯s mouth opened without sound. Hartold chuckled. ¡°You seem pleasantly surprised. Have you not read the books I gave you? Although I wasn¡¯t able to give you a personal tutor to my dismay, reading those books should¡¯ve given you the basic understanding.¡± Mettel¡­ did not read those books much. He only really read three: the basic monsters and their behavior, dungeon geography, and Tezhe Classifications. There was another book pertaining to training Tezhe, perhaps the knowledge he needed was from there. Now that he thought about it, why didn¡¯t he read it more just so he could understand what the heck did Master Hartold mean about the spiral alignment? ¡°No worries, I should¡¯ve been the one to give you that knowledge¡ªalas, my time is limited. But now that you¡¯ve awaken your Tezhe, I will be taking matters into hands.¡± ¡°¡¯Cuse me,¡± Erick interrupted. ¡°Why not leave it to me? I was already thinkin¡¯ I could give him the basic hunter training. Then in terms of more advanced Tezhe, Master Hartold could teach him.¡± Hartold shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d love to do that but no. His case is special. It also serves as research. Don¡¯t look at me like that, Mettel, my research would not involve harmful experiments. I assure you, hahaha.¡± Mettel already knew he was special. Master Hartold did not hide it from him. But how exactly was he so special? He just survived the radiation or whatever it was from the damn dragon¡¯s breath¡ªapart from that, nothing. Perhaps it would reveal in his Tezhe? Somehow, that made him excited. ¡°In any case. I do have an important news to announce.¡± Hartold¡¯s tone shifted to a somber tone. He turned to Mayor Gathos. ¡°This regards to the latest happenings in the dungeon. What we discovered has not been disclosed to the republic masses as of yet, but it will be released a day or two. This will change things greatly hence the reason I shall tell you now.¡± ¡°Uhm, should the kids be...?¡± Litney asks. ¡°They could stay.¡± The others were perplexed about this. Arwen by the corner of the room was sweating right now. She, from the outskirts, was about to hear something so serious? Granted it would be released soon, but to hear it from someone so prestigious¡­ this has to be related to her scouting mission after all! ¡°I bring with me a news undesirable and a news desirable. You see, my latest summons this time was within the dungeon depths, specifically the second stratum: the Enchanted sub-layer. As you are aware, the Enchanted Layer is the home of nature¡¯s bounty; full of mystical living non-monster plants, special ores, magical lake and more. Some Tree folk, dwarves, researchers in particular live in this layer. It¡¯s also the most beautiful sub-layer. We of the Aethercloud Spire were investigating a deeply unsettling anomaly¡ªteleportation runes are being activated en-masse. It has caused frequent displacement of objects and structures, even living people. A casualty of a thousand hunting parties were confirmed. As the Wizard of the Spire, I was tasked to study these gates. It could appear anywhere and disappear anytime. I would spare you the full details but it is unsure whether it is the work of an organization or the Dungeon herself created it. Both does not bode well. The good news, however, is that we have closed majority of the gates. The worst news¡ªone major gate cannot be closed. We have confirmed that it connects to a secret sub-layer¡ªeither in the first strata or the second strata, it is unknown.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Tryndale spoke. ¡°The Dungeon is mostly fixed in its structure, its strata and its layers even if it changes its geography from time to time. There are, at the maximum, 4 sub layers per strata in regards to the continents of Junosa. The first stratum and second stratum already have four, how could there be another one?¡± Hartold shook his head. ¡°I am not sure. I have referred this matter to the Mithra Scholarium¡¯s researchers and it will take a year or two before they could fully unearth the cause for this dungeon anomaly. The only reason why it¡¯s theorized to be a sub-layer of the first stratum or the second is due to the low-quality Aether it emits, characteristic to both.¡± Mayor Gathos sighed. ¡°This¡­ is indeed a serious matter, the Dungeon has always been unknown, but if it were to make changes like this after hundreds of years, what could the future hold for us? But I still fail to see how this could be serious to us surface dwellers?¡± Mayor Gathos asks. ¡°Most likely, they will probably paint it as a new discovery of a dungeon sub-layer, the Karan Press, I mean. Motivates hunters even more. And it¡¯s also because¡­ the sub layer, its close by here.¡± Quin guessed. ¡°Indeed, that is the case. Excellent assumption, Quin. That secret sub layer is in the direction under the Miiphul region, where Ithivora rampaged.¡± ¡°But the sub-layer we have here, on the first stratum, is the Arid sub-layer. Huh?¡± Litney confusingly stated. ¡°My personal theory is,¡± Hartold begun, ¡°is that the sub-layer is not as big as an actual sub-layer, perhaps no more than the size of a town or city. Furthermore, its located in a pocket space similar to the magic inventory bag.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t no way, man. The top-of-the-line inventory bag out there can only hold, like, 100 square meters¡ªthe size of a house. But an entire city? In the first or second stratum where the Aether is shit? Even for the Dungeon, that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. We could only study this as every time we encounter the unknown. What this means to us however, is that this town needs to get its defenses fortified. I hate to put even more responsibility on your shoulders; Litney, Erick and Tryndale, but I must count on you to assist the coming hunters that would help build this town as a frontier fortress as accordance to living settlements close to a dungeon break opening. Just for the worst-case scenario.¡± The three¡¯s faces were somber as they accepted it. Not that they hate the responsibility but more of the possibility of a dungeon break from a mysterious sub layer that got them on guard. Meanwhile, the people who felt they shouldn¡¯t be here were utterly stunned. It¡¯s hard for them to digest the news that there might be a potential gate to hell right beside them. ¡°Mayor Gathos, I am afraid you would have to relegate your position of authority to someone from the confederation executive parliament to be in charge of the matters here.¡± ¡°I understand. This is outside of my expertise, so frankly, I am glad. I would cooperate to the best of my ability. May I ask who is coming here? Is it someone from the Dungeon Administration Department?¡± Hartold nodded his head, although he didn¡¯t specifically know who was coming. Then he turned to Mettel. ¡°Mettel, I would have to go away soon, to the Aethercloud Spire. You would have to come with me.¡± ¡°Huh? M-me? I am coming with you?¡± This was a first. He¡¯d never been allowed to come with Master Hartold no matter how he begged in the past. Now he¡¯s just going to go there just like that? ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t say I would teach you for nothing. You¡¯ve grown impatient, haven¡¯t you? For three years, I only left you some books pertaining the dungeon after the grand promise I gave you, forced you to stay here¡ªI wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you come to hate me. But I have not forgotten my promise. Now is the time I fulfill it. I¡¯ll show you the world of magic¡ªAether.¡± Journey to the Spire Mettel expected right then that Master Hartold would just take him away with a teleportation spell to Aethercloud Spire. As it turns out, Hartold wasn¡¯t in any hurry to go anywhere despite his words, enjoying the entire Lycren¡¯s Arrow festival in town. It probably has something to do with ironing out the details with some people. He wouldn¡¯t know.
In a dark solemn cell lit by a sole candle, which were filled with the bare modicum of a wooden bed, a chair and a desk¡ªMother Laresa lied weakly. After parting her last words with all of the church members including Quin, the old lady was near to death¡¯s door. Beside her stood a hunchback robed wizard holding a staff, Hartold, gazing down with an unknowable expression. ¡°You really won¡¯t accept my offer, Laresa? I know you said you will leave it to Jess, but I fear she may not be ready. Is this the right choice?¡± Hartold asked, barely reaching a whisper. ¡°I already told you¡­ Hartold. Life shouldn¡¯t be tampered¡­ with. It is my time. I accept it with grace, gratitude. Jess is capable¡­ of taking care of it. I will tell her her duty. Have you *cough* looked at the¡­ relic beneath the church?¡± Mother Laresa turned to him. ¡°I did. I confirmed its condition and the message it holds. It is very close, indeed, but Mettel has already awakened his power. He will be my successor.¡± ¡°Will there be¡­ enough time?¡± ¡°I hope so. I will make right by it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mother Laresa was slowly closing her eyes. ¡°Hartold. I give you¡­ my peace after¡­ my departure. Yours is still a long road.¡± ¡°I accept your peace, Laresa II, daughter of Alebel. Do you have anything else you wish to say?¡± ¡°¡­ Let me speak with my daughter, Jess, for one last time.¡± Hartold nodded, and with a second, was replaced with a shocked Jess. Upon seeing where she was, the nun composed herself in a moment. Her milky black eyes, stared at the dying woman with great turmoil. ¡°Jess¡­ you must take care of this church. For a number of years¡­ you will suffer hardships. Beneath here, lies a secret. The secret¡­ why this altar of a church was built. You will inherit my mantle¡­¡± Mother Laresa held out her hand, which Jess took in both of her palms. Jess¡¯s hands were trembling as do her entire body. ¡°May I ask how? What is this secret, exactly? Why not one of the First Sisters? Why not Priest Cenaro?¡± She asked, quivering. Her distress easily betrayed. To which Mother Laresa smiled. The secret, Mother Laresa had already told her about it once. It was a book of prophecy¡ªwritten in an unknown language said to be from the outer stars. The book itself came from a comet that landed right here, in this area where the church was built. Before even the Church of Sorrow. That was all she knew. Mother Laresa¡¯s strength was depleting in a noticeable rate, her voice more stretched out, no longer coughing. ¡°Just know, this book is¡­ dangerous. But you will¡­ know how to manage. After a number of years¡­ you will go out into the world¡­ that will be your mission. Just remember my¡­ words. That¡¯s all. Peace and love. Love¡­¡± Jess at this point could see the light in Mother Laresa¡¯s eye dim. Jess remained for who knows how long in that cell, kneeling over the bedside.
Church orphanage dorm. Corridors. Hartold was speaking to Quin after reading through the documents of Solquar Chem Plant Mining Operation. Quin was silent for a while. At last, Hartold sighed. ¡°Have you read through them?¡± ¡°Yes sir, I have.¡± ¡°This report basically confirmed my suspicions. This is more troublesome than I thought. I am sorry about your parents.¡± Quin shook his head, a slight tremor in his voice. ¡°I¡­ I suspected something like that happened. Although our parents died years ago, way before any of this happened when I was just ten and Raynel was just a toddler, I always knew something was off with that Plant Company. I was told it was an accident. But I knew it wasn¡¯t that simple, shouldn¡¯t be. Our parents were¡­ unfortunate parties that got caught up in whatever they were doing. And from that report¡ªthere¡¯s this suspicious mention of the top-secret project numerous times that they¡¯ve been developing for a decade. From the gathered information I have so far, the workers and my parents were¡­ collateral damage.¡± During the monster outbreak, Solquar Plant Chem suffered heavy losses to their facilities and infrastructure. But what grabbed the attention of the people were, a majority of their workers were dead from the monster attacks when the Stonehearth Haven¡¯s effective evacuation plan incurred almost no civilian casualties. From then on, the Karan Press found out the true reason¡ªSolquar Chem Plant used its own factory workers to stall time for the safe retrieval of the project they¡¯ve been developing. Quin only got to know this from the information guild, Aurivis Consortium, after he and his brother arrived here. ¡°Then you deserve to know the truth: they were building a secret biological weapon, something to deal with the third strata, Crimson Layer. A weapon formed through solquar and forbidden aether spells. During the monster outbreak, indeed, the Solquar Chem Plant used its own workers to stall for time, in order to safely transport this secret weapon.¡± Quin¡¯s body shook with horror. ¡°That¡­ is that true? Such weapons could exist¡­?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, with the rising strength of the dungeon¡¯s aether, or perhaps it is not related at all but simply due to their greed that they sought out to gain more advantages against other rival companies and organizations. I only got this knowledge from the Legatus Umbra, the Hunters¡¯ information department, myself.¡± Quin could indeed remember something along those lines. Hartold was never supposed to be responsible for something as small as this, as significant this was to ordinary people like him. It was only due to the possibility that the Solquar Chem Plant had a dabble in forbidden Aether Arts, one presumably in the 1st Extinction Era of the deities 800 years ago. Hartold, and the Aethercloud Spire as an extension, was seeking out to seal any remaining such taboos. And it all lead to him having a chance encounter with Hartold who then requested him to this endeavor. How in the world did a small-fry like Gun Hotez come to acquire it was a profound mystery, however. Quin was inclined to ask about this. When he did, he got an unexpected reply. ¡°I am not sure.¡± Hartold¡¯s tone was grave. ¡°That is indeed odd. Even when I requested your aid, I expect no more than rumors, sightings perhaps, not actual documents of the event. Such documents, although not containing any information on the Aether Forbidden Arts, is impactful still. This matter isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Hartold sighed for the umpteenth time.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°But your part is over, young man. You¡¯ve far outdone yourself, more than I would like. Your best course of action was to confirm it through me not act alone.¡± ¡°But at that time sir, the document could¡¯ve have gone away. I wasn¡¯t sure when you¡¯re coming back. I wasn¡¯t sure either if it was the real thing, so I held off requesting help from anyone.¡± ¡°You overestimate your abilities and underestimate the forces at play. Gun Hotez may be just a rogue, and you may have succeeded when dealing with just him, but there are powers in the shadow you don¡¯t understand nor cannot deal with. This case contains such dangerous elements. From here on out, I will have Mayor Gathos watch over you¡ªas a form of punishment and as a form of protection.¡± Quin could only lower his head in deference. Then the two travelled outside the dorm, looking at the falling sun of the festival¡¯s last day. ¡°Have you told your brother?¡± Hartold asked. ¡°Not yet, I will tell him in due time. Perhaps after this.¡± Quin replied. ¡°Hmmm, handle this delicately, I suppose. Your brother is young. Then this is goodbye, Quin Irishield. May the Aether let us meet in one piece again.¡± Quin bowed to Hartold as he walked out of the orphanage perimeter. He¡¯d returned to his dorm room only to see his brother, Raynel, staring daggers at him. ¡°What exactly happened brother? What did you do that got you into trouble? What did you and Master Hartold talked about?¡± ¡°First let¡¯s sit down.¡± The two brothers then sat by their table. It was a good thing all the other children and staff member were out in the festival. Quin then repeated the whole story to Raynel. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to know this. At least not so soon.¡± ¡°No¡­ you mean our parents died¡­ because of avarice for power? Their lives thrown away just to give time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Quin¡¯s eyes were grave. Raynel¡¯s gaze became blank. The silence turned oppressive, heavy for a while. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been doing. Why you¡¯ve been so shady. Why you go out at night and go back in the early morning. I suspected you were partaking in uncivilized activities¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to laugh at that. That perhaps could¡¯ve been better, having a dubious brother. I admit, I am a reckless one. But listen, Raynel. I know this hurts, and you feel so much anger that you want to go out and destroy them¡ªheck, I was the same as you seven years ago. But don¡¯t let it eat you inside. Hatred is not good for anybody.¡± ¡°To be honest I¡­ don¡¯t really feel that much anger.¡± Quin was surprised. ¡°I just don¡¯t know my parents that well, I was just a little less than three years old at that time. I only remember my mother¡¯s face like a blurry picture. In any case, I¡¯ll heed your advice, brother.¡± ¡°¡­. I see.¡± Quin opted to change the topic, it was overlu serious the way things are, ¡°By the way, have you bid Mettel farewell? They¡¯re about to leave tomorrow. I hear the three of you are friends now after what happened two days ago. It still feels so sudden to me.¡± ¡°We did. But I wouldn¡¯t say friends, more like acquaintances. I was actually hoping to ask you about the details over what Mettel did years ago, I could¡¯ve asked other kids but I figured you¡¯d have a more non-bias perspective.¡± ¡°Ah that.¡± Quin recollected the facts as he tapped at the table. ¡°I don¡¯t know every side myself, I only heard this from Sister Jess¡­ that Mettel almost killed a kid of his age two years ago. Pushed him from the second floor, I heard. It was because that kid called him a monster, a demon spawn or something due to his white hair and the rumors coming about. That kid in particular was known for his notoriety of pranks and teasing¡ªunfortunately, he really picked the wrong target that time. Really sounds similar to what you and I experienced, huh?¡± Raynel couldn¡¯t help but look at his brother weirdly. ¡°Sure, we were picked up on by other people as rats, trash, baggage, eyesore, headache etc, and it was infuriating, but why even compare? Our persons are not the same.¡± Quin just smiled at that as he shook his head. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯ll be years before you two could even meet together again. That boy might have trauma but I believe in Master Hartold. Besides, he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad kid, it¡¯s almost likely an impulse that led to the incident two years ago. Okay, let¡¯s have some late supper, shall we? Or do you want to have an early breakfast?¡±
Lycren¡¯s Festival was officially over by the next morning. At the town¡¯s main road, paved with uniform polished patterned stones and an elaborate wooden arch above the wide-open gates, a group of people was gathered to send Master Hartold and Mettel away. For all intents and purpose, the people are whom Hartold personally known and was acquainted with¡ªmost of the town was still asleep and weren¡¯t aware of their departure. Mayor Gathos was present as well, along with his wife and twelve-year-old 1st daughter Jaina Dunewalker. All three of whom were half-elves. Naturally, the three retired hunters were there as well. ¡°Good bye Master Hartold! Come by again real soon!¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve come by our bakery shop before you went.¡± ¡°Thank you once again for protecting our town!¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity you have to go so soon after just returning¡ªplease do return safely.¡± Such and such words. Mettel only remained behind Hartold, waiting patiently. Erick and Litney came over him. ¡°You don¡¯t look so gloom now, what, you not gonna miss this town and us?¡± Erick asked. Litney smiled as she kneeled and gave a paper bag filled with soft bread. ¡°Here, snacks for the journey. Share some with Master Hartold, alright?¡± ¡°I uh¡­ Thank you.¡± Awkwardly, Mettel accepted it. Tryndale was bowing to Hartold right beside them. ¡°Master Hartold, thank you for your service. May the Aether bless your path.¡± ¡°You making me look bad by bowing like that, Tryndale. Do I have to bow down too?¡± Erick quipped. ¡°No need, no need. Tryndale, Erick, and Litney. Though it¡¯s none of your responsibility, I give you my gratitude for acceding to my requests.¡± Hartold bowed his head as well. ¡°Ah, Master Hartold, it¡¯s fine! We¡¯re thankful that we can still help in our own ways. It is we who should thank you.¡± Both Erick and Tryndale agreed in their own way. Behind the robe hood, which no one can see, Hartold smiled. ¡°May the Aether bless your journey, as well. Come on boy, let¡¯s sally forth.¡± Hartold urged from behind. The boy and his Master set off from the town of Gathos at long last. ¡°Master Hartold,¡± He spoke, ¡°Why exactly¡¯ aren¡¯t we using your Teleportation spell to get to Aethercloud Spire? Surely it would take no more than a second.¡± ¡°Ah, that. I have to conserve my aether reserves but mostly, what¡¯s a journey without an adventure? If people were to use the fastest means of transport all the time, the adventure would lose its meaning.¡± Mettel frowned. Wouldn¡¯t they just get tired meaninglessly, then? ¡°Hmmm, but didn¡¯t you say you were in a hurry before?¡± ¡°That I did. But who said I didn¡¯t include this journey as part of the plans? I would train you on the matters of Aether on our way there, as well¡ªso it¡¯s not a complete waste of time.¡± Mettel understood. ¡°By the by, it is unfortunate that just after making your first friends, we have to go. Were you saddened by this?¡± ¡°No, not really. The friendship¡­ isn¡¯t really that strong for me to feel anything.¡± ¡°Hmm hmm. Then what¡¯s up with this special limited edition ice-cream you were so careful packing up in your backpack?¡± Mettel jumped. ¡°That err, Erick gave one to me, yep. Says is delicious, I was planning to eat it someday.¡± Somehow, the magical ice cream wasn¡¯t melting even outside the refrigerator. So, Mettel packed it alongside his stuff. ¡°Hahaha, I see. It is indeed a miraculous product, able to stay frozen for months in end and readily melts when coming into contact with saliva on top of its main benefits. Marvelous creation. That will be our first lesson, by the way, the divisions, attributes of Aether and Tezhe Pathways, and the way people use them. But I will hold that on for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Why not today?" Mettel asked. ¡°Because we have a different lesson for today, wilderness survival. Before that though.¡± Hartold stopped at a particular high point of a rocky land, almost level to Gathos Town. The wind here fanned over the two, flapping their clothes in a easy gentle manner. ¡°Look. Look for the last time where you spent the last three years, Mettel. It would be a long time before you take a look at it again.¡± Mettel did as he was told, feeling confused. By the main gates, some people were still there waiting for them to leave beyond the forests. They waved for the last time as the two looked towards them. Looking back at this scene, he¡¯d felt an odd palette of emotions bounding through him. Nostalgia, sadness, a bit of anger, happiness, joy. A bubbling of all these things. What¡¯s up with him? The boy took a deep breath. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Though pressured by the refugees coming in and the ravages of the monster outbreak, Gathos did well fortifying this settlement.¡± Hartold thumped his staff to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on then.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mettel delayed for a moment before turning around. Towards his next destination. Journey to the Spire (1) Two long days passed in the way to the Spire. In one of the forests halfway through the journey, after setting up camp, Hartold taught Mettel the basics of surviving first and foremost. ¡°How much do you know about surviving in the wilderness? Did Erick or Litney taught you anything?¡± ¡°They did, some lessons here and there. But I never went out to the forest once. Like how to start a fire, finding edible mushrooms, setting up camp, or shooting an arrow.¡± ¡°The knowledge remains theoretical then. You have to remember that such lessons are extremely valuable in the dungeon where a variety of harsh environments exist. Often times, you will find yourself in a non-optimal location to apply these lessons. Most hunters, in the absence of food supplies, would simply prepare, cook and eat the monsters they hunt. Just like what we¡¯re doing now.¡± Hartold poked a roasted boar with a stick. It smelled mouth-watering and appetizing already with a mundane chant he just casted. Mettel thought that one shouldn¡¯t rely on convenience from what he said last time, so what¡¯s going on here? ¡®There should be a difference in when and where to use them.¡¯ He¡¯s not complaining though, as he bit into the juicy meat. ¡°Did you also go through such things? Even though you¡¯re a wizard?¡± ¡°Hahaha. I was once an active dungeon hunter too. Almost all of the powerful organization authorities of the sapient races are. What, you think wizards are just fanciful pompous scholars?¡± ¡°Never. It¡¯s just¡­ hard to imagine you a hunter like Erick once.¡± The fire crackled. ¡°Alright alright. Enough chattering. You saw me how I skinned and butchered the boar using a knife¡ªyou will do the same for our next prey. You will use this.¡± With a flick of hand, Hartold summoned a plain wooden bow. Mettel took the bow in his hands, weighing it with a curious expression. ¡°I still don¡¯t get why we have to do all this. Don¡¯t we have aether to do our bidding? I just feel like it¡¯s a waste of time and effort.¡± ¡°True, it is a waste of time and effort.¡± ¡°Huh? Then why do we even do this?¡± ¡°Because it makes me feel human once in a while¡­ hahaha, what would you say if that¡¯s the reason?¡± Mettel had an incredulous look. ¡°The true reason is you need to conserve aether. Aether won¡¯t solve everything. Even a wizard like me has to be frugal with their aether usage¡ªotherwise you¡¯ll just crawl like a snail when it comes to the final sprint of a landscape rush.¡± Hartold shook his head as he says so. It seems he had a fair, or rather, too many stories of people overusing their abilities only to fall drop fatigued. ¡°Listen to me, Mettel. I am sure you have questions why I have not taught you all this while. I¡¯ll explain everything. Have you read the book Introductions to Aether: Living Biology?¡± ¡°Only the starting pages¡­¡± Embarrassed, Mettel shook his head. Thinking about it, for three years he didn¡¯t read all of the books Hartold gave him due to unwilling laziness. After all, each book contained at least 300 pages¡ªand what with them being in a different language that he had to slowly cross-reference with the dictionary the old man gave him, he just didn¡¯t have enough space. Hartold sighed. ¡°I really should¡¯ve hired someone from the capital to teach you. Unfortunately, neither Erick nor Litney could read the books in that language I taught you. Tryndale could, but he has his hands full. This is a blunder. Such advanced self-studies should really be handled by young adults, not for young teens.¡± Somehow, the way Mettl heard the last part made it feel like he wasn¡¯t up to par to his expectations. ¡°¡­. No, it¡¯s okay. I should¡¯ve been more determined. It was the fault in my part after I declared I was going to be stronger. Knowledge is power, as you said once. What were you going to say?¡± ¡°Ah yes, the reason, aside from my being so kept busy for the follow-up matters after the disastrous monster outbreak and the dungeon sub-layer incident, it has to do with how Tezhe comes to be in a living conscientious being.¡± ¡°I think I read that in the beginning parts of the book. That Tezhe could only be used at the age of 16? But then, I remember you said something about I have to be fourteen before you could teach me.¡± He was confused when he read that part, thinking it might have to do with training. ¡°It is not. The reason I said that is because I could effectively artificially awaken you if there¡¯s a seedling of Tezhe within. Or otherwise, that spiral alignment of sudden enlightenment you had. Such experiences could happen to a finite select few, at most. one to ten thousand. These people grow up to be geniuses.¡± Mettel understood then. He¡¯s one of those geniuses then, or a possible genius from his words. Afterwards Hartold explained further that if he were to directly explain this to him before even a seedling of Tezhe was present in his life root, it could affect his chances of natural awakening to significantly less. This mysterious phenomenon wasn¡¯t verified even now but the most logical speculation is that the deities designed the knowledge of Tezhe to be only held by those who can wield it¡ªotherwise, it disrupts the world¡¯s aether balance. It¡¯s all a convoluted mess to Mettel. But after the explanation, the almost nonchalant and disregarding attitude of Master Hartold towards his teaching could now be explained. That served to ease up his unconscious hatred towards the old man, somewhat. ¡°Once again, I must apologize for the neglect of my promise.¡± Hartold even bowed towards the boy, which greatly agitated him. Then Hartold continued even more, teaching all the necessary matters as if making up for the last three years. ¡°Aether is, to put in layman¡¯s terms, the blood of Existence, of life itself. Aether is present anywhere and everywhere, in each speck of dust to the largest celestial Physical, it is profuse within and without. They take on a sundry of forms; from the basic elements to the fundamental forces that make up our reality.¡± ¡°I remember that part¡ªthere are two types of Aether. The world ambient aether, and the individual aether essence.¡± ¡°Correct. The individual aether essence are better known as Life Root Aether¡ªthe spirit itself. The life root aether is the source of our mana reserves. As for Tezhes, it is the gifts from the deities to the conscientious races. One of the patent deities of humankind is Serath, the Deity of the Flourish Tingears, of the Hailing Rain, the Sorrowful Sky, the Grieving Star. Tezhes are manifestations of our Life Root Aether, and it only appears in selected individuals.¡± Mettel nodded. ¡°But they are actually two different things.¡± ¡°That they are. Tezhes are what give shape to the other, the other is what enables you to interact with the world¡¯s ambient aether¡ªand the effect is what we call as aether magic through the use of aether spells. Now, do you know about the three pathways of Tezhe?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°The Physical Pathway, the Will Pathway and the Concepts Pathway. Physical pathway is focused on the body, objects, and entities. Will pathway have to do with the mind-specific abilities, thoughts and emotions, as well as controlling the elements. While Concepts pathway is the control of Intangible concepts¡­? Untouchable things like shadow or light.¡± Hartold nodded. ¡°Good. Since you know, I¡¯ll give you examples of mixing together Tezhe and Aether spells. Take Sha¡¯en Sect as the first¡ªthese hermits and ascetics carefully select and advance their Tezhe while reserving some of their life root aether for equally-as-important spells. Their long years of research, trials, meditation training arts have thus given them access to some of the most esoteric and mystical abilities known to the living races. On another hand, the Y¡¯shaad Sajara, the sorcerers, are different. They balance between Aether spells and their Tezhe. Widening their repertoire to the highest degree while their Tezhe supports, enhances that flexibility in one way or another for a harmonized complement. ¡°Then we have our Aethercloud Spire, the complete opposite of the Sha¡¯en Sect. We focus on Aether Spells whilst relegating our Tezhe to the utmost support. And then we have the various churches around the world. Almost all of them have their own ways of developing their unique powers. Some are pure Tezhe and others purely mastering Aether spells. Most of the time, their biggest difference are the repertoire and the attributes.¡± Then Hartold went on to make one specific example of how they balance it: for example, the use of rapid flight. People with the Will Pathway Tezhe of limited control of air could pair it with an aether spell that reduces their air friction, making them as swift and agile as any flying monster. And another example from the Yshaad Sa¡¯jara, using the Tezhe of limited fire control and combining it with multiple fire-related aether spells¡ªthey become masters of fire. Perhaps focusing on a rare Tezhe ability in the Concepts Pathway, where you¡¯re able to set foreign shadows as secondary eyes, to a limited degree, could develop it with many other scouting spells. The possibilities are almost endless, no matter where you start with. ¡°That means, you could literally do anything you want as long as your imagination wills it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not wrong but not quite right. Remember, the further you develop Tezhes, the more restricted our life-root becomes, our bodies are then acclimated to this change. Which prevents one from utilizing the more aether-demanding spells that the living races have created.¡± ¡°Of course, these are all dependent on your aether reserves, our mana. It grows as we age naturally, but there are other artificial ways in increasing it permanently by spells, special Tezhes, or artifacts. I wouldn¡¯t recommend any other ways than that, for they involve dubious ritualistic aether magic at best, and at worst¡ªforbidden aether magic. Such things are what I purge from this world, for these often involve sacrifices.¡± He paused for a while then continued. ¡°Some, however, are born with more natural aether reserves than others, it largely varies in race. But even in the same race, there are variants. Born with a larger container is common but more specialized ones include a natural tendency for lightning attribute aether or a capability to release instantaneous burst of aether force. They are what we call prodigies.¡± Hartold finished off with his long explanation then. Mettel organized all the information for a minute or two before he asked. ¡°Oh. Then how do I find out if I am a prodigy? You said I¡¯m special in some way, right? Due to surviving the White Void¡¯s breath.¡± The old man chuckled. ¡°I should¡¯ve expected you to focus on that part, almost all children your age do.¡± Mettel caught himself, his excited state. This wasn¡¯t like him¡­ but then, what was he like, then? Hartold¡¯s next words called back his attention. ¡°Not to worry, we¡¯ll determine what¡¯s your potential once we got to the spire.¡± Hartold then pointed to a rock the size of a palm two steps away. ¡°What you did in the outskirts, could you try doing it again?¡± Mettel blinked his eyes on that rock, he raised one hand towards it, recreating that old sensation¡ªbut the rock didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Huh? It didn¡¯t work? But it worked that time and that time, too¡± ¡°Did you try to do it again after that?¡± ¡°I did, in the night of that day before going to sleep.¡± He was so excited he had awakened his Tezhe that he¡¯d immediately tried it out on a notebook. It worked then. ¡°Ah, what do you think is the difference between now and then?¡± Mettel pondered. ¡°Is it because I was excited and fully committed to making the notebook move?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one part. The other is just luck. That move is called Telekinesis, a child division in the Energy Force division.¡± Mettel read about that. There were only two main divisions; parent division and child divisions. Parent divisions are the broadest bracket of power, under them are child divisions. Parent division examples include Elemental Division, Body Enhancement Division, Time and Space Division, Mass Division, Light Division and a few other complicated terms Mettel didn¡¯t know anything about. What was even Frequency Division even? Telekinesis was under one such parent division, Energy Force division. ¡°Ohhh. Energy Force division. What do they do again?¡± ¡°You can manipulate unseen forces. I am afraid any more explanation than that will be detrimental to your learning so I will refrain from giving my own perspective. You should know from one of the books you read, specifically the Introductions to Aether: Harnessing Its Power.¡± Mettel did read that one. Basically, you have five ranks for any Tezhe in any pathway; Minor, Intermediate, Advanced, Mastered, Exalted. To advance your Aether rank takes many years of training and learning about your Tezhe, its neighboring Child Divisions and its Parent Division to gain ¡®enlightenment¡¯ which in this case, would replicate that same spiral experience but on a much more profound blissful level. Some people, however, are born with a higher rank Tezhe. He¡¯d have to ask Master Hartold about his later. ¡°To be clear, what you did at the outskirts is not your Tezhe yet but a manifestation of your aether¡¯s attribute of the Energy Force division. Still, I must say it¡¯s an impressive feat to be able to do this in one try¡ªusually it takes a few days of practice to succeed. For the average person. However, you will have to get used in moving your aether to interact with the world if you wish to have that as an ability.¡± Hartold then stood up and went behind him. ¡°To do this, you have to enter a state of meditation. Take deep breaths and close your eyes. Stay still.¡± Mettel did as he was told. In fact, Litney taught him this method. ¡°For a rudimentary version, first perceive your Physical as a pot, a glass or a furnace. Within holds a fire or water. Whichever suits you best.¡± Mettel imagined himself a clay pot, the kind he¡¯d always see whenever he goes out of his house. Within holds cold water. ¡°That water is your aether. Now, follow along as I do this.¡± Then Hartold shook him in a round-swaying motion. Mettel followed the movements. ¡°Could you feel the water moving? The fire swaying from the wind?¡± Mettel tried to sense whatever it was within him. He¡­ couldn¡¯t. Even after trying for three minutes. ¡°Hmmm. It might be difficult for you. Let¡¯s try another method. This one is kind of a cheat but it¡¯ll do.¡± Hartold then placed his hand on the boy¡¯s back and injected a minute amount of stark potent aether that shocked Mettel. It was a bolt of lightning chilling his spine. ¡°Hold onto that sensation. Peer deep into it as it interacts with your own aether. Don¡¯t let go of it.¡± When he did as he was told, he was shocked to sense the sea of water¡ªno, more accurately, a chunk of formless pulsing, dancing blob spread throughout his clay-pot vessel. There was one hyper-active dazzling foreign drop, its speed so fast-moving that it produced sparks. This must be Master Hartold¡¯s remnant aether. In seconds, it dispersed within his pulsing blob. He could see it in his mind¡¯s eye now. ¡°Good, you could perceive it.¡± Mettel opened his eyes and turned around, exasperated. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that in the first place?¡± ¡°Hmmm? I was under the assumption you wanted to be a genius. Some wizards and sorcerers I know could do this instantly. In fact, a select few could already vaguely perceive the final step¡ªthat is, the reimaging of your body model as is and perceiving the aether as recursive electric currents flowing through it. With several major nodes, hundreds of minor nodes in addition to dozens of other components, all arranged and designed in a three-dimensional labyrinthine-like model to keep the currents in a systematic balance. All centered around your life root engine.¡± Mettel was speechless. What words did he even heard? He couldn¡¯t understand half of it. ¡°You look like you just saw a ghost. Don¡¯t worry, you will understand in due time. You¡¯re under the tutelage of a great wizard. Ah, also those people are older than you, around the age of 14 or so. You have the advantage.¡± Hartold added. Mettel didn¡¯t buy into it, though. After that, the two continued on their travel. For the next several hours, Mettel tried hard to make his body-aether imagery to a more complex, more realistic, precise and detailed model only to give up in frustration. Hartold encouraged him by teaching him to use Telekinesis in a sustained manner. Mettel eventually raised his chances of success to 7 out of 10 attempts with his maximum weight of able to move ten kilograms. Night approaches. They¡¯d arrived before the town of Hesan. Journey to the Spire (2) Dajien Highlands was a desert land pocked by towering sunburnt rocks, with craggy steppe canyons surrounding the main roads eroded by the wind over long years. Their surfaces were sharp, angular, and tiered. The wildly uneven land had sparse tropical trees and cactuses scattered round its dusty plateaus. Yet nature was not the only thing present¡ªmonsters in the 1st or 2nd stage lurked across the scarred expanse. Most notably were the rattle snakes, scorpions, hawks, reptiles with tusks or armored skins, the beetles¡ªand the feline apex predator of this area: Cryntar Cliffshade. Erick¡¯s Velocidon and Tryndale¡¯s Auronis species were also present here, as well. Located in a cluster of trees located in a higher point close to an oasis, a whistling tune could be heard from within a solitary set-up camp. Inside, a girl was lying in wait. She rolled over the soft fluffy in her inflatable mattress. The thing was a work of art¡ªhow could it just go from a defeated sorry-looking of a piled-up raggy sack to something like a bed of clouds made for the gods!? The whole tent even had a stealth function to it. Arwen was surely enjoying her privileges like no other. Of course, she wasn¡¯t really slacking, her Cervalis Tailwind was outside, seemingly resting but on guard for any suspicious activity in the wild. It was already the last day for her scouting and there were no signs of any of those illegal dungeon smugglers or any anomalous monsters appearing. Though she argued this point against her employer, it was only about the chances of 5-10% per month. This is pretty much a paid vacation, for her. ¡°Ahh this is so nice. Would be nice if I could get this as part of my payment, it¡¯s a hundred times better than my stiff hay bed, that¡¯s for sure. Her Cer, do you want to eat some snacks? I still got a last batch¡± The deer grunted, declining. ¡°Well, whatever. Since this is the last day and it¡¯s already late afternoon, I could just relax¡­ ain¡¯t that a red flag, heh.¡± Just as she chuckled, Cervalis hurriedly stood to attention. Arwen felt it too. Foreign presence in the desert. ¡°Ah I really should keep my mouth shut.¡± Flapping over the tent¡¯s entrance, she quickly climbed over a tree and placed a hand over her eyes. Over there in distance, in the hazy veil of the dusty desert wind, faint silhouettes could be made out emerging from a trench. Taking out a long black tube-like object out from within her shirt, she used the so-called telescope. ¡°Oh. Hooded, acting stealthily. They look like the aforementioned smugglers alright. Should I report this? He did say they were dangerou¡ª!¡± Just then, one of the silhouettes turned exactly towards her direction. Explosive alarms rang out in Arwen¡¯s head as she instantly climbed down and fetched Cervalis, not even bothering to get her things or the camping materials. ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit. That guy is dangerous. What the fuck did I sign myself up for?¡± In that one instant, Arwen knew she screwed up. A being that could sense another¡¯s gaze even from far away¡ªonly Iron-rank hunters and 3rd stage monsters above could do that. That¡¯s what she was told by her old man. ¡°Hiyah! Cervalis, go, go, go!¡± Cervalis bleated and dashed off like the wind. Even while sprinting away, Arwen could not shake off her panic. Her instincts were right on the mark, since someone blinked into existence right in front of them and threw Cervalis over with one hand. ¡°Ahh!¡± They crashed heavily. Arwen tried to gaze up but a foot pressed on her head. ¡°Stay down, girl. Otherwise, I¡¯ll crush your head. Tell your Cervalis to not resist.¡± She did as she was told, Cervalis meekly bowing from sensing the power gap. ¡°Who are you and what is your purpose in here?¡± The mysterious figure spoke. The voice was distorted, like a demon¡¯s. Deep, powerful, twisted. ¡°I¡ªI, I was just scouting on a mission from the Gathos¡¯ town mission hall.¡± ¡°Gathos Town, huh. Then, why did you run away upon seeing us? Are you speaking the truth?¡± The force on her head increased. She could swear her skull¡¯s about to break! ¡°Ugh, no-no, no! I swear I am speaking the truth! Someone named Tryndale hired me for this commission and he paid handsomely so I accepted. Said to scout for any suspicious activity!¡± In a bid to save her life, Arwen almost spilled all the truth¡ªto convince in the lie she was ignorant of their existence. Then footsteps echoed nearby, at least four pairs she could see from the dusty dirt ground, and another voice spoke. ¡°That¡¯s enough. She is speaking the truth. Let her go.¡± This time, Arwen could clearly hear it was a crisp female¡¯s voice. The demon above her persisted for a second before complying. When she tried to look up, a hand hit her from the neck and she passed out along with Cer. The two were carried over the demon¡¯s shoulder like nothing. ¡°How should we dispose of them?¡± The figure¡¯s demon voice suddenly transformed to a normal featureless voice. They were masked. Smooth, empty. The female voice retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t. They¡¯re¡­ innocents. Just erase their memory.¡± ¡°You do know that¡¯s unnecessary expenditure of aether.¡± ¡°I am aware.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Let the other Gathos Town member of Atasha Fenas handle this.¡± Another of the figures spoke. This one was of a theatrical whimsical voice, but clearly a man¡¯s still. ¡°That can¡¯t do, this is a foolish endeavor to risk our identity.¡± The masked figure argued. ¡°Do recall it¡¯s also risky to kill innocents impulsively¡ªthe lord of the region, perhaps Gathos himself, would no doubt notice of a departing soul¡¯s disturbance. Especially in a heightened aether activity such as a festival.¡± The masked figure had no argument. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s better we keep them with us for the time being, then we¡¯ll release them once we¡¯re done here. By then, it shouldn¡¯t matter even if our existence is found out¡ªI suspect an oracle is already upon us after our fun activity, anyway.¡± The previous figure offered a compromise, which the group accepted. They set off. Heading towards Gathos Town.
Unknown hours had passed. In an abandoned warehouse. Arwen had just woken up with a cough. ¡®Uhh¡­ my neck hurts.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know where she was. She was blindfolded and her limbs were tied with rope. Not to mention, some sort of ear wax was placed on her. She couldn¡¯t hear much except the vague muddled sound of voices speaking. She tried to squirm around. ¡°Oh look, the girl¡¯s awake.¡± The man with the whimsical voice said. ¡°What¡¯s up with the girl, anyway? You didn¡¯t tell me about her¡± Another man¡¯s deep voice said with a strange tone. Likewise, he wore a cloak that covered every inch of his body save the face veiled in shadows. ¡°A poor scout that caught sight of us. Breaker deigned to kill her but Missy wanted to spare. So, we decided to either leave her in this warehouse or let her be taken care of by you.¡± ¡°Huh uh. You¡¯re leaving it at my discretion, then. Perhaps I¡¯ll simply finish her off by daybreak and arrange a suicide or something.¡± Then, the hooded lady spoke. ¡°You can¡¯t. She¡¯s valuable. Don¡¯t kill her.¡± The others turned towards her. ¡°What is up with this? Did you have a change of heart, mistress?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Trust me on this.¡± Silence.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°¡­ Alright. Leave the girl be, release her tomorrow or something. The mistress has her weird episodes now and then.¡± The man with the strange tone nodded. Then he kicked the squirming Arwen on the stomach with just enough force to crash against the office wall. ¡®Mothefuc¡ª¡¯ ¡°In any case. Give me reports on the overall situation here. Have you confirmed if it¡¯s the outer star? The free believers are doubting the Architect.¡± ¡°So far, there is an additional sign: the boy has awakened his powers. A telepathic one. One of our members have had a close contact with him and from his own words: It is he. Moreover, he¡¯s had a delirious state for the past few days.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s surprising. That free believer elder has had such a reaction? Now I am starting to want to meet that boy. What of the Altar of the Sorrowful Star? The relic under the Church?¡± ¡°It is¡­ not proceeding smoothly. The Church¡¯s Guardian¡¯s valiant attempts had prevented us from infiltration for many years. Thankfully, they¡¯ve already departed from this world. We may attain success soon enough.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. We don¡¯t know what those heretics have in mind. Anything else?¡± ¡°.... A member from the Church has successfully received the Solquar Chem Plant¡¯s Operation Report.¡± ¡°Ho oh. That¡¯s an unexpected boon. To think our ploy is coming into play so quickly. Good job rearranging the matter.¡± Then, the man with the whimsical voice turned towards the others. ¡°More on that on your report papers later. For now, let¡¯s get a move on before the new day arrives. Lead the way, 05.¡± Just as the man coined 05 was about to open a hidden pathway, an explosion took place. A thunderous boom resounded throughout as a white flash blinded everyone. The walls burst apart as indiscernible blue sparks sprayed ahead and chain-stunned everyone as they gasped in electric shock. Hovering over the shattered wall remains, a handsome man in armor had the moon behind him as strands of lightning held him in the center of the hole. Opposite that lightning herald, below, the masked figure easily shook off the paralyzing effect as they stood against Tryndale with their sword raised. His demonic voice echoed like the hauntings of a nightmare. ¡°Tryndale the Eighth Star.¡± The other figures followed in dispelling the stun effect. In each of them held panic but nevertheless held confidence in the masked demon. Tryndale narrowed his eyes. ¡°Breaker. What¡¯s a high-rank criminal like you accompanying lowly smugglers?¡± ¡°Money.¡± The masked demon spoke. Then, it raised its sword glowing with a ghostly blue aura. Wicked black streaks marring its edge. Tryndale could feel it¡¯s menace, as if pricks were poking his skin even through his lightning sphere. ¡°Stop! Disengage!¡± But then, a clear female voice rang out. The masked demon paused. ¡°This is not ideal, use the escape artifact!¡± Before Tryndale could react, the masked demon slashed his sword multiple times in a half second, making a havoc with the dust and surrounding crates¡ªa smokescreen. ¡°You will not escape!¡± Tryndale shot forward through. Yet, his sword clad in lightning was blocked by another. The masked demon¡¯s eyes glowing red amidst the gray. ¡°Oh, we will.¡± Then with a flicker of their swords, the masked demon backed off. When Tryndale cleared the dust away, there was only the fading sparks of teleportation. Their group was gone just like that. ¡°Tsk. Utter failure. I should¡¯ve brought Erick and Litney.¡± Realizing the failure of his task, he came over to Arwen and checked her condition after untying her. ¡°I apologize. You got caught up in far more trouble than I expected.¡± ¡°Bullshit! I almost got killed if I wasn¡¯t spared by one of their member¡¯s kindness.¡± Arwen slapped his hand away. ¡°I am aware. For that, I shall reimburse you for how many coins you want.¡± ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s not about money anymore. My life¡¯s more important than that. Why didn¡¯t you call the Gathos Town guards, or the Argonautica Praeda? I knew this mission was highly suspicious, screw this.¡± Arwen spat at the ground and begun walking away. Part of what Arwen got so angry was her stupidity and shortsightedness to accept an easy-deal from a supposedly trustworthy person. She should¡¯ve known better; strangers were still strangers. Then, she stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll say this though. I heard some of what they said.¡± Arwen retold some bits of words she¡¯d overheard over the latter half of the group¡¯s conversation. Tryndale¡¯s expression hardened further. ¡°This¡­ is this true?¡± ¡°Do I have to die to prove my words?¡± Tryndale bowed then. ¡°I thank you for this service. You have done a great achievement. I must repay my debts towards you. If you should request my help in the future, I shall offer my fullest strength.¡± ¡°Ptui! Yeah, yeah. Sure. Let me just go home and rest so I can lick my wounds. Come here Cer!¡± Arwen released the deer monster and rode it away. Before long, she came back, however. ¡°Err, where are we?¡± ¡°Go northwest for two minutes and you will see the outskirts.¡± Then without saying a word, she rode off. Tryndale turned towards the unused hidden pathway. His gaze holding a smoldering thunderous wrath. ¡°Atasha Fenas¡­!¡±
Cavien¡¯s mansion. A warm light casted over the dinner table, packed with alcoholic beverages and bottles. Snacks on trays such as nuts, fried finger foods, crackers, cheese and pickles, were abundant beside them. Finished with a palate cleanser sorbet. The smell lingers in the air with a mix of sour and bitter, reverberating loud echoes of laughter as men and women were enjoying their time. They were Cavien¡¯s father, Sahid and his friends. All of them wearing rich georgette and cotton fabric with some wearing pelts and hides of animals. All of them had one thing in common; the colorful bright patterns on their clothes, like the stripes of a tiger monster¡¯s. Cavien himself was sitting by that table, nibbling some of the snacks and gulping spoonful of the sweet dessert. Their talks consisted of the result of the Midling Catch, the Wanderer¡¯s Troupe¡¯s memorable drama play of a certain kingdom¡¯s ruin. Just then, the conversation turned towards the recent disciple of Master Hartold; the boy with the white hair. ¡°Say, about that boy. His name is Mettel, wasn¡¯t he? What¡¯s up with him? I¡¯d expected a bright scholarly-looking boy, yet the few times I seen him, it was with a sullen color to his face.¡± ¡°Ah that that. Many kids on the neighborhood, like Orion in particular, used to pick on the boy. I wasn¡¯t there when it happened, but three years ago when this town was receiving its refugees¡ªsomething happened. The other kids hated the boy for it.¡± ¡°What? What exactly happened? My niece hates his guts too. I don¡¯t think he was ill-tempered or anything, if anything he does has a smart-air about him so I don¡¯t know about that sullen-air.¡± A middle-aged man claimed. Then a middle-aged woman who knew the full story shared with everyone. Though some of them had taken residence here when it was just being built, the others are latecomers just like Sahid and his son. Not everyone knew the details. The others exclaimed over the past incident. One of them turned to Cavien. ¡°Cavien, didn¡¯t you say you were seeking to befriend him? How¡¯d that go? Do you think he¡¯s a good person or no?¡± Cavien made a caught-mice expression. ¡°Ah well. He is. He is a good person. The rumors are probably exaggerated, maybe because of Orion. He does have the tendency to make things bigger than it is. But, Mettel is good. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have helped the old man from the outskirts.¡± The adults heard his opinion without scruples. Sahid clapped to get their attention. ¡°Alright Cavien, how about you tell us your farewell with Mettel, earlier? You and Raynel said your good-byes, yes?¡± Cavien made an aggrieved face at his father for his loud mouth. Helpless, Cavien reiterated the event.
As the sun set, in the town square where they met, the three kids were giving their farewells to the one boy departing. Raynel only uttered a simple thank you for the books, hope we meet again, good luck on your journey. Cavien was more expressive in his. ¡°I knew this would happen someday. Man, I am a bit jealous in how you¡¯re going to be training personally under Master Hartold, in the Aethercloud Spire at that! That¡¯s the dream place for all aspiring wizards of the Karan continent, you know?¡± He bumped his fist into Mettel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Err, what do you mean? I do feel excited. I couldn¡¯t even sleep properly! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting so long for this day, that I just don¡¯t know how to¡­¨C¡° ¡°How to express it, right? I guess I understand then. After you what showed us back there, it¡¯s super crazy to think about. I heard my uncle praising you as a talented boy, being able to do stuff like that!¡± Then running out of things to say, the three of them had an unspoken awkwardness. Raynel was the first to try leaving. ¡°Okay then, we might see each other again someday. The next time we meet, I¡¯ll be a part of the Mithra Scholarium as a genius researcher with a fancy luxurious restaurant under my name. Don¡¯t get yourself killed¡ªthough I doubt that with an all-powerful wizard as an adoptive father.¡± Raynel waved from behind. Mettel was confused hearing the last part: why do some call Master Hartold his adoptive father? He didn¡¯t know Raynel also didn¡¯t know, but was just hearing it from his brother Quin. ¡°Anyways. Same as what he said. We¡¯re already friends so, I believe there¡¯s a good chance of us meeting again. To be honest, I want to be a Custos Abyssi like my uncle but I am not sure if I have the talent. See you some day, Mettel!¡± And the three separated under the radiant golden sun and the faint night stars.
¡°That was it. Just a simple good bye between friends. *Crunch*¡± Said Cavien as he popped open a crunchy cracker. At that moment, a late-comer came into the party¡ªa man in his late twenties wearing a leather suit and a cloak. He had a similar appearance to Cavien and Mr. Sahid, but more on the rugged lean and tall side. He had an unkempt beard to his chin and long curly hair that reaches to his shoulders. ¡°Looks like the local patroller is late to the party, what are you doing, Kamren?¡± ¡°Uncle Kamren!¡± Cavien stood to come up to Uncle Kamren. Sahid offered him an open seat. ¡°Brother, come sit. Why were you so late?¡± ¡°Sorry sorry, just some troubles in the wild. I had a few wild beast guests come over and I had to entertain them. What¡¯s up, Cavien?¡± He high-fived Cavien. When Kamren sat by the table, Cavien smelled a slight burnt smell radiating from Kamren. He¡¯d sniffed Uncle Kamren and noticed a frayed mark around the edges of his hood. ¡°Uncle, why is there a burn here?¡± Kamren looked to where the boy pointed. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice that.¡± Kamren just laughed it off. ¡°Must¡¯ve got caught in a hook or something. Suckers, I would just have to sew it back up. Anyway, what did I miss?¡± Journey to the Spire (3) Archived History: Aethercloud Spire. Aethercloud Spire, located in the Atlas Confederation Republic¡¯s Horos Region by the northeast close to Verdellia¡¯s Evernation borders. A spire mentioned to be the living races¡¯ own tower reaching the sky beyond. A haven for the wizard scholars who study the mysteries of Aether magic. Compared to Sha¡¯en Sect and Yshaad Sa¡¯Jara, by deriving its own mathematical formulas, they have learned to harness its powers into spell formulas, a common example of which are spell buffs. Established on the 7th Spider Cycle of the 2nd Union Era, it has been approximately 145 cycles since then. Founded by the last known descendant of a deity; Ornas the Red, who died at the 29th Spider Cycle from old age. Hartold was his next successor to be the tower¡¯s Grand Aether Arch-Mage. Its exterior is an immaculate white marble with symbols of the arcane carved into its surface. With numerous other specialized supplementary facilities built for various purposes, the Spire¡¯s area had expanded to the size of a small village. Guests from outside approved or given a recommendation by a level 1 wizard and above could enter the area. The inventors from Mechanum Nexus Guild often collaborates with them for aether research to overcome barriers and improve our understanding of aether to further horizons.
Hasen Town was only three days away by carriage from Gathos Town. Although Master Hartold, or rather, Mister Hartold as he requested Mettel to call him instead, insisted that they walk by foot¡ªin the end, the wizard got tired in the middle and hitched a passing carriage in the middle of the road. To describe the town, the architecture wasn¡¯t really that different from Town of Gathos, albeit smaller in size. Governor Hasen, with a position one step higher than Mayor Gathos, was the principal representative in this town. However, it held an important place in the region¡ªit held a teleportation channel. According to what he knows, there are Aether channels embedded deep into the ground, intertwine with the dungeon layers. On these channels were nodes of higher and concentrated aether sources called simply Aether nodes. Civilization had progressed that they could utilize such nodes to their advantage. Yet, along such nodes come a major dungeon gate in the form of¡ª ¡°Woah¡­ this is the first time I saw a dungeon tower.¡± Mettel exclaimed upon seeing the unnatural building almost reaching the clouds. Slender, sleek, a spire hued in the austere gray color of basalt. What made it stood apart from the pristine wizard spire towers was how defined, angled its edges were. Almost as if the faults of the earth were pulled out. Unbelievably, Hasen Town¡¯s dungeon gate wasn¡¯t even in the top 10 of the largest and most outrageous dungeon gates. The top 1, located in the center of the Karan Continent, could rival an entire mountain by its width. The height reaching outer space. ¡°Mister Hartold, how many major dungeon gates are there in our continent again?¡± ¡°Around 34. Including the oceans beyond our land. Well then, I think we just about arrived.¡± The carriage they were hitching at the back of stopped. ¡°Hey, we arrived at the entrance.¡± Said the coach driver. The pair alighted and naturally lined up in the civilian queue. They didn¡¯t have to wait long. When it was their turn, Hartold simply brought a badge of the Aethercloud Spire. The guards bowed respectfully as they let them pass. Lodging an inn room was their first priority. ¡°Okay we¡¯ll stay here for a day then continue on. My old bones are creaking in protest *Crack*.¡± Hartold stretched his back. Mettel didn¡¯t believe that, of course. ¡°Now then, are you just going to be stay here or would you be willing to go somewhere interesting with me?¡± How was that even a question? It was a no-brainer. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. It¡¯ll be boring here.¡± Hartold smiled.
Dungeon Guild. As the name would suggest, it¡¯s a formal gathering for licensed and hired dungeon helpers venturing to the dungeons. It had a three-storied chiseled white front, velvet and golden banners draped over the sides of the entrance with the emblem of a lion and a dragon respectively, and a fancy massive title above the double doors gate. The interior resembled a bright tavern at first glance but of course, a dash of professionalism, a sprinkling of classical paintings hung on the walls, and an attention-grabbing bulletin board. Mettel had already been to a similar building before. There was one in Gathos Town as well. While Mister Hartold went somewhere, he simply sat at the reception hall, in one of the tables. He couldn¡¯t help but overhear some of the conversations, particularly from a person standing in a podium dressed like the nobles of yore with his pompous clearly extravagant clothes speaking in an articulate yet dragged out manner. An orator. Other hunters were gathered in front of that orator. ¡°The Prime Minister has declared and imposed stricter dungeon-venturing temporary regulations following the advent of a new unknown sub-layer¡¯s discovery between the 1st and 2nd strata. Bronze-Rank Hunters must have a party of at least five members, must have the level 1 clearance of a guild overseer, and a legal dungeon material trading license. Harsher punishments are enacted upon any violations of the general requirements stated previously and lastly, as always, illegal smuggling. Not only it brings damage to the economy, it brings adverse effects to the ecology and pollutes the ambient aether. Notwithstanding the potential harm such unregulated items poses to conduct criminal acts. Furthermore¡­ -¡° The orator effectively delivered the message, Mettel was impressed. They further went on about not engaging in any anomaly in the Arid Sub-Layer and instantly report to any authorized organization such as the Argonautica Praeda or the Dungeon Guild. The orator ended with a bow soon enough. Mettel shifted his attention and looked at the bulletin board to read some of the notices: ¡°A new monster type is suspected to have been conceived in the 2nd strata, Enchant sub-layer. Researchers and (org from Argonautica) have encountered and confirmed it to be a nocturnal-appearing monster shrouded in fog. It¡¯s danger level reaches (rank). Hunter parties from (rank) and above required to subjugate.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Searching for Mr. P¡¯s family heirloom, a bare-statue of a woman¡¯s torso, from 3rd avenue! Very important, pls inform me as soon as possible if you catch sight of it.¡± This one was¡­ particularly odd. Not only was it written in a very bad way, like a child¡¯s handwriting, it came with an almost photorealistic drawing of the item. Mettel continued on reading. Most of them were more or less the same old monster subjugate, capture, tame, or locate. Mettel stood up and walked up to the smaller bulletin board next to the main one. In here was posted the latest hot news published by the Karan Press. [Verdellia Evernation has seen a massive boom in inter-species marriage in recent years. This is in large part thanks to the vision of its wise founders and another due to its Major Dungeon Gate for the 1st strata Haven sub-layer and 2nd strata Enchant sub-layer! Book a trip around its ¨C¡­. Ride a cozy mobile bungalow swimming through the Nara Lake. And so much more! Discount rated at¡ª] [Aegis Vanatoria¡¯s last spark remains¡ªthe people have been eagerly searching for the heroes¡¯ lost daughter somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd strata layers. The Oraculus Astrum have confirmed that her life condition is alive. Several searching parties have been dispatched to find her. In addition, General Ekbanok of the Vorfang Empire is leading an elite party for this purpose!] [Mithra Scholarium has made another groundbreaking progress towards the development of portable handheld information-sharing devices called handheld transceivers. The device is a pair that enables distant parties to transmit their voices through this technology, similar to a high-scale far-distant telepathic-domain aether magic. Dungeon Hunting has been made ever-easier with such items. Mass production would begin at¡ª] [The Church of Sol¡¯thara, of the Unending Sun, has released its statement regarding the criminal inhumane activities of the Solquar Chem Plant, specifically their operation on the Solquar mineral which is the symbol and main prayer medium of the Sol¡¯thara Church. ¡°Such profane blasphemous intentions using the sacred lives of the people and the symbol of our Lord deserves punishment of the highest degree. Its directors, shareholders, sponsors and anyone involved with this abominable plan spanning over five cycles, with forbidden aether magic to boot, shall be given the Just Execution the instant they are captured.¡± ] All of the information he¡¯d read were plenty interesting too. Especially the last one. Finishing up on that as well, Mettel then walked around the guild hall. He wanted to take a closer look at some of the artifacts or paintings. Of course, he naturally overheard some loud conversations. ¡°Hey hey have you seen the Wanderer Troupe¡¯s theater play of the Nothing from Ashes drama? I¡¯ve been dying since forever to see one!¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t watched yet? I pity you, it¡¯s one of the greatest masterpieces of the 2nd common wealth era. Theater critics claim it brought theater playing to new heights with its insane production.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡°You know it¡¯s really a sad thing the Aegis Vanatoria died. I was saved by them once, you know? Now their poor daughter is still lost somewhere because of what?¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voice down!¡± ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been seeing more organizations and powers that are showing their heads. What is exactly happening? I thought we got through the worst period following the latest monster outbreak.¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? It¡¯s just how it goes sometimes. We got no part in all of that anyway.¡± ¡­¡­. Mettel continued to listen and look around for half an hour. Eventually, Mister Hartold returned to come pick him up. He apologized for taking quite a while and headed towards the town¡¯s market district to have their lunch. The boy gazed around the people of the town. How do they compare to Gathos Town? There was an inherent difference between the two that it just doesn¡¯t add up. What was it? Then he¡¯d found out¡ªthe people here were smiling more. Their eyes held a shine that the other doesn¡¯t. Even the dungeon-farers roaming the street, more than what he expected and experienced, had that freshness of natural ease to them that Erick, Litney and Tryndale hadn¡¯t. Why was that? ¡°Interested in the people, Mettel?¡± Hartold spoke from ahead. ¡°I am not sure.¡± That was all he said. For frankly, what else could he say? His eyes cast downwards just a bit more than usual. Soon, the two dined themselves on one of the simpler diners. Chicken soup, colorful vegetable salads, roasted meat and vegetables, grilled pork, soft breads and a ginger tea. They probably could eat in a restaurant that actually uses monster meat, which not only is more nutritious but also contains slight amounts of aether¡ªbut Mister Hartold didn¡¯t want him to get hooked on that just yet. They were about to leave the restaurant when someone bumped into their way. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Mister Hartold apologized. But the other person was gobsmacked, his eyes widen as if seeing a ghost. Particularly, he had a memorable face Mettel still remembered. ¡°Ah Gun.¡± It was Gun Hotez. Who now looked¡­ distinctly different? Though his external appearance was largely the same, Mettel noticed his air was different. ¡°Oh ah, I am very sorry about this, please ignore me¡ªyes, yes. I am just a stranger roaming the streets. Nothing to do with anything. Just a mob.¡± Gun Hotez hurriedly backed away, turning around to almost breaking off to a sprint. ¡°Hmmm peculiar person. Is he from Gathos Town?¡± Mettel nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s from the outskirts of the town, Gun Hotez. He was the boss of the group that almost caught us.¡± ¡°I see. Interesting. What an odd fellow.¡± Mister Hartold stilled his direction towards Gun Hotez for a while before shaking his head. ¡°In any case, I still have to meet up with Governor Hasen and a few of my aethercloud associates stationed here. It would probably take me until dinner to finish going around. What say you?¡± ¡°Hmmm, in the meanwhile, I am just going to train my telekinesis back in my room.¡± Mettel wasn¡¯t up to more waiting. ¡°Alright, wait for me then.¡± The day after. The two left the town proper through the portal gate, costing a hefty fee of one gold coin per person¡ªfortunately, Mister Hartold¡¯s badge let them use it for free. The portal¡¯s appearance was that of a wide runic circle imprinted onto the teleporting chamber, which by the way, Mister Hartold told him that he would have to study and understand all of this in first glance someday¡ªmaking him dread his future prospects. In the center of the chamber was a matrix core, with a multifaceted side, connected to both the ceiling and the floor through a column of intricate moving gears. At the middle of the column extends long jointed bronze needles linked to the core. It was officially called an Energy Conduit Pillar. The chamber blew Mettel¡¯s imagination out of proportions as he looked around more than necessary. This is what he¡¯s supposed to study? Heck, it feels like being more of an engineer! Even the ceiling and the floors, you could catch a glimpse of larger machinery parts. Soon, the runic magic circle lit up with the pulling of a lever by the entrance. The matrix core whirred to life as the needles spun in a blurring speed. The light soon swallowed them up. When it disappeared a second later, Mettel found himself in an identical chamber. Another person led them out. Mettel later learned that all teleport destinations were in a facility resembling the ancient structure called pyramid. After going through the motions of getting checked by the personnel, Mettel finally laid his eyes upon the dream of many hoping to be a wizard. The Aethercloud Spire. ¡°Well, welcome to my jurisdiction, Mettel.¡± Aptitude It is readily apparent why this place was doggedly hailed as one of Karan¡¯s, or rather, the world¡¯s greatest wonders in the world. The Staff that seeks the celestial stars mystery¡ªErick once told him that this was the spire¡¯s other name. At one part it almost looked like an observatory or watch tower, with its protruding section shaped to a narrow point. Quite high above the rows of facilities, it¡¯s exquisite workmanship and polished surface made for a splendid sight below. At another part, it was embraced by clouds. The clouds spiraled around the tower descending from the skies. If he were to go up on one of the facilities rooves here, he could probably touch it. ¡®So that¡¯s why it¡¯s called Aethercloud Spire.¡¯ Mister Hartold didn¡¯t seem to mind his reaction and just walked along the street. Nobody seems to be recognizing them. That was due to the spell the wizard put on himself at the start of their journey¡ªan anti-recognition spell. Scientists, security personnel, engineers, mechanics, people with varying uniforms populated each building. The scientists wore a white overcoat and some protective equipment on their persons. The engineers and mechanics wore thick coveralls, and the security personnel wore protective jackets, vests, thick trousers and combat boots. Their color scheme being cyan, orange and purple. ¡®Their clothes are so different¡­¡¯ Compared to the usual peasant clothes, these ones are entirely new to him. From what he¡¯d read, these type of clothes were made by a revolutionary fashion artist, one of the founders of Verdellia Evernation some hundreds of cycles ago. There weren¡¯t just humans either, there were other races as well. There were the elves¡ªMettel saw them quite a few times. There were also the dwarves, whom he laid his eyes upon too. But there were beastkins and treefolk that he never set his eyes upon. Humanoid animals and people with animalistic features wearing a formal uniform is a surreal experience but not so much as literal trees moving about with a large white overcoat. Some looked like humanoid plants, as well. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop staring at those people, the anti-recognition spell is going to break on yourself.¡± Hartold said suddenly. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± In any case, Mettel didn¡¯t know much about the world, so he was intensely curious about everything. Hartold took the liberty to explain a bit of the Aethercloud¡¯s facility compound. ¡°Over there, this is a sector for processing raw materials received from outside the compound. It¡¯s just initial processing to be sent up the tower.¡° Pointing to the left side of the polished black road, Hartold spoke. ¡°The other sector are for the finishing touches for the initial processing. Some are made into low-tier artifacts to be sold to travelers.¡± Then he pointed to the right side. ¡°There is another sector; the testing grounds. The largest of the three just behind the spire. As you might imagine, it¡¯s where most of the hazardous experiments are conducted. We have this for experiments required to be connected to the planet¡¯s soil or the aether nodes.¡± Mettel took mind of it all. On one occasion, he swear he could hear a distant muffled explosion from the testing grounds section. After that, the two entered the spire through the sliding double doors that automatically opened for them in a disappearing transparence. The reception floor, as he¡¯d imagine it, was a circular hall with a resplendent dome ceiling. Artificial light crystals encapsulated onto the ceiling glass themselves. Blended with the star-like array pattern of the tiles, the whole space was sublime. The furniture was even more opulent than Mayor Gathos estate. There was even a relic-like machine that was pouring out some boiling brown liquid when pushing a button. ¡°Uhh¡­ what are those things? Are they relics?¡± ¡°No, they are called vending machines. They are also created by the same people who invented the refrigerator, from the Mechanum Noxus Guild.¡± Mettel had only an inkling about that organization. It was basically a guild for inventors and scientists. But other than that, he¡¯s ignorant. Aside from these, the normal wizardy members responsible for mundane tasks walking around like the ones that greeted them back at the teleport destination. ¡°Come on boy, there¡¯s no time to dally¡ªyou¡¯d soon live here until you get sick of the dizzying sight. Seriously, there¡¯s too much things going on here. I really have to talk with Janus about this. The furniture is the only tasteful thing.¡° Mister Hartold shook his head. None of the members seemed to look at them. When Mister Hartold stood in front of a male wizard member and called him out to use a teleport cubicle, the member jolted in shock. ¡°Ah Aetherion! I apologize for not recognizing you sooner!¡° ¡°Yes yes, I applied an anti-recognition on myself and the boy I¡¯m with. I just want to show him around using the teleport cubicle.¡° The member, only then, could see the boy. Though he didn¡¯t know who Mettel was, the member didn¡¯t show his ignorance and simply let them through the area¡¯s partition. It was some sort of latching, rotating mechanism, acting as a mini-gate and fence. Inside had these cubicles similar in appearance in guilds and bathrooms. These cubicles were also drawn with a similar teleport runic circle but on a smaller scale. There were 6 on each side, enough to hold 10 people it seems. ¡°Let¡¯s see. I guess we should test your aptitude first.¡° Hartold pressed on the letter ¡®A¡¯, on a rectangular panel containing numbers, letters and symbols near the door. The teleportation sparks flickered out of existence. It was another round chamber, at the center of which is an erected podium holding a mysterious crystal ball. It reminded the boy of the fortune tellers used to hold in their palms. ¡°What is this?¡± Mettel asked as they stood before it.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°This hall is for measuring a person¡¯s aptitude. Usually you would need to get a clearance, recommendation, or the accompaniment of a level 2 wizard for any young blood, but what do you know, I am level 10.¡± Hartold then stood next to the crystal ball podium. ¡°And this right here is called the Tezhe measurement device, it determines what pathway of Tezhe you have. You touch the crystal ball and channel your aether essence just like I taught you. When it glows in red, it means you have a Spirit Pathway Tezhe, when it glows in green, you have a Mind Pathway Tezhe, and when it glows in blue, you have a Body Pathway Tezhe. The invisible force domain is in the Spirit Pathway but who knows? You could hold some surprises. Go on, touch it.¡± Mettel tentatively placed his hand on the crystal ball. As he channeled his aether, it lit up first in a soft radiance of red. Yet before long, the color became brown. ¡°Oh. If it¡¯s initially red then brown, it means you also have a mind pathway Tezhe. Two Tezhes at once! That¡¯s rare, about a 1 to 100 Tezhe-holders.¡± 1 to 100 may not seem much but when put to comparison the ratio of 1 Tezhe holder to 1000 normal people, it becomes something akin to one out of a hundred thousand. Suffice to say, not every Tezhe is guaranteed to be anything useful outside daily lives. Then just as Hartold was about to activate another mechanism for the specifics, the crystal ball shone white. A pure blinding white like the color of his snow-white hair. ¡°¡­. This. You have another one. A Body Pathway Tezhe. You have three.¡± Mister Hartold suddenly spoke with a solemn voice. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Uh, what does that mean? Doesn¡¯t that mean I am more special then?¡± Mettel hadn¡¯t heard nor read anything about this in his books. Surely having more Tezhe abilities is great? ¡°Special yes, but not necessarily positive.¡± Hartold then chanted while pushing a section of the podium that caved in, glowing with the flow of aether. ¡°Show the potential hidden within, Let it see the light of day, My understanding is none but vague Unfold the tapestry held at bay.¡± Then the podium shone in a glitter, an array of prism rays spreading throughout. When the light faded out, there was a slip of paper held in Mister Hartold¡¯s gloved palm. When he read it slowly, he exhaled. ¡°Mettel,¡± The old man turned to the boy, ¡°You must come to know the specifics first: you survived because of what you call genes. Genes are let¡¯s say, building blocks of a person. They¡¯re like the bricks, wooden beams, and foundational structure to make up a house¡ªwhich is you. Every living sapient race have their own unique genetics, their own building blocks. And even on the individual level within a species, the specific bricks are significantly different from the others. This results in different people being themselves. They¡¯re also deeply connected to our Aether life root and our aether channels, do you understand?¡± Mettel wasn¡¯t sure what this all meant but he nodded anyway. ¡°Your genes, which should have the characteristics of a human¡¯s, has transformed from the White Void¡¯s breath.¡± Mister Hartold then rose his finger and drew an illustration of a double lines wound around each other with connecting lines between them, like a helix. Alongside the helix was another twisting line, this one distinct and above the helix. All of them had the color blue. ¡°These are your genes and the line above are your aether roots. That dragon¡¯s breath has special properties that changed your genes. Usually, any living creature will experience a deterioration of this genetics. But yours adapted and accommodated it, fundamentally changing not only your body but also your aether life root.¡± Mister Hartold replaced some of the segments of the genes and the color of the aether roots to color red. ¡°That is the reason why you¡¯re special. What this implies to your Tezhe could mean a unique manifestation¡ªand indeed what I saw confirmed that implication. While two pathway users are rare, three-pathway users only numbers around a dozen in today¡¯s era.¡± What the old man said was sinking in his mind. Mettel didn¡¯t care about the significance of the three-pathway user, no, he cared about something else¡ªthat the reason he was like this is because of the thing that killed so many people. ¡°Then¡­ I am not a normal human. I am a¡­¡± Monster. Didn¡¯t this prove what the others said back then? They¡¯d said he was a monster. And they were right. ¡°Mettel, what are you thinking about?¡± Master Hartold was perplexed but after a moment or two, he¡¯d realized the cause. ¡°You¡¯re disturbed. It seems I was too tactless.¡± Mister Hartold shook their head as he put a heavy hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell me, Mettel. What do you think is the very first and most important step to having great power?¡± This question¡­ It was the same question he once asked after that incident three years ago. Mettel gazed at him. ¡°Taking on burdens. To bear one¡¯s burdens. And smile because you bear it.¡± ¡°Indeed. Smile because you bear it, because it weighs upon you. What is your burden, what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­ My burden is my past. My burden is my grudge. My burden is the memory of fire burning me and the deaths of everyone I loved then.¡± ¡°Wrong. Your burden is something else. Friends. Loved ones. And yourself, too. Do you have anyone you wish to protect? Anyone come to mind if they were to come to danger and you feel anger the same way you felt, witnessing the old man back at the market?¡± Mettel thought of a few. Erick, Litney, Sister Jess. Maybe that old lady that gave him some flowers. Maybe some of the guys at Harvest Day Company. Then, Raynel and Cavien, too. Lastly, Mister Hartold himself¡ªthough only his subconscious echoed that sentiment since it was impossible for the former to get into danger. ¡°You¡¯re a good soul, I know this. Those are what tethers us to our humanity. That is your burden. Focus on that to become powerful. Powerful enough so that you don¡¯t have to lose anyone again. That is true power. That is what you seek yourself against unfair tragedies. Look at me¡ªdo I look like a normal human to you? Have you ever thought what I look like under my hood?¡± Mettel nodded. ¡°I did. Many times. But I know it¡¯s your secret.¡± ¡°Let me tell you it caused me no small amount of grief nor pain. But it¡¯s a part of who I am, a part of why I am Hartold the old man of the Spire. Your white hair, then, and your unique genes, they¡¯re all you.¡± The boy wanted to ask if he could see Mister Hartold¡¯s face but he refrained. "I will keep it in mind." The boy said. While what Hartold said might not fully erase his trauma, Hartold believed it would work its way through gradually over time. Even when he might not be there. ¡°Ahem. Let¡¯s get back to the point at hand¡ªthis three-pathway Tezhes of yours is marvelous. It has unfathomable potential. But like all three-pathway users and some two-pathway users, it will take up more of your aether life root¡¯s reserves and therefore restrict your aether spell repertoire. There¡¯s also the issue of aether mana capacity. Hmmm you have a lot to work on.¡± ¡°Ah, does that paper hold the description? Can I see it?¡± Mettel pointed at the paper slip. ¡°Here you go.¡± The boy laid his eyes upon it and squinted his eyes. The language was the same aether rune language Mister Hartold told him. It took a while to decipher and he¡¯d understood it as: [ Result of User¡¯s Tezhe Pathway Details Name: Mettel Age: 11 Aether Domain: Entity ¨C Physical Pathway / Energy Force ¨C Will Pathway / Soul ¨C Concept Pathway Aether Affinities: Restoration / Telekinesis / Soul Link Affinities Description: Restoration ¨C Ability to restore living and non-living things back to their previous state. Type: Wounds/Damages. Specification: Equivalent Exchange. Connotation: Low Minor Telekinesis ¨C Ability to move objects at a distance. Type: Modifier. Specification: Mental Capability. Connotation: High Minor Soul Link ¨C Ability to link one¡¯s soul to other entities. Type: Binding Vow. Specification: Strong Bonds. Connotation: Low Minor Aether Life Root Attributes: Neutral. ]