《Return of Another End》 Chapter 1: Astral Gates Humanity is strong. We can always go against the odds. However, what if the odds are too much? Will we be able to go against it? Or should we learn to live with it? *** The year was 2050. Grey cracks started appearing around the world. Be it airports. Be it movie theatres. Or even your office loos. They opened at places we least expected and swallowed those unfortunate enough to be there. After finishing their succulent meal, they hovered around ominously as if admiring their work of art. Of course, humanity won''t bend down to these extraterrestrial cracks. Hence, we threw everything we got at them. Be it bullets or weapons. Be it rockets or our latest technologies. Governments around the world tried everything. Humanity tried everything. Well, everything apart from nukes, of course, as no one wanted to nuke their city. We even tried to send a volunteer team towards the hole; like before, it swallowed everyone. Everything came up empty. As if mocking us for even trying in the first place, the cracks soon stopped hovering and froze mid-air, halting their absorption of the surrounding area. As if inviting everyone to attempt to decipher them. Scientists were scared initially. However, they soon learnt something about these floating cracks of death. They have two different stages, Active and Dormant. In Active mode, they will expand and absorb everything in their path. Whilst in Dormant mode, they will fix their position and stop their expansion. It was a crucial breakthrough. Everyone was hopeful that these cracks would be resolved soon. *** Two more years passed, humanity learnt how to live with these strange space cracks. We learnt how to calculate their arrival. Apart from the occasionally irregular gates, we managed to predict 99% cracks worldwide. People would evacuate predicted places before hands. The gate then would only destroy some private properties. After a while, people could move back to their location after the gates turned dormant. Humanity made advances in our cracks research. *** Another two years passed, cracks slowly became a cultural phenomenon. People dreamed about what could be on the other side. They coined the term ¡®Astral Gates¡¯ to describe these fantastic extraterrestrial doorways. They could be filled with superhumans flying on swords. They could be filled with magicians controlling the very elements of nature. They could be filled with beautiful humanoids waiting for man¡¯s colonisation. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Our creativity went rampant. Stories, books and novels were released en masse. *** That naivety changed in 2060. Dormant gates showed movement once more. However, people didn¡¯t panic; they were curious. Could this be humanity''s first interaction with the other side? Could I go down in history as the first person to meet aliens? Will their greeting gifts be elixirs of immortality? These thoughts filled their minds. However, nothing came out. The gates just fizzled and slowly decreased their size. They slowly shrank as if they weren¡¯t there in the first place. Although some were disappointed, many were happy that they could reclaim their lost lands previously occupied by the gates. However, that happiness didn¡¯t last long. As the gates were about to disappear, they imploded. Their explosion created a giant shock wave, instantly vaporising everything around their immediate perimeter. Smaller gates cleared blocks whilst sizable gates vapourised an entire district. Humanity woke up. On that day, we learnt of the last stage of the gate. The scientist called it Diffusion mode, the most dangerous and unpredictable mode. We realised that these gates were not cultural phenomena but ticking time bombs. *** ¡°Mum, must you go?¡± A young boy asked his mum. ¡°It¡¯s ok little Alex. We will be gone for only a bit. Okie?¡± she softly ruffled his blonde hair. ¡°We will be back by the end of the week. So don¡¯t worry so much.¡± ¡°But what if you meet those gates!¡± Alex protested whilst giving her the puppy eyes. ¡°So cute! But no, we have to go. This investment is of utmost importance,¡± she looked at his cute purple eyes and pinched his cheeks. ¡°Take good care of your little brother, alright!¡± An older male voice ordered nearby. ¡°Ye! Ye! Will do, pops.¡± A young adult voice nonchalantly replied. ¡°Young Cillian!¡± She reprimanded him. ¡°You better listen to your father. Oh right! Before I forget, you better find yourself a job, or I¡¯ll get one for you. You can¡¯t be bumming at home all day. You¡¯re 22 already.¡± ¡°Yes, mum!¡± Cillian put down his phone and replied to her. ¡°Alright, kids, we are leaving now,¡± she came over and kissed little Alex on the head. ¡°Have a safe trip!¡± Cillian and Alex replied. *** ¡°Brother, mum is not replying to me anymore!¡± Alex asked his brother. ¡°For god sake, Alexander! Go and watch Utube or something! She is probably queuing to get off the train,¡± annoyed Cillian replied. ¡°Fine!¡± Alexander went to turn on the television. As Alexander was about to link his Utube to the television, an announcement escaped. ¡°Breaking News! A Surprised Gate has appeared at Kings Cross.¡± Both Alexander and Cillian put down their phones and looked at the television. ¡°The Surprised Gate materialised at the railway platform and swallowed up the arriving train. All 505 passengers and crew members were lost.¡± the reporter continued. ¡°How long is our parents¡¯ trip?¡± Cillian anxiously asked. Alexander flipped through his photo. ¡°3 hours and 18 minutes.¡± Both of them looked at the large grandfather clock. ¡°They have been gone for 3 hours and 50 minutes.¡± ¡°Go and check which platform our parents¡¯ train is at!¡± Cillian stressed. Alexander hopped back on his phone. ¡°Platform 2¡± ¡°Our hearts go out to those whose family member was on train inbound for platform 2,¡± the reporter replied in sadness. *Ring* *Beep* Their phones kept going off. They stared at each other, not daring to pick up the phone. Alexander limped toward Cillian, his face filled with snot and tears. Cillian immediately hugged the child. The child wailed and asked, ¡°Brother, what should we do now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as I am here, I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Cillian replied with a melancholy voice. However, as the patriarch now, he reined in his tears. He stroked Alexander''s hair, and the child cried whilst holding on to him. Cillian murmured, ¡°As long as I am here, I will protect you.¡± Their phone continued ringing in the distance. *** Four years passed with much hardship. ¡°Thank you for coming to our show today, Mr Eliot,¡± the show host put out his hand for a handshake. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Mr Eliot laughed and shook the host''s hand with confidence. ¡°Hahaha!¡± the host put on a fake laugh. ¡°If you don¡¯t know who Mr Eliot is, let me give you a quick recap. Mr Eliot is the CEO of Eliot Industries, one of the fastest-growing companies. No! It¡¯s the fastest-growing company in the world. The father of Astral-capable ships, Astral stabilisation device, ¡­¡± ¡°Oh please, John! Don¡¯t say it like that; I¡¯m embarrassed!¡± Mr Eliot replied with a thick face, not looking embarrassed at all. ¡°Ahem!¡± Being knocked off guard by Mr Eliot, the host instantly changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, could we ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Of course, isn¡¯t that why we are here?¡± Mr Eliot laughed, teasing the poor host. ¡°Ahem! Of course,¡± The host tried his best to act normal. ¡°We heard you made Eliot Industries after your parents passed away due to a Surprise Gate incident.¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct, John,¡± Mr Eliot''s tone changed to a serious tone. ¡°I was like most of the kids my age. Daydreaming of venturing beyond the Astral Gate and discovering what was on the other side.¡± Mr Eliot stood up and continued, ¡°However, my parents taught me a valuable lesson.¡± He pointed his hand forward, ¡°That these gates are nothing but time bombs.¡± Mr Eliot then moved his hand to tap his heart, ¡°That is why I set out to ensure that these gate accidents won¡¯t happen to anyone ever again. No more child will lose their parents over the unpredictability of these extraterrestrial gates.¡± After making his speech, he sat down. His expression turned joyful once more. ¡°Ah! Thank you for your passionate speech,¡± the host clapped in earnest. ¡°Anyway, next question. You have earned 1 billion alone.¡± Before the host could finish his sentence, Mr Eliot cut in, ¡°Ah! Thank you for your reminder, John. We. No. I and my wife have decided to create the Eliot Foundation to provide jobs, education, food and housing to those who have lost their loved ones due to the Astral Gates.¡± ¡°You have a wife?¡± the host was surprised. After all, Mr Eliot was the UK''s biggest playboy and one of the richest available bachelors. Everyone and their sister would love to be with him. Rumour said that many tried, yet no one managed to tie this stallion down yet. Until now. ¡°Oh ya! She is technically my boss after all,¡± Mr Eliot smiled. Eliot Industries was Mr Eliot''s brainchild. However, he only held 49% of the company. The actual owner never revealed their face. ¡°Alright, thank you for having me on the show. The boss needs me back now!¡± Mr Eliot quickly took the host¡¯s hand and shook it. Everyone was still stunned by his announcement to stop him from leaving the studio. Chapter 2: Reunion 7 years later. A lonely private jet zipped across a hazy sky. Within its opulent hall decorated with luxurious items, a man sat motionlessly. He dressed in a costly polo-tee and shorts with neat comb-over blond hair. His Amethyst-like eyes and a sharp jawline could sway any passing ladies. He fit perfectly into the lavishly decorated hall around him, like a rich second-generation rich kid on his private jet, visiting his mates across the world. Yet, his face only bared sadness. Tears trickled down his eyes and landed on the tablet on the table. His eyes, however, never left the tablet. The tablet had been replaying the same video for the past half hour. The video started with a convoy of futuristic Astral-capable ships entering a colossal Astral gate in an orderly fashion. The gate that the convoy was entering was floating 100 metres in the air, off the coast of Cyprus. The camera then panned out, showing the complete view around the gate. Artificial platforms sprawled beneath, carrying primarily gate stabilisers and safety devices whilst the rest hosted viewing areas and amenities. Today was the launch of the first phase of Operation New World, a UN mission to colonise the only habitable planet through the Astral Gates, Titos. With the United States and China at the helm of the joint operation, leading the other countries, everything was expected to go smoothly. Spectators, streamers, commentators and news agencies flooded the viewing areas to stream mankind¡¯s first ascension to the Astral Gate. The process went smoothly. However, it didn¡¯t last that long as one of the last supply ships passed halfway through the Astral Gate. It exploded. The blast instantly detonated all the ships behind it. As the released shockwave expanded, it touched the outer frame of the Astral Gate. The gate started to regress in size. Eliot gate stabilisers immediately kicked in, attacking the gate with counter-acting energy. However, the unstable hole was shrinking faster than the stabiliser could steady it. Seeing that the situation was spiralling out of control, Eliot security personnel and national security forces started to evacuate officials and civilians. Before they could get all the civilians out, the gate imploded. The resulting shockwave instantly wiped out all of the Eliot Gate Stabilisers. The video feed followed shortly afterwards. *** The man wiped his tears and laid his head against the backrest. After a while, he sighed and staggered upwards. He had been sitting there for the past half hour and was extremely dehydrated.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He wobbled towards the expensive bar a few metres away from the couch. Looking at the outrageous list of alcohol, he randomly grabbed a 25-year-old bottle of whiskey. After retrieving a bucket of ice and a whiskey glass, he staggered back to his seat. The man slowly poured his glass and decorated it with a large piece of neatly cut ice. Staring the alcohol-filled glass in his hand, he sighed, ¡°You said you will always protect me. So tell me, what should I do now, brother?¡± He leaned his head on the backrest and slowly emptied the cup. The man choked a bit. However, he quickly steadied himself and continued drinking. One glass led to two glasses then to three. After the fifth glass, he angrily threw the glass away and yelled, ¡°What should I do now, brother? I¡¯m not even done with my uni yet. I¡¯m just a kid who sits on his bum and plays games. What about the company that is your life work? How am I supposed to hold it together!¡± Tears continuously rolled down his face as his thrown glass shattered against the aeroplane window. The man picked up the bottle and started drinking it whilst dipping his other hand into the ice bucket. *** The aeroplane slowly stopped. A feminine voice spoke through the plane announcement. ¡°We have arrived in Eliottown. Welcome home, master Alexander!¡± Yet Alexander, surrounded by emptied bottles of whiskeys, was unresponsive. *** Alexander woke up. He held his hand against his head to ease the head pain and looked around. He was no longer on the plane but in the backseat of a moving vehicle. His driver was presumably a female with long brown hair. Alexander looked to his left and found an old man in an aged overcoat preparing some tea. His face was riddled with wrinkles whilst a dark spot claimed the underneath of his eyes. He looked extremely worn out by time yet still calmly preparing tea. Drunk Alexander lunged at the old man. He hugged him and cried, ¡°Uncle Brandt. Hic hic. I¡¯m home.¡± Alexander didn¡¯t notice that Brandt¡¯s coat was still damp and continued to wail. The old man gave a fatherly chuckle and stroked the boy¡¯s head, ¡°Yes! Welcome home, Master Alex. I¡¯m glad that you have grown up so well in Singapore. Please give me a moment as I prepare some tea; to help you clear your mind.¡± After calming down and drinking the detox tea, Brandt asked, ¡°How are you faring, Master Alex?¡± Alexander put down his tea and sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know, uncle Brandt. Now Cillian is gone, what will happen to everything he left behind? I don¡¯t want to mess up his life work. And how¡¯s the investigation for the perpetrators? I just don¡¯t know. There are so many things!¡± Brandt calmly replied to the worried boy, ¡°Master Alex, you shouldn¡¯t worry so much. Master Cillian has made arrangements before his departure. Lady Emilie has been running the company for the past five years, so everything is in order. You don¡¯t have to worry so much about it.¡± Hearing her name, his body repulsed. He angrily retorted, ¡°Who knows, she might be here for my brother''s inheritance!¡± Brandt''s eyes moved with disappointment, yet he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He calmly answered, ¡°Master Alex, I know that you don¡¯t get along with Lady Emilie. However, you can¡¯t reject that she puts as much effort into Eliot Industries as Master Cillian.¡± Alexander looked down at his teacup, not daring to look at the old man. Brant continued in a calm voice, ¡°I know that you oppose Master Cillian''s marriage with Lady Emilie. However, you can¡¯t let anger cloud your judgement and reject the truth.¡± Alexander softly replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll take note,¡± quickly changing the topic. ¡°Where is she now, by the way?¡± Brandt softly smiles, seeing that his words still got to his master, ¡°Lady Emilie is currently in conference regarding the terrorist event.¡± Interested in the new information, Alexander queried, ¡°Why is it classified as a terrorist event?¡± Brandt calmly replied, ¡°Master Alex must have only watched the press video until it cuts off when the gates exploded.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°After the gates exploded, Lady Emilie deployed Zeus, an Eliot Industries satellite specialising in handling out of control gates. Zeus fired a beam of concentrated energy down at the imploding gate to calm it. Whilst Eliot security personnel at the site deployed emergency protective shields. They did all they could, reducing the casualties to 25 people and 144 injured.¡± After topping up Alexander¡¯s empty cup, Brandt continued, ¡°This attack was claimed by the terrorist group known as Gaia.¡± Alexander sipped his tea, ¡°I thought they were an activist group. That always protest against Astral Gates mining and exploitation.¡± Brandt nodded and replied, ¡°For the past few years, there was a split in Gaia leadership. The moderate left to form a new group called Terra due to the increasing radicalisation in the group.¡± Brandt''s face frowned for a second before returning to its normal tranquil state. ¡°The group mostly targets weakly defended Astral gates. However, they never target Eliot until today.¡± Alexander suddenly got a revelation from Brandt''s words and cut in, ¡°They got help!¡± Brandt looked at Alexander with a fatherly smile, ¡°Yes, Master Alex, we suspected that they got help as the bomb they used was the first of its kind. Even we at Eliot Industries don¡¯t have the technology for that.¡± Alexander frowned, ¡°This will be a tough time for Eliot Industries.¡± Brandt nodded and affirmed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much, Master Alex. Lady Emilie can handle it. However, if you want to know more, I recommend you have a conversation with Lady Emilie. She said that she would be home within the hour.¡± The rest of the ride was spent catching up with Brandt. Chapter 3: The Eliot Household The vehicle soon passed by a magnificent garden and arrived in front of a luxurious modern chateau. The astonished Alexander gasped, ¡°When did this happen?¡± Brandt smiles at the look on his master¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, is it not, Master Alex? Everything was redesigned during one of Master Cillian''s escapades.¡± The old man then pointed his finger at the garden, ¡°If you look at those beautiful flowers, Master Alex, you can see that they did not originate from Earth. Master Cillian collected these from Astral Gates around the world. They are then modified in Eliot¡¯s lab to fit Earth¡¯s atmosphere. Even the soil beneath them is cultivated specifically to accommodate them.¡± He then pointed at the chateau, ¡°Although Master Cillian has enlarged the outside aesthetics of the building. The internal design remains the same. He intentionally kept it so that you won¡¯t feel foreign when you return.¡± *** Soon the vehicle stopped, Brandt got outside to open the door for his master. As Alexander stepped out of the car, a field of chateau staff welcomed him. All dawning beautiful suits, bowing their heads at him. Yet none caught his eyes more than his driver, who was standing behind Brandt. Seeing her stunned him for words. She wore a dark checkered business skirt suit. Her beautiful low bun brown hair was enhanced by a smoothly sculpted face encrusted with crystal-clear Emerald eyes. Her thin body, silky skin and modest bust strengthened her professional look. Stunned by her enthralling beauty, Alexander muttered, ¡°Ana?¡± He instinctively moved toward his old friend for a hug. Ana reflectively moved back and bowed harder, ¡°Welcome back home, Master Alexander.¡± Seeing her action, he stopped in his track. Brandt sighed, looking at the two of them. He still recalled when they always went hand in hand together. They even cried when he tried to separate them. Now, they were so close yet so far. Knowing that it would take long to mend their relationship, he waved for the employees to return to their posts and guided Alexander into the chateau, ending their awkward situation. *** Alexander was amazed once the door opened. Dense, shiny wood floors brought forth the touch of luxury. Marbleesque walls represented the majesty of old. Paintings of various beautiful places decorated the entrance hall.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me was the giant painting of their family. Alexander walked closer. It was a modular painting of the Eliot household, composed of four individual pieces. Together they created the giant Eliot household painting. The top piece was his parent sitting together on the couch, laughing and holding hands. They looked not a day over their 30s, still filled with youthfulness, optimism and the spark of love not yet marred by time. This piece was probably based on one of their wedding photos. ¡®Mum¡¯s face is so happy. When was the last that I saw her laugh? It is almost blurry now.¡¯ Alexander tried to recall happy memories. ¡®What does my little Alex want to do when he grows up?¡¯ Angela laughed. ¡®I want to be like brother and travel the world,¡¯ little Alexander cheered. ¡®Are you going to be like your brother and never call home?¡¯ She cutely pinched his nose. ¡®I will call Mummy every day,¡¯ little Alexander held on to her hand and replied with conviction. This infusion of happy dopamine didn¡¯t last long. Alex quickly returned to the art pieces. *** The second piece at the bottom left was his brother Cillian sitting beneath the couch, flanked by a beautiful redhead and a blonde. The redhead¡¯s Rubies eyes burnt bright. Yet, it scorched with a fiery passion of love and care. On the other hand, the blonde''s Sapphire eyes represented the calm sea. Regardless of what life throws at her, she will always be by his side. These two are his sister-in-law Emilie and adopted sister Elizabeth. The third piece at the bottom right was him, Alexander. He looked about 13 years old. Little Alexander was sitting beneath the couch and holding one of his mum¡¯s hands. His expression was of joy and delight. Alexander sighed, ¡®I guessed I haven''t been home for such a long time.¡¯ His hand caressed the smiling Alexander in the painting. *** The last piece was positioned on the furthest right. It was an old butler and a young adult girl standing by the side of the couch. Dawning a worn-out overcoat, the old butler had a fatherly smile. Meanwhile, the young adult female wore a vibrant business skirt suit set. Through her beautiful Emerald eyes, she stared lovingly at the young Alexander. These two are Brandt and his childhood friend Ana. The four modular paintings together created the harmonious Eliot family. As Alexander gazed down, a plaque greeted his eyes. ¡°Regardless of good or bad. Separated or united. Rich or poor. This is my family. Even to the day, I die. I must protect it.¡± - Cillian Eliot, 8th of November 2068. Alexander gently touched the plaque. It was the only thing in the hall not made of something expensive. It was but an ordinary iron plaque. He could feel his brother''s feelings emanating from the plaque. His strength and tenacity. His devotion. And weary mind. *** Alexander never got the opportunity to talk to his brother about how he had been throughout the years. Cillian hated wishy-washy feeling talk. So when they called, he only asked Alexander about his life. They never go into specific, never intruded too far into the other¡¯s life. Brandt stood quietly behind his new master and reminisced about his old master. Although, his character was lazy, and his antics were often destructive. Cillian still tried his best for his family. A quiet Ana stood beside Brandt. She looked at Alexander, who was daydreaming about the past. Long forgotten feelings and memories also resurfaced. ¡®Hic hic!¡¯ A little Alexander was crying in the cupboard. A little Ana approached him and hugged him from behind. ¡®Hic ¡­ Don¡¯t ¡­ Don¡¯t leave me!¡¯ Little Alexander held her hands tightly. Ana thought back. A decade had almost passed. These trickles of memories barely survived against the tide of time. Without the foundation in the present to latch on to, they soon faded away, returning to whence they came, locked in the palace of buried memories of yesteryears once more. Ana''s expression stilled. *** After a while, Alexander looked back at Brant. He was still wearing the same old overcoat from the painting. Alexander finally remembered. ¡®Uncle! Uncle! I¡¯m leaving for Singapore soon. I don¡¯t have much money saved up. However, I managed to get you this coat. Keep warm ok. I will buy you something better when I return.¡¯ 13 years old Alexander handed Brandt an unwrapped coat. ¡®Then I shall await your return, young master Alex.¡¯ Brandt smiled and accepted the gift. ¡®Help me keep an eye on Cillian. Ok!. He and sis must get married. Hmmm. Then I¡¯ll come back with a giant cake.¡¯ 13 years old Alexander jumped into his arms and requested. ¡®Hahaha! I will follow the young master¡¯s order.¡¯ Brandt smiled and panted the little boy on the head. Chapter 4: Down Memory Lane After a while, Alexander broke out of his daze. He stared blankly at Brandt, not knowing what to say. Before he could think of something, Brandt spoke, "Master Alex, you must be unfamiliar with the renovated house. Let me put your luggage away and have the staff prepare a meal whilst Ana guides you around.¡± Not giving the two any time to respond, the old butler immediately disappeared. Alexander and Ana looked at each other. Awkward and not knowing what to say. After a few seconds, Ana broke the silence. ¡°Master Alexander must be curious about the house, yes? Shall we go to Master Cillian''s office?¡± Alexander nodded. *** Through the expansive corridors, Alexander and Ana walked in silence. She kept at least two arm lengths away from him and only spoke when they passed by an important room. ¡°This is Master Cillian¡¯s trophy room.¡± The unfocused Alexander was still looking at the well-decorated hallway made up of alien/foreign materials ignoring her explanation. ¡®How much did Cillian spend to purchase these materials to renovate the house. I reckon at least 10 to 20 million pounds.¡¯ Ana stood still, looking at him. More memories of her and Alexander''s inquisitive childhood resurfaced. ¡®Come on, sit on my shoulder and see what they are doing,¡¯ little Alexander suggested whilst lowering his back. ¡®But, their clothes are thrown across the ground. They are obviously going to sleep. Why are we peaking at them?¡¯ Little innocent Ana asked back. ¡®That¡¯s obviously not snoring sounds. If we catch them doing something wrong, we can blackmail them for more pocket money,¡¯ little Alexander justified himself. She quickly stomped these memories out and regained her composed expression. After a while, he apologised, and they went in. *** A resplendence hall welcomed him. Rows upon rows of strange and unique items lined up in an organised manner. They were placed on black metallic pedestals and protected by slick glass covers with golden plaques below detailing their information. Ana gave Alexander a moment to enjoy the sight of the brilliant private museum hall. Before providing him with an introduction regarding items of high importance to the Eliot household. Stunned by the sheer majesty of his family''s accumulated wealth, Alexander nodded and followed Ana. ¡°This jagged stone in front of us is the first item humanity managed to bring out from an Astral Gate. Before Astral-capable ships and Astral-insulation capsules, men in Astral-suit have to hope that the items they picked up don¡¯t disintegrate. On Master Cillian''s many missions, this was the first item he successfully brought back.¡± ¡°Collectors from around the world valued this rock at 5 million pounds.¡± ¡°This iridescent floating blue gem is an alien power core. Master Cillian based the modern antimatter power core on the working of this gem. Most of Eliot Industries'' main industrial complexes are powered by a bigger version of this gem as it is more efficient and safer than ordinary antimatter reactors. Its code name is MA2070-1. The boys at the lab called it a derelict reactor.¡± ¡°When discovered, they are instantly purchased by Eliot Industries. The basic price for a gem of this size is 500 thousand pounds.¡± ¡°The two items on my left and right are fossils of ancient plants and creatures. For the plant, I forgot its name.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She looked at the plaque beneath the item. ¡°Ah! It''s called the Longevity plant. From the plant''s fossilised records, the guys at the lab managed to extend a person''s telomeres. Seeing the potential application of this fossil, Master Cillian only kept one as a trophy and transferred the rest to the research lab.¡± ¡°The giant head fossil was called Big Head by Master Cillian, who only kept the head as a trophy. Through studying cell division in the genetic records of this creature, the lab guys managed to suppress the creation of cancerous cells in humans.¡± ¡°These two fossils are considered priceless by the medical industry. That¡¯s why the labs housing them are heavily protected.¡± ¡­ Enchanted by Ana''s stories, Alexander didn''t notice that they had arrived at a different section of the private museum. The items presented here were placed on larger white metallic pedestals. Ana stopped her steps. ¡°We finally arrived at the classified section. I apologise in advance as I won¡¯t be able to give you more information than what''s stated on the plaque.¡± Alexander tilted his head in confusion. Yet, she resumed walking. ¡°This sword is called Damocles.¡± ¡°This is a fossilised hand.¡± ¡°This is a vial of Master Cillian¡¯s concentrated blood.¡± ¡°This is assumed to be an alien terminal.¡± "This is a rock embryo.¡± ¡°This spear is called Cain.¡± Alexander snapped back for a moment. ¡°Did you just say there is a vial of my brother''s blood in here?¡± Ana confusingly replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t stutter, didn¡¯t I? Yes, Master Alexander, Master Cillian¡¯s concentrated blood is stored here.¡± ¡°Why would he even store his blood here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Alexander, as I am not allowed to tell you more about it. If you are interested, please consult Lady Emilie regarding the procedure to access these items.¡± Alexander was totally confused. However, he quietly followed. ¡­ Finally, they arrived at the grandest exhibition. A gigantic pod hoovered peacefully above a calm pond surrounded by pillars of white metallic steles. The pod was large enough to fit two adult males and seemed still operable. Its hatch opened, waiting for its owner to return. Around the pod, white and black metallic lotus glided smoothly above the tranquil water. As Alexander walked closer to observe, he collided with a transparent glass protector surrounding the exhibition. Alexander moved his hand to feel the glass. From the touch of his hand, golden lines spread out and formed a sentence. ¡°To my beloved. In memory of the first day that we met.¡± Alexander looked back to ask Ana about this exhibition. Yet, from afar, she just shook her head. *** After the exciting viewing, they returned to the expansive hallway. After a few minutes, they arrived at another important door. However, this time, Ana didn¡¯t come close to the door. She stood a few metres away and introduced it. ¡°Ahem, this door. Erm. Is Master Cillian''s private trophy room.¡± Thinking it was his brother''s other hoarding room, Alexander twisted the knob and opened the door. Ana''s face instantly flustered red breaking her calm and professional look. She looked away and covered her face with her hands. Not noticing Pandora''s box he had opened, Alexander turned back and looked at her. An image of a little Ana standing there covering her face overlapped with the current Ana appeared in front of Alexander. ¡®I don¡¯t want to go,¡¯ little Ana refused. ¡®Come on! It will be fun. Aren¡¯t you curious what¡¯s in there?¡¯ Little Alexander asked. ¡®But the sound that came out of their room is weird,¡¯ little Ana muttered whilst peaking at him from one of her hands. With dormant memories playing in his head Alexander instinctively grabbed her arm and dragged her in. With her hands covering her face, Ana was helpless against his sudden pull and followed him in. *** The room was even more resplendence than the previous trophy room. It resembled a medieval throne room. A giant golden throne sat radiantly at the end of the hall. Illustrious tapestries decorated the hall. Smooth black stone brick layered the flooring. Life-like mannequins populated the room. Some were wearing medieval dresses; some were wearing amour; some were in their lingeries. Even for those wearing clothes, their clothes were extremely risqu¨¦ and barely covered any delicate part of their bodies. And all of them were female. Alexander''s face instantly turned red, not knowing how to respond to this situation. Ana, who was peaking from her hands, could no longer repress those memories. ¡®Let me down! Let me down! I don¡¯t want to see it anymore,¡¯ little Ana struggled on little Alexander¡¯s shoulder. ¡®What happened? Are they fighting?¡¯ confused, little Alexander asked. ¡®No ¡­ they ¡­ they are doing weird stuff together. Let me down! Let me down!¡¯ Little Ana hit Alexander to let her down. *** Ana slapped her face to regain her calm. Quickly, she grabbed Alexander by the collar and pulled him out of the room. Using her back, she immediately closed the door behind her. ¡°Sigh¡± ¡°What ¡­ What is that room?¡± A flustered Alexander barely regained his calm to ask. ¡°That ¡­ It is Master Cillian¡¯s ¡®Private Trophy Room¡¯¡± Barely managed to calm herself, Ana replied. ¡°I know. But what is the purpose of that room?¡± Alexander reiterated his question. ¡°It¡¯s for his private hosting and storage of special gifts.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The female mannequins sometimes wear items left behind or purchased for that event. Master Cillian also made them carry the gifts he received. Hence, making it looks like they are paying tribute to their king.¡± ¡°You ¡­ You ¡­ You have been inside before?¡± He stuttered for a bit before managing to get his words out. ¡°No .. Wait, ok! I accidentally entered the Arctic theme room a few years back. Ok! Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± She vehemently denied dropping her professional tone. ¡°Wait, there are more?¡± ¡°Yes! There should be 10 to 15 more rooms like this scattered across the chateau.¡± ¡°How do you even differentiate them?¡± Finally regaining his calm, Alexander stood up. ¡°The plaque on the side of the room will write ¡®Special Trophy Room¡¯, and the door¡¯s pattern is more vivid to represent the theme of the room,¡± she turned back and traced her hand on the fleur-de-lis patterns carved on the door. Chapter 5: My Decision After their little adventure, Alexander and Ana finally arrived at Cillian''s office. ¡°We have arrived at Master Cillian''s office, Master Alexander. I¡¯ll wait for you outside,¡± Ana announced. She held the door for him to enter before closing it behind. Alexander entered the room alone. His eyes quickly darted around the room. An old mahogany table entered his view. In front of it was a luxurious couch. And, of course, a fully stocked bar at the far corner. Apart from the bar, the rest was the same as Alexander remembered. Nine years ago, in this office, Alexander made a decision that changed his life forever. *** Knock, knock. ¡°Enter!¡± A tired voice spoke. A 12-year-old Alexander in his pyjamas entered Cillian¡¯s office. ¡°Nightmare?¡± Cillian put down his pen and moved toward the couch. Little Alexander nodded. Cillian sighed before sitting down. ¡°How can I help?¡± Little Alexander climbed onto the couch and stared at his brother. After a moment of silence, he spoke. ¡°Brother, can you allow me to study overseas.¡± ¡°Huh? Can you say that again?¡± Before Alexander could say anything, the door opened wide once more. Elizabeth entered the room. Wearing Cillian¡¯s shirt and sweatpants, she carried a stack of documents. ¡°Honey. I got the file. Huh?¡± She finally noticed little Alexander sitting on the couch. Elizabeth gently laid the files in front of Cillian before moving toward Alexander and ruffling his hair. ¡°Why are you here, little Alex <3.¡± He tried to swat her hand away, yet she still managed to ruffle his hair. After a short while, little Alexander gave up and repeated his words. ¡°Brother! I want to study overseas.¡± ¡°Why, though?¡± Cillian asked whilst moving his hand towards the bottle on the table. ¡°NO! You still have work after this. Don¡¯t drink.¡± Elizabeth moved toward his hand, swatting it away. ¡°I keep getting nightmares at home,¡± Alexander muttered. ¡°I see. So you chose to run away instead of facing, huh?¡± Elizabeth soon moved behind Cillian and knocked him on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on your brother. Everyone has a coping method.¡± ¡°But will running away solve anything?¡± Cillian argued back.Stolen story; please report. ¡°You drown yourself in work and alcohol, Cillian!¡± Elizabeth pointed at the table. ¡°Pot calling the kettle black much.¡± ¡°Unlike him, I have accepted their passing and actively worked to better our house. The work and alcohol are just byproducts.¡± Alexander, seeing his brother and sister arguing, tears formed in his little eyes. Cillian sighed. ¡°Alex, I know you are hurt and all. However, running to another country and trying to repress your memories won¡¯t be a permanent solution.¡± Cillian stood up, moved towards his table and grabbed a document. ¡°In the future, you might regret it. Because these memories are what made us who we are. The good and bad.¡± ¡°So, are you sure you want to do this?¡± Cillian sat down again and looked right at little Alexander. ¡°Yes. I keep seeing their faces every night.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Cillian unfurled the document he just grabbed on the table. It was the world map. ¡°Pick where you want to go.¡± ¡°Can you pick for me, brother?¡± Overwhelmed by the map, little Alexander asked. ¡°Hmm, fair enough. Let me see. There are large civil unrests in the United States regarding extensive Astral Gates outbreaks. South Africa is still in a civil war.¡± He soon traced his hand on the map. ¡°Hence, the only English speaking countries left are Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.¡± ¡°Amongst these 4, Singapore has the fastest Astral Gate respond as the city-state is extremely tiny.¡± ¡°Canada was reported to have the least amount of outbreak.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the other two.¡± Cillian put six pins on the suggested countries. ¡°Singapore! I want to go there,¡± before Cillian could say anything else, little Alexander immediately made his choice. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After talking for a while more, Elizabeth helped to send little Alexander back to his room. Not knowing the door was never closed the entire time. *** Alexander slowly traces his finger on the old table passed down before his father''s time. Then arriving at Cillian''s seat and sat down. As if Cillian had prepared for Alexander''s arrival, a hologram started to play. A man with a picturesque body wearing a bespoke dark red suit appeared. His face somewhat resembled Alexander¡¯s. Sharp jaw and mesmerising amethyst eyes. With taper fade blonde hair and stubble beard, he could swoon the heart of any maiden. ¡°Hello brother, you are finally here!¡± The hologram took the seat in front of the table. ¡°Cillian, is that you?¡± Surprised, Alexander asked. ¡°Yes, it is me. Duh!¡± ¡°How is it that you are here?¡± ¡°Thorough bending space and time, duh!¡± The hologram laughed and materialised a glass of scotch in his hand. ¡°If you felt for that, then you are still as gullible as ever, brother.¡±The hologram slowly sipped his drink. ¡°If not, then congratulation! You have grown well.¡± The hologram interjected again before Alexander could respond to his brother''s preemptive insult. ¡°Anyway, little Alex! I¡¯m glad that you are finally back.¡± ¡°I also hope that you are in good health.¡± ¡°I wish that we could meet in a better situation. However, it seems that something happened to my real body.¡± The hologram pointed his empty hand at Alexander. ¡°That¡¯s why you are seeing this message.¡± ¡°A message intended for you and you alone.¡± The hologram then materialised a list. ¡°Let¡¯s see here.¡± ¡°The first order of business is the Eliot Industries.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry much about it, as Emilie will be managing it for you.¡± ¡°The second order of business is inheritance.¡± ¡°I have decided to leave you with 50% of my shares. Hence, you will own 24.5% of Eliot Industries. This chateau and some estates around the United Kingdom and Singapore will also be given to you. Charlie will contact you soon regarding the legal malarkey. The rest of my assets will go to my daughter.¡± Alexander was stunned for a moment. He doubted his hearing. ¡°You ¡­ you have a daughter?¡± He asked in total confusion. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t try to ask my hologram that I have a daughter,¡± the hologram glanced up from his list. ¡°Anyway, regardless, yes, I have a daughter with Emilie. You should be able to see her soon.¡± ¡°Right! Hmm ¡­ Let me see here ¡­ The last order of business is regarding my decision to go and colonise Titos.¡± ¡°I know that you and Emilie don¡¯t get along well.¡± ¡°Hence, you might blame her for my action, which is what I don¡¯t want.¡± Cillian¡¯s hologram put down his list and stared at Alexander. ¡°The reason why I left for Tatos was that I wanted to. No! I must go.¡± Alexander looked at his brother''s hologram in total confusion. ¡°If you want to know more, go and talk to Emilie about it.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Right! Before I forget, you won¡¯t immediately receive my inheritance. You will be allowed an allowance of ten thousand pounds per month until you complete my quest. Charlie will discuss this with you in full detail.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you talking about?¡± Before Alexander even finished his words. The hologram had already disappeared. Alexander was left alone in the room to think about his brother¡¯s words. The silence was soon broken by a knocking on the door. ¡°Master Alexander, your food is prepared. Lady Emilie is also waiting for you in the family dining room.¡± Chapter 6: Family Meal Together with Ana, Alexander arrived at the family dining room. The room was small and cosy. Its lighting brought out a warm feeling. Even the table and chairs at the centre, from first glance, Alexander could see that the materials used in their creation were expensive. Yet, their designs were bare and uncomplicated. Cillian clearly made this room so that he could spend simple mealtime with his family. *** Breaking her stern and professional look, Ana rushed toward the standing lady at the other side of the table. Her teary eyes whimpered. Repressed feelings about the death of someone she considered a brother flooded out. ¡°Hic, hic.¡± The lady stood there and received the crying child. She hugged Ana as she emptied her feelings onto her chest. Finally noticing the lady, Alexander looked over. On the other side of the table stood a gorgeous lady dawning a dark-burgundy halter blouson midi dress. She combed her red wavy lob hair back whilst her enchanting eyes slowly observed him. After a while, her thin lips opened. ¡°It¡¯s good that we can finally meet, Alexander.¡± Although Alexander had met her a lot of times via phone calls with Cillian, seeing her charming look face-to-face still stunned him. Her words are formal yet warm, like a smouldering fire on a cold night. ¡°Err ¡­ Hello, Emilie,¡± Alexander calmed himself and replied. Finally, realising Alexander was in the room with them, Ana snapped out from her mourning. She quickly tried to escape Emilie¡¯s arms. Noticing the embarrassed finicky rabbit, Emilie smiled and hugged her even tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to run. You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Let''s have a meal together,¡± she whispered into Ana¡¯s ear. Knowing that she couldn''t escape, the flustered Ana surrendered to the curvaceous wolf. The three of them sat down. Alexander tried to avoid Emilie''s graze whilst Ana attempted to erase any evidence of her crying. *** As the three settled in, Brandt and some cooks entered with their meal. Ana tried to sit up to help them. Emilie¡¯s graze quickly stopped her in her steps.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Brandt smiled, seeing the improved atmosphere between Ana and Alexander. ¡°Today¡¯s menu is Mediterranean food.¡± ¡°The starter is tomato soup.¡± Although, the dish itself was simple. However, presented on a dark ceramic bowl with gold lining elevated its representation. Its taste wasn''t far behind the delicate representation either. As Alexander scooped up a spoonful, its alluring scent and smooth texture ignited his empty stomach. A borborygmus sound echoed through the small room. Brandt chuckled. ¡°Please enjoy yourself, Master Alex. We still have a lot more.¡± With the perfect balance between sour and sweetness, the delicious tomato soup slid into Alexander''s stomach in one fell swoop. ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°Could I have some more, please?¡± Alexander asked Brandt. ¡°Of course, Master Alex.¡± Brandt carefully topped up Alexander¡¯s bowl. Seeing that the old man was enjoying himself, Emilie asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down and join us, Brandt?¡± ¡°Hoh! I have already eaten, my lady. And it has been such a long time since I last served Master Alex.¡± After finishing his second bowl, Alexander looked at Brandt. He smiled and signed for the main course. ¡°For the main course, we have smoked salmon spaghetti, amatriciana spaghetti and vongole rosso spaghetti.¡± ¡°I do apologise for the simple meal as everything was prepared last minute.¡± Surprised by his words, Alexander questioned, ¡°Huh, what do you mean? This is already quite fancy.¡± ¡°Cillian would have complained. He is notoriously picky regarding food and would most likely pick one amongst the three.¡± Emilie sadly commented. The somewhat warm atmosphere soon turned cold. Alexander silently selected his dish, amatriciana spaghetti. The spaghetti was dressed in smoked ham, homemade tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese served on a flat black ceramic plate with gold lining. Alexander consumed the sumptuous meal in silence whilst observing the unique dinnerware. Wanted to change the atmosphere, Emilie spoke. ¡°To find imperfection in perfection.¡± ¡°Kintsugi or kintsukuroi is an art of mending broken pottery with silver, gold or platinum.¡± ¡°As such, the object becomes more expensive after being broken.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an art and a philosophy.¡± Alexander traced his finger on the gold mended line on his drinking glass. It was smooth as if the object was never broken in the first place. ¡°Rather than discarding the object for being broken, one could always mend it,¡± Emilie continued. ¡°Not to return it to its original state but to one that is higher.¡± ¡°To find perfection in imperfection.¡± Although he felt there were subtleties within her words, the quiet Ana suddenly interjected. ¡°I helped in breaking the dinnerwares,¡± Ana announced her achievements with a cheeky smile. ¡°Do you know how expensive these things are?¡± Emilie rolled her eyes. The cold atmosphere broke. *** Brandt and the cooks served the dessert after everyone had finished their meal. ¡°Today¡¯s dessert is Chocolate Fondant.¡± Again, the dish was served on a small kintsugi plate. Its delicious smell wafted in the air. As Alexander sliced its inside, bountiful hot chocolate flowed out. He surgically removed a small portion of the fondant cake and dressed the molten chocolate upon it. Ready to savour its richness, Alexander brought the content to his mouth. ¡°Alright, Alexander, let¡¯s talk.¡± His immersion was immediately broken by Emilie. He looked confusingly at her. She showed him a teasing smile. ¡°Go on! Finish it quickly. We have a lot to talk about.¡± He quickly finished his dessert. Meanwhile, Ana looked at Emilie questioningly. ¡°You can stay if you want. I¡¯ll brief Alexander on today¡¯s situation, his upcoming schedule and Cillian¡¯s tasks for him.¡± She nodded, quickly finishing her meal. Together with Brandt and the cooks, she collected the dishes before excusing herself from the room. Seeing her leave, Emilie glanced at Alexander before sighing. Alexander was also confused by her decision. Chapter 7: Inheritance With only Alexander and Emilie remaining, the atmosphere slowly simmered down. She stood up and moved to the seat opposite Alexander. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Emilie asked in a calm yet caring tone. Finding it difficult to look at her in the eyes, he gazed away. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Of course, his face reflected otherwise. ¡°Alright! You¡¯re always a strong lad. Like what Cillian always said.¡± She said with a soft smile. Not knowing how to reply, Alexander remained quiet. After another short while, Emilie spoke. ¡°Regarding today¡¯s event.¡± ¡°Our security officers have pinpointed how the terrorist managed to infiltrate the convoy.¡± Alexander''s face soon stared right at her. ¡°They disguised themselves as Egyptian supply officers and smuggled a Gate Diffusion Bomb on board a UN supply ship.¡± ¡°However.¡± Alexander''s face soon frowned when hearing that word. ¡°We have to wait for further raids and interrogation analytics.¡± ¡°From the initial interrogation reports, which we can''t guarantee the accuracy, the bomb was not developed by the group.¡± ¡°On further ¡®incentives¡¯, one of the terrorists broke and told us that they met the bomb-maker in a bar in Istanbul.¡± Lifting her drink, she drank it slowly before continuing. ¡°The most startling thing was his description of the bomb maker.¡± ¡°He told us the bomb maker is 1.8 metres tall, caucasian male with blonde half up half down hair. He has a sharp face and wore a black bespoke vest. He spoke fluent Arabic and English with a Scottish accent. His body bared no discernible scars or tattoos.¡± The information fully distorted Alexander''s expression. ¡°We couldn''t confirm the information with the other initial captured terrorists.¡± ¡°Someone was fucking disguising as my family members!¡± Unable to rein in his emotion any longer, Alexander angrily cursed out loud. She flicked the boy in the head. ¡°Calm down first. Being angry here won¡¯t do you any good.¡± ¡°Ouch. Sorry.¡± Alexander apologised and calmed himself down.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Let¡¯s continue. Whether or not we are dealing with a renegade Eliot. We still need to wait for more information to arrive first before making concrete decisions.¡± Emilie twirled her finger on her glass rim. ¡°However.¡± ¡°Just to be sure. I did some digging with our extended family.¡± Alexander didn¡¯t like the fact that she used ¡°our extended family¡±. However, he just quietly listened. ¡°The Eliot family''s famous purple eyes are actually extremely rare.¡± She pointed at his eyes, ¡°The only members that have that feature are you.¡± Her finger then slowly moved toward the smaller family picture in the room, "Cillian and your father, Edmund." Emilie stopped for a moment so that Alexander could process all the information before continuing. ¡°The bar described by the terrorist was real. However, all CCTV footage of that day around the block and in the bar were deleted.¡± ¡°Hence, for now, we should wait for more concrete evidence to arrive.¡± As she stopped her retelling, the room quieted down. Alexander was left to his thoughts. Again, she had her drink whilst Alexander digested the new information. ¡°Are you alright so far?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Although his words seemed fine, Alexander was honestly lost. He genuinely didn''t know what to do and how to process this event. *** Noticing Alexander slowly downing in his own world, Emilie stood up and moved towards Alexander. Surprised by her sudden movement, he reflectively moved back. However, Emilie caught his arm and pulled him up. ¡°Come! Let¡¯s have a walk to clear your mind. I¡¯ll brief you whilst we walk.¡± Before Alexander could utter a response, she had already dragged him out of the family dining room. She moved calmly through the chateau''s extensive hallway whilst Alexander followed behind. His feeling of loss and confusion were slowly drowned out by the alluring scent of her perfume, distracting his mind from his sorrow. The employees also ignored the sight of Alexander being dragged around as if this was a daily occurrence. ¡°Let''s talk about your schedule,¡± she spoke whilst pulling him by the elbow. ¡°Err. Can you let me go first?¡± ¡°In a week, that is the following Friday. We will host a private funeral for Cillian. Charlie will also meet you then to talk more about Cillian¡¯s will,¡± She ignored his request and continued. ¡°The week after that, that is Friday after next Friday. The government will host a state funeral for all crew members of the HMS Victoria.¡± ¡°I will have someone pick you up for those two events.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about speeches! You won¡¯t be required to give any.¡± ¡°Cillian had kept your identity and information a secret. Hence, you won¡¯t have to worry about the Press troubling you during those events.¡± ¡°Hmm, alright, regarding your free days.¡± Emilie paused her words for a while before continuing. ¡°You can spend them however you wish. However, if you wish to leave the chateau, please inform Brandt or the security team. So they could prepare a protection team for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is necessary,¡± Alexander opposed such unneeded complications. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They will only follow you from behind and won¡¯t interfere with your business.¡± *** They continued to talk about safety protocol. After a while, Emilie stopped in front of a lift. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tiredness was the only feeling present on Alexander after being dragged around by Emilie for the past 10 minutes. *Ding* The lift arrived, and they entered. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To a place where you can do Cillian¡¯s quests.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the inheritance requirements?¡± No,¡± she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the quests regarding Cillian¡¯s decision to colonise Tatos.¡± ¡°Why did you laugh about the inheritance requirements?¡± Sensing something wrong, Alexander asked again. ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing. However, you are in for a good time.¡± Emilie continued to laugh out loud. ¡°Can you at least tell me about it?¡± ¡°Why should I? Cillian didn¡¯t task me with that. You can always wait a few days to hear it from Charlie.¡± She smirked. ¡°Please ¡­ sister in law.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know. How about you owe me a favour for it,¡± Emilie¡¯s smirk became wider. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alexander tried to stop his curiosity from killing him. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to do something difficult. Most likely, it will be a minor errand.¡± Emilie enticed him a bit more. ¡°Fine. Only a minor errand. Ok!¡± Alexander cracked. ¡°Hehehe!¡± She had a joyful laugh. ¡°There are two requirements for you to get Cillian¡¯s inheritance.¡± ¡°First,¡± she pointed her finger at him. ¡°You need to get married.¡± ¡°Second,¡± she pointed another finger at him. ¡°You both need to produce offspring.¡± ¡°Why¡± ¡°Hahahahah,¡± seeing the miserable look on his face, Emilie couldn¡¯t stop herself from laughing. After calming herself down, Emilie replied in a serious tone, ¡°Cillian knows that you have been afraid of creating new bonds. The wounds of losing those you loved haven¡¯t been close yet.¡± ¡°He was afraid that his passing would exacerbate your problem and make it worse.¡± ¡°Hence, knowing your deep love for your family, he knows that you will try your best to complete his request.¡± ¡°Will you overcome your fear of love, or will your love of fear overcome you.¡± *Ding* *You have arrived at the 5B lab* ¡°That¡¯s for you to decide,¡± without waiting for his replies, Emilie walked through the door. Chapter 8: Cillian Last Project Still racking about his brother¡¯s requirements, Alexander followed Emilie into the lab. It was a ginormous place covered by a white metallic sheen. Scattered across its floor were computers and machinery. Yet everything was moving in tandem, a part of a big whole, a silent cog in a giant machine. The eerie silence and foreign machinery made Alexander feel like he was walking in an alien spaceship. Emilie led Alexander towards a pod at the far corner of the room. Its shape was similar to the one he saw in Cillian¡¯s trophy room. However, it was grounded and a lot smaller. She gestured for him to come closer to the pod. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Alexander questioned. ¡°Don¡¯t be so suspicious now! If I want to kill you, I could just drag you into one of the empty rooms upstairs,¡± she eased his tension with a bad joke. Alexander rolled his eyes at her joke. ¡°Jokes aside. If you want to know why Cillian decided to colonise Tatos.¡± She pointed at the pod. ¡°It is in here.¡± ¡°It is in the pod?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get put into crypto sleep for hundreds of years, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get into the pod. I won¡¯t force you. It¡¯s your choice, kiddo.¡± ¡°Do I need to change my clothes or get naked or something? Before entering the pod?¡± ¡°Do what you want. I won¡¯t judge your kinks,¡± Emilie laughed. ¡°Urh,¡± Alexander rolled his eyes. ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t.¡± *** Alexander slowly climbed into the pod, checking its every crook and cranny. After not finding anything weird, he laid down. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As his body lay on the soft cushion, his muscles instantly relaxed. His mind gently drifted asleep. ¡°Have fun, kiddo,¡± Emilie said to the sleeping beauty. However, her words never reached him as the pod closed itself. *** ¡®Where am I?¡¯ ¡®What is this place?¡¯ Alexander woke and looked around. He stood on top of a calm endless lake. There were no waves nor eddies, no beginning nor end, the eternity in tranquillity. Under the empty white sky, its crystal clear surface reflected harmony: the harmony between the man and his reflection. Not knowing what to do, Alexander moved to explore this strange place. As he traversed the calm surface, his steps formed soft waves. They rippled out into the endless and beyond. After moving for a few minutes, Alexander heard the soft sound of a piano playing in the distance. The tune was unique. It was calming, yet it brought forth a sense of adventure. It never built up any tension but illustrated the grandeur of future exploits. Alexander hastened his step towards its direction. *** Finally, Alexander could see the orchestrator of the beautiful tunes. A man and his grand piano, alone in this world, with only music as their company, eternally immersed in the rhythm of life above the tranquil water. The master pianist dawned a bespoke dark suit with his long blonde hair tied into a man bun. However, Alexander soon squinted his eyes as he arrived closer. He thought that the distance made the gentleman appear small. However, as Alexander was a few steps away from the pianist, he realised that the gentleman was only about the size of an adult hand. ¡°You are finally here!¡± The pianist turned his head and looked at Alexander. Alexander stopped in his track at the sound of that familiar voice. ¡°Cillian?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± the pianist removed his hands and flew towards Alexander. The piano slowly dissipated as the pianist moved away. Strangely, its beautiful tunes continued. The pianist landed on Alexander¡¯s palm and observed the young adult. ¡°You grew up well in Singapore,¡± he smiled. Alexander glanced at the tiny human. His distinctive sharp look and amethyst eyes couldn¡¯t be mistaken. ¡°Are you really Cillian?¡± He asked again. ¡°Of course not! You dumbass,¡± The small pianist joked. Alexander received the same reply as what Cillian would have given him. He asked again. ¡°So, what are you?¡± ¡°Hmm! Well, in simple terms, I would be Cillian''s will.¡± ¡°Could you explain a bit more?¡± ¡°Well, I was about to do it until some bastard kept interrupting me,¡± the gentleman stared Alexander in the eye and ranted. ¡°The bastard didn¡¯t even greet me back.¡± Alexander looked away and scratched his cheeks with his other hand. ¡°Erm, hello. Erm, how should I address you?¡± ¡°Finally! Some proper decorum. You can call me Chibi Cillian. That¡¯s what Lady Emilie and main body call me.¡± ¡°So, could you tell me now?¡± ¡°Kids nowadays are so impatient,¡± Chibi Cillian rolled his eyes and sighed. Chibi Cillian immediately left Alexander¡¯s palm and reached his eyes level. ¡°How much did Lady Emilie tell you?¡± ¡°She guided me towards a pod and told me this is where I can find answers regarding Cillian''s decision.¡± ¡°Hmm, alright, I can still use my masterfully crafted plan,¡± Chibi Cillian stroked his chin with his tiny hand. After a short moment, he snapped his finger. Alexander¡¯s footsteps across the gentle lake lit up iridescently. From their luminous wake birthed a stream of stars. The tranquil water around Alexander rumbled. Eddies slowly formed. They coalesced water around into gigantic droplets. Unlike their crystal clear origin, these droplets were dark as void. They gently dipped upwards, tainting the white canvas dark. Together with the escaped stars, they created a beautiful dark skyline. From the remains of the eddies, islands and continents formed. Alexander stood astonished by the beautiful transition. He felt as if he was witnessing the creation of the world. ¡°I am not going to blow my own trumpet or anything.¡± ¡°But this majestic transition is entirely my idea.¡± Chibi Cillian boasted. Before Alexander could reply, Chibi Cillian manifested a trumpet. *Buuuuup* ¡°WELCOME TO NEW WORLD!¡± Chapter 9: Customisation ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡± ¡°First impression, brother. It¡¯s very important.¡± Although, Alexander felt weird about Chibi Cillian calling him brother. However, he accepted it, as the little thing resembled his brother too much. ¡°Wait! Did you just say New World as in Eliot Games'' recently announced title?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°What does a game have to do with Cillian''s passings request,¡± confused Alexander asked. Chibi Cillian was not surprised that Alexander knew about the game. So he cut to the chase. ¡°New World is the main body¡¯s last project.¡± ¡°Although he finished the overall story. He never assigned a banner bearer to push the plot towards the direction that he wanted.¡± ¡°Hence, that¡¯s where you come in," Chibi Cillian pointed his finger at Alexander. ¡°Your objective is to complete quests left behind by the main body. Of course, you will be rewarded with perks alongside the Memory Fragment." Now, being thoroughly confused by Chibi Cillian''s exposition, Alexander asked. ¡°What do you mean by Memory Fragment?¡± With a cheeky smile, Chibi Cillian snapped his finger. Thousands of images emerged from his sleave. They circled Alexander, forming a dome. Chibi Cillian pointed his finger towards the rotating images. ¡°Each of these images represents a section of the stored memories.¡± With a gentle flick, Chibi Cillian separated an image toward Alexander. It was a picture of a beautiful crystalline purple flower that stood upright with majesty against an endless hailstorm of stones. Realising what the flower represented, Alexander froze for a moment. ¡°That''s the family flower!¡± Although Alexander was away from home for years, he, like many others, had the majestic symbol of Eliot engraved in their mind through the Eliot Industries'' global reach and renown. Alexander immediately tried to focus his eyes to view the other images, trying to decipher more, yet they all appeared blurry to him. ¡°Don¡¯t even try. Unless you accomplish your assigned tasks, you can¡¯t view these memories.¡± With another gentle snap, Chibi Cillian cleared the images. ¡°Any more questions before we continue?¡± Alexander paused to think for a second. ¡°What¡¯s with the pod that I entered, though?¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s the latest model of Deep-VR Capsule or DVRC, allowing synchronisation rate up to 100% rather than the normal 30% with standard headsets.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Alexander was surprised by the latest tech. ¡°You won¡¯t feel much different in this space. However, it will immediately be noticeable once you enter combat.¡± With all of Alexander''s questions answered, Chibi Cillian changed the topic, ¡°We have sidetracked long enough. Let¡¯s get to proper business.¡± *** Chibi Cillian clapped his hand. Beneath his feet, the newly created islands and continents lit up. ¡°As you can see, this is the game world.¡± Millions of islands, landmasses and continents radiated brilliantly around Alexander. The view was truly overwhelming. Anyone would feel like a god staring down at the mortal world below.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Beautiful innit?¡± Chibi Cillian clapped his hand again. A large landmass floated towards Alexander whilst the rest dimmed out. ¡°This will be your starting location. As it is also the default starting location for British and Ireland players.¡± ¡°I will also be assisting. I mean giving you advice on your journey. The rest are up to you.¡± After finishing absorbing the sight of the beautiful overall landmasses, Alexander inspected the newly arrived land before raising his hand sightly. ¡°What are my tasks exactly?¡± Chibi Cillian chuckled. ¡°You will know it once you are in the game.¡± *** ¡°Alright! Finally done with the initial introduction. Let¡¯s get to the fun part.¡± Soon, a humanoid white silhouette wearing basic dull-cloured tunics materialised on top of the landmass in front of Alexander. An information list appeared to the left of it. _ _ _ [Available point]: 500 [Species]: [+] [Culture]: [+] [Stats]: [Relation]: [Gender]: [+] [Traits]: [+] [Affinity]: [+] [Equipment]: [+] _ _ _ Alexander¡¯s gaming experience kicked in immediately. He immediately interacted with the list. [Species] had three options. [?rsylon] - They are the basic human of this landmass. [Demi-?rsylon] - Through forceful evolution, these humans became their species. [Variant] - These are humanoid beings that have abandoned their humanity. Strangely, [Demi-?rsylon] and [Variant] were greyed out. [Culture] contained all the cultures belonging to the selected [Species]. Alexander quickly spammed through its various options belonging to [?rsylon]. Surprisingly as Alexander selected a [Culture], the white silhouette morphed into a character of that culture. [Species]: ?rsylon [Culture]: Vetle The white silhouette morphed into a burly man. His blue eyes gleamed with adventure whilst his leather armour etched with scars signified his victory. With a two-handed axe on his back, he was ready for another glorious saga. However, that was not the only change. The northwest section of landmass beneath him also lit blue whilst the south was light-red. The list also updated itself. _ _ _ [Available point]: 230 [Stats]: Strength*1.1, Endurace*1.1 [Relation]: South -25 [Gender]: Male [-] [Traits]: [+] [Affinity]: Minor Two-handed Weapon [+] [Equipment]: Common Two-handed Axe, Common Leather Armour [+] _ _ _ ¡°So, [Species], [Culture], [Multiplier] and [Relation] are chained together,¡± Alexander thought out loud. Whilst Alexander was preoccupied with customisation Chibi Cillian somehow managed to materialise a yacht. Hearing Alexander''s realisation, he raised his hand from the sun lounger and cheered, "Ye!" Alexander decided to try the other options. _ _ _ [Available point]: 150 [Species]: ?rsylon [Culture]: Centre-?rsylon [Stats]: [Relation]: South -10, Southeast -25, Northwest -10, Flanagan -75,... [Gender]: Male [-] [Traits]: Minor Mana Absorption, Minor Mana Manipulation [+] [Affinity]: [+] [Equipment]: Wornout Grimoire [+] _ _ _ The white silhouette morphed into a young adult. His dull brown eyes plus a grey robe gave him a scholarly look. He carried a small grimoire attached to his waist. The centre of the landmass also glowed blue. The regions with negative relation turned red. ¡°So this is the magic centric [Culture],¡± Alexander thought. Chibi Cillian glanced at him from his yacht and smiled slyly. Alexander tried another option. _ _ _ [Available point]: 230 [Species]: ?rsylon [Culture]: Southeast-?rsylon [Stats]: Agility*1.1, Stamina*1.1 [Relation]: South +25, Northwest +25, Flanagan +25,... [Gender]: Male [-] [Traits]: [+] [Affinity]: Minor Sword [+] [Equipment]: Common ?rsylon Standard Issue Sword, Common ?rsylon Standard Issue Armour [+] _ _ _ The white silhouette morphed into a young soldier. His brave blue eyes plus the standard-issue armour gave him a dependable look. Alexander understood these were specialisations a player can pick. He decided to see the other section. He started clicking through [Traits]. However, Alexander soon noticed that they were incredibly expensive, especially for good traits. [Lumious Eyes] - These eyes can see through an enemy¡¯s weak points - 150 points. [Minor Comprehension] - Speeds up the user¡¯s mastery - 300 points. [Minor Strength] - Increase strength multiplier - 150 points. [Soul Harvester] - Absorbed the soul of those the user vanquished - 150 points. [Minor Sword Saint] - Increase the user sword mastery - 150 points. [Affinity] was expensive too. [Minor Fire] - Increase the user''s fire affinity, fire damage and reduce the consumption of fire-based spells - 150 points. [Minor Lightning] - Increase the user''s lightning affinity, lightning damage and reduce the consumption of lightning-based spells - 175 points. [Minor Faith] - Increase the user''s faith gain, faith actualisation and reduce the consumption of faith spell - 150 points. Alexander didn¡¯t even bother looking through [Equipment] as he knew it would be too expensive for him. ¡°So many choices! Everything is so expensive!¡± Alexander ranted. Chibi Cillian sniggered whilst enjoying his drink. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say you would assist me?¡± ¡°I did say I will give you advice.¡± Chibi Cillian calmly sipped his drink. ¡°However, it is not the right yet.¡± Alexander decided to ignore the lazy Chibi. He scrolled through the various options again. ¡°Hey, why are [Demi-?rsylon] and [Variant] greyed out.¡± ¡°It is because you don''t have enough points to even see them.¡± ¡°How many points do I need then?¡± ¡°For Demi-?rsylon, 700 points at least. For Variant, you will need 900 points.¡± Alexander was astonished at the ridiculous number. ¡°How am I supposed to get that many points?¡± ¡°You are not, normally at least,¡± Chibi Cillian smiled. ¡°Then how am I supposed to unlock them?¡± Confused, Alexander asked. ¡°Oh look! It¡¯s advice time.¡± Chibi Cillian put down his drink. He manoeuvred his yacht towards Alexander''s eye level. ¡°Tell me, Mr Alexander, are you a gambling man?¡± Chibi Cillian smiled with an extremely devious look. Chapter 10: Gambling Man ¡°No. No?¡± He looked confusingly at the little Chibi. ¡°Really? Even if I give you three free tries?¡± Chibi Cillian spoke from the yacht deck. ¡°I don¡¯t know, though,¡± Alexander doesn¡¯t trust Chibi Cillian¡¯s sly smile. It very much resembled when his brother tried to trick him. ¡°Let¡¯s say you can unlock stronger races than the Variant,¡± Chibi Cillian put his card down. ¡°Sure! I guessed?¡± Unable to hold back his curiosity, he folded. ¡°Wonderful,¡± Chibi Cillian laughed. He snapped his finger. *** A dark silhouette materialised next to the already existing white silhouette. And a new information list appeared accompanying the new entity. _ _ _ [Reroll available]: 3 [Carry-over points]: 0 [Species]: [Culture]: [Stats]: [Relation]: [Gender]: [Traits]: [Affinity]: [Equipment]: _ _ _ ¡°What are carry-over points?¡± Looking through the new information list, Alexander couldn''t help to ask. ¡°Ah! They are just there to help those who are down on their luck,¡± he gestured to Alexander to look at the white silhouette. ¡°Let¡¯s say you first roll Southeast-?rsylon. That cost 270 points.¡± Then with a gentle flick, Chibi Cillian added 500 points to the existing 230 points. ¡°Once you click reroll, the unused points will be added to your next roll. Hence, increasing your second roll maximum points to 730, allowing you to potentially roll a Demi-?rsylon.¡± Before, Alexander could reply. Chibi Cillian continued. ¡°Since we are already at this topic, let me show you the possible rewards,¡± he smiled slyly. A group of dark silhouettes appeared around Alexander. ¡°This is a Demi-?rsylon, Flanagan!¡± Chibi Cillian introduced. _ _ _ [Species]: Demi-?rsylon [Culture]: Flanagan [Stats]: All*1.2 (Except for Charm), Experience*0.8 [Relation]: South -50, Southeast +50, Centre -75, Northwest +25,... [Gender]: MaleStolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. [Traits]: Bronze body, Poisonous blood, Heighten Senses [Affinity]: Minor Blood, Minor Poison [Equipment]: Common Twin Swords, Common Leather Armour _ _ _ The dark silhouette morphed into a compacted man with menacing golden eyes. His bronze skin amplified his impervious physique. On his back were a pair of twin swords on his back. ¡°This is a Variant, Vorvolakas!¡± Chibi Cillian pointed at another. _ _ _ [Species]: Variant [Culture]: Vorvolakas [Stats]: All*1.25 (Except for Charm), Experience*0.5 [Relation]: South -75, Southeast +25, Centre -85, Northwest +25,... [Gender]: Male [Traits]: Vampuric Fang, Blood Senses, Regeneration, Tamed Bloodlust [Affinity]: Minor Blood [Equipment]: Common Rapier, Common Leather Armour _ _ _ The dark silhouette Chibi Cillian pointed at morphed into an elegant individual. His rose-red coloured eyes and pale smooth skin dignified his gentlemanly look. His weapon and attire made him look like a young noble going out for adventures for the first time. ¡°For the other, I¡¯ll leave it to your luck," Chibi Cillian smiled, waving his hand at the group. The group of dark silhouettes obeyed and moved to the distance, away from Alexander''s line of sight. *** With potentially rare races on the line, Alexander clicked reroll. _ _ _ [Reroll available]: 2 [Carry-over points]: 300 [Species]: ?rsylon [Culture]: South-?rsylon [Stats]: [Traits]: [Affinity]: Lightning [Equipment]: Common Mace _ _ _ Alexander clicked reroll again. _ _ _ [Reroll available]: 1 [Carry-over points]: 500 [Species]: ?rsylon [Culture]: Southeast-?rsylon [Stats]: Agility*1.1, Stamina*1.1 [Traits]: [Affinity]: Minor Spear [Equipment]: Common Trident, Common Imperial Heavy Armour _ _ _ Alexander looked at Chibi Cillian. ¡°Oops! I forgot to mention! The character you receive is random,¡± he laughed. ¡°Hey, you might get good traits or equipment from the reroll.¡± Chibi Cillian toasted his drink toward Alexander. "Don¡¯t worry! The system won''t reroll innate traits.¡± ¡°So don''t worry about the possibility of receiving a fangless vampire,¡± he chuckled. *** With only a single free re-roll left on the information list, Alexander stared at it for a while, hoping that he would get something decent. As his finger interacted with the button, a white glow emanated from the silhouette. It swirled around the silhouette for a while before dissipating. _ _ _ [Carry-over points]: 253 [Species]: Variant [Culture]: Vorvolakas [Stats]: All*1.25 (Except for Charm), Experience*0.5 [Traits]: Vampuric Fang, Heighten Senses, Regeneration, Tamed Bloodlust, Hemophobia [Affinity]: Minor Fire [Equipment]: Common War Hammer _ _ _ ¡°WOHHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°FUCKKKK YEAHHHHHH!¡± ¡°Look at that luck!¡± Cillian cheered out loud. ¡°Yeah, congratulation, brother,¡± Chibi Cillian spoke whilst sunbathing on his yacht. ¡°Your luck was so great that you rolled a vampire that is afraid of blood.¡± Alexander''s cheering stopped immediately as his eyes darted at the information list. ¡°Why are there negative traits?¡± Alexander annoying complained about the game¡¯s rigged mechanic. ¡°Well, how do you think normal people can unlock these characters?¡± Alexander shut his mouth and thought for a moment. However, he couldn¡¯t return a rebuttal. ¡°You said people are not supposed to earn that much.¡± ¡°Yes, but I also said normally at least,¡± Chibi Cillian smiled at Alexander¡¯s weak comeback. ¡°You just have to be creative, brother. The more dilapidating the trait, the more points you will earn.¡± *** Seeing Alexander was at a crossroads between continuing gambling or returning to default customisation, Chibi Cillian made his sale pitch. ¡°Look, brother, you could always return and create a new character,¡± Chibi Cillian pointed at the white silhouette. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have lost anything.¡± Chibi Cillian then gently guided Alexander''s attention toward the Hemophobic Vampire, ¡°Or you could always try another time? After all, you still have 253 points left.¡± ¡°Can I edit my Hemophobic Vampire?¡± Noticing the perfidious Chibi Cillian was whispering sweet hope. Alexander tried to negotiate. ¡°All random characters are truly random, brother. There is no customisation there.¡± Chibi Cillian saw that Alexander was thinking. He decided to drive the point home. ¡°We do have a special deal for you at the moment. A [One Reroll] purchase would cost ¡ê1.99. However, Our exclusive [Five Rerolls] package will only be ¡ê8.99. Of course, other higher packages will be more beneficial.¡± Like an expert businessman, Chibi Cillian continued. ¡°Of course, why would you need the higher packages for? With your exceptional luck of rolling a [Variant ] on your third re-roll, surely you can get another or better under five re-rolls, yes?¡± Alexander looked at his impaired vampire and wavered. ¡°Can I have a friends and family discount?¡± ¡°You already received 3 free spins.¡± Alexander sighed as he succumbed, ¡°Please give me the five re-rolls package.¡± ¡°Thank you for your patronage!¡± Chibi Cillian bowed and smiled. The information list updated itself with the additional five re-rolls Alexander just purchased. *Ding* [Reroll available]: 5 [Carry-over points]: 253 ¡°Wait, I haven¡¯t provided my banking information yet!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about such cumbersome technicalities. We already have your card from your previous purchases with Eliot Games.¡± ¡°Please enjoy our product!¡± Chapter 11: Gambling Man 2 [Reroll available]: 0 [Carry-over points]: 763 ¡°What is this garbage luck!¡± Alexander complained. ¡°Shall I top up your re-roll again?¡± Chibi Cillian politely asked. ¡°Give me the [Fifty Rerolls]!¡± Alexander was too deep to pull out now. [Reroll available]: 60 [Carry-over points]: 763 *Click* [Reroll available]: 59 [Carry-over points]: 463 *Click* [Reroll available]: 58 [Carry-over points]: 359 ¡°Bloody hell!¡± *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* [Reroll available]: 35 [Carry-over points]: 289 Unlike the calm embraced of music beneath a beautiful starry sky, a mad man was clicking his heart out. *Click* *Click* *Click* *** As his finger interacted with the button, a golden glow emanated out from the silhouette. It swirled around for a while before dissipating. _ _ _ [Reroll available]: 25 [Carry-over points]: 121 [Species]: ?lffl?d [Culture]: Imperfect-?lffl?d [Stats]: All*1.30 (Except for Charm), Charm*0.01 [Traits]: Super Regeneration, Everlasting-hunger, Rampant Mutation, Genetic Splicing [Affinity]: Minor Flesh, Minor Bone [Equipment]: Common Evolvable Flesh Whip _ _ _ ¡°WOHHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°BLOODY HELL!¡± ¡°FINALLY!¡± Cillian cheered out loud whilst running around. ¡°Congratulation, you unlocked the 4th rarest character in the game.¡± The dark silhouette morphed into a grotesque, monstrous humanoid. Its multiple eyes and skin lanced with pores and rots observed Alexander in disgust. Its arms were disproportionate and many, with one holding on to a twisted fleshy whip.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Ew, what is that?¡± Looking at the creature alone made Alexander nauseous. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say that about them, alright!¡± Chibi Cillian vehemently responded. ¡°They are a very sad sub-species with their distinctive history.¡± ¡°Nope. Nope. Nope.¡± Not wanting to even look at the vile creature for another second, Alexander noped out of there. *Click* *** ¡°Drop me another top-up, Chibi Cillian!¡± [Reroll available]: 60 [Carry-over points]: 763 *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *** ¡°What kind of luck is this!¡± Alexander looked at the Vorvolakas in front of him. Its traits were exceptional. However, he was no longer satisfied with such lowly species. *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *** ¡°Drop me another top-up, Chibi Cillian!¡± *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *** Alexander could no longer remember the number of clicks that he pressed. However, he continued. *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *** A purple glow emanated out from the silhouette. It danced around for a while before dissipating. _ _ _ [Carry-over points]: 7 [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lf [Stats]: All*1.30 (Except for Charm, Mana and Faith), Charm*1.5, Mana*1.5, Faith*2.5 [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Common Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Equipment]: Trash Evolvable Spellblade, Trash Evolvable Shortsword, Healing Flasks _ _ _ The dark silhouette morphed into a beautiful male elf. With majestic golden eyes, silky golden hair and smooth pale skin, the elf stood arrogant against the world below. Unlike its hubristic demeanour, the weapons and clothing it bore were soddies at best. The first sword, on its back, was a typical longsword called Spellblade. However, the weapon''s edge was dulled. Half of its blade was gone. It barely had a grip left. The second short sword, called Shortsword, fared a bit better. At least two-thirds of its blade remained. However, its edge was so blunt that one could use it as a club. Alexander didn¡¯t cheer this time. He scanned through the character traits and frowned. [Children of Neasdocs] - Synchronise with the star of Neasdocs to recall the sagas of old. [Normal Faith] - Increase your faith gain, faith actualisation and reduce the consumption of faith spells. ¡°What is Neasdocs?¡± Alexander asked ¡°It¡¯s one of the eight Elven stars. It¡¯s the star of faith.¡± ¡°Fuck! Isn¡¯t this just a cleric build.¡± Alexander complained and immediately aimed for the re-roll button. *Click* *Click* *Click* Noticing that he had no more reroll left, he requested Chibi Cillian to top up for him. ¡°Drop me another top-up, Chibi Cillian!¡± However, the greedy Chibi Cillian never replied this time. ¡°Hello, hey! Could you top up for me?¡± Alexander turned back and looked at the Chibi. However, what he saw was a face full of various emotions. *** After a while, Chibi Cillian sighed. Rubbing his temples, he moved his hand to his back. His eyes gazed straight at Alexander. ¡°I am happy that I won the bet against Ellie. However, I am also disappointed that you have not realised it yet.¡± Although confused, Alexander remained silent and continued listening. He realised that this was some test his brother had designed for him, and he just failed it. ¡°This place, this still starry sky, the tranquil music, even me being here giving you suggestions, everything was a trap,¡± Chibi Cillian pointed around him. Alexander remained silent, not figuring everything out yet. ¡°You have spent more than ¡ê300 in less than half an hour.¡± Finally, Alexander realised the mess he was in. ¡°Look like you have figured it out already.¡± Chibi nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Yes, this is a casino trap. It was designed to isolate players from the outside world. Hence, they will spend more money.¡± ¡°In this place, there are only you, me and the re-roll button,¡± he pointed at Alexander, himself and the information list. ¡°With me giving you gentle coaxing, as soon you click the re-roll button, you won¡¯t stop until you run out of money.¡± With Chibi Cillian''s focus remained on the information list, he continued. ¡°This re-roll system is also rigged. You will never win!¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the probability, brother!¡± Surprised by Chibi Cillian''s words, Alexander tried to internalise the probability. ¡°Its mechanics is the same as a slot machine.¡± ¡°However, a slot machine only requires you to spin 3 of the same to win the jackpot.¡± ¡°Here, you have to spin 5 to win the same jackpot. Species, Culture, Traits, Affinity and Equipment.¡± ¡°A single wrong category could jeopardise your winning, forcing you to re-roll everything again.¡± ¡°Even the carried-over points are just false progression. Like showing a dehydrated man a picture of a mirage. Everything is so close yet so far.¡± Chibi Cillian then turned his gaze around toward Alexander. He spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°Main body meticulously designed this system to draw out as much money as possible.¡± ¡°After all, our family didn¡¯t get this rich from being nice.¡± Chibi Cillian glided towards Alexander and patted him on his head. ¡°You are the Eliot Family patriarch now. You have to use that mind a bit more, alright, kiddo! Sometimes the safest place is the most dangerous as it lowers our defence.¡± Although, the tiny hand could hardly be felt. Alexander still felt the same warmth from his brother. He reflectively responded. ¡°Yes, brother!¡± Chapter 12: Cascading Start ¡°By the way, brother did you specifically give me this character or did I get it by random.¡± Chibi Cillian returned to his yacht. He looked Alexander in the eyes without saying anything. After a quick second of exchanging eye contact, Alexander averted his eyes and focused on the information list again. _ _ _ [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lf [Stats]: All*1.30 (Except for Charm, Mana and Faith), Charm*1.5, Mana*1.5, Faith*2.5, Experience*0.4 [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Normal Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Equipment]: Trash Evolvable Spellblade, Trash Evolvable Shortsword, Healing Flasks _ _ _ ¡°Stats are good. I always can play another build without touching the faith system.¡± Alexander analysed his character. ¡°However, the equipment is garbage.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Chibi Cillian looked up from his sunbathing chair. ¡°Brother, I might be bad in other aspects, but you can¡¯t hide this from me.¡± Alexander calmly analysed. ¡°These weapons are a waste of space. Usually, evolvable weapons siphon their user level to level up. Furthermore, they are often outclassed by their specialised counterparts.¡± ¡°Like this Swordsword,¡± Alexander pointed at the short sword on the elf¡¯s back. ¡°It siphons 20% of the user exp whilst only giving +1 Agility and +1 Stamina.¡± ¡°Not to mention this garbage Spellblade, only +1 Strength and + 1 Endurance.¡± Chibi Cillian rolled his eyes. ¡°What if I tell you they are chain quest items?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it in the first place?¡± Alexander''s opinions changed 180 in an instant. *** ¡°Alright, since we are done with the selection,¡± Chibi Cillian asked. ¡°Do you want to customise your character?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Nah!¡± ¡°Alright, just hold your hand towards the elf then.¡± Alexander complied and held his hand out. The elf used its opposite hand to shake his hand. _ _ _ _ _ _ ¡°Yes!¡± The elf melted into a purple liquid and streamed towards Alexander, wrapping him into a purple cocoon. The feeling was bizarre. It was like Alexander was going through a metamorphosis. Reborn a new. A stronger Alexander. Alexander''s already handsome features became sharper and more pronounced. His blond hair grew long whilst his distinctive purple eyes became sharp. Strange marking appeared around his back. His body compressed as it strengthened and expanded as it finished. After a while, the cocoon broke. A majestic elf walked out. Without any hubristic demeanour of the showcase counterpart, Alexander moved with excitement. He observed his new body in amazement. Ready to take it out on a spin. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Chibi Cillian circled his yacht around Alexander. ¡°I feel light ¡­ I feel strong ¡­ I think I could fight a tiger,¡± Alexander reactively answered whilst exercising his new body. ¡°Good! You will need it for your tutorial,¡± Chibi Cillian snapped his finger. Before Alexander could respond, his consciousness slipped. *** ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Alexander screamed as he woke up. Jolting his body upward, Alexander was quickly met with a dirt ceiling. Smacking his head against it, Alexander could feel that he was in a constricted place. With the damp and dirty smell permeating the air, Alexander tried to move the rest of his body. However, the game soundtrack started playing. Aiming to make Alexander''s situation worse, the eerie sounds of piano ringing in the distance accompanied the faint heartbeats, soft cries, and heavy irregular heartbeats spooked his movement. Alexander''s sudden and aggressive movement of his right arm caused the dirt around immediately respond and rush towards the newly emptied space. Alexander stopped, afraid of being buried alive. He calmed his mind, trying to ignore the sound of the reaper waiting for his time to finish. Alexander scanned through his inventory. He was wearing a cheap tunic. On his back, there are two sheathed swords. On his waist, there are three healing flasks. Alexander started to formulate a plan before he ran out of air. In slow movements, Alexander gently wiggled his hand free. Continuing with the movements, Alexander lifted his back. He used his hands to slowly roll up his tunic. However, the weapons¡¯ sheath strap quickly stopped his progress. ¡®God damnit, this game and its high degree of realism. Why can¡¯t it be like other games and have the weapons disappeared into an inventory box or just hovered at the back?¡¯ Stressed, Alexander complained whilst removing his sheath straps. After struggling for a while and noticing the decrease in breathable air, the straps finally came off. Alexander immediately rushed to remove his tunic next. However, still afraid of a cave-in, he motioned it carefully. *Huff* *Puff* *HAH* Breathing became more difficult as the soundtrack became tenser. Finally, Alexander struggled to get his tunic off. Ignoring the damp and sweaty smell of his tunic, Alexander had no choice but to use it to cover his face. He then tied his swords to his waist. Alexander pulled out the Shortsword and began digging. *Huff* *Puff* *Huff* *Puff* Beneath the tunic, Alexander regulated his breathing as dirt fell on his face. Of course, the soundtrack changed. It now resembled the tunes of victims helplessly escaping. However, irregular heavy breathing sound reminded Alexander that the reaper was still quick behind his back. As his face became increasingly pale and air quickly became a luxurious commodity. Alexander shovelled as hard as he could. In mind, of course, he was complaining to distract himself. ¡®God damnit, what kind of game buried its player during the tutorial. Shouldn''t they be holding the players'' hands, guiding them through the game? FUCK YOUR GAME DESIGN, BROTHER!!!!¡¯ After a few minutes, Alexander''s thoughts and complaints returned blank. The lack of oxygen slowly stripped away his brain functions. Alexander''s mind slipped in and out of consciousness. Chapter 13: Cascading Start 2 *HAH* As new air smelled of bone and dist filled his lung, Alexander attacked the last layer separating him from the sky. Soon, the gap was wide enough for his head to go through. Scared of what his brother had planned for him on the other side, Alexander tossed his tunic through first before carefully thrusting his head up. Underneath a grey sky, his head arrived in a barren place. It was no worse than the ground below. Coarse dirt, dead logs and damaged tombstones filled the wretched landscape. With only his head above ground, Alexander was a sitting duck. His gaming instinct kicked in, screaming at him to prepare a potential ambush. With all of his strength, Alexander burst out from his earthen prison. The naked elf covered in dirt and sweat immediately drew his Spellblade into a battle position. However, as the eerie soundtrack simmered down, the reaper bid Alexander farewell, signalling the end of the chase. He finally lowered his weariness. _ _ _ <+50 Fame> _ _ _ _ _ _ A series of notifications immediately bombarded his screen. Alexander sheathed his Spellblade and walked towards his tunic whilst scanning through the new information. Alexander attempted to open his character screen by yelling a series of common phrases. ¡°Screen!¡± ¡°Status!¡± ¡°Inventory!¡± ¡°Interface!¡± Finally, his character screen appeared. _ _ _ [Name]: ??? [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lfThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. [Renown]: 50 [Level]: 0/100 [Stats]: 8(7) Strength, 9(8) Agility, 12 Charm, 7(6) Endurance, 9(8) Stamina, 8 Intelligence, 0 Mana, 0 Faith [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Normal Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Attainment]: Inspect [Free points]: 3 _ _ _ Alexander scanned through his [Stats]. Although he had nothing to compare to, he was satisfied with high Agility. However, as Alexander was inspecting his information, ¡°Hello!¡± Chibi Cillian appeared behind him on a floaty. He spoke proudly, ¡°You got out much faster than I expected. My teaching is working.¡± Alexander looked back at the relaxed Chibi. He couldn¡¯t hold back his wraith. ¡°You buried me! You bastard!¡± The Chibi, however, ignored his vengeful cry, ¡°Well, that¡¯s the spawn location for your race. Who asked you to pick an extinct race!¡± ¡°You did!¡± Alexander rebutted back before realising something was wrong. ¡°Wait, ?lf is a dead race?¡± A notification popped up, cutting Alexander off. _ _ _ _ _ _ Chibi Cillian nonchalantly replied, ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s your job to find out more about it,¡± Before Alexander could vent more, Chibi Cillian glanced at his hand, ¡°Oh! Look at that! It seems that I have left the oven running. Ciao!¡± Chibi Cillian disappeared as fast as he arrived, leaving Alexander alone once more. Alexander decided to put on his tunic before carefully reading through his new quest for additional information. However, another notification soon came up. _ _ _ _ _ _ The simmered soundtrack roared again. Its heavy drums banged. *DA* *DUM* *DA* *DUM* Its commanding sound vibrated across the empty land. It called upon the soldiers of old. *DA* *DUM* *DA* *DUM* To serve their master once more. To march under the same banner again. To fight another glorious battle. *DA* *DUM* *DA* *DUM* It was the marching song of the damned. *DA* *DUM* *DA* *DUM* To their eternal master, they answered. From the ground, they came. Forsaken soldiers whose names had long been lost in the river of time awaken from their eternal slumber. To the rhythm of the drums, they crawled. Skeleton hands, legs and skulls arose from below, eager to fight once more. Alexander used the ability he randomly received from the first quest on them. _ _ _ [Attainment]: Inspect
  • Mastery: Recruit
  • Proficiency: 0% -> 1%
_ _ _ [Name]: Forsaken-Soldier [Description]: Lost in the madness of war, these soldiers were first to be sacrificed to protect what they held dear. Sadly for them, in war, nothing last forever. As they fell into the embrace of this accursed land, they were twisted into nothing but mindless puppets compared to the brave soldiers they once were. [Species]: ???-Undead [Culture]: Skeleton [Level]: 1 [Stats]: 3 Strength, 1 Agility, ??? Charm, 3 Endurance, ??? Intelligence, ??? Mana [Traits]: ??? _ _ _ Seeing their meagre [Stats], Alexander immediately sprung into action. Not letting them regroup and overwhelm him with sheer numbers. He pulled his Spellblade from the sheath and rushed forward. Arriving at a protruding skull, Alexander swung his sword, cracking its head. *Bam* Chunks of the skull exploded. The black fires in its eyes dissipated. The skeleton stopped moving. Time was of the essence, so Alexander rushed to other targets. Arriving at another group of skulls, in one sweeping motion, Alexander returned their skulls to dust once more. Chapter 14: R&R Battle Using his high Agility, Alexander dashed around and removed as many skeletons as possible. *BAM* ¡®That should be the 20th skeleton.¡¯ Tired, he leaned against a tombstone to check his progress. ¡°Interface.¡± _ _ _ _ _ _ Confused, he also double-checked his character. _ _ _ [Name]: ??? [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lf [Renown]: 50 [Level]: 0/100 [Stats]: 8(7) Strength, 9(8) Agility, 12 Charm, 7(6) Endurance, 9(8) Stamina, 8 Intelligence, 0 Mana, 0 Faith [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Normal Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Attainment]: Inspect [Free points]: 3 _ _ _ Throughout the entire exchange, he received no level up. His instinct flared up. Alexander looked at the destroyed skeletons. Surprisingly, they were moving again. The headless skeletons continued their relentless effort to crawl out of the ground. As the untouched skeletons ascended, revealing their rib cages, Alexander finally realised what was wrong. A black crystal ore oozed ominous light beat between the crooked ribs, held in place by black tar-like strings that formed a spider web of protection within the ribcage. They turned their heads towards Alexander. Their black firey eyes resembled the crystal ore colour seeping with murderous rage. *YNAHHH* An ear screeching sound escaped one of the skeleton''s jaws. The rest shrieked in response, amplifying and echoing their terrible sound across the battlefield. *YNAHHH* *YNAHHH* *YNAHHH* Tar-like strings emerged from their crystal ore hearts, drifting forward. Realising the situation was souring, Alexander attempted to escape their pursuit. However, like hunting hounds, they quickly caught up. Alexander tried swinging his Spellblade at the incoming strings, yet his weapon could only helplessly pass through them. They didn¡¯t damage Alexander but gathered on his head, forming a chain halo. As the halo formed, it radiated the same energy as the crystal ore. The headless skeletons got down on all four and charged toward Alexander after sensing the halo calling out to them. Surprised by their change in battle mode, Alexander immediately scanned them again.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. _ _ _ [Attainment]: Inspect
  • Mastery: Recruit
  • Proficiency: 1% -> 2%
_ _ _ [Name]: Forsaken-Soldier [Species]: ???-Undead [Culture]: Skeleton [Level]: 1 [Stats]: 3 Strength, 1 Agility, 0 Charm, 3 Endurance, 3 Intelligence, 1 Mana [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion _ _ _ Alexander checked their revealed trait. _ _ _ [March of the Eternal Legion]
  • [Description]: Though their minds were wiped, their strength in fighting as a unit remains.
  • [Level]: 1
  • [Active]: Mark an enemy, giving you and your allies sight on them for the duration of the mark. The mark duration is 1 minute.
  • [Cost]: 7 Mana. The cost can be shared with nearby allies within the marked enemy line of sight.
_ _ _ ¡®All my effort for nought!¡¯ Not to be distracted in the middle of the battle, Alexander parried an incoming headless skeleton. It staggered and fell. He stabbed his Spellblade downwards toward its rib cage, intending to finish it. However, it twisted its arms 180 degrees upwards and held on to his sword, stopping the weapon from pushing too deep into its rib cage. Not giving Alexander any reprieve, two more headless skeletons assaulted him. They struck from different directions. Alexander let go of the Spellblade and drew his Shortsword. Using the flat side of his Shortsword, he bashed the incoming headless skeletons in their rib cages. The impact shattered their ribs, knocking them back, fully revealing the dark contents inside. However, he didn¡¯t pursue them. Alexander turned back and finished up the downed headless skeleton holding his Spellblade. Dark mana escaped as the ore exploded from Alexander''s force. It condensed in the air for a second before rushing towards Alexander and his weapons. _ _ _ Exp +6 Exp +2 Exp +2 _ _ _ Seeing that he was finally levelling up, Alexander aggressively charged at the tide of the headless skeleton. Using the Spellblade as a blunt weapon, he caved through their rib cages. Alexander unleashed all the stress accumulated on them. ¡°This is some bloody good R&R!¡± He laughed out loud whilst bursting through the weak skeletons. Alexander didn¡¯t notice that the chained halo had long expired. *** As he was about to finish the last headless skeleton, an incoming stone hit his wrist, breaking his mechanical movement. Alexander executed the last headless skeleton with another swing before looking for the pest that dared interrupt his R&R. A dozen metres away, a group of normal skeletons collected stones and debris around them as ammunition. They pelted him from afar. Although a makeshift munition could only bruise him, the sheer amount of them could be dangerous. Alexander quickly headed toward the tombstone areas to use them as a back cover, reducing the throwing skeletons'' effective attack angles. However, it seemed that another group of skeletons had the same idea too. They moved towards nearby tombstones to pick them up as shields. ¡°God damnit! Cillian, what kind of tutorial is this?¡± Alexander complained out loud whilst thinking up a plan. After a quick internal debate, he charged out toward the tombstones group. Believing that they were the most dangerous, Alexander left his cover behind. He planned to attack them whilst they were pulling up the tombstones. Furthermore, the throwing skeletons'' accuracy would suffer around their comrades. Through a hail of debris and rock, Alexander charged. However, one stray shot ended up hitting his eyes. ¡°FUCK!¡± The impact staggered Alexander for a second, exposing him to more projectiles. Alexander soldiered on. Arriving near the group, two skeletons valiantly blocked his path. They charged him with reckless abandon, hoping to bog him down. Annoyed, Alexander punctured one with his Spellblade. However, the stubborn thing held onto his sword as the weapon pierced its chest. Alexander kicked it in the knee, shattering its knee cap and forcing the creature off balance. He lifted his sword with the skeleton and impaled the second incoming skeleton. Alexander jumped straight into the group centre after disposing of the two annoying pests, surprising two unsuspecting skeletons. He politely sent them to the afterlife to visit their brothers. The remaining six skeletons dropped their tasks and lunged toward him. Years of playing action Deep-Vr games had honed Alexander¡¯s instinct. He quickly dodged a backstab from the skeleton behind whilst attacking two adversaries in front. Before he could go for a coup de grace on the out of position skeleton in the back, another stray rock claimed his other eye. Like before, the attack disoriented him for a second. However, it gave the attacking skeletons enough time to deal damage. The ones further away crawled his arms, leaving them bleeding. The one closer went for his chest. They tore through his cheap tunic, leaving a deep cut on his pale chest. *** Alexander regained himself. He smacked the skeletons crawling his arms away before pulling out his Shortsword to attack the ones striking his chest. He finished three exposed ones. Alexander then dashed backwards, separating him and the remaining skeletons. Noticing the deep cuts on his chest and various parts of his arms, Alexander took out one of the flasks on his back and chugged it down. He felt an ungodly desire to scratch his injured spot as they began to exude a disgusting smell. He held himself back from puking. However, the drug was indeed effective. His wounds were closing, albeit slowly. Not letting him stand there and heal, the throwing division attacked with another volley. ¡°I should have killed those bastards first!¡± Annoyed, he grabbed one of the incoming skeletons by its bony neck. Using it as a shield, he and his meatless shield dashed towards the annoying range units. Of course, they didn¡¯t make it easier for him, even if he was using their comrade as a shield. The attacks intensified. By the time Alexander arrived at the range units line, the meatless shield was completely destroyed. Not to make things easy for our protagonist, they immediately went into skirmish mode and scattered. Alexander only managed to destroy 5 range skeletons before they ran off. Now caught between a rock and a hard place, Alexander must decide whether to pursue them or stay and attack the incoming melee units. Chapter 15: R&R Battle 2 Of course, Alexander was going to chase them. However, his action contradicted his desire. He was rushing towards the closest skeleton, a melee. He ran whilst covering his soft spots under the hail of attacks of the range skeletons. As the melee skeleton arrived in front of Alexander, he immediately de-limbed it. He didn''t want a repeat of the previous meatless shield that kept attacking him. With a new shield, he quickly dashed towards the closest cluster of range skeletons. Like the knight of old, Alexander charged and impaled them on his Spellblade. As the meatless shield crumbled, Alexander grabbed a skeleton stuck to his sword as a replacement. *** As the last melee skeleton arrived, The scene of Alexander brutalizing its brethren greeted its black firey eyes. Alexander dropped a mangled skeleton and looked toward the last survivor. As the skeleton valiantly charged at him, Alexander grabbed it by the skull and lifted it. It shrieked and continuously struck his arms. Alexander ignored it as he caved its chest in with his hand. Grabbing onto its fragile crystal ore heart, Alexander pulled it out. Tar-like spiderweb snapped as the skeleton motion slowed. Alexander glanced at his trophy, still beating and radiating with unholy energy. After a second, he crushed it, ending the undead scourge before wiping his hands. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The soundtrack of war slowed to a stop, replaced by a quiet bow of a violin. The tranquil sound of a maiden masterfully playing her violin on a meadow, a meadow filled with swords and corpses. The result of war. A war of supremacy, of ideology, of conquest. A war that the maiden and the soldiers died there know nought. Hearing the soothing melody laced with sorrow that signalled the end of the battle, the exhausted Alexander collapsed on the boney ground. He inspected his gain. ¡°Interface¡± _ _ _ [Name]: ??? [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lf [Renown]: 50 [Level]: 2(50/200)The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Stats]: 8(7) Strength, 9(8) Agility, 12 Charm, 7(6) Endurance, 9(8) Stamina, 8 Intelligence, 2 Mana, 0 Faith [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Normal Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Attainment]: Inspect [Free points]: 15 _ _ _ [Name]: Spellblade [Rarity]: Trash [Level]: 1(0/150) [Passive]: +1 Strength, +1 Endurace [Traits]: Evolvable, Soul Bound, Indestructible [Description]: A common iron sword gives better stats than this. _ _ _ [Name]: Shortsword [Rarity]: Trash [Level]: 1(0/150) [Passive]: +1 Agility, +1 Stamina [Traits]: Evolvable, Soul Bound, Indestructible [Description]: A common iron dagger gives better stats than this. _ _ _ Chibi Cillian appeared next to him on a Go-Cart. Noticing his arrival, Alexander spoke without moving his body. ¡°Are you here to tell me that I should have killed those rangers first?¡± However, Chibi Cillian shook his head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m here to congratulate you for thinking on your feet. After all, sometimes there is no best option. It¡¯s how you deal with the hand you were dealt that¡¯s important.¡± Alexander tilted his head towards the Chibi. Before he could ask about his garbage weapons, Chibi Cillian pulled out a unicorn onesie and dropped it on top of Alexander. ¡°What is this for?¡± Alexander lifted the pink coloured onesie in confusion. Alexander attempted to scan it. _ _ _ [Name]: Unicorn Onesie [Rarity]: Unique [Durability]: 1,000,000,000/1,000,000,000 [Traits]: Auto-repair [Toggle]: Glitter [Description]: A one of a kind onesie made for ???¡¯s party. _ _ _ Alexander¡¯s face instantly twisted. He glanced ominously towards Chibi Cillian. ¡°Ahem!¡± Trying to hold his laughter, Chibi Cillian replied. ¡°The main body forbids me from giving you anything but cosmetic items that don''t improve stats and only have party related passive.¡± Chibi Cillian then hovered his Go-Cart by Alexander¡¯s side and pointed at the onesie. ¡°That is one of many items the main body hasn¡¯t used yet.¡± Alexander squinted his eyes. ¡°Well, are you going to walk around like that?¡± Alexander looked down to find himself mostly naked. His cheap tunic was torn apart in the fight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The onesie was designed for mobility in mind.¡± Chibi Cillian pointed at the onesie¡¯s belt. ¡°You can hang your remaining flasks there.¡± Knowing that he couldn¡¯t continue naked, Alexander reluctantly wore the costume. ¡°Try and move around,¡± Chibi Cillian gestured. Surprisingly, the outfit was extremely comfortable. It can even keep up with him at max speed. ¡°Test out its active too,¡± Chibi Cillian giggled whilst Alexander dashed around. Fireflies like light balls emerged from his onesie. They hovered around, lighting up the area around them. They remained in place even when Alexander moved. ¡°Don¡¯t stand in the same place for too long. They will accumulate and blind your eyes.¡± _ _ _ [Gitter]
  • [Description]: I am Fabulous
  • [Level]: Max
  • [Toggle]: Light balls will emerge at the user¡¯s location. They will hover in place for 30 minutes.
  • [Cost]: 0.1 Mana/minute
_ _ _ Seeing that Alexander had familiarised himself with the outfit, Chibi Cillian gave him one last remark before disappearing. ¡°Use your free points. You will need it.¡± Alexander noticed something was wrong. Chibi Cillian actually helped him. He concluded that his next quest would be at least ten times harder. Alexander decided to spend his free points. +3 to Strength. +6 to Agility. +6 to Stamina. _ _ _ [Name]: ??? [Species]: ?lf [Culture]: Neasdocs-?lf [Renown]: 50 [Level]: 2(50/200) [Stats]: 11.9(10.9) Strength, 16.8(15.8) Agility, 12 Charm, 7(6) Endurance, 16.8(15.8) Stamina, 8 Intelligence, 3 Mana, 0 Faith [Traits]: Children of Neasdocs [Affinity]: Normal Faith, Minor Single-handed Weapon [Attainment]: Inspect [Free points]: 0 _ _ _ As he clicked confirm, a rush of energy blasted out from his heart, enveloping the rest of Alexander¡¯s body. He could feel that his body was improving to his new [Stats]. He reasoned that if the quest enemies are at least 10 times stronger. Endurance won¡¯t do much for him. Agility and Stamina were more crucial. He also noticed that Mana grew by itself, and he couldn¡¯t edit it. However, the arrival of the third quest soon broke his train of thoughts. _ _ _ _ _ _ Before Alexander could plan out a strategy, *BOOOM* Something had landed near him. Chapter 16: Anlaf The maiden¡¯s song returned to the wind once more, leaving the way for the initial sound of the soft drumming. *dum* *dum* *dum* Soon a grand orchestra opened. Its arrays of instruments signalled the coming of an epic battle. *Oh Hoh Oh Hoh Oh* The soundtrack hymns synchronised with the spreading shockwave drove Alexander into battle-ready mode as he glanced at his new opponent. A skeleton dragging thick golden chains landed a dozen metres away from Alexander. Although, its size was no different from the nameless footsoldiers Alexander previously defeated. Its abominable crystal ore heart was oozing heavier bloodlust. As the golden chains fixed to its neck and wrists via a series of golden metallic restrainers clanked, the creature resembled a mad beast more than a normal skeleton. Alexander inspected it. _ _ _ [Attainment]: Inspect
  • Mastery: Recruit
  • Proficiency: 2% -> 4%
_ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Description]: Anlaf the Defiant or Anlaf the Silent. He stood against the burning tide. He never set aside his honour nor his conviction to the cause. However, often in wars, heroes were the first to be sacrificed. Chained to ???, he remained silent, and with that silence as his company, he endured. As his soul gave out, his ego remained to fight another war. [Species]: ???-Undead [Culture]: ???-Demi-Lich [Class]: Death Scout [Level]: 1?(???) [Stats]: 15.4(??) Strength, 17.6(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 13(??) Endurance, 14(??) Intelligence, 18.6(??) Mana, 0(??) Mental [Traits]: ???, ???, ???, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, ???, ??? [Attainment]: ???, ???, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ Alexander also inspected the chains, afraid that it would be its weapon. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. _ _ _ [Attainment]: Inspect
  • Mastery: Recruit
  • Proficiency: 4% -> 6%
_ _ _ [Name]: Corrupted Chains of ??? [Level]: ?? [Rarity]: Rare [Durability]: ???/??? [Traits]: ???, ??? [Passive]: ??? [Description]: A tool to chain those cretins that dared defy our orders. _ _ _ *Oh Hoh Oh Hoh Oh* As the soundtrack singers cried, Anlaf lifted its head to look at Alexander. Its black firey eye pierced his soul, making Alexander''s instinct fared up. They stared at each other in silence before a notification broke the fragile standoff. _ _ _ _ _ _ Anlaf attacked first with a howling shriek. *YNAHHH* A thick tar-like string emerged from its rotten crystal ore heart and drifted outwards. Noticing it was using the same skill as the other skeletons, Alexander immediately rushed towards a nearby tombstone to cut the line of sight. Seeing that Alexander was running away, the skeleton gripped its right hand. A lance of pure black energy emerged above its head. With a flick of its right arm, the lance sliced through the air towards Alexander¡¯s legs. Due to his momentum, Alexander doubted he could dodge the incoming projectile. Double downing on his action, he dived his body forwards. The lance barely missed his legs. However, Alexander¡¯s destination, the nearby tombstone, was hit. It silently broke down into sand from the impact. *Gulp* Alexander glanced back to see the devastating effect of Anlaf¡¯s magic. He continued moving towards another tombstone. Alexander¡¯s change of course was enough for the tar-like string to catch up, manifesting a denser chained halo above his head. _ _ _ _ _ _ With the chained halo created, the skeleton looked at the tombstone Alexander was hiding behind. It clasped its hand together, condensing two walnut-size fire orbs. Intending to share with Alexander its labour, Anlaf lobbed one at Alexander¡¯s hiding spot. Although he didn¡¯t know what Anlaf¡¯s abilities were. Based on his understanding of games, bright and slow-moving orbs tend to be extremely devastating, and Anlaf¡¯s previous spell erased his potential hiding spot. Alexander decided to run. However, as Alexander moved his legs, the halo on his head exuded a dominating aura, doubling the gravity pressing down on him. He gritted. Thankfully, he still got out in time. Of course, not without damage. The fire orb vapourised his previous hiding spot and part of his onesie, exposing his elven buttock. As the fight progressed, the increasingly risqu¨¦ Alexander continuously streaked from one cover to another, dodging Anlaf¡¯s spells, hoping that the skeleton would eventually run out of mana. _ _ _ _ _ _ Alexander tilted his head, resting on the last remaining tombstone in the area. Their cat and mouse chase had turned the already decrepit landscape into a hell pit. Craters, holes, blown up graves and debris littered the dilapidated landscape. Catching his breath, Alexander peeked at the skeleton. Throughout the last minute, it had thrown 18 or so spells at Alexander. However, it showed no sign of mana exhaustion. ¡®Did Cillian not finish this boss and give it infinite mana?¡¯ Alexander decided to inspect the creature again. _ _ _ [Attainment]: Inspect
  • Mastery: Recruit
  • Proficiency: 6% -> 8%
_ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Level]: 2?(???) [Stats]: 15.4(??) Strength, 19.9(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 13(??) Endurance, 16(??) Intelligence, 2?(??) Mana, 1(??) Mental [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, ???, ???, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow [Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ ¡°Oh fuck! It¡¯s [Stats] increased.¡± Whilst Alexander was having an internal discussion. The skeleton looked at Alexander via the chained halo and clasped its hand together. This time, two denser fire orbs came out. *Gulp* He was barely scraping by its previous weaker attack. Alexander realised that his plan of running the clock down was doomed. He had to attack it to reduce the time before its [Stats] could increase anymore. With a heavy heart, Alexander charged forward. *Boom* Chapter 17: Anlaf 2 Using the moment of the explosion to propel himself forwards, Alexander dashed toward the chained skeleton. His charred exposed buttocks clenched tight as he dodged a hail of Shadow Lances and Fire Orbs. Dirt, rocks and debris rained down on him. However, as Alexander arrived closer to Anlaf, it changed its pattern. Its boney hands formed an O at its mouth. The skeleton showed an inhale motion before breathing out a stream of fire. The blazing fire shot out like a flamethrower towards the charging Alexander. Already prepared for the worst, he evaded left. However, the skeleton controlled the stream to shadow his path. Without mobility spells, Alexander doubted that he could outrun the stream. Quickly thinking on his feet, Alexander took out his Shortsword and hurled it towards the skeleton, aiming for its head. He hoped that it would disrupt the channelling. Surprisingly his idea worked. As the Shortsword sliced through the air towards the creature¡¯s head, Anlaf stopped its spell. Using that golden opportunity, Alexander dashed as fast as he could towards it. However, as if his brother had designed his creature to toy with him, as the Shortsword was about to hit Anlaf, it turned into a shadow and scurried away, reappearing a dozen metres away. Alexander arrived at its previous spot empty-handed. As he picked up his Shortsword, he stared at the skeleton a dozen metres away and sighed, signalling a new cat and mouse chase between the two of them. _ _ _ _ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Level]: 2?(???) [Stats]: 17(??) Strength, 19.9(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 16.3(??) Endurance, 17(??) Intelligence, 2?(??) Mana, 2(??) Mental [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, ???, ???, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow [Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ ¡°Fuck! Fuck!¡± Alexander complained whilst chasing the slippery skeleton.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. However, fortune favours the bold, and as the timer ticked 2:10, the chained halo on his head dissipated. Freed from his earthbound prison, Alexander¡¯s felt that his body lightened up. However, even with his new speed, Alexander knew he couldn¡¯t keep this chase up forever. It¡¯s [Stats] will eventually out scale him. Plus, he highly doubted he could catch the creature via conventional means. Alexander needed a new strategy. Firstly, he needed to test its line of sight. Without the chained halo giving it true sight, it could be as blind as the headless skeleton. *** The chase resumed once more. As Anlaf zoned Alexander with its Fire Stream, he responded by throwing his Shortsword at it. However, unlike before, Alexander dashed towards one of the nearby craters created by their battle and dived in. Losing sight of Alexander, Anlaf stopped halfway through its Shadow Escape. It turned back to where his sword was to look for him. Seeing that his plan was effective, Alexander concluded that, like normal AI, the creature would stop fighting once they lost sight of him. He waited patiently inside the crater for the skeleton to return. *** *YNAHHH* Its howling shriek echoed the battlefield. Yet, Alexander was nowhere in sight. Lost, it slowly strayed toward Alexander¡¯s Shortsword. Smirked, Alexander dashed out from the crater. Aiming his weapons toward its joints, he intended to disable it. He slammed his sword into its vertebrae, staggering it downwards. With a precise upwards swing, Alexander cracked its shoulder joint. As Alexander was about to use his downwards swing momentum to finish off the skeleton¡¯s shoulder, it shrieked and turned its arm 180 degrees around to smack Alexander away. The force cracked some of his ribs and propelled him a dozen metres away. Alexander punctured the ground with his sword to stabilise his landing as crimson blood trickled from his nose and mouth. To his horror, as he looked up whilst wiping the blood off his face, a Shadow Lance was already headed towards his head. Alexander tried his best to stabilise the new battle rhythm. Anlaf, on the other hand, turned its body towards him and glared without caring about its semi-broken arm. *YNAHHH* Knowing that the situation was deteriorating rapidly, Alexander escaped. Through Anlaf¡¯s hail of attacks, the tar-like string caught up and formed another chained halo. ¡®At least I got some damage in!¡¯ Alexander comforted himself. As the distance widened, Alexander glanced back at the creature. Dismay overcame him as he scanned it. The skeleton was perfectly normal. _ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Level]: 2?(???) [Stats]: 17(??) Strength, 19.9(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 16.3(??) Endurance, 17(??) Intelligence, 2?(??) Mana, 2(??) Mental [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, Regeneration, ???, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow [Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ ¡®Of course, it has regeneration! Why don¡¯t you give it immortality too, brother!¡¯ Alexander complained whilst dodging another barrage of attacks. He spat out some blood, ¡®At least I managed to reduce the time, right?¡¯ Alexander tried thinking about something positive. _ _ _ _ _ _ ¡®Fuck! Did the quest lie? Or was it not about hitting the skeleton!?¡¯ Regardless, Alexander needed to quickly strategise a new plan. His previous plan of ambushing the skeleton worked, but it required more refining. ¡®I need to buy more time whilst chained helo is not active!¡¯ As a stray Fire Orbs ignited around him, Alexander was no different from trekking across the battlefield naked. Thanks to the increasing intensity of the attacks, the onesie was barely keeping with the auto-repair. Like when Prometheus brought fire to mankind, the fire ignited Alexander¡¯s lightbulb. ¡°Eureka! I got it!¡± ¡®But first, I need to survive the next 2 minutes,¡¯ Alexander smiled. *** Whilst the charred unicorn was fighting the evil skeleton. Someone was watching their fights. ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°This is so good.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I tricked that idiot into wearing it whilst fighting!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Let me save this for Ellie!¡± Of course, it was Chibi Cillian enjoying himself. ¡°Let me see if I could find anything worse for him!¡± He snapped his finger, and a stadium-size clothing area appeared. Chapter 18: Anlaf 3 For the next two minutes, their battle intensified. Alexander repeatedly attempted to close the distance whilst Anlaf bombarded him with increased tenacity. And when Alexander arrived close, Anlaf zoned him out with Fire Stream before escaping with Shadow Escape, worsening Alexander¡¯s damaged body. *Huff* ¡®Fuck¡¯ *Puff* ¡®It has only been two minutes, and my body is barely keeping up!¡¯ True to his words, flame marks, blisters and burnt scars marred most of his body. The only thing that remained of his distinctive, beautiful hair were a few stands of singed hair dangling in the wind. *PTUI* Alexander spat out a mouthful of blood containing a few of his teeth knocked out from stray debris as he took out another flask and drank it. _ _ _ _ _ _ As the chained halo disappeared once more, Alexander glanced at Anlaf''s ever-increasing [Stats]. _ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Level]: 2?(???) [Stats]: 19.1(??) Strength, 2?(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, 18(??) Endurance, 19.3(??) Intelligence, 2?(??) Mana, 4(??) Mental [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, Regeneration, ???, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow [Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ ¡®More and more of its stats are reaching the 20s,¡¯ Alexander sighed. However, Alexander had other things to worry about. With the chained halo gone, he could finally activate his refined plan. *** Hopefully, this would be the last time they reenacted this dance. Alexander dashed towards Anlaf and baited its Fire Stream. However, even if he did account for the spells improving with Anlaf¡¯s increased [Stats]. The new stream was so hot that it was singing him from afar. With his barely healing skin charring up, Alexander lobbed his Shortsword towards Anlaf to activate its Shadow Escape. As it used Shadow Escape, Alexander again dived into a nearby crater. Checking his injuries, a single counter alone caused most of his injuries to be exasperated. Pain consumed most of his body. Yet, he didn''t dare to use his last remaining healing flask. In that ditch, surrounded by the smell of rot and burn emanating from his body, Alexander endured as he waited for the skeleton to wander back. He focused his mind on the most crucial component of his new plan, his only ability. ¡®Glitter!¡¯This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As his mana surged into the onesie, firefly like light balls emerged from his suit. Alexander stood still, letting them stack up. *** The lost skeleton again wandered towards its previous spot. Seeing his opportunity, Alexander grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in the air, drawing it towards the crater. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Anlaf took the bait, moving toward the crater. Alexander smiled. He burst out from below like a rising comet. A single upper blow, aimed at its jaw, dislocated it. Using the weapon¡¯s upward momentum, the sword slammed back down at its lumbar. Anlaf was staggered by the precise strikes. Alexander, however, was not done with his combo. He started dashing in a circle around it, leaving a trail of beautiful light balls. *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* Alexander rained precise strikes down at the metallic restrainers. As Anlaf regained itself, a sea of white light balls somehow surrounded it. Blinded, It flailed its hands around to smack the buzzing Alexander. Alexander responded by chopping the creature by the neck before ignoring it. He continued his relentless assault on the metallic restrainers. *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* *Clang* Occasionally, he would attack the skeleton¡¯s knees and lumbar, re-staggering it. The skeleton tried to shriek. However, before it could fully open its damaged jaw, *Thud* A smack arrived, semi dislocating its jaw. After failing to shriek, the skeleton staggered to move its body away from Alexander¡¯s sea of light. However, Alexander pinned his sword between its fibula and tibia, keeping it in place. With only his hands left, Alexander continued punching the metallic restrainers. After repeated hammering, light cracks slowly formed. *** Alexander repeated this sequence for the next few minutes. Punch metallic restrainers. Punch the lumbar, knees or neck. And, of course, occasionally venting on it. With its leg being pinned, its sight blinded by the sea of lights. The skeleton was helplessly beaten up by Alexander. ¡°How do you like it, asshole?¡± ¡°Was it fun shooting at me from afar like a rat?¡± ¡°Not so fun now, eh?¡± Alexander spat out hateful words in disdain at the skeleton¡¯s misdemeanour. *** The restrainers around its wrists cracked, breaking into pieces and releasing the skeleton¡¯s arms from the accursed golden chains. Seeing his endless attacks worked, Alexander took aim at the last restrainer by the creature''s neck. With one more precise hit, he could break it too. However, as the blow came down, Alexander fell a wave of mana washed over him. His punch was stopped a couple of centimetres away from the neck restrainer. The skeleton turned its crooked skull towards Alexander. Through the blinding sea of light, its eerie fiery eyes were a lighthouse of darkness, extinguishing the surrounding radiance with its endless bloodlust. As the abyss glanced at Alexander, Alexander looked back. Strangely, trances of sanity could be seen dancing amidst a sea of madness. Blue fire lingered in the dark. Before Alexander could internalise something from the wondrous phenomenon, a punch landed on his chest, launching Alexander through the sky, accompanied by a stream of blood. *BOOM* His rapid collision caved the ground in. The punch also destroyed any semblance of Alexander¡¯s ribs and ravaged most if not all of his internal organs. Crimson blood continuously leaked from various parts of his body, forming a small puddle. With a quivering hand, Alexander barely managed to retrieve his last flask. As he emptied its content down his throat, blood dripped from the flask cover also came along. With both healing flasks working overtime to save his collapsing body, ¡®So close. Fuck!¡¯ Alexander struggled to sit up. _ _ _ _ _ _ ¡®Hahaha. So it *GRR* worked!¡¯ Although he was gurgling in his own blood, Alexander was happy about his result. He also inspected the skeleton again. _ _ _ [Name]: Anlaf the Defiant [Level]: ??(???) [Stats]: ??(??) Strength, ??(??) Agility, 0(??) Charm, ??(??) Endurance, ??(??) Intelligence, ??(??) Mana, 1?(??) Mental [Traits]: March of the Eternal Legion, Regeneration, Last Stand, ¡­ [Affinity]: Death, Fire, Shadow [Attainment]: Umbramancy, Pyromancy, ???, ¡­ _ _ _ ¡®How did its stats increase so much? Shouldn¡¯t it be in the mid-20s at most?¡¯ Alexander was astounded by its fraudulent abilities. He stared blankly at the creature before staring at his terrible body. ¡®How can I survive the next minute?¡¯ As Alexander had predicted, Anlaf began his counterattack. A half-broken longsword sliced through the sky. It cleanly pierced through Alexander¡¯s leg, breaking his knee and tearing through his muscles. The sword implanted itself deep in the ground after completely separating Alexander¡¯s calf from his thigh. ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± Alexander screamed whilst thanking the pain settings. With his weary hands, Alexander tore some damaged sections of his onesie to bandage his legs. As the blood level around Alexander deepened, Alexander laboured in exhaustion to cover his wound whilst occasionally glancing at the skeleton. Its behaviour after being released was strange. Thankfully, it wasn''t bombarding Alexander with spells but was moving slowly towards his other sword. It stood there in silence to observe the sword, giving Alexander more time to escape after closing his injury. However, before Alexander could complete his bandaging, it lobbed Shortsword towards him. Chapter 19: Pyrrhic Alexander dropped his bandaging and immediately started crawling. He must leave before the sword arrives. Mud and blood spattered across the ground as Alexander desperately dragged himself out. However, as the sword jetted toward his location, a shadowy hand appeared, grabbing its grip. With a slight touch, it redirected the weapon towards the escaping Alexander. Knowing that there was no way out, he did the most logical thing one could do. Alexander angled his body and put his left hand in front in preparation for the weapon¡¯s arrival. Without any mercy for its master, the dulled weapon sliced cleanly through his left arm, eviscerating his muscles, radius, and ulna. However, thank to Alexander''s strategic positioning of his body, only his left arm was damaged. ¡°AGHHHH!¡± Choking in his own blood, Alexander was now sure that he wouldn¡¯t survive the next 30 seconds, let alone 3 minutes. On the brink of death, unnecessary thoughts flowed into his mind. ¡®What if I fail this mission? Will Cillian force me to redo it? Are there any checkpoints?¡¯ Although his body was a far cry from the male model look before, Alexander was technically still alive. Of course, minus most of his skin, blood, ribs, some organs, a hand and a leg. He was still alive, somehow. Alexander focused his mind, clearing away the unnecessary thoughts. ¡®No, I haven¡¯t died yet! I only need one more hit.¡¯ And one more hit it was. Alexander lifted his only useable hand and struggled to remove the Shortsword pinning his left arm to the ground whilst thinking of a plan. As the sword wiggled under the shower of Alexander¡¯s blood, ¡®That could work! The odds are very low. However, it¡¯s the most feasible plan.¡¯ After removing his swords, Alexander struggled to stand up. He had to use the weapon to pull himself upwards.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. With crimson blood bathing his entire body, scars littering his body, Alexander had become the embodiment of Destruction. As Destruction looked Death in the eyes, Death glanced back. However, Death doesn''t fear Destruction as Death was the end of all things, including Destruction. To clarify its point, Anlaf channelled spells upon spells. Shadowy daggers belonged not of this world materialised en masse surrounding Anlaf. They ebbed and flowed, wrapping around Analf like fishes. Yet they were sharp beyond anything Alexander had ever encountered. Without anything left to lose, Destruction charged. Seeing Destruction''s futile struggle, Death released its spells, granting Destruction the very death that it craved. The school of shadowy swords swam to the sky. As they reached their height limit, they descended on Alexander like god''s judgement. Limping as fast as he could, Alexander used what remained of his left hand to cover his face. As the sword rained down, they care not for accuracy as superior numbers triumph all. However, that gave our one-legged hero a chance, albeit the odds were low enough to make a snowball in hell look like a normal occurrence. It was a chance nonetheless. So he limped, He dodged, He weaved, where he could, charging through a hail of swords. He even attacked, blocked and counterattacked those swords in his way. Regardless of the countless cuts he received and the never-ending blood loss on the way, Alexander was unrelenting. He will remind Death that without Destruction, there would be no Death. And it was his duty to return Death back to its eternal rest. As Alexander arrived closer to Anlaf''s zoning area, the sword rain intensified. A stray sword sliced through the side of Alexander''s mouth. Its crossguard bashed him in the face, cracking his nose. Alexander staggered yet never faltered. However, as more and more weapons would claim a spot on his body. Alexander''s movement slowed. Had Death finally claimed Destruction? "Hahaha!" A maddening laugh echoed across the battlefield as Alexander continued on his suicidal dash. "I HAVEN''T DIED YET!" He pointed his Shortsword at Anlaf and roared. No one will stop Alexander''s one-man crusade. Not even himself. As his mind had already become blurry from injuries, he was but a mad beast that only knew to charge forward. And charged forward, he did. In his unyielding pursuit, he finally arrived at Anlaf''s zoning area, forcing the creature to stop its attack in favour of using Fire Stream. *** A shadowy stream of blackish-red inferno welcomed Alexander back into its embrace. Like a moth towards the flame, the madman welcomed its warm caress. He never dodged. He just ran forwards. As the fiery blanket eloped him, the madman laughed. ¡°Got you!¡± ¡°Now!¡± Alexander yelled. With the last of his strength, Alexander lobbed his Swordshort into the stream, aimed at the unsuspecting skeleton on the other side. *BRUMMMMMMMMMMM* The flame arrived, carrying the firey destruction of hell. His flesh and blood instantly ignited as his already battered body couldn''t muster any resistance. Yet, even under the scorching heat, he didn¡¯t feel anything since all of his senses were already gone. He didn¡¯t even know if his gamble was a success. He just tried to hold on as long as possible. Finally, a series of notifications arrived in sync with Alexander''s charred body collapsing on the ground. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ As the battlefield quieted down, Chibi Cillian materialised near Alexander¡¯s body. He glided towards Alexander''s head before whispering softly. ¡°Well done, brother!¡± Before tapping him in the head. Chapter 20: Cutscene A crystal clear water surface reflected the beautiful starry sky. Yet underneath that dreamlike starlight floated a motionless body, tainting the picturesque landscape. The still body stared emotionlessly into the sky. He was not absorbing the vibrant radiancy of the stars. But a giant floating notification. _ _ _