《The Arcadia System》 Chapter 1 - May 8th, 1866 Chapter 1 May 8th, 1866 On a ship, a man dressed in rag clothes swerved the wheels of the ship. His old pirate clothes failed to protect him from the horrendous weather. One particular gust of wind invaded his nose and made him sneeze. He cursed not long after, "Bastards. These winds are as horrible as a beggar''s breath!" A young man at his side trembled as he fixated on the barren sea, "Captain, are you sure you wanna go on? We can still turn back now." Instantly, a stick smacked his face. "Nonsense, have you forgotten our pirate creed? We promised that old hag that we would bring her there," shouted the pirate. "Also, we all agreed together. There''s no turning back." The pirate captain took a look at his crew. He was warning them not to underperform. A tiny voice tried to talk, "But, captain¡­." "--it''s just rumours. Don''t worry. We, pirates, can deal with anything, even the bloody devil." "But, captain¡­." "--I''ve told you bastards to calm down. Our ships can withstand anything, even the bloody apocalypse. " "But, captain¡­.." "Plus, that crazy old lady is paying us ten bags of gold." Once again, the tiny voice tried to talk, "But, captain¡­.." This time, he was heard by the captain, "what is it?!!" "So--so-some of us didn''t agree to this job," said the tiny man hiding behind the bulky crewmates. "Ehh, really? Didn''t you agree?" asked a confused captain. He raised his brows at the man with a tiny voice. What he didn''t know was that every little movement he made intimidated the man. "No, I didn''t," squealed the man. In a fit of courage, he raised his voice louder, "I--I''m not even part of your crew!" Clearly, he felt wronged. Yet, the captain''s expression showed he was clueless "What do you mean you are not part of my men?" asked the captain. "I was the one that stole your ship''s supplies and I got caught by you. From then on, you have been commanding me to do your daily bids. It''s been five years now!!!!" "Oh, you are that guy. I thought you were dead. Well, it''s your bad luck. Get in line!" He threw another stick from his pocket at the tiny man. Seeing the courage of the tiny man, the other wrong crewmates tried to follow in his footsteps. "Captain, I wasn''t aware we were going to the devil''s triangle. You just told me it was a simple transportation job." "Captain. You kidnapped me from the English navy. Please release me." Among them, a teenage girl dressed in rich clothes cried, "awaaa! I just wanted to be rebellious. So, I snuck into a pirate ship. Who would expect the ship to be on a direct course to the devil''s triangle?! Uwaa, I should have stayed with my mom and learned how to be a good wife!" As she cried, a huge shadow loomed over the ship. Because she was facing it, she couldn''t see it but the others could. That was why they kept quiet. The girl continued crying until she noticed the abnormality. The ship rocked and she fell down. However, before she could get a holding grip to stand up, she caught a glance at the appearance of the shadow. "Holy mary!" She screamed and fainted. The shadow was a huge wave that proceeded to swallow them after much build-up¡­. ...¡­... To understand how the pirates got there, let me start with possibly one of the greatest questions in the world. What was a god? Well, to a certain cat that existed in the late 1800s, he identified himself as a god. From the moment he was born, his life was golden. Born to the rare Turkish Angora breeds, he was easily an exotic creature. However, to him, his life began when he met Myrna, his self proclaimed caretaker. He remembered back then he was laying on his small pillow like a king, towering over the other lesser cats as humans came to observe them. He didn''t care about the other cats though. They couldn''t match his intelligence. Even the rare wise animals had agreed to that statement. Shaking his white fur, he yawned and closed his eyes, showing his disinterest in whatever event was going on. As far as he knew, he was priceless and whoever came to buy him must surely be prepared to afford him. Hence, he closed his eyes and simply waited for his eventual caretaker. However, to his disbelief, not long after he decided to take a nap, he felt a warm sensation lift him from his original position. Instantly, he fluttered his eyes open and took a look at the person that had the guts to pick him up. "Uhhh, it''s so fluffy," a small squeal escaped from the culprit''s mouth, a young lady. Her soft arms caged him in her embrace. Furious, he tried all sorts of cat-escaping tactics, even going as far as to release an embarrassing cry but nothing worked. The young lady was far more merciless than she looked. She could even resist his sad face. Cornered, he finally resorted to his ultimate attack. It was one that always guaranteed him a win. Cuddled in the young lady''s arm, he slightly raised his right hind leg and released his heavenly shower on her. He ended his attack with a chuckling "meow" that signified the fulfillment of his revenge. Yet, in a wild turn of events, the outcome wasn''t what he expected. Normally, the humans he peed on would smile angrily but would walk away. However, this young lady clearly wasn''t normal. Immediately she noticed she had been peed upon, she didn''t hesitate to fling him across the room in such an unladylike manner. He didn''t understand how someone could be so savage to a cute cat like him. Doesn''t the girl understand that if he died, his breed might go extinct? Worst of all, after smashing him, she came to him and revealed a smile that could capture the world. "Uhhh, I acted on reflex. I''m so sorry." She took another good look at him and squealed, "Uhh, did your bones break?¡­.such a cute cat. I''ve decided. I''m picking you." With a proud grin on her face, she picked him up despite his clear annoyance and the rest was history... ..... He remembered that iconic moment vividly The duo of a cat and a human would later go on to become explorers. Myrna, with her stubborn nature, had the right qualities for an explorer. Five years after she took him, she became a member of a hidden exploration group, whose goal was to discover hidden secrets. Two years later, she found a way to prolong his life through some of the artifacts she had found. Three years later, she sold some of her artifacts and became a millionaire, which was quite rare at her time. As she was leaving her late 20s, she randomly picked a young man and settled down with him. She had two kids and ensured the longevity of her lineage. Five years after her marriage, now a full woman, he and Myrna went back to their life of exploration. While others were discovering places like the new world and eldorado, the duo was uncovering ancient ruins. Every day on the job was potentially the day of their death. Yet, it was thrilling! Therefore, it became their schedule. They would spend two years on their job and the succeeding year would be used to reconnect with the kids. After a few more decades, she quit due to her old age and fully focused on her kids. Of course, he accompanied her. Without her, he would have exceeded his lifespan a long time ago. It wouldn''t be wrong to say he was the oldest cat alive on earth. Plus, she was his life-bound caretaker. He had given her that privilege. It was meant to be a good ending to the story yet¡­. Yet¡­.here they were, on a ship, in the middle of nowhere. His cat''s senses tingled tremendously as the waves blew on his furry body. How exactly did they get here? Oh, he remembered. Having clocked 60 years old, Myrna couldn''t get over the good ol'' days and decided to embark on one final adventure. One would supposedly finally mark her entry into old age. When he heard that, he felt it was okay. After all, he also missed their adventures. Yet, of all places to explore, crazy Myrna decided on the most dangerous, the devil''s triangle. Many things. could be said about this place. First of all, it was a region on the sea near the new world. One would think it was completely traversable. Yet, no human has ever crossed this region. Even the prime explorers from Myrna''s secret group have no explanation for this place. Now, after months of planning, they had neared the devilish region and were now face to face with the foremost danger of the devil''s triangle, the devil waves. [A/N: I will be posting these novel on Royal Road] Chapter 2 - The Pursuit Of Knowledge The ship rocked under the influence of the large wave. A door leading to the lower floor smashed open and an old woman with a cat in her arms walked out without care for the raging wave. She listened to the panicking screams of the crew and sighed, "Reve, this is why my first choice was the English navy. At Least, they don''t scream before they die." Her body movements suggested she was talking to the cat in her arms. The crew-mates began to notice her. They hid their unpleasant wails and acted pridefully. It was certainly funny how they changed instantly, but Reve and Myrna''s attention weren''t on them. They were looking at the waves that finally descended on the ship. *Splash!* "Grab hold onto something!" a voice shouted just before the wave hit them. Myrna was one step ahead of the crew. She hugged the mast close to her, with Reve in her arms. Right now, they had no time to worry about breaking a few bones. The ship tilted halfway under the pressure of the wave. Some of the crew-mates got thrown away into the borderless sea. It was evident that they would die. After the wave subsided, the pirate captain, who had survived, hollered, "It''s real. It''s bloody real. The Devil''s Triangle. When we get back, we are gonna bathe in coins." However, his men were not feeling it. They cursed at him behind his back. Not to talk of getting back, even surviving was already a colossal issue already. Myrna and Reve were disinterested in their squabbles though. Once again, they were the only ones that saw the bigger picture. All of a sudden, rain began to pour. The tiny raindrops bit on the already broken ship. If things continued, they wouldn''t have a ship anymore. "The sky¡­," she murmured with her saggy voice. As she looked up, the intensely blue sky crackled with lightning. It seemed to be accumulating for something¡­.wait, something! Immediately she figured it out, she shouted out loud, "Lightning! Lay down." Following her words, she grabbed Reve and plastered her body flat on the ship floor. Lightning bolts smashed through the entire ship. Some unlucky fellas turned to crisp roast. The sound of thunder rumbled as the lightning bolts increased their pace. Gradually, to the few alive, the sound felt more like the prophesied trumpet one would hear on judgement day. It cleared their minds as they realized how foolish they were to embark on this journey. Yet, the apathetic lightning bolts didn''t care about their enlightenment. They became the horsemen of the apocalypse, thundering around, causing ruins to anything they touched. The rickety ship broke into two as one of the lightning bolts touched an important part of the ship. The pirate captain spat, "Oh, bloody mary! We are gonna die. Is god punishing me for all the kidnappings I have been doing? Oh, bloody f*ck, I am an atheist. I don''t go by religion. I follow the money code." Faced against the horrors of nature, the pirate captain remembered his reasons for embarking on this journey. He glanced at the old lady at the other half of the bridge and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Hey, before I die, give me my f*cking coins! I would like to die with it." As he kept barking, he caught the unamused stare of the old lady. With a cat in her arm, she unfolded her backpack and threw the pirate''s reward at him. Whether the idiot wanted to die due to the weight of the bags wasn''t of her concern. True to her thoughts, the pirate''s half of the ship began to sink faster. It was probably a coincidence, but it was a comfortable coincidence. The scream of the crewmates at the other half of the ship filled her ears as she tried to focus. Even the crackling thunder wasn''t as despairing as the wails of the big bad pirates. However, the main thing she was worried about was the overall situation. Perhaps the other might not notice it, but the ship was constantly moving in a linear fashion. It moved towards where could be considered the eye of the storm¡­.where the lightning bolts furiously struck and where a tornado was currently forming! "This is interesting. Is this the true nature of the world? No wonder nothing could ever escape the region. We will have the same fate. However,...," Myrna put her brain to good use. Far from what others might expect, she didn''t consider success to be getting out alive. She was old. Death was already around the corner. Rather than wasting her time in her home and growing temperamental. She preferred to go out with a bang. Discovering the secrets of the famed devil''s triangle fit her description of going out with a bang. She would like to see what was the true appearance of the devil''s triangle. After checking Reve was okay, Myrna brought out two small objects from her backpack and placed them in her and Reve''s mouth. It was an artifact she had found in an underwater ruin. It would allow the duo to breathe underwater for about thirty minutes. Hence, it did not have a lasting effect. As soon as the tornado revealed its appearance, a huge whirlpool was unveiled directly beneath it. If Myrna was to guess, with the pulling strength of the whirlpool, the whirlpool probably directly touched the seafloor. Although the tornado had yet to move, the raging air current turned over the two halves of the ship and the humans were submerged deep into seawater. "Oh, mother! We are going to die here!" "I just want to see my wife again" Screams like that continued for a while. Meanwhile, Myrna was attracted to a black shadow that was moving around. It twirled around one of the crewmates, who still hadn''t noticed it yet. As she kept observing, she got a clue of what it was, "Is that a--" She could not complete her words as a large mouth with barbed teeth came out of the water and swallowed a handful of the crewmates. It was a shark and judging by its size, a very large one. In fact, the horn on its head made it clear that it was one the world hasn''t recorded yet. "Ahhh!!" the crew screamed. It was not just one weird shark. It was a school of sharks swimming unbridled in the naked waters. They caused a rampage as every one of their violent actions stained the waters red. Meanwhile, Myrna had already predicted this occurrence. Using the pulling strength from the whirlpool, she surrounded herself with it and simply flowed to its center. To her, dying to it was better than being torn apart by the sharks. Yet, despite her plannings, she found herself not still faster than the sharks that had already noticed her. They were gaining on her every second and in a minute, they would gobble her and Reve up. Suddenly, adrenaline rushed into her and she regained the vigour of youth. She managed to extend the chase by two minutes. Closer¡­.closer, she was getting closer to the center of the whirlpool. She had already denoted that the tornado was created by the movement of the whirlpool and was stagnant. Just a little bit more and she would get to it. She would see what was the cause of this natural disaster. As if helping them, lightning bolts struck on some of the sharks, but they weren''t enough. There were still many other schools of sharks aiming at the grand prize. It was all futile. She couldn''t get there on time. The distance between her and the shark shrank. It was now merely a meter long. Half a meter long. Two feet. One foot. Three inches¡­..! The sharks opened their mouths in preparation. It was time to savour the rewards of their chase. *HHOOOOO!* Before they could take a bite at the duo, a rather large mouth appeared beneath them and gobbled the schools of sharks up. Yes, the mouth was big enough to swallow the big sharks. It brought forward waves that pushed the duo into the center of the whirlpool. However, before it left, it revealed its big eyes, as big as an average lake, and scrutinized the duo. Then, it left, sparing the duo. However, that did not mean the duo were safe. In the center of the whirlpool, the water pressure gushed at them and the weakness of humans began to show. Blood rushed out of Myrna''s eyes but she still strained her neck to see what was beneath the whirlpool. Her skull was cracking, her bones were softening. Yet, she had to see it! She had already placed Reve in her backpack, which could mitigate a bit of the pressure for the cat. Now, it was time for her to be selfish. She had accepted death, she just needed to see the face of her killer! Rolling to the bottom of the whirlpool, her limbs tore apart and she lost her body functions. Just before her brain could shut down, she saw glowing mesmerizing lines on the seafloor. Her last thoughts were, ''I see.'' Chapter 3 - Welcome To Arcadia [Welcome to Arcadia.] A loud thought resounded in his head and slightly woke him up. [Notice: You are losing health points. You will die if prevention measures are not taken by the system.] [Notice: Due to your status as a deviant, your declining health has been compensated for.] ''Where am I?'' [Notice: You belong to a non-existence species. This world is inhabitable to you. Conversion of species will commence on 5...4...3..2...] ''Where am I?'' [Notice: An external force interrupted the conversion process. Conversion to another species is unattainable.] [Notice: Due to the previous failure, it has been decided to tune your parameters to fit that of this world.] [Notice: Despite the interference of the external force, the tuning was successful. This world is now habitable for you.] [Notice: The Book of Species has been updated. You have been rewarded with ten(10) achievement points.] ''What is going on?'' [Notice: Your subpar intelligence has been brought into notice. An increase in intelligence is now being undergone.] [Notice: As compensation, your intelligence has been upgraded to be superior to that of an average human.] ''Hmmmm...somehow, I seem to understand. It is like my comprehension speed is better than I expected.'' [Notice: As compensation, your authority level has been raised by half a star.] [You will notice if any other upgrades happen. Once again, welcome to Arcadia, the world of dreams.] Lights blinded Reve following the disappearance of the voice in his head. His innate cautious nature caused him to look around his surroundings. He was in an old decrepit building that smelled of excess green life. The holes in the walls and ceiling seemed to ironically beautify the internal looks of the building. Reve could spot a large shelf at the corner of his eyes. It contained worn-off books that oozed with an ancient vibe. The green moss growing on them led a path to outside the building and Reve followed it to get a better understanding of his location. The last thing he remembered was the screams of his caretaker as she supposedly died. Then, boom! He found himself right here. Reve flexed his limbs as he walked out of the door. Brilliant sunlight blocked his eyesight. After it normalized, Reve was left with a single question, ''Where am I?'' It was a plain environment with little to no trees but lots of grasses that were long enough to reach his neck. As soon as took a whiff of nature''s ear, his fur straightened as if it had been subject to an electric shock. ''A jungle¡­..?'' Review thought. With the sizes of the trees and the length of the abundant grasses, the only explainable answer to it was that he was in a sort of wilderness. He could hear the usual busy nature of a forest¡­.the chirpings of birds, the occasional roars of other creatures, the quirky movements of insects, the flow of water. Despite his hearing, he had to remark that they sounded quite strange. Like each one of these creatures has been hit with an adrenaline boost. It didn''t take much effort from him to be able to hear the sound of the wilderness. ''This is bad,'' commented Reve. He meowed, "Welcome to Arcadia....was it?" He didn''t like situations like these where he couldn''t understand a dime. Without wanting to risk anything, he went back to the building he came from. The view from the door side added a new perspective to things. From that angle, he could see markings on the exact floor position he appeared on. The blue lights on the markings grew dimmer every moment. Give it a few minutes and it would become as lusterless as an overused item. However, what surprised Reve the most was the familiar feeling he had once he set his sights on the markings. He couldn''t remember where he had seen it before. "Come to think of it. It feels like my claw print," analyzed Reve. He brought forward one of his forelimbs and compared the marking with it. As expected,...he was way off the target. It was like asking if the son of a mammal is a fish. "Hmmm¡­.so it''s not my claw print. For a second, I thought I was. Come to think of it, is there even something like a claw print?" Reve''s words derailed. He forgot what he was thinking about before. "Meow! I don''t like these. This is why I like my caretaker. Normally, she would be the one analyzing while I stay at the corner blessing the ancient artifacts with my heavenly water. Wait, that''s it----" The ruins. The ruins they used to visit. Some of them had markings identical to the one in front of him. Reve''s memory wasn''t the best. So, he took another look to be sure of his words. Yes, they were identical! But the question here was was he still on earth?! He repeated the words he heard from the voice previously, "Welcome to Arcadia, the world of dreams." Ultimately, he couldn''t decide whether Arcadia was another world or was a place on earth. Even yet, what type of place was Arcadia?! "Ahhhh! I need a timeout. I miss my cat harem. Back home, I would lick their fur and tell my concubines to dance for me¡­." *Roar!* A loud beastly roar disturbed his trip down the memory lane. This was why he didn''t want to venture outside. His innate cat senses could feel danger everywhere Come to think of it, what should he do henceforth? This reminded him of the time when he and his beloved caretaker were locked in an ancient ruin for a month. He had told her before it was a bad idea to curse at the ancient statues but she wouldn''t listen. In her defence, a statue with the caption, "Marry me and it would be the luckiest thing you ever do in your life." was annoying. Ultimately, they couldn''t rely on anyone and found a way out. Hence, he had to do the same. He had to find a way out. If he wanted to be able to reunite with his cat concubines¡­... and, of course, his caretaker, he had to solve this massive puzzle Chapter 4 - The Nixy Practice With that said, how exactly was he going to do what he planned for. There wasn''t exactly a menu telling him of the right path. However, he knew exactly where to start from...the books. Quickly, he ran to the tall bookshelves and picked a random book. He was a bit tense. Following the assumption of his location being in another world, there was a huge possibility of the world operating in a different language, right? Luckily, as soon as he opened the book, he saw the familiar alphabets of the English language. He read the first line he could see, "...Valentine''s theory of Arcadia''s timeline." One look and he knew this was not what he was looking for. He took another book, "...History of the empire." He read another, "...The untold story of Archmage Kree." After a while, he had gone through an entire bookshelf but he couldn''t find what he was looking for. The ones he saw where all too complicated for him Sighing, he picked up the first book on the next book shelf, "...the world administrator" He smiled as he finally found something good after about an hour, "The world administrator, heh? That is probably what I''m looking for." If his guess was right, then... He began reading the book, "The administrator, the overseer of Arcadia. It is unknown when she first appeared. Was it in the unknown era or the ascension age? However, one thing is clear, her influence was immeasurable from the start...¡­." He continued reading the book. Well, he skimmed past most of the irrelevant parts but all in all, after he was done, he got a good idea of what the so-called administrator was. Just like what he expected, the world administrator was the female voice he had heard a while. She was an apathetic entity that supervised Arcadia. In fact, her voice proved that her gender could actually not be defined. But people just assumed she was female. Even himself was not an exemption to this grand assumption With her appearance in the world, came the practice of the Nixy. This was what Reve first experienced when he entered this world. This all encompassing practise covered every part of Arcadia. It connected everyone, no matter who or what they are, to the world administrator. In turn, the world administrator would show them silhouettes containing the physical representation of their strength. It would break it down, bit by bit, to something that would give its owner a clear idea of what to improve and what not to improve. In no time, the Nixy practice became essential for everyone. Using it, they easily honed their power to be at its peak. Of course, the statistics silhouettes, popularly called the nixy windows, weren''t the only benefits of the practice of nixy. The rest were hidden and could only be discovered by a certain few. Reve meowed as he absorbed the extensive information. World administrator, Nixy, Arcadia, Nixy Windows. He was starting to wrap his head around all these concepts. But first, he had to see it himself. Going by what was written, to summon the nixy windows, one needed to simply say the word, "Status" or "Stats". Reve pronounced the latter eloquently. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat Level(exp): 1 (9/10) Titles: #######, Deviant, First Kind AP: 30 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] The holographic item that appeared in front of him was quite explanatory. It was the nixy window. After many examinations, he realised a lot of things, which he could now link to the words he heard from the world administrator. Firstly, his race was changed. To be exact, it was simply "fine tuned." The world administrator had changed his physique and anatomy to be able to fit in with the rest of the world. Reve took a glance at his limbs and found they looked quite wild despite still being the same. His body wasn''t as furry as before. He had to look at a mirror or something to discover more physical changes. Reve mused over the name of his race, "Hmm, White Arcadian Cat. It sounds good. When I regain my emperor status and revive my harem, I will proclaim myself as the White Arcadian King. Meow." As he dreamt of all the types of female cats he could acquire in this world, a nixy window popped up over the former one. [ Race: White Arcadian Cats -> A new [Neo-ranked] magical beast that was first sighted on the first stratum of the beast continent. It has the general traits of a cat race. Its level cap is at Level 50 ] Well, there were some things said in the nixy window that were quite confusing but Reve bet that he would understand them later on. However,...about the level cap, which was also called level limits, was a bit unsettling. He moved on the line under his race line on his main nixy window. "Level...." pondered Reve. It was a strange word. Yet, he could understand it a bit. [ Levels(Exp): -> Levels are the direct representation of a person''s raw power. Each level corresponded to a visible difference in raw power. An average magical beast would be born at Level 10. An average human would be born at Level 1. An average demi-human would be born at Level 5. -> Levels could be increased by increasing one''s raw power. It can be by practicing, or through a special skill, or by simply eating. A common method is by putting oneself in danger, which would force the body to produce more power. This could also be misinterpreted with killing, which is also a good way of increasing raw power as the one unknowingly absorbs tiny amounts of energy from those they kill. Evidently, it is not as effective as the previous method. -> Exp, short for experience, are the smaller units of raw power. If the level is one loaf of bread, then the experience is one slice of the loaf. On the nixy window, exp represents the amount of raw power one needs to accumulate before reaching the next level. The denominator, the lower number, is the total number of raw power one needs to accumulate for the next level, while the numerator, the upper figure, is the total number of raw power one has accumulated. ] Chapter 5 - Nixy Window "Hmmm¡­... I am able to comprehend, but still...Doesn''t this mean I''m weak?" sighed Reve. His body felt mighty powerful. Yet, he was denounced as weak by the world administrator. Whatever! he would check his strength by himself. After making up his mind, he moved on to the next line on the main nixy window. This one was something he had no idea of. Reve purred as he remembered something, "Titles, heh. Is it like the noble titles back on earth? Myrna used to mock those posers who believed they were in power." [ Titles: -> These are important terms used to describe a special characteristic an individual has. Essentially, the effects of titles are different from that of skills. ] Just like the previous concepts, he was able to understand this one. He glanced at his certified titles and fumes of smoke instantly came out of his head. "Ahhhh, is this some sort of code? Am I to understand this nonsense?" As he kept thinking about the mysterious title, a nixy window detailing it popped up. [ Titles: ###### -> An external force has set his sights on you. The following skills are granted to you: #####, ####, #####. ] "Well, great! Just what I needed. Another coded text," sighed Reve. Not only was the title encrypted, but even the skills granted by the title were also exempted from this. "How do I uncover this?" wondered Reve. Ultimately, he decided on temporarily moving on to the next title. [ Title: Deviant -> A being from Earth, the brother-world of Arcadia -> Achievement Point +5 ] The [Deviant] title explained many things to him. It confirmed that Earth was a different place from Arcadia. Also, Earth and Arcadia are closely connected, which would mean the possibility of him going back is plausible. However, that was not the first on his priority list. [ Title: First Kind -> The Progenitor of his race/species/subspecies. You have access to all the skills of a [White Arcadian Cat] -> Achievement Point +25 ] Another title that granted achievement points. Not much could be said about this title. He could only assess it once he first-hand experienced the effects. However, there was something he needed to know about, achievement point(AP). Despite thinking of it, nothing happened. No nixy window popped up. It was as if the window was being blocked from him. Decisively, Reve added it to the list of things he needed to research about. He moved on to what might perhaps be the most important concept on the main nixy window, the attributes! [ Attributes Strength: 3 Speed: 9 Constitution: 3 Intelligence: 16 ] [ Strength: 3 -> It measures how physically strong an individual is. -> For reference, a young human child''s strength is (1 - 5), while an adult human is (6 - 15). A normal peak human is (16 - 30) ] [ Speed: 9 -> It measures the movement speed of an individual. -> For reference, a young human child''s speed is (1 - 5), while an adult human is (6 - 15). A normal peak human is (16 - 30) ] [ Constitution: 3 -> It measures the stamina, endurance, vitality, and recovery rate of an individual. It also measures the sturdiness of the person -> For reference, a young human child''s constitution is (5 - 10), while an adult human is (11 - 15). A normal peak human is (16 - 20) ] [ Intelligence: 16 -> It measures an individual''s intellect, mind, and knowledge. -> For reference, a young human child''s strength is (5 - 10), while an adult human is (11 - 15). A normal peak human is (16 - 20) ] "Hmmm¡­.it is ascertained. I''m never going outside," cried Reve. He brushed his facial fur with his right front paw, "All in all, I''m really weak. Meow, even as weak as an annoying human baby." He curled in a circle and mellowed in his weakness. After a while, he decided to check the last thing in his main nixy window. [ Skills: #######(Max). Sixth Sense(Lv.2). ] Reve''s array of skills was almost empty. He only had two and it didn''t help that one of them was encrypted! Luckily, he had access to the sixth sense. [ Skill(Innate): Sixth Sense(Lv.2) -> A common skill of all cat races. It enables them to tap into the dormant sixth sense of the body, using it to perform all sorts of abilities. ] The sixth sense was perhaps what had warned him of his environment earlier. Due to his low mastery over the mysterious sense, it was weak. It was as if it dwelled more in the subconscious than the conscious. This was why Reve couldn''t identify its work when it warned him. Anyway, looking at the skill nixy window, Reve realized something. The world administrator divided skills into two; innate and normal. Innate skills were self-explanatory. They were skills that we''re not learnt but instead gotten due to one''s race, species, or uniqueness. An example of it would be the [Sixth Sense]. Nevertheless, some of them could be trained. The more one familiarizes themselves with it, the higher one''s skill proficiency becomes. As for normal skills, they were the general definition of skills. They were skills that were acquired by an individual. They usually were tougher to level up than the innate skills. As soon as he comprehended these concepts, the world became much greener to him. It all made sense! It also dawned on him that if he did not venture out to increase his level, he would be stuck here for the rest of his life. There was no saving him. Only he could save himself. It reminded him of the time when he used to steal female cats. He would look at their suitors and command them to run away. Now, it seemed like his sins were catching up to him. On that note, his sins were surely immeasurable. He failed to count how many times he had peed on statues of gods. Heck, he even peed on humans. So, what say, a god? Yes, Yes, that is the right mentality. He wasn''t scared. Nothing could make him shiver. Not even cold rain. There was no room to look back. Ultimately, his sins weren''t on him. They were in his ignorant self. Even the big G above wouldn''t curse a cute cat like him, would he? Hence, he had to focus on what he could do now that would benefit his eventual venture to the wilderness. As if knowing what to do, Reve glanced at the bookshelves and meowed. As they say, knowledge was power.... Chapter 6 - Mr.Owner The sun shined. The birds chirped. The leaves rose. It was time for a new day! Reve slightly opened his pudgy eyes. For the past three months, he had been going through the most horrendous torture that one could experience. He had been reading books upon books. However, the good thing was that reading had a direct and passive effect on him. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat Level(exp): 2 (2/10) Titles: #######, Deviant, First Kind AP: 30 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] He had gotten to Level 2, yayy!!! Well, it didn''t seem much but it was something. Also, the fact that he achieved that by just reading makes it more appreciative. Alright. Alright. It might be a little¡­.just a little depreciative. However, every street leads to the highway¡­.or is that is how they say it? Reve furrowed his brow, "Hmmm...every road leads to Rome? Not that" He stood on his two hind legs and placed his two front claws together, "Every dao leads to the great tao¡­." His words flowed through his body and the rays of sunlight perfectly hit his white fur. He appeared like a monk cat that speaks encompassing words. At least, that was what he thought...¡­. "Hmmm...that''s not it. Let me try again," said Reve. He made a few dramatic movements and released the words that have been bubbling inside him for long, "Ever--Every--Every--Eve--- Oh, bullock! What was I going to say?" Outside, the sky rumbled and rain started to pour on the green land. It was nature. Yet, someone decided to take offence. The cat emperor cursed, "You are mocking me, right? it''s mocking me! It''s clearly mocking. You, bloody *********." After addressing his frustrations, Reve laid on the cold floor and listened to the sound of the rain. It might not look like it, but he had gained much. For instance, ..... [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 4 Speed: 11 Constitution: 4 Intelligence: 20 ] His first three attributes had increased by one or two points, which was quite normal. However, his intelligence went up by a whopping four points. Wait, maybe it wasn''t exactly whooping. However, going by the fact that the subject is the intelligence attribute, it could be considered whooping. His intelligence didn''t have any shining effect on himself. The main reason it had increased was due to the large amount of knowledge he had consumed. He could now call himself a citizen of Arcadia! "But¡­..." Reve''s eyes softened as he slowly glanced at the bookshelf. About a quarter of the books were clean and taken care of, but the rest were buried in the dust of time. He hadn''t read them yet. Despite boasting of great knowledge of the Nixy practice, he still hadn''t comprehended everything accessible to him. Meanwhile, he was sure, based on what was written in the books, his general knowledge was greater than 40% of Arcadia. If Reve had to count, he had only read one bookshelf among the ten-ish shelves. He couldn''t help it. His mind wasn''t boundless. He could only retain information for a small amount of time. Hence, he made sure to concentrate on knowledge of Nixy Practice, while he dabbed a bit into general knowledge like his current location. Reve winced as he remembered the countless nights he had spent memorizing and re-memorizing certain books. Now, he has reached his limit. No matter what information he absorbed, he couldn''t retain it. *Drip Drop!* *Drip Drop!* The rain settled down a bit and Reve saw this as a cue to move. "It is finally time. Meow, I just want to sleep," he dragged his body outside the dilapidated building. Before he went out the open door, he glanced at the center of the building. He could see some sharp lines drawn in a circle in a beautiful pattern. They glowed dim, which was a sign that, whatever they are, they were dormant. However, this didn''t deter Reve from sighing whenever he laid his eyes on them. "The teleportation circle¡­. " In other words, the thing that brought him here. In other words, the thing at the depth of Earth''s devil triangle. In other words, the reason for his and Myrna''s suicide mission, which she didn''t get to see eventually. It was a pity it couldn''t take him back. On second thoughts, maybe it was better that way. He wouldn''t want to face the terrific sea monsters back in the devil''s triangle. Even thinking of it gave him the chills. "Focus, Focus, Reve¡­...one step at a time," Reve chanted. He took one last look at the teleportation circle and left the building. As he walked past the field of large grasses, he summarized what he knew about the building. "My previous theory of Earth and Arcadia being connected is right. The owner of the building is a person who harnessed the connection. He was probably mighty strong." "He created the teleportation crystal and visited Earth. I say this because Mr.Owner is most likely from Arcadia and not the other way around. Despite his extensive knowledge of the English language, he sometimes substitutes words with Arcadish, the general language of Arcadia." "As for what the Arcadish words meant¡­..Well, R.I.P to that...How did he expect me to understand? But then again, he didn''t write those books for me. I feel he simply translated it for fun sake." Noticing he was trailing off again, Reve forced himself to focus, "Mr.Owner, apparently, was an explorer, like himself. From his written knowledge in the building, I could tell that he had travelled around Earth as well. The building, holding his treasured knowledge, was most likely his bat-cave!" "However, something happened to him and the connection of both worlds that left this place to not be visited again. The End. Dun dun dun¡­." Yet¡­.. "Yet, I am right here. I used the portal that was technically inactive. Clearly, something strange is going on. My bet is that following the trails would lead to---" A beastly roar thundered in his head as he stopped in his tracks. He had already forgotten that thinking while walking does not work in the forest of Arcadia! Chapter 7 - A Chaotic Battle As Reve froze, he used his eyes to scour his surroundings. He was searching for the source of the roar. He found it! To the left of it, about two metres away was a young cub. The cub was not close so Reve couldn''t tell why he roared. However, one thing was sure. It wasn''t roaring at him. "What type of magical beast is it. Dammit! I knew I should have gotten the [Appraisal Skill]," complained Reve. The skill in mention was a general skill for all of Arcadia. It had to do with another function of the Nixy Practice, the store, otherwise called, the Arcade! Just like its name, the function allowed people to buy skills from the arcade using AP, the currency of Nixy. Nonetheless, AP could not be easily achieved. Its full name was Achievement Points, and it could only be gotten when one does an achievement. However, buying skills from the arcade does not mean one has full mastery of the skill. It just gives the knowledge needed to execute the skill. Also, some skills have requirements laid down to buy it. This is why the arcade is to be treated with caution. The last time Reve visited the Arcade Nixy Window, he saw one particular skill that was useful. The [Appraisal Skill]. A skill that could only be gotten from the arcade, an exclusive skill. [ Skill: Appraisal(Normal) -> Ability to identify basic lifeforms and inanimate objects. -> It arranges the knowledge of the user and extracts necessary information that relates to the object of the identification. If the information could not be found, the world administrator compensates for it. Requirements: Identify twenty magical beasts (0/20) Identify fifteen plant life (0/15) Identify ten natural inanimate objects (0/10) ] ...¡­. "Focus. Focus, Reve. I''m not in danger. The magical beast has not sighted me. I should first hide then take advantage of the situation by identifying the beast," reasoned Reve. Following his thoughts, he inched ten feet closer to the magical beast and hid in a nearby bush. "Okay, I''m safe. Tho, it is still roaring. Why?" wondered Reve. The roars of the young cub unsettled him every time. He was trying his best not to rustle the leaves of the bush out of panic. That said, he could finally get a good look at the magical beast. "Red fur covering every part of its body. Brown big eyes. An immature mane. Coupled with its beastly face, there is no doubt. This is a [Red Lion Cub]," twinkles sparked in his eyes as he analyzed. As stated before, he had read a few general knowledge. Now, he was benefiting from it. A [Red Lion] was one of the most popular magical beasts. They were found in every magical forest and their numbers were immeasurable. Usually, they stay in packs. So, he wondered what a young cub was doing here. "Hmmm¡­..so that''s it," a smile creased on Reve''s furry face. If he wasn''t suspecting, he would have unconsciously ignored a blob that was sneaking up on the cub. "Another common magical creature. This time, this one is even more common, [Blue Slime]!" Immediately he saw the moving blob, Reve went on alert. It was like he had met his destined enemy. The feeling of nostalgia that coursed through his veins was brimming. Where had he seen this familiar blue slime? Ultimately, he had other matters at hand, "Hmmmmm¡­.I have already identified it as a [Blue Slime]. The problem is now what do I do from here on." After a while of pondering, he decided the best course of action was observing. It wasn''t his fight anyway. *Roar* The lion cub, all so mighty, all so domineering, tried to search for the threat that loomed over him. *Roar* He released another roar. He wasn''t threatened.... or was he? Was that just to boost his confidence? Where was it? Where was it? He looked left. He looked right. He looked ahead. But he would never have guessed that it was behind him¡­..facing his rear hole. Such a young cub. He couldn''t bear the thought of the slime spying at his pink bottom. Anyway, back to the showdown! The slime, cute as hell, bright as the sky, was already performing its victory laugh....if it had any mouth. Hahaha, I win! It stretched its body, planning for a one-hit attack. A second later, it lunged its body at the pinkish target circle on its prey. However, before it could reach ten points, the tail of the cub slammed it. ... Back to the cub¡­.. Hahaha, I won. Reverse Uno! It had relied on its sixth sense to act just in time. He finally knew where the little menace was hiding all along. It was actually at his most vulnerable spot, his pink rear hole. Hmph! Fumes escaped his nose as he charged at the location of the slime. As soon as he got there, he found nothing there. Nooooooo! ..... Back to the slime, ¡­.. Victory is mine! Double Reverse Uno!!! It had hidden its trump card for this. Slimes had the ability to absorb physical impact. The moment the young cub swatted it, it absorbed the impact and latched on his tail. Now, it was time for harvest. Slime had another ability, the innate skill [Encroachment]. The ability to digest whatever they swallow. This alone was not enough for it to win the battle as the conditions were quite tough. However, [Blue Slimes] are capable of stretching beyond limits. If they were able to cover their prey, then it was game over! The cub tried to swing it away but it wasn''t working. Hmph! It was a master of riding. It had ridden horses, ridden plants, and ridden tigers. Heck, it had even ridden on a human! Hmmmmm¡­.that sounded wrong. Anyway, with its experience, there was no way it would lose to a mere cub. Like a parasite, it moved around the body of the cub. From its tail to its lower body¡­...to its face. Soon, it covered the cub like a net and submerged it into its body. Sparkles of light shone on its translucent surface as its innate skill took to action. Mission Success! Now it was time to slowly enjoy the gains of the battle. Digestion was a slow process. It would take a long time for it to fully break down the body. It would even take more time for it to digest it. Hence, it had to wait. Two minutes. Three minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. It was almost over. Its bloated size was finally lessening. But...¡­. Plot twist! A weak claw mercilessly tore into its soft body and brought out its main core, the slime stone. The sunlight revealed the face of the attacker, a white cat. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!!! Chapter 8 - Level Up Holding the main core of the slime, Reve sighed, "Whew, it''s finally over." The slimes were a common species but their abilities were far from common. The reason they were not viewed as a dangerous threat was that their weaknesses were revealed to the masses. As long as anyone remembers them, they would be able to take care of the slimes. It was the same for Reve. First, he could tell that the blue slime would be able to take care of the red lion cub. Second, he understood the slime would be bloated when digesting the body of the cub. It would be like a pregnant human woman. Weak and defenceless. That would be the time to strike! Nonetheless, the slime''s ability to absorb physical impact would deter if he were to strike. Hence, he focused on attacking the "nucleus" of the slime, the main core. Slimes were different from other magical creatures. They were formed from energy. They had two bodies, the main body and the outward body. Just like their names, one was the real one, while the other one was like a suit of armour. To enable a one-hit kill, he had to target the main body which was the core positioned at the center of the slime. And he did just that! ..... "Now, what do I do with this?" wondered Reve as he examined the blue ball on his palm. "According to the books, slime cores could be used for different purposes. The most common one is to directly consume it, which would affect one''s constitution positively or negatively. It is also the one with high risk." Playing with the ball, Reve made up his mind, "I don''t know the other methods. Also, that refers to humans. As a magical beast, I should have some degree of immunity. Meow. Moreover, it looks quite sweet." Not wasting his time, Reve took a sizable bite from the slime core. He felt a stinging pain on his tongue, but it wasn''t enough to make him quit savouring the core. After three bites, there was nothing left. "Hmmmmm¡­..it has a natural fresh taste." Rectangular silhouettes began to pop up on his face, accompanied by a familiar voice. [Notice: You have eaten a Lv.5 Slime Core. Constitution has been increased by 3.] [Notice: Detecting additional foreign nutrients. Some of your attributes are undergoing growth.] [Notice: Skill Update ->Appraisal(Normal) Requirements: Identify twenty magical beasts (2/20) Identify fifteen plant life (0/15) Identify ten natural inanimate objects (1/10) ] [Notice: First Kill(AP +1)] [Notice: Increase in raw power/exp. Levelling Up.] [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat Level(exp): 2 (7/10) Titles: #######, Deviant, First Kind AP: 31 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 6 Speed: 14 Constitution: 7 Intelligence: 20 ] "Ahhh, I have ascended," commented Reve. Due to the numerous catalysts, his body became twice as strong. He reckoned he wouldn''t be seeing something like this in a while. Anyway, he was tired. All those planning took a toll on his mental mind. He needed to sleep. Softly, Reve climbed on a tall tree. He was lucky his claws were able to dig into the flesh of the tree. As soon as he reached the top, he rested on a sturdy branch and closed his eyes. It had been a rough day. ...¡­ First Island, Glasto Archipelago, Beast Continent. It was a series of islands at the borders of the Beast Continent. The magical creatures here were wild and uncivilized. Still, they were as strong as those in the forests of the main continent. The First Island was closer to the other continents. Hence, it had its fair share of adventures looking to make its fortune on the island. As daylight blessed the land once more, a certain cat nudged his lazy eyes open. "A new day, huh? I''m still tired," yawned Reve. He stopped his complaints as he noticed the downpour of rain. The cold rain wet his fur but Reve was okay with it. He realized he had yet another reason to continue sleeping. As he closed his eyes once more, his sixth sense managed to pick up on something. "Meow, what is it this time?" He looked on the ground and saw a group of figures. coming from the horizon. Normally, his sixth sense shouldn''t have been able to pick up their arrival but the noises they made were too loud to be ignored. "Is that the cry of a baby?" mused Reve. He drowned out the sound of raindrops and focused on the group. Yes, it was the cry of a child. A human child! As Reve had read about his location, he understood that it wasn''t strange to see humans here. He felt strange as he ascertained the race of the intruders. They were humans, clothed in shining pieces of armour. They were clearly not here for fun. Should he appear in front of them? Just like Earth, they would now before an exquisite being like him, right? Wait a minute, people of this world lack aesthetics. They can''t comprehend his innate beauty. If Myrna was here, she would scold them for that. Whatever, it''s their luck. For now, he would ignore them. He would never admit that he was scared of being turned into cat meat. Also, this group was quite dumb. Who brings a human child to a place of slaughter? Surely, this isn''t how they train their children, is it? The cries of that naughty child were attracting all sorts of troubles. From his vantage point, he could see a large snake moving towards them. He could see a blue slime sneaking up on them. He could also see a small rodent spying on them. It was a three-tag team! Yet, the humans were so embroiled in specifying the human child that they failed to notice what they normally would have. A smile arched on the cat''s face. He could understand why the neutral parties are always the ones to enjoy. From his position, he hoped to see a fun fight! That would teach the humans not to ignore his beauty! Chapter 9 - The Adventurers(1) Reve pointed to the remaining time left before the big battle. The human adventurers were really ignorant of their predicament. Nevertheless, for them to have the courage to enter the island, they must have the strength to back it. Due to the rain, it looked like they wanted to camp here for the night. It was a perfect choice but it wasn''t the time for that. They needed to see¡­...see the dangers lurking around them. It was foolish to put all their concentration on the human child. As the group got closer, Reve observed them further, "Hmmm¡­.let me see. One. Two. Four¡­.Fifteen. A group of fifteen. Five females, ten males. The two attending to the human child are the head of this party. They are most likely the child''s parents. Interesting..." ...¡­.. Below the tree Reve was on, the pair of leaders argued "Simona, I have said it a thousand times. I''m sorry, alright?" the male leader clenched his fist. "What do you mean sorry. Is sorry going to fix this? One year. It has been one year since we embarked on this journey. Now, all our efforts are put to the test because of your action," screamed Simona. Simona was a beauty in her own rights. At a young age, she occupied the hearts of all the young men in her village Perhaps, that was why he married her. And perhaps that was why he could never get enough of her. However, right now, she was in her rare angry state. Tophes wrapped her delicate body in her arms. He refused to let her go. Even the sound of their crying child didn''t stop him. He brought his index finger to her lips, "Hush, love. I know. It was my mistake. I should have resisted your beauty. How can I make it up for you?" "Hmph! I warned you to watch your libido. However, since you have apologized, I will forgive you if you promise to take me to ladies'' parlour when we get back," squealed Simona. Ultimately, he was her husband. She couldn''t be angry at him for long. "Yes. Yes. I, Tophes of Salazar, promise to take you to the ladies parlour a hundred times." As soon as he had successfully cajoled his cute wife, he said to the rest of the party, "The boss lady has given us the go-ahead. We camp here tonight." The others nodded at him in response. They knew not to stick their toes in troublesome family matters. Still, they sympathized with the boss lady. She had gotten pregnant on their journey. She was with a child before they had even crossed the sea. Nine months. The journey was stalled for nine months. It had been a year since they had embarked on it. "Tophes, shouldn''t we go back? We are not in the right conditions for the mission. I hate to say it, but the baby is a liability," said one of them. All of them were good friends from a village in the faraway kingdom. Their strength was below average and they thought they would live the rest of their lives in a hut. However, they received a miracle in the form of a nation-spread quest with the stamp of the king of Salazar. The mission was to scout or map lands close to the Azea Continent. It was the huge break the group of friends needed. One that demanded little to no risk. As long as they were careful, they would nip the prize of massive coin bags. Red shade spread on Tophes'' face as he confronted the one that spoke, his best friend, "James, I understand your frustration, but don''t you dare say my child is a liability. I don''t like that sound!" "I apologize for his bashfulness but acutely you must recognize the disadvantage of our situation. I suggest we retreat," said Vicar, the main scout of the party. It was also his responsibility to assess the threats of the forest. After cooling down, Tophes reasoned with them, "I know that. We will retreat first thing tomorrow after the weather has calmed. For now, let''s just take a deep breath and rest" He noticed the absence of any tragic noise, "Hmmmm...it seems like Simona has managed to soothe that little monster." The others noticed it took. James used it as an opportunity to disperse the foul tension in the air, "Reminds me of a certain someone that likes to run around the village naked...Hahaha" The rest joined him in the laughter and quickly, they forgot their troubles. Watching this from her tent, Simona smiled. However, she couldn''t join them. She was the mapmaker of the party. She needed to prepare for tomorrow. Yet, she couldn''t deny that the jolly atmosphere had motivated her to work. As she went back to her tent, she heard a loud piercing scream, "Vicar, watch out----" A loud yet soft sound of movement followed the scream. "Ahhhh! There is something around us. Vi-Vicar is dead!" screamed one of the adventurers. Tophes'' domineering voice addressed the issue, "Gather up. Circle formation. Simona!" Following his call, his wife joined them but not before making sure their child was safe. The archers stayed at the center. The heavy fighter positioned at the four main directions while the others fitted themselves into the formation. As the leader, Tophes tried to assess the threat, "Be alert. Tell me if you spot anything. Whatever it is, it is very fast. Fast enough to bypass Vicar''s defence." His sight caught on to the dead body of Vicar but he could not linger on it for long. "I want one archer to decipher, from Vicar''s death mark, the beast we are dealing with. Sh*t! By God''s bone, we should have gotten a damn magic-user." He had the option to hire one, but their price was too much especially for a long trip like this. Noticing his downpour of curses, he tried to calm himself, ''Easy. Easy. Easy.'' "Hey, what do we have there," he asked the archer''s behind him. "It''s a snake bite. Yet, the bite didn''t kill Vicar, it was the--" The sound of rustling bushes behind them didn''t go unnoticed by the party. They focused on the bush, hoping to stop an attack before it even began but¡­ Tophes felt strange¡­ All their attention was on the bush. It shouldn''t be that smooth. A predator wouldn''t open its tracks easily. Moreover, where was the damn snake? It couldn''t still be hiding in the bush, right? "It''s a decoy!" realized Tophes but it was too late. The devilish snake arched behind them and bit one of the party members. It went on to catch four others by surprise but by the time it was about to make its fifth kill, Tophes put an end to its rampage. He buried his sword in its skull! Chapter 10 - The Adventurers(2) - Paranoid "Good Lord! It is finally dead. Beth, I want a death count. All of you to stay in formation, we never can predict what will happen next," hollered Tophes. The archer called Beth answered his call, "Vicar, Jep, Lennet, Bette, Eliot, and Hudde. They are dead, poisoned. The snake was a Level 8." "Sh*t! I promised Eliot''s mother to bring him back in one piece," cursed Tophes. All of them were his friends. It extremely pained him to see one-third of them dead. *Squeak* "Tophes, there is something ahead," one of the archers raised her voice. She managed to snap Tophes out of his sorrowful state. "What is it?" asked an alarm Tophes. "Can''t see the rain is blocking our sight. But judging from the sound, it appears to be a rodent." "Good. Keep your weapon aimed at it. I will give you an--" There was no sound behind me. Instantly, he looked back to check up on the strange occurrence. He saw a slime swallow one of the archers. It had slipped through the gaps in their formation and targeted the center. The others could not notice. They were fixated on their surroundings. Damn, it was sneaky! The eyes of his friend looked at him as he got submerged into the body of the slime. It begged him to save him. Yet, Tophes was still in shock. A look of realization appeared on his face as he took a final look at all his friends. When he was done, he shouted with all his might, "We have been compromised. Center!" ....and the formation broke. Hell descended. ......¡­ "Hmmm¡­..what a sad life?" sighed Reve. Just one mistake¡­..just one mistake jeopardized the safety of the party. The battle was over. Only three survived. The slime and rat died. The two leaders were part of the final three along with a man with one arm. What a story? They were bathed, in blood and Reve could see that if not attended to, they might die in less than a day. That was the fate of the unprepared. As the companion of Myrna, Reve knew firsthand the dangers of entering uncharted territory. Not only did this party come unprepared, but they also didn''t have the power to protect themselves. No insane skills. No surprising power. Just them and their mortal shell. Based on what he read, their strength was below the average human strength. If he were to guess, they were probably at Level 5. "Hmmmmmmm¡­." He noticed the rain intensified as if telling the party to rest but they couldn''t. They stayed in their fragile three-man formation, looking for the enemy that didn''t exist. They were paranoid. After the death of their party members, it wasn''t weird that this would happen to them. Their eyes scoured the entire perimeter, hoping to see something¡­.something to keep them from getting down. They spotted a small figure on top of a tree. It''s glinted eyes drew them to it. "Wait a minute, isn''t that me? Bloody hell!" Reve was officially angry. He was just an innocent passer-by. He had nothing to do with their party''s death. Sadly, they didn''t see it that way! *Whoosh!* An arrow wheezed past his ear and tipped him off balance. Fortunately, Reve''s innate agility kicked in and the cat got a solid footing on the ground. He hid behind the tree, listening to the sound of the three adventurers coming closer. "Is this what they call injustice? I need to think. I can''t take them on. I''m too weak." Part of the reason why Reve didn''t attempt to warn the party before was due to his low strength. Heck, all his claw could do was scratch. Clawing someone was a different thing. "This is insane. Focus, Focus, Reve. I can use my sixth sense to tip the favour to me." Reve closed his eyes and concentrated on his mystical sixth sense. It was nothing like a mental map but it alerted him of the rough location of his enemies. "Two coming at me, while the last archer is taking back to provide them cover." He wasn''t worried about the possibility of them hearing what he was saying. All they would hear is his cute cat sound. Wait, don''t wander off! He needed to focus. He had to take the archer first. To do that, he needed to see what the archer looked like. *whoosh!* As soon as he peeked out, an arrow headed towards him. But the good news was that he got a good look at the archer. It was the one-armed man, using a crossbow. He wasn''t that proficient with the weapon The bad news was that the two leaders were ten feet away from him. Using the cover of the nearby bushes, Reve subtly slipped away. He went around the group and headed for the archer. This was only possible due to his insane speed and cat-like control of his footsteps. Tip. Top. Tip. Top. He was behind the archer and ready to strike. The question was how would he strike. He had been watching their previous fight, so he knew that the one-armed man lost his arm to the slime. He amputated it in time and had little time to address the wound. He only wrapped it with a thin piece of cloth. In essence, if that cloth was to be removed, he would bleed out. But that would only factor in a slow death. He needed reassurance and he didn''t have the time for that. It wouldn''t be long before the two leaders find out that he is not behind the tree. Hence, he focused on what he could do and longer for the man''s neck not before removing the piece of clothing. Using his teeth, he clamped on the neck and summoned the strength of his ancestor to bite it down. Of course, he couldn''t sever his head but he could influence the output of blood from the arm. Also, doing it this way would not allow the man to inform the two leaders of his situation. After half a minute, the one-armed man lingered to the ground. Dead! First kill! Chapter 11 - The Adventurers(3) "Whew. Even with one arm, the man clearly knew how to fist¡­.heh, not in that way of course," joked Reve. He was thankful that the rain dulled any of the man''s desperate attempts to alert his party members. Still, that did not mean he was finally safe. The two leaders would soon realize he wasn''t behind the tree they aimed at. If they weren''t careful and had rushed for the tree, they would have noticed since. Anyway, that didn''t matter. In under one minute, they would reach the tree. He needed to think. His furry body was damaged by the one-armed man. He reckoned he wouldn''t be able to engage in physical combat for a while. Not that, it would have led to anything fruitful before. "Hmmmm..." Reve''s curious eyes traced the structure of the crossbow that laid in front of him. He could use that¡­.as soon as he figured out how to fire it. As Reve''s was deciding, a good shout echoed from the leaders, indicating they were finally aware, "##########." "Sh*t, I need to risk it." Before the two could turn back, he aimed at one and pressed what seemed to be the trigger. *shui!* The arrow flew unbothered in the air and found itself right in the female leader''s head. It killed her instantly. Her death appeared to have triggered the man, who dashed at Reve with a suicidal run. "F*ckery! Can''t he wait? I have no time to counter," complained Reve. As the crossbow was his only source of victory, he rushed out to take another arrow from the dead one-armed man''s body. He had to reload the crossbow. After he found what he was searching for, he fixed the arrow into the crossbow and was about to fire it when an object smashed him. Reve flew back with great momentum and hit a nearby tree. "What was that? Hmmmm...a sword¡­.blood." He understood that the leader had thrown his shortsword at him. The sword, being so sharp, didn''t fail to injure him. It opened a hole in his body. Luckily, it didn''t cut any of his limbs. However, with the way things looked, if he didn''t treat the injuries in the next hour, he would end up just like the one-armed man. "Hah, the rain is not helping one bit," sighed Reve. Realizing the man was still dashing at him with great hate, he meowed one last time and rushed to the crossbow. "As Myrna used to say, "this isn''t personal"," smiled Reve. With nothing stopping him, he triggered the crossbow, aiming at the head of the leader. *Shui!* Once again, his aiming skills didn''t fail him. The man fell! After making sure he was finally safe, Reve relaxed his body and laid on the ground. He still had to search the corpses for healing salve but for now, he was permitted to rest. It had been a stressful day. A minute or two went by and Reve stood back up. He scavenged the adventurers'' bodies for something that could help him. It wouldn''t be wise for a party like that to not have any healing items. "Found it!" It was in the female leader''s bag. It was a blue potion that should heal him. There was no basis behind his thought but blue was for healing, wasn''t it? Many used blue to signify peace and tranquillity. Certainly, a blue potion wouldn''t be poison. Yeah, certainly. Most likely. Probably. Ok¡­...maybe not! However, he had no time left to ponder. He drank the bitter substance and waited for its effects to kick in. Two minutes later, his bones and muscles were freed from stress as his healing factor was amplified. It was a gradual process but he could already feel his body being repaired back to shape. "Now, I just have to check what else I can find?" He wasn''t bleeding like before. It seems his open wound was already trying back together. Reve walked around the campsite and searched every corner of the area. The only place he hadn''t checked was the last tent that the female leader came out from. That was when it hit him that there was a child in there. A human child. He had killed its parents. No, he had murdered them. This was definitely a strange situation. Myrna loved and hated children. He wondered how she would feel if she saw the consequences of his action. As if sensing his presence, a loud cry came out from the tent. "Hah, this is really annoying," sighed Reve. Ultimately, he was a cat. He couldn''t sympathize deeply with what he did. However, he still walked into the tent, wanting to check up on the child. The tent was warm despite the cold rain. The numerous items contained inside were delicately arranged by a meticulous set of hands. Nonetheless, there was a black box that seemed out of place on this tent. It was also the origin of the cries he had been hearing. A look of realization donned on Reve''s face as he spotted the box, "So it''s like that¡­.I see." It was a classic last-minute move. Having followed Myrna for a long time, he has seen his fair share of moves like this. Most parents hide their children in boxes to protect them when going on a journey. It worked numerous times. Depending on the danger, the child would be safer in the box than outside. However, that only worked if the parents were still alive! Reve sighed again and walked closer to the box. The child was getting suffocated. That''s why it was making such annoying sounds. Reve slightly opened the lid of the box to allow in air. Just like he thought, the child quietened and started at the only source of light. Despite this, Reve didn''t look at the child. Rather, he couldn''t. It was better this way. He closed the lid after a while and pictures multiple files on top. He then took his time to push the box out of the tent to a nearby road. Although this island was considered a magical beast''s zone, there were still some human tribes that habituated here. He was hoping that, by a stroke of coincidence, they would find the young child and take it in Chapter 12 - Ranks __________________________________ Location: Human Continent. -> The continent''s true name is Xoris Continent, named after the Goddess Xoris Despite its general title, the habitats of the continents are not only humans but members of various races. It is a continent of war and serves as the primal goal of any aspiring adventurers. It is a land of potential. -sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 400 ET. __________________________________ Alone in the forest, Reve patiently hid in a nearby bush as he stalked a blue slime. The slime couldn''t see him. It was busy eating its dead prey. Watching this, Reve smiled. That was what he wanted. The bluish glean on the slime''s jelly body intensified, a sign that it was about to finish digesting his prey. It was time! Out of nowhere, Reve jumped out and used his innate speed to catch the slime by surprise. He raised his claw and slashed at his prey. *Shui!* His claw went through like a hot knife through butter. Reve mercilessly tore out the slime core and the slime died. As a custom, he swallowed the core and climbed on top of a tree to rest. The Nixy window popped up in front of him. [Notice: You have eaten a Lv.9 Slime Core. Constitution has been increased by 0.2.] " Can life be sadder? Meow, improvements are hard to get nowadays," sighed Reve. He had been in this place for half a year now. Yes, half a year. It might seem too long but it was quick for a cat with a distorted sense of time. Strictly speaking, it had been four months since he had last seen humans. Their encounter gave him a rude awakening which forced him to delve more into this world. It was not without merits as he had finally read through the entire bookshelf of Mr.Owner. Now, he was a certified Arcadian. He knew the general knowledge of the people of Arcadia. As Reve went into deep thoughts, another Nixy window popped up. [Notice: Detecting additional foreign nutrients. Some of your attributes are undergoing growth.] There was one thing he liked about this world, it was full of life. The energy that flowed through all living beings was quite special. It facilitated growth and development, both mentally and physically. For instance, Reve was now stronger than most wild animals on Earth. His mere claws could leave a lasting mark on metals. Yet, he didn''t look it. He still had the appearance of a cute cat emperor, not a buffed lion. This furthered his aspirations returning back to Earth. The idiots there would worship him should they notice his uniqueness. Anyway, as he was saying, he had already adjusted to the system of the world. [Notice: Increase in raw power/exp. Levelling Up.] [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat Level(exp): 10 (10/10) Titles: #######, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer AP: 35 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 8 Speed: 16 Constitution: 9 Intelligence: 20 ] Even Nixy acknowledged his increase in strength. Unfortunately, he seemed to have reached a bottleneck. To be more accurate, a bottleneck was forced on him. How did he know that? Simple, he had achieved the requirement to advance to Lv.11 but he just couldn''t. This was quite strange as nothing should be required. Luckily, he knew why he was being forced to stop. He had to achieve a specific skill, [Energy Sense]. It was the ability to perceive the flamboyant energy of the world. When he does that, Nixy would remove the limit she fixated on him. It made him aware that they would be similar stopgaps at the end of each ten levels. Level 1-10. Level 11-20. Level 21-30¡­..all the way to Lv.50. It was Nixy''s way of classifying levels. In a way, it was part of the Nixy Practice. It led one to the most effective way to gain strength. However, attaining the skill was easier said than done. Even the adventurers he met couldn''t do that. That was why they were weak. Yet, once they surpassed the level cap, they would wield terrifying strength¡­..or so he read. As for Reve, he knew he shouldn''t leave his territory till he surpassed Lv.10. The last time he ventured out, he was heavily injured by a wild hog! Also, there was something strange going on outside his territory. Multiple magical beasts'' corpses were piling up. Each one of them savagely ravaged, enough to give even the normally cool him the chills. It was like a war was going on there. He decided to never leave his territory until he had acquired sufficient strength. Nonetheless, he had a self-given mission. After reading Mr.Owner''s book, he realized that there were other outposts on the island. Some of them might have belonged to him. While the others were for his colleagues. Ultimately, they were home to rare information. Reve couldn''t ignore that. He needed to get his paws on anything he could get. Hence, he had been scouting outside his territory for the closest outpost. It was owned by Mr.Owner so Reve knew its location, but he couldn''t successfully get there due to the dangers involved. His next objective after raising his strength would be to see what he can scavenge from that place. ...¡­.. After he was done absorbing the slime core, Rev got down from the tree and walked around. Within minutes, he found himself at his favourite lake. Reve dived into the lake and enjoyed the cool water. The last time he was here, he encountered a snake that tried to get a bite of his juicy meat. Luckily, his senses were sharp enough to alert him of his possible death. After much struggle, he killed the snake and took possession of the lake. Now, he could come here anytime he wanted. It was his own personal relaxation spot. Reve let the water carry him as he began to plan, "Hmmmm¡­.what do I do? What should I do? I can''t do much. However, I can keep raising my attributes. Everything else would come smoothly. Also, I should complete the appraisal requirements." He was a magical beast, part of a race which was said to easily attain [Energy Sense]. It would come to him when he was ready. ...¡­.. __________________________________ Reve''s Random Lectures: Ranks -> A concept coined by the humans of Arcadia after understanding the practice of Nixy''s classification of strength. Default Rank -> Level 1-10 Bronze Rank -> Level 11-20 Silver Rank -> Level 21-40 Gold Rank -> Level 41-50 __________________________________ Chapter 13 - The First Awakening __________________________________ Reve''s Random Lectures: Neophyte(Neo) -> A type/class of magical beasts that is ranked below the other types of magic beasts. The main difference between it and the other magical beast is that Neophytes reach their limit at Lv.50. -> Neophytes occupy 30% of the magical beasts'' population __________________________________ The period of the day was the best, morning. The sunlight blessed the trees and illuminated the nearby water bodies. In one particular water body, a feline creature stood at its edges. The creature''s sharp eyes patiently waited for any movement in the lake. ¡­... Man''s worst enemy was everything that didn''t look like them. However, for a cat, their worst enemy was the most common creature that lives in aquatic habitats, fishes! It was not their worst enemy per se but it was hard for them to hunt it due to their innate flaw; most cats could not swim! Nonetheless, who was he? He was the cat emperor! Back on Earth, he belonged to a rare breed of cats that would swim in the water. Anyway, before he trailed off, it was time for breakfast! *Plop!* The ignorant fishes made some unruly movements in the lake which brought his attention to them. Instantly, Reve jumped with his full speed and slashed his claws at the two he could get. It wasn''t long before the blue lake gained the colour of slaughter. Reve feasted on his prizes. If it were before, he would worry about the smell of blood, but after almost massacring every magical beast in his territory, he had nothing to worry about. After he was done, he helped despite his stomach not being used to its limit. It was a rule he had made for himself after killing a lot of slimes; Never overeat! That was why he had only killed two fishes and spared the rest. It wasn''t because he was trying to be an environmentalist or something. Reve left the lake and went back to his base. As he savoured the ancient smell of books, he laid on the cold floor and curled up. Strangely enough, he had been sleeping a lot these days. Even after making sure he got a lot of rest, he still felt drowsy every time he went out for his daily hunt. He was starting to think he had succumbed to a strange illness. However, the magical beasts'' physiology was quite tough. It shouldn''t be that easy to fall under an ailment. His eyelids softly closed as his breath quietened. *swoo* *phooo!* Inhale¡­.Exhale¡­.that should be the standard process. Yet, despite being deep in sleep, a feeling uncomfortably nudged him, appearing as a constant source of irritation. It was akin to the half-asleep state of humans. Breathe in¡­.breathe out. He was falling deeper into the well of sleep. His body had gradually adjusted to the uncomfortable feeling that loomed over it. The feeling suddenly manifested into its opposite. It became like a mother''s lullaby that drowned a child in a night of dreamy sleep. What was the world of dreams to him? A world of cotton? A world of fishes? No, it appeared in the form of memory. The memory recorded the adventurers he and Myrna used to embark. Those were the best periods of his life despite the high risk involved. As he watched the memory, a smile arched on his furry face and he finally descended into a deep sleep! ...¡­. It was unknown what time he awoke but when he did, everything felt so¡­..alive. It was like the world was clearer. His first sight was akin to that of an infant¡­.Pure. Unsullied. He noticed that the spectrum of lights in his view was much larger. He could see different shades of colour and could even recognize colours that didn''t have a name. Out of the spectrum, the most revealing and active colour was the tiny blue blobs of lights that danced carefree in the air. They were alive. Like tiny insects, the moment they noticed him, they flew to him and surrounded his small body. The sensation of cool warmth occurred every time his body was in direct contact with them. The blissful sensations reinvigorated his body and made him feel the bountiful strength that was growing in him. Not able to withstand it, Reve moaned, "Is this what I think it is?" Immediately after he got used to this new feeling, a Nixy Window popped up. [ Notice: You have attained [Energy Sense]. You are granted 0.5 AP] [Notice: You have awoken as a true Neophyte. 0.5 AP granted] [Notice: Due to stimulation from skill [Energy Sense]. Your skill [Sixth Sense] has risen to Lv.9] [Notice: Title tab updated] [Notice: Nixy Window has been updated] [Notice: After meeting the requirements, skill [#####] has been decoded.] [Notice: As a neophyte, the requirements for Nixy-exclusive skill [Appraisal] have been halved.] [Notice: You have met the requirements for [Appraisal] Requirements: Identify twenty magical beasts (10/10) Identify fifteen plant life (6/6) Identify ten natural inanimate objects (5/5). ] [Notice: You have awoken innate skill [Magic Eyes].] "Wow, this is a lot¡­.," sighed Reve. Before he had the chance to process further, the main Nixy Window popped up. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 12 (4/10) Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer AP: 36 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 9 Speed: 18 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 20 Mana: 11 ] [ Skills: Trinity Candidate(Max). Sixth Sense(Lv.9). Energy Sense(Lv.1). Magic Eyes(Max) ] "Hmmm...I have grown by just coming in contact with the energy of the world," realized Reve. All his stats were influenced one way or the other. It was like a rebirth...or more precisely, an awakening. Perhaps, that was why Nixy prohibited me from growing stronger. It would not be as good as the awakening. Reve took another look at his stats and sighed once more, "Kin of Amethyst and Trinity Candidate, huh? Things are getting more complicated. I just want to sleep.. Meow." Chapter 14 - 14 - Mana The situation to him was like a gift pack inside a gift pack. There seemed to be no endgame. However, he had to try to sort things out to his best. He focused on the new title he got, and lo and behold, a Nixy Window of it popped up. [Title: Kin of Amethyst ->You are being supervised by an entity who prefers to be called Amethyst. -> Skill Granted: [Trinity Candidates]. ] [Skill: Trinity Candidate -> A skill bestowed to only the possible potential vessels for Trinity. -> This passive skill helps Amethyst supervise the holder of the skill subtly. It is meant as a means of control and has no other use.] "I expected this," sighed Reve. A restriction in the form of a skill. It reminded him of his first time at Arcadia. While Nixy was trying to convert his race, something blocked it. It could only resort to mere adjustments. It was like the skill was meant to mould him into a perfect vessel for whatever that Trinity was. Also, Reve noticed that he wasn''t the only vessel. This made him a bit agitated as a situation like that didn''t smell good. It felt more like a battle royale to him. A game to find the perfect vessel. A game he would be forced to play. Reve took his mind off the skill and absorbed a fresh breath of air. Things were going the way he wanted them to. Now, it was indefinite whether he would get his cat harem or not. He tried to cheer himself up by looking at the other skills. [Skill: Sixth Sense(Lv.9) -> An innate skill of all cat races that enables them access to the usually dormant sixth sense of an organism. -> It is used to sense one''s surroundings without relying on any of the main five senses.] [Skill: Energy Sense(Lv.1) -> the ability to perceive the living and breathing energy of the world.] [Skill: Magic Eyes(Lv.Max) -> An innate skill of some special cat races and other unique races. -> It is the ability to sense the magical structure of the world through one''s sense of sight. Not to be confused with [Energy Sense], which is derived from one''s sixth sense.] "Hmmm...these are all good skills," commented Reve. For instance, he had one way or the other already experienced the skills. Reve just needed to be familiar with them and it would be okay. "Meow, now that the--What is this?!" For the first time, he nonchalantly took a look at his physical surroundings and was flabbergasted. Green moss grew around him. The original decrepit buildings now had more holes than he could count. The few books he left open became brown to the point of not recognizing the Arcadish characters. Everything in the building seemed to have been influenced by the sands of time. Even the grasses outside grew a few inches longer. "Did I just travel to the future or what? I fail to believe all of these just happened over a few hours of sleep," Reve paced around. He tried to arrange his thoughts. He slept in the morning and now it was night, evident from the beautiful moon hanging in the sky. However, it might just be a misconception. Perhaps, he slept for days--No, months--No, years! "Hmmm¡­.I slept for a long time¡­.to awaken¡­.hearing it again, it almost sounds like hibernation. Myrna used to talk about some Earth animals that hibernate throughout a season. Of course, it wasn''t this long," analyzed Reve. It followed the cocoon concept, except Reve''s cocoon was basically just sleep. "I do not know how long I slept. It doesn''t even matter. What matters is that I''m done with this place. It has nothing to offer me anymore." He had acquired every bit of knowledge he could scavenge from the books here. Moreover, now that he had obtained the [Energy Sense], he was already good to go. His destination, The closest Mr.Owner''s building. But before that, he has just one last thing to do. As soon as he thought of that particular thing, a Nixy Window popped up. [Notice: You have accessed the Arcade. Do you want to purchase the skill [Appraisal]? ] "Yes," smiled Reve. Following that, a bright white light descended from the sky and invaded the building. It finally settled on his body after much distress. [Notice: [Appraisal] has been acquired. Deducted 10 AP.] It was certainly a strange feeling. The feeling of being a puppet in a stranger''s hands. It was like he had encroached. All his buried secrets had been brought to the light once more. It was extremely frightening. Thankfully, the feeling didn''t last for long. At last, he was ready to go. As he approached the door, he looked back and smiled. He would come back here if he ever had the chance. ...¡­. A few hours after leaving his territory, Reve experimented with his newfound strength. He familiarized himself with the energy called Mana. Of course, his practice targets were the common blue slimes. Currently, he was not yet out of his territory. Just a few more steps and he would be there. *Blob!* *Blob!* A slime came to his sight. "Oh, what a lucky day," purred Reve. As he fixated on the slime, his [Appraisal] began its work. [Blue Slime(Lv.9) Skills: Elongate. Encroachment. Impact Absorption.] These were things Reve already knew about but it didn''t hurt to see them arranged in a way that he could use them as a weapon. As he kept his distance from the slime, he chanted in his mind, "Mana, the first energy of the world. Feel it. Absorb it. Refine it. Then, shoot it out." Those were the basic steps of utilizing the mysterious Mana, the same energy he felt around him. Feel it. Absorb it. Shoot it. Reve heeded the crucial steps. He imagined himself as a magnet for Mana and they came closer to him. The moment they touched his skin, they got sapped into his body, flowing in a random movement. After Reve had gotten control over them, he imagined it flowing out rapidly and directed the angle of the shot. *Phew!* The Mana flew out. It looked saintly as it arched in the air and reached for its target. As if!!!!! In truth, the shot couldn''t even reach its target. It shot out like a depressed man. It was extremely embarrassing to watch. Reve displayed his thick skin by ignoring it and trying again a few times. The second, fail. Since they say the third try guarantees success, he tried again The third, fail. The fourth try, fail. Fifth try, success. The mana shot barely hit the slime, but it did, alright?! The slime reacted to the foreign energy and simply burst into jelly substances. Reve smiled knowing what had just happened. That was the weakness of slimes.. They couldn''t absorb the impact of Mana. Chapter 15 - Mr.Killer __________________________________ Reve''s Random Lectures: Skill Levels -> It is a function of the Nixy Practice that measures the user''s mastery over a certain skill. -> When the user''s mastery has reached its highest potential, the window displays the level of the skill at Lv.Max, which is normally just after Lv.10 for most skills -> Skills at Lv.Max has the potential to evolve, which is just the user learning an advanced form of the skill. __________________________________ The sounds of the birds chirping echoed throughout the forest, bringing forth a sense of peace to all that listened to him. To Reve, the sound was a beautiful melody that influenced his productive state. His sharp eyes darted around and finally stopped at his hidden prey. He had sensed the presence of a creature lurking behind him but he played along. Now, he turned around and revealed a look of ignorance, as if he couldn''t sight the shining skin of fur shining in the green bush. After making sure his prey was right where he wanted, he opened his mouth and a blue ray of light escaped. Following just behind it was a mystical circle with strange patterns that seemed to belong to the flying light. The moment the colour of the circle intensified, the light shot off and left no room for Reve''s prey to dodge. The prey received the full brunt of the attack and fell loudly to the floor. It wiggled a few times before it finally surrendered itself to death. Its cause of death; a small bump on its head that was dilated with the blood. "Heh, I''m bumped. I spent a day just trying to learn this skill. Yet, it still can''t pierce the skin of my preys," sighed Reve. He was truly tired. His mind wandered back to one of the most emphasized words he saw when reading the mana introduction book, "Magic, the phenomenon that changed the direction of Arcadia." Like the book mentioned, Magic was Magic and Mana control was Mana control. In essence, they were the same things but one was an advanced method of the other. Mana control was just manipulating mana. However, Magic was the control of mana through fixating on magic circles which appears after the refined mana is exported outward. It is said to be the representation of the control of the mana. Hence, the more one perfected their magic circle, the more the skill progressed. Of course, other factors like knowledge and aptitude were involved for a skill to level up. As he descended into thoughts, a Nixy window popped up. [NOTICE: The skill window has been updated. The title window has been updated. A new slab has been added to the main window. New skill gained: [Basic Mana Shot].] [Skill: Basic Mana Shot(Lv.1) ->The fundamental skill of all magic users. It involves the aggressive firing of mana through the use of magic.] [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 12 (7/10) Path: Magic Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer, Magic User AP: 36 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] Looking through the Nixy window, Reve understood how deep of an impact learning [Mana Shot] was. It had kick-started his journey on the path of endless mysteries known as magic, which was recognized by Nixy, the world administrator. Now, he had gained more confidence to traverse the dangerous lands and acquire female cat empresses. As long as he sang a song for them, they would gasp in his brilliance. With this goal in his mind, Reve finally took a step out of his territory and into the unknown parts of the island. The first thing he noticed was the heavy stench of blood in the air that couldn''t be blocked by the fresh air provided by nature. It dominated this part of the forest so well that it had spawned a transparent red blood mist that prevented Reve from having a clear sight. Well, it didn''t exactly prevent him. As a member of a cat race, his eyes were sharp enough to see through the blood mist. However, the strange occurrence still unnerved him. His furs couldn''t help but straighten, "Corpses. Bags of bodies littered around in the worst way possible. Clearly, someone forgot to take his chill pill." Next to him were gory remains of beings that were once alive. Some of them still retained their flesh, while some of them appeared to have withered down to mere bones. Even the slight nudge from Reve''s paws turned a few to ashes, scattered forever like coastal sands. Reve had seen something like this way back when he tried to scout this region. He had automatically tagged it as a small skirmish between man and beast but this¡­.this was way worse than what he had previously seen. Reve quickly started gathering information, "Years ago, there was a pattern. It was only human corpses that I saw. Yet, now different carcasses of magical creatures had been added to the collection. They don''t seem to be killed by humans. I can vividly see bite and claw marks. Moreover, these marks appear to be constant¡­..ahhh, this is getting tiresome." Just a minute ago, he was composing the song he would sing to his cat harem. Now, here he was, scavenging facts out of rotten corpses like he was some sort of great explorer uncovering the biggest fallacy of the century. "Apparently, whatever happened here happened in two rounds. The first one was the one I caught glimpses of years ago. The evidence being the corpses that have started decaying. The second round was even more brutal and encompassing. Nothing was spared from the vicinity. Clearly, whoever did this wasn''t a fan of discrimination. Its identity is still not clear. Thus, I shall name it Mr.Killer." Reve bobbed his head as he marvelled at his wise choice of names. He sounded like Great Detective Sherlock Holmes, except that that dude story happens in the future. Anyway, Mr.Killer couldn''t have had a motive for the killing, no pun intended. His slaughter was too wild and unbridled to have an intention. However, to get more information, he had to follow the trail of dead bodies and hope it doesn''t lead him to Mr..Killer. Chapter 16 - Amazon [Race: Human(Lv.9)]... [Race: Human(Lv11)].... [Race: Gray Wolf(Lv.15)].... Similar information was shown to him as he appraised the dead bodies on his path. Walking down the trail of bodies, Reve found out that the pile of dead bodies now comprised more of humans than before. It made him understand that he was walking closer to a human settlement. The dresses on the corpses were different from those that adventurers wore. It was most likely they belonged to a native tribe of humans and the only tribe of humans who lived on the island was called Amazons! They were bad news. Huge bad news! Mr.Owner had once written that the Amazons were children of wars. They were built to fight and destroy. It was only after they settled down on the island did they shed off their old ways. Still, they were strong enough for Mr.Owner to regard them with caution, which spoke of their strength. Reve tried to appraise one of the Amazons. [#########] "True enough. I have little knowledge about them. Even the compensating function of [Appraisal] can''t fix that," pouted Reve. Still, it was a mystery. Each Amazon was born with bodily attributes far greater than the average human. It made no sense for them to be savagely killed by a rabid creature. "Hmm¡­..." Reve stopped in his path as the trail of corpses broke into two. One still going straight while the other leading to what seemed like the settlement he was looking for. He meowed and covertly moved closer to the fence of the settlement. He used his sharp claws to climb over the fence instead of simply walking through the open gates "This seems worse. The blood mist intensified. I hear nothing. Arghh!! Why can''t something be simple?" complained Reve. He didn''t need half his intelligent brain to know that the barren state of the settlement signified that the people that cultivated this piece of land had been rendered...well...barren. Alright, the joke was a bit stale. Anyway, Reve''s sharp nose picked up on the heavy scent of blood lingering in the already tainted air. He followed the scent to the first building. It appeared to be a structure meant to host a sizable family. He had to admit that despite being made of wood, the building could rival those of nobles back on Earth. It wasn''t too big but it was carved up well. However, the front door was clawed down by Mr.Killer. It made Reve reevaluate the size of Mr.Killer. If this mysterious murderous creature was big enough to ram down the door, then his height was half that of a regular tree. Another reason why he should avoid it at all costs. Anyway, he had found the family. They were close to the dining room, dismembered to tiny bits However, the good thing was they were together. Unity! Family prevails. It was quite shocking. Since there was nothing to do in the building, Reve left it and checked other buildings. It was the same scenario at all buildings. Families, killed in the very house they felt at home at. It spoke great lengths of the terrifyingly fast means of Mr.Killer. He was looking closer to bag the killer of the year title. "Oh, something changed here. What was it?" The beautiful killing style of Mr.Killer seemed to have been broken in this particular house. The corpses weren''t concentrated in one area and were rather chaotic. As if¡­.. "It didn''t work here. It wasn''t a one-swipe kill. They fought back, breaking the stealth state of Mr.Killer. but they still died under his claws," analyzed Reve. His breath quickened as he became more interested in what actually occurred in this settlement. He followed the clues, "...the others got alerted. They tried to slay the evil beasts. Judging from the dried black bloodstains, I would say they had a chance. The men united under one hero fought for hours, withstanding the deteriorating state of their bodies. Alas, things did not end up like stories written in fables. They died on this very spot. Their lustrous weapons lost their glean and they became foreigners to the land they built." He was spitting random words. The corpses were right in front of him in what looked like the center of the settlement, an open square. Goriness couldn''t describe the fate of the warriors who tried to resist the attack. Reve subtly left the square and kept on searching for nothing in particular. He just tried to engrave the gloomy environment in his mind. As a cat, he was made to not care deeply for things. Yet, the death of a tribe reminded him of how little his life was in front of true danger. He had to become stronger for his cat harem! With this new goal in mind, Reve walked to the largest building in the settlement. Entering it, Reve understood that it wasn''t a house per se. It was a place for meetings and heavy discussions. The large building was kept clean. No dead body. No blood splashes. Ultimately, no one had been here before the attack Reve "cat-walked" around for a while before noticing something strange. The floor was a bit too light. His innate physiology allowed him to pick up on little things like that. "There is something beneath this structure. An underground channel?" mused Reve. He tapped his paws and traced the vibrations to what looked to an empty corner of the building. A disappointing look dawned his face as he looked around, "It should be here. An entrance. Wait, an entrance!" Quickly, Reve rolled away the inconspicuous carpet protecting the wooden floor. Beneath it was a portion of the floor but the designs in it implied that it could be opened. Reve struggled to open it with his strength. Finally, after a few minutes he was successful. He could feel the stuffy air escaping from the hole in the ground. Just like he had thought, it was an underground cave! Chapter 17 - Red Liquid The air was a bit murky. It felt too tangible. Reve could taste it in his mouth. Nevertheless, it wasn''t hot in the cave as one would expect. Examining all these strange occurrences, Reve couldn''t understand how a cave could be so weird. Before coming down, he had prepared for the dark atmosphere of the cave, as any case would be dimly lit. Apparently, this cave wasn''t! Cool blue crystals embedded themselves into the thick and firm walls of the cave. They became a source of comfortable light that mesmerized anyone who set their eyes on them. Looking at them, Reve got feedback from his [Appraisal] Skill. [ Name: Azure Rocks -> rare rocks of varying sizes that form underground. They can be used for multiple purposes including forging, entertainment, medicinal. ] "I see. They are a rare natural oddity," Reve ruffled his imaginary beards. He walked past the trail of azure rocks and meowed softly, "Leave it to the Amazon tribe to use azure rocks for lighting purposes." He suddenly understood what the term extravagant truly meant. As his mind began to wonder, Reve walked the only available path, ignoring all sorts of natural oddities that were in his way. His senses suddenly tingled, sharply ejecting him from his world of thoughts. "What is it now?" He muttered, his eyes greatly scouring every single thing in his sight. Still not spotting anything strange, he used his [Sixth Sense], which did its magic. "Hmmm, it''s not here but it''s close. I can feel it. A sense of oppression that scares even my [Sixth Sense]," muttered Reve. His [Sixth Sense] forcefully deactivated, leaving him to comprehend the sheer terror of whatever was in front of him. It left him empty and terrified. He always relied on his senses but now that it was blocked, he felt naked¡­..the murky air caressed his fur gently, but all he could feel were cold fingertips. ''Think. I have to think. Could whatever in front of me be Mr.Killer? No, the bloody trail outside suggests Mr.Killer has already left this settlement. Then what is it? Rather, let me correct my question.'' Reve gently tapped his front claw on the cave''s ground, a habit he had gradually picked up from thinking too much. The stinging sound that was produced by him was akin to a beautiful melody that guided his thoughts in the right direction. He began, ''The real question is is it an "it" or an "it"? Is the thing in question a materialistic object or a being such as a magical beast? Judging by my reactions, I''m leaning towards the former. When my senses picked up on it, it didn''t react. Instead, I was the one that reacted.'' His inner thoughts made him review his previous action. It was all true. Even now, he couldn''t hear any feedback from the "thing". A twinkle sparkled in Reve''s eyes as he let out a series of cat-like laughs, hidden in them was a sense of relief, "Hahaha, as expected, I can''t be so unlucky. In fact, looking at things from another point of view, the Amazons treasured this cave and wouldn''t have kept a magical beast here. " He allowed himself to recover confidence and continued trodding the viable path, despite his [sixth sense] deactivated. A minute later, he reached the final parts of the cave, which appeared to be a large open space. At the center of the open space was a red altar that was neither short or tall. His instincts flared up as he began hallucinating. Soft voices rang his ear, telling him to come to the top of the altar. He saw a man in red robes smiling at him. The man said, "come." Just one word, but it echoed frantically! "Come..." "Come¡­." "Come¡­.." Each echo gave tingle of shocks to Reve''s fragile body. It infiltrated his head and settled as his own thoughts. They were begging him to come up¡­..and his body obeyed the traitorous thoughts. His eyes donned the colour of red, mirroring the exact shade the man in the altar wore. Reve climbed the altar. He jumped when necessary as if time was not on his side. When he got to the top, he saw a circular basin, big enough to drown an adult man in it, but there was no liquid substance in it. Reve had to squint his eyes before he could see tiny drops of red liquid situated on the edges of the basin. The man in red appeared in front of him and tempted, "drink it. It''s sweet." He was right. It smelled sweet, like a fermented red wine that have been kept in the cellar for ages. It gave a rich scent that was capable of influencing any that had a sense of smell. Just with its fragrance, it intoxicated Reve. Reve recklessly jumped in the basin and licked the red liquid. Once again, the familiar electric shock sparked in his body, this time it was endless. It was as if a blocked dam had been broken and the water was left to flow abundantly once more. The pleasurable feeling that possessed his body made him jump around to lick any ounce of red liquid that remained in his body. He lost his sense of self and utterly cleaned the basin. There was a trace of redness in his body as his mana exploded. It wasn''t blue as usual, but instead red, as red as the red liquid. Some patches of his white fur also transformed red, making him appear as some sort of colour hybrid. Luckily, it was only a few patches and wasn''t noticeable. Also, the shade of red was a bit grey. The mana in him kept overflowing, creating a sort of mana field that could interfere with the physical world. Derbies of rocks flew in all directions as the transformation continued. Meanwhile, the man in red vanished like a speck of dust. The echoes followed him as well. Reve''s intelligence was offline at this moment. He couldn''t think or even do anything. He wasn''t in control of his body. Such control belonged to the red liquid which was still transforming his body. And with that, he blacked out! Chapter 18 - Red Liquid(2) Like every great story, there was an end. Such was the predetermined outcome of Reve''s intoxicated status. His blurry eyes sharpened as he felt himself trying to comprehend what had just happened to him. "Where am I?" he muttered as he took a glance at his current environment. One thing was for sure¡ªHe wasn''t in the cave anymore. His current location resembled the centre of the Amazon settlement. ''Did I sleepwalk? The last thing I remember is my body betraying me. I was forced to drink the bloody red liquid. Hmmm, did I blackout? Whatever, it doesn''t matter. I have to assess my current state.'' Reve walked closer to the metallic statues at the centre of the village square. He looked at himself through the reflection from statues and smiled, "This is good. I''m still as beautiful as ever. If anything, my handsomeness became more defined. Ohhh, those lady cats won''t be able to take their eyes off me. Hmmm, apart from the few red patches of fur, I can''t see anything new." After observing himself, he trailed around in a circle, trying to organize his thoughts. He mentally marked two key things. One, he clearly drank a foreign substance, whose effects were still unknown. Two, his mana capacity had increased, which indirectly increased his mana. Even better, his body felt stronger. He didn''t have to look at his Nixy Window to tell he had received a massive upgrade. This obviously was directly linked to the red liquid. [Notce: You consumed drops of the blood pool. Various effects have taken to ppaction] [Noice: Most of your attributes experienced a phenomenal rise.] [Notice: The chance of you converting to an Amazon has been negated by skill [Trinity Candidate].] [Notice: Your level has increased. Updating all the Nixy windows.] [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 16 (1/10) Path: Magic Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer, Magic User AP: 36 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] As Reve digested the massive flow of information, he walked out of the settlements. If he was to stay behind, he wondered what sort of danger would happen to him. Also, he had figured out what had previously puzzled him. Why were the so-called Amazons not being able to take care of a magical creature? It made no sense. Reve didn''t belittle Mr.Killer, but it had to be known that the Amazons should have some elderly figures with rich experience and profound strength. After all, they had most likely settled here for years. It didn''t match the picture painted by Mr.Owner. Reve could even dare say that even amazonian children could take care of themselves. They were not weak! ''Hence, these were likely impostors? No, there is no reason to impersonate a tribe, especially when considering the long term. Based on the information I have just processed, it should be either the people of the settlement were normal humans or they were half-amazons. The blood pool backs up this fact .'' ''To gain amazonian''s characteristics, they had to baptize themselves in the blood pool. Blood pool¡­.? What was it made from? I should be of Amazon blood!'' Like a filthy underground blessed with the presence of light once more, every tiny dot in Reve''s mind connected. He could see the greater picture. ''The blood pool was provided by the true Amazons. It was used to convert more regular humans to their side. "Your chance of being converted"...? Which means it is only a possibility, not a certainty. It should be the case for the people of the settlement or else they would have spawned multiple amazons. The true Amazons should have left this area a long time ago. Of course, they couldn''t settle here. How could I forget their war-like behaviour?'' After the conclusion of the huge mystery of the amazons, Reve found himself at the riverside. He had subconsciously walked to where he intended to go. "I have to stop thinking while walking," muttered Reve. He was lucky he didn''t need up in the mouth of a foul beast. Nevertheless, he glanced at the ray of cool light that was produced by the river and the beautiful sun watching above, "River Scyth. The famous river. It is said to flow through all the islands in the archipelago. It is my ticket to the other Mr.Owner''s abodes." When memorizing the maps, Reve noticed that Mr.O, Mr.Owner for short, has positioned his abodes at the sides of the serpentine river. So, if he were to follow the path of the river, he would find the other abodes. Reve was in no hurry to find the second abode. He took his time to hunt some bountiful fishes and practised his magic. Without sufficient practise, one''s magic would get dull, especially a beginner''s magic like his. It wasn''t a boring process at all. In fact, he began to find pleasure in the process of exhausting his mana reserve and refilling it back. Half an hour later, Reve had found his prey to test the fruits of his hard work on. [Wild Cat (Level 14)] [Wild Cat (Level 16)] [Wild Cat (Level 15)] [Wild Cat (Level 17)] Ahead of him was a pride of wild cats. The moment he set his eyes on them, they sensed him and went on alert. "This seems useless now," sighed Reve. He didn''t need the appraisal skill to inform him of the race of his enemies. Big brown fur. Huge body. Long whisk. Terrifying bushy mane. These were all the characteristics of a wild cat. In truth, they were more similar to the lions of Earth. Reve kept his eyes on them, paying attention to any minute movement, "I suddenly feel like sleeping. They have the numbers and the destructive force. Also, they are neophytes. Hence, they would have innate skills that could rival magic skills." *Whoosh!* Having being predators all thier lives, the wild cats took the first move. The biggest cat jumped at Reve and swiped his claw. Reve swiftly dodged the claw and attempted to jump on the back of the wild cat. However, he sensed another presence behind him so he retreated. ''Ahh, I knew it was never going to be easy,'' sighed Reve. He was prepared to activate his magic skill when an insane fiery ball appeared in front of his small body. It moved closer to him at a speed that could rival his. "Now, what is that? The [Fireball] innate skill. I''m jealous," Reve observed the skill. It was his first time seeing a skill of magical nature other than his. Nevertheless, since he had sensed it a while away, he had devised a set of counter-moves. A magic circle opened close to his mouth. It gave off a mystical feeling that contained the rich smell of the unknown. Yet, it blinked in and out of existence, indicating it''s unstable status. However, that did not stop Reve from using his attack. With the power of the magic circle, he wielded a blob of mana with finesse and fired at the fire ball. *Boom!* The two attacks clashed, leading to a beautiful negation. Meanwhile, Reve smiled as he looked at the strength of his skill. The smile did not last for long. He soon noticed that he had made an erroneous mistake. He had taken his eyes off his enemy. As soon as he spread out his senses once more, he marked the new location of his adversaries.. They were in a circle, with him at the center¡­.and air around them was becoming increasingly hot! Chapter 19 - Magic Circle "Bullocks! I took my eyes off," bitterly smiled Reve. He realized that the change in temperature signified the emergence of the [Fireball] skill. Furthermore, it was coming from all directions! He inwardly thought, ''I really need to expand my skill repertoire. My magic can only be considered half-baked.'' ''That is for the future.....if there is a future after this. For now, I have to focus. How do I react? [Mana Shot] requires too much focus, which is backed up by visual sight! Hmmm, I can work from that angle. My eye is limited to a straight angle. But must it be my eye?'' If there was one thing he had learnt after becoming a magic user, it was that magic was fluid. It was ever-changing and no concept could be said to be the staple of magic theories. With this understanding, an idea sparked in Reve''s turbulent mind, "My highest skill is [Sixth Sense]---Oh damnation! The wild cats have reached the final stages of their attack." Suddenly, he stopped thinking and simply closed his eyes. Time was against him. In the world of his mind, a three-dimensional outlook of his surroundings was revealed to him albeit a little too shady for him to discern accurately. He filled in the problem with his [Mana Sense], which pinpointed the exact location where mana was being charged ferociously. Without thinking, he materialized his magic circles. This time, they weren''t blinking. Under pressure and the gaze of death, he was able to stabilize them. "[Mana Shot]!" A blob of mana got ejected from the mana circles and blitzed to their destination at an insane speed. It was faster than the highest speed Reve had ever reached. The execution of his skill almost coincided with the wild cats'' execution of [Fireball]. Nonetheless, the speed of Reve''s skill made it neglect this happenstance. The disastrous shots buried themselves in the bodies of the wild cats in no time and left a gaping hole near their hearts. In one of the wild cats, the outline of a damaged heart could be vividly seen. The cats whimpered as they fell to the ground. It wasn''t long after that they died from their injuries. Meanwhile, Reve panted wildly due to the complete exhaustion of his mana. Luckily, there were no magical creatures here to take advantage of the perilous situation. "I prefer sleeping to fighting. Ahhhh," wailed Reve. Mana exhaustion, in a way, was worse than its physical counterparts. It brought a terrifying lineup of headaches, body spasms, loss of thought, and sore muscles. Reve did not want to be under its influence again. As his negative status was gradually relieved, Reve took his time to review the battle. He suddenly found himself smirking at his creativity, "Using my sixth sense and mana sense to substitute my sense of sight. Wow, I must be a genius. No, I have always been this brilliant. Hahaha, those female cats will like me more. I shall name this style [Blind Magic]!" [Notice: Desire to name an existing magic style has been received. Due to its existing nature, the desire to name it has been rejected.] "...." He just shot himself in the toe¡­. Well, it made sense. This world wasn''t full of fools. Magic sharpened their intelligence. It was no wonder the magic style had already been created. It might even be developed. [Notice: Subsequent Examination. The Magic Style [Unnamed] has not been titled. Desire to name it has been approved. Two achievement points granted.] [Notice: [Blind Magic] has been added to your skill window.] [Notice: You have gained a new title: Initiate. Your "path" has been updated] [Notice: Your level has increased along with some of your attributes.] [Notice: Skill [Basic Mana Shot] has reached its level max.] [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 17 (1/10) Path: 1st Circle Arcanist (Magic) Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer, Magic User(Initiate) AP: 38 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 9 Speed: 18 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 20 Mana: 15 ] [ Skills: Trinity Candidate(Max). Sixth Sense(Lv.9). Energy Sense(Lv.1). Magic Eyes(Max). Basic Mana Shot(Max). Blind Magic(Lv.1). Appraisal(Lv.1) ] "Hmmm, it is time to advance my mana shot. Sadly, I have no idea as to how to go about it. I hope Mr.O''s second abode will be able to enlighten me. For now, I just have to practice it along with my other skills." His sharp eyes lingered on his "path" for a while before breaking out. If he were to guess, it marked his profession and also his profession''s system of magic, which he obviously had no idea about. However, he had a clue. The term "1st Circle" made him think of his magic circle. He could only materialize one per skill. Perhaps that was how they ranked magic mastery. The more magic circles materialized per skill, the higher one''s rank was. "Sigh, can I just sleep?" It was a cat''s instinct to be lazy. Yet, he found himself repeatedly forced against it. Can''t the cat just rest? Hmph! Once he got to his destination, he would have days--no, months of rest. After all, he was a lonely cat with no destination or goal. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he whimpered, "Myrna¡­." The familiar figure appeared in his mind with her usual crazy smile but kind smile. It was at times like these that his ordained human caretaker would find something reckless to do. Heck, she never gave him time to rest. Reve''s body trembled as he faced the sad reality, "....She is most likely dead¡­.Idiot!" It was unknown who the last word was pointed at. Was it the cat or the dead human? Or maybe both of them? Even a carefree cat could curse himself? Reve''s eyes were downcast as he dragged one of the wild cats along with him to his destination. Even his godliness could not disperse the sad atmosphere that lingered in the air seemingly eternal. For the first time, the god felt lonely¡­... Chapter 20 - Damnation A voice disrupted the serene atmosphere in the forest, "So, this is it?" It wasn''t human. It belonged to a certain cat who viewed itself as the best cat alive. It marvelled at the sight of a small cave opening at the riverside. The mouth of the cave wasn''t anything obvious. If he wasn''t searching for something like that, he would have subconsciously ignored it. Slowly, he inched closer to the cave but stopped when he noticed something strange. His heterochromatic eyes turned blue as his sight changed to a colourful one, "There is a magic circle in the cave but it''s dormant. It should be for shaking off unwanted guests." His trail of thoughts made him discover something, which prompted him to exclaim, "Wait a minute, aren''t I an unwanted guest?" "I guess it''s okay since the magic circle is inactive. But¡­.how was it made?" The growing mage in him made him question the existence of the magic circle. His knowledge of magic circles was that they were a reflection of mana manipulation. That meant that for every magic spell or skill, there was a corresponding magic circle. If going further, one should note that magic spells needed a second party to invoke them, providing their power source which was mana! Hence, his curiosity was not unfounded. With his [Magic Eyes], he could infer that the cave''s magic circle was active some time ago, maybe years ago. It was powered! By who then? Or maybe by an object that could contain mana? If so, that was wonderful. It had to be known that even mages find it hard to contain mana without leaking a few units. A drool dropped from Reve''s mouth as he increased his pace, "I will have to see it up close." It was the same issue with the teleportation circles, which, when he thought back on, was quite peculiar. Reve forgot all about his promised sleep and entered the cave. He walked closer to the nexus of the magic circle situated on the left wall of the cave''s mouth. "Hmmm, the lines in the circle are leading somewhere," muttered Reve. He traced one of the waning lines to the depth of the cave. Instantly, he got hit by the smell of old books, the signature of the abodes of mages. It seemed the end of the case appeared to be a room or, at least, tried to appear. It was supported by long wood stands that would support the cave, prohibiting it from suddenly crashing down. Reve traced the magic circle line to a stop. The trial ended with the line entering a spot on the ground. The spot pulsed with blue energy. When the plus contacted the magic lines, it lighted it for a moment before darkening back. Half a second later, the cycle repeated itself. It attracted Reve''s eyes, "What is that? The power source? I don''t understand." What he did understand was his meagre knowledge of the concept called magic. He wasn''t qualified to even examine things of the past. Hanging his head down, Reve decisively left the blue spot. He focused on the rest of the room. "A comfortable chair. A large bookshelf. A fireplace. Table for various equipment and stashing supplies. A smaller table for his experiments. A large picture hanging on the wall. This definitely feels wizardly¡­..Hmmmm... " Reve moved closer to the picture to inspect it. He couldn''t tell whether it was drawn or made by magic. Either way, depicted in the picture was an old man with long grey hair and beards. He wore a black robe and put on a long wizard hat. He definitely was what one would first think of when they heard the word wizard. On the bottom right corner of the picture were handwritten words. They were written in a language he could not understand. However, just below that was a language he could understand. English! Reve read the characters, "5100 A.E." He thought deeply of what that might mean. It was some sort of date, detailing a specific time period; A.E. If so, what was the current time period? "I really need to learn this world''s language. But how am I to achieve that? I haven''t met a single living thing that doesn''t want to kill me," sighed Reve. His sight left the picture and focused on the most important stuff in the room; the bookshelves! Mr.O had a weird fetish for translating books to English counterparts. "Even though it''s weird, wherever he is, may the Lord bless his soul," prayed Reve. He gently pulled a book from the bookshelf and read it, "#&#%#%#...let me read it again." "#&%#%#%#...." "....." "Blasphemy, this is not in English!" screamed Reve. He was under the impression that the books here were translated but if not..... Reve took another book and checked it. The outcome was the same; not readable! He started to panic as his furs left his skin, "No.No.No.No.No." Books after books, it was all the same. "Yes, this one is in English. Let''s see¡­."How to build a cave"...." Reve wept internally as he entered curses, "Damnation¡­." He had wasted his time coming to this abode. He wasn''t even sure if the others wouldn''t be the same. After all, not all the books in the previous abode were in English. He shouldn''t have expected otherwise for this abode. Now, it served no purpose to him. "Ahhhh!" Reve''s vein bulged as he threw a fit in the room. By the time he was done, it felt more like a cat''s room. Having satisfied his inner cat-self, he laid on the cold floor and simply closed his eyes. It was time to sleep. [Notice: A request has been made to contact you by an unknown force.] Reve jumped up as soon as he heard the familiar voice in his head. He briefly digested the information and felt disappointed. He wasn''t in the mood to deal with anything. He thought, "Can I reject?" [Notice: You have been given free will. Reject or Accept?] [Notice: Rejection has been received.] After a few seconds, he got no more messages from Nixy and realized the matter has been settled. Then, he went back to sleep. All of a sudden, he felt like an itch was on his back. Something was wrong and his senses weren''t responding. His eyes fluttered opened and the first thing he saw was a hazy figure which responded to him, "Hello." ... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 21 - Amethyst Reve''s jaws were left wide open at the sight of the uninvited guest. The strange atmosphere prolonged for about a full minute until the figure spoke, "Strange. Was I too formal? Would a semi-casual "Hi, there!" or a casual "Yo!" work? Could it be that he prefers something like "Hello, love".....If it''s him, I''m sure that''s plausible¡­.." It was unknown whether he was just talking to himself or to Reve. However, Reve had to put a stop to his line of barbaric thoughts. He confidently shouted but his body gesture revealed his embarrassing state, "I don''t!" "Oh, is that so..? Is it because I''m not a female cat?" The figure responded with a gaze that made Reve feel guilty. Reve got frustrated and shot out, "Enough about that. Wait, you can understand me?!" He thought to himself, one step further, ''Is he the unknown entity that Nixy alerted me about?'' To his surprise, the figure smiled at him, "Yes, I am. As for your previous question, though you speak gibberish, I can comprehend the meaning behind them and speak in English, creating an effective communication." His words instantly put Reve on alert. The cat jumped five steps back and cautiously eyed the figure. He never asked the figure about his identity. He only thought of it! "Oh about that, I can read your thoughts." "....kill me¡­.." The figure looked on silently, "Hmmm, I can''t do that. I need you" Reve sighed, still harbouring cautiousness, "I was joking.." "Oh¡­..." The figure tried to salvage the situation, "I was joking too" However, the sharp look Reve gave him highlighted his failure to successfully salvage. This led to another round of silence which lasted for about two minutes. Reve broke the silence, asking a repeated question, "So, you are the unknown entity?" "I believe I said so," calmly replied the figure. Reve retorted, "I also believe I rejected your request. Do you understand the meaning of the word No?" The figure just shrugged in response to the answer. He revealed a pure and innocent smile, greater than that of a baby, "Having reached this level, I don''t really need permission. I was just being cordial." Reve wondered how someone could brag and still stay humble at the same time. Nonetheless, the confidence emanated from the figure put him on the edge. Clearly, he has the means to back up at least half his words. The figure took the chance to speak up, "Allow me to introduce myself; Jayke Khaos Amethyst. You can call me Khaos or simply K." He tipped his head, along with his hat, in a gentlemanly manner. Reve, however, was not interested in the warm gesture. Something didn''t sound right to him. What was it?! "Wait! You are Amethyst as in "an external force interrupted the conversion process.."? As in, "Kin of Amethyst, Trinity Candidate.."? As in, "the chance of me becoming stronger had been negated by you"? " He could go on and on listing the wrongs this "elusive" figure had done to him. Once again, an innocent smile donned on the figure''s hazy face, "Yes, that''s me." He spoke like a child that was called to take his award. It was extremely annoying to Reve, who was deprived of sleep. Ultimately, Reve could do nothing to something unknown, except exasperate sadly, while crying inside, "What do you want?" "No. No. I''m perfectly fine with watching your escapades. The real question is what do you want?" The figure revealed his intention. Reve voiced out the same words, pondering on what they meant, "What do I want?" "Yes. Out of all my lab ra--Candidates. You are the one--primo--uno lacking sufficient knowledge to navigate. So, I figured it''s high time I gave you your orientation," smiled the figure. Reve couldn''t get the feeling that the figure felt proud of himself, as if he was helping a homeless person. It ticked the wrong spots to Reve! "Oh..." Reve could only say one word while digesting the information he had just received. Candidates. Knowledge. Navigate. Orientation. These were all important details. It backed up his previous deduction he had on the [Kin of Amethyst] title. First, he was not the only one with the title. Second, he was the weakest one. Third, they were pooled together to form a sort of battle royale. Fourth, there was an endgame to this senseless charade. "You hurt my feelings. It''s not a senseless charade. I have a noble goal," wept the figure called Amethyst. "Oh, what is it?" asked a curious Reve. "To spread my seed to the world." "..." The figure sighed, "You won''t understand." All of a sudden, he presented himself as a lonely boat floating in the naked ocean. His only friend; the water horizon. The figure then gazed at Reve, "We should start now. First, invite me in." "Aren''t you in already?" wondered Reve. "It''s common courtesy to ask for an invitation," replied the figure. ".....Okay, you can come in. Before that, why are you so...hazy," questioned Reve. He could only identify the gender of the figure but nothing more. "It''s to protect you. My presence is quite sharp for mortal eyes. Give me one second," smiled the figure. He snapped his fingers and the haze around him disappeared. It revealed a beauty far greater than any Reve has laid his eyes on. His black silky hair danced wildly in the air. His blue and purple eyes were of the purest kind. His creamy skin felt warmer than the sun. The figure was dressed in a normal shirt with a long sleeve inner and tight pants. He wore a long short sleeve jacket over them. If anything, he looked quite sleek. However, he was not weirded out by the intense stare that Reve gave him. He coughed lightly to bring Reve back to reality and summoned a chair from the earth to it on. Suddenly, the vibe he gave was of a quiet but sharp young man, unlike the jovial self he presented himself as previously, "Now that the introductions have been concluded, let''s begin, Reve." Chapter 22 - Amethyst(2) "First, I will begin with the things that connect you and me together," Amethyst claimed. He tapped his finger in the air and a rectangular rose up, "Two parties. You and I, just like I said. To analyze things, we must start with the origin." His ability to spout ridiculous things and still make sense amazed Reve, someone whose inner thoughts were mostly ninety percent(90%) gibberish. The rectangular table glowed and holographic figures appeared moving around the table, but not exceeding the border of the table. They seemed to be waiting for the words of Amethyst to breathe more life into them. "Me, a god. A real god, unlike those charlatans. It all started at the primal stages of this world. It was empty¡­.null...void...no spark of life could be detected. It was in its growing phase," slowly chided Amethyst. He began a story that was acted out by the figures on the rectangular table. They formed a large ball of mass that seemed to be unstable in form. It shook countless times but its foundation was solid enough to keep it safe. That was until¡­.. "The world reached a phase and expanded. It broke apart and spread wide. A single movement tore down the massive physical mass. I refer to it as the expansion phase. It filled the void of its surroundings and established itself as a growing world. That was when I came into the picture¡­." After the large ball broke apart, it formed the larger world that Amethyst spoke of. It periodically circulated, just like a real celestial body would. All of a sudden, a large light glimmered in the dark expanse. It moved around, scouring the new world like a child starved of water. "I was interested in what this new world would offer. However¡­." After a while of aimless ransacking, the large light was confronted by another large light¡­.. "I found something else. A being just like me. Originally, I had assumed this was a world formed naturally but it was otherwise. It was a world of someone''s creation. I became even more interested in why a being would waste effort creating a world. Of course, to seek answers, I asked it politely but that being didn''t understand my positive gesture. It attacked me and I was forced to respond" The two large lights began to hit each other. Each time, one of them would dim their glow. It was usually the one on the losing end. After another brief but not brief period of time, only one light was left remaining. "I won. I didn''t kill it though. After bullying the being, I forced it into eternal hibernation and buried it in somewhere comfortable for it. I then took over the world and figured out the answer to my question. It was an experiment¡­.based on a topic that I, my siblings, and even my father, had different opinions about." The last large light, once again, danced all around the world until it stopped at a large celestial body. A blue core that showed almost as bright as it. "Evolution. Not just any evolution; limitless evolution. Of course, I didn''t need that, but to reach my level, evolution was required. A higher state of being and whatnot...However, this being was trying to find a shortcut to this higher state. Really impressive but of course, it wasn''t successful. His approach was still basic." "I took over his experiment and changed a few defective details. I switched the purpose from evolution to a more stable concept. It created the energy which existed in all of Arcadia, an energy that self-improves the bodies of its inhabitants. This is quite different from the energy of other worlds, but it wasn''t that much different. Instead, its uniqueness laid with a term I call conditional evolution, which is just as named. Don''t worry about it, only a few can meet the requirements for it. Oh¡­.." Amethyst realized that he was trailing away from the main topic and instantly switched back, "That''s me, the first party. Then onto you¡­...Reve, a rare cat from the brotherly planet of Arcadia. By coming in contact with what Earthlings call Devil Triangle, I manipulated the teleportation circle and moved you over before you could die--" He was cut off by a soft voice from Reve, "Is she dead?" "The human girl that was with you? Yes, she''s dead. There was no way she could survive. You only survived due to me protecting you," replied Amethyst. "She''s dead¡­," silently muttered Reve. He gazed at Reve sadly, "Why didn''t you save her too?" "She was of no relevance to me," replied Amethyst. He expanded, "You were what I needed." Amethyst still maintained the same level of purity he had a while ago. He had no idea of the implication of his words. However, from a third party''s perspective, Amethyst wasn''t responsible for the human girl. Reve also understood that, which was why he didn''t lash out. Yet, he buried his head in his body and trembled occasionally. He had known she was dead but finally confirming it was still a bit hard to swallow. After a while, he brought up his face to stare at Amethyst, "Can something be done--Is there still hope?" Amethyst lightly smiled back and said two words that sparked a plug in Reve''s mind, "There is." "There is what?" Reve trembled. He wasn''t going to raise his hopes for naught. "There is hope," Amethyst spelled out patiently. "Are you sure?" "Yes." "What is it?" Amethyst ignored the fervent eyes of Reve and spoke out, "It will only be revealed when you fulfill your purpose, a purpose which you will come to understand in a moment''s time." He took Reve''s silence as a sign of compliance and continued his so-called orientation, "After you were transported, I observed you to check if you would make a done candidate. You did, excellently well at that, I would say. Hence, I stamped a permanent seal on your candidate status." He motioned his figures to continue presenting and asked a rhetorical question, "Now what does the candidate title entail?" Chapter 23 - Amethyst(3) "A candidate for what exactly? It all leads back to me," chided Amethyst. He collapsed the figures dancing on the table and rose them back up with a snap of his finger. By the time Reve noticed the change in the figurines, they had already transformed into four objects. The first was what looked like a man and the other three were three orbs hovering around the man. "You see, I was fascinated with the unexpected...the unknown ...the anomaly. Regrettably, I was none of that. Sure, in my heydays, I shined like the bright sun but such brilliance did not originate from nowhere. I was blessed. My heritage was rich. Since I took my first breath, my fate was a foregone conclusion." Amethyst spoke in a raspy tone. Even Reve could feel the uncomfortable emotions welling up in him. However, he wondered what being didn''t want to be special? If he had the chance, he would take it with pleasure. Reve didn''t interrupt and let Amethyst immerse him with his story. Slowly, the three orbs revolved above the figurine man, each shining brightly. "By the time I reached an adult age, I was in possession of four sources of power. Although, I didn''t have full access to them. At first, it was just three. They nearly killed me. Three was too much for even my godly self. I had to even them out, make them listen. And how do I do that? I figured they were too concentrated on each other. If there was a fourth party, it would lead to a beautiful checkmate. The fourth party would unite them." Listening to Amethyst, Reve''s mind was reminded of the name of a particular skill he possessed, "Trinity¡­...Trinity Candidate. Three! Third!" Suddenly, everything was making sense to him. He glanced at the orb hovering above the figurine man. This did not go unnoticed by Amethyst, who revealed a sharp smile, "You are getting there." Following his will, one of the orbs rose above the two other orbs. It revealed all its sides to the patient eyes watching it. Carved on its body were multiple lines that glowed with different colours. "My first power source was an inherited heritage. I''m not human. I''m a Phaent, a cosmic race." Afterwards, the floating orbs met with the other two. One of the other two orbs rose up in its stead. Its surface was scaly and it shone with a blue and silver hue. "My second power source¡­..another inherited heritage. From my mother''s side. She belonged to the proud Drakov race, another cosmic race. Hence, I''m half Phaent - Half Drakov. Now, you see my point." Even Reve trembled when he thought of how blessed Amethyst was. Only a person like him was qualified to be frustrated about his "power sources". On the rectangular table, the second orb joined the first orb while the third orb took its place. It was a purple orb covered by a gray mist. "My third power source. Haha, that one was the wildest one. You see the universe is rhythmic even though it spawns dome sporadic things. The third power source was one of those things. It was in the form of an identity called [Son of Chaos]. Anyone could be born with that identity. It wasn''t without its limitations though. For instance; the short lifespan and uncontrollable power. I was born with it and had to face the limits. After a lot of struggles, I transcended the limits and took the mantle of [Khaos], the lord of chaos and order. It''s a long story. Now, onto the important part." The third orbs declined and the three orbs were finally united again. They celebrated by revolving the figurine man once again. They were in a wonderful formation with each of them having an equal distance from the other. At the centre of this formation, a small dot was amassing. "Stuffed with these powerful power sources, I became suffocated. I needed an identity. My own identity! An exclusive power source! I created it after merging the uniqueness of all my power sources. I washed away the influences of all the power sources, making it raw and pure. It became its own power source whose purpose was to manage the others. I call it-- " Reve interjected at this point, "Trinity¡­..." "Yes, as for what exactly it entails. You are not still a candidate," responded Amethyst. He went on, "After an uncountable period, it is time to leave my mark in the universe¡­.not that I haven''t though. I have waited for millennials in this world for this purpose only. You talk about my goal? My grand goal is to sire a protege. Just that¡­...a protege to host the offshoot of Trinity." "A host¡­..?" questioned Reve. "Yes, a host. [Trinity Candidate]. A candidate for the position of a host. The direct title; [Kin of Amethyst]. It''s self-explanatory," explained Amethyst. His orientation had reached halfway. By now, Reve understood what his role as a candidate meant. "So...." Reve led on. "Being a candidate depends on compatibility, which is why I''m strict in your development course. The imposed limitations make the candidates the best choice possible. It builds up compatibility," said Amethyst. Reve could understand what he meant. In essence, he was nurturing the perfect vessel for the Trinity power. "Let me guess. The vessel has to be empty, which is why you prohibited Nixy from converting me and also stopped the red liquid for making me an amazon?" realized Reve. He didn''t need an answer. It was obvious enough. Nevertheless, Amethyst still nodded in confirmation. He gave more information, "All the candidates will be compelled to move to my castle when the time is right. Don''t worry, you will know its location at that time. I will then decide my means of deciding on the eventual host. I''m leaning towards a battle of death, but who knows?" Reve once again sighed, "There is a problem." "What is it?" "It''s not equal" "Huh?" Reve went on, "You saved me. And in return, I''m required to be a candidate. To top it off, I have chains on me that limit my development scope. The scale is not even." Amethyst brought his right hand to his chin and spoke his thoughts, "Hmmmmm¡­.what you say has merit. Truly, you are the weakest candidate. However, that makes you a better choice for a hidden reason." He continued analyzing the issue and reached a conclusion, "Before I depart, I will give you something that would hone your skill as compensation." Chapter 24 - Amethyst(4) Amethyst snapped his fingers loudly after reaching a conclusion, "Alright, I know what to give you." Reve looked at him curiously. He wondered what gift the enigmatic god had for him. He was starting to get ticked off that Amethyst kept it a secret. Nevertheless, he let the egoistic God do as he wished. After all, it wasn''t like he could force him to reveal it, right? Reve''s kept a calm face while possessing wild thoughts. His level of shamelessness protected him from being embarrassed by the possible fact that Amethyst was currently reading his thoughts. He took another look at Amethyst''s perfect face. All he saw were flashes of cordial smiles thrown at him. ''He knows¡­.'' Reve smiled internally. Amethyst, however, didn''t take offence with Reve''s blasphemous thoughts. If he did, Reve would probably have been reduced to ashes. He said, "That concludes ninety percent(90%) of the orientation. Now, moving on to the last ten percent(10%)...the most important part. This concerns a main issue you are struggling with¡­." Reve happily bobbed his head when he heard Amethyst. He knew what this was about. He confidently asked, "This is about the lack of female cats in this forest, right?" "..." This time, it was Amethyst''s turn to be speechless. He gave Reve a weird glance and second-guessed his decision of making the cat a candidate. "No. No, it is not..." replied Amethyst. Reve sadly brought down his head, "What a pity? So, this is about my language problems, I guess?" It wasn''t that Reve hadn''t considered this before but that was not his main priority. Just as how human men prioritize women before their male companions, cats too have a strong sense of priority. "Yes, it''s about that. You have found the abodes of Zatius, one of Arcadia''s strongest mages. Yet, you couldn''t reap anything significant. That was truly a tragedy. You had no idea on what path to traverse. Yet, you blindly chose a path," explained Amethyst. "Wait, Mr.Owner''s real name is Zatius?" "Yes. He was quite interesting. I watched him for a while when he was building his abodes. It''s such a pity what happened to him," Amethyst lowered his voice. His love for talents was expressed clearly for Reve to understand. This man---no, this God had an insane desire to groom the unexpected. It bordered the line of a fetish. As for what happened to Zatius, Reve didn''t ask about it. He already had an idea. Instead, he took the chance to question, "So, should I assume you have something to remedy the situation?" His eyes burned feverishly when he thought of finally covering the language barrier. Amethyst replied nonchalantly, as if disappointed, "Not exactly, ultimately it still depends on you. What I will do is provide you with an Arcadish language book written in English along with several other helpful books. By reading them, you can hone your language skills. How is it? Don''t you feel the pleasurable feeling of a challenge?" Reve''s face squeezed when he heard Amethyst. It squeezed more especially when he heard the last two sentences. ''Leave it to this insane God to find pleasure in torturing the weak and defenceless...'' he thought. He even wondered how he had expected Amethyst to give him something free so easily. However, it wasn''t a bad thing per se. Back on Earth, Myrna taught him the English language. Of course, he wasn''t extraordinarily perfect with it, but he was able to understand more than enough. It wouldn''t be difficult to comprehend another language after having sufficient experience. "I''ll take it," confirmed Reve. Instantly, a large load of books appeared above him and fell to the ground. They could fill half a bookshelf. "What are these?" Reve wavered. Amethyst simply said, with his innocent smile, "The books." "Then why are they this much?" "My apologies. The language book is not exactly one book. It comprises many books covering the Arcadish-English academic course, which is extraordinarily rare in this world. They used to teach this before but the knowledge got lost with the passing of time. Now, it''s ancient." "Oh...." Reve once again wondered if Amethyst''s aim was to kill him through unconventional means. As if sensing his thoughts, Amethyst soothed, "Fear not, once you mastered the books, you would be qualified to be titled an Arcadish Scholar." His attempts at reassuring the cat were futile as expected. This made him switch to a new tactic, "Enough about that. It''s time for me to grant you a skill and take my leave." "Ohhh¡­.." this certainly caught Reve''s attention. He focused intently on what the wicked God was about to do. Amethyst stood from his spot and walked closer to Reve, all the while explaining himself. "Body. Soul. Energy....the three cores of existence. Although, there are other cores. It is certainly a marvellous concept. One particular distant core is the mind, which has the traits of the three cores. It is the regulator.....maintain the body, house the soul, possess energy." Amethyst quickly got within an inch distance from Reve. He locked his clear eyes with Reve''s as his mouth went on, "The mind possesses limitless potential. At the same time, it does not. It''s up to one''s "configuration"." Amethyst had a way of enthralling one with just his words. He made Reve simulate the unspoken mysteries of the mind. Reve tried to resist but he found his body betraying him. He listened intently to Amethyst''s voice, which had suddenly become divine, "For you aspire for more power. I shall acquiesce and grant you power...yet not power. A new path to walk, one as rocky as the slopes of a mountain....as wild as the traitorous northern winds.....as elusive as the lurkers of the cosmos. The path of the mind!" Amethyst finally placed his right index on Reve''s forehead. His brilliant energy penetrated the focal point of the cat and stopped his overflowing thoughts. "Beware. For you have asked for power. A cost will be demanded...that is if you can bear the hellish pain that precedes this moment." The last thought Reve had was that of confusion. Just like Amethyst prophesied, what followed after was the literal and figurative tearing of his brain cells. "Ahhh!!!!" Reve screamed loudly as his eyes turned fully white. This went on for a day¡­. Chapter 25 - The Path Of The Mind(1) Reve opened his eyes frantically. ''Where am I?'' he thought as his brain was still a bit slow. The last thing he remembered was the massive shock that shut down his processing unit. It wouldn''t be weird if he had died due to the pain. He sighed as he realized his naivety, ''I shouldn''t have asked for a skill. Amethyst clearly doesn''t care about the means, only the end. I was disposable so he wouldn''t be careful with his methods.'' He dropped his line of thoughts and focused on his surroundings. His brain had started to kick in, which made him comprehend the fact that wherever he was wasn''t familiar. He was in a world of clouds that floated around. The clouds exuded a mesmerizing vibe that captivated him whole heartedly. One of the clouds carried him, disregarding the law of nature. It was certainly dream-like. A voice reached out to him in his stupor, "Your perception of me is hurtful. Yet not without merit, you got one thing right; I don''t give free things." Reve could recognize the pure tone of that voice even when he was sleeping. He turned around, looking at the person, and asked carefully, "Where are we?" Amethyst smiled back, "Your mind. Come to think of it. "It" should activate in three...two¡­.one.. " "What are you talki--Ahhhh" Reve clutched his head as he fell flat on the cloud surface. The familiar pain that struck him before was repeating itself. It was like his brain was being hammered by a special hammer with nails at the edges. "Ahh!!----Make it stop!" He abandoned his pride and tried to beg Amethyst to stop it but all he got was Amethyst''s signature pure smile. He was all on his own¡­.. White fumes rolled out of his agape mouth as the pain intensified. His eyes all white. His body, damaging itself by shedding furs. He needed to do something. What could he do? He could stop the pain. Yes, his head! Reve was tempted to break his head. Yes, if he did that then it might stop. He transferred strength to his weak paws and gripped his head tightly¡­..when, suddenly, the pain stopped. ''What? It''s over?'' thought Reve. He prepared himself for the second coming of the wave of pain but nothing happened even after a full minute. "That is the cost¡­..a curse. Not concocted by me. It was the power that demanded that cost," explained Amethyst. He went on, without waiting for Reve to digest his words, "The path of the mind is rare and extraordinarily queer. It does not follow set patterns. There''s a factor of aptitude but it''s not necessary. What matters is one''s luck. If you can access the path, then all the factors will become relevant." He spoke in circles, which made it hard for Reve to understand. The latter asked, "So, basically, access to the path is sporadic?" "Yes." Reve nodded. It made sense if it was that way. Perhaps there were some races born with access to that path, but still not able to use it proficiently. Perhaps, there were some individuals that accessed the path through the use of strange items. They were no different from Reve, who had Amethyst''s help. In essence, the path was blocked by a sturdy wall. One needed to pierce through it. This symbolization matched with what Amethyst did to him. Also, it would explain why he still felt pains. His mind wall was pierced brutally. Now, he was getting feedback! As a show of enlightenment, Reve''s eyes glowed blue. The became clearer than a mirror surface. Amethyst smiled when he heard Reve''s thoughts, "Brilliant deduction. Yes, the curse is an outcome of my previous action. It will plague you until you get accustomed to it." His all-encompassing eyes scoured the great cloud world as he mused, "Piercing your "mind wall" gave you access to the path. As for what ability you receive, it is random. You should be able to realize the other mechanics of the path later. For instance, your mindscape..." "Mindscape¡­..?" Review repeated. "Yes, the mystical dimension where your mind exists. I''m sure you can feel your connection to it. This is where your seat of thoughts takes place. The mindscape takes the form of your deepest desire. It is true¡­.pure¡­..saintly¡­..lies and deceit do not exist here. Here, you are your truest self. The self one hides from reality. This is the place of mysteries. I have always been fascinated with mindscapes." Reve looked at his so-called mindscapes. It was a world of clouds. Sometimes, clouds symbolized sleep and dreams. ''It''s true,'' Reve discerned. His desire to sleep forever. It was a cat''s innate desire. Despite not being his deepest desire. It was something he could never shake off. Reve could also feel the connection he had with each cloud. It was as if he willed it to be, they would float to him. He voiced out his doubts, "I''m the god of this world¡­?" "Seems like you are catching up. Yes, you are. This is a world of your imagination. Here, you are the creator. Before, you ask, No. You can''t influence me in this world. I''m too strong for that," Amethyst answered with pride. He went on, "The path of the mind embodies the mind''s influence over the outside world. Hence, it runs on mind energy or mental energy. My father refers to it as Psi-Force." After giving Reve a brief rundown, he snapped his fingers and both of them appeared in the real world. "Now, my work here is done. I owe you nothing henceforth. My advice for you is to grow stronger. Your fellow candidates are spectacular. Farewell, Reve, the dreamer." As he said those words, he faded out of existence. Not long later, he couldn''t be seen. Reve''s sixth sense activated which made him know that Amethyst had truly left. He breathed a short steam of air as he thought over everything that had just occurred to him. Looking at the books, he thought, ''It''s all up to me now. It''s all up to--'' Once again, he blacked out due to the massive attain on his body Chapter 26 - The Path Of The Mind(2) Deep in the ancient mage''s cave, the sound of weak grunts echoed rhythmically. The origin of the noise belonged to a certain sleeping cat that was finally waking up after its much-deserved sleep. "Ahhhh," Reve winced as he felt a weak but sharp pain in his head. The pain subsidized immediately but he still felt weird. It was as if something was different in him¡­...the feeling of hangovers that humans always got. After calming himself, he discovered that his worries were not unfounded. Truly, something had changed in him. His sight had been enhanced and he could now spot the tiniest detail in his field of sight and he could distinguish a few colour spectrums. His other five senses; Nose, Ear, Touch, Taste¡­...all of them had been significantly improved, which cultivated the weird feeling he felt. If anything, he was now a stranger to his own body. He would have to take his time to adjust to his newfound self. "Hmmm¡­.what is this feeling?" mused Reve. Right after he had dealt with one issue, he landed in another. A sharp tingle occurred to him for unknown reasons. Due to his upgrade, he could tell that it was different from the previous. This one wasn''t violent. Instead, it served as a sort of¡­.warning. The feeling of trepidation? It started from my head¡­..,'''' thought Reve. [Notice: You have been affected by a foreign entity''s energy.] [Notice: Due to foreign interference, your [Door of Minds] has been forcefully opened.] [Notice: [Paths] has been updated.] [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Title] has been updated.] [Notice: [Attributes] has been updated.] [Notice: You tread on a rare path. Achievement points granted(+5).] [Notice: With your mind as a catalyst, [Sixth Sense] has evolved and spawned another skill.] "Hmmm¡­.so this is what I felt. An intrusion on my mind¡­.," realized Reve. He was finally understanding the methods of the world administrator. Her method of contact was through a forced entry to the mind of the second party. However, she was quite soft with her means. She didn''t harm the second party or else, they would have died due to brain damage or mind-related ailments. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 17 (8/10) Path: 1st Circle Arcanist (Magic), Mystic Wanderer(Path of Secrets) Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Slime Killer, Magic User(Initiate), Enigma AP: 43 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 9 Speed: 18 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 22 Mana: 15 Psi-Force: 11 ] [ Skills: Trinity Candidate(Max). Supernatural Sense(Lv.1) Seventh Sense(Lv.1). Energy Sense(Lv.2). Magic Eyes(Max). Basic Mana Shot(Max). Blind Magic(Lv.1). ######(Not awakened). Appraisal(Lv.1) ] "Hmmm, this is too much for me to process," sighed Reve. With the help of Nixy, he started breaking them down into smaller bits. From the top to the bottom. First, his level hasn''t changed much. It hasn''t even increased by one. It was only the exp that was influenced. Second, just as he had been notified, his paths have been updated. About the "paths", Reve was already gaining an idea of what they meant due to his encounter with Amethyst. Most likely, the paths signified one''s road to power. The roads weren''t all the same but when accessed they could all bring out raw power. Reve''s first path lacked any thought behind it; Magic. He jumped into this path without understanding the pros and cons of said magic. Even to this point, he still had no idea what magic was. His second and new path was also forced on him. However, this time, he had an idea of what it entailed. [Path: Mystic Wanderer(Path of Secrets) -> You have opened the Door of the Mind and accessed this dangerous path. It has endless potential and endless death. -> A mystic wanderer is a special one with the potential to unveil all corners of the obscure path.] [Title: Enigma -> The title of a Mystical Wanderer. -> It grants this status; 1. Mind-related skills stimulation 2. Mental Paradox: a certain ailment that comes with the forceful opening of one''s Door of Mind. It appears randomly and in the form of any mental sickness.] " Well, that is certainly one way to excite and threaten someone," Reve sighed once more. He had been informed by Amethyst of the possible curse that would follow him down this path, but Nixy''s description of it was much scarier. Apart from that, the path of secrets was quite sound. It seemed to be the ultimate support path for Reve, especially when he had the magic path for offence and defence. Reve mentally noted, "The path is unclear. I will have to be careful when traversing. There''s nothing to rely on¡­.." Afterwards, the cat took a look at his attribute window and nodded. It was pleasing to the eye. He moved on to the skill window, another window he was curious about. [Skill: Supernatural Sense(Lv.1) -> The sense of one who has delved into the supernatural. -> Just like it''s predecessor, it peels off a veil of the world ] [Skill: Seventh Sense(Lv.1) -> A skill developed from [Sixth Sense]. It contains the aforementioned [Sixth Sense] and it''s innate attributes. -> It is the sense of a Mystical Wanderer, which enables them "listen" to the perpetual mysteries of the cosmic.] The rest of his skills were either the same or had increased a bit. He would have to check them out during battle. As for the dormant skill, he would have to find a way to awaken it Reve jumped from his chair as he left the cave. His previous plan was to seclude until he was strong enough to traverse the forest, but now, he had some things to experiment with. Moreover, Amethyst''s words still rang deep in his ears, "You are the weakest candidate¡­.." Knowing the chaotic god''s mindset, he would be forced to fight the other candidate when the time was ripe. Hence, his desire to improve before the said time. With the knowledge of Arcadish Language, Reve should be able to fortify himself.....he hoped he would be able to. He now had a real goal that ignited a flame in his heart. He had hope of seeing Myrna again. His dear attendant.... Reve smiled as he focused on that. The cool light granted from above smite his face the moment he was out of the cave''s mouth..... Chapter 27 - The Path Of The Mind(3) Minutes after his climatic cave exit, Reve could be seen running rampantly in the forest. He had ignorantly targeted a group of snakes that now coveted his flesh. "Damn, I should have known better," cursed Reve. Hiding behind a tree, he closed his eyes and released all his senses apart from the main five senses. In his mind, he received a vivid picture of his surrounding which made him gasp in amazement. It wasn''t like the previous sixth sense which could perceive in explicit details. The feedback of his senses was detailed...if not too detailed. The green grasses and the minute movement they made as they were brushed by the cool breeze¡­..The tall trees and the firm stance they took as they were embedded in the deep layer of the earth. Everything could be "seen" perfectly. Even the subtle movement of different forms of energy in the environment. The only thing that could not be seen was himself! There was about a five feet gap between what he perceived to be his location and the border of the vivid image in his mind. It was a flaw that would mean a lot if he didn''t stabilize it. "Well, apart from that. My theory was confirmed," smiled Reve, while ignoring the looming danger. He switched his focus back to the vivid image in his mind. In it, there were three snakes positioned in a triangle formation sneaking up on him. Reve opened his eyes after memorizing their exact location. He could have used his magic skill on them with his eyes closed, but it wouldn''t be worth it. The effects would be less than expected. After making sure he was prepared, Reve rolled out of the tree and fired three mana shots at the snakes without looking. Before checking if his attacks were successful, Reve continued rolling to another tree and hid. He then finally peeked behind, "Bogus!" He wasn''t successful. The snakes had dodged the mana shots at insane speed recalling his. Even when he was hidden, their serpentine eyes met his. He could feel the cold-blooded nature nurtured by those eyes. If he was caught by them, there was no doubt he would be cat food. ''I have been compromised,'' thought Reve. He stopped hiding and started his offence with a round of mana shots. *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* It might seem like there was no logic behind his rampant attacks, but he was trying to keep them on his toes. It had already been established that the mana shots were too slow for them. Reve pushed forward as he kept watch of his mana reserve. It was still enough for him to last three minutes. While dashing at his enemies, Reve took a sudden stop. He looked forward and the smile on his face dropped. His senses had picked up on a large concentration of mana. Clearly, one of the snakes was preparing to attack. His sharp eyes saw the culprit. It was a snake that had already dodged all of his mana shots. It opened its mouth and a green liquid sprayed out. The large range of the liquid covered the path forward. While the path backward was not the best path for him. Sighing, a big magic circle appeared in front of him as he began pouring his mana into it, "Fuckery¡­." He lunged into the rain of green liquid and shot the biggest mana shot he had ever made in his entire life. *Boom!* Like a shooting star, the mana shot flew unbridled in the air. It hit the snake and left a gaping hole in its head. Meanwhile, Reve squirmed as he felt the green liquid from the snake invade his body. He wanted to investigate it further when he sensed something surrounding him. It was the two snakes; he had forgotten about them! He attempted to fire a mana shot but his mana reserve was already drained. Refining mana would take time, which he didn''t have right now. "I have nothing up my sleeves. Bloody mary..." Review realized. He had taken his mind off the big picture. A mistake that he made a while back. Now, he was defenceless. The snakes knew that. Their serpentine eyes examined him for a few seconds before they lunged at him with their mouths open¡­.ready to end their prey. Reve closed his eyes and prepared before impact. Suddenly, he felt something burning in him¡­..like something was ignited and now flaming like a raging beast. He felt his hands roaming around his body¡­.except that his hands weren''t moving. What did he perceive then? His thoughts became chaotic as he kept switching focus, "The snakes. The fire.The snakes. The fire. The snakes. The fire!!" Not knowing what to concentrate on, Reve''s throat became clogged and he began to retreat within. All this while, he had been walking on the death''s rope calmly. But he was never calm, he was also worried about dying just like any other magical creature. Now, with the fire raging inside him, Reve decided to express his emotions to the world. His throat was blocked but that wouldn''t stop him. He was tired... Reve''s muscles stopped stressing and he closed his eyes¡­..he screamed, screamed wildly like that of a dying man. A scream that he had been hiding since he found himself in this strange world. ...¡­.. After a while of screaming, Reve''s bowels were empty. His emotions ran dry. He had nothing left to do "Where am I?" He opened his eyes cautiously. He had been expecting his death but nothing had happened so far. "What¡­?" As he examined his surroundings, Reve found the carcasses of the snakes crushed on two trees respectively. It seemed that their skeleton structure was grounded to paste. He was about to move closer for inspection when his mind alerted him of the intrusion of Nixy. [Notice: You have killed two Level 19 [King Snakes].] [Notice: Skill [Telekinesis] has awoken.] [Notice: Increase in raw power detected. Your level has been updated]. ''What is all this?'' Reve thought. His body was quite sore and the venom of the snakes affected him badly. Clearing his mind, he picked up one of the dead snakes and walked back to the cave. All the while, the moonlight revealed his victorious smile¡­..tomorrow was a new day! ...... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 28 - The Era Of Sins It was unknown how many season cycles had occurred since the blessed day of his skill awakening. If Reve were to guess, it would be just a single year. Within the span of a year, he had dragged his lazy self around¡­.forcing himself to study Arcadish and other related pieces of knowledge. Within that one year, he had filled his brain with magic theories and facts. He was no longer the ignorant cat that had intruded into the territory of magic. Now, he could be called a mage! A full-fledged one. Not just that, he had also uncovered the basic details of his [Telekinesis] skill. All in all, everything seemed to be working perfectly well, which irked him as that was how scary folktales began. He couldn''t get over the feeling that something terrible, awfully terrible, was going to fall on him soon. Reve laid on his favourite chair in his cave as his head overshadowed the book he read. "Year 600 A.E..... There are barely any living beings in this abundance of lands. Half the population, all races included, had been massacred due to the revelation from the world administrator. The word "Aura" established its dominance within the hearts of all able-bodied men. Magic was considered non-existent¡­..a path a man would only take when he had no hopes left. Admittedly, the dragons, feys, dwarves, and a few other magical races possessed the mystical tongues and symbols but the rest of the world could not revere in this innate gift. They could only bow in front of the might the word "Aura" exuded..." It was a period of time that had become Reve''s bedtime story; the Ascension Era, also known as the Era of Sins. This time period built the foundation of most modern-day concepts. It also buried along with it a few secrets that would never be uncovered for eternity. However, the reason why Reve loved this point in history was simply because of the development of magic. Not just magic, but other concepts that were previously thought to be inconceivable. After all, it was a period where killing was a normal daily activity! "...it was a normal day in the wildest year when the hidden changes became evident. Imagine the ignorants'' astonishment once they heard tales of a certain witch massacring civilizations....of a lowly human that wielded raw magic....of a spider whose dreams defined the world¡­.of kins of fabled elementals that blessed the world. I imagine it was on this day that the world cast in darkness saw the first ray of sunlight. I imagine it was on this elusive day that magic was born!" Reve''s emotion stirred when he read the last two sentences. He reckoned that every practitioner of magic memorized those lines wholeheartedly. It was a covenant they would make with themselves to further the study of magic. Those lines told stories of their origin and their fate as heretics that stole from nature. Reve''s eyes softened as he thought of what he knew about magic. "Magic is simply the manipulation of mana," stated Reve. He had understood that fromthe moment he fired his first mana shot. However, a pure manipulation of mana was troublesome. It only existed in theory. One''s connection with the world was too weak to control the earthly energy. Hence, catalysts were necessary for efficiency. This birthed the schools of magic that had left their eternal mark on the world. "First school of magic, Ancient Magic. A school that focuses on the use of magical symbols that is recognized by the greater world," smiled Reve. He wasn''t capable of accessing this school of magic. In fact, more than ninety percent(90%) of living beings aren''t able to. This school belonged exclusively to mystical races that were made for and from magic. Reve left the topic and went on, "Second school of magic, Arcanism. One of the most popular schools of magic in Arcadia." This was the type of magic that Reve exploited. The basis of this magic was basically focusing on the use of magic circles to control mana. One''s progress on this path could be measured by the number of magic circles one could use for a specific attack. Merging or stacking magic circles aren''t factored in. Currently, Reve could only engineer one magic circle per attack which was why Nixy rated him a [1st Circle Arcanist]. An Arcanism user was called an Arcanist. However, in general terms, a mage was used to refer to someone that studied magic. Nixy classified that term as titles while the exact profession was listed in one''s [Paths] tab. Apart from Arcanism, there were countless other schools of magic like Abjuration, Pact Magic, Invocation, Phantasm, Conjuration... New schools were being discovered every day. It wasn''t important for Reve to master all of them but he took it upon himself to study at least one or two. For instance, he was interested in Enchantment, Elemental Magic, and Divination. However, reality hit him deep. He didn''t have the necessary talent for Divination. Elemental Magic was a far stretch; he needed to form a contract with an elemental. The only viable one for him was Enchantment which he could use to compensate for his poor physical stats. Yet, so far, he found it hard to learn the basic body enchantment. Nonetheless, he wasn''t downcast. He still had to familiarize himself with [Telekinesis], which proved to be quite the pleasurable experience. That one was quite controversial. It seemed filled with endless potential, but in reality, it was grounded like the idea of a floating rock in space. Over time, he has marked a few important details. One, [Telekinesis] was the influence of the mind on the physical plane. It couldn''t interact with energy. But it could move objects and matter. Two, it couldn''t affect living beings. Three, it was best to use hand gestures for maximum efficiency. Four, overusing the skill could potentially kill him Five, the skill could be improved by meditating which would sharpen the mind. It was just like Arcanism which required one to familiarize themselves with energy for better control. Six, letting your emotion blindly control [Telekinesis] would lead to drastic feedback. In the worst-case scenario; death! "I live a wild life," sighed Reve. [Telekinesis] was a double-edged sword he would have to be careful with for the rest of his life. He quickly stopped shrugging and focused back on studying. Tomorrow, he would head out to test his skills. He could feel his magic was in the age of a breakthrough. Most likely, he would break last it tonight ..... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 29 - The Day He Saw Death.... The next day. Reve subtlety opened his eyes and smiled like the morning sun. "I guessed correctly," he started to himself. It might have been a result of a magician''s intuition or his innate intuition but that didn''t matter. All that mattered was that his magic was advanced. [Notice: [Energy Sense] has leveled up. Energy Sense(Lv.2) -> Energy Sense(Lv.3)] As he took a whiff of the cool air, Reve''s passive [Magic Eyes] activated and showed him a brand new world. It was a world different from the blue world he was familiar with. In this world, multiple colourful blobs of energy freely roamed about¡­.happily, unconcerned. His [Energy Sense] activated and his understanding of this world deepened. It was just as he expected..... When studying magic, there were two things to take note of: One''s progression in their chosen school of magic and one''s general magic development. In Reve''s case, he had to study magic circles and also general magic skills that would increase his raw power. That was the relationship between one''s path and title. Over the course of half a year, Reve had come to understand that one of the qualifications to attain the [Apprentice title], which was just after his [Initiate title] was to get in contact with a form of mana called Elemental Mana. Up till this time, he had always been using natural mana, without any elemental inclination, albeit it was refined. This was generally termed [Zero Magic] or, better yet, [Neutral Magic] However, his foes were more adept at attacks with elemental properties; Fireball, Poison Spit, Water ball, Freeze, etc. This inadequacy was holding him back from releasing his utmost strength. But now, the status quo had changed. Reve smiled as he observed the different elemental mana that floated around him, "According to the books, the ones that are attracted to me are the ones I can manipulate. The ones I have an affinity for." He willed all elemental mana to come to him and waited for the result patiently, "Hmmm¡­.let''s see. This is sad; only green blobs and blue blobs. Hmmmm¡­..the books said green blobs represent nature elemental mana and blue blobs varied based on it''s intensity. This type of chill intensity generated by it speaks clearly enough. It is ice elemental mana." He was a little downcast that he was only a double-elemental mage, but it didn''t matter in the long run. If he couldn''t be the five-elemental mages of legends, then he just had to hone the two elements he had with him. "But the issue is the magic spells. I don''t have any," sighed Reve. Creating basic mana spells was easy, but going further was incredibly impossible without sufficient experience. This was evident as he had not evolved his [Basic Mana Shot] even after half a year of maxing it. He had no idea of what directions to take. Reve played around with his newly found elements. He tried to freeze the cave and make it warm with nature mana, but all he ended up doing was freezing himself. "Damn, I''m never going to improve at this rate," cursed Reve as he took a look at the books on the shelves. They served no purpose now. He had read and absorbed everything. Most of them were just historical books and very few contained knowledge on magic. As expected, a mage could not just leave valuable knowledge laying around. They treasured their knowledge with their lives. The only clue he had on improving was the next abode, which was coincidentally the last one, according to Mr.O''s map. It was his last chance and he hoped it would be worth it. Reve closed his eyes. After a while, he slowly revealed it. He had made up his mind. He would travel to the last abode and along the way, he would develop a few basic elemental spells. After preparing himself and wearing the right mindset, Reve left the cave. He never looked back, not even once. "The show must go on. ...¡­..." .... Five minutes after his departure, Reve met back with the Riverside and followed it upwards as he planned. He had once tried to swim in it, but the water current was too strong. He would have to sacrifice his body control to it and who knew what bloody aquatic creature was hiding in the river? He had calculated the pros and cons and it wasn''t worth it. Reve relied on his senses as he experimented with his elemental mana. He had already replaced his mana reserves with elemental mana and was in the process of converting his [Basic Mana Shot] to an elemental archetype¡­..maybe that will help evolve it. He stopped and faced the river. Instantly, a bluish magic circle appeared, this time it was icy. It coagulated blobs of elemental mana that solidified to form a crystal blue ice shard. With a thought from Reve, the ice shard wheezed through the air. It''s sharp edges stirred it finely until it found itself dissolving in the river. Reve watched this patiently. His sharp eyes, observing it from different angles. After he had reached a conclusion, he continued to fire more similar attacks. A while passed and Reve was now tired, but his face showed otherwise. He was calculating... "Casting speed. Eventual dissolution. Ice density. Ice edges. The factors are numerous," observed Reve. Out of his hundred tries, only a handful left a mark on the river. The rest dissolved quickly like butter in a hot pot. He made up his mind. He would focus on that and that only. Days in Days out, Reve worked like a soldier ant as he trekked the path of the river. He was never content. He wanted a skill he could have confidence in. As he kept following the path, Reve noticed that it had been about a week since he started his journey for the last abode. He had not improved a lot but at least he was stronger now. Also, he had surpassed the Level 20 hallmark. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 20 (30/100) Path: 1st Circle Arcanist (Magic), Mystic Wanderer(Path of Secrets) Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Forest Killer, Magic User(Initiate), Enigma AP: 44 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 15 Speed: 21 Constitution: 10 Intelligence: 22 Mana: 19 Psi-Force: 12 ] [ Skills: Trinity Candidate(Max). Supernatural Sense(Lv.1) Seventh Sense(Lv.1). Energy Sense(Lv.3). Magic Eyes(Max). Ice Bullet(Lv.3). Blind Magic(Lv.1). Telekinesis(Lv.1). Appraisal(Lv.1) ] It was all good and jolly. Everything was working out well. Nothing could threaten him on this island. *Roar!* "Bullocks, I spoke too soon," cursed Reve. His senses told him the danger was behind him. Hence, he looked back to assess it. Lo and behold, he saw it. He wished he hadn''t though. It shined like an angel of death, beckoning him to move closer. As [appraisal] began to work, he caught glimpses of the creature''s true strength. [Terror Lizard (Lv.44)] Chapter 30 - The Day He Saw Death ....(2) ''You got to be kidding me,'' thought Reve. He wondered for a second if he was just imagining things. However, the information he got from the second look at the magical creature remained the same. [Terror Lizard(Lv.44)] Yeah, he wasn''t imagining things! The lizard was terrifyingly horrendous. With glowing red scales and bone spikes on all parts of it''s body. It''s claws boasting feats of tearing apart trees. On the edge of its long tail were multiple bone spikes that formed around it like a ball. Reve decided to never get it by the tail. As he stood grounded firmly on the earth, Reve''s instinct shouted at him to run. To run far away, never turn back, just keep on running till his body fails him. However, Reve''s mind was preoccupied. His line of sight could be traced to the eyes of the lizard. They seemed strange and peculiar. Occasionally, they would twinkle and be overflowed with colour, a gesture he was familiar with. The eyes were curious¡­.thrilled to see something strange. Perhaps, as strange as it is. It didn''t resemble the eyes of a beast that lived it''s life killing. No. No. No. It was the eyes of a king interested in one of it''s subjects. Realizing this, Reve couldn''t help but chuckle. Since when was his godly self reduced to a lowly subject? *Ptui!* The lizard opened his mouth and promptly released a blast of fire that scorched the earth. Reve was lucky to have sensed it before it got to him. He distanced himself from the lizard as his thoughts went rampant. "What is this?" muttered Reve with such thick intensity. As soon as he activated his [Magic Eyes], he saw an incomprehensible sight. The beast¡­.the lizard was overflowing with violent energy that wasn''t like mana. He could tell that just from the nature of the energy. The blast of fire he sent at Reve was also powered by this strange energy. However, what stunned Reve was the lizard''s abundance of energy. It filled him up like a balloon while some circulated outside due to the lizard not being able to contain everything. Worst of all, there was a red glow that spread outwards like a mother''s embrace. This was what terrified Reve. The moment he caught sight of it, it was like voices began whispering into his ear. They told him of all the savage acts the beast had committed. Without a doubt, this was Mr.Killer, the infamous killer of the forest. The one Reve vowed to never encounter! He didn''t need confirmation. He was sure. Every tiny detail pointed at the obvious! ...¡­.. *Boom!* *Booom!* The lizard kept throwing around concentrated fire blasts. It seemed he wasn''t taking the fight seriously as he didn''t move an inch from his spot. All the while, Reve ran frantically, dodging with his fastest speed. He was burning himself out. Every fire blasts aimed at him was potentially the one that was going to kill him. All of a sudden, he took in a sharp breath of air, "I got it. He is an Auras. He is manipulating aura and ki. This is---" His thoughts cut short when he felt another fireblast coming at him. This time, he reacted with an Ice Bullet which offset the attack. Reve took advantage of the reaction between the two opposite, the steamy mist, and distanced himself further. His goal was to escape. Hence, he walked down the river path. While he was thinking wildly, Reve''s senses tingled and he ducked without much thought. A huge fire burned the tree in front of him as he served hard to the right. His realization about the lizard''s path was of no use to him. He hadn''t reached the level where he could counteract the attacks of Auras. Right now, he had to focus on the pure level dominance that suffocated him. *Ding!* A sharp and loud sound covered his ears as he found himself soon surrounded by what he thought to be an army of flaming lizards. He activated his magic eyes and understood what was going on, "These are clones made from fire. They still pose a threat. But this also means the real body of the lizard is close by." Instantly, Reve expanded his senses and fired an ice bullet behind him. *Bang!* He then looked back with a smile to see the real lizard. However, his smile didn''t last long as he noticed that his attack didn''t do anything to the lizard. Nothing. Not even a scratch. The scales of the lizard appeared to only have intensified colour-wise. "Is this [Magic Resistance]?" Reve deciphered. He knew of some scaly creatures that possessed this abnormal skill but none of them were as bizarre as the creature in front of him. It''s eyes patiently stared back at Reve showing he still looked down on the cat. Yet, Reve wasn''t upset. He was thinking of how to use that to his advantage. He parried another fire blast with his ice bullets and moved back an inch. However, he stopped when his lenses picked up on the lizard clones that were behind him. "So, this is what it wants?" sighed Reve. With the clones patiently waiting to receive Reve, the real lizard would push Reve into the net. That was probably why he wasn''t as aggressive as it could be. It wasn''t willing to break it''s newfound toy! This was getting scarier.... To confirm Reve''s suspicion, the lizard opened its mouth and released a large fire blast that Reve could block. It chased him all the way back to the center of the clones which stayed in a strange formation. Reve could have sworn he saw a smirk on the lizard''s face when he entered the foreseen trap. "Patience¡­.observe for openings..." Front, left, back, right. They could be considered openings but he would have to pay a considerable amount to actually escape. "Damn! Think.....think....think!" The pressure piled up on Reve as he saw the clones becoming hotter. They burned red in an instant and we''re about to do something nasty. Reve gave up on thinking and prepared multiple ice bullets for them. It was better to cut them short before their attack. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* As it turned out, Reve''s interference only pushed the clone''s attack further. They quickly released lines of flames that connected with each clone. The clones were the pillars of this enclosed space! Reve could sense lines of fire extend towards him from each pillar. It formed a pattern that was clearly bad, which urged Reve to escape. Against the hot temperature of the enclosed space, Reve finally sighed, "At the end of the day, I still resort to it." Chapter 31 - The Day He Saw Death........(3) [Telekinesis]... An ability that allowed one to move things with their minds. It was quite broad and depended on the user''s creativity and mental status. Yet, it was not as overpowered as one would imagine. For instance, since he could not manipulate the bodies of targets, he could only resort to harming them by using objects in his surroundings. There was one pressing question though; What would happen in a situation where the setting is a barren location? He could not move the air now, could he? Sure, air and whatnot could be considered a part of the physical system but that was not within the scope of his control..... Reve found himself in a very similar situation. He was near the riverside and the only object available were large rocks that were too heavy for him to use [Telekinesis] on. However, he had no options left. Feeling his fur burn just due to the terrific temperature, Reve focused his mind on a bunch of large rocks and lifted them with his mind. A trail of blood escaped from his nasal hole as his vengeful headaches rushed back to him. "Ahhhhhh!" Reve squirmed in pain as he used pure will to smash those uneven rocks on the lizard clones. As soon as he noticed the success of his attacks, he lunged out of the formation but he was too late. A pillar of fire rose from the ground and consumed everything in the enclosed space within the formation. An instant later, Reve rolled out frantically. Half of his body had been engulfed by the terrific flames. He squealed out loud and decisively ducked into the river to prevent the flames from permanently damaging him. All his energy had already left his body and he was exhausted, mentally and physically. He barely had an ounce of mana left within him and the situation was not over yet. Reve panicked as he tried to steer himself down the river path. Luckily, he could swim and wasn''t like other cat breeds that couldn''t. Suddenly, his eyes met the appealing eyes of the terror lizard. He could tell from the emotions buried inside it that the lizard wasn''t planning on letting him go. *Roar!!* It declared its annoyance with a vengeful roar and sped to the river bank. All of a sudden, it glowed red and the next thing Reve knew was his senses blaring amuck. In the skies were tiny red dots that moved closer to his location. They twinkled like beautiful stars that blessed the nightlife. Reve speculated, "what more?! Wait---are those¡­..fire arrows?!" He had jumped from one hot pot to another hot pot. The feeling of danger was as expressive as ever. Seeing the spectacle in the skies, Reve pondered on what measures to think. One thing was sure, they would fall very soon and when they did, it might mean death for himself. He had to do something. He had to change the tempo! Reve took a glance at the lizard one last time as he rapidly swam down the water path. Every ounce of his energy was used to fuel this strenuous activity. It was not all grim. The water current was getting stronger which could mean many things, but Reve had no time to spare. He kept swimming while focusing his senses on the fire arrows that were still charging in the sky. The fire arrows'' energy spiked and Reve knew it was almost time. He chanted inwardly, ''Five¡­.Four¡­.Three¡­.Two...One!'' Immediately, he cast his ice bullets and fired them at some fire arrows that were aimed at his vital parts. Just as he decided, he allowed himself. to be hit by the other fire arrows. As long as they didn''t spell certain death. Reve received a shock when he felt one of the fire arrows bury itself in his right foot. He wanted to cry but crying wasn''t allowed in this situation. Luckily, the terror lizard had quite the poor aim or he wouldn''t even have the time to feel pain. "Oh, Bloody Mary," cursed Reve when he noticed something horrible. His mana reserves had finally finished. He was left bare to the fire arrows that kept spamming in the sky. After a minute of torture, Reve found his eyelids becoming heavy. He was nearing death every second he spent breathing. "What is that?" Reve finally heard something unique. It was the aggressive sound of rushing water. The current appeared to be far stronger than what it had been a while ago. Suddenly, Reve lost control of his body and couldn''t regain it back. He used his sharp eyes to peer deeper in the direction in front of him and found something interesting. It was the end of the path of the river. No, to be more specific, a waterfall! *Roar!* Reve turned back to see the lizard''s aggressive growl. He guessed the prideful creature had finally realized his prey was getting out of it''s control. Fortunately, it only continued roaring and did not attempt to pursue Reve in the river. It was a wise decision. One does not simply risk falling down a waterfall for prey. Yet, unfortunately, that did not mean that Reve was safe. He could only say that after he survived the waterfall. As he was moved closer to the waterfall, Reve closed his eyes and prayed to the gods of Arcadia to spare his life. He promised to never call himself a godly cat anymore. The rushing of water entered his ear as his body submerged into the river. He only felt himself falling from what felt like nine hundred(900) meters. When he hit the lower river, his bones cracked from pressure and a nauseating feeling overcame him. He immediately rushed out of the river and vomited a large pile of blood and inner liquids. Afterwards, he dragged his damaged body away from the site. He wasn''t sure if the lizard could find a path downwards and he didn''t want to stay to find out. The only thing on his mind was to find the last abode. His injuries would surely overcome him and that would mean death Yes, he could already feel the claws of death scratching his naked skin. All he wished for before his destined departure was to see the last abode. After ten minutes of dragging his body, he found it. He had no time to check what he looked like and simply entered the building''s large door. It was warm inside¡­.a suitable place for his final resting. As he immersed himself in the peaceful environment, Reve''s eyelids dropped heavily but he didn''t fail to notice a large bed-like coffin. He forced himself to read the characters written on the coffin, "Herein lies the immortal witch... She sleeps on the river of time" His brain could not take him through the rest of the characters as his death was rapidly approaching. He looked at the coffin and smiled, "Opening something unknown is a nice way to die, isn''t it?" His thoughts cloggy, he forced himself once to use his mind to push open the lid of the coffin. The next thing he knew, blood rushed from his nose frantically and he fell flat to the warm ground. One minute later, after his body had been drained with enough blood, he finally closed his eyes¡­... ... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 32 - Young Kaya Every story began with the rise of the merciful sun. Every character woke up to the smile of the yellow ball hanging in the sky. Likewise, they slept to the melodic hymn of the night...peaceful, beautiful, calm. It was the perfect send-off for those who had fought all their lives. ...¡­. Reve always wondered what the other side was like. Everyone did! He had no idea when he regained the ability to think. All he knew was that at that moment he appeared in a black void. An empty mass of space bordering nothing, existing nowhere. It was strange to ponder on. He couldn''t quite say whether he could see, hear, smell or even feel the void. It was like all his senses were merged which allowed him to perceive his existence in the void. There were no divided five senses¡­.just sense. He also couldn''t understand the makeup of his body. It wasn''t physical, more of a floating ball of wispy energy that lingered in the void like a vengeful ghost. He had at least expected to see others like him. People that had crossed over to the other side. Yet, he was lonely. ''Perhaps, this is true peace. Peace in death. No barbaric magical beasts, no purpose. Just peace. Hahaha, I can finally sleep,'' thought Reve. This was how the mind worked. This was what life meant. Life cannot exist without purpose. Once one''s goal fades away, what remains is death! Call it whatever; will, strong will, will to survive...¡­.. It was all the same. There was no difference. ''Wait, when did I become this philosophical?'' mocked Reve. He was making no sense, yet making sense. "¡­." Damn, he did it again! It was like the void''s presence stimulates enlightenment. It makes one suddenly become a sage of divine wisdom. ''Maybe, I should focus on something else. Hmmmm¡­.this is interesting.'' He could feel something. A voice whispering sweet soundless words. When he focused well enough, he was able to make out some of the words. "You¡­.are¡­..here¡­.De¡ªviant!" It was a full sentence but Reve was under the belief that multiple voices spoke the words. He was surprised that someone or something could be more inarticulate than himself. "Where are you? Show yourself!" He shouted. "....You¡­.can¡­.hear...us? As...expected...of...someone...that¡­.smells¡­.of¡­''him''," the voices sounded surprised. " ''Him''? Who''s ''him''?" asked Reve? He had mentally noted that the voices were surprised that he could hear them. " ''Him''?!...Hush, ¡­.do...not¡­.say...''him''." "He...will¡­.hear..you¡­." The voices trembled every time they had to utter the word ''Him''. They were as terrified as the man who stared at the abyss. Reve focused his ''sense'' again after a brief thought, "So, ''It'', then? Tell me, who is this ''It''?" "You¡­.are...brave." "Very...well, we¡­.shall tell you." " ''It''...is¡­.the...first...second...and¡­.third. " " It¡­..is¡­.the...star¡­.which...rose...on...a.. blissful...cycle...to¡­.slay...all ...that...took...its...title." "It...is...the...eye...that...reveals...all...truth..." "It...is¡­.KHAOS!!!" Following the voices'' revelation, the void rumbled as if warning them of their blasphemous acts. Reve gasped in fear, "Khaos--" He was interrupted fiercely by the voices, "Cease!!! He¡­will...hear...you." "Oh..ok," replied Reve. He was still ignorant of the affairs of the world but even he could feel the cosmic phenomenon of ''It''. Normally, he would steer clear from any dealing with it but he couldn''t this time. Not when the voices said he smelled of it. Thinking back, the true name of ''It'' felt familiar. He had certainly heard it before. Wait--He knew where! "By ''It'', are you referring to the God who cites himself as Jayke Khaos Amethyst," shouted a surprised Reve. He closed his mouth immediately as soon as he realized his mistake. The void once again rumbled like thunder. It bellowed in a way Reve could feel just it''s fragility. "Heresy! Do...not...say...the...name..of...god." "Yes¡­..that...is...the...entity¡­..we...speak...of." "The¡­..purple...prince..of¡­.Phaents." "He...has...been...staying...here...for long." "I...wonder¡­..when...he...will¡­.leave." Reve analyzed everything they said, "It fits with what Amethyst said. Him being here for long is enough proof. Also, I recall him mentioning the Phaents¡­.a cosmic race, was it?" Reve decided to switch topics as the secrets shared were becoming too large for himself to contain, "By the way, what are you guys?" "We...can''t...tell." "We¡­.exist." Reve sighed at the ambiguousness of the voices, "Hmmm¡­..Alright, how can I hear you?" "It...is...the...seventh...sense." "It...allows¡­.you...to...peek¡­.on...the...cosmic." Reve thought, ''Oh, I have that skill. But why couldn''t I hear them before I died?'' He voiced out his doubts to the voices and got his answer. "Your¡­.senses¡­.are...dull." "In...the¡­.void¡­the...cosmic..veil...is weak." "We...see...everything...in..the...physical...world...but...we...can''t¡­.interact." Reve smiled at their words, "So, it''s supposed to be a two-way communication, but my side is blocked?" "Yes," replied the voices. "I understand now, but what is your purpose in contacting me now?" "We¡­.exist...but...few...can...hear¡­.us." "We...exist...but...we..fade." "We...seek...interaction." "We¡­.seek...purpose." "We¡­.seek¡­.existence." "We...seek¡­.a...Kaya." After hearing their bashful words, Reve laughed at the top of his lungs, "You want a friend? Sure, I have the rest of eternity with you guys." "A¡­.friend...is...a...Kaya?" asked the voices. Reve didn''t know what they meant, but he still acceded, "Well¡­.yes." "A¡­.Kaya" "We...have...decided." "You...shall...be...our¡­.Kaya." The last word echoed through Reve''s existence. It pulsed in him like a physical heart. At that moment, Reve could understand that he was misunderstanding something. The voices then spoke, "It...is¡­.time, young Kaya." "Remember¡­.to...always...''listen''...young Kaya." "Remember¡­.we¡­.are¡­.watching, young Kaya." Reve was dumbfounded, "It is time for what? Is this not the--" Before he could finish his words, a large black hole appeared beside him and sucked him. ......... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 33 - Catfood "Where am I?" Reve''s eyes fluttered open. The sharp colours in his current surroundings invaded his pure sight as he tried to block them with his right paw. He was in some sort of room, on a long table. The room was constructed with Asant, an exceedingly rare tree from Arcadia. Before he could focus on the makeup of the room, he was attracted to a beautiful sound. "Cat soup. Cat soup. Cat soup. Mix it with red mushrooms. Sweet," sang the beautiful voice. It belonged to a young woman with grey hair flowing all the way to her waist. She wore a long black flowing gown with ancient symbols embroiled in it. The gown was tight fitted on the waist, emphasizing on her sharp curves, thin waist, and moderate bust. However, Reve could not focus on that. The song she sang made him fear for his life or what remained of him. To top it off, she seemed to be chopping some ingredients on the very table Reve was on. The woman noticed his subtle movements the moment he tried to spy on her. She looked at him and smiled, "Oh, you are awake." With her face facing him, Reve could see every detail. Her oval face structure matched well with her abysmal black eyes that appeared to want to suck all light in the vicinity. Her plum dark red lips highlighted the feminine aspects of her. However, what bothered Reve was the natural sleepy look she had on her face. No matter what gesture she made, she gave the feeling that she would rather close her eyes and take a quick nap than deal with her current issues. It was quite...carefree. Reve asked her cautiously, "Is this the¡­.otherside?" "The other what?" "The otherside," affirmed Reve. He didn''t feel good about the clueless look she shot at him. "I don''t understand," she said frankly. "The otherside? You know, hell, the great beyond, the palace of dreams, underworld¡­.." muttered Reve. He wondered if the lady was truly ignorant or just pretending to be. She chuckled as she focused back on her cooking, "Oh, that. Most certainly not. The underworld is an insane domain. It would be foolish to go there." "So, this is not the underworld...." "Yes, apparently," she rolled her eyes, mocking him. When she noticed Reve''s impatience, she guided the conversation, "Little thing, what are you trying to say?" The words were at the backs of Reve''s throat but he found it hard to release them. However, with help from the lady, he hurriedly spat, "Am I dead?" As he waited for the answer to his question, he suddenly felt conscious of time, counting each millisecond that went by. "Yes," firmly replied the lady. "Ohhh¡­..." A weird feeling was building up in him. He felt it was strange. He had already come to terms with his death. Yet, just when he thought he might not be dead, reality slammed into him like an angry bull. As buried his head in his body and laid downcast, he heard boisterous laughter coming from the lady who tried to keep it down. Ultimately, the moment he looked at her, she broke down in fits of laughter with tears coming down her face. "Haha, Xoris'' face, I jest. I jest. I jest, hahaha," she giggled, spewing all sorts of profanities from her delicate mouth. After her laughter died down, she explained to the miserable down, "Oh, little thing, you are not dead. Well, you almost died. You would have gone to your ''otherside'' had I not intervened." The way she vocally highlighted ''otherside'' made him feel embarrassed. He was not sure whether she was pulling his legs so. he asked again, "I''m not dead?" "No, you are not dimwit," chuckled the lady. It was at times like these that her face was lively and not the usual lazy face. She continued chopping the vegetables on the table as Reve was left to ponder on her words. Minutes later, he addressed the elephant in the room, "What are you cooking?" "Ca--Mushroom Soup," the lady smiled. "You were going to say cat soup, weren''t you?" "Of course not. What do you take me for?" Reve eyed her suspiciously, "Really?" "Ok, I admit. I was planning on savouring you. Well, I healed you a week ago yet you didn''t wake up so I assumed you were beyond recovery. Hence, I planned to give you back to the world that birthed you," explained the lady. She almost managed to convince Reve that she had noble intentions. Almost! What sold her out was the song she sang when he had just woken up. It was the song one would sing when craving a sweet dish. "Balderdash! I heard you," shouted Reve. If he was a second late, he might have ended up in the lady''s stomach. After expressing his emotions, the room descended into silence. It appeared that the lady was quite used to it as she made no effort to break it. All she did was continue cooking. Reve wasn''t concerned about that. He had experienced strange things recently. He needed some time to interpret them. Minutes passed, and no sound apart from the whistling pot beside the table could be heard. The lady was currently stirring her ingredients in her mushroom soup and the meal was almost ready. She put her index finger on the spoon and tasted the content. A smile erupted from her face as she nodded her head in satisfaction. After a while, she lifted her pot from the strange device that served as its stove and placed it on the table next to Reve. As soon as she snapped her fingers, two bowls appeared on her hand which poured a portion of the soup into. She smiled at Reve, lifting him up with her free hand and walked out of the kitchen room, heading to her main room. ... The lady walked past the hallway and entered a large room which was strangely warm. She placed Reve on a nearby chair along with his bowl and sat on another. Afterwards, they are and discussed, "Have you caught up with things now?" Chapter 34 - Immortal Witch, Circe (1) "Have you caught up with things now?" Reve responded after diving his head in the bowl and taking a nice lick from the soup, "Yes. Apparently, before I died I released an unspeakable evil to the world which I''m guessing is you. I can understand that part." He remembered opening a coffin prior to his death. That should have been where the erratic lady came out from. If she was sealed in a coffin, then she must be bad news. Realizing this, Reve positioned his body at alert. "Your words hurt me, little thing. But you are right. You did unleash a great evil upon the world, hahaha," joked the lady. She took a sip from her bowl and explained, "You didn''t unleash me though. You just woke me up before my bodily alarm rang. Also, I wasn''t sealed. I was sleeping." Listening to her, Reve muttered the characters he saw on her coffin bed, "Herein lies the immortal witch...¡­she sleeps on the river of time.." He took a good look at the lady and was enlightened, "That''s you! An immortal witch...are you perhaps a vampire?" "Negative. Vampires are extinct in Arcadia. It is sad as I liked those classy vermins," said the lady. She finished her soup and laid lazily on her chair, "I''m the immortal witch, Circe. One of the five immortals that roam the world. As you have noticed, you disturbed my sleep." She gave him no time to speak up as she continued, "I woke up to the sight of a half-dead cat. Normally, I wouldn''t have cared but you piqued my curiosity. Hence, I healed you. Brought you back from the dead and I have to say, it was worth it. You are very peculiar." "A new cat species is not rare but one this unique is a different matter. However, you are quite weak.....what level are you? Level 20, huh? Hmmm¡­.." As she descended into deep thoughts, Reve asked, "How can you see my level?" As far as he knew, [Appraisal] skill negates itself. So, if a user of the skill tries it on another user of the skill, he won''t get positive feedback. Nonetheless, he wondered if it was the same outcome if the user''s skill rank was higher than the target''s skill rank. "Your level? I can calculate it. It''s not that hard when you are an expert," boasted Circe. What she said was most likely not something that Reve could accomplish. Yet, she spoke of it casually. Reve was beginning to understand the identity of Circe. "Well, apart from your uniqueness. The main reason why I saved you is that I sensed something familiar about you. Tell me about yourself," ordered Circe. Reve had nothing to hide so he explained in detail his identity and his thrilling adventures. He was hoping that Circe could shed more light on some parts he could not understand. If he was right, she was proficient in magic, which he was lacking right now. After hearing his story, Circe became strangely quiet. It seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her mind. A minute passed before she softly muttered, "Just as I expected¡­..Hey, little thing, you didn''t see Zatius'' corpse or grave?" "Yes. I suspected that he might be on Earth. If that is true, then he is most likely dead," replied Reve. By now, he knew of the connection between Mr.Owner and Circe. If there wasn''t any, Circe''s bed wouldn''t be lying around in his abode. Circe sighed, "Another one gone. That idiot. He should have known to wake me up before he went to Earth." With the way she acted, Reve knew that her harsh words were just a way to hide her sorrow. "Also, I heard of Khaos a long time ago. In the Ascension Era, he was covered with mystery. A secluded God living in his castle on the ice. It''s not far from here." She went on, "If he has designs for you, there is nothing I can do about it. You just have to get stronger to survive. Ahhh, by the way, what era is it?" She saw the clueless look on Reve''s face and chuckled, "I have lost touch with time. Meanwhile, you have no idea of time itself. Well, it doesn''t matter. I have a backup for scenarios like this." She clapped her hand and a blue light beamed in her body. Moments later, a raven flew into the room. The raven sat on her shoulder and nudged its head on her face. It seemed to be communicating with Circe telepathically as she kept quiet for a while, "Things have changed a lot, huh. The world is perpetually progressing. I used to think Arcadia lacked enough people with brains to pioneer eras." She looked at Reve and introduced the raven, "Stop staring too much. She gets uncomfortable. Her name is Fyre, my contracted spiritas." "Ohhhh," muttered Reve. This was his first time seeing a spiritas. Heck, this was his first time hearing of a spiritas! He could only quietly act like he wasn''t weirded out by the raven, Fyre. When he tried to send a friendly smile, she glanced at him with scornful eyes. "She seems to not like me," said Reve. "Guess you are too unlikeable," joked Circe. After getting what she wanted, Circe stood up from her chair and motioned to Reve, "It is time to say farewell, little thing." "Huh?" "I want to sleep. Do you want to sleep with me?" "N--No, I''m a cat," retorted Reve. It was only later did he realize what she meant. Going by Circe''s logic, she likely wanted to take at least a decade worth of sleep. "Then that settles it, hehe, " chuckled Circe. She guided Reve to the doorstep of the building, "It''s been nice meeting you. Hope you don''t die. Can''t be sure in that one though¡­.you are quite weak." Her words were as sharp as ever as they gutted their way into Reve''s head. Before she could close the door, Reve acted on the spur, "Wait!" "What is it, little thing?" curiously asked Circe. Reve knew if he missed his chance he might regret it later, "You know magic, right?" "Haha, to think there will be a day when an initiate asks me if I know magic. Do I know magic?" "I will take that as a yes," sighed Reve. He knew that the witch was a high-tier mage. He just wanted to confirm. Now that he was sure, he begged her, "Please teach me magic!" "Huh?" "Please teach me magic," repeated Reve. "Ahh¡­.but I wanna sleep," said Circe. "Please," begged Reve. He offered to her, "Wouldn''t it be interesting to teach a cat magic?" The only thing that could make Circe not sleepy is something interesting. If not, she would have not healed him. "Yeah, but.....I have high standards." "I will learn. I can learn," affirmed Reve. He chanted inwardly, ''I must learn. I can''t be vulnerable again.'' He remembered the disdainful look on the terror lizard''s face as it chased after him. He could not hide his shivers as he thought of that terrific moment. Circe saw it. She saw something familiar in it and sighed, "Fine, I will teach you.. If you don''t pick up fast, I will chase you out." Chapter 35 - Immortal Witch, Circe(2) - Magic Training Reve knew he would have to endure hardships to learn magic but he had never been as embarrassed as he was now¡­.. Circe, being the instigator, laughed wildly in his face, "Hahahaha, you call that magic, Oh Xoris'' bottom! Little thing, you have a knack for surprising me, pfft! Even a human youngster could do this much, hahaha." Red hue creased all over Reve''s face. He retorted in shame, "Will you stop cursing in the goddess'' name? She may strike us down." "Haha, even the goddess will be flabbergasted by your display of magic. She may accidentally strike you down, hahaha.." ....... It all started two days ago when Circe had accepted Reve as her student. She asked for a two-day break as she wanted to prepare herself for her new role. She told him he would have to display his magic prowess to her two days later. This was so that she could evaluate him and know where to start teaching him. Hence, two days later; currently, he proudly executed all his magic skills. .....It was a disaster. He was laughed at by his new teacher. Not being able to take it anymore, Reve lashed out at Circe, "Well, I had no one to teach me. I''m self-taught!" He thought he could save some face with those few words but instead he got shot in the toe. "That doesn''t matter. I also taught myself magic. Archmage Kree taught himself. Valentine taught herself. Even my deceased student, Zatius, was self-taught before I took him. The magic path is the path of endless discoveries. Those that are able to educate themselves always end up with the advantage. How do you think each school of magic was discovered?" She looked at the downcast expression on Reve''s face and sighed, "Knowing you are self-taught, your magic doesn''t seem so bad. It is just too unrefined. It is like you accidentally stumbled upon magic¡­..well, actually you did." They were in an outside courtyard near the abode. Circe had cleared the place just for magic training. She summoned two seats and sat on one while she assessed Reve, "Instead of evaluating and developing, why don''t we assume you are at point zero? We should start afresh. It would be better in the long run in your case." She went on, "Tell me all you know about magic?" It was a question that could easily put anyone on the spot. Between experts, no matter how rephrased, it was a challenge. A challenge on magical knowledge termed Magia. However, between a student and teacher, it was a relatively casual question. Reve opened his mouth to answer but he couldn''t find the right words to say. What did he know about magic? Did he even know anything? Most of his magia were just assumptions he had made along the line. Nonetheless, since Circe asked him, he had to spit out whatever he knew, no matter if it''s false or not. Reve spoke for a few minutes on his magia. He wasn''t pressured as Circe simply kept quiet, occasionally nodding if she noticed something praise-worthy. After he was done speaking, she said to him, "If I were to calculate, you have completed twenty percent(20%) of elementary magia based on the Magic Council." "Magic is an unstable journey. Creativity is needed to stabilize it. That is why most self-taughts go further on the path. Enough about that." After arranging her thoughts, she explained, "Coincidentally, you chose the School of Arcane. That is one I''m proficient in. I even¡­.hehe, you don''t need to know. For this school, what you need to focus on the most is your mana manipulation, this would allow you to draw complex magic circles." Circe pointed in a particular direction. Reve looked down from the chair he sat on and saw a magic circle beneath. It was intricately designed, even his mind could not keep up with how many mana nodes were in it. "For mana manipulation, a practice called Mana Circuit Breathing had been developed to attune one to the world of mana. Now, Fyre tells me that humans have changed it''s fundamental principles but that''s just humans for you. You have me, a witch with ancient knowledge," boasts Circe. She snapped her fingers and the chairs disappeared leaving Reve to fall on the ground while she simply floated in the air. "We will start with that. Until I''m satisfied with your mana manipulation, we won''t move on to magic skills. The time duration is all up to you. Hmmmm, since your elemental affinity consists of Nature and Ice, this should be quite fast." As a teacher, she had made it her responsibility to know everything about her student. So, it was not shocking for her to know of his affinities. She advised him, "Before I teach you a Mana Circuit Method, you will have to first meditate normally. This will give you the feels necessary for the methods." Her sweet words soothed him like a lullaby, "Close your eyes. Open your senses, be aware of everything. Place your hand on the earth, feel the texture..the meekness of the surface. Feel the energy that roams around. Currently, you are a plant. A plant is more attuned with earthly energies. Can you feel the warm lights?" "Yes," responded Reve with a drowsy tone. "Respirate. Breathe them in. They are your air. As a plant, they are the nutrients necessary for you to survive. Take in, take out. Absorb the pure, filter the impure, trash the filth. Do you see your fellow plant life?" "Yes." "What are they doing?" "They are breathing...." Circe smiled at her student''s talent for meditating. Luckily, he was too immersed to notice that, "Yes, that is their only purpose. Be like them. Be pure. Empty your mind, breathe in, breathe out...Like nature." Green plants rose up from the ground and cuddled Reve. They surrounded him intimately but the cat could not notice. The open field soon turned to a garden. Circe smiled as she noticed this. She thought to herself, ''Hehe, that is elemental resonance made from semi-deep meditation. Apart from his affinity being pure, he also is good at this. I''m getting more interested in this little thing.'' After a while, she asked out loud to the immersed cat, "Do you feel something?" "Yes¡­." "What is it?" "It''s missing," ambiguously stated Reve. Circe did not ask him what was. She already knew. She simply affirmed, "Yes it is." "You forget you are not just a plant. You are a frosty plant. Do not be passionate. It is just a process. Be cold and flexible. Whatever filth invades your body, gently freeze them out¡­.." As she spoke, she smiled once again when she noticed that the air particles that Reve exhaled became frozen after a while. They transformed into tiny ice droplets. The plants around him gained a frozen sheet on them. Tiny spikes could be seen growing in them. Wherever the plants touched would be affected by their glacial nature. ''Hehehe, I might just produce another great student,'' thought Circe .... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 36 - The Training Continues A day passed while Reve was still enthralled in meditation. After the sun set nicely on the land, he awoke to see himself buried in thick, yet soft, white plants of varying sizes. Despite their height and sizes, he didn''t feel uncomfortable as he should be. Instead, he felt closer to the plants like they were his lifetime companions. The moment he touched them, they wiggled and wrapped themselves on his fingers. They were behaving like cute pets. Looking at this, Reve couldn''t help but tilt his lips in a smile. He became engrossed with playing with them which lasted for over an hour. Feeling he was getting too absorbed, Reve stood up and the plants withdrew back to the earth. "So, they can do this too?" muttered Reve. This was better for me as he didn''t have to make a new courtyard for training. He finally focused on something other than the plants. He saw Circe smiling at him as he moved closer to her. "Congratulations. You have achieved deep level meditation," remarked Circe. "Deep level meditation?" wondered Reve. He was about to check his status before Circe stopped him, "Don''t do that. For a few rounds of training, you will abstain from using the practice of Nixy. Instead, you will only evaluate your progress by using your senses." She mumbled, "Those at the peak don''t need assistance from the world administrator. You should pick up that habit. From now on, I will ingrain it in you." "Yes. Yes, Circe" sighed Reve. Calling her teacher would be too weird for someone of her image. So, he stuck to calling her by her name. "With that said, Deep level meditation is quite explanatory. It is a level of meditation two levels higher than the normal level. At this level, one''s self-awareness dissolves and the body is instinctively attracting all sorts of energy including Mana. Through your convictions, that is, the words you say to yourself, you are able to manipulate your body on a level that is normally impossible. You absorb Mana far more than what your talent dictates. You also refine a purer Mana. In this state, your mana control is improved along with a few other things," explained Circe. She went on after a short pause, "However, it''s not all smiles. You pose a risk of losing your identity, becoming mindless. In fact, the risk is seventy percent (70%). Many extraordinary individuals enter the state and never come back. That is why it''s good to know your limits." "Why didn''t you tell me before?" complained Reve. He never knew he was on the edge of dissolution while meditating. It felt quite heavenly....perhaps, that was the hidden danger. It was like being on drugs. The addict would damage masked as pleasure. Circe responded, "Does it matter? If you can''t overcome your first-time meditation, then you are better yet dead. Moving on, there is one major advantage of deep-level meditation¡­..." She de-powered the spell that powered her chair and it fell. Afterwards, she blinked heavily. Her body and surrounding glowed and a penta-coloured chair, more majestic than it''s predecessor, actualized. "Elemental Resonance. A state of being recognized by Mana. A bit similar to the [Elemental Magic]. It possesses diverse abilities which can be honed by meditating more and more." With his [Magic Eyes], Reve could tell that she did nothing to the chair. It just rose up all of a sudden. It was like¡­.it responded to her will. "Interesting¡­.." mused Reve. "Yes, it is. Hence, for a few days, you are going to practice meditation until your Mana Control and purity has reached a satisfactory level," ordered Circe. She shooed him off as a comfortable bed appeared in front of her. She laid on it quickly and took her daily sleep. Reve joked, "Is it really okay for me to have a teacher like this?" However, he was only joking. Circe has proven herself well enough. If anything, he was the one that had to show results. Hyped up, Reve took a comfortable lying position and began to chant with his eyes closed, ''I am the frost plant. I serve only one purpose. To breathe and propagate....'' Thus, his schedule became monotonous. Every day, he would meditate. When he was done, Circe would arrange different classes for him. They ranged from classes aligning to magic to large subjects like history, Arcadish, Troran, Herbs, Wildlife. If it wasn''t clear, Troran was the language created by magic beasts. It was the job of every intelligent magic beast to another intelligent magic beast. That way, they would be able to protect the continent from invaders. However, apparently, Circe knew this language along with almost every other language. She promised to teach him if he did well enough in his studies. He had to admit she was quite strict when she wanted to. After a week, Circe asked Reve to display his mana control by casting his best spell. Naturally, he picked [Ice Bullet]. After preparing, a magic circle appeared with a blob of mana seeming to form a finger-width ice structure. The opposite ends of the structure were sharp. Even Circe could see the glint it made when it contacted light. *Fume!* The moment the ice bullet formed, it fired off at insane speed. Multiple ice bullets also formed behind it as they aimed at one target; a large tree. *Fume!* The sharp sounds continued for five seconds before the attacks stopped. Reve looked to see the tree battered with tiny holes, each one exposing its other side. Taking such damage, it broke apart and fell with ferocious momentum. Circe nodded her head at the display, "This would suffice. Your mana control enabled you to produce thrice the ice bullets you normally would. Also, the density and penetrating power of the ice bullets are a class apart from basic projectile attacks. The moment it touched its target, it would freeze it. As expected, my teaching ability is remarkable." Despite bragging, her words were not without weight. She had come with a method for Reve to increase his skill effect. It was to draw an image of his ice bullets fluently. Reve was forced to use his teeth to grip the pencil and draw like a madman. Width, length, circumference¡­..he got every dimension of the ice bullet perfectly. Of course, there was still room for development. For instance, he could still add another layer into the ice bullet that would contain it''s freezing power. But that was for later. Circe awarded him, "Take a day break, we will continue with Mana Circuitry tomorrow." Chapter 37 - Eras Just as he was ordered, Reve slept comfortably throughout the next day. He had been working constantly for quite a while. Someone like him that didn''t like working was affected immensely by this routine. Sleeping felt like the perfect remedy for the situation. Reve''s sleep wasn''t disturbed by any dreams. He was simply floating in the vast expanse of clouds. After what felt like a few hours but was actually a day, Reve woke up to challenge the new day. He understood that Circe would change his routine, increasing the intensity of each class. He left his room and headed to the kitchen, which was probably where Circe was. The old witch loved to cook. Heck, she would even cook him if he asked. Just as he expected, she was in the kitchen, concocting god-knows-what with that legendary pot of hers. "Another blissful day, Circe," greeted Reve in the custom of Arcadia. He wasn''t speaking as fluently as a native would, but it was a work in progress. By the way, Reve had grown accustomed to telepathically communicating with Circe. That old hag could read the minds of literally anyone. All he had to think was think and she would understand him. It was a barbaric but effective method of communication, which Reve wasn''t offended at. He had nothing to hide from the old witch anyway. Dressed in a beautiful blue dress, Circe responded, "Good morning, Reve." "Also, don''t you call me an old hag or witch. For goodness'' sake, I''m not even old," She grabbed a cooking utensil and plunged it at Reve. However, Reve dodged with full speed, he mocked his teacher, "Yeah. Yeah. How old again? Certainly above three thousand, haha" With what he said, he couldn''t be saved from what was to come. Multiple utensils flew at him. They caged him at a corner and proceeded to batter his body. The rest was history. .... After breakfast, Reve and Circe moved to the study room. The cat released yelps with every step he made. His skin was purple from the beating that he received from Circe. She smiled at him after taking a seat across the large table, "Today, we will start with something different. We shall begin with History. Nice, isn''t it?" Reve''s sharp eyes beamed. He loved history. It was probably his best class. What could he say? Circe had a way of immersing him in the different time periods and topics. The class was always taught orally. Although, she had history books if he needed to read them. His Arcadish wasn''t that good so he preferred an oral class. "Let''s begin. We will review what we have covered so far," Circe spoke as she made herself comfortable on the chair. Meanwhile, Reve found himself a spot on the table. "We went over the different eras. Arcadia''s history can be dated back to approximately 10,705 years ago when we became aware of our existence. It was the first time we kept records of things." "Each era has a calendar named after the pioneer of that era. During the time of the era, it would be referred to as N.E, that is, New Era." "The first era is an abstract era. It is an unknown era said to be the period when the gods were born, the Dark Era, the Era of Gods. There is no calendar for that era as we were not yet ''aware'' at that time." "The second era is the Ascension Era. It is the only era without a name behind the calendar. This is because there were a lot of crazy things that occurred during it. Haha, you could be farming in your village and suddenly die. It was wild. No one dared claim to be its pioneer." Reve smiled as he listened to Circe. If he remembered white correctly, Circe was from the Ascension Era that lasted seven thousand years. He wondered what role she played in the most chaotic era in Arcadia. Judging by the title of Immortal Witch, it wasn''t anything normal. Also, it could be noted that the Ascension Era was when the world administrator rose. All in all, it was just like Circe said. It was a wild era. "The third era, the Era of Heroes and Demon Lords. A hypocritical era at its best. Heh, it spanned for 1500 years. Its calendar is named after Eternos. Most people don''t know why but we at the top are well aware of his identity," revised Circe. Despite not being active in that era, Circe always held contempt for it. She felt it wasn''t a good successor to the Ascension Era. "The fourth era is the Imagination Era. It was the era of peace and progress. Arcadia was just recovering from the terrific wars that scarred the land. It was said magic became easier to use and the world united for the very first time. Many organizations were founded. " "The next era is the current era. Not much is to be said as it is still new. To date, there are 205 recorded years in this era. Year 189 N.E, you found yourself in this world." Circe informed Reve that he had been in this world for sixteen(16) years. She had cast a spell on him to calculate that. After the quick revision, Circe clapped her hand and continued, "For a while, we will be discussing the major events in each era, starting from the Ascension Era. This will begin tomorrow. It is time for your next class..." Reve sighed as he was subject to some boring classes. When the sun was covered by the mesmerizing clouds, the pair of teacher and student went to the courtyard for Magic Training. Circe summoned her chair and sat on it while Reve laid on the ground. "We have gone past deep meditation which you will be required to do every day. Now, it is time for Magic Circuitry. First, what do you understand about it?" posed Circe. Reve was used to Circe''s way of teaching. She allowed a certain independence by challenging the student''s knowledge of the said topic. With that said, he had no idea of what the topic was. R.I.P ... [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 38 - Prelude "Magic circuit is the complex control of magic in a physical body," revealed Reve. He couldn''t be very far off, could he? As expected from a cat god like him, his deductions were perfect. Reve bobbed his head upwards as Circe sighed at his behaviour, "Quite right." She was very stingy with her words, almost stopping herself from uttering them. Her sharp stare put Reve in his place. The joyous cat sadly stopped dancing with his butt. "Every little factor matters. Hidden details can propel you if you grasp them. The principles of Magic Circuit adhere to this. It stems from two words. Magic, which means a phenomenon that can''t be explained with the mortal brain. Circuit, a complex structure that is connected on a fundamental level. Think of a circuit as a kingdom''s map. You get two perspectives; one from above, and one from within the kingdom." Circe''s right hand danced freely in the air. A two-dimensional construct of what a Magic Circuit looked like appeared in front of the Reve. If he had to sum it up, it was like the map of a maze. So complex that he couldn''t trace a viable path from the head to the tail. In his mind, it was completely unnecessary. Even more, it was unneeded He spoke out his mind, "I don''t understand. Are the benefits of a Mana Circuit spectacular?" To his question, Circe threw out another answer, "Are the benefits of a Mana Circle spectacular? Do you need them to cast a magic spell?" "Not, but it''s....." Reve immediately understood Circe''s point. "Remember that only Arcanists use Mana Circle and Mana Circuit. Mana Circuit resembles Mana Circle because it was built on the foundation of the latter. It applies the principles of its predecessor; improved Mana Control, spell refinement, and many more," Circe explained. Her face puffed up in pride as she said, "We, Arcanist, are methodical. We could even be called formulaic. Our magic is as old as ancient magic. We pride ourselves in being efficient." After a quick brag, she divulged, "Mana Circuit is akin to a program that uses simple codes to perform complex actions. It is like runes; just one character represents a vast phenomenon. Each path in a Mana Circuits executes a different function. If you want to optimize your mana expenditure, there is a path. If you wanna fight to your best, there is a path. It leads to no wastage. Every ounce of mana is accounted for just like the world administrator evaluates mana points." After teaching Reve about the wonders of Mana Circuit, Circe gave him a Mana Circuit method. She explained that there were no differences in methods except for some intrinsic qualities. However, each method was built for the owner''s body. It is just as how each piece of cloth corresponds to a different body size. Hence, without building one''s unique method, one has to use the basic method that can be used by all. She also explained that the methods would eventually leave a lasting effect on the body. Things referred to as Mana Veins would grow in one''s physical body. This was also why a mage was required to build his own Mana Circuit Method. With the explanation from Circe, Reve''s schedule became locked. Just like how he practiced magic spells, Reve was expected to be able to draw the basic Mana Circuit without thinking too much. It was almost impossible but Circe showed him proof that there was a possibility. The old which had no pride. She loved to bully the going cat god, saying stuff like, "Haha, your magic is cute." Apart from that, the villainous woman implemented a new class after two weeks. She called it Magic Endurance Class. If his previous class were torturous, this new class embodies the concept of torture. In essence, it was pure torture. There was no disguise. In this class, Reve would be made to go through various physical activities that would be made better if he simply used magic. The goal was to resist the temptations of magic. Circe spoke of mages who never could be satisfied with their achievements. They would go on to conduct all sorts of heinous experiments just to get closer to the source of magic. She also spoke of mages who died because they were too impatient in battle. She reminded him earnestly that a mage''s magic was not to fight but to influence the physical world. Phenomenon. Magic spells mimicked natural phenomenons. It was their effects that a mage seeks in battle. For example, mimicking a natural tornado would have various effects like ripping apart strong structures and instantly killing any living beings nearby. That was the essence of a mage. A few months passed by with Reve not learning any new spell. However, he could feel the sharp increase in his strength. His level has shot up to Level.30 without knowing. These were the perks of Circe''s teaching. She told him she would squeeze out his potential and she did so. A few unique things happened to Reve during his long training. One of them was the particular sense of time that loomed over him. Without knowing, his brain executed a countdown for special reasons. Information rushed to his brain about the exact reason. It was Amethyst, the time for the picking of the host was getting closer. Reve estimated that it would be due in one year. Accompanying this strange sensation was yet another sensation. This sensation covered the location of Amethyst''s palace. That crazy god was already making preparations for the finale. When Reve told Circe about everything, she decided to up his training. Two new classes were added; Practice Class and Prime Class. For practical class, Circe would put him against other magical beasts. It was like a colosseum. She had said to him, "You need battle experience which can only be gained from pure battle. One that exudes the aura of death" Some days, his body would be broken beyond repair but Circe ensured he could always live to fight another day. Prime Class was a unique class. To understand this, one had to know that each magical beast was born with a primal form, a form which they were unfettered by any constraint. Most magical beasts'' primal form made them humanoid. This would give them better advantages. However, prime form could only be attained when one reaches the limit of his potential. Luckily, Reve''s race capped his limit at Lv.50. All he had to do was scavenge his potential. Prime Class prepared him for that. It focused on his senses as that would be needed to draw out his prime form when ready. This class also had another perk. It refined his [Telekinesis]. In fact, most of his classes affected his other path. With the addition of these two new classes, Reve was equipped with all he needed to possess for his fated meeting with Amethyst¡­.... Chapter 39 - A New Reve A year later after the fateful meeting, the pair of student and teacher had grown together. They were more familiar with each other. Sometimes, Circe would spill secrets from her past. She would inform Reve of the evil deeds that titled her a witch. One particular statement she made struck the core of Reve''s soul, "Arcadia is not as paradisical as you think. Perhaps you gained this notion because you live in this peaceful forest. When you venture out into the world, you get your hands tainted. No one is truly pure. Arcadia spins minds in a way one can not even begin to comprehend." He remembered the look of reminiscence in her eyes as she laid down her true feelings. He could now understand why she preferred sleeping over the course of history. Circe was blessed with immortality yet she never took advantage of that. All she wanted was the peacefulness only dreams brought. ''Arcadia scars people,'' realized Reve. On that very day, Reve gained increasing fear for the greater world of Arcadia. ..... Exactly one year-two month after their fateful meeting. Magic training ground..... *Whoosh!* A magical beast lunged at Reve. The young cat dodged the side nimbly while closing his eyes. In his mind, he got a mental picture of the magical beast. It was of the same race as him; the cat race. This cat was black while Reve had white fur, quite contrasting. Despite the feedback from his passive skill [Appraisal], Reve did not pay attention to it. He patiently distanced himself from the cat as he plotted his next moves. ''What?'' Reve looked downwards. He noticed an abnormality brewing in his shadows. His innate intelligence hastily calculated the best countermeasures to take. However, he was too late. Multiple vile hands rose up from his shadow and pulled him down. He lost his strength instantly as if they were being restricted by the presence of the shadow hands and his body eventually got submerged into his shadow. The black cat appeared beside his shadow and stared deeply at it. It was unknown what he was searching for but it wouldn''t leave until it found it! In a shocking turn of events, large numbers of white plants grew from the earth and stabbed the black cat horrendously. It screamed and shattered into specks of black lights resembling the mesmerizing ray of moonlights. Moments later, Reve revealed himself to be hiding behind a tree. "As expected of a magic beast''s innate skill..." The him that was swallowed by the shadows was a clone. It was the effect of his [Nature Echo Spell]. The principle of the magic spell was to create a mimic that looks identical to the user while the real user hides away. It was a unique cloning spell that could only be achieved by the joint effort of his deep meditation state and his mana control. Still, even yet, Reve was only capable of creating stationary clones and they absorbed almost a quarter of his mana. However, looking at things now, it was worth it. It saved him from danger. As he celebrated triumphantly, Reve''s senses went haywire abruptly. He made a hand sign and internally chanted, "[Force Barrier]." A circular screen appeared around him. It was a result of using his [Telekinesis] skill to protect himself. It was his weakest barrier skill but it was also the fastest. Immediately, he felt a sharp object break apart the barrier and intrude into his safe circle. The identity of his attacker was the black cat whom he thought to be dead. Reve smiled as the claws of the cat caught his shoulder, "That is not nice. You used a cloning spell. No wonder I felt strange." Reve did not let out a single sound as the claws embedded into his flesh. He simply flashed a smile at the black cat. Blood dripped immensely from his wound but he kept staring at the cat with unknown thoughts. Before the cat could unleash a hellish fury, he grinned, "Ha, don''t blame me for this, you came to me by yourself. [Enchant Body: Base]" Mana surrounded him frenziedly. His mana veins became overtasked with the absorption of mana. A magic circle began to lit on his skin. Following that were deep blue lines that appeared on his fur. Within a second, he disappeared from the grasp of the black cat. He later appeared far away from the cat with a sheepish smile on his face. Astonishingly, two magic circles abruptly materialized from underneath the cat. The glowed with frosty blue lights and quickly beamed brightly. As if the mouth of a frost giant had been opened, blue ice particles flowed out of the magic circles ferociously. The sound they made was akin to roars of wind in cold regions. They encased everything they touched in abyssal terrors of ice. The ice sheet spread through the entire training ground, even reaching Reve''s location but as the user of the spell, it didn''t have any effect on him. [Frozen Gate]..... It was an advanced magic spell¡­..his only advanced magic spell. It created a parasitical ice with the joint efforts of two or more magic circles. However, since Reve was only a Second Circle Arcanist, he could only do this much. Nonetheless, ''this much'' was enough for the black cat. Reve finally did his victory dance as he spotted the black cat covered in thick sheets of ice. In his mind, it was a foregone conclusion. The black cat was already dead. There was a reason why Reve earnestly mastered [Frozen Gate] despite its heavy technicalities. The magic spell was parasitical. Any prey it ensnared would gradually become wholly frozen. So, if Reve tapped on them, they would break into pieces of ice blocks¡­...dead! This was why Reve took so long to set the spell. He needed a stationary position for it and he knew the black cat''s speed rivaled his. Hence, he used himself as bait and patiently set the spell underneath him. He then camouflaged it with [Merge]; a basic spell that merged the aura of an attack with the aura of the surrounding, giving one''s target a false sense of normality. Afterward, he used the only spell he learned from the school of enchantment; [Enchant Body: Base]. This simply augmented his physical attributes temporarily. If he had checked his stats at that time, they would have gone up by at least ten points. Yet, the drawback was an immediate sense of fatigue, which was why Reve used the magic spell sparingly The entire ordeal was overcome with his intellect and magical prowess. This was the result of his training! ................ [A/N: Finally, the wait is over. Good News, I have bought a PC so expect my daily update to increase. 50 powerstones -> An additional chapter 100 powerstones -> Two additional chapter 5 Golden Tickets -> A mass release (usually 5-10 chapters) This is my schedule. Also, feel free to check the books of my other account(Ademidun Rockson). 1. World of Ashes: An apocalyptic novel involving the journey of a young man. Unlike most apocalyptic novels, this one pursues the theme of discovery. It is like Mutagen where the characters create their own power system. 2. Vampiric Warlock: It centers around a young vampire as he vows to increase his family standing in the large world. ] Chapter 40 - A New Reve(2) After the intense battle, Reve finally paid attention to the notification that Nixy gave him. [Notice: You killed a Shadow Cat(Lv.53). Achievement gained +0.5] It was the only notification he had from the world administrator. "Such a sad life. It could have killed me if observed the battle carefully," sighed Reve. His sore muscles were proof of his statement. He had given it his all to defeat the magical beasts. Even his mana reserve was at its lowest. For an opponent like the shadow cat, Reve had unleashed his mana-tasking spells on it. Just one more spell and he would have left himself defenseless. Still, the main reason for his victory was due to the lack of inefficiency from the shadow cat. Unlike Reve who had squeezed out all of his potentials and was now at his limits, the shadow cat didn''t learn magic or Ki. It only used innate spells given to him by his racial status. In essence, the shadow cat only lost to the skills it was very fond of. Reve reviewed the battle as a mage should always do. After he had noted the key points he needed to improve on, Reve took a look at his status. [ Name: Reve Race: White Arcadian Cat(Neophyte) Level(exp): 50 (500/500) Path: 2nd Circle Arcanist (Magic), Mystic Wanderer(Path of Secrets) Titles: Kin of Amethyst, Deviant, First Kind, Hunter, Magic User(Apprentice), Enigma AP: 44 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 35 Speed: 50 Constitution: 30 Intelligence: 30 Mana: 100 Psi-Force: 95 ] [ Skills: Trinity Candidate(Max). Supernatural Sense(Lv.5) Seventh Sense(Lv.2). Energy Sense(Lv.3). Magic Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Lv.2). Blind Magic(Lv.5). Telekinesis(Lv.9). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Lv.3). Nature Echo(Lv.4). Enchant Body: Base(Max). Frozen Gate(Lv.4). Prime Mode(Max). Nature(Lv.9). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.6) ] The world administrator, Nixy, always made sure to compact skills so the host could comprehend easier. This made it introduce the concept of Magic Series. They were like schools of magic but covered an array of related magic spells. For instance, [Home Magic Series] covers basic magic spells used to take care of one''s home. They were mostly cleaning spells. [Faceless Magic Series] was his self-created magic series. It includes all basic and a few advanced stealth-related magic spells. Although, most of the spells were created by him. As for the rest of his magic spells, they weren''t enough to make more magic series. This was a bit pitiful as most mages aspired to create many magic series. However, Reve could not learn everything. His time was always occupied with studying and training. Having the spare time to accumulate a few auxiliary magic series was unnecessary and unneeded. Reve relaxed his body on the grassy ground. Blue lights surrounded him as he tried to heal his injuries and refill his mana reserve. He heard his teacher''s voice accompanied with rounds of claps, "Brilliantly done. You aren''t the immortal witch''s student for nothing. Come, you have been working hard for so long. We rest today." Reve glanced at the figure of his teacher. His lips quivered as he darted his glance away. Soon, after much recuperation, he stood up and walked after the old witch. ...¡­. In the sitting lounge, Reve sat on Circe''s laps as the latter brushed his fur. There was silence between them, which was very rare. Perhaps it was because they knew of what was to come. After a while, Circe faked a smile, "When you arrived at my doorsteps, I have never thought I would create a magic genius." "Heh, what is this all of a sudden? You have finally noticed the greatness of this cat god," Reve talked smugly. He couldn''t hide the nervousness that could be found in his voice. Circe was never one to praise. Heck, that old hag preferred torturing more than praise. "Hehe, if you say "old hag" once more, I will shave your fur," threatened Circe. ''Crap, I forgot she can read mind,'' realized Reve. He retorted, "My fur? You dare not!" "Try me and see.." "You, old h----" Reve could already feel Circe''s palm becoming hotter. He soon changed his words, "--human. You, old human." Circe positioned Reve''s face in front of hers and asked softly, "Old what?" Reve''s face twitched, "Kek, you can deny your ''hag-ness'' but you can''t deny your old age. Age is--" ¡­...and like that he was flung across the room with vicious brutality, bouncing on the walls for a few seconds before finally settling on the floor with his face fully kissing it. Circe walked to him and challenged with a lovely smile, "Say that again." He struggled to get up, but his stance was unwavering, "I said one cannot escape age. Age is a----" *Boom* A fire ignited below him and consumed him like a great python. Because Circe wasn''t being serious, Reve was able to use his ice mana to mitigate the effects of the fire, but still...¡­.almost all his furs were burnt to crisp! Reve roared in anger, "You old hag!" *Bang!* Circe dished out another punishment. "You old hag!" *Boom!* Yet again, she didn''t disappoint. "You old--" *Crackle!* Another one..... "You--" *Clink!* Another one.... "..." *Whoosh!*'' She mercilessly beat him up even when he said nothing. ...¡­. After a while, Reve was back on Circe''s lap but this time with no fur and a bruised eye. He glanced grumpily at his assailant but didn''t say anything. He would never admit a young cat god like him was scared of an old h--young lady. His skin tingled as Circe''s bare hand caressed it. She sent a jovial smile at him in hopes of reconciliation¡­..probably not. Reve stared at the pattern of the floor. They were inconsequential but his mind could not help but look at them. Eventually, he spoke out, "Circe, I can feel it. It is calling me. A beacon. Khaos'' beacon!" [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 41 - Him, Him, And It(1) "Circe, I can feel it. It is calling me. A beacon. Khaos'' beacon!" His low tone as he spoke out revealed his turbulent emotions. All this time, he had known that Khaos would call upon him, but right at this moment, he didn''t know what to feel¡­...how to feel. After having enriched himself with abundant magic knowledge, Reve was well aware that Khaos was not a gracious entity. His only goal was to raise an heir. He had no care for those who didn''t succeed! So, what would happen to Reve if he didn''t succeed? Would he be struck down by the chaos god? Or better yet, would he die in the selection process? "So, it is happening....." responded Circe. She stared at Reve, "What time will you be going?" "Tomorrow." ".....Tomorrow, huh?" The pair of Circe and Reve was like a mother and child. More accurately, an elder sister and younger brother. After close to two years, they had bonded far more than she had expected. She mouthed softly, "Another one is leaving me, huh?" "Circe,..." interrupted Reve, but he couldn''t find the right words to say. "Don''t worry about me. You might die tomorrow," sighed Circe. "I know that¡­..." "Ah, what is with me? It is not like me to get emotional. Come on, let''s go cook a meal. Oh, I know! We shall do cat soup," joked Circe. She earned the full-on glare of Reve, "I shall not partake in this cannibalism!" "Why tho? It is quite sweet," chided Circe, but Reve only increased the intensity of his stares. After quite a while, Circe reluctantly switched the meal. She cooked a luxurious meal as a send-off for Reve. Moments later, the duo went to sleep. They were too uncomfortable to converse with each other. ...¡­.. The moon slumbered and the sun rose. It was a new day. Something was quite special about this new day. When Reve woke up, he kept staring at the sun despite it burning his sight. He found himself with no thoughts. One thing was for sure, he wasn''t at peace, but he also didn''t possess chaotic thoughts. "This might be the day I die," mouthed Reve. He quickly dragged his body to prepare for the occasion. Minutes later, he appeared in the lounge and spotted Circe in a casual one-piece dress. He had to say not waking up to instant training was quite liberating. Noticing him, Circe smiled, "It seems you are ready." "Yes." She walked him out the door and informed him, "You might know it but Khaos'' palace is at the edge of the island. Follow the snake river north, the same path you took to this location. Then again, I''m sure Khaos has provided the means to locate him." "Yes." "Remember my teachings. Also, pay attention to your thoughts. Never overthink or forget things like you normally do. Treasure your mana reserve; use mana-efficient spells to finish your battle. Finally, based on his activities, Khaos loves the unexpected. I''m sure you would grab his attention." "Yes." He could only say so much to an unusually nagging Circe. "Lastly," Circe picked up Reve and hugged him, breathing his flora scent, "Please, don''t die." "Yes," sniffled Reve. A tear streamed down his cat''s face. He rarely cried but at this moment, he couldn''t stop the barrage of tears that rolled down his cheeks. He separated himself from Circe and looked at her one last time before going his way. It was not time to be emotional. It was time to be sharp, as sharp as the bright sun. As he spotted the flowing snake river, he felt a wave of nostalgia hit him. Was it not a year ago that he fought for his life at the west of snake river? It was not wrong to say that the battle left him at death''s door. Yes, it was around that time that he got to meet Circe. Reve maintained a conscious state with all his sensory skills. Normally, they would be in a passive state that he would ignore unconsciously but he had found a way to manipulate that. By raising his body awareness to the maximum, Reve would gain rudimental control of all his passive skills. Of course, this was not without its demerit. This state called Battle State would mercilessly drain his Psi-Force, his mental energy. However, being a practitioner of the path of secrets. He had a lot of mental energy which would negate the side effects of [Battle State] for quite a while. Reve followed his subconscious mind as he trailed along the snake river. Just like Circe said, the beacon in his head pointed northwards. He wasn''t worried about being attacked by magical beasts. He had already reached the level limit of the forest so his magical aura would scare away any potential attacker. A magician needed to be confident. They needed to possess a thick mind as magic spells could be influenced by the state of the mind. They might------ *Roar!* Reve sighed in exasperation, "Bloody hell." The source of the sound was getting closer to him. He could hear the hurried footsteps of the beast. Reve flared up his magical aura to intimidate the beast, but the sound kept getting closer. "It''s fast," Reve noticed. A red blur blitzed around heading for him. Reve calmed his mind and dodged at the last second, but he felt something inching toward his back to which he responded by blocking the attack. *Bang!* The force of the attack blasted him deep into the snake river. ''What was that?'' Reve came out of the water and erected a [Force Barrier] instantly. He looked around to see two figures. The first one was a lizard with hot red scales and a vengeful set of eyes. The second one was, well¡­...the same! Looking at this, Reve''s first thought was, ''Cloning magic or an innate skill? Since the first one was a decoy, there''s a high possibility that the second one is the real body. Hmmmm¡­.what?'' His second move refreshed some memory in his head which would explain the terrific anger boiling deep in the lizard. ''He looks just like¡­..Wait, let me check!'' He activated his [Appraisal] and spied on the lizard [Terror Lizard(Lv.60)] ''Oh, damnation!'' cursed Reve. Chapter 42 - Him, Him, And It(2) [Terror Lizard(Lv.60)] At that moment, the lizard''s red scales burned brighter than the sun. Reve remembered the last time he had seen the creature. He was chased to the death by the lizard and that was just the lizard when it wasn''t at its prime level-wise. ''What is this situation?'' wryly smiled Reve. He distanced himself from the two red figures. As a magician, he had to fight with his spells and not his body. Moreover, Reve was a failure when it came to physical strength. The earlier encounter was proof of that. Reve had reacted quite fast but he couldn''t protect himself from the impact. As soon as he distanced himself, he began to analyze the battle, ''It is not weird that I happened to encounter it. This location is part of its domain. Damn, it is angry and isn''t willing to toy with me, unlike last time. What do I do?'' After the silence had prolonged too much, the lizard, or rather, lizards, made the first move. It crawled speedily at him, lunging first with a [Flameball]. Reve swiftly danced around it before shooting a basic mana blast at it. It was a skill not included in his skill repertoire because it was too basic. This was Reve''s way of controlling the battle. Rather than wasting time using excessive attacks, he would conserve as many mana points as possible. Also, due to his training, his mana blasts were far destructive than other basic attacks, even rivaling intermediate projectile spells. Reve jumped back again after his attack and watched its effect. He squeezed his face immediately, ''Damn, Mana Immunity. Those scales are annoying.'' A red blur blitzed past him and attempted to hit him but Reve reacted fast by sending it away. He was suddenly locked in by the other lizard clone and tail whipped. *Boom!* As he stood back up, Reve spat out blood, "This tag team is really effective. Damn, Xoris'' bottom!" The lizards were on the move. One of them appeared before Reve, but before it could move further, a plant whip grabbed its leg. Reve pointed his hands at its head and a large concentrated mana blast shot out like a waning star. It blasted the lizard away which gave Reve more time to focus on the other incoming lizard! White plants rose from the ground and attempted to trap the lizard but it burned everything with a flame blast. *Roar!* A red beam escaped its mouth. It headed towards Reve''s location at an alarming speed. ''[Force Barrier]'' *Boom!* The barriers broke in a few seconds but it already served its purpose, giving Reve the time he needed to cast his spell. The moment the lizard''s jaws clamped on Reve, he exploded in multiple ice shards. The shards seemed to have done some damage but it was later revealed that was not the case. From his hiding position, Reve cursed, "Bloody magic immunity!" He was starting to get annoyed by the lizard''s toughness. ''Crap!'' A lizard appeared behind him with beaming red eyes. It shot a fiery blast Reve couldn''t ignore. He could only offset it with another mana blast but it seemed to be what the lizard wanted. Another lizard, this time, the real lizard, sent its signature tail whip at Reve right when he was about to shoot his mana blast. *Phew!* He sent Reve flying a few feet away. When Reve rearranged himself, he wasn''t giving any time to rest as he spotted more than five lizard clones surrounding him! They burned intensely, later combusting into flame pillars, leaving a trail of flame that connected each other. It all seemed familiar to Reve. ''Damn, this was its endgame. Making me believe there was only one clone while positioning the other clones for a final attack. Smart, but I won''t go down like these!'' Ever since that day, he had prepared himself for a way out of skills like this. With a single thought, two magic circles appeared in front of him. They rose us to the sky, challenging the sun until they became the frozen moon that hung over only him! Since he was working against time, he sped things up a bit. The magic circles revolving around each other. In the center of this revolution, a blue light was being born. It intruded into the physical world becoming an orb that was protected by the magic circle. The orb later broke and a beautiful frost plant emerged out of it. The flower on top of the plant blossomed and.......hell was unleashed! Suddenly, the plant began to spit out lots of complex ice structures. The ice structures that resembled tiny spears operated on the same principles as the [Frozen Gate]. They both spread forth a parasitic ice upon contact. Instantly, the flame pillars became frozen by the ice spears. The frost plant suddenly focused on the lizard clones. It froze everything until only the real terror lizard was left. Despite its barrage of attacks on the lizard, nothing seemed to be happened except for the expected physical impact damage. Watching this, Reve calmed himself. He tried to think of a way to deal sufficient attacks at the lizard. All of a sudden, the lizard roared and unleashed its special skill. The one that terrified Reve, the [Flame Arrows]. The two top-tier skills began to face each other. Reve''s [Ice Fantasy] got the advantage in speed and magic effect, but the brutality of the [Flame Arrows] took the cake. They burned as deeply as the sun, melting the ice spears before they come nearer. The lizard took the chance to send a clone at Reve while under the cover of magic spells. Seeing this, Reve rapidly thought of ways to get out of this perilous situation, ''I can''t move. [Ice Fantasy] requires the caster to be dormant. I also can''t use any spell. This spell alone requires all my concentration.'' [Ice Fantasy] was Reve''s most complex spell. The ice spears, itself, was more complex than any of Reve''s other spell. It had different sections built for various effects; speed, freezing potential, piercing... Hence, once he became a single bit distracted, everything might fall and explode on him in an ironic fashion. ''I can''t let it explode. The backlash would basically conclude the battle. I have to take the hit and quietly de-activate the spell.'' Reve began his suicidal task by enchanting his body first then slowly lessening the power of [Ice Fantasy]. Only a few seconds had occurred before Reve went into speed thinking. It was time for the lizard clone to reach him. *Boom!* The lizard exploded upon contact and blasted Reve away in a similar fashion that Reve did to the previous lizard clone. Chapter 43 - Him, Him, And It(3) Reve found himself back in the river. He resisted the strong water current and dragged his body out with a single flip. ''Bloody Hell!'' His senses picked up on a presence behind him. He could feel the temperature of the air suddenly rise. Even his furs were scorched from the change. Reve turned back to see the terror lizard opening its mouth. Red lights could be seen blaring from the depths of the lizards. Without any usual roar, the lizard fired out a constant stream of deep red flames. It all happened in a few seconds, leaving Reve barely anytime to react. He managed to summon his white plants which coiled all around him to form a great tree with him buried deep in it. One might wonder why he had not used his [Force Barrier]. The skill was already compromised. The smart lizard had probably figured out that the skill could only repel physical things. It wouldn''t do well against an ethereal force like mana. That was why Reve used his best defensive skill. It was a variation of his [Nature] magic spell. The original would stimulate the growth of plant life, but this variation would do the same with the purpose of it swallowing him. It made a good defense but wasted his mana. The great tree kept blocking the red flames. It was doing a good job until Reve''s mana reserve dropped and its efficiency significantly reduced. The flame stream burrowed into the great tree, little by little. The sheer heat generated by the attack was already affecting Reve, "Endure. Endure. Endure!" It was appearing to be a battle of energy. Whoever would win depends on who has more energy reserve. The lizard or Reve? After a few minutes, Reve tapped out. His [Great Tree] dematerialized and left him bare to the flame stream but luckily the lizard was already running out of energy. It stopped its attack and rushed out at a helpless Reve when an unexpected arrow embedded itself in its leg. This unpredicted action gave Reve the necessary time to run away from the lizard. He wondered to himself, ''Is there a third party? Who saved me? No, it is wrong to think that way? If whoever it was wanted to save me, I would have been saved a long time ago. Does that mean----I was bait!'' He created a few clones to confuse his enemy and hid behind a tree. Closing his eyes, Reve fully expanded his senses way beyond their limits. A mental image of his two-kilometer radius appeared in his mind. He was able to pinpoint the location of two figures. One of them was beside the lake. The exact place Reve ran away from. Hence, that should be the terror lizard. The second figure was just like him, hiding behind a tree. The figure faced the terror lizard directly. That was all the information his senses could give him. There was no information on gender, weapon, and so on. ''Who is that?'' One thing was for sure. The hidden figure had a ranged weapon that could fire arrows. It was also in possession of exquisite arrows. So far, it was the only thing that has proven to be able to leave a lasting damage on the lizard. The situation strangely became silent. No one moved. No one was willing to move. The lizard kept changing its sight. It stared straight at the rough location of the hidden figure. Then, it would glare at its east, the area where Reve was hiding. It seemed to be having a deep discussion. Reve wasn''t worried about that. It worked well for him. He used the time to recuperate. He tried to refill as much mana points as he could. The coming moments would be perilous! *Roar!* After a while, the lizard became the first to break the peaceful atmosphere. It screamed in pain as cracking sounds could be heard originating from its body. Reve observed all this with his supernatural sense. He had a concerning look on his face as he watched the lizard break down further. The red eyes of the lizard bulged ferociously. From the middle of its forehead, an extra eye was growing. A few more transformations occurred and the terrific moans coming from the lizard stopped. The lizard appeared once more. Something was different about it. It was taller than it should be, reaching half the height of a normal tree easily. Worst of all, the lizard stood on two legs with its lizard face scouring his surrounding. His red scales brilliantly shined under the light provided by the sun. Suddenly, the lizard opened his mouth and spoke out, "Come out, two of you! I know you are there! Ahhhh." The rage on its face was as explicit as ever. Reve changed his hiding location as soon as he noticed the change in the situation, ''Just as I feared, the lizard had already attained its prime mode. With the way it spoke Troran, the beast language, I would say it is quite proficient with this form. I need to escape---'' He instantly ducked as a red beam of energy swept past his head. The lizard was becoming more active. Since it couldn''t find its prey, it would clear the surrounding, eliminating all advantages Reve had. That was probably what the lizard thought was the best course of action. "I''ve found you!" A roar echoed throughout the forest, scaring all the nearby birds. In an instant, the humanoid lizard appeared beside Reve. It stretched its claw but Reve managed to dodge it. He cast his basic enchant spell and attempted to run away but the lizard smoothly caught up with him. Due to the differences in height, it threw a kick at Reve which was blocked by his [Force Barrier]. Reve manipulated a nearby broken tree and flung it at the lizard. He did the same for other trees frantically. He wanted to use the chaotic situation to attempt an escape. However, a fiery blast emanated from the lizard which turned everything to ashes, "Enough of this. I''m tired of your tricks" Chapter 44 - Him, Him, And It(4) Facing the monstrous beast, Reve smirked and activated his [Voice Magic], "Hey, why are you so fixated on me?" The lizard roared, "You are prey. Prey should not run away." It stopped talking and blew a thick fiery breath at Reve. Of course, Reve would not simply stand and let himself be burnt. He had cast his [Nature Echo] spell while he was talking to the lizard and quietly exited the scened with his stealth skills. It was a tactic he had learned the hard way. As soon as the lizard noticed that the person it burnt was just Reve''s clone, it bellowed ferociously like a tempestuous storm, "Where are you?!" Before it could fully express its anger, an arrow flew unfettered in the air and hit the lizard. "Ahhh! Who is that?!" screamed the lizard. Suddenly, a rain of arrows appeared in the sky. The lizard unleashed its fire arrows at the arrows. It repelled the attack by spewing another flame breath at its surrounding. This time, it was successful in revealing the location of its unknown attacker. It vanished from its position and later appeared next to the hidden figure but a tree smashed at it before it could injure the hidden figure. It was Reve who had been watching the scene. He realized that he needed the help of the hidden figure. The battle style of the hidden figure was quite elusive but it dealt maximum damage. That would be the key to killing the lizard. Reve had already decided on that. The lizard wouldn''t leave him alone anyways. He just hoped that the hidden figure understood the plan. *Roar* Reve changed his location and continued hiding. The hidden figure did the same but Reve had gotten a good look at him. He wore a black cloak and a blank wooden grey mask. The weapon he used was a crossbow, but Reve wasn''t sure if that was the only one. Meanwhile, the lizard created multiple fiery clones and began his rampage on the duo. Each of his clones scavenged the damaged forest, searching for the duo. From his hiding position, Reve saw a few of them walk past him. He could have destroyed them but that would reveal his location. For now, he had to continue assessing the situation while he recuperated. While he was hidden, the other figure acted. He rolled around and shot arrows at each of the fiery clones before they could combust. It seemed he had assessed enough of Reve''s fight to understand the clones'' uniqueness Just as he was about to finish off the rest of the clones, he found himself out of arrows. From his vantage point, Reve wondered if he should interfere now but ultimately decided against that. If the figure could carry a crossbow freely, he would have factored in situations like this. Truly, according to Reve''s thought, the figure''s body emanated with a mastered aura. It was the blackest aura Reve had ever seen. It reeked of death to the point even from far away, Reve could already feel suffocated. Suddenly, the heaviness of the aura diminished and it turned purple with a hint of calmness and mysteriousness. Wisps of ki escaped from his aura and entered the crossbow. It formed the shape of an arrow, which the figure used as such. This was Reve''s first time seeing a warrior. Unlike mages, warriors could not manipulate mana. They had to master their aura and draw out the energy of the soul called Ki. Circe had explained to him that he should never belittle an aura warrior as they could always surprise him when he least expected it. Perhaps, this was one such moment? The figure rolled away and slipped his hand on the ground. He threw away his crossbow and brought out a hunting sword. Words escaped his mouth but Reve wasn''t able to hear them. The figure took a stance and the energy in the air immediately got disturbed. Ki coalesced around his sword in an unstoppable fashion. It made the sword hum which troubled even the terror lizard. *Whoosh* With a single swipe, a great wave of water appeared in the air and destroyed all the clones. As if practiced a thousand times, he ran at the lizard. Getting close to it, he flicked something with his leg and twirled around to make a full circle. The moment he faced the lizard again, a sharp light escaped his hands and pierced the lizard''s scales. Once again, Reve was in shock. He was able to see what had just happened. The figure had flicked a weapon up and flung it at the lizard while discarding his sword. ''Crossbow¡­..Hunting Sword, and even an Atlatl. What is even more shocking is the locations of these weapons? He knew the exact location. Does this mean he had planned everything?'' Reve had never been more amazed in his life. This level of battle prowess was really mind-blowing. He now felt like the chance of slaying the lizard had increased by a large margin. After damaging the lizard, the figure dropped back the atlatl and picked up his sword. He engaged the lizard, clashing beautifully well with the monstrous beast. By the time two minutes had passed, both of them had left marks at each other but the injury of the lizard worsened so Reve thought the figure had a chance. Suddenly, the lizard flared up with flames once again. It released a fiery shockwave that blasted the figure away. Afterward. It chased the figure and kept decimating him, not giving him a chance to retaliate. Reve sighed, ''I guess this is show time.'' The figure could only last for a few minutes. But at least, he had secured some important information that Reve badly needed. To combat the lizard, Reve needed to be at his best. He too needed to draw out his prime form. As soon as he thought that, transformations began to occur on his body. Just like the lizard, his bones continuously broke and reassembled. It was painful but Reve had been taught by Circe to endure it. He allowed the transformation to play out the way it wanted while hiding the deep pain. After a few seconds, a new Reve was born. This Reve was over six feet tall. He still had a cat face but he was in a bi-pedal form. His white fur beautifully protected his body. His heterochromatic eyes beamed when they detected light particles. He was ready¡­.ready for a definitive battle! Chapter 45 - Him, Him And It(5) Two months ago, after much training, Reve attained his [Prime Mode]. That was when he had suddenly stopped growing due to the limits of his race. Back then, he spent a month training yet he received no results for it. Nothing worked, even the life and death situations that Circe put him through failed tremendously. There he was¡­...on one night, looking at the starless night. He wondered if that was his fate¡­... if he was the same as them. A starless entity, Something about that thought irked him. He had been training for a long time now. He had to at least have something to show for it. During this heavy pondering, Reve evoked something deep in him. It was a desire. A desire to be stronger. A desire to be perfect. His yearning for more activated a hidden key in his body. When unlocked, this key would reveal the true nature of a being. This was the [Prime Mode]. ...... After having transformed, Reve thought to himself, ''I will need to finish this right now. I can only maintain this state for half an hour.'' "What were the benefits of his [Prime mode]?" One would ask. However, if they thought back to the other name of the mode called [Limit Breaker], they would fully grasp its conceptual meaning. [Prime Mode] broke all the original limits, both physical and mental. His normal spells would be stronger. His speed would be faster. His mana reserve would be lengthier. In this form, Reve flexed his fist and simply vanished from his location. He later appeared next to the lizard just as it was about to kill the masked man. Reve shot a mana blast at the lizard. It blasted the lizard with superb momentum. Reve then looked at the masked man, "Hey, can you hear me?" Since the masked man was in the beast continent, Reve assumed he was fluent in Troran. However, the man just kept looking at him, not responding one bit. "I take it that you can hear me, good," smiled Reve. He didn''t give the masked man a moment to retort, "Do you have something that can kill the lizard?" The man kept his soundless visage, but Reve thought it was an affirmative sign. He didn''t how he could do it, but he had a feeling that that was how the masked man lived. He communicated with his expressions. Despite his face hidden behind a man, Reve could still read them. His face scrunched, ''That being said. He is most likely a teenager by human standards. His height is short and his body is quite lean. I have little information on him. Why did he appear here? Who is he? Hmmm, this will be sought out later, For now,.....'' Noticing the lizard was heading towards them, Reve hurried, "I will stall as much as I can. Prepare the move that can kill it!" He flashed by and intercepted the lizard with a normal mana blast while raising his right hand upwards to cast a spell. ''[Ice Fantasy]!'' Two magic circles coiled around him and rose to the sky. Once more, they challenged the sun that scorched the land. They created a sphere from which a small blue plant grew out from. When the flower blossomed like a summer flower, the atmosphere became harsh. Ice droplets could be seen appearing out of nowhere. They glinted with brilliant light and the surrounding became hazy. It was like Reve was in the northern region, known to have the harshest cold. It was truly an ice fantasy! Crystalline ice spears shot out from the flower, aiming at the lizard. Each of the spears was calculated appropriately. They all served a higher goal which was to slay the beast. The lizard responded with his flame arrows. They were stronger than they were before. It suddenly became a clash between two great skills. This time, the [Ice Fantasy] was not lesser. In fact, it was significantly dominating. Nothing could melt the sharp ice spears that kept hitting the lizard but it seemed like after transforming, the lizard''s magic immunity had greatly increased. ''Heh, this is not a problem. I will continue experimenting on it,'' smirked Reve. Since his purpose was to stall, he was free to choose how he would achieve that. Being a mage, he wouldn''t give up on a free opportunity to test the limits of the lizard''s magic immunity. Meanwhile, the tables had turned and the lizard was on the defensive. It continued dodging the ice spears that rained down it vengefully. Out of nowhere, a magic circle appeared on the ground the moment he stepped on it. A great rush of ice particles rushed out in a terrifying manner. Swiftly, the lizard dodged but another magic circle appeared beneath it. This was the benefit of Reve''s [Prime Mode]. He was unbounded, but it had a time limit sadly. Thinking of something interesting, Reve''s lips curled. He was going to reach his total limit in this form. Just when the lizard thought all it needed to be careful of was the [Frozen Gate] and [Ice Fantasy]. A large tree smashed into it, breaking its calculated movements. Before it could stand up, a magic circle appeared underneath it and unleashed hell on it. From then on, it got attacked by a barrage of attacks. Even Reve pitied it as he wouldn''t want to be on the opposite ends of his skills. They terrified him more than the lizard. Just as he was about to play more, he sensed a disturbance in the energy flow behind him. ''Heh, it is starting now. Quite rude!'' Reve cast his last magic spell. Four thick white plants, the width of a fat human, rose from the ground and held each limb of the lizard. They trapped him as if he was being crucified on a cross. The lizard was left defenseless. That was when it happened..... Reve turned back to see the masked man holding a bow. He pulled at a golden arrow with what was possibly his greatest strength. In less than a second, a golden streak coursed the air. It blitzed. Mimicking the speed of thunder. In an instant, a hole appeared in the head of the lizard and its body began to break down. Even Reve''s white plants broke down. ''This is an artifact! A real one!'' remarked an amazed Reve. He watched as the lizard dismembered into tiny pieces. It only then did he gain an increasing fear for the masked man! Chapter 46 - Him, Him, And It(6) ''Now, what?'' sighed Reve. Just after the young man had killed the terror lizard, he grabbed another arrow and nocked his bow, pointing it at Reve. "What are you doing?" Reve immediately hollered. His senses were telling him that the masked man was extremely barbaric. Even his fur cloak was proof of that. He had no concept of partnership. Just in case, he wasn''t clear, Reve repeated him, making sure to express his disapproval, "What are you doing?!" He inwardly noticed something wrong, ''Oh, damnation!'' While talking, his transformation reversed back. His so-called ultimate mode retreated. This was a total disaster to Reve, especially at this moment. He was now back to the small cat his normal form took. He was putting up a tough front and yet, he damned himself. The feedback of the mode and the use of [Telekinesis] rushed back to him. He found him reeling in an absurd amount of mental pain, "Ahhhh!" He had already known of this feedback. Normally, he should have restricted himself by using the smallest amount of attacks possible but he got too absorbed in testing the limits of the lizard''s immunity. To top it off, he also unleashed his [Telekinesis] without regard for the repercussion. It was no surprise that he was suffering from his loose action. It was only until then did the young man stop in his tracks. As his vision wavered, Reve could spot the young man walking towards him. He snarled while in pain, "What are you doing?" He needed to display that he wasn''t as defenseless as the young man thought so he activated his [Telekinesis], threatening to release a barrage of tree attacks on the man if he moved one step further. It was only after he did that did the young man stop. He looked to the sky and shot out a blast of ki. The blast exploded far up in the sky. It seemed to be a signal. Not long after he did that, a group of young people rushed out of the trees and surrounded the young man. Reve was surprised by this sudden turn of events. The group noticed Reve and took a fighting stance warily. They looked at the young masked man but when he didn''t respond, they dropped their guards. They passed by Reve and started scavenging what they could from the corpse of the terror lizard while the masked man kept staring at Reve. Reve thought, ''These are young humans. Something is wrong with them. Strange.'' He finally used his appraisal skill on the young man. [Amazon(Lv.60)] ''What? I thought all the amazons are dead!'' When he thought back on the event, every piece of the puzzle started piecing together. Back then, he had come across a camp of amazons. The half-amazons were butchered by the terror lizard. Reve had uncovered an underground channel in the settlement. In one of the paths was a blood conversion pool for making new amazons. He hypothesized that maybe the halflings had used the underground passage to protect their young ones. To be sure of his assumptions, Reve used his skill on the group of young people. [Human(Lv.10)] [Human(Lv.12)] [Human(Lv.9)] [Human(Lv.20)] [Half-Amazon(Lv.40)] [Human(Lv.41)] The first thought he had was, ''They are weak. This makes sense. They failed the conversion process¡­.then only the masked man passed¡­.?'' This would also mean that the group had lived on their own since the destruction of their settlement. He wondered just how many had already before they could become able to survive. Knowing this, Reve realized that the attack on the terror lizard was an act of vengeance. ''Interesting. A group of young people living in the forest'' smirked Reve. Any human he met in the forest had died easily to the magical beast. Sure, there were strong humans, extremely strong ones like Circe, but they are not so easy to chance upon. Reve allowed the group to take what they needed from the terror lizard. He wasn''t like them. Even if he ate the flesh of the lizard, he wouldn''t gain an ounce of strength. Magical beasts and most other humanoid races had limits but the limits of humans and amazons were not something some of them may come across in their lifetime. However, for a magical beast like himself, he had already reached his limits. Also, Reve had somewhere to go to. He had no time to waste. Hence, he exited himself from the location and continued on his journey. As he kept walking and recovering, he noticed someone following him. When he looked back, he spotted the masked man. It seemed he had left his group, but why was he following him? Something didn''t make sense. ''The terror lizard was most likely a candidate, which is why we met each other on our way, but what about this young man?'' wondered Reve. Was he also a candidate? Maybe, it was Reve that misunderstood. Who said only magical beast could be candidates. Amethyst chose peculiar people and this masked man was definitely peculiar. Perhaps, peculiar enough to be a candidate. ''No, he is exceedingly peculiar,'' reasoned Reve. The young man was converted to an amazon. That alone was something special but his weird battle style and prowess were superb. But¡­...But, why did he keep staring at him? Was there something weird on Reve''s body? ...¡­. Hours later, Reve finally reached the north of the island. He entered a region of absolute ice. Even with his elemental affinity, he shivered tremendously. As he stepped on the ice ground, he almost froze his body. ''What is this?'' Despite this region behind the north point, it should be snowing here. In fact, there shouldn''t be any sign of ice. ''As expected of the home of Amethyst.'' Reve had already marked it off as the doing of the annoying god. It was probably he thought it was more fun if he froze half of the island. In Reve''s view were multiple ice mountains that blocked his path. There wasn''t anything like a floating palace or a tower piercing the sky. ''I guess I will have to cross the mountains first. That damn god!'' Chapter 47 - The Gathering "Wow." Reve had no idea of what to think of what he was seeing. He had just finished crossing the frost mountains and reached the coast of the island. It was not something easy. He had to continuously circulate his mana around his body and now he had barely anything left. But that was not something to worry about right now. Normally, after reaching a coastal region, one would connect with the sea. However, that did not seem to be the case. Laid before Reve''s eyes was an empty void. It was illuminated by puffy whitish-blue bodies. They appeared to be clouds. The sky marked the end of the island¡­..? Why had Circe not told him about this mystical phenomenon? ''No, something is wrong!'' To Reve''s knowledge, it shouldn''t be like this. If Circe hasn''t informed him, then that would mean she wasn''t aware of this. As Reve was deep in thoughts, he suddenly heard echoes of laughter terrorizing the atmosphere. "Hahahahahaha. Hahahaha." Reve''s face turned ugly, ''I can recognize that voice anywhere. Even in my sleep. That damn god! He is still annoying me even when I haven''t seen him.'' He had to admit the chaotic god was very good at his job. He sought chaos like a hungry god. Reve sighed and focused on what was at hand. Where was the palace? He noticed that the masked man behind him kept looking up, which directed his sight there, ''What in the actual hell?'' The palace was in the sky. No, not like that. It was more accurate to say, at this very region, the sky and the earth had switched. The sky now marked the border of the island while the earth replaced the sky up in the air. He could see the frozen sea up in the air. On this frozen ocean was a mighty palace made of pure ice. He couldn''t discern other things due to the weirdness of the situation. ''This is truly a magic phenomenon. The question is, is it passive or active? Was it created by Amethyst? Also, how am I to get there?'' Reve noticed that the young man behind him rushed past him. He jumped over the border and let his body freefall in the sky. ''What is he thinking?'' thought Reve. Just when he thought the young man would die to the air pressure, a swift gale gently swept him to the earth above. The young man stuck his legs on the frozen sea and miraculously, he defied the laws of physics. He didn''t fall. ''Oh, I understand now.'' Reve admired the bravery of the young man. He wouldn''t have dared to try that without knowing the consequences. He smiled and did the same as the young man. A giggle escaped his lips as he felt his body falling in the sky. It was certainly a marvelous experience. He felt the swift gale catch him just before he could suffocate. It rose up to the earth in the air. As soon as Reve''s feet contacted the frozen earth, his sense of gravity warped. Suddenly, he didn''t feel as nauseous as he should be. ''Gravity Manipulation and an outstanding show of ice control. This definitely feels like the home of a god.'' He could finally observe the ice palace he spotted before. It was made of blue ice, sculpted by the divine hand. Even with the sizable distance between themselves, the sharp freezing atmosphere the palace generated still reached him. All of a sudden, Reve rolled away from his spot. A long serpentine body emerged from the frozen earth. It attempted to eat Reve but the cat responded instantly with a sharp mana blast. It gutted the head of the snake and it died. It was then Reve noticed that he was not the only one around. He could spot the young amazon and other strange people. There were all looking peculiar. ''Just like me,'' Reve realized. This was the gathering of unique beings. They were being attacked by blue serpents that rose up from the frozen earth. each of them had to fight them off as they rushed to the palace. No one was dumb enough to focus fully on the serpents. One by one, some of them died. They were gobbled up by the gigantic serpents. From thousands¡­...to hundreds...to mere tenths. Reve made a hand sign, "[Enchant Body: Base]!" Crystalline lines grew on his body as he blitz to the entrance of the palace. He was the fastest among them but he kept a stable pace. Behind them was a large army of snakes rushing at them with an incredible speed. Reve calculated that, at this rate, they would catch up with them. He increased the efficiency of his enchant spell and rushed up to those at the front. ''Hmmmm¡­.there is a problem,'' sighed Reve. He was heading somewhere but there wasn''t any entrance. The palace didn''t have any openings. However, there seemed to be floating ice rocks that, at particular times, form a stairway to the only exterior door in the palace. Reve understood this was Amethyst''s way of challenging them. They had to find a way to climb the troublesome stairway. Reve increased his speed and began blitzing. He closed his eyes and his senses accounted for everything around him. He was mentally sharper when using his sensory skills. He was calculating the exact time he need to jump on each ice rocks. Within a minute, he had crossed five ice rocks and was well on his way to the palace. Since not everyone could step on the ice rocks at the same time, a fight ensued with those behind me while the serpents swallowed those that had not yet started their path to the door. Reve and a few others successfully got to the door. They banged on it but nothing happened. Meanwhile, the snakes were gaining up on them. No, they had already reached them. Just before they could gobble the group, the door subtly opened and the serpents immediately stopped. They suddenly turned back and left while the group was left to ponder what was happening. However, since the door was open, they would find out inside. [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 48 - Tale Of Vengeance The sharp light blinded Reve''s sight. After he adjusted to his new sight, he saw something just as marvelous as the magic phenomenon outside. In the crystal blue palace were a bunch of floating constructs that resembled a star. Each time they collided with each other producing a big bang that disintegrated them into tiny particles. The particles spread around causing a lot of coincidental creations. Around these stars was a large blue pillar that was more than fifty meters long. Situated on the peak of the pillar was a purple throne inscribed with cosmic signs. A young man sat there with a simple purple robe that covered him, only leaving his lean but muscular chest to the naked eye. The man smiled at them with a bright expression, "Welcome. Welcome. Welcome to the North Palace. Hahahaha. " His jovial roar shook the palace. It didn''t take a smart brain to decipher that this man was the source of the voice that kept echoing outside. This was not a man. He was a god. He was Jayke Khaos Amethyst. Amethyst snapped his finger and multiple pillars rose from the ground, carrying each of the candidates with them. The pillars stopped growing when they reach a considerable length. They were still shorter than the big pillar Amethyst was on so they could only look up at him. "Hahaha. This is getting interesting. Though, I had predicted this amount. I never thought it would be this sort of people," sounded Amethyst. Reve could see that there were multiple blue tablets on his laps. Amethyst threw them out, one by one. The tablets levitated in the air and grew larger until all of them were able to see its content. They were written in Troran, which made things easier. ''Is this what I think it is?'' gasped Reve. The thousands of tablets represented the Kins of Amethyst, or at least, the original kins. Most of them had gained a red glow while about twenty still maintained the cool crystalline glow. Reve moved his sight to count the number of pillars beside the throne pillar that belonged to Amethyst. One, two, three¡­..five¡­.seven...Ten. Twenty pillars. Twenty Kins! Before he could accurately comprehend what that meant, Amethyst beat him to it, as if reading his thoughts. The god hollered, "I know, right? An even number! This means good things. Perfect!" The red tablets suddenly fell down and broke upon impact, leaving only the twenty tablets to continue floating. Knowing this was an important moment, Reve tried to memorize every detail of the other kins provided by the tablets. He was sure the others did the same. "Most fables always have obstacles. Hence, I had prepared one for you. My savants. The Chaos Field. Even going as far as to manipulate fate so you can cross paths. Hahaha, don''t disappoint me," said Amethyst. A white serpent coiled around his pillar unbridled. Its whole body could wrap around the throne pillar and still have a wide portion of its body left free. When it reached the top, it transformed into a man with flowing white hair. The man stood by the side of Amethyst without talking. He maintained a cold look as he examined all that were present. Amethyst nodded at him then continued, "First, they ate supper. Oh, the festivities!...¡­.. Each story always began with a warm tone." Amethyst snapped his fingers again and a large dish appeared before each one of them. Judging by the smell, it was highly luxurious. Reve even thought that they were made by legendary beasts that could smite him a thousand times in a single second. Of course, he would happily gobble the food¡­.especially when it was given by someone like Amethyst. As he delved into the rich meal, he felt his body warming up. He was recovering at an impressive rate. In less than two seconds, he was already back to his best form. Both his mana reserve and his injuries had recovered. This made Reve treasure the meal. While eating it, he used his time to think of what Amethyst was trying to play here. On second thought, there was no use guessing the god''s thought. It would confuse him and only serve to be detrimental to his mindset. He just had to play along and hope he would come out alive. When he was done eating, he noticed some of them weren''t. Amethyst was patiently waiting for them. He didn''t try to hide the ever-growing smile that was on his face. At that moment, he seemed like a devil offering an unavoidable contract. Even the way he lazily hung his left leg over his throne''s armchair in delight appeared to be a massive sign. Something bad was going to happen to them! Moments later, everyone was done and the solemn atmosphere settled in. Amethyst announced, "The dish you ate was made from the body of a Firebird! I had my savant drag the mother bird away from its family and cook it. I suppose those tiny birdies watched in despair as someone took their mother!" Each of his words struck deep in Reve''s heart. He found tears dripping from his eyes as he witnessed Ameythsyt utter those words of terror. He said it so casually, not caring for the devastation he had caused. Moreover, he was talking about a firebird. It was generally ranked as a mythical magical creature. This was around Level 350 to Level 400! Reve became scared of Amethyst''s endgame. His words echoed in his ear so fluently. Reve watched as Amethyst continued, "Some of you understand what that means. A life taken needs to be replaced by another life. A quest for vengeance! That is always the start of epic tales!" Amethyst weaved his words in a way it sounded like a beautiful song telling a story. He snapped his fingers and a hole appeared in the air. It was a dimensional portal. A bird''s head peeked out curiously. After it, multiple heads did the same. They cooed melodically as if finding this strange hole something fun. Suddenly, this bright group of birds turned their eyes to the dishes on the pillars. Their blue eyes reddened as they screeched in anger. They had detected the scent of their mother on the dishes and on the beings that were near it. With only bones left on the plates, it was clear that their mother had been eaten! Meanwhile, Amethyst, along with his throne pillar had faded away. His last words rang in the air, but the birds couldn''t hear it, "A red sea¡­....Oh, it began with a tale of vengeance!" Chapter 49 - Hope ______________________________________________________ Reve''s Random Lectures: Magic Spells Classification -> Magic spells are classified based on their degree of complexity. Predominantly, the more complex a magic spell is structured, the more power it would yield, but that is not always the case. Beginner Magic Spells Intermediate Magic Spells Advanced Magic Spells Grand Magic Spells Mythical Magic Spells Disaster Magic Spells Forbidden Magic Spells - sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 500 E.T ______________________________________________________ *Screech!* The firebirds spewed out terrific flames that melted the pillars. Reve glanced away and realized that Amethyst had disappeared, "That damn god!" Now, he finally understood what he was playing at but it was too late. Amethyst fed to them to their deaths! Reve used his appraisal skills on the flock of birds. [Young Firebird (Lv.60)] [Young Firebird (Lv.66)] [Young Firebird (Lv.70)] [Young Firebird (Lv.61)] [Young Firebird (Lv.51)] ... There were hundreds of firebirds and the strongest of them were at Lv.70. Thankfully, they were still young. If they had developed, there wouldn''t be any chance of them surviving. That did not mean that there was a chance right now! "Ahhh!" screamed one of the candidates as he tried to fight back. He got burnt by one of the firebirds when he tried to fight it. At this time, all the pillars had melted and the place became a hellhole with the firebirds raining arrows of fires on them. ''Think. Think. What is the grand scheme here?'' analyzed Reve. His enchant spell was activated which enabled him to barely possess enough speed and endurance to keep evading the wild attacks from the firebirds. He wasn''t like the others. He didn''t possess an unimaginable array of offensive attacks. Circe had told him that he was more suited to a controlling battle style. Even his excellent mana control was proof of that. To the naked human eyes, only blurs could be seen in the palace. It seemed like everyone was maintaining their fastest speed. A large firebird dived at Reve. It was too fast for Reve to dodge even with his enchantment. His body burned fiercely but another Reve appeared distances away from the other Reve that got burnt. He swiftly sent a mana blast at the firebird. The bird counter-attacked with a fireball. The two attacks clashed and the fireball came out easily on top. Reve hurried and unleash an array of mana blast at the fireball that was coming closer. It was only after this was the fireball stopped. He quickly activated his [Force Barrier] when he sensed that the firebird was already close to him. *Boom!* The bird burned through the barrier and punctured pinched Reve with its beak. Reve bled out abundantly. The pain was becoming too much for him to bear. Thankfully, his outstanding regenerative traits kicked in and his wounds closed up. Without thinking too much, Reve transformed to his [Prime Mode]. He realized that he needed it to deal with the firebird. ''Firebirds. Descendant of phoenixes. Their flames can burn through anything even mana and Ki, gaining the name, Pure Flames. Worst of all, their body is always covered in such flames. Damn!'' Despite his [Appraisal] not giving him any information about the firebirds. He had read about this legendary creature during one of his classes with Circe. ''Ok, maybe I have a chance!'' Since normal magic spells weren''t going to work, Reve decided to change his tactics. He thought back to the meal he ate. It was cooked from the flesh of a firebird. Thinking of this, something lit in his head. He opened his mouth and took in the chill air. Then, he swallowed in a large amount of ice elemental mana. A few moments later, he roared out like a dragon, wasting all his mana on the firebird. *Roar!* The bird responded with its own fiery version of the roar. It suddenly became a clash of fire and ice. Normally, Reve would be on the losing end easily but when he put all his mana in the attack, the scale evened. Slowly, the flames on the firebird''s body waned out as it became more concentrated on its fireblast. Reve''s eyes twinkled as he speculated on this. While his ice roar was still active, he dragged his heavy left hand and cast [Nature]. A plant whip rose from the frozen ground and pierced the heart of the firebird easily. It was only until then did Reve finally close his mouth. He rushed to the corpse of the firebird and consumed it greatly without caring for the splashes on blood on his white fur. This was his plan. He was to confront the bird with all his power and find a way to sneak an attack when all its defenses were down. Firebirds don''t have strong bodies. The only thing special about their body was their resilience to their pure flames. Reve smiled as he sucked out the flesh out of one of its rib bones. He finally felt his energy recovering. Very soon, he would be back to his full strength. Reve thought, ''Amethyst wouldn''t want us to take a brutish approach. I should conserve my energy while killing as many as I can. I should also abstain from revealing my cards, just in case. Hmmmm¡­..let''s see, these bones.'' He used telekinesis to play around with the bones. The bones were immune to pure flame. This meant something good. Reeve smirked, "Truly, the origin of a cure is always the same origin of the poison. This is interesting." Around him, many bones circulated. Reve smiled and closed his eyes, a mental image of his surrounding was sent back to him. Like that, he moved. Each time he appeared, he would send one of the bones at a firebird, targeting their hearts. Sometimes, the birds would dodge but when he unleashed a barrage of all the bones, no bird was spared. Afterward, he would consume the corpse of the firebirds, leaving only the bones. He was adding them to his collection. Finally, he had seen hope in this perilous situation! Chapter 50 - The Struggle Five minutes later¡­.. He knew he said that things were finally tilting in his favor but..... "What the hell?!!" Just when he was finally feeling in control, a large firebird had blitzed past him. It sent a stream of fire that burnt Reve''s right hand. It left it utterly destroyed. Reve couldn''t even use it to cast a spell! The firebird clapped its wings and its fiery feathers rained down on Reve like a meteor shower. Normally, this sort of attack would be easily evaded by Reve, but there were too fast for Reve to evade! They pinned him down instantly without Reve even realizing it. It was then he understood that this was a strong firebird. The ones he face before were weak. The large firebird dived at him and pierced his chest with its claws. It screeched angrily and unleashed a torrent of flames at Reve, but the latter erected a basic ice shield to block the flames but it was to no avail. His skin and fur burned intensely to the point that his whitish bones could be vividly seen. A tear escaped Reve''s eyes as he became increasingly determined. Behind the firebird, a long red bone appeared. It drove into the firebird''s heart and even punctured Reve''s heart. Reve yelped as he pushed away from the firebird. He drank the pure red blood that dripped out of the punctured heart. Afterward, he attempted to consume the flesh to recuperate but he suddenly found himself in the air once more. Another firebird had swept him before he could heal. Reve screamed in anger, "Ahhh!" Disregarding his health status, he carelessly dug his burnt hand into the bird''s body and crushed its heart. The pure flames flowed to his body and burned it yet again but Reve didn''t make any sounds. As he free-fell in the air, he grabbed the bird''s body and consumed it like a ravenous beast. However, his body wasn''t healing. He had damaged it too bad for it to heal. However, that just meant he had to slay more firebirds. He landed perfectly on the ground and scavenged the bones of the firebird he had just killed. Instantly, he shot out a sharp bone to his right and another firebird fell. The birds were not mature. They were lacking in intelligence. That was why he took advantage of that. Still, it had to be said that only those chosen by Amethyst could disregard level differences and do that. That was what Amethyst was looking for; the ability to control the battlefield. "Ahhh!" All of a sudden, Reve looked at his chest and saw the beak of a firebird poking out. He had gotten attacked yet again by another fast bird. Reve tried to sneak a bone behind it like usual but this firebird turned around with Reve''s still fixed on its beak. It was just in time as Reve was the one to get injured by the bones. He screamed in pain as one of them directly split his rib bone. Luckily, none of them injured his failing heart. Reve attempted to push his body away from the beak but he couldn''t summon the necessary strength needed for that. He watched as the firebird decided to use his body as its shield in the battle with the other candidates. *Dooo!* All the attacks thrown at it, Reve was left to tank them. He started slowly losing consciousness. His [Prime Mode] showed signs of waning. Not to talk of the burning temperature generated by the firebird. *Fume!* All of a sudden, the bird lost its flight ability, leaving Reve wondering what was happening but he couldn''t turn back to check. Reve slammed into the frozen earth. He realized that it was probably dead. With all his strength, Reve pushed his body out of the bird''s beak, leaving a gaping hole in his body. He turned around to see the firebird. There was an arrow stuck in its hearts. The lights in its eye had gone out. Reve quickly dug into the firebird''s body. He didn''t bother to check who killed the firebird. Healing came first! Minutes later, Reve''s body started showing signs of healing but it wasn''t enough. He was still weaker than normal! Reve sighed, ''When will this torture stop?!'' His body had been tested to its limits and all he wanted to do was sleep. A sharp glint coursed through his eyes as he sensed something. He briefly dodged. A great fireball engulfed the position he had just rolled away from. Reve swiftly grabbed a new set of bones and hurled it at the incoming firebird. The bird tilted its wings which gave it the edge it needed to evade the bone attacks. It dived at Reve with its flames. *Whoosh!* Reve cloned himself and regained control of the bones. By the time his clone was being chewed on, he appeared and smashed the head of the firebird with the bones. He moved on to devour it like a great serpent. Moments later, he grabbed the new set of bones and continued his hunt. In the palace, lots of amusing situations were happening. It was not just Reve that had challenged death multiple times. However, he was part of the certain few that managed to survive. In less than three hours, the number of candidates had halved. Nonetheless, they had reduced the flock of firebirds to a meager three. Everyone was fighting with all that they had. There was no single candidate without an injury not worth bragging about. *Whoosh!* Reve killed another firebird. There were now two left. He was tired so he didn''t bother to hunt the remaining two. After all, other candidates were embroiled with the last two. Reve watched as the masked young man shot an arrow at one of the birds. It perfectly hit the heart of the firebird, making it fall. The other firebird panicked and spread out a large veil of flames. It killed a few of the candidates. The firebird was later killed when a figure appeared on its head, not being affected by the pure flame. The figure cast a spell that slew the last firebird. Finally, it was all ove Chapter 51 - The Shadow(1) Immediately the last firebird was slain, Reve and a few other candidates collapsed to the ground in pain. Reve''s body spasmed multiple times as he reverted back to his base form. His blood spilled out profusely from his open wounds that refused to be healed. Also, the burns on his skin left him looking like a half-baked chicken. A light blossomed above them. It revealed the appearance of a large pillar that shot to the sky. The candidates looked at the pillar with complex expressions. It was the throne pillar, belonging to a certain god that put them in this situation! Before they could express themselves loudly, Amethyst smiled at them, "Haha, I never expected this. Well, I didn''t calculate an outcome but still... The halving of the candidates. What I wanted was for a final victor to arise from the corpses of the firebird but this works. Hahaha." As always, Amethyst''s words were too ambiguous to mortals'' ears. He always had a way of hiding his meanings in idyllic statements. Reve didn''t even consider trying to understand the annoying god. He was badly injured and any attempt at processing complex information would fail tremendously. Heck, he couldn''t even move his body! "Hmmmm¡­.what do I do? Some of you are beyond recovery," squeaked Amethyst. Who knew what evil plans were hiding beneath his handsome young face? "...and I can''t just kill you. I have to possess a reason and I''m also not willing to interfere with things. Hence....." Amethyst smiled and snapped his fingers once more. Of course, in his lying position, Reve couldn''t see this but he could hear it loud and clear. Instantly, he found himself in a dark space. There was nothing but blackness everywhere. It resembled the void he was at after his assumed death but Reve knew that was not the case. The void resonated with one''s existence while this place just felt¡­...dark. Suddenly, torches of light went aflame at each corner of the dark space. They illuminated the place with red vibrance. Reve flipped his body and tried to stand up. He ended up on his knees but it was certainly progress. His eyes beamed as he scoured his location, ''It is like some kind of hall. A dark hall that oozes a dark vibe as if this is a place of rituals. My senses are tingling. Ahhh, that damn god!'' He spotted a door at the end of the hall. The door screamed, "go through me." Reve assumed that that was his objective. He was to escape through that door¡­..wait, escape?!! His muscles suddenly tensed and he rolled away from the spot as a sharp beam of light weaved through the air. A sharp pain coursed through his bone as he yet again stressed it beyond its limit. Behind him, a young teenager, looking about as old as humans'' seventeen years old, walked quietly. Reve was only able to sense his presence a few seconds before he had attacked. From nowhere, Amethyst''s voice rang in the hair melodically, "You survived that¡­.? That''s good! Now, to reduce the numbers yet again, I have prepared the ultimate obstacle. Normally, at times like this, the situation would call for a mirror. You know, the absolute copy of any being. It would be the perfect way to test one''s efficiency and mental prowess. However, just recently, I thought of something different...¡­." As Amethyst informed, the young boy was moving closer to the grasp of the flame torches. The boy was dressed in light armor wear. He had a slim longsword on his right hand and leather bracers on his wrist. As for his features, he was nothing short of spectacular. He donned the blackest silky hair Reve had ever seen with a heterochromatic set of eyes like Reve. One was purple while the other one was icy blue, as icy as the harsh winds near Amethyst''s palace. The young boy was of a slim stature and the way he dressed told of his fighting style. He was one that preferred speed above anything else. Perhaps, an odd thing about him was the thin chains that coiled around his left arm. It connected to the hilt of the sword, but Reve couldn''t decipher what uses they were for. However, he figured that the sword was probably the weapon behind the attack that almost killed him. ".....Rather than mimics of you, wouldn''t it be more interesting to find something peculiar. Something that has the same level of raw power as you. Wouldn''t it be more fun to fight it and discover who can use his raw power the best? To discover the perfect one?! I present to you, the shadow!" What scared Reve the most was that the young boy was too calm. He had intelligence. It was obvious when looking at its face. However, the boy didn''t see the need to talk. He only observed every inch of Reve''s defenseless body as he went into deep thoughts. Reve could hear his own heavy breaths as he found himself in yet again another annoying situation. ".....The shadow! An entity not from this world but I tweaked him a little bit. He would now be able to use Ki for his normal attacks. The shadow is the best example of efficiency. Good luck!" With that, Amethyst''s voice wasn''t heard anymore but Reve didn''t bother about that. He wondered how he was supposed to fight against the boy with his damaged body. The boy looked at him and rubbed the ring on his right finger. A spatial portal opened in the air and a small bottle flew out. The boy grabbed it and threw it at Reve, who dodged it obviously. After a while, seeing as the boy kept looking at it, he moved closer to the small bottle and inspected it. It was a milky white bottle with a pill inside. Reve opened it and smelled the medicinal scent it gave. At that moment, he knew it was an alchemy pill made by an alchemist. Circe had taught him how to appraise stuff like that. With no further thoughts, Reve had an inkling of what was going on, he opened the bottle and swallowed the pill. Chapter 52 - The Shadow(2) ______________________________________________________ Reve''s Random Lecture: Skills -> Skills are specific action or sequences of action that is recognized by the world administrator as something spectacular. They range from innate traits/skills, magic spells, battle arts, to professional techniques. If it''s not a magic spell or battle art, the skills are interpreted based on the skill rankings. Normal Skills Rare Skills Unique Skills Treasured Skills Absolute Skills - sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 510 E.T ______________________________________________________ Immediately after Reve took the pill, a warm feeling appeared in his stomach. In less than a minute, his stubborn wounds began to heal up but they still left a scar on his skin. He couldn''t see it but he knew it was there. When he went into his [Prime Mode], he would be able to see it! Reve patiently waited for all parts of his body to heal up as he spied at his surrounding. A fight was inevitable and he would like to know how he could use his location to his advantage. It was a pity that the pill couldn''t heal his mental mind. As soon as Reve''s full energy rushed back to him, he transformed into his prime self. He looked at his chest. There was a circular scar where the firebird had poked him. Reve didn''t think much about that. He quickly dove his head as another beam of light flew past him. It was extremely fast¡­.fast enough to cut some of his furs. Reve rolled away and shot a basic mana blast at the young boy. However, that was instantly sliced apart by the boy''s sword. Reve watched as the boy disappeared from his sight. ''Where is he¡­.? Duck!'' He twisted his body in the air and felt a cold object grace his skin. Reve''s relief quickly turned into despair as he strangely got blasted away by an unknown force. He hit one of the flame torches and it died out. Reve coughed out a few drops of blood. He tried to make sense of what just happened, ''I clearly dodged the sword attack but I still got it. Not just that, the force of the attack wasn''t enough to make me spill blood but here am I....'' Without looking straight, Reve created a force barrier to meet his incoming enemy. He was prepared to dash away when he noticed something strange. The sword pierced the barrier easily but in the milliseconds before it contacted the barrier, a ripple appeared on it. Also, the rate at which the barrier got torn was quite fast...faster than he had calculated. Reve abruptly created multiple force barriers to block the sword and test out his brewing theory. He used [Nature] to hold the young boy while raining basic mana blasts at him. However, the boy retreated and put his sword back in its sheath before the attacks reached him. He entered a strange stance as vibrations hummed in the air. Suddenly, a sharp sound vocally sliced the air and the attacks disappeared. The sound was heard again and Reve''s senses blared. "[Enchant Body: Base]" He instantly cast his basic enchant spell and blitzed away as beams of light wandered freely in the air. They chased him but he managed to evade all of them. Before he could even breathe, a fist was implanted in his chest but strangely, he didn''t get blasted away. He thought perhaps the punch wasn''t that strong when he suddenly went to his knees and coughed out a large pile of blood. He was about to cast [Nature Echo] when the boy noticed that. The boy flung his sword in the air and kicked his leg vertically. The leg connected to Reve''s chin gently. *Clink!* It released a soft but sharp sound. Meanwhile, the moment Reve got caught by that right leg, he felt his body straighten to its limit and his spine challenged mercilessly. Headaches rushed to his brain and his orifices bled profusely. That attack was the most dangerous attack Reve had ever faced. It left him utterly defenseless as he finally went to his knees. The boy''s purple eyes brightened as he noticed something. He slashed his sword behind Reve swiftly and two Reves appeared. The first one turned into a bunch of plants while the second one looked at the boy in shock. The lines on his skin beamed as he blitzed away but the boy was quick to follow him. Noticing he was slowly losing his target, the young boy chanted quietly, "[Thundersnow Body]" A huge torrent of fierce energy rained down on him in the form of lightning and ice. The energy wrapped around his body, releasing cackles of electric sparks that even Reve could hear, and the young boy''s speed increased. He was now gaining up on Reve, showing his superior speed. As soon as they were within arm''s length, he twirled and whispered rhythmically, "[Revised Limitless Slash]." He flew in the air and slashed at Reve, who found himself stuck in a temporary time stasis. It was as if he could see the sword but his body refused to move. He recognized this phenomenon. It was a common occurrence between two different levels of speed! The slash destroyed everything in its way. Strangely enough, Reve could feel that it got stronger the more it neared him. *Zing!* He got caught in the attack and his deep cut appeared on his side. He was only alive because he had deviated just before the sword reached him but it clearly wasn''t enough. Looking at their surrounding, if he had not evaded, he would have been sliced apart like the ground which now revealed a long serpentine hole. Peering through it, Reve could only see the familiar darkness. His healing rate kicked but it wasn''t fast enough. Reve watched as the young boy appeared in front of him again. He went into a strange stance and punched Reve in the gut. His small hand came out at the other side of Reve! Meanwhile, Reve ignored his pain and grabbed his hand, "I understand now!" Chapter 53 - The Shadow(3) - [Morai] "My teacher, Circe, had once taught me about physical forces like kinetics and potential. However, as a mage, we unconsciously disregard but that didn''t mean the forces were weak. Punching a slime with Lv.1 strength¡­.. would be impossible, right? But what if you can massively increase your momentum, making you able to generate the strength of a boulder when your base strength is the strength of a meager stone?" Reve pushed out the boy''s fist as the latter allowed him to converse. He seemed to be just like Reve. They both enjoyed analytical battles. If not, Reve knew he would have died a thousand times. "You harness momentum. Turning the smallest feats of speed into something as dangerous as a final attack. When you move, destruction follows. Not just that, you have perfect control of your speed, capable of minimizing the area of your damage. Truly terrifying. When you hit me, the damage gets transferred to my body. It leaves internal damage rather than external, which was why I never got blasted away," smiled Reve with blood dripping from his lips. He coalesced himself with energy and the natural healing process began, "You didn''t retort, which means I''m not wrong. Now that I know all these, let''s continue....[Frozen Gate]!" A magic circle appeared beneath the boy. The boy blitzed away before the hellish ice particles could swallow him, but he got caught in another magic circle. The magic spell activated and the ice particles rushed up to swallow him. The boy released a sharp aura of lightning ki and disintegrated all ice particles. He distanced himself from Reve and smiled, "Perfection¡­..." That was the only time he engaged with Reve. His snake-like eyes watched everything as he silently whispered, "[Sky Steps]" Multiple ice constructs made of ice appeared in the air. They had a unique flair about them that was highlighted with the beautiful pattern on their surface. Before another magic circle could appear beneath him, the young boy jumped on one step and then to another. He suddenly became a flash to Reve''s eyes as he was moving too fast and unhindered. ''Damn, the [Frozen Gate] can''t reach him in the air. That was why he chose this attack,'' cursed Reve. ''[Ice Fantasy]!'' Two magic circles appeared in the air and coiled around each other. They created a small green blob of energy which later split apart. A small flower plant rose up and when it finally blossomed.....a glacial paradise was unleashed in this hidden part of the world. The frozen plant opened and released multitudes of ice spears at the lightning streak that was the young boy. It was the perfect counter for someone like him, especially when [Ice Fantasy] predicted his movements. The young boy locked in a pinch. The array of ice spears aimed at him was controlling his movements. He couldn''t even get to Reve''s location. Suddenly, he made a hand-sign and a shield made of multiple steps appeared in front of him. It blocked the incoming ice spears! Reve sighed as he had anticipated this. His thoughts became super fast as the young boy inched closer to him, ''I can''t let him close to me. His mere physical contact is unnerving. Also, his speed is one that rivals mine. I need to find a way to even the scale so I can perfectly cast my spell. Hmmm¡­..perhaps this might work?'' The peculiar attacks of the young boy had inspired him. Up till now, he had used eighty percent of his physical abilities and twenty percent of his energy reserve. He was maintaining a perfect efficiency rate. Reve sighed as he recalled the feeling he had when he got punched by the young boy. It was as if he was a slip of paper and the boy was a stubborn pencil trying to pierce it. The boy was in perfect control of every body part, from the bones to micro parts like veins and arteries. Reve focused on this feeling. The young boy viewed his body as a weapon. He viewed speed as a weapon of destruction. ''Body as a weapon. Speed as the tip of the weapon. My body is under my control. I shall maintain perfect control of it. At this point, it is not something intimate to me. It is just a weapon.'' ''My body is the marionette and I''m the marionettist! [Morai]!'' A green enveloped his body as soon as he thought of the last word. Suddenly, his thoughts warped. He began to think of his body as a puppet and his [Telekinesis] was directed at it. Using it, he could now feel every inch of his body as it should be. He dissociated himself from the pain of his injuries and raised his arms, feeling the brush of wind on his skin. Rev chanted confidently this time, "[Morai]!" A beautiful melody went on his mind and it was his time to perform. Before the young boy''s sword could slice him apart, Reve twirled in the air and sent a sidekick to the head at the same time. This sent the young boy flying in the air. Reve smiled triumphantly. He finally got a hit on the boy. Suddenly, the energy in the rampaged. A hymn solemnly played in the air and four words were heard before everything went asunder, "[Full Revised Limitless Slash]!" A beautiful beam of energy appeared in the air and increased marginally in size. It destroyed everything in its way, including the physical system. Cracks of space could already be seen. Seeing this attack, Reve gaped, "What a sad life?! I can''t possibly tank this. Oh, damnation!" The heavenly slash descended on him in an instant. It buried him along with the hall. Everything crumbled in the wake of this terrifying attack. It revealed the true darkness that was lurking around the hall. After a while, the young boy illuminated the surrounding with his fingers. Despite the chaos that he created, a smile escaped his lips as he turned his head backward. There was a door. The only door of the hall. It still stood tall despite everything that happened. The young boy smiled at a figure that appeared beside the door. The figure was none other than Reve. Before he unleashed [Morai], he had cloned himself and fooled the young boy, or at least, the young boy had allowed himself to be fooled. Reve donned a victorious smile as he sent a "Thank you" towards the young boy. He opened the door afterward [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 54 - Chelone Reve grinned as soon as he passed the door. He was right. The objective was not to defeat the shadow. It was to successfully cross the obstacle which was the shadow. Still, it had to be said that the shadow held back a lot. He could feel it. The shadow had intentionally lost himself in the battle. Reve vowed that he would never forget his experience with the young boy. It had shown him a new world. It inspired his creation of [Moira]. Furthermore, if he could master the moves the young boy displayed, he would be able to improve his combat skill as a mage. ''Now, where am I?'' Reve appeared in another hall. This time, it was more unique. In the hall, Four stages made of ice crystals rose. The length of the stages was long, about thirty kilometers. On some stages, a few figures stood lonely. Beside them was a corpse. While on other stages, two candidates fought to the death. Getting to the hall, a pillar rose from the ground and led him up. After reaching a particular height, the pillar stopped and Reve could see another glacial pillar close to him. On the top of the pillar sat Amethyst and his herald. The annoying god smiled broadly, "Reve, congratulations! This is the last stage of the selection process, You have my word for it." Reve wanted to curse but he just sighed, "What are the details of this final stage? It seems like a brawl." Having reached this stage, he couldn''t focus his emotions on meager things. He couldn''t keep feeding Amethyst''s ego. The annoying god seemed to like preying on that. "Yes, since ancient times, a pure battle was always the norm. Battle royales and duels without rules have always been chosen to decide important things. I have tested other things, so why don''t we go back to the basics; a true duel," mentioned Amethyst. What he said was made sense to Reve. He glanced at the stages below and was enlightened, "A tournament-style duel, a fight for the heir title. This was only possible after you thinned the numbers. You reduced the number of candidates to eight. It seems you always had this final battle in mind." "Haha, you understand. A duel would factor in all the criteria I have in mind. The first stage was the escape stage. The second stage was the revenge stage. The third stage was my best. Two candidates faced the shadows. Four faced the mimics. Two faced the abominations. It was random." "Another shadow or the same?" queried Reve. "A different one, a female one. There are only two entities I know that could qualify to be the shadows," smiled Amethyst. It was unknown what he was thinking that brought a smile to his face. However, Reve looked at the opponents on the stages. They were the final candidates. As of now, Reve was the last person to arrive. He was able to examine all the candidates. Judging by their appearances, there was a dryad, a gorgon, a strange snake, a sylph, a banshee, a goblin king, and the young masked man. The banshee was already dead. The gorgon killed it. The snake was also killed by the sylph. Whilst, the young masked man was battling with the goblin king. Reve was shocked that the young masked man was among the final candidate. At the same time, it was nice to see someone he knew. The ice pillar Reve was on began to retract back to the earth. It was leading Reve to his stage. Reve stared down at his stage. On it was a dryad, who sensed Reve''s stare and looked at him. Reve looked quite apathetic as he analyzed the dryad. He jumped from the ice pillar. Using his claws, Reve struck the ice of the pillar and glided down. His movements were perfect. Getting to the stage, Reve circulated his mana. His opponent wasn''t going to be easy. In fact, she might prove to be quite unsettling for him. This was due to their attribute negation. A dryad was a magical creature that was similar to elementals. They were born out of nature mana. This gave them immense control over nature. Dryads were as gifted with magic as elves. They were born with a large mana reserve, skipping several magic stages. They made the best of mages. The dryad in front of him looked like a human female, except for the small green plant whips that coiled around her body, covering her intimate parts. Dryads loved nature. They didn''t like wearing clothes. Her green hair danced freely in the air as she announced herself, "My name is Chelone. You smell familiar." Reve was busy examining her that he ignored her introduction. It only later did he realize what she had said. He thought to himself, ''I''m starting to resemble the shadow. I''m even donning his signature silence.'' Walking slowly, Reve maintained a smile on his face, "Reve. I''m a nature-attributed mage." A positive smile was on his face as he moved closer to Chelone. Instantly, he silently whispered, "[Nature]." It seemed that Chelone thought the same as him as she sent a green plant whip to clash with his white plant whips. The green plant whips easily overwhelmed its opponent with sheer power. It moved closer to Reve but the latter dodged it and disappeared from the spot. He appeared close to Chelone''s back and sent a basic mana blast at her. *Fume!* The attack got swatted by a plant whip that rose from the ground at an incredible rate. A green plant stemmed behind Reve and stabbed his body. His body slowly turned into small white plants. The real Reve was distanced from Chelone. He was just testing out what he knew about dryads. Sure enough, there were no faults with what he learned from Circe. Dryads were the ultimate adversary for any nature-attributed mage. The difference in magic prowess was like comparing a human child to a human adult. Before he knew it, another plant whip attacked him but he stopped it with his [Telekinesis]. Normally, it wouldn''t work against magic spells but [Nature] was quite special. The magic spell worked by stimulating the growth of plant life.. So, in actuality, the plant whips were not constructs of magic. They were as real as the sun! Chapter 55 - Chelone(1) As soon as Reve shoved all the plant whips from his sight, he chanted, "[Morai]." Normally, he wouldn''t opt to use a newly created skill as it might come with an unknown severe side-effect like his [Telekinesis] but Reve was left with no choice. Just after his battle with the shadow, he was shoved into another tough battle. His mana reserve was diminishing. He estimated that after executing about ten final attacks, his mana reserve would be at its lowest point. Hence, he was left with accessing his only other path. *Whoosh!* A plant whip attacked him again. Reve easily dodged it. In his mind, the location of any emerging plant whip was revealed to him. The battle reached a standstill. Reve couldn''t gain advantage on Chelone, while the latter couldn''t damage him. She stopped her current attacks and grinned, "Amazing. Your movement skill is very profound. My guess is that it is unique skill. I guess I have to put more effort if I want to win this fight. [Nature Echo Ver.2]" As she spoke, whips of plants coiled around her arm. They were like parasites, not stopping till they swallowed their target. Soon, Chelone couldn''t be seen anymore. Beside her, a figure rose from the earth. At first, it was indefinite, but when it grew to a sizable height, its features became defined. The figure was the perfect replica of Chelone. After this clone of Chelone was created, multiple clones began spamming on the stage. They were about fifteen. Meanwhile, the real Chelone was buried in the tree that swallowed her. The tree enlarged in sheer size and its shadow was massive enough to cover half of the stage. Chelone''s soothing voice sounded, "[Yggdrasil]!" Her voice echoed all around the stage. The wind carried it so perfectly. Reve could feel the confidence emanating from her strength. Up till now, she was probably taking it easy. Another thing Reve noticed was the rank of the spell. Mages had an intuitive sense for spell ranks. There was a certain elusive phenomenon generated by any spell. The phenomenon [Yggdrasill] generated was hard to explain. It was like the magic spell was releasing a chime that soothed mana. Reve only needed one look to know that it was a grand spell! ''Oh. damnation! I don''t even have a grand spell. Plus, that cloning spell is an advanced spell. It seems to be an upgrade of [Nature Echo]. As expected from a 3rd Circle Arcanist,'' sighed Reve. Anyone that could reach the third circle was a force to be reckoned with. Reve, himself, had tried for months to break through this deep chasm. He watched as Chelone echoed her last spell, "[Will of the Forest]!" Three magic circles wrapped around the massive tree that was her. They seemed to breathe life into the tree as the next thing Reve knew, the tree moved. It sents one of its branches at Reve. The branch became a flash in his eyes but he was able to evade it on time. He looked front to see other branches following him. Reve chanted inwardly, ''[Enchant Body: Base]!'' He moved towards the horde of branches and used his [Telekinesis] to deactivate them. Reve continued his momentum at an insane pace. The branches tried to reach him but Reve proved to be faster thn they could catch. Suddenly, a root shot broke out from the earth and grabbed Reve''s leg. This sudden action stopped everything Reve had bet on. He instantly got pierced by the treacherous tree branches. Over and over again, the branches mercilessly tore a hole in his chest. The great tree retracted its branches as it assumed that Reve was dead. However, the situation got reversed in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, Reve''s body turned into a bunch of white plant whips. Behind the great tree, the clones it had prepared for another attack disappeared one by one. It was then it noticed that someone was killing the clones. It wailed and sent a rather long branch at the assailant. Of course, the assailant was Reve. Reve had copied the shadow''s attack and brutalized the clones with just one touch. The [Morai] skill was more than just a movement skill. It was an auxiliary skill. When using this skill, he was able to feel the physical forces interact with his body. He could take advantage of this interaction and produce similar attacks to the shadow. Reve senses tingled as the tree branch loomed over him. He twisted in the air and sent a kick at it. Reve used his [Telekinesis] on the tree branch and held it on place while he ran on it. He was heading for the great tree which was akin to suicide. Multiple tree branches attacked him. One of them tore away his arm but Reve kept running like a mad berseker. With each step he took further, his body got damaged beyond repair. By the time he was twenty feets away from the great tree, a root extended from the ground and tried to ensare him! Reve tilted his body to evade but another tree branch appeared in his front. Another one appeared behind him and left him no space to escape. The vile tree branched blitzed into his body and tore him apart. However, he turned into white plant whips again. It was then the great tree noticed something so shocking that it trembled. Far away from it, a thick tree extended to the sky. On the tree was Reve, who sat cross legged with his eyes closed. Above him three magic circles revolved around each other, creating a small white orb. The orb was already broken with a beautiful flower extending out of it. What scared the tree the most was the blossomed flower. The massive energy generated by this flower disturbed the flow of mana. However, the flower still had yet to take to action. An ice spear condensed close to it. When light particles hit the sides of the spear, they would brightened as bright as the clear moon. The ice spear was as pure as the crystals used to make Amethyst''s palace. Suddenly, Reve''s eyes opened. He muttered softly, "[Artic Moon]....." With just those words, the ice spear was finally released rightfully! Chapter 56 - Gorgon [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] ............ The ice spear shot to the sky. It blitzed like a dying meteor. Even Reve couldn''t see the movement of the ice spear. *Whoosh!* In the blink of an eye, it struck the great tree and pierced its bark. An ice sheet got released from the ice spear. The glacial sheet froze the great tree until it was fully trapped in a block of ice. It was at this time that a white plant whip rose from the ground and nudged the ice block softly. The block of ice collapsed into tiny shards of ice. It revealed a feminine figure which had no life left in it. The figure was Chelone. Her eyes were wide opened and it seemed that was the last expression she made before she died. As the harsh wind brushed against her body, she crumbled into tiny bits just like the block of ice. Looking at this, Reve smiled, ''I''m officially a 3rd Circle Arcanist.'' Just as he was pressured by Chelone, he challenged his limit and broke through. This made him able to use a magic spell he had learned earlier before. It was a variation of [Ice Fantasy] called [Artic Moon]. This grand magic spell compressed the principles of [Ice Fantasy] into one single attack. It was his strongest attack right now and also the only spell that required a great amount of mana. Nonetheless, it proved efficient. It was able to kill the dryad instantly! Reve sighed as he felt his body spasmed due to the intense exertion of his mana reserve. He looked below at the destruction he had caused. ''3rd Circle, huh....?'' He was only a 3rd Circle Arcanist in name. In each stage of the school of arcanism, one needed to comprehend the hidden trait of the stage. The first circle was the ability to manipulate elemental mana. The second circle was the existence of a mana heart, which housed one''s mana reserve and connected to each mana vein. The third circle was more difficult. It involved borrowing power from the elemental planes. This was something extremely dangerous and difficult. *Grggggh!* While he was deep in thoughts, the stage he was on moved. It broke his focus and alerted him. ''What in the¡­.ahhh, not again!!!'' The stages were unifying. It seemed to be something Amethyst thought was fun. After each round, two stages would bind together. On each side of the stages would be the next opponent. This would go on until there was only one stage left; the final stage! Reve narrowed his eyes at the pillar Amethyst was on. If not that the stages were covered with a barrier, he would have been tempted to shoot a mana blast at the damn god! Heck, his body was beyond stressed. He needed rest but he clearly wasn''t going to get it. ''Hmmm...let''s see.'' Reve dropped his lazy thoughts and focused on the task at hand; his next opponent. On the other side of the stage was a serpentine creature. The top half of its body was that of a humanoid female, while the lower half was that of a snake. The creature was a gorgon, another exceedingly rare magical creature¡­..as expected! Reve was about to plan his next course of action when he noticed his legs were stiffening. He panicked and coalesced it with energy. After that, he shut his eyes closed and refused to open them no matter what happened. ''I forgot I was dealing with a gorgon, crap!'' Thankfully, he had noticed on time and closed his eyes. A gorgon was a special magical creature. It had the ability to turn anything that looked at its eyes to stone. This ability was strong enough to be ranked as a [Rare] ranked skill. Reve approached the lady gorgon with caution. He activated all his sensory ability and was able to move well even without his eyes open. Suddenly, Reve''s figure blurred. He appeared close to the gorgon and threw a sidekick at her. He was counter-attacked with a tail slap. *Boom!* Reve got hit and was blasted far away. He stood up from his spot and blood dripped from his lips. As a mage, he was no good at close combat but he had to rely on it. This was because he was preparing his remaining mana point for his last battle. If he wasted them here, he was sure to not win the next stage. In essence, he would die! Reve sighed, ''I have to rely on my other path. As of now, the side effects have not kicked in. I can worry about that later.'' He thought to himself, ''[Morai]!'' Suddenly, his body blitzed away. Not long after, a sharp beam of energy burned through that spot. Reve trailed beside the beam of energy and located his opponent. In his mind, the location of the gorgon was at the absolute end of his sensory radius. However, it was still okay. Reve had realized that whenever he used [Supernatural Sense], [Seventh Sense], and [Energy Sense], he would be able to perceive any attack but his reaction was always slow. It was as if the control he had over his body in that state was rust, but that was different now. Using [Morai], his control over his body was enough to react at a superfast speed. Reve levitated some ice shards he found around and rained them on the gorgon. Contrary to one''s expectation, gorgons were not that physically strong. Their physical attributes were around that of Reve''s. With the ice shards as cover, Reve sneaked up on the gorgon punched its chest. A tail came his way but it was blocked by an ethereal barrier. Reve concentrated his mind and prepared for a final attack. He felt his body resist the physical system. The momentum gathered by his body leaked profusely. With [Morai], Reve captured them and shot his hand forward. Just before he reached the gorgon''s chest, he felt friction occurring and disregarded it. *Ptui!* His hand went through her chest. On the other side of the gorgon''s was his hand holding a black-red beating heart. When Reve detached his hand, the gorgon''s body slammed lifelessly on the ground. If it was any other opponent, the gorgon would be a terrifying opponent but to Reve who had three sensory skills, it was a bit too easy for him Chapter 57 - The Fateful Meeting(1) ''Ehh, it is the final stage,'' sighed Reve. His body was hurting. As he had been forcing his activation of [Prime Mode], Reve''s muscles tingled in shock. He knew that if he relaxed a bit, he would be ejected out of the mode, reverting back to the weak cat he was. Trying to focus on the task at hand, Reve closed his eyes as he sensed his stage moving. It jammed another stage and the surface shook. Reve was not thrown off by the shakings. It was as if he was on a boat rocking in the deepest seas. His leg fixed firmly to the surface with his eyes closed. After a while, the shakings had stopped. The two stages had finally merged together. Reve opened his eyes to see a vast expanse. He bet he could walk from one end of the stage to the other end in more than ten hours.....of course, that was just if he was walking at a normal pace. ''Hmmm¡­.let''s see. What?'' Reve''s eyes froze as he spotted his final opponent. It was a young man with a blank mask on his face. He wore a large leather cloak over his body and on his waist belt were numerous shining items. Reve recognized the man. He was the young masked man. He wryly smiled, ''Truly a meeting of fate.'' The two of them had fought together to slay the terror lizard. They could be considered fight buddies, yet Amethyst had other plans for them. One of them was to die on this very stage! Reve lightly closed his eyes again and thought about his goal, ''I need to know where the hope in saving Myrna lies. I also need to get back to Circe. I can''t do any of that without passing the last obstacle!'' The moment he widened his eyes, he blurred and the wind whistled due to his sheer speed. He had activated [Morai]! The stage was huge and there was nothing to block the sights of the opponents. They would be little trickery involved in the fight. Reve opened his mouth and shot a basic mana blast at the masked man. He put his hands on the earth and felt the blocked nature respond to him. They were calling him! A magic circle appeared on the frozen earth and a few white plant whips slowly grew from the ground. A few seconds later, another Reve appeared. The masked man saw this but it didn''t matter. This clone disappeared instantly. Its figure later reappeared beside the masked man. When it took advantage of its speed and tried to punch the masked man, a knife appeared embedded in its chest. It transformed back to lifeless plant whips. ''How did he know?'' windered Reve. Suddenly, his senses blared. The masked man had assembled a longbow from an object on its waist belt. His ki formed a blue arrow which he shot fiercely at Reve. Reve recognized the attack. It was the part of the series of attacks that killed the terror lizard! He frowned in displeasure. Reve placed his hands on the floor once more and the earth answered his call with the help of his three magic circles. ''[Great Tree]'' White plant whips rose from the ground and covered his body. They lushed the moment they breathed the air of the surface world. Instantly, the small plants grew to the size of an enormous tree. With Reve at its center, they faced the sharp attack of the blue arrow. *Fume!* The long arrow went past the tree. It left a hole in the center of the tree, just a few inches away from Reve''s position. The cat emperor deactivated his magic spell. The first thing he noticed was a stream of arrows heading his way. They reached him in no time and Reve was left to dance in the loopholes of the attack. Very soon, the arrows trapped him and he was forced to block another incoming one with his hands. It punctured his right arm, leaving a fresh hole in it. This delayed Reve''s speed and another stream of arrow attacks dashed at him. The moment they got close to Reve, they exploded! *Boom!* Black smokes blocked the masked man''s sight. After a while, they cleared and revealed a humanoid cat-like creature that lay defeated on the ground. The masked man did not fall for this. He maintained his distance and shot an arrow at the defenseless cat. The arrow pinned the cat-like creature. It revealed its true appearance which was a great mass of plant whips. Suddenly, the air behind him rampaged. The masked man''s instinct, which had been sharpened by his lifetime in the forest, tingled. He didn''t turn back. The masked man''s hands flashed beside his waist. A sharp light flew in the air and cut apart the figure behind him. He immediately understood that the figure was yet another clone. *Brrrng!* His senses blared this time. He reached for his sword and executed a decisive side slash. His sword went freely in the wind; it didn''t touch anything. A foreign hand bypassed his defenses and clawed at his face. He tried to escape but it was too sudden. The hand smashed apart his face¡­.or rather his mask. Or rather¡­.her mask! ...¡­. "F*ckery," Reve couldn''t hide his surprise. Now that the mask was gone, he saw the true appearance of the masked figure. It was a female with beautiful features. She had clear red eyes. Her green wavy hair with red streaks moved freely with the wind. There were some tribal tattoos on her face. They were dyed red and smelled of exquisite blood. Upon seeing this, Reve thought to himself, ''So, this is the true appearance of the amazon. Strange, why does she look familiar?!'' *Whoosh!* In his stupor, he was caught off-guard by the amazon. She jumped at him and toppled him to the ground. Meanwhile, his mouth still gaped as his mind was trying to tell him something. She pointed her sword at his furry chest but she didn''t do anything further. She dived her head to smell his scent and her eyes twinkled as she went deep into thoughts. Moments later, fluent Troran echoed from her mouth, "Who are you?" [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 58 - The Fateful Meeting(2) - Neith She stared right into his heterochromatic eyes as she expected a response. With her sword''s tip almost touching his chest, she wasn''t asking politely. "Why do you ask? Is it that important?!" Reve narrowed his eyes at her. "Just answer!" She pushed down her blade and trickled down a small amount of blood from his chest. Her harsh expression told him it would not go down well if he refused her. Reve sighed and introduced himself the best way possible, "I am Reve. Your average friendly cat-emperor." Reve''s hand snakily engaged an intimate contact with the earth but the young amazon couldn''t notice that. Her senses were almost as sharp as his. Hence, he put in all his effort to hide his emerging spell. He watched as different kinds of expressions showed on the young lady''s face. She seemed to be struggling with something really serious. A while later, she asked, "What is your base beast form?" "A white cat with beautiful eyes," told Reve. He answered honestly¡­.anything to buy him enough time. When thinking back on things, hadn''t she seen his base form already? He remembered back then she kept looking at him strangely. The young amazon jolted. Her face became more aggressive and the tip of her sword touched Reve''s skin. Reve could feel the cold metal grazing his fur. The cold feeling of death edged closer to him. He almost executed any magic spell he could think of, but that thought was quickly stopped when he remembered his objectives. "Seventeen years ago¡­.where were you seventeen years ago?" "I was in the same place as now. The forest. We, magical beasts, don''t migrate easily. Don''t you know that?" informed Reve. At the corner of his mind, he could feel the increasing tension gathering in the atmosphere. Something felt strange about the situation. Why was she asking him strange questions? The amazon queried, "Seventeen years ago, did you encounter a group of humans?" This was the question that spilled the tension. It speeded things beyond what Reve could keep up with. Reve was about to answer when he mulled over his answer. A comprehensive look appeared on his face as he realized something important. He now knew why he felt the young amazon felt familiar. There was a particular tone of her voice that could be traced. This tone made Reve reminiscence....reminiscence about something truly awful. He spied at the young amazon. She was analyzing him. She knew he had noticed something. "Talk now!" she threatened. It was at times like this that Reve could feel the brimming irrationality in her. She wouldn''t hesitate to torture him to get her answer. Yet, ironically enough, she surely wouldn''t like his answer, heh! Reve''s voice wavered as he spoke, "Yes. Seventeen years ago, I met with a group of humans. They were adventurer seekers, trying to find wealth in the beast continent." "What happened?!" asked the young amazon. Reve wryly smiled, "What do you think would happen? Human and beast. We couldn''t communicate. There was only one outcome; a blood battle!" The scene from years ago played perfectly in his mind. Him, a small white cat watching a group of humans from a tree. He observed each one of them curiously¡­.from the leader to the child...the child! He became a bit immersed in that scene as he spoke fluidly, "I killed the father, the mother, the friends but I spared the child. I wasn''t feeling guilty about my kills. I just couldn''t bear the thought of killing a pure child that cried a lot. I made sure to leave the child in an area where it would be easily found by other humans." The young amazon became angrier as she completed the story of the child for him, "The child was found by a tribe of half-amazons and raised like them for sixteen years. The child became an amazon in its fifteenth year. The child enacted its revenge on the claws behind its tribe''s massacre in its seventeenth year. Now, in its seventeenth year, the child would slay the one that robbed it of its memories of its parent." The young amazon attempted piercing Reve''s body with her sword, "I am the child, whose childhood you took! Remember my name, Neith!" Hearing this, the corner of Reve''s lips tilted, "Bloody Karma. If I had killed you back then, I''m sure I would have faced an easier final opponent. However, with that said, why don''t we put an end to this stained fate? I have goals to achieve!" Immediately after he said that, the sword moved for his heart but he was faster. White plant whips sprung up and pushed Neith away. This gave him the breathing space he needed to perform a quick spell. He chose [Frozen Gates]! Multiple magic circles open on the ground. Hellish ice particles were spat out from them and they headed for Neith. Neith was one step ahead after her failed attempt to kill Reve. She entered a strange stance and disappeared from her position. Disappeared wasn''t really the right term for her action. Reve could still see her movements vividly but it was exceedingly strange. Neith flowed like water and just when he thought she would be captured by one of his magic circles, she would escape at hair''s breadth. Whatever she did wasn''t to make her super fast but it did make her body coordination rival Reve''s! Reve cloned himself and sent his clone at Neith while he prepared a spell. In less than a few seconds, he heard a sharp sound and instantly knew his clone was killed. Neith was blitzing towards him! He couldn''t move as he had already begun casting [Ice Fantasy]. Using his pure will, Reve pointed his left hand at her, and plant whips rose from the ground to attack her. The person in question flung her sword high in the air and swiftly assembled something from an object on her waist. The assembled object looked a lot like the atlas she was with when she fought the terror lizard. She grabbed another object and turned it into a spear. Seeing this, Reve panicked as he remembered this attack. He couldn''t dodge it. With one sharp twirl, Neith sent a destructive spear towards him. It shone in the air like a bright star and broke the sound barrier. Her ki lingered on the spear like a divine cloak. This was overkill. She was using one of the efficient skills of Aura Mastery, [Ki Fortification] To counter this, Reve emptied his mind and chanted, ''The body is the puppet and I''m the puppeteer. [Morai]!'' This was the only skill he could depend on now. His skill proficiency gradually improved as he found himself in a unique detached state. It was a state that he understood was necessary for the execution of [Morai]. Since his body was a puppet, he shouldn''t have any feelings over it unless it concerned his performance! Suddenly, his feet appeared to hover a few inches above the ground. It was like they wanted to touch the ground but couldn''t. He was just in time as the spear came his way. Moments before it could pierce his skull, Reve took a sharp swerve that was bordering the level of insanity. He lost control of his skill and fell face flat not long after, ''Bullocks!'' His senses tingled and flipped over his spot. A sword whistled in the air. Reve landed beside Neith and sent his fist at her guts! He didn''t give her time to rest as he predicted where she would fall and appeared there before her¡­.... Chapter 59 - A Fateful Meeting(3) A fist to her face. That was the outcome of those few swift actions. Reve''s right hand extended firmly at the face of Neith. However, it didn''t move further. For some unknown reason, he was hesitating. It was not easy for Reve to hesitate after coming this far but when he was about to kill her with his fist, he suddenly remembered that all he had been doing since was killing. Of course, he had no objection to that. However, he thought back to back then.....he couldn''t go through killing the young baby. It was the same thing as now. He stared deeply into her pure eyes and saw something rather interesting. There was only blackness hidden with the pure eyes. It wanted to consume him but it had no hidden intentions apart from that. This would not seem unusual but it was extraordinarily was. Vengeance always came with evil intentions. When one catches the murderers of his parents, he would want to absolute butcher that person. Yet, her eyes told him she just wanted to kill him. Just that¡­..no veiled connotations. ''Heh. F*ckery, Such a crude reason?'' mocked Reve. It was as if the two of them had entered a time stasis. Only the wind was allowed to move around them. Everything else stopped. The two of them continuously stared at one another. Each of them was going through a series of deep thoughts. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Amethyst broke the stasis. The god appeared in between the two and giggled at the surprising turn of events. "What are you doing?" grinned Amethyst. Reve snarled as he narrowed his eyes at Amethyst, "What does it look like?" "It looks like you are forfeiting," retorted Amethyst. Reve just lightly smirked, "Heh, but that is not what I''m doing." "So, what is this?" challenged Amethyst. "A duel has an ambiguous outcome. It normally ends with the death of one. But it can also end in other ways. For instance, it can end with a defeat. It is funny right, you probably foresaw a situation like this occurring and thought it would be interesting to set it up," chided Reve. He had been thinking for quite some time. What were the criteria to advance? Up till now, he had been killing his opponents to access that. Reve showcased his confident smile as he explained his logic, "You never said anything about killing our opponents. In fact, you said there were no rules. Heh! This was your way of giving a hint. This meant that the candidates can decide what the criteria are." "Excellent. You figured that out," Amethyst smiled wider than ever. It turned out that Reve''s deductions were right. The outcome could be decided in different ways. However, one thing was wrong..... "The criteria is to defeat your opponent. I specifically said this was a duel. Hence, you could simply defeat or go even a step further and kill," replied Amethyst. He went on, "I take it that you chose the defeat scenario which you have accomplished. Fine, I now proclaim you the final candidate!" As soon as he said that, a smile donned on Reve''s face. He couldn''t be more satisfied. He had started from nowhere¡­.he had gone from a candidate with little power to the final one! Suddenly, his head felt light, and everything around him seemed to spin. He had relaxed and his body responded to that. The agonizing desperate feeling for survival that kept him conscious all this while was finally free. Time seemed to slow as the full side-effects of [Telekinesis] rushed back to him like a prodigal son. His body couldn''t keep up with the shock that was spreading all over it like a parasite. It shut down, leaving him to fall face flat on the frozen earth. The cold ice was the only thing he remembered before his world went black. The darkness consumed him and he was eternally lost! Meanwhile, Amethyst watched as everything happened, "He had been holding on for long. His tenacity is really interesting. Once he blacked out, death was the only thing left for him. However, since I''m here, that would not be the case." Amethyst snapped his fingers and Reve blinked out of existence. The satisfied god then turned his head at Neith. All this while, it seemed that he was talking to himself but he was actually conversing with the young amazon. She went on her knees and her eyes lost their light of focus. She couldn''t keep up with the sudden turn of events. "What are you going to do now, young amazon?" chided Amethyst. Neith didn''t respond. "It is sure interesting. You were a prime candidate yet you fell. If I remember well, you seek power to protect your group of survivors and also to pursue vengeance. I suppose your vengeance quest has been fulfilled. Although, not in the way you wanted it." As a god, it would be funny if he could not read even a simpleton like Neith. In fact, he could perceive anything. If he wished it be, he could have found the outcome of the trial before it began but it would be a bit bland that way. He told the young amazon her profile, "You are peculiar. From your childhood to this moment, you have been going with the flow. You seek revenge because it is the right thing to do. You slaughter not for vain things like a superiority complex or because the law of the jungle dedicated that. No, to you, it is more simple¡­.more basic. You kill because you want to kill¡­.because your blade moves." "You are untainted...pure to the extreme. Your aura tells everything about you. There is not an ounce of redness that could be found in the auras of every warrior. Quite peculiar. Even now, you are not angry that the killer of your parent is still alive. No. No, you are conflicted because you have no idea how to feel." As his mouth moved, his voice became louder and bolder, "Now, tell me. At this very moment, what do you desire?!" His tone surpassed the level of the divine. Every credence was enough to cast a complex creature into a sea of confusion but that was not the case for the pure one¡­.... Chapter 60 - She Who Dwells On The Purple Star "What do you desire?" ..... His words echoed into her mere existence. It rang like a church bell on a Saturday. His words could be interpreted in multiple ways. Each person would perceive a different meaning from it. Neith opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. What did she truly desire¡­..? She couldn''t deny Amethyst''s analysis of her character. If anything, she was terrified that he was too accurate. She was just as he had said. Neith gulped as she knew her answer to his question might be a defining moment in her life. After a while, she acknowledged her inner self, "I seek strength....I seek power because I want power. No other inclinations!" As soon as she said that, Amethyst broke into a lovely smile, "Hahaha, in this chaotic world, many have come to me for power. Their reason was to save their friends, immortality, kill a demon lord, for revenge. However, a pure desire for power is unheard of. The closest to that is the mages who seek to unveil the mysteries." He crouched and let his cold fingers hold the young amazon''s face, "I too was once like that. I''m Akasha, the one that eternally chases the secrets of the cosmos. Oh...you make me reminisce. For that, I shall help you." His purple eye twinkled as he stared directly at the young amazon. Behind her, the energy in the air was massively disturbed. The wind ravaged like a hungry beast. However, the young amazon was too embroiled to notice that. A crack splintered into existence followed by others. They formed a vertical slit that linked to a new world. Suddenly, the slit widened. The spatial wind flowing from the hole was sharp enough to cut anything but Amethyst protected the young amazon from any danger. He said to her, "I need not ask you what lengths you would go to fulfill your desire, right?" "Yes," whispered Neith. "Behind you is a door that leads to somewhere unknown. Hiding in that place is a power that fits you just as the sun fits the moon. Now, go!" With a single push, Neith flew into the hole. Not a single sound came from her as she fell into the spatial door. She closed her eyes and allowed the wind to take her. Meanwhile, Amethyst closed the door and looked up. He was looking past the ceiling¡­...past the sky¡­..past the stars¡­.past the universe¡­. What he stared at so seriously remained a mystery for many years to come. He said to himself rhythmically, "It is almost time." ..... In Arcadia, time flows linearly. Nonetheless, sometimes, it rushes. Sometimes, it details. Reve was caught in this fast time perspective. One moment, he blacked out. The next moment, he appeared on a bed. The room was huge. It was constructed with those blue crystals that appeared all over Amethyst''s palace, which left him to believe he was still in the palace. In this room, there was only his bed and a chair placed beside the bed. Seated on the chair was the annoying god, Amethyst. He watched as Reve opened his eyes and spoke, "I take it you are fully recuperated. I know you have a lot of questions." Despite understanding that he was healed by the god, Reve expected to still feel a sense of discomfort with his body, but it wasn''t the case. He felt new, brand new. Every simple movement he made was as fluid as water. Reve echoed in approval, "Yes." He laid on his bed and allowed himself to dwell in the feeling of victory. For what felt like a year, he was constantly on guard and pushed to his limits in every battle. Now that he was relaxed, he felt no rush and wanted to take it slow. His brows wrinkled as he remembered something important, "Has she left?" Although he spared her life, he had no clue if Amethyst had killed her off. The god was very much capable of cruel acts like that. This was something he constantly reminded himself of. "Yes, I sent her somewhere. Somewhere better than here," smirked Amethyst. Before Reve could retort, Amethyst explained, "Hey, I didn''t kill her. It is not like I kill anything I meet. Ah, you hurt me..." His pathetic play at being the victim wasn''t as successful as he thought. All he earned from Reve was a hard stare. "Be serious," Reve said. "Alright Alright. I spoke to her after you went unconscious. I found her quite interesting and decided it would be a waste to not do something fun with her. So, I sent her to a location she much desired. She might die there but if she survived, wouldn''t it be more interesting?!" Seeing this, Reve thought, ''There it was!'' Beneath every smile Amethyst showed was an apathetic side that scared him. That side could only be warmed by the sight of peculiar beings. If Reve wasn''t someone special, he might have been killed by Amethyst. "Where?" asked Reve. "Heh, that place is really unique. It reeks of the scent of history, holding a lot of weight if you are familiar with the timeline of Arcadia." "What is it?" Amethyst stated with a low hum, "The temple of Mal¡­..." "The temple of Mal¡­..?" Reve furrowed his brows. That place didn''t ring a bell at all. "Heh, let me guide you. I suppose you know of the legends of Caeria?" "Yes." It was one of his most beloved topics in his history class with Circe. The legends of Caeria was concerned with one thing and one thing only, the kingdom of Caeria, one of the greatest kingdom of humanity. Caeria existed during the early years of the Ascension Era. It towered over Arcadia along with its sister-kingdom, Alfheim. Reve briefly told, "Caeria was a nation of half fae- half human called the Cevites. They were led by King Cael, a pure-blooded ancient human, who married a fae from the Summer Court. He had fallen in love with Caelena, the queen of the summer court at her time.. This union led to the first generation of Cevites." Chapter 61 - Mal, The Killing Sword "Oh...Caeria. At a point in time, it was the pride of Arcadia, even surpassing the glory of Alfheim. There was no human kingdom as bright as any shooting star. Alas, just like any shooting star, its glory was fleeting. However, its legacy still remained to this very day," Amethyst leaned back on a pillar with his head looking up. He was not wrong a bit. If Alfheim, the home of all feys was said to have developed Ancient Magic, then Caeria invented Conjuration. This addition to the schools of magic was well received by the rest of Arcadia. It was perfect for those that delved into elemental magic and even the spirit master that utilized the force of elementals. Furthermore, this discovery set the stage for the second half of the Ascension Era, the period of time when they began stellar travel. Amethyst went on, "At their prime, they possessed one of greatest treasure collections. It easily surpassed those of the summer court and winter court. It stood side by side with the treasure collection of the dragons. Among those plentiful artifacts was a particular item that had gained a name and numerous titles due to its exquisiteness." "What is it?" Reve asked curiously. "The Immemorial Sword. The Primal Sin. The Blade of Gaen. It is mainly known as Mal, the killing sword!" Amethyst''s words stroke fears into the young cat''s mind. Reve suddenly remembered what the sword named Mal was. It was a sword of blood that left its mark over all of Arcadia. It gained its label due to only having one desire which was to drown the world in the blood of its victim. Mal, the killing sword¡­.! Legend says it was the first weapon to be created. It was the first sword to be wielded by the hands of mortals. And it only had one purpose; that was to kill. It was made in the Dark Era where things were much simpler. When the sword was picked, blood will spill. Still, it wasn''t a cursed sword that drank the blood of its enemies. Rather, it was rumored to be a beautiful blade that could only cut! It seemed that Amethyst enjoyed this type of conversation. His smile couldn''t become wider as he took a trip down memory lane. "In what you people call the Dark Era, I learned a hand to the first group of living beings. From the rib bone of a foreign entity, an immortal, I carved a sword and bequeathed it to them. That is the origin of Mal. However, it becomes even better." The god continued speaking after taking a small pause, "Mal gained an ego after witnessing countless battles. It started to seek out its desire. Suddenly, it stopped lending its might to those that wielded it. It became picky. It sought only those of pure eyes. But it wasn''t as simple as that, those with kind characters could never hold Mal. Only those with the purest of black hearts could. Heh." "It is good that you are telling me this but how does that relate to Caeria and where you sent Neith to," asked Reve. He could enjoy Arcadian lores from Amethyst later. For now, he was more interested in how everything connected with Caeria. "You see, Mal is also called the blade of Gaen. This title was gotten after it was wielded by King Gaen of Caeria. He was the last user of Mal. You know what happened to Caeria much after, right?" Reve joint in, "On a very solemn day, a great flame descended on the great kingdom of Caeria. It buried the eternal nation and transformed into ruins. Nothing was left alive in what was then known as Caeria." "You are correct, but you forget one thing. There''s no such thing as full death. There will always be remnants. Survivors of Caeria still live to this very death. One such survivor was tasked with disposing of the blasphemous bone, Mal. Of course, he chose the beast continent as the right place for the job. He built a temple and hid the sword there for millennials," informed Amethyst. As a god, he was well equipped with the hidden truth of Arcadia. He had seen countless unfathomable secrets and had spied on acts that could be deemed outright immoral. "That is where I sent the young amazon. If she is lucky, she would survive the traps and face the test of Mal. So, are you okay with my answer?" mocked Amethyst. He left Reve with too much to process. Normally, Reve would have learned all these historical facts from Circe but there was just too much for him to learn. He could spend decades studying and never learn five percent of Circe''s historical knowledge. Heck, he wasn''t ready to commit his entire youthful life to that! Reve sat straight on the bed and faced Amethyst, "So, what now?" "What now? Of course, I will brief you before the transference of power. First, you must know that by the time you find the transference, I would be gone," told Amethyst. Reve raised his brows, "I guessed as much. The only reason you stayed was to leave an heir, as soon as that has been fulfilled, nothing would hold you back." "Yes, I have something to do but before that, I must do this. Beware of my departure, I have been the key that has been protecting this world from the greater cosmos even when they began their stellar adventures. When I leave, the roaming entities would be able to detect my disappearance. However, a god is buried somewhere in Arcadia. His aura surrounds the world so this should buy you something before others notice his strange state. My advice is that you should find a way to free him. Of course, you can decide not to. It''s your decision." Reve was once again reminded of something strange. In Arcadia, there were gods but he knew that Amethyst was far different from them. In fact, to compare them would be overkill. That was also the case for the buried god that Amethyst always referred to. In his mind, he could comprehend what Amethyst meant by god. Seeing his confusion, Amethyst said, "Don''t worry about those. I will imbue you with a knowledge of them. Meanwhile, let''s discuss the other issues¡­..." Chapter 62 - Taxan A few hours later... Amethyst crossed his legs and glanced at Reve, "That is all you need to know." Reve frowned as he was expecting something more, "You know I didn''t come here just to inherit some bloody powers. I came here for answers. Answers you told me you possess." The aspect of being the true inheritor was never the top of his priority list. It was not the reason he trained so hard day and night. Sure, he quite liked the thrill of gaining more power but he wouldn''t outrightly risk his life for more. Circe had taught him to be more than that. If he wanted to break past his limits, he might have well have researched on ways to do that. In fact, Circe had a lot of potions that could do that. The annoying god responded tiredly, "Sure. I do remember. Your grand quest concerns the saving of a young mortal female who died on Earth. Hmmmm¡­...since I did promise you there was hope, I would not let you down." Amethyst stretched forth his hands and many small dots appeared hovering around it. Among those tiny dots that twinkled like stars was one particularly large one, positioned in the center. "When I designed the cosmology of Arcadia, I decided to go simple and yet complex at the same time. To make Arcadia operate independently, I created planes. The material plane, the inner planes, and the outer planes. Now, you should be quite aware of the planes of existence. The material plane was the physical world of Arcadia and other sister planets. The inner planes were the ethereal planes that revolved around the material plane. They consisted of elemental planes and unique planes like Limbo." "The outer planes were basically the independent material planes. One such plane was Earth. Now, during the Ascension Era, Earth and Arcadia were allied. This alliance brought forth a planetary merge. It caused Earth to become akin to a mirror material plane and made it operate under Arcadia cosmology." Everything Amethyst said was represented by the tiny dots in the air. One thing to note was Amethyst''s definition of Arcadia. Sometimes, it was just that big tiny dot. Other times, it was a collective term for the group of tiny dots. When he spoke about the planetary merge, Arcadia represented the collective term. Reve watched as a tiny dot that represented Earth merged with the big tiny dot. At first, they repelled each other like two opposite natural forces. But later, they became as meek as old couples, destined lovers that were always better together. "As it became part of the cosmology, Arcadia''s rules applied to it. Now, there is one rule that would come of benefit to you. It states that anything living being in Arcadia would flow back to a certain point when they die. The certain point was one of the unique inner planes, Taxan, the Devil''s Pasture!" At this point in time, Reve had gone blank. He couldn''t exactly comprehend all that Amethyst talked about but he could tag along to some certain extent. Reve tilted his head, "Taxan? The Devil''s Pasture? What exactly is it?" If there was one thing he knew, it was that each inner plane supported the material plane. They were forever linked to it and their support was intrinsic. Each one of them gave a different type of support. "Taxan handles the dead. It welcomes the souls of the mortals and renews them. It did this unconsciously but in the Ascension Era, one of the gods took Taxan as its domain. The god proclaimed himself the ruler of the dead!" informed Amethyst. He went on, "If you want to resurrect your companion, Taxan would be your key. It certainly holds her soul. As for how to get there, well¡­...that, my dear child, will have to be solved yourself. With that said, I have fulfilled my promise." He stood up and headed for the exit. Before he left, he told Reve, "The transference would begin very soon. You have only one thing to prepare, which is your mind. If you can''t do that, then my power might swallow you." He left not much after that, leaving Reve to arrange his mind. ''What a sad life? It seems like I have yet another mission but this is better. I''m not in a rush,'' thought Reve. He postponed any thoughts about Taxan till when he met Circe again. For now, he had to assess himself. Reve laid flat on the bed and closed his eyes. He was in his most comfortable form, his cat form. ''Ahh, it is at times like this, I would love to see my status,'' mused Reve. He had noticed for a while that he could access his status. If not, he would have heard the voice of the world administrator many times during battle. Nonetheless, he had learned to never depend on Nixy. He had been trained to be able to ignore his status for months. His brain could substitute for the role of Nixy. ''''Hmmm¡­.let''s see¡­..'' For starters, he was a pseudo third circle arcanist. Circe told him that once he achieved that rank, he should seek to attain the skill that came with it. The skill was the ability to wield a pure form of energy that could be used for magic. It was said that the worldly mana was too impure for magic spells, which reduced their effects. This applied especially to arcanists. Elementalist never used mana. They manipulate spirit energy granted to them by elementals. Spirit energy was many times purer than basic mana. It was different in essence too. While mana required complex spells, spirit energy simply needed thought-invocation. This eliminated the need for magic circles. Nonetheless, Reve was an arcanist and he didn''t care for spirit energy. Hence he had to focus on another form of energy. This one was directly related to mana. It was called magi and it only existed in one place, which was the elemental plane! The theory was that magi originated from the elemental planes and leaked to the material plane. It was there that it devolved into what is known as mana! Chapter 63 - Transference(1) That was the theory that plagued mages for eras to come. It surrounded one fact¡­..a fact as white as the clouds, "Magic is an anomaly!" It was a mistake on a cosmic scale. The law of the planes dictated that none of them should be intimately involved with one another. However, if energy from the planes are spilling into the material plane then that disregards that law. Using this hypothesis, mages derived a future event called.... ...Armageddon! A world-ending event that would mark the end of the world. it is said to be the repercussions of using magic carelessly. Anyways, that theory was only held by the most erratic of the mages. Reve was not to care about an imaginary apocalypse like that. It didn''t concern a weak mage like him. In the meantime, what he should be doing is figuring out the magic spells he needed to harness magi. He had gone over this with Circe and decided to go for the usual method done by mages. This was quite detailed. First, he needed to learn an energy absorption spell. Second, he had to be acquainted with an ethereal linking spell. Thirdly, his [Mana Veins] needed to be customized. If he continued dragging the matter, it might get permanent, which was something he wouldn''t like to happen. Lastly, a spatial spell and chant for specific elementals was required. ''Ahh, I can''t do this now. All that will be concerned later when I''m back with Circe. For now, I can work on my [Mana Veins]. I have already created a [Mana Heart],'' analyzed Reve. [Mana Hearts] was the focal point of a [Mana Vein]. In a sense, it stored all the mana of a user and regulated it to the [Mana Veins]. That was the skill of a second circle arcanist! Reve stretched forth his right hand and actualized a frozen block of ice. Imprinted on the ice tablet was a drawing of his anatomy. The dull lines represented his physical anatomy while the bright blue lines represented his magical anatomy. Suddenly, with a single thought, the bright lines began to move like pieces of a puzzle. They assembled¡­.they disassembled. The same cycle was repeated over and over again. Meanwhile, Reve watched them earnestly. He was finally designing a [Mana Vein] after all this while. .........¡­ Hours later, a figure appeared in the room. He watched as Reve was completely immersed in his activity and allowed the young cat to do as he wished for a few minutes. The cat hadn''t even noticed him. After a while, he announced his presence, "It is time. I hope you are ready." Despite being shocked, Reve calmly stared at the damn annoying god, "Hmmm...I''m ready." As soon as he willed it, the ice tablet he was working on slowly diminished until it was nothing but frozen mist. He jumped out of his bed and landed perfectly on the cold floor. "Lead the way," he said. Amethyst said nothing in response and simply walked out of the door with Reve behind him. They passed a long hallway till they arrived at a barren space. It wasn''t like a hall in the sense that the ceiling was wide open. Reve could see the mesmerizing blue moon and it stared back at him. He asked Amethyst, "Is this the place?" "Yes, quite symbolic, isn''t it? The moon shall watch over you," mused Amethyst. He arched over the horizon and whispered softly, "It appears we have a guest." His line of sight switched to face his right side. Immediately after that, a familiar magical phenomenon occurred. The air pressure intensified and mana flow was disrupted. Beads of water fell to the ground to welcome a slit that appeared in the air. The slit widened and a suspicious woman walked through. One look at her and it was evident that she was far from normal. Her cerulean hair beamed beautifully as if it was alive. Sometimes, it would drift freely using the power of the wind. She was blue-skinned and her eyes were of a noble purple. The woman in question wore a long white robe that danced around her body perfectly. She greeted Amethyst with a non-existent bow, "Prince. Is it time for your departure?" "Yes, you can sense it, can''t you?" rhetorically asked Amyethst. From his bystander point of view, Reve was able to decipher that the two were acquainted. However, their relationship was unclear. The woman addressed him as a noble but didn''t carry out the required gesture for that, while Amethyst addressed her as a near-equal¡­.a partner. A pensive look appeared on the woman''s face as she responded to Amethyst, "Prince, I can not stop you, can I?" "No, you can''t. I must join the others. This is required," lightly spoke Amethyst. Finally, the conversation moved to Reve with a single sentence from the woman. She gazed at him in the most profound way possible. Laid behold her eyes, Reve felt nothing about him could be hidden. His mind blared as he felt a familiarity with the blue woman. Her voice was like a mermaid''s lure despite it not being vocalized sensually. "Is this Reve, your scion?! Hmmm¡­." mumbled the woman. "Yes, spectacular, isn''t he? I reckon he is the reason why you are here. Let me do the introductions." Amethyst smiled as he talked to Reve, "The woman before me is one of the five mysteries of Arcadia. It is an honor of a lifetime to be in her presence. Hehe, who do you think she is¡­?" Not a single second was wasted before Reve replied, "The bloody world administrator. Oh Xoris'' bottom!" The woman was the world administrator. A mythical figure said to have existed before time. She was the person behind the voice that always spoke to him after a level-up. She was the one he usually referred to as Nixy, though, that wasn''t her name at all. Reve didn''t need to guess that. She was the only being in the five Arcadian mysteries. The rest were either events or items. "It is nice to finally meet you, Reve," smiled the woman. Chapter 64 - Transference(2) Getting a formal greeting from an entity like her, Reve''s face flushed, "Ehh¡­.yes." She didn''t say anything further than that and kept looking at Reve with a smile that appeared wider in Reve''s mind. "Now, shall we begin?" said Amethyst. He pushed Reve to the center of the hall and sighed, "Protect him. I''m starting now." "Sure," the blue woman responded. She didn''t move from her spot but she did send a blue dome of energy that covered Reve. The emperor cat simply stared as the two dismissed him, not bothering to offer him any explanation. Why did he need to be protected? Wasn''t it a simple transference of power? Out of nowhere, this portion of the world turned to night. The stars illuminated the nightlife along with the cool moon. "#@#&@#" A solemn sound echoed throughout the hall. Along with it came a sight Reve would never forget in his life. Amethyst glowed up. No, he didn''t just glow up. His skin turned blue just like the world administrator and lines began to appear on it. They resembled the lines that showed anytime an enchant spell was activated but this one felt more authentic. Staring at the colorful lines would make one feel like they were capable of communicating. Beneath those lines were powers that far surpassed the mythical runes. The body marks went all the way to his face and he became more beautiful than ever. His right purple eye revealed its true power. Hidden beneath those eyes was a world of stars. Thousand of stars hovered around one big one. As this transformation began, his sheer size began to multiply. In a span of ten seconds, he was the size of a giant, easily towering all the mighty trees in the forest, and he didn''t seem to be stopping. Even with the barrier protecting, Reve''s eyes burned intensely. His body seemed to be set on flame and it made him remember a favorite Arcadia quote. "Do not stare at the god!" Understanding its meaning, Reve decisively stopped his curiosity and closed his eyes. To safeguard himself, he faced the ground, not daring to look up. A while later and all Reve could hear was hymns being played by the world itself. They rang in his ear like a melody that had been kept hold for centuries. "Khaos..." "...Prince of Phaents¡­.." ".....Drakoi¡­.." "...Akasha...." Along with many others, these were the titles of the god whom Reve referred to as Amethyst. His mere transformation enacted a phenomenon that could destroy the world. Meanwhile, Reve''s mental world was under heavy pressure. He found it hard to breathe as he could feel the actual pressure of a god beside. The god lay naked before him. A few moments passed by and the pressure diminished. It retracted back to the source. An apathetic voice said to him, "Do not open your eyes." It was as cold as the ice buried in the northern region. There was absolutely no emotion within every word. Listening to it, Reve trembled in great fear. He tightly closed his eyes. Blood dripped due to his forceful actions. The voice called him again, "Reve. Do you accede to the transference? Do you comprehend the power that will be gifted to you? Do you think yourself worthy of it?" "Yes," whispered Reve. Amethyst told him once the transference began, he couldn''t turn back. There was no backing out or he would be killed like a bug. He had told him that the "him" conducting the transference would be more cruel than he could ever imagine. "Do you find yourself capable of withstanding the greys of this power?" "Yes." "You shall bear my name. Do you acquiesce?" "Yes." "Do you comprehend the dangers that shall befall you for carrying my name? It is not just my name. It is the name of a union that holds the cosmic power." "Yes." "Then, we shall begin. Following the agreement, you shall bear a part of me. You have two options. One, bear the power. Two, refine the powers to become yours and consume it. I will assist you with both options." Reve was suddenly put on the spot. He had no idea what he wanted. Bearing someone''s power or bearing his. The previous agreement was to bear Amethyst''s power, but if he could make it his, it would surely benefit him in the long run. However, was it ever so simple? The price of greed was too great for a mortal. His [Telekinesis] skill was a perfect example of that. Nonetheless, the offer was too good. Reve answered, "I choose option two." "Affirmative. Lay down," commenced the godly voice. With his eyes closed, Reve did as he was told. His face was no longer facing the ground but he still didn''t dare open them. He wasn''t about to turn to salt. The voice then trailed Reve''s body with his cold nails. His nails drew smoothly cut Reve''s skin cruelly. The voice whispered into his ear, "The tri-orb. The overlord of pure power. Drink it and despair. Your mind cries. Once you control it, it becomes yours........Drink it!" The voice nudged Reve''s cat mouth open and dripped a frost liquid into it. Once the liquid invaded Reve, the cat lost all sense of taste. His other senses dulled and he entered a peculiar state. He was floating in the abyss. Finally, what he had been preparing for came to him. A freezing sensation radiated from his chest. Reve could feel the existence of the liquid there. It froze his heart quickly and everything ended. His entire body stopped but his nerves were somehow still connected. The cool liquid in his body began condensing into a solid form. It turned into a spiky ball that pierced his body. A shock traveled through his body as he began to scream like a madman. "Ahhhh!!!" He wanted it to stop ''Someone, make it stop, please!'' The orb consumed his heart bit by bit. It moved on to tear apart all his other organs. "Ahhhhh!" Little by little, it made Reve wish he was already dead. It brought with it waves of mental ailments that tortured Reve like a great evil. It was then he understood why the voice asked a lot of questions Chapter 65 - Transference(3) Amidst the tremendous pain coursing through his body, Reve found it hard to concentrate. He was slowly losing consciousness and his sense of existence was waning like a crescent moon. ''Think¡­..Ahhh, think!'' ''What was ¡­...it?'' What was he told to do? He knew there was something he was forgetting. ''Ahh, this is ludicrous! Bloody damn g----'' The spiked orb found yet another organ in his body and consumed it like a ravenous beast. This spammed a wave of pain that drowned him in eternal misery. Fortunately, it was through this pain did he finally remember what he was meant to do. ''Oh, I got it! I have to control it. Bullocks, how do I control something that obviously wants me for lunch¡­...?!'' His breath hastily quickened and he found everything around him spinning once more. He was entering a panic state as the scythe of death loomed over his head. ''What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Okay, first, I need to calm down.'' Little by little, he secured the state of his mind by thinking back to moments he cherished dearly. His adventures with Myrna. His classes with Circe¡­..Ahem, his moments with his empress cats. It might have been sketchy but he found it worked. His mind was finally back at its prime. It was then he began to analyze, ''First, as a mage, I need to comprehend the situation to my best.'' ''The tri-orb started its rampage from my heart. The first consumption was different from the rest. Right now, I shouldn''t be alive. I have lost a majority of my organs, including my heart.'' ''However, what it did to my heart felt more like a brutal replacement. When I think deeply, I can perceive a connection between myself and the orb, and this started right after it consumed my heart. I can somehow feel that this connection is what is keeping me alive.'' This connected Reve thought of might as well be his saving grace. He was definitely sure that was his only hope in this perilous situation. Hence, Reve tugged at it. With his sensory skill, he entered the world of his body and perceived a thin line connecting the location of his heart to a ravenous beast that wandered around. When he nudged it, there was no reply except an annoyed grunt from the beast-like orb. He tugged at it again¡­.no reply. The third time¡­..futile. The fourth time¡­..vain. The fifth time¡­.unsuccessfull! After a hundred tries, he realized that perhaps he needed to change his approach. A mere yank wouldn''t attract the attention of the orb. In fact, it would do the opposite. ''What do I need? What is the missing element? Emotions¡­..?'' Emotions were a powerful regulator of power. Very regularly, men find themselves at their peak when overwhelmed with great anger. They would wield pure power that might even spell their doom if their state went unchecked. ''I can try this. No, it wouldn''t work. A power triggered by raw emotions is not...'' Reve''s [Telekinesis] could be triggered with raw emotions but he didn''t walk down that path. Emotions were unstable and his actively pursuing them would damage his mental state. Therefore, once he decided not to use that path, a mental lock was created in his mind. Reve doubted it would be different for the orb. A source of power like that absolutely couldn''t be channeled by raw emotions. This wasn''t some bloody hero shenanigans. He needed something different. ''The voice said control but there is no way I can control it. Hence, the desperate need for its trigger. Damn!'' At this point, due to his intense thought, everything concerning the outside world was blocked from him. The pain his body was currently going through was irrelevant in his mental mind. Reve decided to be adventurous, ''A power that would only listen to Amethyst. I bet it seeks familiar traits, but I''m not Amethyst. To tame it, I would need a mixture of Amethyst''s traits and mine. Heh, it is time for a round of self-discovery.'' In the end, he realized that his current assumption was probably the right one. The power should only listen to one''s true self¡­...the deepest level of consciousness possible. The mental realm where all thoughts originate from. It was called the fifth level, something that had been said to be the endgame of all meditation exercises. Reve absolute couldn''t delve into this level. However, perhaps, if he went to the deepest level he could access, he might be able to trigger the orb with his truest self. Reve enacted his plan by calming all his thoughts and transforming them into nothingness. It was proven that for a single complex thought to emerge, there was a simple thought behind it. For example, the thought ''I want to eat bean soup'' could be simplified to ''I want to eat.'' ''I want to eat'' could be broken down into ''My body lacks energy.'' Every single thought was akin to branches on a great tree. If so, what were the roots of this thought tree? Reve couldn''t find that out but he would go the deepest he could. Nihility was origin. Origin was nihilo. As his thoughts dispersed, he began delving into his levels of consciousness. The first level was his mental world, where complex thoughts are granted the power to actualize. The second level was his subconscious, a powerful level that housed the instinct of an individual. It controlled sixty percent of the physical body. The third level was the unconscious, the state of the unknown. Reve didn''t know much about the function of this level. His meditation state had only reached the second level where his body began to act independently and energy reacted to his every movement. It was this phenomenal stage that he wanted to access. As he went into it, he found himself in a state of half-slumber. Beside him in the void was his gigantic body while he stayed beside it in a small wispy form. He could see a bright light moving around in his body and understood that that was the orb. Suddenly, his gigantic body spoke out loud. "Power. I want power" Chapter 66 - Transference(4) "I want power¡­..." In his mental world, those three words resonated throughout the empty space. It disturbed the stillness of the void. However, it had no effect. The orb still hadn''t responded to the gigantic body. Once again, the giant Reve spoke, "I¡­.want¡­.power!" Moments later, he realized that he was being too superficial. Reve closed his giant eyes and a thought coursed every inch of his body. Since the orb was linked to his body, it would receive this information. Nonetheless, Reve''s single thought wasn''t that simple. It could be translated to oral words and only existed as an ambiguous thought with a profound meaning. One thing was sure about the thought; It was a desire, a cruel desire! And that was all that was needed to move the orb. The orb shimmered in resplendent lights and it ejected itself out of Reve''s body. It forced Reve back to the physical world where the real action began. At first, Reve was scared to open his eyes but he bravely did it as he needed to see what was happening. The voice had disappeared and all that existed behind the blue dome that he was in was a sharp whiteness. His eyes hurt every time he tried to stare beyond that. ''Forget about that. I need to focus.'' Reve stared at the brilliant orb that levitated freely in the air. It had stopped its rampaging and came out of his body. However, what was next? He didn''t know what to do. There was a gaping hole in his chest and blood dyed fur seep red. It was a miracle that he was alive. Hence, he wasn''t about to test the extent of the miracle. With a single thought, Reve created an ice pillar that rose him up to the exact height of the orb. As soon as he got closer to the orb, Reve could feel the boundless power that oozed out of it. It became even suffocating to breathe in the sheer presence of the orb. Reve straightened his mind and reached out his right paw to touch the orb. He wasn''t sure if anything would come out of his actions. Astoundingly enough, nothing destructive occurred. Touching the orb, Reve could feel the weak pulses that emanated from it like a slow heartbeat. His senses blared as he could feel a hand was molesting an intimate part of himself. Of course, that hand was his. Ever since he got connected to the orb, he maintained a degree of awareness towards it. Reve became bolder and nudged the orb with his little head. His inner thoughts resounded from within. They got transmitted to the orb and something extraordinarily began to take place. The orb liquefied into a milky substance. It flew into his mouth and invaded him once again, but this time, it was different. As soon as the orb entered his body, the transformation began. He had always thought that the orb would replace his heart but what was currently happening was far from that. The orb shockingly expanded inside his body. Its liquid form consumed all parts of his body from his body to even stuff like his bloody. No, it was not just that. The orb consumed him. He became the orb and the thoughts of this union were as clear as a white lake. There were no questions of existence to this new being. He behaved just like Reve and acted just like the orb. Suddenly, after full consumption, he became a blob of liquid that moved with every little gravitational shift. However, this did not last for long. From the huge pool of liquid, a figure was being formed. The figure was about four feet in height but less than five feet. It had a feline structure with beautiful white fur with inconspicuous green streaks. However, the figure was still not complete and its other features were empty. ''Remodel,'' a single thought erupted from the figure. The liquid around him shimmered and suddenly transformed into white plants. The plants coiled around the figure beautifully until it pierced the figure! It pumped a great amount of smooth white plants into the body of the figure. The figure was then filled with a great amount of flora content. It was given a new purpose. Its feature were becoming defined. His eyes changed to blue and green. His right eye was arctic blue while his left eye was a frosty green. Apart from that, the most obvious feature was a pair of small antlers that grew from his head. It was feeble and quite resembled the branch of a tree. Nonetheless, the antlers were not that huge. They were only three inches in length but one could already tell that when fully grown, they would make quite the appearance. After a while, the figure couldn''t keep up with his transformation and his brain short-circuited, leaving his body to do the work. ......¡­ ''Where am I?'' A while later, Reve woke up from his stupor. Ignorant the energetic feeling he felt flowing through him, he tried to move his body but he was being blocked by something. It was like he had been placed in a tube and had no space to move. Reve punched through the dark object bounding him and a ray of light pierced the hole he made. He tore whatever was wrapping his body immediately. ''Huh, I was in a tree¡­.'' What he had torn apart were the barks of the tree. Some of the small plants still coalesced around his head but it wasn''t something to worry about right now. Reve set his sights on the world outside the dome. It was no longer burning with a white light. Everything had cleared, leaving only one figure in the open space. The woman was the world administrator. There was no sign of Amethyst being around. He had probably left. The blue dome was deactivated.. The woman in blue walked closer to him and said, "Congratulations on your transference. Reve Amethyst!" Chapter 67 - Transference(5) Reve raised his brows in response to the world administrator, "Reve Amethyst?" "You bear his name now," told the blue woman. She dug her hand into the empty air and an object appeared on it. The object was a white headband with mystical markings written on it. If Reve was was still knowledgeable about the languages of Arcadia, the markings were written in an ancient language called primordialspark. The exact meaning of the markings was victory. The world administrator offered the white headband to Reve, "Take this as a gift from me." "What is it?" queried Reve. He knew that it wasn''t something normal. Anything from the woman had to be extraordinary. Perhaps, even her "normal" was something exquisite to the eyes of mortals. The woman explained, "It is an unknown artifact I had for a long time. It will be specifically useful for people like you. Try it on." Reve took the victory headband and wore it on his head. Immediately, a cool wave of energy rushed into him. It gave a refreshing feeling to his mental mind and he felt anew. It was the same feeling one always had when one woke up to a new day after much sleep. Reve was totally wowed, "The headband alleviates all mental ailment. Now, I don''t have to worry about the side effects of [Telekinesis]. This is much appreciated." "Don''t worry about it. I will be taking my leave now. I hope we meet again, young Reve." With that said, it only took a single blink for the woman to disappear as if she was never here. Reve sighed after he was sure of her departure, "It''s been a tough day." He glared at his reflection on the crystal floor. Only now did he notice the change in his appearance. He had grown a bit but not overly much. What struck out the most was the pair of antlers on his head. His facial appearance wasn''t much different. However, his insides were much different. Inspecting it, Reve found that a [Mana Vein] was already formed inside him. It pulsed just like a heart and was arranged in a complex formation. "This [Mana Vein] is quite complex. I can tell that it grants an increased regeneration rate and grants me a sort of magical immunity, although, the immunity is not even half of that of the foes I have faced," analyzed Reve. It was then he understood that situated in him was raw power. He could feel it flowing through his body. Nonetheless, this was not a good location to test his new self out. Reve sighed as he realized he was the only one left in the ice palace. He traced his way back to the room he was at a while ago and took a short sleep. After a while, he woke up and took his leave. Now, the palace would be empty. However, he was sure to come back here since it was kinda his. ....................... Hours later, Reve appeared close to a long serpentine river. A kilometer away from the river was a huge archaic building. Reve smiled upon seeing this, ''home sweet home.'' Feeling a new wave of energy, Reve ran for the building. He only stopped when he reached the doorstep and lightly tapped on it with his paws. A familiar voice called out from the other side of the door, "Reve, you are back." The door slowly opened to reveal the figure of Circe but something seemed different about her. For starters, she beamed at the sight of him. The Circe he knew would never do that! Heck, that woman could never display a lively expression. Reve''s eyes sparkled as he came to a decision. He instantly fired a mana blast at Circe ruthlessly. Just as he was about to follow up with another attack, a manly voice came out of Circe. "Wait. Wait!" The skin of Circe peeled off to reveal a man with wolf ears. He had deep silver eyes and a cheeky grin that somehow irked Reve. The man scratched his head with a smile, "Hehe, how did you figure it out?" What put Reve on the edge was the fact that the man wasn''t damaged a bit by his man blast. He simply neglected the mana blast. Hence, so as to not make a decision he might regret, Reve played along. "Your positive expression. I also expected Circe to be in her coffin. Knowing her, my period of absence would be best used for sleeping. Also,..." "Also, what?" the man asked gingerly. Reve glanced around the building before he mentioned, "Your chest. Circe''s chest is not that-----" *Boom!* Out of nowhere, a book flew in the air and hit Reve''s face accurately. Even with his increased strength, he absolutely couldn''t dodge it. There was only one person who would throw a book with such brutality. The person appeared beside the man and stared at Reve with a smile that was not a smile. Seeing this person, Reve ignored the book that broke his nose and squealed like a good boy, "Circe, you look as beautiful as ever." Inwardly, he thought, "That damn hag. Shouldn''t she be sleeping? Ahh, I wanted to wake her at least a year after I return!" *Bam!* Another book shot out of nowhere and mercilessly hit Reve. *Bam!* Before Reve could recover, another one whipped his head. It seemed there was no more attack after that as Circe sighed vilely, "My dear apprentice, it seems you survived." "Yes, master," smiled Reve. When talking with evil Circe, he had to continue putting up a pretentious smile. Circe pushed the door wide open and welcomed him. Meanwhile, the man with wolf ears kept grinning annoyingly. It appeared he couldn''t keep it in any longer as he burst into great fits. His loud laugh was annoying Reve every second. "Who is he?" Reve menacingly stared at the man while asking Circe. The man took the chance to introduce himself, "Ahem, hahaha. Ahem, hahaha. Okay now, I''m serious. Hahaha." He laughed boisterously at Reve! Chapter 68 - Leviathan "Alright. Alright. My name is Zev. I''m a magical beast from the first stratum," introduced the man. Immediately after he said that, Reve widened his eyes till the whites were showing, "The first...stratum?" He took a slow gup of air and calmed himself. The continent he was in, the beast continent, was more like an archipelago. It was grouped into five strata and at the center of it was a large island the size of half a continent. Normally, the arrangement of the beast continent should have held no meaning but since the closer one got to the center of the continent, the purer the mana became, things were different. The more one progressed towards the center, the higher the concentration of strong beasts. In essence, those at the first stratum were mostly the peak of magical beasts. Zev grinned as he observed Reve''s expressions, "Hahaha. Don''t worry about that. Actually, we have been waiting for you." "We¡­?" Reve frowned. He turned to Circe who had begun cooking her signature bean soup, "What is going on?" She turned around and sighed, "I was going to explain. Hmmm, some of my old friends requested a meeting." This was another shock to Reve, "Huh, you have friends?!" *Boom* He was yet again brutalized by the inconspicuous book. After her violent actions, Circe poured the soup from the pot into three clean bowls. She used magic to lift the bowls and carried them to the tables. After seating on his beloved chair, Reve thanked Circe and dug into his meal. ''Hmmm... It feels like forever since I savored a meal like this.'' thought Reve. This line of thought made him ask Circe, "By the way, how long has it been since I left?" He hadn''t been able to calculate the time when at Amethyst''s palace. In fact, time was the last thing was the last thing on his mind back then. "Mhmm..¡­..Two years. I take it you have experienced quite the thrill. You ooze a strong aura. Control it," informed Circe. Reve sighed as he had wanted to show off a little but Circe was as merciless as ever. He closed his eyes and a large amount of mana spilling out of him was drawn back to his body. Along with it went the natural aura he emanated. The dining room descended into a long period of silence. Alas, it was broken by Zev. "Haha. Reve, it is hard being a student of Circe. It is even more fascinating that she decided to mentor you wholeheartedly. I expected her to---" *Baam!* A book was flung at his face and threw him out of the dining room. Reve giggled. It was good to not be the one on the receiving end. A moment later, Zev came back with a large bump on his end. He calmly sat on his chair and swallowed his bean soup. However, he couldn''t go silent for long, "It''s been long since we noticed your master''s awakening. Yet, knowing her lazy nature, we allowed her a few years to herself. The Order requests her presence." "The Order? What order?" He realized that he knew little to nothing about Circe. He was only aware that she was an immortal witch that was prevalent in the ascension era. "You are aware of the relationship between magical beasts and magical creatures, right?" asked Zev. Reve nodded, "Yes. Magical beasts refer to the race while magical creatures is a collective term for beings that are magical in nature." Some magical creatures weren''t magical beasts but all magical beasts were magical creatures. It was confusing but, apparently, there were facts backing it up. "This continent is not only home to magical beasts but all magical creatures. After the last annihilation war, magical beasts became forsaken. We were discriminated against for the sins of our forebearers. This led us to migrate to this continent and the strongest of us established a sort of council to watch over the rest. Normally, Circe wouldn''t be in the council due to her race. However, she has been with us since the beginning. She is considered one of us...a comrade," told Zev. A great amount of respect could be felt from his tone. Clearly, Circe was akin to a legendary figure among the magical beasts. Still, Reve was once again reminded of the great sin that all magical beasts carried. This was the exact reason they were hunted by humans and treated differently by the other races... The Annihilation War! The greatest series of events in the Arcadian timeline. An event so great that it defined the rest of history. It sent the gods away from Arcadia and destroyed legendary kingdoms as easily as how the sun burns through butter. ¡­..And the direct cause of this series of events was....the magical beasts! The home of feys, Alfheim, was victim to one of the annihilation wars. "Enough about that. If you are here now, that means the situation is serious," a red flush creased over Circe''s face. She turned to Reve, "Do you want to go with me?" "To the first stratum¡­.?" queried Reve. He didn''t have a good feeling about going there. Circe assured him, "It will be alright. The first stratum is different than what you expect. Plus, if anything happens, I can protect you." "Ok¡­.I will go," sighed Reve. Without Circe, there wouldn''t be much meaning in staying here. Moreover, he also had questions for her. However, that would be postponed till later. "Good. After eating, we will go. It won''t take long to get there," decided Circe. The dining hall became silent once more as the trio quietly ate their food. It was even strange for Zev to keep the quiet state, but Reve guessed even he knew dining manners. As Reve stared at the brownish food in his bowl, his mind went back to the annihilation war. After having inherited some of Amethyst''s memories, he was able to make out a connection he had to the wars. Strangely enough, Reve had met one of the key beasts in the war...¡­ ....The Primordial Monster of the Deep Sea, Leviathan! Chapter 69 - Leviathan(2) ...The Primordial Monster of the Deep Sea, Leviathan! Years ago, Reve was chanced with the opportunity to meet this hegemonic magical beast. Ironically, the situation was not as bright as one would expect. He had met Leviathan on¡­..Earth! The beast was not dead as the rest of Arcadia thought. During the Ascension era, it was saved by Amethyst and positioned at Earth, where, years later, it would save a cat in the devil''s triangle. Reve remembered the immersive mouth he saw that swallowed the sea animals trying to eat him. It was only now that he understood that Leviathan had only acted on Khaos'' orders. Basically, the annoying god tamed it like a little puppy. ''Heh, everything is coming to a full circle now that I am aware of some of his Arcadia affairs,'' smiled Reve. He stopped thinking and simply enjoyed the meal cooked by Circe. At first, he had planned to assess himself but that would also be put on hold. Ten minutes later, the trio stood up from their spot and went out of the building. Zev and Reve were positioned behind Circe as they walked closer to the serpent river. Reve noticed that Zev was giggling along the way. He raised in brows as he wondered why he was doing that. Not being able to keep to himself, Zev whispered to Reve, "Hehe, we are about to witness something cool." "What?" "Well..... Just watch, hehe," teased Zev. Reve cursed from the bottom of his heart, ''Damn, I was trolled! Bloody bastard!'' He made a mental note to not pay attention to Zev anymore. Meanwhile, Circe stopped in her pace as she closed her eyes to get a feel of her surrounding. Suddenly, her expressions turned fierce. She was finally getting serious. Wisps of black mana escaped from her body as her arms perform a hand movement. When she was done, magic circles began appearing all over her. One...two...three...four¡­.seven¡­.nine! There were nine magic circles! A hint to the strength beneath the immortal witch. The magic circles blinked wildly. They went away from Circe and formed a formation over the river. Low hums could be heard from them as mana connected all of them together¡­.and a mighty phenomenon occurred. A spatial rift tore apart from the center of the magic circles. It widened in less than a minute till it reached a size no one could ignore. After what felt like an eternity, the spatial rift stopped generating wind blades and stabilized. "The true power of mages. I can never get enough of it," beamed Zev. He wasn''t the only one that was beyond amazed. Reve''s eyes widened at the sight of the spatial rift. It had to be known that he had seen quite a few of them at this point but Circe''s spatial rift was the only one powered by magic. The magic spell was refined to the extreme and simply too beautiful to watch. ''As expected of her,'' sighed Reve. While he was in his stupor, he hadn''t noticed that the others had entered the rift. Soon after, he looked around and saw nothing. ''Oh, Xoris'' bottom!'' ...¡­.At this point, it was still unknown what Xoris had done to the pair of mentor and student ...¡­... "Wow," amazed Reve. That was the only thing he could say after setting his eyes on the first stratum. It was truly deserving of the title of a mythical place. Unlike the fifth stratum that had the features of islands, the first stratum quite resembled a chaotic environment. There were active volcanoes that erupted frequently and magical beasts that flew around aimlessly. High trees that went up to the sky and became a marking spot for any lost magical beasts. Circe increased her pace as soon as he landed on the soil of the first stratum. She showcased that she didn''t need Zev to lead the way. *Whoosh!* The three of them trailed past a lot of trees. They stopped at a particular location a few minutes later. It was an inconspicuous location with nothing but trees everywhere. However, situated in an empty space was a large stone door. The door pulsed red every three seconds, giving it a demonic vibe. Looking at it, Circe said, "We are here." She looked at Zev who nodded back at her. Then, she changed her view to stare at Reve. "Change to a humanoid form. The others view it as a sign of intelligence," informed Circe. Since she was so serious, Reve obeyed her and dug deep into his body. Ever since his transformation, he had been getting weird vibes all over him. It was the same vibe one would get if they knew they had grown but couldn''t figure out what exactly in them had changed. Something in him had changed and Reve believed that it was related to his prime mode. With a single thought, his bones began to break and reassemble. They shifted till they were that befitting of a humanoid creature. All the while, Reve didn''t let out a single noise. Sure, he was already used to the transformation but, somehow, it felt easier¡­.if not, too easy. He could feel that in this new prime mode, his furs retracted back to his body and he had little to no facial hair. His face was no longer furry and, instead, resembled that of a human. His long silver-white hair flowed roughly to his waist and his beautiful eyes shone brighter than ever. Seeing this mode, Circe stated, "My, my. You have acquired a new form that looks quite just like demi-humans. I figured you would get that but didn''t expect it to be this soon." That was the last thing she said as she allowed Zev to do the honors. Zev bent his knees and borrowed the power of the earth to push the door open. His muscles bulged insanely, making Reve understand that opening the door was not an easy feat. The door gained motion and it spread wide like a bird''s wing. It revealed a new world to Reve and the others. It was a large space blessed with the veil of the night. Stars twinkled melodically in this space. The floor of the space was transparent. One could see the darkness brewing underneath. However, runes were written exquisitely on the transparent floor which beautified it more. Reve straightened his sight to see a great formation of seats. The seats were made with ancient stones inscribed with runes making it look like something pulled out of the dark era. On each of the chairs sat five figures that emanated an aura so profound that it made it hard for Reve to breathe. This was the order that Zev spoke about! [There is an event going on right now. Check it out. The purpose of this event is to push the novel up to a good power ranking spot by earnestly voting power stones. Also, if you have not yet dropped ur review, what are you waiting for?] Chapter 70 - The Group ''If the aura here is so intense, they must surely be powerful!'' .... That was what Reve thought but it only took a single moment to break the awe he had for the figures on the seats. Among the figures, two caved their seats together in a circle and were playing cards. It was definitely something new as the cards they threw about levitated in the air. After all the cards on their hand were emptied, the round was concluded. "Hah, I win!" shouted one of them. The owner of the voice belonged to a small young lady with blue hair and purple eyes. Her pointed ears moved vibrantly as she didn''t hide her victorious face. Beautiful butterfly wings expanded from her back as she fluttered in the hair to meet the ones she defeated. "Fye, I keep telling you. You can''t defeat me," mocked the girl. She was talking to an auburn-haired woman with an ample body. The woman had a grim expression on her face and she didn''t a bit like she enjoyed the small lady''s taunting. It seemed she was about to go violent when a silver lightning bolt hit the young lady. It sent her flying till she landed horribly on the transparent floor. She quickly stood up and raged with her little voice. She flexed her wing and headed for the perpetrator of the lightning bolt. It was a blonde-haired man with a lean build. The young lady stopped in front of him and threatened, "You want another beating!" The man''s heart skipped a beat but he hid his fear and complained, "Lady Yevhi, I apologize. My hands must have moved independently. Can you go back to your seat so I can compensate you with a beautiful drawing of yourself?" On his lap was an expensive drawing book and on his right hand was a paintbrush. The drawing presently on the open page of the book was left half-finished. If one gleamed at it, they would discover it was a drawing of the young lady and the woman playing cards. One didn''t need a genius brain to know that the man must have been frustrated at the young lady for breaking posture. What compensation? He just wanted to draw! The young lady cocked her head at the drawing and smiled for unknown reasons. She later voiced out with her head bobbing up and down, "Hmmm, I understand. Do that again and I will pluck all your feathers to make Arcadia''s biggest hand-fan!" As if touching a taboo, the man raised his voice, "You dare not!" "Are you daring me?" "I--" The man cut his words. The words that would come out of his mouth might very much decide his fate. He was stuck in a tough situation. Another figure on a nearby seat joined them, "Oh¡­.is Little Ao scared?" Feeling looked down on, the blonde-haired man scuffed, "Of course not!" He ignored the small lady and moved on to bicker with the one beside him. The other man was blue-skinned, with small pointed horns protruding from his forehead. Nevertheless, it made him even more dashing. Meanwhile, as all this chaos was ensuing, the last of the group was seated perfectly on his chair. The coarse black-haired man was huge, possibly rivaling the body size of ogres. His alabaster skin had grey runes that covered every part of his body making him look more demonic. With his red eyes and a pair of goat horns on his head, he was the definition of evil-looking. The man''s dress was also unique¡­..confident. He left his upper body naked for all to see. Clearly, to him, his perfect abs were no small deal. However, his lower half wasn''t naked like one would expect or even...desire. He wore pants with a big grey jacket tied to his waist. However, his current actions broke the demonic vibe that he gave. With his legs crossed, he would occasionally spy at each figure and would go on to sharpen his nails in a lady-like manner. Sometimes, he would even blow air on the nails and raise them higher to inspect. On one such occasion, the towering man, over six feet tall, spotted the stupified group of Circe, Reve, and Zev. He quickly straightened himself and bellowed to the rest, "Silence! They are here." His loud voice brought the others'' attention to the incoming and they hastily arranged their posture. Circe was the first to speak, "My, my. You guys are as restless as ever. If you weren''t all here, you would probably be out causing chaos." She revealed a rare smile on her face as she smoothly went to seat on her chair, "It''s been a while." The small lady in silky short purple dress beamed at her, "Circe! I wanted to bust you out of your coffin but the rest said no." She appeared next to Circe and gave her a hug before flying back to her seat. The other woman did the same but with cruel intentions. She pushed up her buxom as she gave Circe a tight hug. Afterward, she stared at Circe''s chest, "So, you were right. You are probably going to remain with such a----" *Bam!* The heroic book did its work. It smashed the woman in a long revealing red gown back to her seat. After a round of welcoming, the big man with goat horns addressed the elephant in the room, "It appears you brought a guest, Circe." With his words, he managed to focus the attention on Reve, who looked confusedly beside him. ''Huh---Oh, damnation!'' It appeared that Zev had left him all alone. The wolfman had subtly taken his seat among the others, leaving Reve to tail Circe. "He is my student," informed Circe. She nodded at Reve with a neutral expression. Seeing this, Reve understood that it was not his place to speak. Despite the group''s comical actions, he could feel that there were of a different class. One of them, Yevhi, broke into a loud yelp, "Heh, you have a student?!" Yet, again, the heroic book flew her way Chapter 71 - Gehenna Order(1) After everything settled, the group suddenly became serious. However, Reve couldn''t help but be nervous. He could feel their every stare on him. In a single moment, they had focused on him as intensely as the sun. Suddenly, Reve noticed something he hadn''t before. Apart from the figures on the seats, there were other people positioned behind some of the figures like Reve. ''Perhaps, they are just like me, students,'' thought Reve. The big man voiced out his evaluation, "Hmmmm¡­..I see potential. Circe likes picking good pebbles." The others nodded in affirmation. Everything about Reve was revealed before their eyes. They could even link him to Amethyst. Instead of allowing Reve to explain, the big man snapped his fingers, and all the seats moved. They were arranged in a circle formation with nothing but a glass table in the middle. The big man then introduced themselves, "Welcome, student of Circe. Your name?" "Reve---Reve Amethyst," responded Reve. He was still not used to his last name. The big man nodded, "You are in the presence of the Gehenna Order. We are responsible for representing the beast continent. However, we can only do that in the shadow. Tell me, do you about the "demon prince" title?" "Yes," easily answered Reve. Different from the demon lords, the demon princes and queens were titles given to magical creatures that had reached a peak level of strength, which was approximately Level 300 to Level 400. This was the absolute peak of Arcadia and beyond that were beings that neared the strength of a god. However, demon lords were a term used in the Era of Heroes. It mainly referred to beings that wanted to bring chaos to the world. In most cases, demon lords were far weaker than demon princes. ''I wonder why they couldn''t just use "demon princesses" instead of "demon queens"...on second thought, maybe it is for the best,'' joked Reve. He could now see the reason for the weird female term. The big man nodded his head again and spoke, "Good. In the Gehenna Order, we are all demon princes and above. Our side objective is to raise other demon princes. Which I''m guessing is why you are here¡­.to observe us. It is your privilege." "Yes," Reve answered even though he wasn''t asked anything. If his brain still served him right, the big man meant he should just stand back and observe how demon princes behaved. He shouldn''t disrupt their process, or better yet, speak! This was obviously why the others like him didn''t utter a single word. In a sense, it was a way of establishing hierarchy and Reve wouldn''t oppose that. Just listening to them speak should serve quite the experience. "Good. Now, let''s conclude the introduction. I''m Met," said the man. Inscribed on the lower side of his chair was an inversed pentagram along with an ancient marking that read, "The Horned King." Going with the flow, the next in line introduced himself, "I go by Khirah." It was the blue-skinned man with two horns. However, unlike Met, he didn''t have any ancient markings on his chair except for an inscribed demon mask. After he was done, the next one took one, "At ease, you can call Aello." Despite his noble demeanor, Reve found it hard to flow with it. That was because the man was the one that tried fighting with the young lady but got scared! On his seat, coupled with a lightning fork, his ancient marking read, "Stormwalker." "Oho. You failed again, Little Ael. Reve, I''m your master''s close friend, Fye," coyly smiled the ample woman. Her dress couldn''t be more revealing. There was a hole in the middle which showed her navel and the piercing that was on it. There were also piercings spotted on her nose and left ear. On her chair were the picture of a half-eaten sun and the ancient markings, "The Red Maiden". She was quickly pushed out of the picture by a very excited person. It was the young lady who seemed to be oozing with too much positive energy, "Hehe. I''m Yevhe." Inscribed on her seat was the picture of a blue cocoon. It was accompanied by two ancient markings "She sits on the moon" and "Queen of Wings". It was weird to see two ancient titles on only her seat but he wasn''t in a position to ask about it. The next person among them was the one that was getting negative karma from Reve. Zev grinned wildly, "We have met, already. Haha. Just call me Zev." Just like the impression he gave, the picture on his seat was that of a howling moon. His title was "The White Wolf". After Zev was Circe, but the latter didn''t introduce herself. Her symbol was that of a black raven and her title was something Reve was used to: "The Immortal Witch". "With that gone, Let''s proceed," guided Met. He stretched his hands at the table and a big tablet rose from it. The tablet bent horizontally. A blue hologram shot out. The hologram showed a three-dimensional picture of a statue. There were no features on the statue, just a faceless statue. Met led the meeting, "I''m sure we all sensed it a year two years ago. The departure of the one that cohabited with us." Aello turned serious as he confessed, "I wasn''t sure about it. I mean it could just be him toying with us. Isn''t that what he had done for millennials?" Khirah countered him, "Why would he toy with us now, out of all times? You know, he never even toyed with us actively. It was more like we toyed with ourselves." "Why are we even worried about a single god? It is not like any good thing would come out of it," said Zev. Fye sighed as Yevhe told with a smile on her face, "Hehe, the problem is that he is not just "one single god". He is the most evasive face in all eras." "I agree. Most temples from the dark era even bear his statue. This is clearly a being above godhood. His every affair is as important as the stars are to Arcadia," cautioned Met. "Look at us worrying about the whereabouts of an unknown being? Oh, Khaos, where art thou?" mused Zev. Chapter 72 - Gehenna Order(2) Met intervened, "It is true. Khaos has been on this continent since the beginning. It is quite strange for him to depart. However, what is much worse are the possible events his departure might bring." "If we are worried about the validity of his disappearance, I can shed light into the matter," said Circe. She took a glance behind her, at Reve, before continuing, "My student, Reve, was opportune with meeting Khaos. He was chosen to be a part of a sort of idyllic program Khaos conducted....." Circe went on to explain the whole deal with Reve and Khaos, who Reve called Amethyst! She omitted the parts about his reincarnation but revealed everything else. Those were the parts they needed to know. "Hmmm...every living being is created with a self-preservation code. That is what causes our desire to reproduce. As a god, Khaos should even feel it more¡­..the desire to leave a legacy. It seems he has truly left," pondered Met. Out of all of them, perhaps only Circe and Yevhi could rival him in terms of ancient knowledge. The three of them had seen enough for them to discern the true situation. "Yes, I thought the same," stated Circe. Aello put his hands to his chin as he revealed his thoughts, "Khaos had been, in a way, a shadow pillar of Arcadia. He was a mysterious being that made everyone that could sense him cautiously. With him gone, people would think that it''s open season!" "It will spread like wildfire," added Khirah. "Interesting. I can''t wait," roared Zev. It appeared he wasn''t worried a bit. Instead, the thrill became even more real for him. Met concluded, "Khaos'' disappearance has nothing to do with us. I just wanted to ascertain the truth of the news. Moving on, it appears that we have yet another intruder." Yvehi cocked her head, "Hehe, another one. Which is it this time?" "The Kratos Clan, allied with a human kingdom. They were spotted in the Western Vlasto, Fifth Stratum a week ago. The emblems on the soldiers suggest they belong to the Solaris Kingdom," told Met. In his silent stance, Reve''s eyes widened¡­..the Kratos Clan! It was a legendary human clan that gained its status in the imagination era. Their accomplishments were enough to be crowned as the champion of that era. The calendar of that era was named after them; K.T(Kratos Time). They singlehandedly safeguarded the human''s status in Arcadia! "The Kratos Clan? What a bunch of braggarts. I say we go to their base and burn them to the ground," ranted Zev. Yevhi beamed, "Yes. Yes, I second that notion." The two fools of the Gehenna Order were already planning their journey to the Kratos clan. However, they were dismissed by the others. Aello spoke his concerns, "Destroying their clan wouldn''t help our cause. Also, it would be too risky. Yet, allowing them to freely wander on our lands is bad as well. Last time, it was the Salazar kingdom, now it is a union of Solaris kingdom and the Kratos clan. The pattern is vivid. The humans are coveting our land." "Yes, I agree with you," nodded Fye. Circe sighed, "They think this is a golden land like the new continent. However, they have no idea what dangerous beasts roam it. The Salazar kingdom failed woefully. Now, Solaris has come with a stronger force. It is safe to assume this is a continental campaign. We will need to respond sooner or later. But you have probably thought of that, right, Met?" "Yes. I have also thought of the preferred path to take. I have alerted Vagoroth and they would take a hostile approach to the visitors. Vagoroth is more than enough to fend off a human kingdom. As for the Kratos clan, they should put all their focus on the campaign, so it should be okay. Also, this would serve as a test for Vagoroth," informed Met. Reve had a faint idea what Vagoroth was. He knew it by its other name, the Severed Sanctuary. It was the central region of the continent where the demihuman resided. Since demihumans were descendants of magical beasts¡­. after other races became hostile to the magical beasts, the demihumans were also subject to this discrimination. They migrated a lot of times before they found sanctuary at the beast continent where they felt at home. It seemed they had formed their own force under the guidance of the Gehenna Order. "The Kratos clan would proceed with caution. The eyes of the other clans are on them. Even the reclusive Khi clan are sure to be watching them," advised Khirah. "Yes, as for Vagoroth. It is high time they are tested. We have allowed them to function independently. Now, they must prove their value as an ally," mused Fye. It was at times like this that Reve felt the order was a cult. The way they discussed world affairs nonchalantly was terrific. What more was their arrogant outlook towards the rest of Arcadia. Despite this, Reve could tell that most of their activities were always hidden and untraceable. He could even bet that Vogarath was not aware of the Gehenna Order but instead was influenced indirectly. "All these complex intentions, you just don''t want us to have fun," Yevhi puffed her cheeks. Met couldn''t stay serious under her cute face for long. He broke out into a teasing smile, "Your idea of fun is enough to cause an apocalypse. Plus, you can go alone. I''m not holding you back, am I?" "Hmph, Its no fun going by yourself," complained Yevhi Despite being a leader figure, Gehenna Order held no leader. The rest just simply looked up to Met. In each meeting, he would task it upon himself to introduce the topics and conclude them after observing the collective response of the others. On no account would he conclude based on his feelings. This was how Gehenna Order operated. They had a bunch of ludicrous rules that were strange enough to even wow Reve. "Let''s move on," called Met Chapter 73 - Gehenna Order(3) "It seems the next topic is the reason why we are all here," asserted Circe. "You are right. I have a clue of what is about? And I must say, it is not something you would like to hear on a good day," sighed Aello. He stopped focusing on his drawing book and lock his stares at Met. The others were curious about what the next topic was. Aello was never one to joke like this. Suddenly, the hologram above the tablet at the center of the tablet changed to show a blue ball. The sphere had greenish spots and lines all over it. However, those who were educated would know what the sphere represented. It was the planet of Arcadia. Small red pins appeared beside Met in an instant. He picked them one by one and threw them to specific coordinates on the ball. With a serious tone, Met voiced, "For millennials, our cause has been to watch over this beautiful continent. However, we all know that is not our true cause, only a side cause. In fact, we have no true cause. We exist as a family." He continued after a short pause, "But be that as it may, if there is one thing close to our true cause, it would be the shards of Sheol, right?" The moment he said that, the others stopped their casual expressions and shot a fierce look at him. They were beyond stupefied at what he said, especially his last few words. They knew Met''s pride stopped him from pulling a prank of this scale. So, whatever he was going to say probably has merit. Met wryly smiled as he observed each one of them, "The situation is more serious than you think. A year ago, rumors began spreading about the revealed locations of some of the shards. Two months ago, another rumor spread out about one of the shards being in Xoris. Apart from this location, there are five other rough locations. Each of them is marked on the globe. Check them, what do you think?" "Let''s see. They are actually two in Xoris. Three in Kyas. The other continents are free. That is strange, I don''t remember any shard being in Kyas. Also, didn''t we deal with one shard in Xoris? Do you think it is among the two?" realized Circe. Yevhi butted in, "Oh, those shards. This is interesting." Meanwhile, unlike most times, Reve was left in the dark. Whatever those shards were, they were so intense that Circe kept it a secret from even him! For the Gehenna Order to reveal complex emotions while discussing the shards was even more of a mystery to him. He mentally noted to ask Circe about the shards later. Met offered, "Do we need to act or will others do the job for us? I reckon with the widespread of the rumor, it will attract a lot of attention. Moreover, after much thought, I have to come to a conclusion that the rumor is most likely false---" Midway through his speech, he was cut off by Aello in a respectful manner, "With all due respect, we are aware of that. The locations of the shards aren''t that easy to unravel. The shards are ancient secrets. All those who know of it vowed to never tell a soul. Of course, some of them found a way to bypass this covenant. That is why I''m aware of the shards. Going with that, it can be assumed that no one would recklessly make a rumor surrounding the shards." Circe asked Met, "It seems that there is a party behind the rumor. They intentionally spread it and for what reasons exactly? Is this the "calm before the storm" you spoke about?" "I am in the dark just like you. However, the rumor is of no concern to us. The only thing we should be concerned with is how the rumors originated. The other factions should have deduced the same thing. My subjects are paying attention to the rumor. Should it change, I would call another meeting," announced Met. "Then what? We have no business with the shards, only what is inside the shards? When do we act?" red fumes exuded Zev as he flexed his fist. "Yes. We have been hidden in the darkness for a while. We cannot announce our presence. The world is hostile to us," warned Khirah. As a magical creature that had migrated from the nearby continent, Kyas, he had seen his fair share of discrimination. "Ahhh! Why are we even being careful? I say we go to Xoris and take all the goody-goodies?" chanted Yevhi She couldn''t hide her excitement as she jumped on her seat. Her wings shook vibrantly. "Goody-goodies?" "Ahem. I mean the shards. I say we take them all," shouted Yevhi. Her warcry was as convincing as Circe''s lies. Fye sighed once more, "Except, we can''t actually do that. Only four of us can. Plus, we can easily spark a war." "Then we will spark a war! I''m not scared. I say its time we change their misconception about us. We are no little beings begging for their mercy," shouted Zev. For the first time, his fury was unbound and Reve got to see, first-hand, what such fury could cause. A sharp aura extended out of him. The surrounding froze as only him was left to rant. Only him boiling with such a rage that it could burn even the coldest mountains. Met retorted with a calm tone, "We are not hiding from them. We are hiding because it is convenient. What do you suggest we do? Blow up Xoris and what? How different will we be from the titans? Wouldn''t that just be another annihilation war?" His rain of rhetorical questions instantly shot down anything Zev wanted to say. "Certainly, we should only act when the situation calls for it," agreed Aello. The others nodded in agreement. They reached a conclusion and that was to wait further. They had been waiting for eras and were in no hurry now. Seeing this group of people deciding the fate of Xoris like gods, Reve finally understood the mentality of Amethyst. Of course, they were quite mild compared to Amethyst. Reve squeezed his fist, ''I want to be strong.'' ........... It seems the privilege chapters have scattered my schedule. I will prepare four chapters tommorow to compensate that. Keep voting Chapter 74 - Vagoroth(1) It was unknown how long it had been since Reve stood still. Gradually, the conversation of the Gehenna Order became inaudible to him. They became nothing more than senseless whispers. Reve spaced out! After a while, a hand reached out to him, which brought him back to the physical world. His dilated pupils concentrated and he found himself looking at Circe. He briefly took a glance at the seats. Some of the members had already left, leaving only Circe, Zev, and Met. "Little thing, what is too much for you?" asked Circe. She observed him and later sighed after reaching a conclusion, "I know. It was too much for me. My only desire now is to lay on my bed." Suddenly, the serious Circe that shocked him during the meeting had flown out of the window. She was back to normal¡­...or was it the other way? Reve shook his head and got a grip on himself. He followed Circe who was headed towards the exit like the others. They didn''t send their farewells and simply departed. ...¡­.. Back in the forest, Reve asked Circe in the unfamiliar environment, "Where to now?" His body quaked as his senses picked up on all sorts of beastly aura. He was scared to his bones but he hid it well and stayed behind Circe... as a good student should do. Meanwhile, Circe certainly did a good job pretending to not notice. She giggled and struggled to walk in a straight line. "Ah, Xoris'' bottom. We are going back. Our destination is Vagaroth," sighed Circe. Her expressions soon turned rigid as her eyes became more drowsy. She explained herself. "I have a home at Vagoroth. I need to pick up something I left there ages ago. You are coming with me. The environment there is good for you. Who knows, we might just stay there for a while?" "Okay," replied Reve. At this point, he was only worried about leaving the first stratum. Moreover, he needed somewhere to cool his head and if Vagoroth was to be the place, so be it! Reve cocked his head at Circe, "What is the thing you need to pick up?" "It''s an artifact," smoothly answered Circe. Reve understood this was her way of telling him he doesn''t need to know about the item. Still, the rejection only made his curiosity peaked. The journey sooner became quiet. With Circe leading the way, she paid no attention to anything else. Yet, he wondered why she did not just teleport them there. When he asked, Circe answered that it would be impolite. ''What a sad life? I''m mentally tired,'' thought Reve. One thing to note was that he didn''t feel trained in his new humanoid form. He felt like he could stay in it for a long time. Nonetheless, the feeling of a limit was still retained, albeit vague. ... *Boom!* A large clap of violent wind suddenly struck out from behind the duo. The both of them looked back to see a beam of light fluttering in the sky. It reached closer to them at every second. The moment it got within a sizable distance, Reve could identify the beam of light. It was a particular wolf-man that made the worst expression on Reve. ''Why is he coming here?'' pondered Reve. In less than a minute, Zev descended from the sky in a deity-like manner. He flashed a grin with his spotless teeth but the situation could not be much worse. The speed at which he descended was not fast that it sent dust rolling towards the duo''s face. Of course, Circe had predicted this and protected herself but not Reve! ''Such a teacher,'' cursed Reve. He rubbed his eyes frantically and later glared at the exact cause of this unfortunate event. The figure himself pretended to notice, "I knew it would be you two. Are you also headed for Vagoroth, Circe?" Circe paid little attention to the barbaric man, "Yes." "Heh, why are you walking then?" Zev raised his eyebrows. "Teleportation would be rude." "But you can teleport somewhere closer, right?" "..." "You can even fly." "...." Circe later confessed, "I need some time to think. Now, that you have spoiled the surreal atmosphere, I suppose I can''t anymore" Now, it was Zev''s turn to feel confused, "...." Circe stopped lazing around and silently cast a spell. The heavenly clouds in the sky dropped down to bow to her. They stayed beneath her feet and assembled till there were enough to carry her and Reve. Circe put her feminine legs on the puffy clouds and Reve did the same. At first, he was a bit nervous but after remembering all the strange events he had gone through, he braved himself and stamped his foot cruelly on the innocent puffy clouds! Afterward, Zev tried to follow the duo and step on the clouds but the heroic book took to the air. It hit him till he was a few trees away. Zev had to watch as the clouds ascended to the sky leaving him alone. A lazy voice said to him, "Find your own way" "Oh, you got to be kidding me!" shouted Zev. He grinned and proceeded to jump fluidly¡­.except, his jump was not normal at all! Just one single jump took his above hundred feet. His second jump flew him directly to the moving location of the clouds, where his feet defied physics and floated in the air, following Reve and Circe. Reve gaped at this display. Sure enough, those in the Gehenna Order were absolute monsters. Worst of all, Zev didn''t seem to be even trying! The damn wolf-man grinned again at Reve, "Say, what do you know about Vagoroth?" "Vagoroth¡­.Nothing," politely answered Reve. Apart front the fact that Vagoroth was a series of islands held at the center of the beast continent and also that it was home to demi-humans, Reve barely knew anything else. "Hehe, good thing you just happen to know someone who lives there?" teased Zev. Playing his game, Reve asked with pure eyes, "Who is that person?" A loud shout disturbed the cloud, "Haha, it''s me of course!" Out of nowhere, a book flew at him and sent him back, falling to the earth! Chapter 75 - Vagoroth(2) - Leyline Terminus *Whoosh!* It only took Zev a few seconds to propel himself back to the duo. He snakily stayed beside Reve and didn''t dare disturb Circe anymore. With a weaker voice, he indulged Reve, "Hey, you still want to know about Vagoroth, right?" Reve nodded his head, "Yes." "Very good, haha. Oops!" His close attempt at laughing received a heinous stare from Circe. She was getting fed up with the wolfman. Zev stares at the clouds and didn''t look up for a while. He moved closer to Reve and whispered, "You still want to know, right?" "....." The young cat emperor sighed for the umpteenth time. Unfortunately, if he didn''t reply, then he might not get the desired information. "Yes," he voiced out. "Hehe. Where to begin? Firstly, Vagoroth is considered a domain, a region. It is not a kingdom. Going with that, it is no surprise that Vagoroth doesn''t have a monarch," whispered Zev. He went on, "It is ruled collectively by a council of elders. Apart from the council, Vagorth also has regional lords for each region of Vagoroth. The regional lords answer are guided by the council. This leads to a smooth operation between both parties. Hehe, the position of regional lords change every five years. It been like that since its founding." Despite him looking brutish and insanely barbaric, Zev was good at painting a good mental picture. Reve, with his experience from Earth, could imagine the political system of Vagoroth. However, it wasn''t really something he had to be concerned with. Nevertheless, it was good to know the political system. The almost democratic system showed him how things have changed from the usual monarchy used by Arcadia in the past. ''It is said that the new continent is a continent without monarchs,'' mused Reve. ¡­.How time changes things? He listened earnestdly to Zev, "If you know the map of Azea, then you would notice that it is just a collection of big islands connected by rivers. Vagoroth is not exempt from that. The domain of Severed Sanctuary was marked by a circle river that bordered all its sides. At the center of Vagoroth was its most important location, Triton Key..." Zev continued telling Reve more about Vagoroth. From the way he said Azea instead of beast continent, Reve could tell that he was one of the traditional ones. Apparently, Triton Key was an island city where most of the council members stayed¡­.even Zev! Yes, Zev was a member of the council. He was the Gehenna Order''s way of watching over the council. The council had no idea, but the honorary member they had accepted was a demon prince. The white wolf! It was at this moment, Reve understood that Zev wasn''t even demi-human. He was a magical beast and his ability to maintain a humanoid form for what seemed like forever was actually impressive. On that note, Reve had already begun feeling the stress of being in his new prime form. He couldn''t wait to shed it off but that would wait until he had reached his destination. ..... A few minutes after Zev was done, the group finally spotted something different from the mass of trees. A couple of kilometers from Reve''s location was a long river. Due to Reve being high up in the sky, he could see that the river coiled around a cluster of huge islands. This was the Serpent Ring, the river said by Zev to border all of Vagoroth. "We are here," Circe announced. Her clouds crossed over the river and dropped them on the nearest island. Zev looked around for a while. His wet nose took a scent of the island''s air before he said, "Smells like salt. The Salt Coast!" Seeing as Circe paid attention to him, he led the group to a small cave close to the shore. "If I remember correctly, this cave was built as a leyline terminus. Oh, found it!" As they went deeper into the cave, specks of light shimmered from the torches fixed on the walls. Close to them was a glass-like platform. There was a magic circle drawn on it as well as a beaming line beneath it. The blue line pulsed like a heartbeat beneath the earth. It gave a feeling of familiarity to Reve. The latter thought with great interest, ''So this is an active leyline.'' A leyline¡­. It was materialistic yet spiritual. Simply put, a leyline was a natural oddity that came to existence with a clear purpose. A leyline was the physical path of earthly energy from the core of Arcadia. It was interconnected and served to empower the earth, protecting it from being exposed to things natural disasters or famine. What made it even more special was that leyline used earthly energy, a form of energy only produced by the earth of Arcadia. It coursed through the globe and acted as the power source of leylines. However, despite being a form of energy, it was hostile to mages and ki masters. In that way, earthly energy was special. It could never leave the earth and would flow back to it even when been used to power a magic spell or ki art. It was a highly renewable source of energy! Yet¡­..Arcadians would always be Arcadians. They found a way to manipulate it. Since the earthly energy could never leave the earth, what would happen if it was used for a magic spell which effects covers the subterranean domain? This was the basis of one of the greatest magical discoveries; Leyline Terminus. It was named after leyline eyes, specific spots on a leyline that coagulates a lot of earthly energy. A spell would be imbued in the leyline eye that would allow anyone to move to another leyline eye! This invention quickly became one of the best modes of transportation in Arcadia. Of course, it had its fair share of worries. ''Now that I think of it, Zatius'' cave also had a leyline eye. He used it to power his barrier. Hmmmm...'' pondered Reve. He, Zev, and Circe went on the platform. The magic circle on the platform felt their presence and activated. It surged with abundance of green lights that showered the group. The next thing they knew, they were in another place! Chapter 76 - Vagoroth(3) "Amazing¡­.Is this Triton Key?" Reve didn''t expect the process to be so swift and smooth. He glared at the appearance of the island city. It was a mix between nature and man. Great trees that challenged the sky were left to grow as they wished. They towered over the island and seemed to serve as a good distance mark. They were the only huge green life apparent in the island city. The rest were lots of buildings made of Dawn Ashwood. It was so obvious what the buildings were made of. There was only one type of abundant wood in Azea that could absorb sunlight energy and glimmer at night time. The roads of Triton Key were stony but were constructed exquisitely. Even as the carriages drove around, they were no sign of dust fluttering in the air. As the group advanced to a deeper part of the city, Reve stopped to glance at a great mass of humanoid beings with different features, "Are they demi-humans?" This was his first time seeing his child-race. He couldn''t accurately describe the feelings that grew in him. All he felt was a warm welcome atmosphere envelope him. He quickly caught up to the group. They later stopped at a crossroad where Zev bid his farewell, "This is where we part ways. I will be sure to pay a visit to your home soon. Farewell, Circe and Reve." He hastily left the two alone in the crowd of demi-humans. Strangely enough, the two didn''t draw any attention. They seemed to mix quite well. On second thought, this was understandable as they didn''t look bizarre. They walked through most of the main streets and found themselves at a corner of the island. Situated in this corner was a large mansion! Reve had to praise the architects of the mansion as words couldn''t even begin to extol what a beautiful work they created. The mansion looked to have two floors with an arctic and chimney at the top. It reeked of a calming scent that sparked enlightenment. This was only possible if the wood used for the mansion was feywood, an ancient wood harvested from trees grown by the extinct faes. "Home sweet home," chanted Circe. However, she didn''t exude the same lazy aura as always. She quickly slotted her key into the mansion''s main door and opened it. With a hasty pace, Circe rushed to the top floor, taking the stairs. Meanwhile, Reve simply observed the mansion. *krgg!!!* He heard some rumbling sounds happening above. Whatever Circe was doing, she was being quite fierce about it. He could even tell that she went further from the top floor, into the arctic. Moments later, she descended from the staircase with a serious expression. Her eyes were forever locked on a small brown box she held in her hands. "Is this what you are looking for?" asked Reve. "Yes." Reve thought out loud, "Hmmmmm¡­." He didn''t bother about asking more. She wouldn''t tell him even if he begged. Circe took a look at him and sighed not much after. She lightly slapped her face after discarding the small box into her pocket. "Okay." With that said, she became the Circe Reve knew very dearly. Her slumbering legs took her to the closest window as she spied outside. "It is getting dark. We shall stay the night. As for what comes after that? I''m still deciding." "Okay," responded Reve. "The main room is mine. It is the first door on the upper floor. Pick any room among the others. Feel free to check around. I''m going to take my much-desired sleep." She disappeared into the growing darkness in the mansion, leaving Reve all alone. ''Yep, she is back. Xoris'' bottom!'' cursed Reve. He was at the entrance of the mansion. From here, he could see the hall room and kitchen. He was a bit tempted to scout the mansion but just like Circe, he was mentally drained. The day had been longer than he expected¡­.too many things to process, too many issues to ponder about. Reve dragged his body to the upper floor and randomly picked any room. Heck, he was a cat. He was not picky about his room. Reve walked to the first room on the right and pushed the door open since it wasn''t locked. Dust and the smell of old wood wafted into his nose but he couldn''t even be concerned about that. *Crackle!* Laying on the large bed, his bones shifted until he was back to his cat form. Afterward, the lure of sleep took over him. Just like any other stressful day, he had a dreamless sleep. He was simply floating in the world of clouds that was his mental world. His light breathing served as the only rhythmic sound as night took over this part of Arcadia. The moon stayed in the sky for a long time and the sun took over not long after. It became a new day! Reve woke up to the bright ray of sunlight burning his fur. "Bloody sun!" As he was still feeling tired, he used his [Telekinesis] to move the window curtains. With one thought, the window was fully covered. The room was dark as a shadow once more. Reve spent a few minutes taking quick naps. One moment, he promises to be fully awake. The next moment, he sleeps like a log of wood. He struggled with this for a while and when he did fully awake, he crawled over to a pillow on his bed and sat on it. ''Hmmm...what should I do?'' He mentally created a priority list and weighed what his first event for the day should be. Moments later, he settled on one he had been postponing for quite a while now. His status! The time of forced abstinence from Nixy was long over. Heck, he could worry about abstaining later...when he was old. Moreover, he badly needed to know his current analysis. The curiosity boiling in him was immense and needed to be quenched. ''Stats!'' Chapter 77 - Truth Seeker [Notice: [Paths] has been updated.] [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Title] has been updated.] [Notice: [Race] has been updated] [Notice: [Level] has been updated.] [Notice: [Attributes] has been updated.] [Notice: Due to various achievements, Achievement points granted(+81).] [Notice: Your mind eye has been opened.] As soon as he announced his desire to open his Nixy window, a large number of silhouettes covered his eyes. It took him a long time to perfectly absorb their content. Reve''s eyes trembled, ''I expected a lot but this---'' After a while, he released an onslaught of laughter, "Hahaha, a cat emperor is always a cat emperor." As he boasted with immense pride, the collection of Nixy windows disappeared out of existence, leaving only two left. [ Name: Reve Amethyst Race: Nexus Cat Level(exp): 60 (999/1000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic)(Pseudo), Truth Seeker (Path of Secrets) Titles: Suthur-Nex, Deviant, Titan, Hunter, Magic User(Apprentice), Traverser, Amethyst AP: 125 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 60 Speed: 70 Constitution: 50 Intelligence: 50 Mana: 200 Psi-Force: 120 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.1) Seventh Sense(Lv.3). Energy Sense(Lv.3). Nexus Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Lv.2). Blind Magic(Lv.7). Force(Lv.1). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Lv.5). Nature Echo(Lv.4). Enchant Body: Base(Max). Frozen Gate(Lv.4). Binary Form(Max). Nature(Max). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.6). Great Tree(Lv.1). Morai(Lv.2). Arctic Moon(Lv.3) ] "Woah." That was the only thing he could say when looking at his main Nixy windows. He felt nostalgic as he remember the empty Nixy window he had when he had just arrived at Arcadia. It couldn''t even be considered at the same level as the one he had now. This made him acknowledge his growth, something he had never actively thought of before. Reve began analyzing his stats, "Starting from the first window, They are some stuff I had predicted while some of the content still surprise me." He first looked at his name. [Name: Reve Amethyst] It was a good thing that he was already informed about it or he might have just had a heart attack. Nothing more could be said about his name. It was just as it was. Reve was now officially part of the ''Amethysts'' and Khaos could be considered his sire. However, the next tab was something shocking. [Race: Nexus Cat] When Reve concentrated on the tab hard enough, it shot out and made its own independent window. [Race: Nexus Cat -> A new subrace of magical beasts that was sired by the cosmic entity, Jayke Khaos Amethyst. -> Nexus Cats are harbingers of raw power. Their growth rate is superb but they are average in all other areas. Nexus Cats do not possess an evolutionary path. They compensate that with growth phases Traits: Titan: ->This is also a title. Host is a progenitor magical beast, which allows him to command over the rest of the sub-race. This trait is only unique to host. (AP: +75). Overlord(Treasured): -> This also manifests in the form of a skill. Nexus Cats evoke pure raw power in ways that are considered otherworldly. Child of Glacial Nature -> As dictated by the first progenitor, Nexus Cats have an innate affinity for nature and ice. Nexus Persona: -> Nexus Cats lose their right to evolve and gain the power to infinitely grow. They have growth phases and spurts that augment their power. They have no level limit. However, this does not indicate their potential. Nexus Cats are classified as a special unranked sub-race ] "..." The first thought Reve had was that of anger. After all he had been through, he had no active skill that could be used to boost his attack power. Nonetheless, he figured this much even before he checked his stats. This was why Amethyst had been searching for low-level unique individuals. Still, he wondered what would have happened if he simply became the host and had not merged with the tri-orb. Would he have evolved into a new race? He thought not! ''I can feel that becoming a Nexus Cat was only possible after I merged with the orb. Hehehe, apart from that, I was declared as a titan by the world administrator.'' It might not seem much but the title of a titan held enough weight to stir up Arcadia. This was because all the magical beasts that caused the annihilation wars.....were all titans! Now thinking about it, he was probably the weakest titan. He couldn''t even do as he wished in the beast continent, not to talk about the whole of Arcadia. ''Ah, I''m a failure as a titan,'' self-mocked Reve. He went on to the next tab soon after; the level tab. It wasn''t something spectacular. He had only advanced ten levels, which was probably why he didn''t feel too powerful even after his evolution. The next tab after this was the path tab, something he was a bit interested in As he observed it, he got a brief understanding of the different changes in his path. The first one was obvious. He was aware of his status as a 3rd Circle Arcanist back when he fought the dryad. As for the change in his [Path of Secrets], it was ambiguous. He had no idea what exactly had changed about it. Was it just his massive increase in psi-force or something else. *Bimp!* With a mere thought as its trigger, another Nixy window materialized in front of him. [Path: Truth Seeker(Path of Secrets) -> You have left the door and are now walking on an infinite road of mysteries. It is a path without an end and you have officially begun your journey, young truth-seeker! -> A truth-seeker is one that is in possession of two skills in the secret path. He has an abundant psi-force and can easily unveil the first veil of the mysteries of cosmic ] [Title: Traverser1 -> The title of a truth-seeker -> It grants these statuses; 1. Mind related skill stimulation 2. Mental Paradox1 3. Increased comprehension and accelerated thought process ] Chapter 78 - Suthur-Nex ''Oh, so that''s how it works. But I wonder what is my second skill in the path,'' pondered Reve. With no time on his hand, he quickly moved on to the next. It was the titles tab. There were a lot of new titles which Reve focused on. He already knew all about the old one. [Title: Suthur-Nex -> Your entitled name is Suthur-Nex. It is a great name from a language of the cosmos. It means ''the one at the center.'' This name was given to you by Amethyst during your evolution -> Achievement point granted (+20) ] [ Title: Amethyst -> You are a dormant member of the great Amethyst pantheonic clan. -> Achievement point granted (+30) ] Reve nodded his head as he read through the two new titles. The first title was definitely something worth paying close attention to. Apparently, he had been christened! ''Bloody hell, why do I have a name I''m not aware of?'' cursed Reve. Nonetheless, he had begun to notice something. These two new titles brought in a lot of AP. He now had enough to rank up his [Appraisal]. He could even get another Nixy-exclusive skill! He made a mental note in his mind to get back to that line of thought. Quickly, his view changed to face his Atrributes'' Nixy Window. There was nothing special about the window apart from his massive increase in mana and psi-force. He hastily dismissed it and focused on the last window. Finally, it was time for the skill window. [Skill Name: Third Eye Skill Rank: Rare Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Path of Secrets) Description: -> It is an evolution of [Supernatural Sense] after merging fully with the [Path of Secrets] -> This merge opened an egg in the mental world called [Mind Eye]. It is the epitome of sensory faculty. Ability: -> Sharp augmentation of the five senses -> Ability to perceive the supernatural(things beyond the natural). -> Advanced Sixth Sense -> Ability to peel off a veil of the world. ] Looking at this skill, Reve mentioned, "So, this is the mysterious skill." It was crystal clear that the skill was the one gotten from the [Path of Secrets]. Moreover, it was a direct evolution of one of his most-used skills. Reve couldn''t help widening his lips to make a grin as he knew, judging by the skill''s description, it would help him a lot in the future. Now, he had something to look up to! [Skill Name: Nexus Eye Skill Rank: Unique Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Innate) Description: -> It is an intrinsic evolution of [Magic Eyes] after the host became a [Nexus Cat]. -> Each of the host''s eyes houses different abilities. The base ability of [Magic Eyes] is the only thing they share Ability: -> Blue Eye: Accelerated Eyesight(ability to process information at an accelerated rate) -> Green Eye: Penetrating Vision(ability to see through anything part of the physical system) ] Yet, again, Reve found himself with a familiar skill. Despite sounding grand, [Nexus Eye] was far from that. The ability [Blue Eye] gave was something he had learned to do by himself. It simply expanded on it. Nevertheless, it should make quite an augmentation. As for [Green Eye], it gave a see-through ability that would pair well with his sensory skills, but that was all. It didn''t have any offensive tendencies and would be rarely needed. ''I can''t be cursed, now, can I?'' Reve pondered. Skill cataclysms were random and would only when the domain of two skills touched upon each other. Yet, Reve had been through many skill cataclysms¡­...and they all ended up with a mild evolution! Of course, he could qualify as a cursed one. Now, onto the next! [Skill Name: Force Skill Rank: Rare Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Path of Secrets) Description: -> It is the direct evolution of [Telekinesis] after the host became a Traverser. Ability: -> Advanced Telekinesis(Reduced cost of telekinesis) ] Well, that was self-explanatory. There were no added benefits except for the increased power of its base ability. Still, this was enough to push the strength of the related skill, [Force Barrier], to Level 5. [Skill Name: Binary Form Skill Rank: Unique Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Innate) Description: -> It is the special replacement of [Prime Mode] after the host became a [Nexus Cat]. Ability: -> Zero Form: His base form as a member of the cat race -> Uno Form: His humanoid form. It is divided into Dos, a form that perfectly resembles a demi-human, and Tres, his monstrous humanoid form that is quite like [Prime Mode] ] ''Well, this explains a lot,'' thought Reve. The [Dos Form] was probably the form he took previously. That would explain why he looked exactly like a demi-human. He had no fur on his body, almost as if all the furs retracted into his body, leaving his creamy skin bare. [Skill Name: Great Tree Skill Rank: Rare Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: Intermediate Description: -> It is a derivative spell of [Nature]. It coils the body with multiple plant whips until a huge tree is formed with the host at its center -> It is used as a defense spell as the barks of [Great Tree] are resilient enough to absorb both magical and physical impact. -> When in [Great Tree], the caster''s healing rate is increased by a small margin. ] The derivative spell he had created a long time ago was finally recognized by the world administrator as a skill. The description was even more than he had expected. For instance, he had no idea about the healing rate stuff. [Skill Name: Morai Skill Rank: Unique Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Path of Secrets) Description: -> It is a variant skill gotten from [Telekinesis]. -> "My body is the marionette and I''m the marionettist", [Morai] works on the principle of using [Telekinesis] to control the host''s body. Ability: -> Augmented Superhuman Condition -> Lv.1: Base abilities -> Lv.2: Ability to hover over surfaces(Host cannot go higher than 4 inches) ] ''So, basically, a limited flight,'' analyzed Reve. [Morai] was among his greatest skills and he felt proud since he invented it himself. He couldn''t wait to train it to a higher level since it seemed each level brought something new to the table. Now, it was time for the last skill! [Skill Name: Arctic Moon Skill Rank: Rare Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: Grand Description: -> It was based under the principles of [Ice Fantasy]. -> [Arctic Moon] coalesces a single ice spear that is designed with supporting functions. When fired, the spear deals peak damage ] [Arctic Moon] was his greatest skill. It was even higher than the advanced magic spell, [Winter Rose], which was a suicidal spell! After seeing all his new skills, Reve closed his eyes and thought about the old ones he had. He was visualizing a clear path for himself! Chapter 79 - His Reflection It ended in failure! Reve opened his eyes after half an hour. He still couldn''t see his path¡­.his style. Circe had told him mages start developing their style when they become a 3rd Circle Arcanist. However, when he meditated on what might possibly be his path, he just couldn''t see a clear image. What type of arcanist did he want to be? What style did he embody? Perhaps, he needed more experience. If he exposed himself to the various magic styles as well as ki styles, then he might just find his true style but the problem there was.¡­..in Vagoroth, most of the demi-humans were ki masters. Only a few were proficient with magic. As for Circe, she refused to show him her magic style, saying he would be influenced by it. "I have to put this on hold. But I can''t postpone this forever," decided Reve. Just as he was about to focus on something else, he turned his head sharply towards the door, "Hmmm...someone is coming." Immediately he said that, the door was pushed wide open showing the figure of Circe as she walked in. Her droopy eyes and slumber legs appeared in front of the small cat. She stood there for a while before she yawned, "Stand up. Training continues today. Sigh." Reve knitted his brows at Circe. She was saying one thing yet her body was saying the other. He gracefully offered like a white knight, "Eh¡­.Circe, you know you can sleep, right?" "Hush, I know that, but.....I sense I will delay this for weeks. Is it okay if I do that? You don''t seem to be in a hurry like last time," sighed Circe. A dark shade spread all over Reve''s face as he calculated what her definition of weeks meant. He visualized himself, centuries later, with dry bones and a sickly body still waiting for Circe to continue teaching him. "Eek!" Reve jumped from the dusty bed and walked out of the room, "Let''s go." As expected, his master was not reliable...¡­.. ...¡­ Black Mansion, West Courtyard. The courtyard was a large mass of greenlife, mostly common grasses, that was bordered by a garden. "Bloody Xoris!" cursed Reve. The courtyard would have been a nice place¡­..if it had not been left unkempt for centuries. It now looked like a deathly forest! Immediately Circe took him there, she created a bed with magic while telling him to clean the forest. To be more detailed, she had expressed that her student was also her mansion caretaker. Reve could feel more menial jobs coming his way this week. *Chop!* Since he was too lazy to find the right garden equipments, he resorted to using his claws. As a magical beast over Lv.50, his claws were strong enough to cut apart normal trees, not to talk about overgrown grasses. It was a sort of training for him as he homed his swipe precision. Half an hour later, Reve was finally done. He cast one of his magical spells from the [Home Magic Series.] The spell was called [Wind Fan]! As soon as the magic circle was prepared, a turbulent gale of wind was summoned. It swept up every corner of the courtyard, carrying all the dirt to a far away place. Now, the courtyard was finally looking like a normal courtyard. Maybe later he would trim the bordering garden and perhaps create a statue made of it, but that would be for later. Reve hollered, "Circe, I''m done" The reply he got was silence. He repeated, "Circe, the courtyard has been cleaned." His master should be sleeping on a flying bed hovering over the garden. He was faced in front of her but he was so sure that his voice could reach her. "Hey, old--" Before he could finish his words, a vile aura coiled around him. All his sensory skills blared fervently as they warned him of immense danger. Reve need not to look back to know what it was. He politely fixed his words with a plastic smile, "O--Old master of the mystic arts." It was only then did the aura subside. His master''s footstep could be heard as she walked closer to him. She yawned and finally reach his side, "Good work." The earth beneath her rose to form a chair and she sat on it. Afterwards, she went through a series of yawning until her face sharpened...a bit. "Following the routine, let''s start with something fun. Tell me in details everything you went through. This would also be used as a method of evaluation" "Yes, Circe," Reve nodded. He went on to tell his tale. He didn''t know that a bright smile was on his small face as he spoke. The journey was quite a thrill. He met many unique creatures like him and experienced a lot of lucky situations. Sure, the outcome of the journey was a stronger Reve, but the greatest gain was a wider mindset. For instance, his fight with the terror lizard taught him about finding the weakness of his enemies. Although, he wasn''t successful with that. His fight with the shadow exposed him to something so great that he feared it might influence him throughout his life. His fight with the dryad resonated with something Circe had once said to him. A greater array of spell doesn''t dictate the winner of a fight between mages. Even the impressive elemental affinity of the dryad didn''t help her. In his opinion, the dryad lost because she was prideful...she was prideful to the end. His fight with the gorgon taught him to never neglect his other skills. His [Blind Magic] style would make a fine secondary magic style. Finally, his fight with the amazon made him aware of one single thing. He should always expect his enemies to be aware of his tricks. So far, only the shadow and the amazon predicted his attacks. The shadow played along while he could only take advantage of the amazon when she became emotional. The both of them had a higher battle prowess than him! As Reve told Circe everything, the expert mage smiled, "It is as I expected. A journey was needed to widen your horizon. In fact, I had gone to Amethyst during your evolution in a fit of worry. However, Amethyst assured me that it was all necessary. Now, I see that is true." "Wait, what?! You did what?" screamed Reve in shock. "It is nothing worth mentioning. I had barged through his palace and requested he release you....It ended in my defeat. In a way, my horizon was widened," mused Circe. She wasn''t going into full detail but back then when she unleashed a vast pool of magic spells at the unknown god, Khaos defeated her without moving an inch! "Enough about that, let''s continue!" ..... [Don''t forget to vote.] Chapter 80 - [Energy Absorption Spell] "Hmmm¡­.I have a picture of your training routine. To solidify that, show me your stats," asked Circe. In Arcadia, one''s stat was as intimate as their private parts. They couldn''t show it to just anybody¡­.even close relatives like cousins or siblings. However, Reve trusted Circe. The witch had no reason to harm him. In fact, he viewed himself as the only thing keeping Circe from fully dissociating from Arcadia. As soon as he willed it, numerous silhouettes of Nixy windows appeared in his face. They weren''t visible to Circe but if he thought hard enough, Circe would be able to see it. The witch''s eyes twinkled as she over-analyzed each content in his stats. Her eyes glared through everything. By the time she was done, she had a greater understanding of Reve far more than the person himself. She said, "While not appearing abnormal, you possess a few unique qualities. Your race is something the likes of Arcadia have never seen before. It would make good magical research. However, we would focus on that later. For now, we have to deal with the pressing issue; your advancement to a full 3rd Circle Arcanist. It is not advisable to delay that." "I''m aware of that." "Then, have you thought deeply of what you want." "Yes." As stated before, Reve was already equipped with the knowledge of 3rd Circle Arcanists years ago. Back then, he was given an option by her. He could choose to convert to the school of elementalism or he could stay and traverse the difficulties of arcanism. It might seem like an easy question but there was a reason why the rest of the world picked elementalism over arcanism. The latter was too rigid while the former was simple but still possessed the same level of effect as the latter. However, all these didn''t concern Reve! He had already made his decision years ago. In fact, he had begun his preparations and completed one criterion of the advancement. "What is your decision?" "I want to continue my path as an arcanist," told Reve. "Why? You are a genius, you would excel in other schools," reminded Circe. She had known of Reve''s talent in magic years ago. Simply put, he was rated around her talent level, which was something not seen in eras. Reve explained his reason, "The school of arcanism is my destiny. I walked in there blindly but I was never discontent. It is my passion. Arcanism resonates with the ancient secrets I''m very much fond of. All other schools don''t matter much to me. As you can see, I''m not discouraged by the intricacies of this school." "Understood," Circe smiled. She needed to hear that before she continue her teaching. As a mentor, she tried so hard to not influence her student''s perspectives. Circe nodded, "We shall begin now. I see you have built your [Mana Veins] and it had merged well with your [Mana hearts]. That takes you one step closer to becoming a 3rd Circle Arcanist." "We shall discuss the next steps collectively. In no particular order, [Energy Absorption Spell], [Ethereal Linking Spell], [Spatial Spell], [Elemental or Spiritas]." Reve had revised all this but he allowed her to speak. Basically, [Energy Absorption Spell] was the specific spell the arcanist would use to reap magi from the elemental planes. [Ethereal Linking Spell] was the spell the arcanist would use to link the absorption of magi to himself. Without that, everything would be in vain. [Spatial Spell] was beyond him. He would need Circe for that. A spatial spell would open the gates of the elemental plane to allow the execution of the process. However, [Elemental or Spritas] was something he had to do himself. Elemental were the overlords of elemental planes. They were born with the pure energy of the plane. Whilst, spiritions1 were another inhabitant of elemental planes. They were similar to magical beasts, except they were born in elemental planes. Reve had to choose who he wanted to protect his [Energy Absorption Spell] and [Ethereal Linking Spell] as he couldn''t enter elemental planes. This matter was probably of high importance. Judging by who he picked, the success of his transition to a full 3rd Circle Arcanist would be picked. However, there was a certain glaring problem. Reve couldn''t exactly anyone. Elementals were prideful while spiritions normally had a few screws loose in their heads. Also, the methods for summoning them were all different. For instance, Brun, an elemental lord of fire was said to only answer the beckons of those with a great affinity to the element of fire. Clot, an elemental lord of darkness was said to require a ritual of vileness; the summoner would need to offer up the fresh blood of any of their relatives. Senso, an elemental lord of life, would only answer if one presents the underwear of maidens! Hence, he needed to consider the method of beckoning. Circe glanced at him. She could tell what he was thinking and offered, "I see you still remember the details. Let''s start with something simple. The [Energy Absorption Spell]. They are different kinds of this spell archetype. Take this and pick one. Pay in mind that not a single one is greater than the other, what matters most is if the spell is suitable for you." Circe sent a thin slip of paper his way. He caught it easily and digested the contents. [ Reve''s potential absorption spell 1. Illusion of Reason 2. Division of Energy 3. Typhoon 4. Mouth of Adephagia 5. Neurono 6. Elemental Cage ... ] The list revealed an exact hundred spells he could use. It also listed the details of each spell and its perks. Reve spent a long time ruminating on each spell. ''I need one for a [Nexus Cat],'' he thought. He had to factor in his physiology when choosing. As a [Nexus Cat], he could harbor a great amount of energy without breaking down. Hence, he took advantage of it. Nonetheless, the purity of the magi was also something he considered. After a while, he smiled and picked out, "I pick this one. [Mouth of Adephagia]." Chapter 81 - One Month "I pick this one. [Mouth of Adephagia]." ....... The magic spell was perfect for him! The name spoke well of it. Adephagia, the beast of gluttony! Adephagia was a titan that was infamous for ravaging anything that had energy. It had a mouth that could swallow any arcadia city in an instant. The magic spell was named after Sage Valentine entered the belly of the beast. She studied its anatomy and mouth which gave her the inspiration for the spell. Basically, [Mouth of Adephagia] absorbed energy brutally. It only consumed raw pure energy which could be harmful to the caster, but Reve''s anatomy could negate that. "[Mouth of Adephagia], huh. I remember Valentine going on and off about the spell back then. Good choice" commended Circe. Since long ago, whatever Circe says failed to shock him. The fact that she knew Sage Valentine was something he had come to accept years ago. However, the fact that she was present during the creation of the spell was still mildly unexpected. Reve shook his head and focused on the task, "I suppose you are in possession of the spell model?" A spell model contained the magic circles unique to the spell. It was usually contained in scrolls or grimoires. In Arcadia, magic spells were either public or private. Some mages kept their self-created magic spells to themselves. However, most times, before a mages'' death, if they didn''t have an inheritor, they would arrange for their grimoire to be released to the world. Sage Valentine was one such mage. She didn''t have an inheritor. So, when her grimoire was released to the world, it caused a war that extended to all parts of the world. Labyrinth, Pact of Delusions. Nonetheless, it was speculated that there were some special magic spells that were not included in the grimoire. If Reve remembered well, [Mouth of Adaphagria] was listed as one of those special magic spells. "Affirmative. Here''s the spell model," offered Circe. A book appeared in the air and moved closer to Reve. The cover of the book was ragged. Reve could tell that it was made from an ancient wood but most of its glory had shimmered due to the sea of time. The book was already open by the time it landed in front of Reve. On the right page was the drawing of various magic circles. They were different from each other and some of the spell nodes were something Reve had never seen before. However, the cat was more concerned about the book, "This is Circe''s grimoire!" He rarely ever saw his teacher''s grimoire. The only time he saw it was when he studied the spell model of [Winter Rose] and [Ice Fantasy]! The temptation to open the other pages of the grimoire rang intensely in his mind. Any spell written in the grimoire was probably great. However, Reve steeled his mind and decisively distanced himself from temptation. He faced the page with [Mouth of Adephagia]''s spell model. What he didn''t know was that Circe was watching his every expression and when he focused on studying, she smiled brightly for a second. ........ Five hours later. "Ahhh. I hate this!" A scream filled the courtyard. It belonged to Reve. Having been immersed in the feeling of victory, he had forgotten the difficult process of learning a spell. For five hours, he had still not memorized the magic circles. He thought to himself, ''At this rate, it would take me a month to learn this.'' Reve was ignorant! He had no idea that his learning speed was superb. Taking a month to learn a grand spell was beyond unimaginable. It was only possible for geniuses with promising futures. A voice reached out to him, "Now that you understand, let''s continue." Reve narrowed his eyes at what Circe said, "What do you mean?" "I never expected you to learn the spell model in a day. It took Valentine years to create. It would be abnormal if you can easily learn it. I just needed you to understand that it would be a long process." Not giving him a chance to retort, Circe went on, "You are to study the spell every day for three days. Now, onto the next topic; [Ethereal Linking Spell]." Once again, Circe showed him a list of magic spells under that spell archetype. Eventually, Reve decided on a spell called [Hex of Secrets]. To understand the uniqueness of the magic spell, one needed to understand the spell archetype itself. [Ethereal Linking Spells] was the opposite of [Energy Absorption Spells]. Whereas, [Energy Absorption Spells] was the containment of energy, [Ethereal Linking Spells] dealt with giving the said containment a destination. It would set up a magical link between the [Energy Absorption Spell] and the caster, which would serve as the mode of transportation for the contained energy. It was immensely difficult as a lot of things could go wrong practically. It was even more difficult to imagine ounces of energy suddenly appearing in one''s [Mana Heart]. Hence, the value of [Ethereal Linking Spells] could not be said with words. [Hex of Secrets] was even more valuable. Just like its name, the exact destination of the link was the caster''s mind. To be more specific, the anchor was the mind while the destination was the body''s [Mana Heart]. However, to do this would require one to be proficient in the [Path of Secrets] which was borderline impossible. In Arcadia, very few walked this path and they were either gifted with an ability of this path or were merely messing around with the path. Nonetheless, Reve expected to pull the magic spell off smoothly¡­..well, it might be a bit rocky, but it should end in success. After deciding this, Circe skipped [Spatial Spell], as she would be the one to decide, and focused on [Specific Elementals or Spiritas]. After much deliberation, Reve chose his guy. It was an arch-spiritas called Demis. Demis, the King of Misery. Unlike the others, Reve felt like he would be able to summon him quite finely. Demis required a ritual called [Rite of Misery]. Rituals usually required an offering and the offering [Rite of Misery] dictated was pain! The ritualist would undergo a tortuous amount of pain. If he survives it, he would be granted an audience with the King of Misery. This looked quite easy but there was a problem¡­ Reve wasn''t proficient in the school of ritualism.. He was not a ritualist. Hence, he would have to master the few important points about ritual magic as well as the details of [Rite of Misery] in exactly one month! Chapter 82 - Eternal Misery __________________________ [Reve''s Random Lectures: Level Ranks -> A concept coined collectively by the people of Arcadia after understanding the practice of Nixy''s classification of raw power. -> Since raw power is hard to evaluate, what was instead classified were the different ranges of raw power and they were titles given for each classification. -> It is to be noted that the humans'' preliminary classification is different from the universal classification, as humans fixate on low levels -> It is also to be noted that while bearing similarities, the level ranks of various paths remain different from the general level rank Neophyte/ Amateur/ Initiate Rank -> Level 1-50 Meister Rank -> Level 51-100 Grand Rank -> Level 101-150 Grand Rank -> Level 151-200 Legend Rank -> Level 201-250 Legend Rank -> Level 251-300 Archon Rank -> Level 301-350 Mythic Rank -> Level 351-400 Demigod Rank -> Level 401-450 Demigod Rank -> Level 451-500 -sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 600 A.E ] __________________________________________ One week after. Reve could be found in his room. His head hanged over a dusty book as he read, word for word, attentively. "YEAR 100 E.T. Arcadia has been submerged in peace for quite a long time. The scent of blue lilies began to fill the lands again. When I observed my periodical roaming, I saw children laughing vibrantly. They were part of the new generations and had no connections to the sins of the last era. I smiled for the first time in a while. Was this the end to the eternal misery promised to us by the world we damaged? Was there a possibility of sweet peace?" This was part of Reve''s classes. Strictly speaking, it was his history class. However, Circe was not with him this time. She had determined that he was mature enough to independently study. He had to say¡­..Circe was unrivalled when it came to excuses! Nonetheless, for the past week, Reve''s history classes were done by himself. He was given journals of Circe as his academic book. These books were arranged perfectly. They were all directed to specific topics and were written from the witch''s perspective. It was after his first class alone did he understand that Circe was not as lazy as he thought. At certain times in every era, she would wake up and familiarize with the world. Yet, it was a wonder why she never taught about her first student, Zatius, and only heard of his possible death from him. On second thought, she was probably too lazy to check up on him. Reve shivered as he imagined the scene of him being forgotten in his room for centuries. ''Focus,'' he chanted to himself. Back to the topic, yesterday, he had officially skimmed through the ascension era timeline. This allowed him to move on to the next timeline, the era of heroes and demon lords or as Circe says, "the damn wretchedest era". He was eager to see what she meant by that. Hence, he continued reading, "Oh, I spoke too soon! The calm before the sea. Arcadia never knew peace. I should have never believed otherwise. The first sign of the coming dark times was the black clouds that filled all parts of Arcadia. I was fascinated with it as my magic reacted violently to it. Nevertheless, I was merely a bystander and I would act as such." "Months later, it began¡­a new war that would later be known as Demon World War. The first of this war erupted suddenly like the opening of the abyss. Before I knew what was happening, a being known as the demon lord promised to liberate the magical beasts from the chains of discrimination. When he destroyed Garian Dynasty, he had the noblest intentions but after a few more years, he descended to madness¡­..pure insanity that only seeked destruction. He became a being of myths known as a demon!" "Strangely enough, my acquaintances told me he wielded a strange form of energy termed [Black Star]. This energy was said to be the vilest energy. He was powerful, rightfully so. Yet, fate played with him as expected. When he raised hell on Xoris, another strange being like him emerged. He was called the hero and he wielded [White Star], the antithesis of [Black Star]. Pushed by fate, they would fight against each other in multiple battles and their last fight would be in the Battle of Rurs, a perfect place for the final fight." "By the time the sun shone light into this would-be memorial ground, two corpses would be identified. The hero and the demon lord. Such a tale! Such an epic! Such a legacy that would define the rest of the era! Yet, the world would forever be ignorant of¡­..the lurker in the shadows!" After Reve was done with the sentence, he closed the book and faced the ceiling. This was what he loved about history. The feeling each story gave was enough to immerse him in that time period. Reve had to give point to Circe. Just from her writings, his understanding of her increased. ''There''s still more¡­.'' sighed Reve. The First Demon World War had many light sub-topics to discuss but¡­. ''There''s no time,'' reasoned Reve. He looked at the clock hanging on the sides of the left wall of his room. The time and days of Arcadia was the same as Earth so Reve had no hard time adjusting to things related to that. He deciphered the time on the clock. It was nearly noon! Wait, Noon! Reve jumped from his spot and quickly transformed to his [Dos Form]. If he remembered correctly, he had something to do! "I''m out," shouted Reve as he left the front door. He didn''t wait for a reply from the sleeping Circe as he joined the streets of Triton Key. By now, he was already used to the sight of demi-humans. He had even mingled with some of them. They exuded the same simpleness that magical beasts had.. As long as he was not a threat, this made it easy to converse with them. Chapter 83 - Group Of Young Masters Crossing multitudes of intersected streets, Reve found himself facing a particular store. [Violet Garden] That was the name of the restaurant. As soon as Reve went inside, cheers erupted from the demi-humans inside. "There''s the mage we have been waiting for," chanted one of the demi-humans. At this time of the day, Violet Garden was occupied by a group of young demi-human who sat on a circular seating, made from large groups like that. The demi-human who spoke to Reve was one of them. He was a rabbit demi-human, bearing the main features of humans along with the ears and whiskers of rabbits. The young boy was Toffan. "Sorry. sorry. I was busy---" smiled Reve but he was cut short by another demi-human. The demi-human, Grejara, sighed, "--you were busy studying. You have told us the same thing every day. You know, just because you are a mage doesn''t mean you should be a bookworm all the time of the day." "Yes. Reve is in his youthful period. He should loosen up instead of staying in the Black Mansion for hours," cheered Miko, the foxman. "I know. I know. Hey, I''m here now, aren''t I? So, shut it!" teased Reve in revenge. He had become acquainted with this group after his first visit to this restaurant. He spied at all of them and noticed something strange, "Where''s Nikan?" "Heh, he is the one ordering today," laughed Grejara. "But he ordered yesterday, and the day before that¡­..and the day before that?" voiced Reve. The rest easily shrugged it off, "Nikan has bad luck. It''s not our fault." This group of degenerates had a certain eating tradition. Every day, they would play a game to draw out which one of them would order their meals for them. It was a game of dice. Whoever rolled the lowest number would be their unfortunate winner. It was an absolute game of luck and yet, the demi-human called Nikan was their leading champion. Reve sighed, "I guess so." He found an empty seat among the group and comfortably sat on it. Meanwhile, the shadow of a figure loomed over the group. They didn''t react to it as they knew who it was. It was a demi-human with wolf ears but no whiskers. He had a lean body and wore a black tunic with black pants, complementing his curly black hair. He was Nikan. If one judged him based on looks, one would not associate him with a five-star loser in a game of luck. Alas, such was the sad reality. Nikan walked closer to them with trembling feets. On his shoulders were two large trays. On his two hands was another set of trays. Balanced on his head was yet another one. Before he could trip to the tricky load on him, Grejara stood up to help him and lifted a few trays. They settled all the trays at the center of the table which they sat at. Reve took a scent of the dish on the trays and a drool slipped down the corner of his mouth. It was braised pork, his now favorite meal! Coincidentally, this was the beloved dish of everyone in the group. It was what brought them together. Being the newbie, Reve shamelessly took one stick and allowed the rest to proceed. He didn''t bother about the white shirt he wore as his mouth engulfed the juicy pork. As he ate, his eyes wandered on Nikan. Nikan was the one who introduced him to the group! Back then, he was seduced by the scent of braised pork and found himself in the restaurant but he later realized that he had no money. Heck, he didn''t even know the currency of Vagoroth. It was then his dilemma was caught by Nikan, a kindred fellow with love for food. The wolfman dragged him to the group and the rest was history. But that was not all¡­...Reve had a particular reason for answering Nikan''s invite. ...¡­ "Another one," Reve bellowed. He raised his hand to take another stick as he used his right hand to fiercely grab a mug of fruit juice. "I can''t get enough of this," mentioned Miko. "I agree" "Mhmmmm." "So delicious." "Yes." The group of five said the same thing. After multiple rounds, they were done with the trays and focused on the fruit juice. Soon, they finished that with their bellies bulging like a pregnant woman. Grajera burped, "I''m full. Should we order more?" "Ahh, no. Mother says not to overeat," cautioned Fen, a dogman. His mother was one of Vagoroth''s council members so he was the richest among them. He was also their sponsor as he paid for every one of their dishes. Nikan teased, "She also said that hunting is dangerous. What are we if not beings of the hunt?" Fen''s mother has been the topic for many of their jokes. She liked to behave like a dainty young woman despite the fact that nobody thought of her like that. Strangely enough, the group was a group of young masters. Each of them had an illustrious background in Vagoroth with Reve serving as the most mysterious one. Fen looked at the time from a clock in the restaurant and noticed that an hour has passed since they started eating. He spoke to the rest with a timid tone, "It''s time. We have to go all we have people hunting us. See you tomorrow." Without waiting, Fen quickly cleaned his lips and escaped from the restaurant. The others didn''t try to stop it as just yesterday, his family guards ransacked the city looking for him. After he left, one by one, the others followed. In less than five minutes, there was only Reve and Nikan left. Reve was not in a hurry. He had intentionally woken up late at night to begin his daily study. He adjusted his schedule with Circe, who was even happier to have more sleep time to herself. Now, he had the rest of the day free! Reve''s eyes beamed as he said to Nikan who was still munching on his pork stick, "Let''s go." The two of them had a shared secret Chapter 84 - The Uno Reverse Master A week ago, when Nikan and Reve met in Violet Garden, they kept exchanging looks. To Reve, Nikan appeared familiar, and to Nikan, Reve reminded him of something in his memory. The two behaved cordial and as Reve accepted Nikan''s invite, they analyzed each other and came to a common conclusion. They had met each other before! And where was that? Well, it was an unknown location used as the base of the Gehenna Order. Yes, Nikan was a Gehenna Order prospect. That was why he looked so familiar. He was the prospect that stood behind Zev. However, after the conclusion of the meeting, he seemed to have departed alone while Zev journeyed with Circe and Reve. ....... Current time. The two of them left the restaurant and headed to the Black Mansion. It was from the group of young masters that he realized that no one really knew Circe and her mansion. All they knew was that the Black Mansion was a forbidden area. Reve could imagine that at first rumors spread around about the mansion but like every other rumor, they dwindled with time. However, after the owner of the mansion moved in, it seemed people had reawakened their curiosity. Sadly, they had no access to the rumors as it was far older than them. Nikan and Reve stopped at the courtyard. As the student of Circe, Reve could be considered the second owner of the mansion. He had the right to grant entrance to any of his guests. Circe had told him that. The two young people sat on the grass as they discussed. This was not Nikan''s first time here. For the past three days, he had been coming here with Reve since the latter needed him for something. "The air here is fresh. I can''t get enough of it," sniffed Nikan. He dropped his full body on the grass as he immersed himself in the beautiful warmth of the courtyard. "Hey, now is not the time for that. Let''s begin," said Reve. He stood up and dusted his laps. Facing Reve''s naggy words, Nikan did the same. The two faced each other and a sharp gale was generated by their intense stares. Rev could feel the growing smile on Nikan''s face and understood he probably wore the same exact smile. The both of them were thrilled. Just like his master, Reve was not a socialite. There was only one reason why he would invite another Gehenna prospect¡­...and that was to spar! ......... *Whoosh!* Just like every other ki user, Nikan took the first move! He blitzed away from his original sport and appeared closer to Reve moments later. In return, Reve''s mind sharpened as he calculated each possible movement Nikan would make. A magic circle appeared beneath Nikan and the latter felt the hellish cold about to pour out. Immediately, his body glowed up. A shock wave emerged from him that depowered any active magic spell in the vicinity. It caught Reve by surprise as all his plans went down the drain. Suddenly, his senses blared. In the span of a few seconds, his feet ascended to a few inches above the ground and swerved as if they were skating on an ice floor. *Whoosh!* He was just in time as a wind blade brushed past his skin with fierce momentum. Reve had activated [Morai] and he surfed on the surface. It was something he had come to understand in the previous spars with Nikan. Back to the current spar, before Reve could even take a breathing space, a figure blinked into existence in front of him and threw a quick punch that even Reve couldn''t ignore. The latter crossed his arms to block it but it never came. It was a feint! *Whoosh!* A side kick went for his face and saw no obstacles. It sent Reve flying high in the air. Strangely enough, after a few rounds of turning around high up, Reve balanced himself as if he was gliding. With the momentum gotten from the sharp winds, he began his descent to the earth. However, it was not to be smooth. An array of wind blades appeared to aim at him. It was then Reve understood Nikan''s plan. Reve''s skill repertoire was mainly built on the nature element. If he was dissociated from said element, his arsenal would dwarf. "Heh, I figured as much," smirked Reve. He chanted inwardly, ''[Force Barrier].'' A transparent barrier that bordered the line of illusions emerged in front of him. Reve increased his falling speed and faced the storm of wind blades. He closed his eyes for better efficiency and dodged a few of the wind blades while allowing his barrier to tank the rest. Soon, he was almost close to the earth surface and twisted his body to find a good balance. Any human of the same level as him would have died trying to execute his sequences of action, but as a cat, balance was the least of Reve''s problems! *Boom!* The moment his feet touched the ground, he twisted in an inhuman like fashion and sent a kick to his back. Nikan''s fist was blocked by his right leg but it still gleamed. A blue energy shot out of it and smashed Reve''s brutally. It made the latter roll on the grass until he regained balance. The sheer force of his rolls garnered dust that dampened visibility of both opponents. Reve used that to his advantage as usual. He extended all his sensory skills as he began his execution of [Ice Fantasy]. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him and held a wind blade at his throat, "I knew you would do that." Before he could gloat in his victory, Reve dispersed into various white plants. His voice echoed throughout the courtyard. "I knew you knew you would do that." Suddenly, a light brightened up in the dust-filled courtyard. It seemed to be moving and the next thing Reve knew, he was in the grasp of Nikan. The wolfman laughed at him, playing the perfect uno reverse, "Hehe. I knew you knew I knew you knew you would do that.. So, I prepared something you can''t evade." Chapter 85 - Reve’s Martial Art "Hehe. I knew you knew I knew you knew you would do that. So, I prepared something you can''t evade." ....... His body caught in Nikan''s arms, Reve sighed and was about to raise his hand, a sign of defeat, when he got an idea! Nikan laughed wildly, "Haha, I win." It was at times like these that Reve could see the similarities between Zev and Nikan. Reve pretended, "Alright. Alright." Suddenly, his voice beamed, "Ehh, is that Circe and Zev?!" The surprise in his voice convinced Nikan, who turned around to look at the direction Reve pointed at. The bait was hanged and the fish was attracted. It was then Reve did something ladylike. He raised his right knee to hit Nikan in the worst place possible...the place responsible for baby-making! "Yeek," Nikan screamed like a cow. He unknowingly released his grip on Reve, successfully allowing the latter to break free. Immediately, Reve chanted inwardly, ''[Ice Fantasy].'' Three magic circles rose to the sky. Their constant revolution brought to life an orb that exuded a cool aura. *Clack!* The orb cracked and a small greenish-white flower extended from its depth. It took a long time but when it finally blossomed, a fantasy world replaced the courtyard! Harsh snowflakes fell on the grasses as crystalline spears made out of pure ice wandered around. They only had one enemy, which was Nikan! Finally recovered, Nikan smiled as he sensed the rain of ice spears incoming, "You dirty bastard. You better pray to Xoris that I don''t get you. You #### ##### ###### ####." Even when Nikan took action, a wide number of profanity words slipped out of his mouth. However, that didn''t stop him from performing his evasive maneuvers perfectly. He danced in the storm of ice spears like an immortal playing a game of strength with mortals. If Reve was akin to water, then Nikan was parallel to wind. The two of them boasted feats of speed that were hard to find among magical beasts in the same age range as them. Like a swift bird, Nikan crossed the sea of ice spears and headed for the true mastermind, Reve! His hidden wolf claws extended from his fingers as he took a swipe at the figure of Reve. Just as he expected, Reve turned to white plant whips again. Yet, he wasn''t downcast. No, far from that. Reve might think he was clever but he was getting monotonous¡­.and Nikan had already found a way to counter his cloning spell. He revealed his plan to the empty courtyard, or maybe not empty, "The number of clones you can''t create is less than five but u found a loophole by cloning your clones. However, their ability would be severely lessened. Hence, you only use them for distraction. Good decision but it won''t matter when I can simply clear the field. [Wind Disaster]!" He took a peculiar stance. His feet planted firmly to the earth as gravity seemed to focus on only him. With his stance, he was like a catapult. The more gravity chained him down, the more force he would generate when he is released. The wind went still and it could even be discerned that there was no air in the environment. Suddenly, a large pillar of green light erupted from Nikan''s body. He was released and the disaster ensued! The original still winds fiercely ravaged everything in sight. They formed incorporeal objects like swords, knives, spears, claws. The grasses were cleared away by them, leaving only the bare brown earth in its wake. Nikan could see as every one of Reve''s clones transformed back to their original form. One by one....until only one Reve remained, the true Reve! "I got you," smiled Nikan. His body beamed again and blinked into Reve''s ten feet space. Feeling the desire to not go down without a fight, Reve swerved with his [Morai] skill and sent his signature right kick at Nikan. It was clearly an attempt at suicide. A mage could never best a ki user at physical combat. Moreover, Reve wouldn''t be dumb to risk protecting his physical space. Suddenly, inches away from reaching Nikan''s face, Reve did another superb movement. He forcefully dragged back his leg along with the momentum it generated and sent out his left leg instead. It all happened in a flash and Nikan only saw himself getting kicked from his right side instead of his predicted left side. He was sent deep into the earth as he made a crater form. When he stood up, red liquid dripped from his orifices. His eyes were almost white and his right cheek flushed intensely with a red hue. However, Nikan was more fixated on what actually happened to him, "I told you during our yesterday sparring. You have the talent for ki mastery. Heh, what martial art is that? What school?" Meanwhile, Reve wasn''t left scot-free by the attack he just used. His bones broke due to the sheer pressure and his waist appeared to be almost dislocated. He heaved at Nikan, "Doesn''t belong to any school." Just like magic, ki mastery also had schools but they were of a different concept from the schools of magic. While the schools of magic dictated the different types of magic, ki schools, also called, martial schools, were more of the different beliefs of ki mastery. This was why they were always founded not discovered like the schools of magic. Nikan dismissed what Reve said and focused on concluding the spar, "Heh, one last attack, right?" "Yes," sighed Reve. They engaged in a meaningful stare and only time could tell when they actually moved. *Whoosh!* What came next was a contest of speed and power! Rev thought to himself, ''I will finish this off with one of the shadow''s attack moves.'' ''[Enchant Base: Body].'' Cerulean lines appeared on his skin as he became faster than ever. He overloaded his body with mana, reaching for his limits, and activated his peak state. Nikan seemed to have also done something as his speed increased. Within a sizable distance, the two prepared their finishing attack. Nikan''s fist extended from his body, while Reve''s right feet could be seen stagnating behind his left feet. Suddenly, Reve''s body dropped flat before he could fully execute his move. Seeing this, Nikan laughed boisterously and stopped. "Hahaha.. I won. Did you actually think you had unlimited mana?" Chapter 86 - Battlemages "Urgh!" While on the ground, Reve made an unpleasant expression. He didn''t like Nikan''s bragging, but he knew they had some merit. As a mage, he had actually forgotten about watching his mana reserve. No, he hadn''t forgotten. ''It was the special kick I did back then. It consumed a lot of mana to condition my body from breaking apart. It could even be said that, at that moment, I neared death. Ahh, damnation!'' cursed Reve. He had been thinking of replicating the shadow''s special moves for a while now. Now, when he actually did a good execution, his body failed him. It was normal for him to curse! Reve flipped his body. His head now faced the blue sky as he watched the birds fly freely. Nikan sat beside him and brought out an item from his pocket. It was a small vial, but it shone like the yellow sun. Nikan opened Reve''s paralyzed mouth and poured the content of the vial into it. The vial was a healing potion. It wasn''t the usual fast healing potion. Instead, it focused on slow healing, effectively repairing all hidden damaged wounds. After a while, Reve regained his ability to speak, "I lost again." He had never won a spar with Nikan. The latter proved to best him in terms of combat prowess. He always found a way to restrict Reve''s destructive potential as a mage. "Heh, are you counting every spar result," wondered Nikan with an unbordered face. Reve sighed when he saw that, "You can only say that because you have won each time." "But the reason for sparring was never to win, was it? If that was the reason, then I would have absolutely bested you," said Nikan. He wasn''t lying. As a prospect of Gehenna, Nikan was among the cream of the top of generation. He was of a similar age to Reve, if one started counting from the moment he arrived at Arcadia. However, Nikan''s level was far ahead. If he used his [Appraisal] on him, it would show. [Nikan(Lv.99)] During the spars, Nikan had been holding back to match Reve''s level. He had not used some of the abilities of ki masters of his level. This did not put Reve down. The latter was used to being the weaker opponent. Instead, he was more thrilled to sharpen his battle prowess through sparring. "Hai. Hai. I''m tired," replied Reve. He continued staring at the birds, but his mind was elsewhere. Throughout the spars, Reve was always restricted by Nikan. It showed that ki masters could actually counter mages. Heck, their brutish physical qualities would make it hard for the mage to find the time to execute his spells. Physical stats were every mage''s weakness. Reve had been aware of that, but only when he sparred with Nikan, did he actually understand the concept of natural counter. Nevertheless, his magic spells always put Nikan on edge. His destructive potential was the exact reason why Nikan always rushed him because all Reve needed was one doom spell to tip the scale. Out of nowhere, Nikan said to him, "Reve, be serious. What martial art did you use back then?" Martial Arts, otherwise called Ki Arts, were akin to magic spells and styles. Nikan''s [Wind Blade] and [Wind Disaster] were examples of martial arts. However, to be more specific, martial arts was concerned more with the style than a simple action or series of actions. For instance, a martial art would have names like [Way of the Tiger Fist] or [Sword Valley], the techniques of the listed martial arts would be [Tiger-Dragon Fist] or [Sea of Swords]. Most martial arts usually belong to specific schools. So, using this analogy, one could find similarities between ki arts and magic styles. Reve replied to Nikan, "I''m serious. It doesn''t belong to any martial school." As far as Reve knew, the fighting style the shadow displayed was beyond the bother of martial arts. If not, Reve, a mage, would not be able to replicate it. There was a fundamental difference between ki arts and magic spells. Ki arts are powered by ki, which comes from within. Whilst, magic spells are powered by mana which is an external energy. For the second time, Nikan dropped the topic. He noticed that Reve''s eyes were watching the birds but his mind was elsewhere. "What is it?" he said. Reve slipped, "I can''t just figure it." "What?" "My magic style," told Reve. If he had a magic style, he would have a clear understanding of himself and know what battle tactics to use. "Magic style? So, you don''t have one? No wonder, u fought rigidly," mentioned Nikan. He went to, showing his perfect observation, "But that''s not all, is it? Someone with your talents would easily discover their magic style. I heard it''s not that hard." "Yeah." "Why don''t you ask your mentor? She would be able to give pointers." "She said not to depend on her this time around," grumbled Reve. Nikan kept quiet for a second before he continued, "Zev once told me that the immortal witch is a battlemage. Perhaps, you are the same as her. This is not the only similarities both of you share." "Wait, Circe is a battlemage?" screamed Reve. A battlemage was basically a mage suited for battle. They were in possession of magic spells that majorly assisted their battle prowess. Some of them even go as far as to wield weapons that conduct their magic spells. "Yes, Zev wouldn''t lie to me," smirked Nikan. His relationship with Zev was as close as Reve''s relationship with Circe. In fact, unlike Circe, Zev seemed to like telling Nikan juicy pieces of information. It was through Nikan that Reve learned the basic information about each member of the Gehenna Order. Reve smiled for a second but it didn''t last long, "That doesn''t change anything. I can''t imitate her magic style." "You don''t have to. I can tell that you are suited for battle-magic style.. I''m sure even you is aware of that," guided Nikan. Chapter 87 - The Aura King "You don''t have to. I can tell you are suited for battle-magic style. I''m sure even you are aware of that." .... Yeah, Reve knew he was probably meant for battle magic. However, something in him resisted that. "What is it? You are making that double-layered expression again," profiled Nikan. Reve sighed and watched as a flock of chicks was flying with their mother. Not being able to master the art of flying, they fell woefully to the ground. Fortunately, their mother was quick enough to grab them with anything she could use. Unlike one would expect, he didn''t see himself as the flock of chicks. In fact, he saw himself as that one hypothetical chick that was too scared to fly and stayed in its nest. He sighed as he thought of it. ''What am I even doing? It''s not like me to get moody,'' thought Reve. A wry smile formed on his face as he revealed to Nikan, "I''m well aware of it¡­...but I keep feeling something is missing. Yes, I would make a battlemage but I need more depths. It''s mind-puzzling, to be honest. I just can''t figure out the missing piece and it''s eating me out every day." Following the outpour of worries, Reve''s breath hastened as he went into a semi-panic attack. When he visualized his situation, it was absolutely vile. He saw him in the murky waters of a well. The light from the outside world shone on him but he couldn''t reach it. Even when he stretched out his hand, it still proved inadequate¡­..the murky water pulled him like quicksand. It wanted to consume him! With his hands still reaching out for the light, an opaque memory coursed through his head. He couldn''t understand it. He couldn''t process it. However, he knew it was the answer out of the well. What was it? Why had he forgotten? What was missing? Slowly, the only thing left of him was his face and his outreaching right hands. The rest of his body was already submerged. Before he knew it, the lights dimmed until it merged with a perverted darkness and it was over for him. When he regained the ability to think again, he was back in the well, at the exact period before his murky waters coveted him....and the cycle repeated itself again! Over and over again as if asking him to provide the answer. An answer to get out of the labyrinth. It was normal if Reve got a panic attack by visualizing that. He probably thought that was a perfect representation of his situation. "Hey. Hey. deep breaths," cautioned Nikan. With his expertise, he managed to bring Reve back to normal. The latter was tired. He focused back on the birds in the sky. None of the two spoke afterward. They simply watched the birds and sought out different meanings. Reve was the first to break the silence, "It is frustrating. To think that after all the battles I''ve gone through to prove myself as the "perfect one", I would find myself at a simple roadblock. It is even more ludicrous that the impasse is simply a decision on magic styles. How comical?" "So, your problem is not with the decision but your pride as the one chosen by Khaos?" asked Nikan. Listening to him, Reve''s eyes widened for a second before they settled back, "Heh, I guess so. Aren''t I talented? Why am I stuck in this mental dilemma? I have been through worse yet.....was I just lucky?" Nikan said sharply, "Yes!" "What?" "Yes, you were lucky. Isn''t that what you want to hear? Instead of focusing on the actual problem, you worry about whether you are worthy or not? It seems that you are actually as pathetic as you say." "Yeah." "You don''t need to tell me that. Just one thing, why would a pathetic person like you fight to become the "perfect one"? Shouldn''t you be bothered with vain things like your appearance and such?" "Why, you say?" repeated Reve. His eyes were distant as he took a drip down the memory lane. It was just as Nikan said. Perhaps, he felt too free. No, the reason why he participated in the trial was to find clues of how to resurrect Myrna, and the desire to resurrect her still last till the present time. Hence, it wasn''t a problem with his goals. If he had to point a finger, he would say it was a problem with his mentality. Reve, the prodigy. Taught by Circe, one of the greatest mages in Arcadia. Chosen by Khaos. He was so talented that nothing seemed to stop his magic path. Yet, there was a blemish. The said blemish didn''t exist in the magic of every other mage. Young mages usually answered the question of their magic style easily. It was truly an easy question. ''It is truly easy,'' repeated Reve. Yet, why was be blocked by such a question? He could get annoyed and pick any random magic style but his mind wouldn''t commit to that. Reve repeated with a raspy voice, "It is supposed to be easy." A voice reached out to him, "Yes. That''s your mind speaking to you. Zev told me of some historical figure that went through the same thing as you. They couldn''t move on for a while because of the "missing piece"." Knowing he got Reve''s attention, he went on, "I''m not as smart as you but I know some things. You know the thirteenth Aura King." "The last Aura King." "Yes. Zev told me he was stuck at [Ki Conversion] for a long time because he could not visualize what the elemental forces are. Yet, he was wrong. He could actually visualize the elements¡­.just not the normal elements. When he was young, he had a traumatic experience with the force of death. He couldn''t get it out of his mind and this stopped him from visualizing any other element.. It was only until he truly expressed himself did he realize his mistakes." Chapter 88 - The Missing Piece The Aura King. It was a title given to the strongest ki user of a generation. Sometimes, the heavenly title could skip generations as some generations were considered useless and irredeemable. Hence, one could imagine Reve''s shock when he finally absorbed what Nikan said, "I see. He was stopped at [Ki Conversion]." [Ki Conversion] was not a rank of ki mastery. Instead, it was something had to start learning from the moment they were able to manipulate ki. It was usually a long process but most would be done by the time they become a ki master. "Yes, I just said that," stated Nikan. "If it as you say, then perhaps my mind doesn''t want to move on and is clinging on to something important?" analyzed Reve. He had thought of that before but, at this moment, it held more meaning than the last time. Suddenly, his big brain began to work. He put two and two together and realized that Nikan was absolutely right. The real question wasn''t about his magic style. It was about what was missing! If so, how should he dig it out? Noticing his lack of experience with issues like these, he could only listen to Nikan. The latter understood what Reve was thinking and offered, "Let''s retrace thing back. There''s gotta be a sign. Something you are missing. Have you ever felt the desire to emulate a fighting style?" "Desire¡­.Hmmmm...desire," wondered Reve. So far, he hadn''t seen any unique fighting style. ¡­...Wait, he had! The shadow! He was the only person that made Reve imitate him. Reve went as far as to create [Morai] due to his influence. "Yeah," Reve responded. "Who?" "The shadow" "The shadow who?" "The shadow" "The shadow what?" "The shadow-shadow." "Bloody hell, I don''t fucking know who the shadow is, do I?" screamed Nikan. "Oh, the shadow was one of my opponents in Amethyst''s trial," told Reve. He looked at Nikan and realized the latter wasn''t getting enough context so he manipulated the earth and created a small stage that resembled the hall where Reve fought the shadow. Two figures rose in the small hall to represent Reve and the shadow. They moved on to fight exactly how Reve remembered the real fight. After the fight was concluded and the stage dissolved, Nikan raised his brows in disbelief, "Is this where you got the martial art? No, it doesn''t seem to be one¡­..peculiar. It is more like a general fighting style that could be achieved through various means. However...." Just like how Reve was a genius when it came to magic, Nikan was an absolute beast, no pun intended, when it came to martial art. His ability to analyze battle techniques was even better than Reve''s. This could be seen from how the latter broke down Reve''s cloning spell without Reve telling him the full details. "It manipulates a force and doesn''t require any form of energy to pull it off. Yet, if augmented by, let''s say, ki, it would unleash a destructive potential, just like the attack you used against me. I can also see you replicated the concept for your movement skill. I''m a hundred percent sure this is the missing piece!" Reve sighed, "I know that, but I still feel I''m lacking sufficient knowledge. I can''t perfectly merge this style with a battle mage''s style." "Then, let''s start from there?" "What?" "Everything begins somewhere. So, I suggest beginning the merging process and we will see what we can do. You can expect to get full points on the first try. You seriously need to get out of that mindset," said Nikan. "We?" "Of course, we. I''m also interested in the fighting style. Using your memory and our joint brain, we should be able to retrace the concept. Don''t forget, it is the concept we need," warned Nikan. It was not his first time analyzing a fighting style. His experience shone like a beacon of light in situations like this. "True, with our combined intellect, I see a possibility of success. It will be faster if we test it out by sparring occasionally. Ha, I now have another stuff added to my schedule," sighed Reve. Quickly, both of them focused on the earth. Reve recreated the stage as well and the tiny figure. As those figures fought, Reve and Nikan began their analysis! __________________________ [Reve''s Random Lectures: Ki Mastery(Aura) Ranks -> A concept coined collectively by the people of Arcadia after understanding the practice of Nixy''s classification of raw power. -> Unlike the universal level ranks, Ki Mastery is easier to evaluate as every Ki User is conscious of the differences in each level group. It can even be said that all Ki Mastery can be done without the assistance of the world administrator. -> It is to be noted that the universal level ranks are different from the Ki Mastery ranks, as while universal level ranks measure raw power, Ki Mastery is stricter. It measures the process involved in the ascension of one state of being, as that is the grand objective of every ki user. -> It is also to be noted that while bearing similarities, the level ranks of various paths remain different from the Ki Mastery ranks. -> It is also to be noted that a ki user can access a level range without following the process of their path. That is where titles come in. They are given to those who accessed the level range while following their path. -> It is also to be noted that, unlike the magic path, the ki path possesses names for the level ranges which is different from the titles/rank names of the level range. Aura Refinement (Warrior Rank) -> Level 1-50 Veteran Warrior Rank -> Level 51-75 Master Rank -> Level 75-100 Grand Master Rank -> Level 101-150 Warlord Master Rank -> Level 151-200 Legend Rank -> Level 201-250 Legend Rank -> Level 251-300 Star Monarch Rank -> Level 301-350 Transcendent Warrior/Empyrean Rank -> Level 351-400 Primae Rank -> Level 401-450 Primae Rank -> Level 451-500 -sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 600 A.E ___________________________________ Chapter 89 - The Campaign(1) First Island, Glasto Archipelago, Beast Continent. It was the night! A group of humans dressed in fancy pieces of armor trodded the forest in unison. On their chest plate was an infamous insignia. It was the drawing of the red sun, a symbol only the Solaris kingdom could lay claim to The firm steps they took were a sign that they were trained. They were warriors! Within this group of ten men, there were two figures that particularly stood out. One of the two was a slender black-haired man with two swords placed at his back. His light armor held no insignia but if one looked closely at him, on his right index finger was a silver ring with the ancient symbol that reads "K". The second human was much more different. He was of an athletic build and his muscles could not wait to rip out of the clothes holding it down. He wore the standard Solaris armor. However, his seemed to be more glorious than the other warriors. His armor glinted every time the night moon shone on it. He held a great sword tightly with his left hand as his eyes sharply combed through the vicinity. When doing that, a voice from the group reached out to him, "Sir Alex, should we prepare the tents? It is dangerous to proceed at night." The man who spoke was the advisor of the group, Garrett. As a warrior of Solaris who had been through multiple wars, he was the most experienced in the group. "Hmm. Your words have merit," nodded Sir Alex. He shifted his glance to speak to the slender black-haired man, "Mr. Kallinos, what do you think? Certainly, the danger at night is as real as it gets, but we were given a time limit by the main base. If we proceed right now, we would be able to submit our report on time. Should we not do that, we would be walking on a thin line." The man called Mr. Kallinos took his time to ponder upon Sir Alex''s words. When he was done, he said something not relating to the issue, "Sir Alex, we are acquainted. Please call me Kallinos." "But..." "You should know, we of the Kratos clan are not one of formality," begged Kallinos. In a bid to get this over with, Sir Alex sighed in defeat, "Very well. You shall also call me by my first name." "It is an honor to call the earl''s son by his first name," smiled Kallinos, but the tone he spoke with made it unknown whether he truly meant it or not. Nevertheless, Kallinos glanced at the moon for a while and revealed his thoughts, "How many days were we given?" "Three days. Three days to scout the entirety of this island. We are the first swarm so we have to be fast and efficient," explained Sir Alex. Originally, he was provided with eight men by the main base. However, they decided to add one of the Kratos clan members just for better efficiency. The Kratos clan were known widely for their battle prowess. With one of them guiding the group, they should be able to complete their mission vibrantly. "I see. Three days, huh? What does your cartographer think?" asked Kallinos. Listening to him, Sir Alex promptly dropped to the back of the group and conversed with one of his men, the cartographer. He wasn''t anything special. In fact, despite his above-average looks, he could easily be forgotten in a mass of humans because of his small height. After a while, Sir Alex picked up his pace and joined with Kallinos at the head of the group, "He estimated that we still have hundreds of kilometers ahead of us. Three days would not be enough for that." Kallinos'' eyes sharpened as he spoke, "Then we continue." "What about the night dangers?" "I am a veteran warrior, at Lv. 70. You are just ten levels below me. Your men are bordering Lv.50. We should face no problem whatsoever." Kallinos was a young child of the Kratos child. That was why he was chosen to accompany Sir Alex, who was relatively young; in his early twenties. "If you say so," acknowledged Sir Alex. He raised his hands to inform his men of the decision made. Soon after, they all sharpened their looks and continued walking at a considerable pace. A few minutes passed by and Sir Alex noticed that Kallinos kept glancing around with a serious expression. "What is it?" asked Sir Alex. Kallinos told, "The smell of blood¡­.of stale blood. It was weak before but it seems to have gotten stronger. Come see this!" He walked cautiously to a nearby tree and crouched to inspect an item buried in the earth. Reaching the soil, Kallinos realized that it was the carcass of a magical beast. He stretched forth his hands to touch it, "It has been dead for a long time. It was burnt to death. A claw mark to keep it from moving¡­...strange." He allowed Sir Alex to inspect the carcass. The latter gave the same analysis, "Estimated time of death is two to four years ago." Of course, the group wouldn''t delay because of a dead carcass they saw. They quickly picked back pace. Not long after, they found a trail of carcasses just like the previous one they saw. The group was astounded, rightfully. Sir Alex and Kallinos spotted the bodies of dead humans. They moved closer to it and inspected, "They are the kingdom of Salazar. They have the same burns." The corpses were already decomposing. The flesh was getting absorbed back to the soil and a foul stench filled the air. Kallinos focused on one particular corpse, "This one is different from the others. It wasn''t just burnt. It was clawed to death. Its bone still retains evidence of its brutal death." He was beginning to get a bad feeling. Everything clue was pointing towards something obvious yet, to acknowledge that was to acknowledge the danger. Sir Alex was the first to speak, "It is possible that we are walking on an empty island" Chapter 90 - The Campaign(2) "It is possible that we are walking on an empty island" ... Kallinos had a grim look on his face as he speculated what might be the reason for the strange occurrences. A strange feeling was welling up in his bowels. Being a member of the Kratos clan, Kallinos was taught never to ignore his instinct. In the words of his elders, his instinct was truer than himself. ''What is it?'' he thought. The strange feeling refused to leave, making Kallinos descend into the well of panic. He hastily turned around to inspect his surrounding. He sighed when he saw that Sir Alex''s men were still safe and ignorant. It was then he saw something quite peculiar! He saw a glint of light hiding in one of the bushes. When he focused hard enough, he could spot the outline of a humanoid figure. "Enemies!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. However, he was too late. *Shui!* Multiple tiny objects flew in the air at an insane speed. They were targeted at the necks of the Solaris knights, who had no helmets on. Five of the tiny objects were successful while the rest were parried away. The moment those five objects found their target, they sucked on the necks like parasites. The five knights dropped dead like a log of wood, leaving the remaining knights to speculate what had happened. Sir Alex unsheathed his sword as he took a glance at his dead men, "Poison darts. Gather in a circle formation. Kallinos, what do you see?" In the rear of the formation, Kallinos peered his eyes through the veil of the night. It was at times like this that he wished he had [Night Vision]. *Phew!* Suddenly, another rain of poison darts soared through the sky! "Incoming," shouted Kallinos. This time they were more prepared this time. The surrounding took a stance and their ki spread outwards. It formed a yellow dome of energy that protected the formation. The darts hit the dome but couldn''t pierce. Out of nowhere, white smoke was released from the darts. It blinded the group in less than five seconds. The only thing they could see was the white smoke that had consumed their environment. Having the best sense of hearing among the party, Kallinos heard sharp movements heading towards him. All of a sudden, a blade reached out for him. He parried it with his right sword and anticipated an attack aiming at his left leg. A smirk appeared on his face as he met the attack with his left sword. Showcasing his strengths, he pushed both attacks apart and flipped his body to perform a dropkick at his assailant. "Hmmm¡­." Kallinos raised his brows. His leg had met with nothing but thin air. Something was strange about his assailant. He was sure he was not strong since his weapon attacks were easy to tank. Yet, sometimes, they proved too heavy to absorb. *Whoosh!* Just as he was thinking, a punch went to his guts. However, his inner armor plate negated that. Nonetheless, the attacks seemed to have just started. One blade swipe went for his neck and his instinct told him of a hidden attack following that. Kallinos dodged both of them but he felt a hot breath envelop his back. Instantly, he shot out ki from his body and erupted with an insane amount of strength. With bulging muscles, he faced his back and sent a kick aimed nowhere. His kick proved to be just in time as he saw a faint outline of a leg clash with him. *Thud!* A sharp pain coursed through his right leg in response to the attack. He ignored it and rolled away from the spot. ''How are they moving freely? The smoke should be blocking their sights just like me,'' thought Kallinos. He decided to put an end to the restriction on his sight once and for all. Kallinos sniffed at the fresh air coming from the sky and extracted a large amount of ki from his body. He converted them to wind ki. Channeling them into his dual swords, Kallinos entered a stance and his view of his environment changed. Suddenly, before any attack could reach him, his swords chimed and released an outburst of fierce wind gales that blew away the smoke. ..... As soon as Kallinos was successful in clearing the area, he took a look at his surroundings. ''So, this is what they wanted to achieve,'' he said to himself. Tens of feet away from him was the rest of Sir Alex''s party, too invested in their fight with seven veiled figures that they failed to notice the change in environment. It was crystal clear to Kallinos now. The poison darts were to thin the numbers of the knights. The smoke darts were to release a smoke veil. The smoke veil was to cover their main objectives, which was to separate the party. As for who this "they" was? It was the group of assailants. From the corner of his eyes, Kallinos spotted two figures heading for me. They were dressed in leather cloaks that left no part of their body revealed. This cloak was more than just leather, it was made in a tribalistic way that seemed familiar to Kallinos. On the waist of this group of assailants was a belt equipped with strange items. "This appearance. You are amazons, right? The extinct race of Arcadia. Rumors say you were hidden in the beast continent. I guess they were true," asked Kallinos. The Kratos clan were sometimes thought to be amazons due to their battle prowess. However, from this short battle, even he could see the differences in battle prowess. Kratos activated his [Appraisal] skill in them to confirm his thoughts. [Amazon(Lv.62)] [Half-Amazon(Lv.60)] He laughed inwardly, ''Of course, they are two!'' Now he knew why their attacks did not match well. They belonged to different people! Kallinos waited for a reply from the amazons but he got no reply. He wasn''t offended as he had read that amazons fought in silence. He watched as the two amazons took one last look at each other before they dashed at him like a grand prize! Chapter 91 - Fortress Of Stars ''I have the level advantage. This should be quick,'' analyzed Kallinos. There was no smoke veil to block his sight. Hence, his thought was quite sound...except, he didn''t factor in the uniqueness of his assailants. *Whoosh!* As if practiced thousands of times, the two amazons jumped at Kallinos. One went for a high kick while the other went for the legs! With the full empowerment from his ki, Kallinos clapped his hands and a sound wave blasted the two away. Before they reached the ground, they regained their balance and plotted their next sequence of actions. One of them brought out a strange sword called an ulfberht sword, a double-edged sword with lengths ninety-one centimeters(91cm) and a width of five centimeters(5cm), while the other amazon dropped behind the first and quickly assembled a bow from an item on his waist. They used the momentum from their previous clash and zoomed back to their opponent. Although, it was only one of them this time; the one with the sword. As he sent a beam of energy at Kallinos, the other amazon shot an arrow at the predicted spot Kallinos would move towards. It was checkmate, the perfect mortal blow that would end Kallinos! Suddenly, Kallinos erupted with a fierce aura. Ki spilled out of him violently for a few seconds before they settled down like a still sea. They encased Kallinos, granting him a vast reserve of strength. Feeling the massive boost, Kallinos held his two swords firmly and waved at the incoming beam. He shot his own beam at it and the two clashed violently. It was not a normal clash at all. In less than a second, Kallinos''s beam defeated the other beam and headed for the sword amazon. The beam was soon defeated by an arrow that pierced its center, giving the sword amazon an attack advantage. Kallinos smirked at this and put his right foot before his left foot, "I always wanted to fight an amazon. Behold, [Sword of the Sworm]!" This time, a beam of energy showed on the tip of his sword. Before the sword amazon could reach him, Kallinos sliced the empty air with his sword. It was a simple attack but the moment it was released, crackling sounds could be heard from the sky above. The thunder above the clouds roared like a hungry beast and the clouds blocked the path of sunlight. There were even tiny raindrops falling stealthy on the earth. Meanwhile, the two amazons saw the resplendent beam edge towards them. Their body tensed as the aura of the attack was absolutely domineering. Not of the attacks the arrow-amazon shot at it stopped it. Suddenly, the sword amazon ran behind the arrow amazon. They didn''t exchange any looks but they could tell what they were thinking. The arrow-amazon disassembled his arrow and brought a thin longsword from his sheath and planted it in the ground. He didn''t talk but a subtle whisper echoed in the vicinity, "[Fortress of Stars]...." The moment this sound was heard, the earth shook and formed a structure around the two amazons. The structure resembled ancient fortresses used in wars. It towered until it surpassed every tree! The sound of a battle horn could be heard as the fortress solidified. It faced the glory of the brutal sword beam that headed for it. A clash of techniques quickly ensued! *Boom!* Dust rose up to accompany the great clash. After they cleared away, a gaping hole could be found in the fortress. It reached for the depth of the fortress. The fortress crumbled like stale bread in under a few seconds, revealing the states of the two amazons. The both of them fell to their knees as they panted wildly. Their cloak was blown away revealing their appearance. They were a pair of male and female. They both had the silky hair of amazons, but the female amazon looked more particular with her unique silky green hair. It wasn''t beauty per se that made her peculiar, rather it was the natural aura she exuded. It was solemn like as if she was sitting in a calm sea filled with blood. And her eyes...¡­.Kallinos couldn''t help but be scared as he stared deeply into those pure eyes. He quickly snapped out of it and tried to gather his ki again. Most Ki Arts were usually energy-consuming. That was why ki masters mostly fought with basic aura augmentations. When they finally used their Ki Arts, it would mean they were getting serious. Now that Kallinos had used about three Ki Arts, his ki reserve, soul sea, was getting dried. He reckoned it would be the same for the two amazons. The male amazon might be alright but the female one was definitely exhausted.....that was what he thought! The female amazon rose up shakily and leaned on her sword. Her red eyes faced the male amazon and they nodded ambiguously. The male amazon quickly assembled an arrow from his waist belt and shot a ki arrow at Kallinos. The action was executed speedily. It was so fast that Kallinos wasn''t aware until it neared him. He hastily parried the attack and tried to rebalance himself. However, a figure flashed beside him and his flesh opened to form a thin slit. Blood spurt from it and he winced heavily. Kallinos quickly distanced himself from the female amazon, "Ha, a group of two amazons is too much." As his eyes felt heavy, he struggled to control the amount of blood overflowing from the wound. Now, he was closer to the female amazon, he was a bit happy that the amazon was not left unscathed from their previous clash. Suddenly, a light reflected in his eyes. Kallinos saw something that terrified him. On the hands of the female amazon was a crystal bone sword that gleamed purple. There was an inscription on the sword with an unknown ancient language. The image of the sword overlapped with an image in Kallinos'' mind. His elders had taught him about the legends of Arcadia. Among them was something they desired so much. The drawing of the item was the same as the sword in the female amazon''s hand. Kallinos muttered, "The Killing Sword, Mal!" Chapter 92 - Victory! "The Killing Sword, Mal" ......¡­. Kallinos held his waist as the outpour of blood was seamless. Even when he tried the basic healing approach, nothing worked. This further proved that the sword the female amazon held was Mal. In the legends, it was stated to be able to negate any signs of healing. "Why do you have that sword?" asked Kallinos in a stupor. His eyes froze as he realized he just might not be able to get out of this pinch alive. In the blink of an eye, his expression settled once more, bringing it to a full circle. A blue aura violently spread from his mortal body as he took his time to appreciate the glory of the prime moment. He said with a trembling chin, "Ha, I didn''t see this coming." Suddenly, his aura reached its peak, bringing forth a shockwave that blasted all physical substances in the vicinity. With eyes as cold as northern winds, he recited like a man going to war, "The son of the sky, on his hand is a lightning bolt. [Stormblessed]!" Finally, after being let loose for so long, his aura was dragged back into his body. Lightning streaks coursed through his very flesh as his eyes showed the symbol of a lightning bolt. With his body on overdrive, Kallinos moved! In the eyes of the female amazon, he was like a dash of sunlight. One can never know when it arrived¡­.it was almost as if it was always there! Kallinos appeared beside the female amazon and slashed a sword beam at her. It was only at the last milliseconds did she managed to swerve out of the way. Before she could regain her breath, a plethora of sword beams attacked her and she was forced to block each one of them when, suddenly, a mighty kick broke her ribs, blasting her through a barrage of trees. *Boom!* The female amazon flipped back up with a staggering balance. The blood dripping from the corner of her lips was as evident as ever. The wry squirm on her face was enough to deduce that she was suffering from grueling internal damage. However, she wasn''t going to go down this way. She gripped Mal, the evil bone, fiercely and chanted something inwardly. A stream of moon water fell on her and revitalized her body. She radiated with the glory of the moon as the shimmers of moonlight danced around her. Suddenly, an ethereal form of a sword covered Mal. It grew in length until it was more than one thousand meters. With great force, she swung the sword and cut apart the trees like a vicious lumberjack. However, that was not her intention. Her long sword aimed at the incoming bolt of lightning that was about to reap her life. The bolt tried to dance around the blade but sadly, it was as mighty as a lion and as fast as a thunderbird. The blade chopped the bolt apart, revealing his true figure to be Kallinos. The man from Kratos went to his knees, spewing blood from his mouth profusely, as a thin but clean cut appeared on his waist. It was obvious. He would never be able to survive from that. He gritted his teeth as he experienced what was the last embers of his life. The flame within was dying and at accelerated rate. He almost couldn''t keep up. Kallinos muttered with his last breath, "I can''t go down like this." He abandoned his pride as a member of the Kratos clan and clenched his jaw. With his last wisps of ki, he prepared for a final burts of strength despite his body not being able to keep up with it. Before he could move, a cold blade penetrated his body. It went straight for his heart and it did not miss. It extinguished the little flame of life that was still inside Kallinos. With his eyelids shutting down for eternity, Kallinos last sight was the face of the femal amazon looking at him, as if skeptical if she had done the job right. In less than a second, he fell and his blood filled the battle-riden land. The femal amazon sooned acknowledged her injuries as she dropped on her knees but she was supported by the male amazon before she could collapse. They both looked far away from their location to see their people struggling to finish off the rest of Sir Alex''s party. Some of the amazons lay lifessly on the ground, a testament of the strength held by Sir Alex and his men. The original plan was to allow seven amazons deal with Sir Alex''s party while the two top amazon would concentrate on Kallinos. Yet, three out of the seven amazons had fallen. The female amazon showed an expressionless face as she nodded at the male amazon, who then picked back his bow. His brought out a golden arrow in his quiver and nocked the bow. His aim was Sir Alex, the man who seemed to be a tough opponents for the amazon. Unfortunately, such an illustrious man was too occupied with his fated battle that he failed to notice the disturbance of energy in the air. The last thing he heard was a final sound that quite resembled the whistles of a bird. Meanwhile, the arrow arced in the air like a shooting star. It easily crossed kilometers and lodged its sharp body into the head of Sir Alex. In the blink of an eye, the promising son of an earl of Solaris slumbered to the earth. His death allowed the remaining four amazons to quickly take care of the rest of his party. It was finally over and the victors were weary. Being the one that still had energy to spare, the male amazon assembled all the amazons. They surrounded the female amazon and made a strange gesture. The gesture involved them sharply drawing out a drop of blood from their flesh and rubbing it on their forehead.. They then went down on the left knee as they bowed their head slightly. Only the female amazon was left sitting on a log of wood! Chapter 93 - The Legion Of Vagoroth As the amazons immersed themselves in the feeling of victory, they had no idea that multiple sets of eyes fixated on them from distances away. It was a group of demi-humans that stood on high tree branches as they spied on the amazons. They wore a light armor outfit and on their arms were armbands with a serpent ring insignia. They were the battle force of Vagoroth! "So, these are the amazons? Spectacular," said one of them. He had fox ears and his outfit was customized specially to allow his bushy tail to waggle freely in the air. With a scar on his right eye, the foxman exuded a cool but terrifying aura. Akira squatted on the tree branch and spoke to the others, "What do you think?" As the leader of this group, he was expected to humbly listen to others'' opinions. Nonetheless, it wasn''t such reason that made him ask his subordinates. It was simply because Akira was so close to them that he could ignore the status quo. One of the members of the group replied, "At first, I thought the amazons were something of the myths. I even believed they were not as brilliant as they pictured, but, seeing this....." He was cut off by a lizardman, "Despite this being a low scale battle, we were fortunate enough to see a battle between a Kratos clansmen and an amazon. Of course, granted, it was a two against one duel." A foxwoman said, "We should look at the bigger picture. After periods of aimless wandering, the Kingdom of Solaris and the Kratos clan have finally begun their campaign. We have no time to admire the amazons." "Yes, I agree with you, Masa. However, our mission was to protect this island. The amazons completed it for us. We can take a break," nodded Akira. The group was part of the defense force of Vagoroth known as the Legion. The Legion was organized by the council of Vagoroth. Thereby, making the council their direct head. Due to Vagoroth being a place of peace, it was hard to gather such a terrifying force. The council had to train most of the demi-human warriors from the scratch, wasting a lot of decades to quickly mature them to the finest of their kinds. However, efforts are never in vain, this group was the prime example of the potential of the Legion. They were all above Level 70! Yet, their ages were just about ten years older than Kallinos of the Kratos. Akira stared at the amazons once more as he went into deep thoughts. After a while, he said to his group, "Time waits for no one. Masa, Rhauzk, Casas, you are to watch over the amazons from the shadow. Solaris is bound to send another swarm of knights. After three or more days, it would be safe for them to assume the death of the first swarm. They wouldn''t be dumb enough to send another party with similar strength to the first one. Masa will be the leader of you three. I can''t imagine what would happen if it is any of you two." The trio he called was a pair of foxwoman, lizardman, and lamia. Akira reckoned that they should be able to provide support to the amazons if the situation calls for it. He advised them, "The amazons were one of the first to move to this continent. In a way, they are our forebearers. Make sure to protect them well." Being part of the higher-ups of the Legion, Akira was privileged to know many secrets. Just like the demi-humans, the amazons had signed a treaty with the intelligent magical beasts in Azea during the Ascension Era. However, after the Year of Discord, they dwindled due to their lost connection to their homeworld. Nevertheless, they still remained an honorary inhabitant of Azea. So, when the Vagoroth Council received the news that some of the amazon settlements were destroyed, they didn''t take it so well. ...¡­ Masa and the two dropped to the ground and lightly bowed at Akira. As the sub-leader, the foxwoman said to Akira before she took her departure, "I understand. The amazons are under our protection." *Whoosh!* The wind carried the trio and they left before anyone could even say anything, leaving only Akira and Brown, a rabbitman. Brown asked his leader, "What happens to us now?" "You will go to the other islands and offer any help you can. Whilst, I will head for our base on the fifth stratum and report the change in the situation." A vast aura spread from Akira''s body. He adjusted to it subtly and disappeared from his spot. All Brown could see was his afterimages that kept blinking away every three seconds. He said to himself as he tried to remember the nearest island, "Ha, I''m tired." ......¡­ Three days later. Tranquil Isle, Calm Chain. On this little island, there was an outpost made with regular wood. It was bordered with a small gate watched diligently by a number of demi-humans. In one particular make-shift building, a loud voice sounded, "What?! The amazons still walk the soil of Azea? You have brought great news, Captain Akira. As for the movement of the campaign, I have already been notified." The voice belonged to a burly man with two horns protruding from the opposite sides of his head. The man also wore the signature outfit of the Legion, but above his armband was another armband, which showed a serpent ring. However, unlike the other armband, it had something different. At the center of the armband was a single vertical eye that resembled the eyes of a beast that wanted to hunt! This armband was proof that the man was one of the council members of Vagoroth. He was Asterion, the great minotaur! He sat on his great chair as he conversed with a foxman. If one looked closer, they would recognize the foxman covered in foul sweat. He went by the name Akira! Akira had run for three straight days, nonstop.. It was no wonder that he looked like he was about to break down. Chapter 94 - Dorian Summershine "With that said, take a rest. You look like shit right now. Leave the rest to us," comforted Asterion. He was the only council member on Tranquil Isle right now. The location of the majority of them was kept secret; they were heading for the base of the invaders. Despite feeling the immense weakness in him, Akira asked, "Will there be a war?" "I hope not. There has never been a war on Azea and we would like to keep it like that. If a war sparks out, we are sure to not be the instigator," said Asterion. With his ki, he looked through the small wooden tent. He saw an inflow of demi-humans walking tenderly into the campsite. If he remembered correctly, they should be part of the first defense sent to protect the island on the fifth stratum. Immediately they went through the wooden gates, some of them slumbered to the ground. They were not in good shape at all. Some were missing a leg. Some lost their arms. Whilst some were stained in red from head to toe, it was unknown if the blood was from themselves or their enemies. ''The casualties are piling up,'' thought Asterion. It all seemed like the prelude to war. He focused back on Akira, "Be at ease, Vagoroth is prepared for something like this. If war is our fate, then we will face it head-on. However, we must be careful not to make the first step. As Catelyn said, Our objective is to ''feel out'' the other side. Nothing more than that." Demi-humans were not known for being proficient in the art of war, but even they knew that it was all about the tempo. For instance, terms like "first wave" or "scout" were used in the preliminary stages of war. It is an unspoken rule that both sides would start on a small scale and slowly progress to the grand stage. This was why a meister-rank individual like Akira was seen on the battlefield. "In the end, we just have to hope," muttered Asterion. He peered through the tent and looked at the sky which was slowly gaining a red hue. He hoped his fellow council members would be successful in their endeavors. ......¡­.. Sun Camp, Kimpar Island, West Archipelago. This part of Azea had a solemn air to it. The ferocious winds traveled like there was no tomorrow, bringing forth what could best be described as a tempest gale. The trees struggled to stay rooted in the ground as gravity lost control a few times. Due to the dark clouds that covered Kimpar Island, roars of thunder could be heard here and there. It wouldn''t be long before a vengeful rain washed the island. It was as if nature could detect the foreign presence that sought to tame it. At the coast of this island settled the base camp of Solaris, the Sun Camp. Multiple tents were erected in a formation, all of them bearing the red sun on their body. In the biggest tent, the seven most important individuals were having a serious conversation. There was only one seat and a young man with blonde hair sat on it pridefully. He conversed with the rest as they maintained an upright posture. "Prince Dorian, the first wave ended in failure, We lost some important figures on some islands. I suggest we request assistance from the king," said one of the men dressed in heavy armor. "Gavin, we do no such thing. The King already gave us an army. If we were to ask for more, wouldn''t we be declaring ourselves as incompetents? Moreover, the army granted to us by his excellency has not been used to its full potential," argued another man. Listening to them, Prince Dorian glanced at a man by his side. The middle-aged man wore ferocious red heavy armor and was even equipped with a helmet. It was said that the blood of his enemies was used to paint his armor. Not being intimidated by his brutal aura, Prince Dorian said to the man, "General Ingram, what is the status of the Red Army?" The Red Army was the army bequeathed to Prince Dorian by the king of Solaris. It was the third army of Solaris led by General Ingram. In essence, despite it being led by the experienced general, it belonged to the king of Solaris. That was how the military structure of Solaris was built. General Ingram announced the report, "We are still green! Not more than ten percent of our warriors were killed. It should also be noted that they are meister-rank and below. They wouldn''t be relevant even if the real war kickstarts. The sun still shines on us." "The sun still shines on us," repeated Prince Dorian. He turned his head to face an old man dressed in grey robes. Unlike the others, the old man had no respect for the prince and simply kept quiet while they talked about war. The Prince asked the old man, "Sir Vasilis, how does your Kratos group fare?" "Heh. We are still able to support you. The chief granted me a thousand warriors, only about fifty are reported dead," replied Vasilis. The Prince digested the information and went into deep thoughts. His fingers lightly tapped on his seat''s armrest as they made a soothing sound. After a while, he announced, "My father doesn''t like failure. He hates that and would beat it out of anyone he sees with it. You should the outcome of asking my father for more assistance. We lost the first wave. Hence, we should strive for victory in the second wave. Defeat is not allowed. Our fate may very well depend on it." Despite the hazardous weather beating their tents, Prince Dorian was still able to make a smile, "After all, the sun still shines on us." As he was about to utter his next words, he forcefully turned his head to face the entrance of the tents. It wasn''t just him, the others donned grim looks as uncertain thoughts showed on their faces. "Could it be----" "Dorian Summershine! We request your presence!" Chapter 95 - Dorian Summershine(2) "Dorian Summershine! We request your presence!" ...¡­ Prince Dorian raised his brows in surprise. For a second, he wondered if he was not hearing right. "Prince Dorian!" The same voice beckoned at him without any signs of politeness. Moreover, that wasn''t the scariest part. Having reached his strength, one would be able to peer through normal physical substance and their energy sense would be able to make a three-kilometer sensing circle radius. This was why all of them inside the tent looked up before they heard the impolite voice. "Hehe, It seems like we have guests. Interesting ones," said Vasilis. It was not just him. The others could sense a gloomy aura that covered the camp. This phenomenon was called [Combined Aura]. It happened when a group of beings unleashed their aura with the same intent. It was necessary for them to have the same desire or their auras wouldn''t combine. Prince Dorian made a wry guess. The people behind the voice weren''t here to welcome them. If their tone of speech wasn''t hostile enough, then their aura sure hit the mark. The young prince calmed his breath as he smiled at the others, "Well then, shall we greet our guests?" Standing up, he spoke to the others, "Lieutenant Grimm, alert the other camps just in case. General Ingram would stay by my side, so you don''t need to worry about my safety. Plus, Sir Vasilis is here." His words managed to quell any worry Lieutenant Grimm had. The man past his youth used the back entrance to do what the prince told him. Meanwhile, the prince and his entourage walked out of the tent. They saw four figures levitating above them. Immediately the prince came out, the combined aura sharpened. It became almost physical as tentacle whips made out of the aura stretched at the prince. "Hmph!" scoffed General Ingram. Along with Sir Vasilis, he spread forth his own aura that resisted the combined aura of the unknown group. Soon, he was joined by all the warriors in the camp as they stared at the unknown group with fierce expressions. Suddenly, the combined aura of the unknown group quelled. It retracted back to their bodies, allowing Prince Dorian to see their appearance. ''...Demihumans?'' he said to himself. The four figures belonged to the demihuman race. On the absolute right was a tigris, a tigerman. She was dressed in a set of comfortable cloth. Yet, the warm color of her outfit couldn''t hide her hostility. Her orange and white hair resisted the sharp wind as her red-brown eyes stared at the souls of Prince Dorian''s entourage. The closest to her belonged to the skylan species, birdman. She had a pair of deep blue wings on her back and wore a loose purple dress to compliment it. With her supple body, she looked like she came here to seduce rather than to confront. The skylan turned to her left, "Myniene, you were right. It is Prince Dorian!" The one called Myniene had a similar appearance to the skylan. However, if one looked closely, one might understand she was much different. Unlike the skylan, her hands and white wings seemed to appear as one. Her body was divided into two segments; an upper human half and a lower bird half. Beauty was the only word that could describe her upper half. As for her lower half, while appearing strange, it seemed to mix well with her appearance. Even her talon that replaced the function of feet made her look more like a work of art. She was Myniene of the White Sky Clan. "Yes, Kiera. Our deductions were not false," agreed Myniene. The last one of the four said to them, "Hmmm¡­..this won''t be easy. Let''s descend." He talked calmly and collected befitted his old appearance. However, it was unknown what type of demihuman he was as he didn''t have any beast-like features except for small transparent scales on his face. The others nodded in reply. They were done observing so they let themselves descend into the gathering of warriors. As soon as they touched the ground, the warriors opened up a path that led to Prince Dorian for them. They held their weapons firmly, watching the unknown group''s every move. Normally, it would be unwise to let someone like them get close to the prince, but it was the prince that gave the order. A few moments later, Prince Dorian spoke to the unknown group, "Looking at your faces, I suppose I should skip the formalities. Why do you seek me?" He assessed the unknown group with scrutiny. In less than twenty seconds, he was able to figure out their social structure. However, the leader of the group wasn''t clear. Out of the four, the oldest of them spoke first, "Prince Dorian, the twelfth son of King Tristan, you are exactly as the rumors say. Very well, we came here for one purpose and one purpose only." The tigris took over, "Take back your army. We shall not allow any conquest campaign on these lands!" The tigris couldn''t help but exude an aggressive aura. Despite that, she didn''t move a step but simply ordered the prince. Prince Dorian was baffled, "Take back my army? Why? Why does it matter to you? Who are you to interfere in the kingdom of Solaris'' affairs?" The skylan replied for the group, "I must say, that is a bad move from your side. You dare ravage this land without possessing enough intel. Do you not know what happened to all those that came here?" "Once again, I''m confused. Please enlighten me," spoke the prince. He maintained his composure despite the harsh words the unknown group threw at him. He thought to himself, ''It seems I''m missing something. In a way, they are right. Father shouldn''t have rushed this campaign. Nevertheless¡­..'' He heard the other winged woman say to him, "We are the Vagoroth council. An organization of demihumans that watches over Vagoroth." "And what is the Vagoroth, exactly?" asked Prince Dorian. "It is a settlement of demihumans obviously!" scoffed Kiera Chapter 96 - Dorian Summershine(3) - Myniene Of The White Sky Clan "Vagoroth serves as the caretaker of Azea. On no account will we allow you to ravage our motherland. You should take your covetous campaign back to Xoris," warned the tigris. Prince Dorian went silent for a while before breaking out a smile, "I understand. The rest of the world had assumed this is a no man''s land. However, that seems to not be the case. Hmmm¡­...despite that, should we disregard your warning, what might possibly happen?" Prince Dorian was known to tread on a thin line every day. It was only due to this he was able to acquire the skill of eloquent speech. Only someone like him could speak politely yet mean otherwise. The oldest demihuman took control of the conversation. With a raspy voice filled with the ambiance of experience, he said to the young prince, "War. Not just on this front. We promise a widespread war that would take us all the way to Solaris. That is our resolve. If you do not retreat forthwith, then we shall be forced to deliver this promise without fail." In front of the demihumans, General Ingram shouted with a mocking face, "You dare announce war in front of Solaris!" Finally, Myniene of the white sky clan opened her mouth, "Yes, we dare to. And we would have if Tor had not stopped us." The regal demeanor she exuded clashed with Prince Dorian''s princely aura and came out on top. She went on, "The four of us. Me, Catelyn, Kiera, and Tor are quite confident of destroying this camp with added effort. We still have two more council members. We have an army that is capable of resisting yours and we are also capable of enlisting the help of magical beasts. Tell me, do you think we speak empty threats." "Hmph, you seem to not recognize your adversaries," humped Vasilis. This was the first time he would interrupt their conversation. He brought forth his long blade, making the other aware that his presence should be the deciding factor. "Yes. Man from Kratos. I''m well aware of you. Still, you are irrelevant," insulted Myniene. "Unlike you, we are not lacking in intelligence. We know you have General Ingram and the red army. We could guess that you brought a lot of gifted humans for this campaign," She slowly built up her aura, addressing Princwe Dorian, "Yet, once again, it does not matter. What difference does it make killing one or two fine individuals? Should we put that to test?" "What?" Prince Dorian raised his brows. "You seem hesitant, which means you have yet to comprehend the gravity of the situation. So, I suppose we can allow your ignorance. Let''s start the war with a battle on this very camp. The remaining survivors would be enough warning for Solaris. Is that what you want?" pressured Myniene. In less than ten minutes, she was able to manipulate Prince Dorian''s thinking. The young genius couldn''t not help but fathom the consequences of his possible action. Starting a war without the approval of the king would earn him death even if he was a prince. He glanced at General Ingram and noticed the well aged man held similar expressions to him. He was probably having the same thoughts. Their thoughts resonated, ''Its official. The matter is above us.'' They couldn''t bear the responsibility of making the decision, which brought them to a difficult situation. Myniene could predict their thoughts and offered to them like a white dove, "How about we change directions? Since you are clearly put in a tough spot, why don''t you send one of your men to inform your king?" "Inform him that what?" muttered General Ingram. "That a war is about to brew if he doesn''t address it personally or send a representative. I reckon that should be enough to gain his full attention, should it not?" guided Myniene. Prince Dorian tried to take advantage of the situation, "Then, why don''t I go? He might not listen to just anyone." "Oh, no, no. You, my prince, will party with me. That way, we are sure your king never ignores my call. Tell your general to send his direct subordinate in your stead. Surely, their words should hold enough weight." Before the prince could retort, she said, "Oh, and we need a witness. Ask for representatives from other kingdoms! Like that, Myniene concluded the conversation spectacularly. The council members stayed in the camp for weeks, making sure the prince and his entourage weren''t doing any funny thing ........ __________________________________________________ Reve''s Random Lecture: Demihumans. -> The term "demihuman" is a broad term. It refers to a lax circle of races that are humanoid in appearance. Albeit, some races have exempted themselves from this "demihuman" grouping. -> Demihumans are hard to define. Some demihumans have similar appearances despite being intrinsically different. However, one such way to classify them is by their origin. -> To understand this complicated classification, it is required to comprehend the term "animal". Animals are magical beasts that have permanently lost their ability to wield any form of ethereal energy. They remain the biggest food source of Arcadia to date. Beastmen: -> This type of demihumans refer to races that descended purely from legendary magical beasts. These ancestor magical beasts must have gained a humanoid form and passed it down to them. Thereby, making beastmen possess two forms; their humanoid form and beast form -> The humanoid form of beastmen is mostly monstrous in appearance. Furthermore, their subraces are called clans. All beastmen live together. Halflings: -> Halflings are a race of beings with human heritage. -> The origin of this race is clouded in mystery. Legend says they were created from a magical experiment that tried to merge both human and animal qualities into one being. This union led to the halflings. -> Halfings unlike beastmen have one form which is their humanoid form. Their subraces are called species. Different species have a magical name and a general name the people of Arcadia call them. Also unlike beastmen, halflings are nomadic and like to populate unwarrantedly. Humas: -> This term strictly refers to the other demihumans that don''t belong to the previous two types. They include races like oni, ogres, orcs. -> It is to be noted that some races don''t apply to these classifications. Races like dragonkin do not classify themselves as beastmen. They prefer to be called magical creatures, which is a broad term for beings innately magical in nature like elves and merfolks - sourced from the "Book of the World", Year 69 K.T ______________________________________________ Chapter 97 - Dorian Summershine(4) - The Discussion As the days rolled in and out, the council members remained dutiful to their objective. They watched over all the camps and made sure to make any hostile move. Knowing that Zev was protecting Vagoroth, they lived the days doing mostly nothing but sleeping. On some special occasions, they would spy on the humans'' activities, trying to learn the most they can from them. This routine went on for three weeks before something shattered the peaceful atmosphere like a vengeful creature. It came in the form of a war horn that could be heard miles away. *Hwoooooooo!* The council members were in their tent when they heard the grim sound. They looked at each other with complex expressions. Tor said, "That should be the king." "Yes, he is the one we need to intimidate," agreed Kiera. The four of them sighed as headed to meet the king. Meanwhile, on the blue sea that led to Tranquil Isle, an otherworldly chariot, with blue water horses leading it, trod finely on the water surface. It sped at a speed that rivaled the full speed of a wind-attributed ki user. Moments later, the chariot reached the foreign land that was Tranquil Isle. The water neighed, announcing their arrival. The passengers on chariots descended to touch the cold coastal sand. They were three individuals dressed in layers of clothes. The two on opposite sides wore heavy armor that complimented their bulky build while the one at the middle was covered in a red robe made out of exquisite fur. He had a crown with inlaid bright gems which would lead anyone to believe he was someone with a high status....and yes, he was! This very man was King Tristan of Solaris or as the humans like to call him, the King of Gluttony! His sharp eyes caressed all the visible parts of the island until it later settled on the group of demihumans spying on him. He smiled at them, not saying anything. Strangely enough, once he touched the sands of the island, he made no effort to move an inch and his men imitated him. Behind him, the vague figure of multiple water chariots appeared. They quickly landed on the island. The people on the five chariots looked different. Each other them belonged to separate cultures. From the position high up in the air, the council members of Vagoroth could identify the important figures. The King of Gluttony, King Tristan. Princess of Igala, Amara King Seth of Ammorite Royal Duchess Ryia of Narva Mad Duke Igor of Salazar These were the top dogs of each kingdom on Xoris, the human continent. They each had a subtle flair around them oozed of obvious royalty. King Tristan smiled at them, "You arrived early." "Should we not have? I hope your reason for requesting our presence is important," retorted Mad Duke Igor. "Fear not. I can already tell it will be interesting," interrupted King Seth. Just like King Tristan, he also spotted the council members from far away. The group of royals waited for about twenty hours for their entourage to appear. Unlike them that used the exceedingly rare water chariots, their entourages had to settle for a fast ship. After they had regrouped, they walked to the main camp. Getting there, they received the welcome of Prince Dorian and the strangeness of the Vagoroth council members. The prince led them to a special tent filled with seats. It was here they would conduct their intense discussions. King Tristan arrogantly asked, "Prince Tristan, I had received your letter. However, I would like to hear it directly from you." "Yes, father king. In all honesty, I could on and on. However, I will cut straight to the chase. While earnestly directing the campaign, I came across a group of demihumans who claims to be the lord of these lands," reported Prince Dorian. It was necessary he explained it well to his father or else, he might be punished for failing to complete the mission given to him. "Demihumans? And they claim what exactly? Preposterous. Azea has always been uncharted territory," shouted King Tristan. He focused his words on the council members present in the discussion. Myniene then took over, "King Tristan, you are truly as ugly as they say. I will ignore your prejudice against demihumans." She went on while making brief eye contact with all of them, "Yes, we lay claim to this. We are its caretakers and we will not allow any of you to stain these beautiful lands our ancestors left in our hands." "I see. So, are we being summoned to recognize your claim?" asked Princess Amara with a curious face. "Yes and no. We ignored the kingdom of Salazar''s campaign the first. However, we shan''t cast away our eyes this time. With respect, we called you here to warn you," articulated Myniene. Despite being in the presence of kings and queens, she did not falter one bit. Perhaps, this was because she herself bore immense pride as a member of the White Sky Clan. "A warning?" asked one of the kings. Mad Duke Igor laughed wildly in the face of Myniene, "A warning, you say? For decades, I haven''t received a single warning. Who are you to do dare give me such a warning?" In a meeting of kings and queen, pride was always the tipping point. "I could introduce myself but, right now, I speak for Vagoroth. It is Vagoroth that is issuing you this warning. And the consequence for going against that shall be war. I am not known for bluffing." "Hmmm....I understand your side, but you do know you have to show proof of claim as the customs dictate," guided Royal Duchess Ryia. Unlike the others, the nation of Narva was not known for its battles. Rather it focused on magical researches, they were the equivalent to the countries on the new continent. Hence, as their representatives, the Royal duchess had no problems acknowledging the claim. It was a period of peace and she wasn''t going to be the one to break that. Myniene said slowly, "Customs? You seem to not understand. This is not your fragile Xoris, this is Azea. Our customs differ from yours---" She paused to see the gentle smile on Royal Duchess Ryia''s face and changed her mind, "---However, if that is what will shoo away your vile hands, then we will comply." "Catelyn, please," she said to her comrade Chapter 98 - Dorian Summershine(5) - The Immortal King Catelyn brought the scroll in her hand forward and laid it on the large table, presenting it for all the kings to see. The contents on the scroll were about the Vagoroth''s claim to the land of Azea. It would have been a one-sided claim if it were not signed by one nation. It wasn''t a nation. It was a clan that glued their seal of approval on the scroll. The appearance of the seal took the form of a flying boat. It was painted blue, representing the color of the sky. Beneath the seal was a handwritten identification name, Boreas Clan! King Tristan widened his eyes as he stared yet again at the scroll, "The Boreas Clan of Kyas! T-That cannot be true. They are a clan of gaeryns. They don''t interfere." Myniene flashed a mocking smile, "Yet, here we are, in the presence of another gaeryn clan. Don''t you see the irony? You know what?" After gaining all their attention, she went on, "Some of you doubt the validity of this seal, so why don''t we ask this man from Kratos to read the energy signature. Surely, a gaeryn the item of another gaeryn." The Kratos Clan, an illustrious clan of gaeryns that rose up after discovering a new continent. This was only possible because they were gaeryns. To understand better, one needed to know the status of humans in the grand world of Arcadia. Humans were at the bottom! They struggle to fend off monsters and suffer defeat when facing other races. So, why were they not dominated by the other races but instead given the power to laud over a continent? The anwer to that were the Terrans and Gaeryns! The Gaeryns in particular was a subrace of humans. They were mutated humans who had vied away from the normal human template. Most of them looked no different from the regular and behaved no different too, but dwelling in them was a power that surpassed your average human. This power could be very well seen from the men from Kratos, who held such a huge status in Arcadia. Of course, they were other gaeryns with similar status but they liked to live in hidden regions and had a reclusive nature. They rarely interfered with normal human affairs apart from protecting them from other races. This was why the Vagoroth Council was annoyed with the fact that the Kratos Clan broke the status quo! As soon as Myninene finished talking, a young man appeared from thin air. He wore comfy clothes and radiated with an aura of solemnity. The young man nodded at all the huge figures present and took a look at the scroll. As soon as his skin touched the seal, he closed his eyes to feel the energy signature. After a while, he opened them back, "It''s true. This was made by the clan head of the Boreas Clan. I can testify to that since I have met him before." He revealed a wry smile and watched as things proceeded. The others didn''t ask who he was as they already knew. He was an elder from the Kratos Clan sent to assist the king in his campaign. In fact, he was much stronger than all the monarchs present... if one excluded those from the Vagoroth Council! "This doesn''t mean anything. You will need one more approval," scoffed King Tristan. Myniene laughed in his face, "Haha, surely you jest. We are not obliged to follow your customs. But, if that is what you seek, then you shall get it!" Following her words, Tor reached for his inner pocket and handed her a small object. It was made like a coin but way bigger. The material it was carved from glowed exquisitely. Small blobs of lights in it pulsed like a heartbeat. The moment the object was revealed to the audience, silence ensued. It was as if they lost the ability to speak. Unlike last time, they could feel the tyrannical aura outpouring from the coin-like object. It was enough to wash away any form of energy in their body. Laid before this object, they were stripped of their powers and dearly wished things had never progressed to this stage. Princess Amara gasped, "I-Is-Is that what I think it is?" "Yes." "Oh, damnation. Our eyes have seen it!" sang Princess Amara. A tear rolled down her cheeks as her a well of sadness was filling up in her. King Seth cried with no tears, "We have caught his attention!" Suddenly, Myniene wrapped the object with a piece of cloth. The tyrannic aura retreated back, leaving the group of kings to regain their sanity. The elder from Kratos clan widened his eyes till the whites showed, "The Immortal decree from the Immortal King. How did you get that?" "The only way possible. From him!" replied Myniene while smiling. In Arcadia, there were some beings synonymous with the distant gods. No, they were held far above gods in the eyes of mortals. Their very worth was worth a thousand emperors and no force could deny their utmost wishes. Among them was the Mother of all Witches, the Aura King, The Queen of Elves. The only one among them to shine brighter than the others is a mythical figure known as the Immortal King! His very hands were said to influence the course of history and his garments have been stained countless times with the blood of ancient empires. It was unknown what his race of origin was but every time he appeared, the world welcome him like he was their eternal prince. The Immortal King, the Eradicator of Ancients! It was said that to convenience himself, the immortal king created decrees that bore the power of his name. The decrees were given to only special individuals and each had different meanings. The last decree to be seen was in the last era. The message in it was a warning to all of Arcadia; Never hunt the immortals! If one went against his decree, they would be chased eternally by him and never in history as anyone ever escaped his hunt! Chapter 99 - Dorian Summershine(6) - Winter Kingdom Winter Kingdom! It was a glorious kingdom of terrans that existed in the era of heroes. They trampled on the continent in the north and tried to uproot the Khi Clan''s sovereignty over that land. It caused a war that affected Arcadia called the Winter War. The world was cast in a cage of glacial wind and wisps of fires hid when they caught sight of this wind. Villages were tortured by icy tempests and monsters born from the hellish season rampaged all over Arcadia. It was only until one of the peak individuals intervened did all this nonsense come to a stop. He sent his most trusted knight to deliver an object to the king of Winter Kingdom. The fabled object was said to be a coin but not a coin. It spoke to them, "Cease!" Just one word...one domineering word. The men of Winter Kingdom knew of the person behind the coin but they didn''t fear. They viewed themselves as the strongest force on Arcadia. The Pale Wolves! Legends say they left the coin on the filthy corner in one of their rural streets. They continued their conquest! Night came one day for them. In the following period of light, they disappeared. Only stains of blood were left in their kingdom. Only the red liquid of death could sing of their grim fate. In one single mortal night, the Winter Kingdom vanished from Arcadia, like a tiny speck of grey light in front of the sun! They were titled by fables to be The Forgotten Winter Kingdom. .....................¡­.. "From him, you say?" repeated King Tristan. Now that a godly figure had interfered with his plan, it would be wise to cancel it. He didn''t want to be a second forgotten kingdom. "Yes. Now, is that enough for all of you?" asked Myniene with her chin resting on her hands. They shared a brief glance with each other and came to a predicted conclusion, "Affirmative. We can''t possibly go against the Immortal King''s orders." "Good. Now, take this scroll and sign with your seal. It covers what we have just gone through," spoked Myniene. Tor placed the scroll on the table and allowed them to inspect. The brown scroll made with thin feywood rolled to the end of the table, displaying the terms and conditions for all to see. "I will be clear. Vagoroth does not permit any unwelcome human feet to walk on Azea. It does not matter what purpose they seek. As long as they are affiliated with your six kingdoms, then we will relay the issue to the Immortal king," said Myniene. King Tristan raised his brows, "Why only humans?" "Look around. It is only human kingdoms that have coveted Azea so far. The other races are not here," replied Myniene. She stared at the two men from Kratos, showing contempt, "This applies to the Kratos Clan too. We know you covet the treasures on this land and it shall not be permitted, especially to people like you!" An ugly look spread on Vasilis and the elder''s face, but they didn''t retort. It was true. The only reason the Kratos clan broke the long-lived tradition was for the treasures buried in Azea. It was speculated Azea was used to dispose of dangerous items on the same level as the holy sword. Being warriors, the Kratos Clan were massively interested in this. With shaking hands, the elder dipped his ring in the blue wax at the side. He stamped his seal on the scroll using the ring. After the others were done, they spared no moments for conversation and disappeared one by one. The meeting was not fruitful. Instead, it was beyond horrible. In less than ten minutes, the Red Army retreated to the coast of the island. They waited for their ships to be prepared. Meanwhile, two of the six kingdom representatives still remained in the meeting tent. The tent was silent with no words exchanged between the three parties. The two women from Igala and Narva kept smiling at Myniene and the others without a reason. Visible tics appeared on Myniene''s face. She was the first to break the uncomfortable silence, "What? Is there something on my face?" "Not really," said Princess Amara. "I agree. It depends on what you mean by "something"," smiled Royal Duchess Ryia. Princess Amara gazed at the Royal Duchess, "It seems we think the same thing." "I couldn''t agree better. She is basking in the feeling of glory. I believe it won''t take long before she screams in victory," analyzed Royal Duchess Ryia. Even Myniene''s facade couldn''t escape her sharp hawk-like eyes. Myniene squinted her eyes, "What do you mean?" "Am I wrong? You were actually worried that you might spoil the meeting despite having a sure game-changer in your possessions. You wanted to leave a lasting impression on those¡­.boys'' minds," revealed Princess Amara. Myniene opened her mouth to retort, but she couldn''t find any words to counter what they said. She simply asked them with chilling eyes, "Enough games! Why are you still here? I believe the meeting ended a few moments ago. Shouldn''t you be on your way now?" Princess Amara beamed, "Of course, we came here to make friends. You see, our kingdoms are not bothered with vain things like a quest for treasures." From her words, it could be inferred that the Kingdom of Igala and the Kingdom of Narva were allied. This could best explain the informal banters between the two representatives. In fact, Myniene made a wild guess that the two women were well acquainted with each other. They came here with a secret agenda, which was enough to put Myniene on guard. "Friends? We have no for friends or allies," retorted Myniene. Pointing at each one of the council members, Princess Amara replied, "No, you don''t think. They don''t think that." She went on, "The Vagoroth Council. This is something I have never heard of. It is truly reclusive." Royal Duchess Ryia took over with a friendly tone, "For how long will you remain in hiding? The race cast away by the rest of the world for sins they did not commit. Isn''t that getting old now?" Chapter 100 - The Alliance "We are in the fourth era. After the discovery of the new continent, old notions are concepts were cut down like pesty flies. Schools like magitech were created and new ideas were being born every day. This world is officially at its friskiest in this era." Royal Duchess Ryia went on, "Now, tell me, why aren''t you taking advantage of this era? This is the perfect time to reintroduce yourself. To shave away any annotations plastered on the name of your race. What is your goal¡­...your desire as a race?" The members of the Vagoroth Council kept staring at her, not knowing what to say. "I can see. You have none. What future do you see for your descendants? What legacy would you leave for them? Do you want them to be stuck in this continent till the rest of their lives?" Catelyn finally spoke with hostile intent, "Watch your words carefully. I don''t like what you say." Despite feeling her weakness in front of Catelyn''s aura, Royal Duchess Ryia ignored it and continued, "But it is true. I grew up hearing bad things about demihumans. ''They will eat you alive,'' they say. ''Mindless beasts, they are,'' they say. Yet, right here, I see none of it. Quite humorous, right? All these night stories that were ingrained in my mind weren''t true. So, if I can feel wowed by a demihuman, what say the rest of the world?" Princess Amara finished for the royal duchess, "That is our offer. We want an alliance with you for this very reason. What do you think? I believe you can feel our pure intentions." The council members looked at each other for a while. They weren''t mentally communicating but they could understand what was going through the other''s mind. After about two minutes, Myniene spoke again, "....and the price for this alliance?" "Nothing in general. This alliance is beyond us. Since I take it you are interested, I shall tell you some forces in this alliance. Apart from us, the merfolk of Oceanis, the elves on Alfheim, and Novae on the new continent. Our purpose is to promote unity. Arcadia has been scarred for too long." Myniene sighed, "We will accept this offer, but the moment we smell anything fraudulent, we are out!" "Good...¡­. By the way, what deodorant do you use?" smiled Princess Amara. "....." Princess Amara pretended to be weeping, "Heek! It''s alright. If you don''t want to tell." Everyone gave Myniene a disappointed stare when they saw tears falling from Princess Amara''s cheeks. Myniene gritted her teeth and spoke, ".....I use red lilies with scented oils." Instantly, the young princess beamed, "Oh, that certainly makes a good combination. However, the ratio of the ingredients involved would be tough to find." Before Royal Duchess Ryia could join the conversation, Tor interrupted, "My apologies, what exactly do you have in mind for us?" "Huh¡­.oh, well, to change the world''s view of demihumans, wouldn''t it be better for them to see your exquisiteness themselves? Why don''t you send your young ones? They would be guests in our two kingdoms." "Yes, we shall start with the young humans. Children are always to brainwa--to convince," Princess Amara almost misspoke. She ignored her mistake and focused back on feminine things, "With that said, Myniene, what are the ingredients you use for scented oil?" Myniene had no idea that she was getting invested in their conversation, "Actually, it is Kiera that..." .............. Meanwhile, far away from the campsite, on a mountain peak, two figures spied at the camp. The first one was a man with blonde hair. He wore a tight black top with fine white pants. Coupled with his white kimono jacket, he looked quite gentlemanly. The second man wore a black kimono that complemented his silver-gray hair If Reve was here, he would easily recognize the two of them. The blonde one was Aello and the other was Khirah. They were both from the secretive Gehenna Order! "It seems they settled it quite well and even managed to reap some benefit," muttered Khirah. All this while, they were watching the events in the tents, but none of the individuals in the tents picked up on them! "Yes, Zev was right. They are more capable than the past council members," sighed Aello. The two of them were sent to watch over the council members in case things went awry. In fact, they had known of this meeting long ago. It was they that provided Zev with the immortal decree, who then gave the council. As for how they got the immortal decree, it was through Met. Their pseudo leader was acquainted with the Immortal King himself! So, one could say, that it was the Gehenna Order that gave the necessary means to a successful meeting to the council. However, one could also not deny the council members'' contributions. Aello muttered as he kept watching the women in the tent conversing, "I wish a fight broke out. It would have been a nice way to flex some muscles." Khirah scoffed, "A fight is not what they need. Damn, Aello, this is why we could only you to do this yourself!" Aello cocked his head at Khirah, "But I was the one sent to watch you, not the other way around...." "......" "Anyways, should we assume that this farce is all over?" retorted Khirah. "No, I don''t think so. Let''s wait till the humans leave. Then we can report back to Met and the others," said Aello. "Then, how we to keep watching those women talking about deodorants?" wailed Khirah. "Hehehe. I have a perfect idea. Met said not to interfere with the meeting. He never said not to mess with the humans. Do you understand?" ".....Yes." "Hehehe." With battle-hungry eyes, the two of them cast their sight on the ships about to leave the coast. Multiple bunches of warriors were piling inside them. When the time was right, the captains of the ships wasted no time to sail at once. As they floated on the water surface, branches of lightning bolts struck the ships. It pierced through their thick and sturdy build. That was not all, a tornado appeared out of nowhere to torment the ships. "Oh blessed Xoris, please forgive us!" The sailors begged. ........... On that very day, the ships of Solaris were tormented by the harsh weather. They vowed never to go set food on Azea ever again! Chapter 101 - Rite Of Misery(1) Two days later after the success of the Vagoroth Council. Byu Island, First Stratum. A long serpentine coiled around the green glowing trees. It curiously spied at a young humanoid creature that set nearby a lake. Because it had already gained intelligence, the serpent ignored its basic instinct to attack the humanoid creature. It wondered how the creature was able to get to the lake. Apart from it, the other magical beasts in the forest would definitely not allow that. The Lake of Thoras was the prized treasure of Byu Island. It possessed regenerative powers as well body enhancements. It was an all-rounder that served as the retreat spot for the magical beasts that suffered from battle injuries and such. So, how was this tiny humanoid able to bypass the group of magical beasts that wandered around the lake? The snake stopped crouching on the ground and revealed its true size. It was huge. Its sheer height was easily more than ten average trees that were a hundred feet in height. The white scale on the snake glimmered as it set its serpentine eyes on the young humanoid creature. Before it could act further, a voice infiltrated his mind, "Krera, stop!" The white snake, Krera, could easily recognize the voice. She looked below her to find a golden lion. He was the one that telepathically spoke to her. She said to it, "What is it, Alistar?" "That demihuman, do not touch him," advised the golden lion. Despite his comparatively small size, he was able to converse with the white snake as an equal. After all, he was one of the strongest magical beasts. Beings like he were able to cause chaos on any continent! "Why should I not touch him?" hissed Krera "See for yourself. Concentrate beside the young humanoid," told Alistar. Krera did as she was told. She used her magi to peer into the physical space around the young demihuman. It was then she was the blinking silhouette of a woman in a black dress. The woman seemed to not adhere to the space as the figure of her body was exceedingly faint. She could even be said to be on the verge of disappearing out of existence. However, Krera thought none of that. Her sharp serpentine eyes, honed from centuries of experience, wavered as she stared at the woman. Krera trembled, "What a profound magical aura? Alistar, who is she?" Despite not flexing her aura, the ambient energies coalesced around her. They formed mystical magic symbols that were not visible to the normal eye. In a way, they acted as a sort of aura to the woman in black. Alistar sighed as he also stared at the woman, "She calls herself the Immortal Witch and asked to borrow the Lake of Thoras for her student. It is best to leave her be. She is strong!" "......We can only observe, right?" Krera mumbled. "Yes. I have a feeling that will not be detrimental to us." ......¡­. One month. It had already been a month and a few days since Reve began preparing for the Rite of Misery. Now, it was time! Reve opened his eyes and exited his meditative state. He was finally ready. His white silky robe danced freely in the air as the cold warmth of the wind caressed his naked skin. He was in his [Dos Form] which was the best form for a ritual. He also followed the regular custom and wore nothing beneath the white robe. Looking at the blue night sky and the huge yellowish ball that hung up there, he muttered to himself, "The exact hour of a full moon...¡­.. It is time!" From his side, Circe appeared, "Yes, it is. Is your mind prepared? Have you reviewed the steps?" "Yes." "Good. Let''s begin. I will do my part while you do yours." She exited from his sight, giving Reve the necessary space to proceed. The school of Ritualism was all about offering sacrifice to higher beings for a prize. In a way, it was similar to the School of Conjuration or Pact Magic. However, where it differentiated itself was in its symbolic activities used to achieve said goals. If it was for a dark purpose, it would be called a ritual. And if it was to be used for a good purpose, it was considered a ceremony! Reve picked up a pouch of white salt he had prepared. He scooped a handful of white salt and diligently glanced on the earth. With one single cleaning spell, he made the green earth barren. ''A spirit circle. It is used to communicate with the elemental planes. They are said to work only on a full moon when the elemental planes aligned with the physical plane,'' revised Reve. A cluster of symbols appeared in his mind as he deliberated on them. In ritualistic magic, arrays were important. They were as crucial to ritualists just as how magic circles were to Arcanism. It could also be said that arrays were the ritualists'' equivalent to magic circles since they held the same principles. An array was always inscribed on the earthen surface and drew ambient energy for the amplification of the ritual. There were all kinds of arrays with different purposes. The array the Rite of Misery requires was a spirit circle! As soon as he thought of this, Reve put his thought to action. He began sprinkling the salts with great precision, ''A spirit circle. A circle within a circle within a circle. The middle circle represents the most important element which all living beings possess; The Spirit!'' The Spirit....It existed in everyone, just like how all lifeforms possessed a mind, no matter whether it was a matured one or not! As soon as Reve made a small circle, he continued, "The first outward circle represents the four prime elements of life. It is divided into four sections belonging to the said elements. The north section symbolizes the water element. The south section represents the fire element. The west section belongs to the wind element while the east section belongs to the earth element!" Reve''s eyes were fully concentrated on his task.. He couldn''t leave any room for mistake. Just one tiny mistake was enough to jeopardize the entire ritual! Chapter 102 - Rite Of Misery(2) After drawing the second circle, he moved on to the next one, "The third circle embodies the secondary elements." With that in mind, Reve perfectly constructed the third circle. He thought for a while if he should make the fourth circle but later decided on it. "The fourth circle mirrors the tertiary elements and other abstract forces," revised Reve. In less than five minutes, he was done with the array. If one looked from above, one would see the true form of the spirit circle. A circle within a circle within a circle within a circle. Such a grand depiction of the world of elemental forces. One could use it to gleam at the cosmology of the elemental planes! Reve tiptoed to the center of the array and placed four mystical candles called Anima Candles on each of the four primary elements. He lit a small wisp of flame on it, making it release a sharp scent that very much resembled the scent of a blue gardenia. It infiltrated Reve''s nose and almost forced him to sneeze, but the latter had to keep a calm composure. If not, he might jeopardize the ritual! The anima candles were meant to link him with the four elements. This would ease the following ritual steps to come. Reve sat in the middle circle. He used his [Telekinesis] to summon a ball that was just outside of the array. Touching the crystal ball, Reve could see bright stars shimmering in it. It was like the ball was alive. It was a star floating in the deep cosmos¡­.. A star made of stars! The object itself was called a crystal ball. It was used in rituals to communicate with the elemental planes. Legends say that each crystal ball was born in pairs. One in the physical world and one in an elemental plane. If one spoke into the crystal ball, their voice would come out from the other crystal ball. Reve had no idea how true the legend was, but crystal balls were proven to have the ability to communicate with the elemental plane. Each crystal ball was different. A fire crystal ball would only communicate to the Elemental Plane of Fire. A water crystal ball would only work for the Elemental Plane of Water. The crystal ball Reve held in his hands affirmed to Vitaris, the plane of Eden, otherwise known as the Elemental Plane of Life. Feeling the coolness of the crystal ball, Reve closed his eyes. A while later, as they had practiced, his ritual assistant, Circe appeared in the middle circle. Despite Reve''s eyes being shut, she announced to him, "I''m going to commence." She dived her left hand into the bag hanging on her left shoulder. The item that she brought out of it was a jelly-like egg. With her sharp nail, she pierced the egg and poured its content inside Reve''s mouth, "The egg of a Cockatrice." She brought another item and emptied it in Reve''s mouth, "Mermaid Tears" "Gargoyle Dust." "Banshee Scream." In less than ten minutes, Reve''s mouth had tasted a lot of weird ritual materials. Circe ended this long process by bringing out a small whitish bone. She grounded it with her palm and poured it into Reve''s mouth, "Your bone!" The moment these materials entered his body, his blood began to boil as if it was dipped in hot oil. Circe brought out a bowl of red liquid and dipped her finger in it. She drew the shape of a pentagram on Reve''s forehead. A pentagram was another symbol of the elemental planes. It corresponded to the four primary elements and the spirit as the last element. The red pentagram glowed as it was inscribed on Reve''s head. The liquid used to draw it was the blood of a magical beast imbued with abundant mana. It was Circe that procured it for Reve. Circe raised the bowl above Reve''s head and poured it all out on his skin. She allowed the blood to flow all the way to the ground and left the array. She then stood in front of the array and looked at the stars. The moment a shooting star was reflected in her eyes, her hands moved. She instantly weaved nine magic circles that moved to form a starry formation. They linked to one another and a slit appeared in the space. The slit was unlike normal spatial slits which normally brought forth environmental chaos. This slit was calm, one wouldn''t notice it unless they stared deep enough. It gradually expanded like a hungry parasite but couldn''t go past the boundaries of the starry formation. Seeing this, Circe sighed in a lazy tone, "It is done. The rest is all up to you, my dear student." For days, she had watched as Reve focused on studying. Day and night, there was no hour he wasn''t without a book. She hoped this process will turn out right, but as a mage, she knew there was nothing that was certain. Meanwhile, in his mental world of clouds, Reve could feel a link that connected to his very existence. ''This is the link to Vitaris. It is time for the chant.'' Each elemental and spiritas required a perfect chant. As long as it conformed to them, they would accept it. An analogy of a host and guest could best be used to describe the situation with chants. A host had to properly welcome the guest. If not, the guest would feel unwelcome which would send them away. The art of ritual chants was divided into four episodes with each one having a specific theme. Still with his eyes closed, Reve sang the first episode with his pure voice, "I calleth upon thou gentle spiritas. His steps blesseth the land with gold. The prince who sleeps in the field of lush. Noble is thy coronet." Reve had taken long to construct the episode. For him to create the perfect atmosphere, he was forced to use Ancient Arcadish, which he wasn''t good at. Heck, he barely knew anything about the language. Following the theme "To whom?", Reve knew he had to use the right words. For this episode, each sentence meant something. "I calleth upon thou gentle spiritas¡­..." was the welcoming clause. ".....His steps blesseth the land with gold¡­.." pinpointed the exact elemental plane. It was a way of confirming that he intended to communicate with Vitaris. "....The prince who sleeps in the field of lush¡­.." narrowed down the scope to a strong spiritas not elemental. The field of lush is a sort of idyllic green pasture. Elementals are said to never wander there because it is occupied by spiritons. "......Noble is thy coronet." reconfirms that the one being addressed is an arch-spiritas, an immensely strong spiritas! Chapter 103 - Rite Of Misery(3) After Reve was sure he executed the first episode well, he voiced out the next episode, "I bequeath his presence. Mine own desire is to did lie in his warmth. Mine own wisheth is to procureth his service." The theme for the second episode was "Desire". It was all about introducing himself as the client. "I bequeath his presence¡­." was the typical starting line for an episode. "....Mine own desire is to did lie in his warmth¡­..." Since it was a ritual, there were a lot of reasons for seeking the other being. Hence, Reve had to be crystal clear about what he wanted. The second sentence of the second episode made it explicit enough that he wasn''t a fanatic as that was not something a fanatic would say. Then the last line, "...Mine own wisheth is to procureth his service", was used to introduce himself as the client, seeking a contract with his chosen contractor. Reve thought to himself after he landed the second episode, ''The lots of sleepless nights are finally paying off.'' He went on to the third episode, "I invoke an arrangement of equilibrium. The price is cleareth as the moon. Comprehension is all that fills my mind." This was all about the theme of "Contract". What type of contract was he offering to this being? From the first sentence, "I invoke an arrangement of equilibrium¡­...", he defined the contract as an equal contract with a ratio of 50:50. This meant that the service would be equal to the price. He then used the last two sentences, "....The Price is cleareth as the moon..." and "...Comprehension is all that fills my mind", to reconfirm the type of contract. He did this mainly because most contracts with elementals and spiritas weren''t equal. Most of the time, the spiritas would be the ones to benefit most from the contract since the client would not be able to afford an equal contract. The price would increase while the service would lessen. However, Circe had guaranteed to pay the price of the first few years of his contract. With her by his side, he would be able to make sure the spritas doesn''t scam him as they are normally known for taking advantage of clients. With three episodes gone, Reve sang the last one, "I summon thee. Thy King of Mis''ry, Demis! The eye who seeks only salt''d drops of sorrow!" Making it revolve in a full circle, the final episode complimented the first episode. It said the exact name of his potential contractor along with his epithet, "...The eye who seeks only salt''d drops of sorrow." This was possibly the most important episode in the chant. The reason was that the magical names and epithets of most beings were kept secrets as names had power. Hence, unless the mage had a connection, they would fail at the last episode. Even worst, they might call something else. It wasn''t rare for a ritual to backfire at the ritual. Luckily, Reve had Circe, the equivalent of an ancient library. She knew the magical names of almost all elementals and spiritas! Reve stopped thinking about vain things and repeated the chant. He was planning on doing it until he received the desired effect. As for what the desired effect entailed, he had no idea. Circe had only told him he would when the time comes. ........... After about twenty rounds of chants, Reve''s senses picked up on something abnormal. It was coming from the spatial gate that Circe opened. Reve''s eyes were still shut, but he could perceive the silhouette of a gigantic entity hiding behind the gate, on the other side of the spatial gate. The entity said nothing as he spied on Reve, but Reve knew what he had to do. There was something he had learned during his intense one month of training. It was the ability to fluidly interchange between forms. For instance, he could easily draw out his fur from his [Dos Form] and retract it back in his [Tres Form]! Using this ability, Reve''s cat claws extended from his fingertips and merged with his fingernails. He concentrated on his right index finger and used it to cut his skin. This self-brutalization allowed his red blood to seep out of the cuts. As he was bleeding out, Reve used his [Telekinesis] again to summon another closeby object. It was a vial with squirmy green liquid. No hesitation crossed Reve''s face as he drank the vial of poison wholeheartedly. Instantly, his veins bulged out of his skin as he gritted his teeth fiercely in pain. To top it off, he triggered his mental issues which sent forth a fresh wave of headaches and other mental ailments that made him almost wish he was dead.........almost. This was his way of enticing Demis. The King of Misery wasn''t called that for nothing. Despite being a spiritas from Vitaris, Demis delighted in torture. He was even more fond of self-torture. All in all, he had a few screws loose in his mental faculty but that wasn''t Reve''s place to comment. His job was to please the damn spiritas! As he bled out, his blood merged with the magical beast''s blood on his skin. As if influenced by magic, they snaked over the array lines perfectly. They didn''t surpass the array lines and simply became the new array lines. The lines beamed with a red glow. A solemn song of sorrow began playing in the air. It spoke of the tremendous pain Reve was going through. Soon, Demis moved. He crossed the spatial gate, revealing his true body which was that of a great black hawk. The hawk was among the biggest creatures Reve had ever laid his eyes on. Despite constantly shrinking to a more toned-down size, the hawk was still able to top the nearby trees. It spoke to Reve, "I have answered your call, magical beast." This was all Reve needed to know the ritual was successful. He hastily used his levitating ability to bring the antidote of the poison and wrapped the victory headband on his head. A cool surge of energy washed through him as Reve realized he would live to see another day. He smiled at the great hawk, "King of Misery, I am Reve Amethyst." Chapter 104 - Rite Of Misery(4) "King of Misery. I am Reve Amethyst." .........¡­ The Hawk squinted his eyes as he heard Reve''s last name, "Amethyst¡­..Amethyst, such a name is filled with vast magical powers. Quite peculiar for a weakling like you. Although, I suppose your background is rich. Very well, you have my attention." "I seek a contract. An equal contract," re-explained Reve. Despite already laying down the details, it was advisable to go over it again with the spiritas. "....Hmmm, not many have summoned me in the past three eras and not many have sought me for this kind of service. What kind of contract are you looking for?" "A contract of apparatus protection and if possible, a contract of hermes," revealed Reve. What he wanted was the contract of apparatus protection. It concerned the spiritas taking care of his [Energy Absorption Spell]. Demis would have to make sure nothing interfered with the spell for eternity. However, a contract of hermes was basically the normal reason one sought an elemental or spiritas. Nonetheless, it was wiser to pursue weaker spiritons or elementals as the strong ones were immensely arrogant. Such arrogance was detrimental to the relationship between client and contractor. The great hawk, Demis, bent his head to speak to Reve, "Hmmm¡­...a contract of apparatus protection is indeed rare. Are you an arcanist?" "Yes." "I thought as much. Hmmm¡­...you would be the first one in ages to seek me for a contract of apparatus. My sanctum is empty. Very well, shall we first discuss about the details of the contract before we move on to the aforementioned possible second?" "It will be my honor," politely replied Reve. Demis queried, "Firstly, since you are an Arcanist, your apparatus would most likely be an [Energy Absorption Spell], am I right?" "Yes." Reve wasn''t surprised at the brilliant deduction. It was said that spiritons and elementals rivaled, if not surpassed, the feys in the field of magic. Taking advantage of their long lifespan and simple lifestyle, most of them dedicated their lives to magic. "What [Energy Absorption Spell] is it?" Reve replied, "[Mouth of Adephagia]." "Hmmmm¡­...that is a top-tier one. Its value is high which would make the price increase. Are you aware of that?" "Yes." "Very well then. Next question, is your spell, which I assumed is inscribed on a scroll, fixed to its maximum efficiency, or is its absorption rate set at its limit?" "Yes, it is inscribed on a scroll made from blue feywood. Regarding the setting of the spell, I modified it to operate at maximum efficiency so you don''t need to worry about it tearing apart," spoke Reve. "Good. Last question, what quality of magi do you desire?" asked Demis. Just like how the mana at the first stratum was much purer than the mana at the fifth stratum, magi also had varied quality. Reve went silent for a few seconds before he said, "I want one above average. I do not possess any need for a high-quality magia but if you grant me access to that, then I would be delighted." After much experimentation, Reve realized his mana veins purified any magical energy that flowed through it. So, just like he said, he had no need for a superb quality of magi. "Very well, that is all the questions I have. Before I mention my price, do you have any questions?" "Just one, my scroll needs physical space. Will that be alright?" asked Reve. His ethereal linking spell would be linked to the [Mouth of Adephagia]. This link required at least an empty radius of ten feet to operate perfectly. "Yes, my sanctum has a lot of space. Do not fret." Sanctums were what the contractors called the location where they kept the scrolls of their clients. Demis then said to Reve, "My price is a hundred pieces of gold monthly!" In Arcadia, the use of coins existed in every kingdom, whether human or not. Despite having variations of money coins, the basic concept of bronze, silver, and gold was present. A hundred bronze coins could be converted to a silver coin A thousand silver coins were equivalent to a gold coin. A thousand gold coins made a rich man! Yet, it was almost impossible for even a rich man to earn a monthly average of 100 gold pieces. Reve scoffed at the lavish price Demis dropped, "You could go rob a bank if you wanted that much. By my calculations, even half of that would still be too expensive a price. So, I wonder how you got that amount." Circe had specifically warned him to appear confident in front of Demis when talking about prices. He had to lessen the price to its limit and not let himself be taken advantage of. "Be careful with your words. I am an arch-spiritas. You should have known what to expect from seeking a contract with me," boasted Demis. Reve retorted, "Yeah, I didn''t take an arch-spiritas to be well versed in the art of theft. Well done, I would say. Can I indulge you in revealing the logic behind the price?" He eyed Demis after a momentary pause, "There should be a logic, right? Surely, you couldn''t have just picked a random number .....?" "You!! What right do you have to speak to me like that?" shouted Demis. His domineering magical aura spread forth but before it could squash Reve, the latter mentioned, "I am depth in magical arts. Moreover, you should know I am a student of the Immortal Witch!" Suddenly, the aura retreated. Reve sighed as he had felt death when the vast aura was about to consume him. He couldn''t hide the beads of sweat that rolled down his skin. "The Immortal Witch!" Demis repeated in shock. Even a spiritas like him knew of the Immortal Witch. He didn''t just know of her. Barely knowing her wouldn''t have made him terrified at the mere mention of her name. The Immortal Witch was a nightmare to any elemental and spiritas. They hated her yet they couldn''t touch her garment. "How can I verify that?" cautioned Demis. Reve pointed his right hand at the array, "See for yourself." Chapter 105 - Rite Of Misery(5) "See for yourself." ........... The eyes of Demis followed the path of Reve''s right hand and saw the portion of the array. However, the great hawk''s heartbeat skipped a step when he saw the person behind the array. The woman in black smiled at him lazily but it was enough for the great hawk to become docile to her student. "S--So, it is true........fifty pieces of gold monthly." Reve scoffed yet again, "Fifty pieces? It''s not good to be this greedy. I say forty pieces of gold!" ".....Do I have any say in this," Demis cried with no tears. "Honestly, no." In the blink of an eye, the elusive vibe that Demis gave was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was the aura of a sad victim. Demis sighed, "Forty pieces...¡­.will a wildstone suffice?" A wildstone was a natural oddity of the physical plane that contained trapped earthly energy from ley lines. It was highly valuable on Arcadia due to its many purposes. A wildstone was mainly used by mages and could roughly be estimated to be on the value as forty pieces of gold. This was not the plan, but flexibility was allowed, according to Circe. Reve took a glance at Circe and when he saw her nodding in approval, he congratulated Demis, "One wildstone per month." Like that, they decided on the details of the first contract. Reve didn''t just hand the scroll to Demis just yet. He spoke about the second contract he wished to enact, "The contract of hermes. What do you say?" A contract of hermes was a messenger contract. It involved the messenger delivering messages the client''s letter to various destinations. In a sense, Fye, the contracted spiritas of Circe, did sign a contract of hermes with Circe. However, hers went beyond just delivering letters. For instance, upon each awakening of Circe, Fye was required to update her with the worldly affairs of Arcadia. Demis replied, "What type of contract of hermes do you seek?" "A flexible one." "Hmm¡­.shall we discuss the details?" "Yes." "Go on then," said Demis. Since Reve had already thought much about it, he wasted no time, "As usual, you will be paid per delivery. The speed for a normal delivery should be your optimum speed. Is that alright with you?" "Yes," replied Demis. He could only say "yes". "No" wasn''t really an option with the Immortal Witch patiently watching the procedure of the contract. Reve smiled, "What do you think of one gold per delivery? Of course, external factors like troublesome locations and pronto deliveries would be taken into account." "Yes." "How about pronto deliveries?" "What about it?" "Should the price vary or should it be fixed?" asked Reve. In a contract-making procedure, the client could set the price or the contractor could do it. It didn''t matter. All that mattered was that both parties agreed to it. Hence, to make sure he wasn''t taking advantage of Demis, Reve decided to let him decide the price of pronto delivery since he didn''t see himself using it every time. It was a tactic that Circe taught him to make the relationship of the two parties involved smooth. Demis said after much thought, "Fixed. As for the price, one piece of gold is okay with me." "Then, it is decided," Reve clapped his hand. Following the custom, Demis took control of the procedure, "The last part is the penalty. What penalty do you seek?" "That shall depend on the payment method. And I would like to pay before every service. So, there is no need for a soul contract," offered Reve. A soul contract was among the riskiest contracts in Arcadia. Most of the time, breaching the contract would lead to death. If not, the penalty would be cruel. Demis nodded, "An oral oath contract should suffice. Since you don''t have a magical name yet, I ask that you swear on your last name." Reve eyed, "....and the penalty?" "The penalty shall be termination of the contract and a payment of 100 pieces of gold," smiled Demis. Even Reve could tell that Demis was hoping he breached the contract. Anyways, he went along with it. "My last name is magical. It would work," said Reve. A magical name was tied to one''s soul. It was the only thing an individual should hold dearly. From a mortal''s perspective, it was akin to swearing on one''s mother''s maiden name. "Very well then, shall we begin?" asked Demis. "Yes." Reve stood up from his seating position and ignored his stained body. By now, most of his injuries had healed. He tiptoed around the array, moving closer to Demis before he stopped when he was about five feet away. As he was the client, he started first, "I, child of Amethyst, vow to adhere strictly to the contract discussed with my contractor. " His words resonated with the mana in the air. They twinkled like little stars and echoed, word for word, what Reve said. Demis sang, "I, Demis, the King of Misery, vow to adhere strictly to the contract discussed with my client." His words also echoed vibrantly in the air with the help of mana. After letting the echoes die out, Demis muttered, "It is done." He waited patiently for Reve to bring out a scroll from his surroundings and hand it to him. Before Reve gave him, the latter closed his eyes and nudged the scroll with his forehead. Demis then was handed the scroll, but he could not leave just yet. Reve left the array and when he came back, a crystal stone was in his hands. Demis recognized it as a wildstone. Reve offered the natural oddity to Demis, "As per the contract, this is the payment for the first month. Since we are halfway through this month, it shall also cover the following month." "Yes," nodded Demis. The great hawk flew into the spatial portal afterward. He left Reve alone in the array as the latter beamed at the success of the contract. "We shall meet again," Demis'' farewell wandered through the wind to meet him. Not long after, Circe closed the spatial gate! Chapter 106 - Magi *Whoosh* It was only when a thin gale of wind brushed Reve''s face did he move. He picked up a thin marble that Demis dropped before leaving. "So, this is a trinket?" wondered Reve as he picked the little thing. A trinket was used by clients to communicate with their contractors. It was given by the contractor as it was up to them to derive the means of communication. So, Reve had no idea how the trinket dropped by Demis worked but he knew that if he used it with his crystal ball, it would direct his voice at Demis only, rather than a widespread announcement in the elemental plane, which would be embarrassing, none the least. Reve exited the array with a smile and went for a bag leaning on a tree. As soon as he placed the trinket and crystal ball in it, Circe walked up to him. "It was successful," smiled Circe. It wasn''t like her to smile but she guessed she could at least flash a smile on this special occasion. A thoughtful expression crossed through Reve''s face as he lightly bowed at his mentor, "It was all thanks to you. Thank you." "Heh, is little Reve getting sentimental?" teased Circe. "No," scoffed Reve. "You can''t lie. Your expression softened just now." "I-It was because I''m tired," shouted Reve. He wasn''t going to admit he felt a little teary when thinking of all that Circe had done for him. He wondered what would have happened to him if he had not met her or if he didn''t try persuading her to be his teacher. Reve sighed, ''I would have ended up dead. What a sad life?'' Circe nodded her head, "Yes, what a sad life?" "..." Circe looked at the moon and mentioned, "With the contract procedure done, It is best you focus on fully attaining the title of a 3rd Circle Arcanist." "Yes," realized Reve. He wanted to wash up as his body smelled of blood, but he could compromise. Moreover, the stench he gave off wasn''t particularly foul. In fact, it could be said to be alluring. Reve paid no further attention to Circe and headed for the Lake of Thoras. The pair of master and student had chosen this particular location for specific reasons. One, a leyline coursed through this very region which made the earthly energy around ambient in nature. It was the best place to conduct a ritual. Second, The Lake of Thoras! This very lake was special. It stole energy from the leylines and mutated. Its water possessed various magical abilities like healing, soothing, and purifying. It was the best place for meditating which was Reve''s objective. Reve stripped his clothes as he dived into the lake. In less than a second, any bodily fluid on his skin shimmered out of existence. He could feel the lake''s energy wrapping around his body and washing him anew. It gave the same feeling of evolution despite not bearing the unique power of evolution. Rev thought to himself as he experienced this strange but soothing feeling, ''It seems the lake is not far off from birthing a lake spirit. Heh, I''m starting to like this place.'' With that said, Reve felt his body reach the depth of the lake. The green water body glowed cooly like a blue moon, resonating with Reve. He closed his eyes and took a meditating stance after finding buoyancy in the water. ''I''m the frost plant. My only purpose is to.....'' Suddenly, his body began to levitate in the water until it stayed afloat on the water surface. Mana coalesced around the young magical beast as his mind deepened into a more concentrative state. Despite his natural talent in meditation, Reve had still not managed to freely access his mind palace. It was even more embarrassing when he thought of the fact that he walked on the [Path of Secrets]. He could only access his mindscape with the help of special items, which was what he did during the ritual. The effect of the special item still lingered on Reve. The moment he went into deep meditation, he found himself in a dark space but he didn''t waver. No one was more used to dark spaces like Reve. A white light flashed through Reve''s eyes as his body crossed through many dark spaces. In less than what he perceived to be a second, he found himself in a world of clouds. ''My mindscape,'' Reve smiled. If there was something he vowed to never show anyone, even Circe, it was his mindscape. After all, he reckoned most people''s mindscape was not as childish looking as his! ''Oops, let''s get down to business,'' thought Reve. He started searching his mindscape for the traces of [Hex of Secrets], his ethereal linking spell. By now, Demis should have planted the scroll and the link which he created should be active. ''Found it!'' On one particular cloud was a star that gathered a lot of dream-like energies. The moment Reve gripped it, the star connected with his [Mana Heart] and started pumping in a cyan energy into his [Mana Heart]. Before Reve knew it, his body was already infused with lots of what he assumed to be magi. It sparked like to his body and, even in his mindscape, Reve could feel it rushing through every part of his physical body. ''The [Hex of Secrets], wonderful as expected. Sadly, I wasn''t able to understand it.'' He was a bit disappointed about that. However, he knew that the [Hex of Secret] bordered on the forces of reality. If not, how could magi from the elemental plane materialize in his [Mana Heart] without any physical transportation? When he asked Circe, the latter had said that the energy was being transported through a veil of reality. The [Hex of Secret] operated with the same principle as any other [Ethereal Linking Spell]. That was why they had the name "ethereal" in them. Anyways, it wasn''t someone he could even begin to understand at his level. After making sure the spell worked, Reve decisively exited his mindscape and wandered aimlessly in the unknown dark spaces before he regained control of his physical body. However, he didn''t exit his meditation state. Magi circulated around his body like night moths attracted to lights. He tried experimenting with them carefully. His first moments with magi were crucial. He had to make sure he could use the higher form of energy as easily as mana before he exited his meditative state. In his [Mana Heart], or what could now be called [Magi Heart], a vast abundance of ice magi and nature magi were summoned outside. They left his body and merged with his surrounding, reducing the temperature around him. An ice sheet spread beneath him but it could go more than ten feet without melting. This was the influence of the Lake of Thoras, a magical lake. However, Reve already got what he wanted. He was able to confirm that elemental magi had the same effect as elemental mana. He moved on to his next experimentation. A magical circle appeared above the water surface. It released a fierce roar like a hungry beast and spat out hellish ice particles which quickly formed an ice pillar. Reve analyzed this with his sensory skill, ''The success of this spell is noteworthy. I can tell its effect has increased and the casting process became smoother than what it would have been with mana.'' ''What is even worth mentioning is the special attribute of magi which revealed itself in this spell procedure. Hehehe, magi seems to be a reactive form of energy.'' A reactive energy is what one would call a form of energy that was too active in nature. In this case, when casting the [Frozen Gate] spell, he could feel the magi energy merge with his mind. In fact, it wasn''t a stretch to say that the magi points he used were leading him, rather than the other way around. It was confusing, but what could be derived was that magi had some form of muscle memory. This allowed it to take the reins of spell casting as long as one was already used to the spell casting process. A lot of this could be gotten from this unique attribute. The most important one was his increase in casting speed. Reve won''t have to worry about deliberating one a spell model when he cast his spells. Of course, if it was technical magic spells like [Winter Rose] or [Ice Fantasy], he would opt to fully control the casting process as lots of external factors could disrupt the magi points. Nevertheless, he still tried it out. The [Artic Moon] he created was of a lesser quality than the one he normally would have constructed if he took full reins. ''Heh, I''m starting to like magi more than mana. Plus, I can use my will for basic mana spells if needs be.'' What he meant by "his will" referred to the special ability deep level meditation gave. Mana in the surrounding would act on his will without him ever commanding them. Circe loved using this ability to create chairs out of nothing. ''This is proving to be well worth it,'' smiled Reve. He continued checking out all his magic spells without a care for time. ....... Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Reve opened his eyes. His smile complimented well with the joyful emotions dwelling in him. Suddenly, multiple flashes of light reflected in his eyes. [Notice: [Mana Veins] and [Mana Heart] have merged to become [Nexus Spirit Physique].] [Notice: You have gained the title, [3rd Circle Arcanist].] [Notice: [Mana Point Atrribute(Mana)] have been converted to [Magi Point Attribute(Magi)].] [Notice: You have gained one achievement point. +1 A.P] This time, the updates given by Nixy were not much. In fact, Reve didn''t need to check each tab to understand. For starters, it seemed like after his acceptance of magi, his [Mana Heart] and [Mana Veins] were officially considered part of his spiritual anatomy. He had noticed this hadn''t happened before. So, he knew to expect it at this moment. The second important thing to note was the increase in achievement points. It was quite meager but he couldn''t be greedy. Circe had told him that the number of achievement points he had was simply too much. It far surpassed even that of regular monarchs. This was good as Reve had a use for it. His [Appraisal] needed to rank up and he had another nixy-exclusive skill in mind. ''Hmmm¡­.baby steps,'' sighed Reve. After he was finally done, he picked up his wet robe that was floating in the lake and wrapped his body. It was only then did he discover that Circe was nowhere to be found. He wasn''t worried tho. She would come back when she was ready. What he feared however is if she was sleeping. That would be disastrous as there was a 90% probability she would forget him for months. Reve''s eyes caught something, ''oooh.'' It was the figure of a gigantic white snake and a golden lion. His heart froze as he thought he was going to die. However, when he calmed himself, he realized that the two top-tier magical beasts made no effort to eat him. They kept looking at little him like he was a strange object that fell from space. "Ehh¡­..good day," greeted Reve. He wasn''t being foolish, trying to converse with them. Any magical beast in the first stratum had an intelligence greater than the average human. A voice came out of the white snake''s mouth, "G-Good day, young demihuman." "Yeah, likewise," said the golden lion. Reve was more confused at their meekness, but he had to ask, "Did you see a woman here not quite long ago?" "Y-Yes. The Immortal Witch told me to tell you that she had something to do," replied the white snake. "If you could please indulge me, when was that?" "About a month ago. She asked that we watched over you," revealed the white snake Reve politely said, "Oh, thank you." "I-It is our pleasure assisting the student of the Immortal Witch," replied the white snake. The golden lion couldn''t help but ask, "Are you adept in magic?" "Yes, why you ask?" "Can you teach us?" beamed the white snake. ¡­...and the rest was history! Chapter 107 - The School Of Enchantments "Oh, how wonderful!" Deep in the woods of Byu Island, a loud voice shouted in excitement. The source of the voice belonged to a white snake that coiled around a young demihuman. "You are telling me that pursuing the school of enchantment as a path gives an advantage to magical beasts?" asked Krera, the white snake. "Yes. The School of Enchantments is based on Ancient Magic which focuses on magical symbols like runes and glyphs. However, it eliminates the use of magical symbols due to their bad magical radiation and replaces it with magical spells called enchantments or hexes. Just like how elemental magic spells and arcane spell modules are different, enchantments also deviate from the main principle of a magic spell. They appear in the form of coded lines on one''s body. Yet, an enchanter would need a strong physique to bear the hex. Not just a strong body, a body magical in nature would be more appreciated," explained Reve. He had been made aware of this before he began his study on the enchantments. Nonetheless, for a while now, Reve hadn''t focused on learning a new enchantment apart from his signature [Enchant Body: Base]. This was because he had a lot of things to study and, at the end of the day, he was an arcanist, not an enchanter. Nevertheless, he was okay with telling what he knew about the school to Krera and Alistar, the white snake and golden lion who were tasked with protecting him. Reve sighed as he looked at the blue sky, ''It has been over a day since I became a 3rd Circle Arcanist. Yet, Circe has not come to get me. Has she truly forgotten about me as I suspected?'' It was a huge possibility that he couldn''t deny. Anyway, in the meantime, he would continue teaching Krera and Alistar all he knew about magic. Unlike him, most magical beasts only knew how to manipulate mana and not magic. For an individual to fully consider himself as a magical practitioner, he had to adhere to one of the existing schools of magic. Before Reve learned arcanism, he was akin to a joke in front of any mage, which was why Circe liked teasing him a lot. However, when he finally learned arcanism, his sheer power doubled and he became able to fight higher-level magical beasts! This was the advantage of magic to magical beasts. A human couldn''t become stronger without venturing into ki or magic. Whilst, a magical beast could simply become stronger by growing. However, what would happen if they stacked their natural advantage with magic or ki? It would be absolutely disastrous! Reve was a prime example of that! With the passion of magic coursing through his veins, Reve explained why he thought the school of enchantment was the best magic school for Krera and Alistar. "Just as I said, enchantments need a strong body to be cast on. All magical beasts have a physique above average. In fact, at maturity, the truly exquisite magical beasts are said to be able to rival the toughness of giants." "Moreover, we aren''t called "magical beasts" for no reason. The term "magical" refers to our innate nature. This innate nature is the very reason we can possess innate skills and become strong by following any path. We can manipulate fire by instinct. We can do what other races can''t do without magic and ki. We are blesseds of mana," explain Reve. In history, the progenitors of magical beasts were able to cause chaos because of these very intrinsic attributes. Legends say they were even worse than magical beasts when it came to that. Reve smiled when he thought of that, ''The titans.....only the strongest of ki masters could ever wish of slaying them. Only the most experienced mages could dream of trapping them. That is our legacy!'' Listening to Reve, Alistar complained, "I get that we are meant for this part, but isn''t the school of enchantment too narrow?" This was the danger of high-level magical beasts. Once they gained intelligence, their curiosity for the greater world would easily put them among the most brilliant beings on the planet. With just a few words, Alistar managed to find an issue with the magic school. However, Reve was not done just yet, "Yes, I thought the same. Aren''t enchantments just body augmentations? I remember asking my teacher, the Immortal Witch, why she strongly recommended this magic school for me. Do you know what she said?" The two magical beasts were piqued, "What did she say?" "Circe told me that if one thought enchantments were just body augmentations, they were truly the ones that were narrow-minded. On occasion were enchantments listed to only grant increased strength, speed, and the rest. To enchant means to change the true nature of something or someone¡­...to modify a product of creation. Make something of low-quality high quality. Make a mortal near god-like. Make a baby a man in less than a day!" Reve went on, "In the stories of legends, the enchantress of the winter court was capable of turning a man into a mouse and mouse into a man. There was nothing she could not change! Now, tell me, is this magic school not desirable enough?" If being honest, even Reve was tempted to dedicate himself to the school of enchantment. But ultimately, his true passion lied with arcanism. Just like arcanism, the school of enchantments was very difficult to tread upon. In the early stages, it focused on the physical system of the world, but in the later stages, it was capable of influencing the ethereal system as well. It was not wrong to say the school of enchantment required more brain than brawn! Krera beamed at this piece of information, "Oh, when can we begin?" "I don''t know much about this school, but I can teach you the basic knowledge," offered Reve. He wasn''t so stingy that he would deny a fellow curious magical beast of his eagerness. Reve glanced at the ground before he spoke, "There are different kinds of hexes. The normal hex is the body hex...." Chapter 108 - Knight Order(1) A few hours later. Reve, Krera, and Alistar were taking a break after Reve bombarded them with lots of training. However, Reve was just laying the groundwork for them. He was not proficient in the school of enchantments so apart from the basics, he had nothing more to offer them. Reve laid on the green grass once more as he looked at the sky once more. After teaching the two magical beasts all that he knew, he was waiting for Circe to come to get him. Leaving the island was dangerous. There were a lot of magical beasts around and it was not like all of them knew he was the student of the Immortal Witch. ''Damnation, could it be she has truly forgotten about me?'' Reve cursed. Just when he was about to scream out loud, he felt a presence moving closer to him. It was the same presence as the two magical beasts he was familiar with! Reve flipped up and prepared a spell behind him. He was waiting for the presence to come within a good range. "Hehe, now that you have truly advanced, you bare your fangs at your teacher," teased the voice. She passed the bushes and revealed herself. It was Circe, the teacher that had forgotten about him! Reve dropped his spell and squeezed his face, "Why are you just coming now?" "Oh, the order requested an impromptu meeting," explained Circe. Reve took a good look at her. She looked weary, the same expression she makes when she has gone through an annoying conversation. Circe was an introvert. A strong introvert. Socializing took a lot of energy from her. ''Hmmm, it might be true. Ehh!'' Reve thought. He was just about to believe her when he spotted the footwear she had on her feet. It was a pair of bear slippers. Circe wasn''t wearing that when he last saw her. Now that he thought of it, he doubted even an impromptu meeting would go on for more than a day. Damn! "Your slippers!" hissed Reve. "Eh, what''s wrong with it," Circe raised her brows. By now, she had noticed her mistake, but she could only bluff it. Reve roared, "You only wear that when you are sleeping. You liar!" "Eh... I might have taken a few moments of sleep after the meeting," confessed Circe. Reve cursed, "Xoris'' bottom! It wasn''t a few moments. It was bloody one month and a few days. One month!" Circe tried to console him, "Alright. Alright. What''s one month of solitude to an aspiring mage?" White smokes exited Reve''s nose and ear as he heard Circe''s nonchalant arguments. Alas, when dealing with his teacher, he could only bow in defeat. He forced his anger back into him and covered his grievous expression with a nice smile, "Oh, I see. Welcome back, Circe, my honorable teacher." "Eh, where''s that from?" "It is from the bottom of my heart," smiled Reve. He was going to annoy Circe with sweetness. His teacher didn''t like sweet words. Heck, she always complained whenever someone flatters her, it feels like ants are crawling on her skin. "Circe, my beloved teacher. I hope you were not stressed by the meeting. Do you care for a massage to soothe your sore muscles?" offered Reve. Circe jumped on her toes and squealed, "No." She kept looking at him with a suspicious eye. Finally, her big brain activated and she realized what Reve was doing. She quickly adjusted herself and materialized a familiar book, mirroring the same smile on Reve''s face. Seeing this, Reve muttered his last words, "Oh, damnation--" *Whoosh!* The book shot through the sky and brutalized Reve. Meanwhile, the two magical beasts hid behind a tree as they spied on the affair of the pair of student and teacher. Krera said, "Do you think he needs our help?" Alistar looked at Reve as he kept being beaten by the book, he froze when he thought about being at the opposite end of the divine book attack. "I-I think he can handle it," coughed Alistar. "Hmmm, you think so?...But he is screaming." "They are screams of victory." "He is also crying...?" "Tears of joy." "Hmmm¡­...If you say so," muttered Krera. She suddenly felt conscious about something, "We are perfectly hidden, right? They can''t see us, right?" "Of course!" exclaimed Alistar. The two magical beasts had no idea that a mere tree wasn''t enough to hide their figure, especially Krera that could easily tower one without even trying......¡­ ...¡­ After Circe was done teaching Reve a lesson, the latter rolled back to Circe. The red bumps on his skin shined brightly as he listened to what Circe had to say to him. "There is an important update in the situation," explained Circe. Reve eyed her, "What situation?" "That situation." A sigh escaped Reve''s lips as he realized what exactly this situation was. The last and only time he was at a Gehenna meeting, they concentrated on one major topic he had no idea about; the shards of Sheol! In his opinion, since Circe never told him about the shards, he had no reason to care for them. He was probably better off not knowing them. Yet, why was Circe telling him about it now..... Circe revealed, "The rumors are intensifying. The exact locations of five shards have been revealed. Two on the Xoris Continent. One on the new continent. And one final one on Kya. Unlike before, their locations are more defined." "So¡­.?" "One of them in Xoris is said to be in a human kingdom," said Circe. Reve was exasperated, "What are you getting at Circe?" "Patience....In the era of sins, towards the conclusion of this glorious time period, the world administrator intervened finally. She made the peak existence vow to never fight on the soil of Arcadia. That includes me and a few of the Gehenna members. If we venture into the human kingdom ourselves, there''s no way things would go smoothly even if we hide." "Why so? You can just hide your aura," wondered Reve. "That is because of the Knights Order!" [A/N: Don''t forget to vote!] Chapter 109 - Knights Order(2) Reve squinted his eyes as soon as he heard that, ''The Knights Order!'' Despite being a reclusive individual, Reve wasn''t so ignorant about the affairs of Arcadia. He knew what the Knights Order was. To some, it was considered the most ancient organization. Records of this order could be found in many tales that originate from the era of sins. They could be traced all over the timeline of Arcadia. The Knights Order, the perfect swords! It is recorded in fables that they originated from a group of five individuals. These individuals of various races were demigods! However, such paramount status did not detain them from swearing loyalty to another demigod called the Aura King, the first Aura King! They swore to be his hands and ears all over Arcadia, enacting his will as he wished. However, as if they knew their mere number would not be enough, they recruited more members and formed what would be now known as the early Knight Order! Wherever the Aura King appeared, they would be beside him. Even when he challenged the Immortal King, they were present in the illustrious moment. Even after the Aura King died, the surviving members of the Knight Order still held their oath to that grand title. They swore to never die and become an eternal presence for the Aura King. Of course, they couldn''t become immortal, but they were the closest thing to immortals. Sure, their members died, but their creed¡­...lasted for eternity. For decades, they would prepare themselves for the second coming of the Aura King. After the Second Aura King died, they waited diligently for the third. ¡­..and after the third, they waited for the fourth. ¡­..and after the fourth, they waited for the fifth. The cycle kept repeated yet they remained till this very day! The Knights Order, Guardians of the Aura King. It was a good thing that there was no Aura King in this present times, or else, the Knights Order would be very active in the affairs of Arcadia . . . . That was why at this very moment, Reve cocked his head at Circe, "What does this have to do with the Knights Order?" Circe commented, "The Knights Order is speculated to have their headquarters in Xoris. It is unknown where exactly but Met believes that they surely reside there. Moreover, they are very close to the human kingdoms and act as a defense force for them. There is no way they wouldn''t detect us if we infiltrate the kingdoms?" Reve still didn''t understand, "So, are you intimidated by them?" He didn''t believe they were. Of course, the Knights Order was terrifying, but after spending weeks with Nikan, Reve had come to know that they were differences between demigods. If not, the five founders of the Knights Order wouldn''t have sworn loyalty to the Aura King. One doesn''t just enact a lifetime service to another person, even if that person is his benefactor. Moreover, the Gehenna Order consisted of figures that were so illustrious that they were scrapped off legends and myths. Take Circe for example, not many people knew of her in the present times. "Of course, not. However, we can''t deny that we would have to fight if we do face each other which will surely kill us. They are a lot of demigods that have disobeyed the world administrator¡­..and none of them lived to tell the tale. Hence, rather than risking something like that, it is better to steer clear from any potential risk that might require us to use our strength," said Circe. Reve couldn''t understand why she feared the world administrator so much. However, he could feel that she and the other Gehenna Order members took the vow seriously. Circe explained, "Hence, that is why we would send people that are not strong enough to be detected by the Knights Order. And what better weak individuals than our own prospects?!" Immediately he heard that, Reve rejected, "No!" "Huh?" Circe showed a blank expression. "No, I am not interested in this¡­.mission," shouted Reve. While he quite respected the Gehenna Order, he wouldn''t be so foolish as to jump into a dangerous region for them. "Why?" asked Circe. "Why? Isn''t it clear, Circe? You taught me to never be taken advantage of. Do you think I would enter a human kingdom to search for an object I have no idea what it is?" countered Reve. "....." "Moreover, there is also a risk of getting captured by the Knight Order. Not just that, I''m sure the Gehenna Order is not the only one privy to the rumor despite how high tier the rumor is. In essence, the kingdom would be a battleground and you want me to go there? Am I right?" Circe''s blank expression only lasted for a while before she smiled wryly, "I''m not forcing you. If you don''t want to, then don''t. With me by your side, no one can force you. I was of the belief that with your innate curiosity, you would be interested in the shards and the kingdom." "I''m not. The human world records at least a thousand death each day. Yet, it is said to be in its most peaceful times," said Reve. Even he was scared when he thought of that. Plus, he was more comfortable staying on Azea. Nevertheless, he had a goal he would pursue when he was finally sound in strength. For now, he had to accumulate more strength! Reve sighed and told Circe, "I''m not comfortable with that." He figured he should be honest with her. Circe only took one pensive look at him and dropped the topic, "Okay." From the corner of her eyes, she spotted a white snake and golden lion hiding behind a tree, but she ignored them, "By the way, are you able to wield magi efficiently now?" "Yes, it is amazing, Circe. Now, I know why the school of arcanism always demands effort. Without my arduous training, I would have never been able to wield such a strange magical energy." "Yes. It is truly wondrous. Let''s pack up," Circe said. She was already dreaming of crashing on her lovely bed. Nothing could stop her dream from becoming reality. Before she could cast her teleportation spell, Reve chipped in, "Heh, Circe¡­....would it be possible to lend me your notes on enchantment magic? Chapter 110 - Parallel Status Circe paused what she was doing and gave Reve a strange look, "Why is that? You don''t need them." "I don''t but¡­..Krera and Alistar do," Reve looked down as he spoke. It was his first time asking for something like this. Although he had shamelessly asked for Circe''s grimoire once, this felt much different. After all, he wasn''t asking for himself. "Oh...I see. Do you intend to give it to the magical beasts that are hiding?" asked Circe. "Yes," sighed Reve. He knew he could not hide it from her. However, contrary to his expectations, Circe waved her hand in the air and a great number of books poured out. She cast an unknown magic spell and the books were duplicated. Circe offered these duplicates to the two magical beasts, "Reve, it is good to spread one''s magical knowledge. When we die, no one would remember us. However, our books will live forever and through that, we will also live on. Although items like grimoires cannot be shared, general magical books and other books can." She faced the two magical beasts, "Treasure it. When you finish studying all of them, you will be able to do well on your own." "Thank you, Great Immortal Witch." "You have our gratitude, Great Immortal Witch." Facing the onslaught of thanks, Circe immediately cast a teleportation spell and forcefully grabbed Reve. In the blink of an eye, the two mages disappeared from Krera and Alistar''s sight, leaving the two magical beasts to focus on the pile of books beside them. When they opened them, they were able to recognize the Troran characters written on the pages. They smiled, "I was worried it would be in human language. Thankfully, that was not the case." "Yes." ......And like that, the two magical beasts chosen by a cluster of coincidences would study diligently and birth their own legend many decades to come. However, that is not the focus of the story. . . . . . *Bwimp!* Reve and Circe appeared in their mansion. With hasty steps, Circe ran for her room while Reve was left to wander around the mansion. By now, he was already used to the cold atmosphere of the house. In fact, he was a bit warmed by it. After being with Circe for too long, he had adopted her reclusive nature. However, he brilliantly blocked himself from being influenced by her sleeping habits.....or so he thought. *Gurgle!* Hearing his stomach rumble, Reve realized, "Oh, I am hungry." He quickly went to the kitchen and cooked a meal for himself. Ten minutes later, a meat soup could be found on the table where Reve sat. With his two hands, Reve grabbed the bowl and emptied the contents in his bowl. He belched not long after, appreciating the simple dish he had made. Unlike Circe, Reve was not good at cooking. In fact, he was awful at that. However, he would never admit that! Looking outside a nearby window, Reve said to himself, "The day is still new. I wonder what I can do before night takes over." "Hmmm¡­.I can begin studying new spells." He saw his reflection in the glass of the window and was aghast, "Damn, I''m becoming more and more like Circe. I even make the same expression." "I can''t go on like this. I need to do something fun. Fun¡­.Yeah, I can do fun," exclaimed Reve. He thought deep and found an answer, "Hehehe, I know what fun activity I can do!" Reve went to the parlor of the mansion and sat on one of the couches. He thought to himself, ''Nixy-exclusive!'' *Bimp!* A white silhouette appeared in front of him. [Notice: You are accessing [Arcade]. Is that correct?] Reve confirmed, "Yes." [Notice: Affirmative, what exclusive skill do you seek?] "I want to evolve my [Appraisal] skill," said Reve. [Notice: Affirmative. Ranking up [Appraisal] will cost 20 A.P. Should I proceed?] "Yes." Immediately, a cool wave of energy soothed his mind. Reve was even surprised by the smoothness of the process at this moment. [Notice: Congratulation in acquiring [Appraisal(Rare)]. As you have fulfilled the requirements for the next evolution, do you want to proceed?] "Hmmm...¡­," thought Reve. He was starting to think that the world administrator was a saleswoman. She was even offering him deals like one! Still, he wasn''t surprised that he had fulfilled the requirements for the next evolution. However, when he thought of how hard it was to get [Appraisal(Normal)], he couldn''t help but get sentimental. "Yes," he said to Nixy. Instantly, another cool mental energy rushed into his head. [Notice: You have acquired [Appraisal(Unique)]. Do you want to continue evolving it?] "Did I pass the requirements for the next evolution as well?" [Notice: Affirmative. You have gained an exceptional title, which is the special requirement for the evolution. Do you still want to evolve it?] Out of nowhere, Reve thought of something strange, "Wait¡­.how many A.P do I have? Damn!" He hadn''t briefly forgotten to keep watch of his A.P! [Notice: You have 86 A.P left.] "..." Damn, he was scammed by Nixy. Suddenly, he didn''t feel like evolving skills anymore. Reve asked, "Can I request for another exclusive skill instead?" [Notice: Affirmative] "Hmmm, I want the counter skill for [Apprasial]," muttered Reve. He had realized that all this while, anyone with a [Appraisal] skill could gleam at his information. However, Circe mentioned that since his race and race-related information weren''t included in the world administrator''s database, no level of [Appraisal] would reveal information concerning that. Nonetheless, his other private information like level and skills would still be revealed. [Notice. There are two exclusive skills that fit the criteria built by you. [Parallel Status] and [Status Barrier].] [Skill Name: Parallel Status Skill Rank: Unique(exclusive) Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None Cost: 40 A.P Ability: -> Modifies one''s visible status according to one''s will. Requirements -> Possess an extensive array of knowledge(1/1) -> Possess an exceptional title(1/1) -> Possess a memorable title(1/1) ] Chapter 111 - Winter Rose [Skill Name: Status Barrier Skill Rank: Normal Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None Cost: 10 A.P Ability: -> Prevents one''s status from getting seen(only affects [Appraisal(Normal)]) Requirements: -> Possess [Appraisal(Normal)](1/1) -> Possess an atypical title(1/1) -> Possess more than 100 A.P prior to purchase or series of purchases(1/1) ] "Hmmmm, what to choose?" wondered Reve. The two abilities had different functions. [Parallel Status] was meant for tricking while [Status Barrier] was more brutal. From his analysis, he knew that [Status Barrier] was not as omnipotent as it sounded. Meanwhile, [Parallel Status] seemed to have no effect limits. There was no way the world administrator would make a mistake. It was obvious that [Parrallel Status] worked on all ranks of [Appraisal]. It was a big deal and almost unattainable. The last requirement for the skill was just too excessive. Whilst Reve did not know about title ranks, he knew that a memorable title would mean a title that left its mark on history, whether knowingly or unknowingly. If he looked at himself, he saw two titles that qualified for that, [Suthur-Nex] and [Titan]. Both titles held immense importance and were the very reason why Reve wanted a skill that could counter [Apprasial]! Reve scratched his head as he looked at the Nixy windows, "[Parallel Status] is much desired, but [Status Barrier] is useful too. The way I see it, they were both useful for various situations. Hehe, as for the effect of [Status Barrier], once I evolve it, it would change." He made up his mind, "I want both skills!" Immediately, the familiar cool wave rushed into his head [Notice: Congratulations on acquiring [Parrallel Status] and [Status Barrier(Normal)].] Reve said once more, "Evolve [Status Barrier]. I should meet the requirements, right?" [Notice: Affirmative] [Notice: Congratulations on acquiring [Status Barrier(Rare)]. Insufficient A.P for the next skill evolution.] "It''s alright. I am content," mused Reve. He should have 16 A.P left. Reve had no plans on squandering that. It might come in handy during unexpected situations. What he should focus on was his status! Now that he had [Parralel Status], he needed to know what to hide and what not to hide! "Hehehe, that would be for later. This cat emperor needs his nap." Reve left the parlor for his room. He quickly dived into his bed and transformed back to his cat form. His eyes closed and sleep came for him! .......... When he woke up, it was the dead of the night. Everywhere was silent, only the whistling of night creatures could be heard from outside. Reve wanted to go back to sleep but he was too energized to do that. He grumbled, "Bloody Xoris!" Dragging his lazy feet, he appeared in the mansion''s library and sat on one of the comfy chairs present. Now that he was wide awake, he had to be productive. He knew just what he wanted to do. Hence, he picked up the old books, one by one, "Hmmmm¡­.no!" "Not this one!" "Not this one either." "No." "No!" In over five hours, he had gone through all the books but couldn''t his desired book. As for what exactly he was looking for, it was information concerning Taxan. Reve had not forgotten his goal. He was going to save Myrna. It was the only thing that kept him up all this while. It was for this same reason that he participated in Amethyst''s crazy trial. Yet....he couldn''t find anything in the library. He would need to ask Circe personally for it then. The mansion''s library didn''t contain the secret books that Circe normally gave him for studying. Reve sighed, "She is sleeping. It is best to not wake her up. She gets cranky when I do that. I guess I just have to wait." Feeling a bit downcast, he went to his room. When he came back, a book was in his hands. It was his book of spell models. Since he could not sleep, he could only study. Opening the first page, Reve spotted the illustration of a certain spell model, "[Winter Rose], huh?" [Winter Rose] was his strongest spell. Yet, he had never unleashed it at any of his enemies. This was intentional because [Winter Rose] was a spell¡­...that would kill when cast. It was a spell that he could not fully control. Hence, if he execute it, he had to be prepared to face the backlash, which was just begging for death. Even now, Reve was scared of casting the spell. However, with his transformation into a true 3rd Circle Arcanist, he should at least have a chance, right? Reve closed his eyes and calmed himself. He decided to only practice it when Circe was watching so that she would be able to save him if he made a mistake. Reve thought out loud, "Hmmm¡­..I need to increase my spell repertoire." If he analyzed himself, he should be able to find out just what he needed. He had projectile spells. He had auxiliary spells. He had offense spells. Yet, it seemed that his defense spells were lagging behind the rest. Reve only had two defense spells, [Force Barrier] and [Great Tree]. The former was purely for physical attacks while the latter required him to be still. If possible, he wanted a defense spell that could merge well with his fast movements. Therefore, he had two ways he could go about it. One, he could learn the advanced spell of [Enchant Body: Base] which granted a degree of magical immunity. Two, he could merge his [Great Tree] with his unique attributes and create a defense spell. However, that thought was rocky as creating magic spells wasn''t easy. So, he could only go for the first option. In the meantime, he would research how to make [Great Tree] support active movements. For instance, if concentrated [Great Tree] on his body, he would be taking a single step towards his aspirations. Apart from defense spells, Reve knew he shouldn''t bite on more than he can chew. His skill repertoire, while being compact, was good enough for someone like him. Rather than acquiring new magic spells and skills, he could focus on advancing them. "Hah, I have too much on my hands again," sighed Reve. Chapter 112 - His Guilt(1) The next day, Circe was forced awake by the harsh ray of sunlight that burned her face. She grumbled and grabbed her robe to cover her body. Knowing that she might not be able to get a good sleep anymore, Circe headed downstairs to cook a breakfast meal. "So, he was up all night¡­." The door to the library was left open and she could hear the rustling of books. Not wanting to disturb her dear student, Circe tip-toed close to the door of the library. She took advantage of the open gap and spied on him. Reve''s eyes were sharp as he kept drawing something on a blank book. Every time, he would shake his head and mercilessly tear down the paper which he drew on. He would then repeat the cycle by restarting on another blank paper. Finally, after what felt like ages, Reve drew the perfect illustration of what was in his mind. He suspiciously brought towards his face to inspect for any error but he couldn''t find any. Feeling invigorated, Reve manipulated his magi to create the same magic circles inscribed on the paper. The bright blue energy particles assembled to form three magic circles. They were shimmering like fireflies at night. However, all of a sudden, the shimmered too bright and dispersed. Reve showed no extreme expression but simply sighed. It was then he looked at the paper yet again and spotted an error, making him restart the process all again. After a while of failure, he finally noticed the presence spying at him. He greeted, "Another Blissful day, Circe." "A blissful day indeed," lazily replied Circe. She took a look at his surroundings and yawned, "Why don''t you come help me? I estimate that you won''t be able to memorize that spell model easily. After that, you would still have to worry about spell control. A moment''s break is not going to inconvenience you." She managed to convince Reve who understood that he needed to cool his mind. He followed after Circe as they headed for the kitchen. An hour later. Reve brought two bowls and offered them to Circe. She poured the meal into the bowls and allowed Reve to take it to the dining table. Today''s breakfast was not a cereal but black beef stew with red wine! Reve licked his lips as he quickly dug his spoon into his bowl. Reve''s eyes bulged upon first taste, ''...Damn, this is the life.'' Unlike the others in Vagoroth, Reve and Circe had no occupation to support their lifestyle. However, what they did have was the Immortal Witch''s wealth. Over the eras, Circe had accumulated enough money that she would be able to last well enough for many more eras to come. She had had thousands of thousands of roth gold coins, which was the coin system that Vagoroth implemented. When asked, she revealed that she had been commissioned for most of Vagoroth''s leyline terminus. This was normal as the old witch claimed to have lived on Azea even before the founding members of Vagorth were born. One thing to note is that it was also these roth coins that Reve used to pay for his contract. Anyways, all in all, Circe was very stashed and as her student, Reve was also privileged to experience this wealth. He could only boast that he was one of the richest young lords in Arcadia. Back to the main topic, Circe had paid for the ingredients used for the breakfast meal. Frankly speaking, she had bought a lot of food items and stocked them in the kitchen''s ice chest, a big cupboard powered by an ice magical gem. This makes it easy to preserve the food supplies. ¡­.. Reve finished his meal and thanked Circe. He was about to go back to his studies when he heard Circe call him, "Wait." Reve turned back to face her. Normally, she would be very happy to get rid of him. So, what was the occasion? "I noticed that you seem to be rushing things. The path of magic requires diligence and patience. You know that. Yet, you ignore it and try to speed things," Circe sighed. She looked at Reve straight in the eye, "I suppose there is a reason for this absurd rushing?" She was the only one in Arcadia that knew Reve well enough...¡­..maybe a bit too much. She could read as easily as one could read the weather. Knowing this was going to be another heavy talk, Reve kindly went back to his seat and explained, "Amethyst told me something. Something very important and hopeful." "Hmmm¡­ I do remember that you participated in that wild trial for a reason. What was it again?" Thinking deeply, Circe snapped her finger not long after, "Yes, you wanted to resurrect someone. Is that what this is all about?" "Yes. I want to save Myrna," confirmed Reve. "Save her¡­..? But she''s dead," said Circe. Reve was stuck. He didn''t know how to counter, however, he still spoke, "But I can still save her. This Arcadia, the world of dreams. I can dream too, can''t I?" "I understand your thought process but you need understand that death is not as terrible as you think. Death is mainly the epilogue of one''s story. Why do you want to disturb a beautiful epilogue?" wondered Circe. She couldn''t understand why he thought that way. For eras, lots of beings have died whether tragically or normally. Yet, their comrades and family never possessed the desire to bring them back to life, the same desire that dwelled in Reve right now. In a way, Circe viewed death as a blessing. It allows one to forget all about Arcadia and their worries. As an immortal, Circe saw things differently. While she didn''t encourage worshipping the concept of death, she knew it was a form of release and one''s death should be respected. Circe speculated as she observed Reve, "Isn''t that audacious, little thing? I reckon that your dear friend didn''t ask you to save her if she died. I reckon that she knew very well that she might die when she took you to your fated place. If she is as you say, then she didn''t die unjustly.. I dare say she died with a smile. So, why are you disturbing her spirit? No, who are you to deny her of peace?!" Chapter 113 - His Guilt(2) - Vaddon Darteel Reve kept glancing away from Circe''s eyes. This was the first time that he felt a cold fury in her voice. This was the first time that he allowed himself to be intimidated by her! "So, what do you want to do? You want to bring her to Arcadia or Earth? Ludicrous! Do you think that you can forge your own ''happily ever after'' in her story?---" Circe scolded. She was about to drop a few more words when she realized the guilty look on Reve''s face. She wryly smiled, "I see, the problem does not lie with her death but with your acceptance of it. You can''t move on. Moreover, is that guilt I sense in you. You feel that it was you that caused her death?" Who killed Myrna? No matter how one looked at it, they would only come to one conclusion; the big sharks at the Devil''s Triangle. However, there was no doubt that there were machinations involved with her death. Yet, she was used! She was used by Khaos and mercilessly discarded after she fulfilled her purpose. She could have been saved by Khaos. However, the god only cared for Reve! This was why Reve couldn''t find it in himself to find peace with her death. His self-proclaimed caretaker was used as his transportation. Her death was not as glorious as she always thought it would be. Instead, she died a puppet! Reve revealed his turbulent emotions, "I have to try at least. I might not be successful in resurrecting her but the effort is all that matters. As for whether Arcadia would be the best place for her,.....heh, Myrna would love Arcadia!" "I see¡­.." muttered Circe. She still couldn''t fully understand his reasons but what she comprehended was enough. It brought memories back to her¡­.memories of when her dearest friend died. Rather than trying to resurrect her, she and Cain focused all their pain on rampaging on the world for taking her away! Circe sighed as she pushed back that memory to the back of her head, "Very well, If that is your wish, I shall assist you. What was the clue Khaos gave you?" Reve beamed, "Amethyst told me that my greatest chance lied in Taxan, the Devil''s Pasture." "Taxan! That is absolutely impossible and reckless," retorted Circe. As one of Arcadia''s greatest mages, she knew very well what the plane of Taxan was... "No one has ever walked into Taxan and come back alive. No one! No lived to tell the tale. Moreover, what makes you think that finding Taxan will be what you need? Apart from that, what are you to do after you find it? Simply ask whoever is there to search for Myrna?" "I don''t know, but Amethyst pointed at Taxan. He wouldn''t lie to me. He doesn''t lie. He only tricks," said Reve. "That doesn''t mean you shouldn''t doubt his intentions," scoffed Circe. She wondered how she came to mentor such a troublesome student. Her lazy life was almost extinguished the moment he walked to her home. Circe sighed, "I guess you are not going to listen to me, right?" "Yes," firmly replied Reve. "Alright then. I have a clue on where to find Taxan," said Circe. As if realizing something, her lips curled to form a vile smile. Her unreadable stares made him think he was a trapped prey. "Well, would you look at that...." teased Circe. "What?" "Nothing." She focused back on what she wanted to say, "Decades ago, I woke up, following my usual routine. However, I thought I should do something special to commemorate the end of the era of imagination. Hence, I exercised my body by sight-seeing all parts of Arcadia. It was akin to a great spiritual journey. Oh, you should have seen the----" "Circe, focus!" hissed Reve. "Alright, now, where was I? Oh, my journey!" she sieved through her memory bank. Circe went on, "In this journey, I came across a human noble from far away. If I remember correctly, his name was Vaddon Darteel. He pursued me for days and when I finally listened to his cries, he introduced himself." "Vaddon Darteel was a human from Xoris. He was scouring all over Arcadia just like me. However, unlike me, he was a man on a mission. You see, Vaddon Darteel had spent decades looking for a way to resurrect his beloved. He had narrowed his chances down to venturing to Taxan, just like you. He explained that he needed a mage to perform an extremely detailed spell. None of the mages he knew could perform that. So, when he heard of an unknown witch wandering around Kyas, he traced her and requested her assistance." Reve asked her, "Did you accept?" "No! I didn''t. I wasn''t about to sacrifice my peace for a troublesome spell," coldly replied Circe. Reve knew that she would say that. He couldn''t deny that she was right. A spell that could supposedly summon Taxan was indeed troublesome no matter how efficient it was. "Vaddon was relentless. Even after I advised him to move on, he wouldn''t. He left me and went on to search for another strong mage. It was possibly this stubborn-headed nature that would make a man leave his home continent for something that had a 99% chance of failure," commented Circe. She waved her hand in the air and a small spatial pocket opened. Circe put her hand through it as she spoke, "However, before he left, he still had hope that I would change my mind. He gave me a way to find him if I ever did." She brought back her hand and closed the spatial pocket. Afterward, she revealed what was hidden in her hand. It was a small bronze tablet with an inscription of a sword in a lake. Below the drawing was the arcadish characters, "Darteel". "This is what he gave me. I never took a second look at it. Take it," offered Circe. Reve scrutinized the object, "Darteel¡­.is his Noble House''s name." He flipped the tablet and saw another drawing at its back. It was the inscription of a star resting on the top of a great tree. There was no identification of the symbol so Reve was left to comb through his memory and identify it. After a while, he realized why it looked familiar, "The symbol of the Kingdom of Narva. The House of Drateel is in¡­...Narva!" Chapter 114 - Amethyst Style After a while, he realized why it looked familiar, "The symbol of the Kingdom of Narva. The House of Drateel is in¡­..Narva!" ........... "Yes. With this, you can find the man, or the remains of the man, and find out everything you need to know about Taxan. Moreover....." Circe couldn''t help but smile, "What a beautiful coincidence? Narva is just where the Gehenna Order needs you to be." Reve squeezed his face as soon as he heard that. No wonder, he had been feeling tense all this while. He was actually walking into a trap! Just as he was about to reject Circe''s offer, the witch revealed her cards, "You are a magical beast. You would never get into Narva alone. Their security is tight. However, the Gehenna Order has a way to sneak into Narva. What do you say, huh?" ''Damn, she''s right. I forgot about it,'' thought Reve. Most magical beasts were either used as mounts or as summoned creatures for the humans. To allow a magical beast to walk freely on their streets was too risky for them. However, Reve had a way to maneuver that. He could just stay in his demi-human form for as long as he could. Yet, there was still an issue. He had to have an identity in their records or else they wouldn''t let an unknown individual into their kingdom. "Alright.....But, I won''t go if you do not tell me what exactly these shards of Sheol are. Plus, I''m not ready right now. I still have to tidy things up," said Reve. "Very well then. I can''t tell you what the shards are. However, there is a loophole around the oath. This loophole will be exploited to inform you of the details of the shards," told Circe. She stopped talking and focused back on her food, while Reve went back to the library. He went back to practicing his spell. . . . . . Half a month later. Reve was currently sitting in the courtyard. Beside him was Nikan who kept talking to him. However, Reve was more focused on the Nixy Windows in front of him. [ Name: Reve Amethyst Race: Nexus Cat Level(exp): 76 (50/1000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic), Truth Seeker (Path of Secrets) Titles: Suthur-Nex, Deviant, Titan, Hunter, Magic User(Meister), Traverser, Amethyst AP: 16 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 69 Speed: 87 Constitution: 60 Intelligence: 62 Mana: 400 Psi-Force: 140 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.1) Seventh Sense(Lv.3). Energy Sense(Lv.4). Nexus Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Unique). Parallel Status(Max). Status Barrier(Rare).Blind Magic(Lv.9). Force(Lv.2). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Lv.9). Nature Echo Ver.2(Lv.2). Enchant Body: Demon(Lv.2). Frozen Gate(Lv.5). Binary Form(Max). Polar Nature(Lv.2). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.7). Yggdrasil(Lv.2). Morai(Lv.3). Arctic Moon(Lv.4). Nexus Magi Series(Max) ] Reve sighed as he remembered the arduous training he took to get to this stage. Now, he felt more like a mage. This past month had been extremely fruitful. His raw power had shot through the sky amazingly. Circe explained that it was a result of his innate trait and also his first time exposure to magi. Truly, after a while, his rate of growth was slowing. He knew that his one-month time period had already come to an end. However, it didn''t matter to him. He had gotten enough from the one month and was prepared to focus on them in the coming times. When looking at his status, Reve knew that while it might look different, nothing changed exactly. For instance, the only skill that came out of nowhere, [Nexus Magi Series], just contained the spells he used for his contract and his [Nexus Spirit Physique]. His change in mage title was also expected. After all, he had acquired all the necessary skills for him to become a 3rd Circle Arcanist. The only one left was his raw power. When he reached Lv.76, a few days ago, he finally attained the title of Meister. ''Hehe, I''m now Meister Reve,'' thought Reve happily. Just as he was about to laugh out loud, Nikan''s voice brought him back to the world of the living, "Hey, are you actually listening to me?" Being the student of Circe, Reve knew out to get out of this difficult situation. He confidently scoffed, "Of course." "Really? Why do I feel like you were not listening? Alright, what was I saying?" "........" Reve posed and stared at the sun, "The weather is warm today, right?" "You were not listening," shouted Nikan. Understanding he had not yet gained the bluffing skills of Circe, Reve admitted defeat, "Yes." "I was asking you how was your progress on your magical style," said Nikan. Reve paused for a moment before he recollected himself, "Oh, that. Well, since we are developing a battle style together, I have made progress in converting it into a magical style." "Oh, really?" beamed Nikan. The two of them were geniuses. That was why when they put their mind together, they manifested the embryo of a battle style that didn''t specifically belong to the ki path or the magic path. They had first wanted to name it "the shadow style" after the person it was based on. However, using that would be too misleading. So, they went with "Amethyst Style" and made the second name "Iskai Style", "Iskai" meant "the shadow" in an ancient language. Forming the branches of this style, Nikan developed the Nikan branch while Reve developed the Morai branch. The two branches had polar concepts, but when combined, they would bring out the true Amethyst Style! With that said, the style was still in the makings and the two agreed that they would need to experience more battle styles before they could confidently announce their own style! Looking at the confident Reve, Nikan smiled, "Do you want to test it out?" Chapter 115 - Amethyst Style(2) "Do you want to test it out?" ........ Reve turned to face Nikan as soon as he heard that. He later revealed a smile as he thought, "Hmmm¡­.why not? It would be our last spar anyway!" "Sure," he revealed his thoughts to Nikan. For the past month, they had been focused on developing the theoretical aspects of their styles, leaving them with little time to spar. It would be alright to test the results of their long seclusion. They could not deny the bubbling feeling of excitement that was breeding in them. Their smiles arced well on their faces as they both stood up and faced one another. As per normal, Reve quickly distanced himself from Nikan. There was no way he would forget that he was a mage, not a battle-brawler. He took in a deep breath of fresh air and concentrated on the cool sensation he perceived. His mind resonated, ''Like the fresh wind. Like the winter leaves. Like the chill lake.'' All of a sudden, his eyes brightened and he was finally ready. Following the normal tempo, Nikan was the first one to move. He burst at such speed that one would think they had fallen under an illusion and were starting to see double. Before he got to Reve, Nikan protruded his claws and slashed at the air, "[Wind Claws]." Four huge claws with a green hue appeared in the wind with such ferocity. Borrowing the power of the wind, they clobbered down on Reve. Seeing this, Reve simply smirked. While the situation was disadvantageous for him, his mind raced wildly to find the right set of attacks to counter the awful claws. With a grin, Reve quickly snapped his fingers and a single magic circle appeared underneath the moving claws. It unleashed hellish ice particles that turned the claws to a deep blue. Just before the claws could contact his skin, they dispersed into blue shimmers of light. However, Reve was not done, another magic circle appeared just behind him that stopped the sudden intruder from advancing. The intruder was of course Nikan who was just testing the waters, so he wasn''t surprised that he was caught. Out of nowhere, a sneaky white plant whip wrapped around his legs. He tried to tear it apart but the resilience of the plant was one to admire. "Eh, What is this?" exclaimed Nikan. In less than a minute, his blood chilled as if they were put under frigid temperature. Every breath that came out of his mouth was visible¡­.if not too visible. His skin was starting to turn blue and ice thorns ejected from the white plant whip into his bloodstream subtly. "Oh, I see now. An upgrade, heh? However, this much is not enough," smiled Nikan. He closed his eyes and proclaimed, "[Wind Avatar]!" Like as if he was a magnet for disasters, a fierce wind gale with bothering howls descended on him. Before he could even breathe, another one came at him¡­..and another one¡­.and another one. The cluster of wind gales blocked Reve''s sight! By the time, they settled. Nikan was revealed to have made a quick wardrobe change. He had a green combat garment that flowed too easily with the wind. Seeing this Reve muttered inwardly, ''[Wind Avatar] is his most common ki art. He never really used this before. Does this mean he is finally stepping up his game?'' He decided to not focus on irrelevant thoughts and simply go with the flow. As Reve''s eyes stared intensely at Nikan, he received the shock of his life.....In the blink of an eye, Nikan disappeared. Reve tried to calm himself and counted inwardly. If he understood Nikan well enough, the latter should be rushing at him right now. Reve unleashed the full power of his sensory faculty and bided his time patiently. ''One...two¡­.three¡­.Now!'' Just as he expected, he sensed movements behind him. Reve manifested his [Force Barrier] and punched it towards the direction he suspected the movement was coming from. Not willing to leave any gap in his defense, he manifested dozens of [Force Barriers] and sent them in all directions. This was one of the ways he had learned to use [Force Barrier]. Apart from simply focusing on effectiveness, he could bring out its true versatile nature, making it easy for him to defend and attack at the same time. If he was right, the direction where the loudest noise occurs is the location of Nikan. *Boom!* Just as he expected, the sound came out from behind him. He moved quickly towards that direction, however, his lips curled to form a smile. ''Only an amateur would fall for a simple move like this!'' As soon as he sensed the disturbance of magical energy in his surrounding, Reve hastily stopped and revealed three magic circles that had been building up underneath him. In less than six seconds, the magic circles generated a huge tree that enveloped Reve. This tree was unceasing when it came to growth. With its sharp branches, it headed for the sky! Yes, that was Reve''s aim all along. Only an amateur would fall for an obvious bait. Nikan was never behind him. Nikan was in the sky! ¡­...And now, like a falling star, Nikan was diving towards him with an insane momentum. All around him, a green aura extended and protected him from the dangers of such an attack. As if to announce that it was a final attack, his deep black fur extended out of his skin, and full [Prime Mode] was left on full display. He howled as he reached a sizable distance from Reve. Nikan saw the barren tree branches heading for him but he paid no attention to them. He grinned as, yet again, his speed increased due to his maximum output of ki. Before he knew it, it was already time for the clash of the two. Like a slippery fish, Nikan twisted in the air and landed a dropkick at the onslaught of tree branches! *Boom!* Chapter 116 - Amethyst Style(3) *Boom!* By the time the dust cleared, a deep crater could be found in the crack along with cracks on the earth that separated it. Nikan could be found limping with his right leg as he smiled at Reve, who was kneeling shakily on the ground. They both had blood spilling from the corners of their mouth. However, Nikan''s injury was more evident. He fell to his knees and coughed out blood while Reve tried to control his hurried breath but took no action. He wheezed, "That was quite suicidal yet you manage to pull it off. Should I suppose it is a new attack that you created?" To a normal mage and warrior''s eye, Nikan''s attack was simplistic in nature. However, to Reve, it was too sophisticated. In fact, it followed the amethyst style. It was all about controlling momentum and physical forces like kinetic and motion. When analyzed further, Reve hypothesized four main stages of the attack. One, gathering momentum through a fall. Two, feeling or perceiving the momentum. Three, switching the momentum to coalesce around one main part of your body. Finally, four, totally unleashing the full power of the momentum. Reve knew about this sequence of action. However, whenever he tried, he failed at the fourth part. His destructiveness would not equal the momentum gathered. As he was thinking, he took a good look around his surrounding, ''This is really brutal!'' Nikan''s pained voice reached out to him, "Not really. I can barely dish the attack. My body is broken beyond normal because of it now." Reve simply laughed it off, "But you did it!" "Shut up, you are annoying. You say that, yet you are not as injured as I am. What spell was that?" scoffed Nikan. "[Yggdrasil]!" told Reve. He had replaced his [Great Tree] magic spell with [Yggdrasil]. After all, he had seen the effect of [Yggdrasil] clearly in battle. When he fought against the dryad years back, all he wished for was to possess that magic spell. Hence, whenever he had the time in the past month, he would dedicate it to learning the spell. The magic spell was not considered complete though. Only when it was used with [Will of the Forest] would it yield maximum potential. Unfortunately, Reve had not yet learned that magic spell yet. It takes time to learn just one single advanced magic spell not to talk of two or more. As he was conversing with Nikan, Reve eyed him, "By the way, are you stalling me? Hehe, it seems you are already healing." "Aren''t you the same?" scoffed Nikan. Victory might very well just depend on who could heal faster. Reve was confident in this type of battle. His regenerative rate was not something Nikan could compete with! After speaking, Reve stood up! He offered no words but instead decided to speak with spells! Below Nikan, a familiar magic circle actualized and threatened to bring the frozen cold of winter. Before it could open its mouth like a ravenous beast, Nikan hurriedly ran away from the circle but other magic circles kept pursuing him. Nikan cursed, "Bloody bates, can''t you rest for a single second?" Hearing this, Reve merely laughed lightly. Since it was not a life and death battle, and since Nikan was not an enemy, just a spar partner, Reve revealed, "Even if I was injured or even if my regenerative rate couldn''t keep up with my injuries, it still wouldn''t mark my loss." As he spoke, a shocking phenomenon occurred around him¡­..No, it occurred to him. Reve made a strange hand sign and kept it locked as his feet began to propel in the air. He seemed to not be powered by anything yet, he broke the limit of his usual semi-flight and achieved true levitation. Every word he said brought him higher up in the air and every second that went by made him look more balanced. However, Reve seemed to not be able to go beyond 100ft high. He maintained a height of 60ft and looked down on Nikan like a god. "My body is a puppet and I am the puppeteer. I can command it as I wish and I can summon it tirelessly----" He sharply uttered his next words, "[Morai]!" His [Morai] skill had made one of the most significant improvements in the last month. Just by merging the concepts of the amethyst style, Reve was able to reach a deeper level of potential. He was able to extract a marvelous wonder. The ability to fly! Although, it wasn''t as good as a normal flight, which would take one to the sky...¡­. but within those hundred feet, Reve was in perfect control of his movement, which most people that gain flight don''t have. He could feel every physical force interact with his body. He could feel them influencing him like a lonely leaf that separated from its mother tree. Even the elusive wind brushed against his sensitive skin more than he ever thought it would. Reve smiled as he once again dwelled in this feeling. With [Morai], his mind was heightened beyond normal. In a way, he was akin to a god in a mortal shell. "Let''s wrap this up," said Reve. *Whoosh!* Suddenly, a great green spear shot at him. It was fast for even Reve. However, at the last second, Reve twisted his body away from the spear. He turned around to meet another spear, headed for him, and this time, dodged it easily. Then, another came and behind it was an army of green spears trying to nock the grand prize! As he busied himself evading the spears, Nikan powered himself with and took back control of the battle, "I should have known you had a trick up your sleeves. However, it doesn''t matter. [Zephyr Fallout]!" The green aura around him broke out of his body and unleashed a shockwave that consumed all around him. Even while, Reve tried to distance himself from the shockwave, it kept expanding, which made Reve understand that he couldn''t evade the shockwave. He prepared [Force Barriers] around himself and clashed with the shockwaves. *Shui!* It was subtly¡­.. Enveloped in the shockwave, all Reve felt was a quick electric shock that coursed through his body, but he knew¡­....things were about to get ugly! Chapter 117 - Amethyst Style(4) His head hand down as he thought to himself, ''Oh damnation! So, this is what he was hoping for.'' Suddenly, his body began freefalling in the air. Reve lost control and was falling at a location where Nikan quickly appeared, waiting for him. Reve knew he couldn''t do anything about his situation. While appearing invisible, his [Morai(Lv.3)] had an obvious flaw. It required him to be in deep concentration. That was why Reve made a constant hand sign despite already being in the air. It was a way of tethering his mental mind to his meditative state, effectively disallowing it from disrupting his battles. However, once he dropped that hand sign, his [Morai] skill would deactivate. Worst of all, facing the feedback, he would enter a sort of paralyzed state. Nonetheless, this was not what happened to him. What happened was a result of Nikan''s genius mind? At first, Reve was confused but he later figured out what Nikan did. In essence, Nikan discovered another flaw of [Morai] that he wasn''t aware of. By releasing a shockwave, he could disrupt Reve''s energy control for just one teeny weeny second. However, that inconsequential second was all it took for Reve to be ejected out of his meditative state. After all, he required absolutely stability to maintain a deep meditative state. Hence, which brought Reve back to the present. He was falling at Nikan like a gift handed by gods. Reve was not going to go down easily tho! He tried to regain control of his body, but each time he tried, it would end in failure. He couldn''t even move his fingers! Just as Nikan''s knee was about to contact his face, he finally felt his body parts! Reve fluidly twisted his body around Nikan and executed a slam lock on him. With his arms, he trapped Nikan''s neck forcing him to concede but Nikan quickly recovered from Reve''s previous attack and head-butted him. This gave Nikan enough time to free himself from the lock, "Hehe, at the end of the day, it all boils down to this!" Despite blood spilling out from his nose, Reve chuckled, "I had also predicted this. [Enchant Body: Demon]!" It was finally time for a brawl. Both sides had diminished their energy and wouldn''t be able to dish out any magic spell or ki arts any time soon. Nikan had spent most of his ki on that unnamed dive attack while Reve had used his on [Morai] and [Yggdrasil]. He spent his remaining magi points on [Enchant Body: Demon] to prepare himself. Red lines moved around on his skin as they saturated with a subtle red. On his forehead, the lines formed the symbol of a single drop of deep red blood, giving Reve a sort of demonic vibe. Feeling the strength brewing inside him, Reve clutched his fist. He was finally ready. He watched as Nikan entered a stance. The latter said to him, "A battle of pure combat. There is no way a mage can defeat a warrior in such battle." However, Reve didn''t fall prey to his taunts and simply smiled it off. Reve closed his eyes and brought out an object from his pocket. It was a white headband, his victory headband gifted to him by the world administrator! Reve used it to cover his eyes and also to soothe the terrific headaches rushing to his head. Calming his breath, he decisively discarded his sense of sight and on the mental picture his [Seventh Sense] and [Third Eye] had painted for him. Just like before, Nikan took the first move since he knew Reve would never choose to do so. He went straight for a punch to the face but it was easily deflected by Reve who counter-attacked with a soft push. It looked meek, but the push was terrific enough to make his inner organs tremble. Nikan smiled as he experienced his bones shake. He rushed back into battle, this time, opting for a leg sweep. Just as Reve grabbed his right leg as he had expected, his left leg which was planted firmly on the ground felt a freezing plant whip wrap around it. Using this plant whip, Reve gained control of the tempo gave Nikan a quick knee jab! He wasn''t pulling any stops as he pushed his right hand to perform a punch. Just as his punch was about to land, Reve drew back his right hand and transferred all the momentum into his left hand. *Boom!* Nikan was sent away by this awful attack. His face dug into the earth as his mouth ate the dirt of the earth. Sensing this, Reve smiled, ''Of course, I''m a mage and I shall fight as such.'' This was his improved [Blind Magic] style. By mixing the original skill with the amethyst style, Reve was able to come up with a low-energy style. Furthermore, as a mage, he would prioritize using his signature plant whips, which were created by his [Polar Nature] spell. Despite its name, it was simply an improved version of [Nature], which combined both nature element and ice element together. Reve sighed as he had now seen the effectiveness of this demi-style. Nikan quickly rushed back to battle with a smile on his face. Before Reve could react, a side jab went sneaked through his defense and forced him to evade. Nikan was starting to steal the tempo, but Reve forced back control by executing a roundhouse kick. He had started training himself on basic combat moves so as to enhance the [Blind Magic] style. He twisted his body and delivered another kick at Nikan, which the latter caught rather surprisingly. Nikan''s fingers flashed out of sight and the next thing Reve knew, multiple red spots appeared on his leg. The pain it brought was tremendous but Reve could only block it in the meantime. "Hehehe, I knew you would be slippery. I just had to catch you and it would be game over," laughed Nikan. Before he could dwell in his supposed victory, a plan whip pulled Reve away from Nikan. Reve followed this up with a normal punch to the face, but Nikan also threw a punch to his face. Suddenly, the two stopped before their punches could land. "Should we call a draw?" "My thoughts, exactly" Chapter 118 - The Guests After the spar between Nikan and Reve, two days went by quickly and the pair of friends quickly dived into their respective studies. Just like Reve, Nikan was being taught by Zev so he wasn''t necessarily free every time. In the afternoon of this quiet day, the black mansion received a guest. To be more accurate, they were three guests. Two, Reve was not familiar with while the last one was someone Reve didn''t want to see. As soon as Reve opened the door, his face twisted, "Zev, what can I do for you?....and who are these?" Judging by their dress, they weren''t the common demihuman. One of them was a woman with two white wings that functioned as her hand. The other was an old man in blue robes. "Hey, it''s been long right. Forgive me for the intrusion, these are..." chided Zev. Before he could introduce them properly, the two guests introduced themselves. "I am Myniene." "You can call me Tor." The woman cut straight to the point, "We are from the Vagoroth Council." Reve titled his head with blank eyes, "Oh, the Vagoroth Council. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He wondered whether he had gotten in trouble but, so far, Reve had a low profile in Vagoroth. In fact, he could bet that 80% of the demihumans had forgotten about him, the demihuman of the black mansion. So, what were they looking for? Wait!....the fact that they came with Zev was strange. Reve ruminated, ''Hmmmm¡­..what am I forgetting?'' Predicting his thoughts, Myniene flashed a smile, "Don''t be worried. It''s is nothing troublesome. Actually, we came because you have been recommended for a program¡­..." She stopped talking and looking at the surrounding, making Reve realize that it wasn''t something to discuss in public. With an inward grunt, he forced himself to open the door for them and lead them to the parlor. Due to his excessive care of the house, it sparkled white as if it was just built. After making sure, he served them with fruit juice, Reve sat on one of the couches and waited for them to continue the conversation. By now, he had already figured what this was about. Zev''s appearance was just too obvious. Myniene took a sip of the fruit juice, "This is marvelous. The perfect blend between the different fruit. Serious thoughts have been put to the mixing ratio. If I may ask, who made this?" "My master, Circe." "The witch Circe?" "Yes." Part of the perks of being forgotten by time is having no problem using their name. Since Circe had had a few fruitful dealing with Vagoroth, she made no effort to hide her name. There was no way they would identify her with the Immortal Witch. In fact, she was sure that they had no idea of the Immortal Witch. To them, Circe was just a witch with an extensive lifespan who lived in Azea, seeking peace. As long as they gave her no issue, she would bear no harm. Myniene revealed a surprised look, "I never knew the witch Circe was a master in the kitchen." She controlled herself and got back to the situation, "Anyway, as I had mentioned, you were chosen for a new program made by the council. As for what this program is, it is an academic exchange program with the kingdom of Narva." ''I knew it!'' Reve shouted inwardly. Still, he maintained his composure and asked like a normal demihuman, "This is quite sudden. May I ask what exactly this exchange program is and why was I chosen? I don''t seem to recall volunteering and I have not spent up to a year in Vagoroth." "The exchange program is actually one way. We, the Vagoroth Council, have decided to finally leave our shells and observe the world. This is our first step to achieving the dream of global acceptance. You will be required to attend an academic institution in Narva and will only come back during holidays, breaks, till the end of your academic stay." She took a quick sip before she continued, "As for why you were chosen. The exchange program only concerns mages, not ki masters. You know, demihumans don''t make good mages especially the newer generations. It is rare to see a demihuman that is a mage. Hence, we found it hard to find one that would fit the criteria. Luckily, Zev recommended you, a young mage that is the student of a witch. Despite your short time spent in Vagoroth, we are confident that you are the one that we are looking for. After all, you are a demihuman." ''But I''m not a demihuman?!'' thought Reve. Of course, he wouldn''t say it out. Still, why didn''t Zev give him a heads-up? Fortunately, he had prepared for situations like this. As long as he kept his [Dos Form] active, and manipulate his stats, he would be able to pass off as one. Reve queried, "Hmmm, about that, when does this program begin?" "A week from now, our ship shall set sail for Narva," replied Myniene. It was her turn to ask, "So, are you interested? Bear in mind that you have a choice in this. It is okay if you don''t want to." Reve smiled, "I''m interested. It will be splendid to observe the world outside of Azea." Hearing this, Tor brought out a document from his bag and presented it to Reve. The latter was asked to sign it. However, the signing method was unique. In Arcadia, it was quite understandable that normal handwritten signatures could be forged easily. That was why one usually used seals. Yet, that only applied to nobles or rich merchants. An alternative to seals was a newly discovered method called imprint. It involved one dipping their finger in a unique liquid and outwardly sending their energy towards the document to be signed. After their energy disperses, a cryptic symbol would appear on the document.. It was a symbol intrinsic to everyone. It was called energy signature, based on the fact that every living being''s energy was different despite them drawing it from the same source! Chapter 119 - The End Of A Great Story Reve quickly signed the document and conversed lightly with the group. They asked with a few questions like what rank of magic had he reached, what school of magic did he follow. They also asked him about his magic style, his skill repertoire, and his age. Most of the questions weren''t sensitive so Reve answered them passionately. He found out that Myniene and Tors were mages just like him. Myninene followed the school of elementalism, while, Tor adhered to the school of enchantment and ancient magic. Yes, ancient magic! Tor was a student of this old magic school! Part of Reve wanted to pester him with a lot of questions about ancient magic, but he was polite enough to restrain himself. Circe always told him to compose himself when in public and he was sure it was because of his outward character that the council decided on him. After all, they wouldn''t allow a troublemaker to join their program. It would be simply dumb to do that. Anyways, after a while, Reve walked the guest out and finally slammed the door. "Whew," sighed Reve. He thought to himself, ''So, this is the means that Circe spoke about.'' By having Zev in the council, Gehenna Order can manipulate the decisions of the council to a certain degree. Moreover, it just so happened that the two organizations had needs that complimented one another. As he was thinking, Reve sat on the closest couch. ''So, I am heading for Xoris, huh?'' It was weird. He never planned to spend all his life on Azea but he also never planned on going elsewhere. Hence, he did not know how to feel about this situation. Although, his feelings weren''t important as it was something he had to do! He had to uncover the rumors of the shards of Sheol and find the magic spell that can open the gates of Taxan. Both tasks were almost impossible to do and he was prepared to fail at least one, but he had to try or else he might regret it. ''Another chapter of my life will soon begin. Heh, this reminds me of the time I went for Amethyst''s trial. Now, that I think of it, it was the same feeling as now.'' When he looked back on things, he realized that he had come a far way from the little cat he was years ago. He had met a lot of figures that were above legendary status. Heck, he had even met two gods. He had experienced a lot of things that the top Arcadians would lack. The only thing that still remained was his low level, though. His attributes, skills, and even, name, were not something normal. However, Reve was not worried about his strength. That didn''t matter to him. One didn''t simply become strong in one year or a single decade unless they had the influence of an item. In his mind, this was a crucial period, the period before maturity. He should do his best to accumulate experience so that when he finally blossoms, he would as bright as the sun. Hehehe, he could already feel the amount of cat empress surrounding him by then. Yes, secretly, it was all for his future cat harem! Of course, he would never admit that. Reve spent a few hours drooling about his future wives before he actually reported the progress of the situation to Circe. ...¡­. After knocking on her door and receiving a reply, Reve went in, "The guest just left." He didn''t explain who the guests were. It was futile. Circe was a mage that could even read minds. Even while sleeping, she would be sense anything that happened to the mansion. Reve was sure that knew about the guests and their reason for coming. "Yes, that Myniene is quite interesting," muttered Circe. She was still laid on her bed so her voice was low. "Oh¡­." Reve was piqued. Circe yawned, "Zev praises her a lot. I used to think he was just blind by love but I didn''t expect her to be a breath of fresh air." "What was different about her?" "Her bearing and magical prowess. Forget it, you wouldn''t understand," said Circe. She stared at Reve, "So, are you prepared?" "Yes, I have taken care of all that I need," honestly answered Reve. "Hmmm¡­..it seems you will be leaving me again, " sighed Circe. "Alright, to celebrate your departure, you will go through extensive magic training for the remaining one week," "Ehhh, that is not necessary." "Don''t worry, you will like it. Aren''t you the one that likes studying?" Reve couldn''t help but gulp facing the enthusiastic Circe, "I have had enough training." "Spoken like a true amateur, it is never enough. In fact, let''s begin at once!" "Nooooo!!!" . . . . . . A week later In his room, Reve faced his mirror and observed his goldy figure. He wore an exquisite white shirt while donning tight black pants with boots. His white hair with green streaks fell all the way to his waist while his antler horns still maintained their short length. "Umu, as expected from a cat emperor?" nodded Reve. He gave his approval to the figure reflected in the mirror. He didn''t need to dress lavishly, however, a decent outfit would be alright. As for why he was dressing so well, today was the day he would depart from Azea! He could already smell the scent of new land as he adjusted his outfit. He carried a bag with him as he went downstairs. The bag contained everything that he needed for his journey. The reason why it wasn''t much was that, just like Circe, all Reve''s possessions weren''t materialistic. They were either books or items that wouldn''t look like something valuable. Therefore, it was not wise to carry them with him. His heart broke when he thought of being far away from the books he grew up with, but he guess that it was necessary. However, that didn''t mean he didn''t carry any book.. In his bag were quite a few books that he was currently studying and if he ever needed more, he had a spiritas as a messenger to fetch them. Chapter 120 - The End Of A Great Story(2) Reaching the ground floor of the mansion, Reve saw the figure of Circe waiting for him beside the door. "I thought you would be sleeping," said Reve as he dropped his bags and faced her. She replied to him with a yawn, "Well, I can''t send off my disciple without saying my farewell. Also, the thing you requested is ready." Circe dug into her subspace and brought out an emerald necklace with a spiral design carved on it. The necklace gave a mixed feeling to the normal eye. On one side, it could be argued that it was valuable to the quality of the crystal itself. On the other side, the crystal was simply tied to a rope and made into a necklace. It gave the feeling of poor craftsmanship. However, to Reve, it was better this way. In fact, he could feel the deep history of the necklace. He had no idea what it was but from the ancient designs of the necklace, it was definitely antiquity. Circe grabbed both ends of the necklace and wore it around his neck, "It was an item of my dearest friend. A symbol of our close relationship. Now, I pass it on to another of my loved ones. Treasure it well." A stuffy well was stuck in Reve''s throat but he still managed to say, "Yes, I will." "The necklace has a subspace which would help you in your journey," informed Circe. Hearing this, Reve beamed. A subspace! It was just what he needed. With one, he wouldn''t need to worry about carrying too much. Alas, he had already packed up. He couldn''t exactly go back up to pack a few more things. A subspace was an old invention of mages. It belonged to only the strongest of mages. There were two types of subspace; a natural subspace and a pocket space. The former was usually born in a natural oddity while the latter was artificially created by a mage. Circe normally used pocket spaces. However, most of Arcadia were much familiar with natural subspaces since all they had to do was find the special gems and have a mage reveal the subspace hidden in it. Reve politely thanked Circe and waited for her to bring another object from her pocket. This time, it was a black stone that gleamed every time the ray of light touched it. Reve had no idea what the stone could be. "I won''t say anything, just check it out when you are alone. Make sure to keep the stone close to you. I will send for Fye to retrieve it when you settle down in Narva," said Circe. That was all she had to say to the stone. However, Reve already had an inkling of what it was. Excitement bubbled in him as he couldn''t wait to check the contents of the stone. Following what he knew, Reve channeled magi into the emerald necklace. He focused his thoughts on the stone. Suddenly, the stone miraculously disappeared from existence. However, Reve knew that it was simply transferred into the necklace''s subspace. ''This is even better. There is no spatial portal or whirlpool. Very subtle!!'' observed Reve. It was to be expected from a subspace opened by Circe. Heck, he could even use it in public and no one would notice. Reve took another look at Circe, "This is it, it seems." "Yes." "What plans do you have after I''m gone?" "Now that I have gotten rid of you, I will be able to sleep as long as I want. Little thing, shoo," yawned Circe. All that excited in her head was the joys of sleep that would sleep overcome her. Nevertheless, she bent her body and planted a kiss on Reve''s forehead, "Be safe and always send letters." "Yes." "You are on your own now. Shoo!" Her demonic book appeared out of nowhere and blasted Reve, along with his bag, out of the mansion. After dusting away the dirt from his clothes, Reve didn''t curse at his teacher and simply picked up his bag. He turned around and joined the street of Vagoroth. He was not going to look back! He will be back before Circe even knew it! ...... After tens of minutes, Reve appeared at the large hall of the Vagoroth Council. Waiting at the gates were two carriages. Myniene of the White Sky could be found beside one of them as she conversed with some other demihumans. They all wore outfits that identified them as the council members of Vagoroth. As soon as Myniene saw Reve, she sent off her fellow members and greeted Reve, "Good day, Are you ready?" "Yes. I have packed my things and said my farewells," said Reve. Hearing this, Myniene smiled and led him into the carriage. She signaled the driver of the carriage, who quickly commanded the horses to move. Inside the carriage, it was only Reve and Myniene. An unsettling silence ensued between both. Meanwhile, Reve noticed that the sense of gravity around him had lessened. He wondered, ''Is the carriage flying?'' Myniene spoke to him, "I see you noticed it. Your senses are sharp" "Is the carriage flying?" asked Reve. "Yes. You probably didn''t notice but the horses used for the carriage were the winged horses. Their ability to fly would enable us to get to Kimpar Island faster than normal." "Oh, I understand," muttered Reve. He stopped talking and instead focused on the feeling of being suspended in the air despite the fact that he was actually not the one flying but the carriage. "This is interesting. I had assumed you are one for the talks. Yet, you seem like you like to keep to yourself," conversed Myniene. Reve was caught off-guard by her remark, "Eh--" Was she saying that he was an introvert? Xoris'' bottom! He was the farthest from that. He was not like Circe who liked being indoors. He could be fun if he wanted to. "That is not true. I''m just tired," Reve used a perfect excuse. "Oh, I see. Then keep thinking," smiled Myniene. Somehow, her smile was hurting him. He felt like she was toying with him. So, he released a low harrumph and closed his eyes. He would not lower himself to her level! Chapter 121 - The Story Of The Unnamed(1) *Whoosh!* On a section of the Azea ocean, a massive sea wave slammed ferociously on a gigantic ship. Yet, the ship sailed firm on the water surface without falling to its doom. *Whoosh!* Other sea waves collided against the marvelous ship but they were all unsuccessful. They only served to be a spectacle to those that were on board the ship. On the lower deck of the ship, in a certain room spied a young man that sat beside the circular window. He saw as, every time, the water would rush to the top of his window but it would later fall down. The scene of the continuous persistence of the stormy ocean was beautiful to him. This young man was of course Reve Amethyst. "Truly, the Tempestas Sea is as terrific as it is in the tales. The title of one of the three deadliest seas is not for naught," muttered Reve. If the ship he wasn''t extremely fortified, he might have been lost in the bottom of Tempestas. Worst case scenario would be him dying to some sea creature before he could even reach the bottom of the sea. Heck, he could die in under five minutes by simply drowning. Reve smiled as he spotted a blue whale swim past the ship hurriedly, "The nature of aquatic life is something I want to experience one day." A few hours ago, he had been in the flying carriage with Myniene. After they finally got to their destination, they boarded a ship that had long been waiting for them, which led Reve to the present situation. He had since come to learn that Myniene would be his caretaker throughout the journey. She would guide him until he had settled well in Narva. This was not inconvenient for him tho. He wondered just how he could benefit from her companionship. Up till now, he had made no effort to familiarize himself with her. However, it didn''t mean that they were not on good terms. Anyways, he shouldn''t worry about trivial things like that. What he should worry about is the rock that Circe gave him. She told him to only use it when he was alone and comfortable. Reve turned away from the window and glanced at all corners of his room. He squealed in excitement, "Yeah, I''m alone, alright." He couldn''t help it. If his guess was correct, the stone should be able to give him the answers he desperately sought. It would also shed light on the details concerning his mission and what he ought to do. Reve closed his eyes and, when he opened them back, a stone appeared in his right hand. He rubbed on the coarse structure of the stone and felt the sharp edges brush on his tender skin. The stone was cold even to somehow like him. Such an unfeeling nature could only be acquired after surviving for millennials. Sure enough, Reve could tell that the stone could be dated back to the era of heroes and demons. There was no reason for such a wild guess, but he trusted his intuition on that. "Hmmmmm,...how do I activate it?" pondered Reve. Nothing happened from his bare contact with the stone. As he turned it around, hoping to find a clue, he didn''t receive any reaction at all. Even when he dripped his blood on it, nothing happened. He raised his brows, "Just what is this stone...?" It was at times like this that his decades of magia proved fruitless. He couldn''t help but mock his ignorant self. Suddenly, a light bulbed ignited in his mind. He had an idea! Most of Circe''s magic items had simple but weird mechanisms! Reve channeled his energy into the stone and it vibrated as if it was bringing forth an earthquake. Fortunately, with the sea waves rocking the ship, it would be hard to notice the vibrations generated from the stone. As the stone levitated in the air, it shimmered with the same frozen green hue that represented Reve''s energy. In under a few seconds, the vibration emissions from the stone stopped as it stood still in the air. After a brief period of time, the stone slammed itself on Reve''s forehead. The cat emperor yelped in pain as his surrounding seemed to break into shards of glass. Suddenly, he was not more in the ship and on Tempestas Sea. No, he was somewhere else, somewhere unrecognizable. All he could see were the arrows of fire that illuminated the dark sky. All he could hear were the screams of terrified beings and the toilsome sound of something or someone chewing. ''Chaos¡­...this is pure chaos,'' muttered Reve. His mind was overwhelmed by the pile of bodies that was around him. He couldn''t maintain his posture as he fell to the ground and lost himself. ''Chaos...this pure chaos,'' he repeated. His sensitive self couldn''t block out the child-like beings that erupted from behind him and he wasn''t sure he was confident enough to look at the source of such despairing noises. *Plop!* Another body dropped dead beside him. Reve summoned his courage and looked at it. The face on the corpse was blocked by a black veil but, judging from the body height and looks, he could tell that it used to belong to a young boy. The young boy was dressed in light armor. Yet, such a mortal item wasn''t able to safeguard his life. Reve stood up bravely and focused on his surroundings finally. All around him were the corpses of humans. Their faces were blocked by a black veil but it couldn''t hide the despair that swam in their eyes. He heard a scream distinguish itself from the terrific wailings, "It is not over yet until we are dead. I shall not give up on my family. Brothers, we shall meet in the next life!" Reve sharply moved his body towards the location of the hopeful voice. He found a middle-aged man garbed in broken heavy armor and holding a vengeful bastard sword. The man knelt with one knee while being supported by his sword. Behind him were his supposed brothers all ready for what was to be their end. The group chanted, "We shall meet in our next life, brothers!" As Reve focused on what they were staring out, he felt something, ''Oh, damnation!'' Chapter 122 - The Story Of The Unnnamed As he looked at the true appearance of the monster, he trembled like a religious fanatic. "Oh, what evil is this?" The beast was clouded in black smoke, just like the rest of the dead humans. However, the veil couldn''t hide the massive tentacles that protruded from its body. It could hide the sheer size of the monster. Such height that reached the sky and such size that was greater than any giant that ever lived! Looking at this veiled monster, Reve understood. ''The feeling of familiarity. I understand it now. It''s like I''m looking at my long-lost brother¡­...'' The monster was part of the most horrific creatures from the myths. It was a titan! Despite the black smoke, Reve could see that it was shaped like a bear with tentacles from its back filing around. Facing this monster, the group of warriors he saw chanted their last battlecry and bravely ran at it. Five seconds¡­.. All it took was five seconds. A single tentacle whipped horizontally in the air and sliced all the warriors. All types of ki-arts they showed proved futile as they were cut into two parts. They took their last breath instantly. *Roar!* A roar echoed through the village. It came from the titan and generated enough soundwaves to dismantle all the erect village houses. Reve could feel that the roar carried a condescending tone. It was as if the titan lamented not being able to feast on worthy humans. Like an apex predator, it calmly walked around the village and dwelled in the slaughter it had just caused. Just as it passed Reve, the latter lost his ability to breathe. He thought he was going to die just from the red stare of the titan. However, it seemed the titan didn''t notice him and simply went on. It walked past Reve''s illusory body and stopped in a small shed. *Wen!* *Wen!* *Wen!* It was then Reve noticed something he should have a long time ago. The cries of young humans filled the air, originating from the exact shed that the titan headed at. *Boom!* With a single swipe, the door of the shed was torn apart mercilessly, revealing the group of young humans that clustered around in fear. They screamed as they saw the large eye of the titan staring through the door. With the size of the titan, they couldn''t see its full body and only its eyes that covered the shed''s door. Among the veiled children existed an anomaly! Reve''s shivered as he spotted a young boy of about seven years old without a black veil covering his facial appearance. The boy with milky skin kept quivering. Along with the rest, he fell to the ground as he couldn''t withstand the aura from the titan. Suddenly, the titan looked away. Its line of sight could be traced too far away. With a harsh grunt, it blitzed away from the village before what it senses could arrive. For some reason, Reve couldn''t help but stare at the young boy. Something about him attracted him. It was like the meeting of fate. As he kept his eyes on the young boy, a solemn voice spoke to him from nowhere. "It was a moment of realization for me. A young village boy that loved to sift through the stars. A boy without dreams. Yet, in a single day, the jolly world of this boy was usurped." "As I watched my parent die, I realized that power was all that mattered. It was the only thing that survived when others crumbled. It was the eternal truth!" Reve''s surroundings stopped. It was as if time has been put on stasis and the only things that were allowed to move were Reve and the young boy. Reve sighed as he observed the crazy look that shouldn''t be on a boy''s face, ''Such a desire at a young age....'' He could see the veins popping on the boy''s face as he trembled continuously in fear. The boy gritted his teeth and gripped his fist. It was obvious what was going through the boy''s mind. It was a desire for power. A desire to escape the cycle of helplessness. As the flames of desire burned intensely in his eyes, finally, the boy moved and Reve''s surroundings broke once more! In less than a second, the bloody village disappeared and a landscape of green grass became his surrounding. Reve nocked his head at the figure he saw. It was a teenager meditating in the center of this grassland. He paid no attention to the wolves that kept looking at him or to the antelopes that ran wildly in the background. With his eyes closed, his surrounding became void and the only thing that existed was his meditation! In less than ten minutes, the surrounding switched again. Now the teenager was a young youth. It changed again for the next cycle, showcasing an early adult as he moved around the world. Reve became the spectator as he patiently watched all these scenes. Coupled with the unknown voice whispering to him, he was able to understand the meaning of each scene. When the last scene arrived, Reve trembled as he realized something. The next moment, he was sent back to the real world. He was back in the ship on Tempestas Sea. The shaking nature of his room assured him that this was not just another illusion. However, Reve was not as happy as he had expected. He had just watched someone''s life. No, he had received the full biography of a demigod...and it wasn''t something he expected. The owner of the memories recorded them prior to his death. His voice was groggy when he spoke, which made Reve understand that, to him, death was just around the corner. Unfortunately, the demigod preferred not to disclose his name. He wanted to be left unknown in the history of Arcadia as he hadn''t impacted his era at all. Another thing to note was that the unknown demigod lived through the most tragic era; the era of sins.. Judging by the structure of his childhood home, Reve could trace the timeline to around the Fourth Annihilation War and Fifth Annihilation War. Chapter 123 - The Story Of The Unnamed(3) Having experienced the important moments of the unnamed mage''s life, Reve was privy to certain things....and one of them was the hidden details of the shards of Sheol! So, what were these shards? The shards represented the greatest sin of Arcadians. It was living proof of the sordid sacrifice the people of Arcadia paid to relieve themselves of the Annihilation Wars. The series of wars caused by the titans were never-ending. This was due to the innate stubbornness of a titan. They had the ability to propagate and build up a colony fast. They could quickly recover from a previous war and spend the next five hundred years hiding and accumulating forces. Going with this flow, it was easily understood that there would be no end to the wars if nothing new was brought to the table. Hence, all over the world, the great figures put their minds together and sought an answer to their problems. Centuries later, a secretive man would find what they were looking for. Since they couldn''t overcome the reproductive rate of the titans, they would isolate them and make sure they never interfere with Arcadia again. Moreover, based on the location of the titans'' banishment, they could even make sure to thin their forces by sending them somewhere inhospitable. The figure proposed a method of banishment. However, this method was bizarre and was only considered because the situation had reached a critical point. By harnessing magic, the figure destroyed the physical structure of a plane and gathered the pieces. It was said that he sealed the pieces into different items, which would later be known as the shards of Sheol, with Sheol being the sacrificed planes! It was successful. Knowing that they didn''t have to kill the titans but contain them, the last Annihilation War ended in the victory of Arcadia. Towards the epilogue of such a great era, the elusive world administrator finally descended to the world. She gathered all the demigods and announced a meeting. A meeting of absolute secret! The purpose of the meeting was to cover two things. One was the world administrator''s warning to the demigods. The second was the covenant that protected the truth of the shards of Sheol! "What a history?" sighed Reve. He never expected the answers he sought all this while to be this vile. While he couldn''t perfectly understand the shards, he knew that the sacrifice was truly great. Sheol was a plane of Arcadia. It was sure to have inhabitants. So, where were the inhabitants now? To be able to catch the titans off-guard, there was only one way... They had to execute their plans without the beings of Sheol noticing! "Whew, what do I do now after knowing the truth?" Reve asked himself. He now realized the true value of the shards of Sheol and why the Gehenna Order would not hesitate to send a prospect to investigate any rumor surrounding it. Reve sighed once more as he laid his body on his bed. He was mentally tired. *Knock!* *Knock!* The sound of knockings came out from the other side of Reve''s room door. He faced the door and shouted, "Who is it?" The only reply he got was, "Hhehehehe." ''That''s voice.....'' Reve could recognize that voice even when he was sleeping. ''Oh, damnation. I should have expected this,'' scowled Reve. He dragged his body away from his comfy bed and opened the door. The person behind the door was a demihuman with wolf ears and curly black hair. The moment he saw Reve, he smiled, "Hey, Reve. I figured you would be here. Hhehehe." He rudely entered the room and sat on Reve''s bed while the latter grudgingly closed his door. "What brings you here, Nikan?" queried Reve. Nikan replied in a crying tone, "So Rude. Aren''t we close? Anyways, it''s the same as you." "You mean¡­.." "Yes, I was given a mission by the order." Reve thought back to what Circe had told him a while back, "If I''m going to Narva, then it must mean your destination is the other location in Xoris, right?" Nikan smiled back, "Yes, however, unlike you, my journey is quite troublesome. The rumored location is close to the Ammorite Kingdom. So, I shall be journeying to the kingdom." "Oh¡­..." "Hey, do you want to know the location?" ".....No." "Such a piss poor!" cursed Nikan. A squeal escaped his lips as he revealed, "The rumors say that a shard of Sheol is buried in the first village." Hearing this, Reve sharply turned his head, "What did you say?!" "You heard me right." "The first village is just a legend. Even if it was real, it wouldn''t exist to this very day," countered Reve. "The order seems to believe otherwise. It seems there are some traces of validity to this legend," muttered Nikan. Reve sighed and dropped the topic, "So, what are you going to do?" "I don''t know. I guess I will view it as a hunt. The first step will be to familiarize me with the environment. After that, judging by the situation, the following sequences of steps would lead to finding the first village." ".....Good luck with that," Reve wrinkled his nose. He pursed his lips, "By the way, how are you going to take care of your status?" Just like him, Nikan was a magical beast. Furthermore, his titles showed his alliance with the Gehenna Order. No matter how he looked at it, it would be foolish to not have a counter-measure toward the destined reveal of his status. "Oh, about that. I borrowed an item that could protect my status from Zev," told Nikan. "Hmmm.....makes sense," replied Reve. He guessed that Nikan was just as prepared as him. "What about you?" asked Nikan. "I bought some Nixy exclusive skills," said Reve. Nikan flashed a fake smile, "So annoying. Only someone like you can afford those exclusive skills." Feeling irritated by Reve''s casual display of AP wealth, Nikan grabbed a nearby object and flung it at Reve. Of course, Reve dodged it, "Hey, don''t blame others for your poverty." He went on to converse with Nikan, finding warm company in the latter for the rest of his journey on the sea..... VOLUME 2 ENDS Chapter 124 - Arrival(1) Bear Dock, Port Harcott, Narva. In this busy part of the coastal town of Port Harcott, a loud horn was blown to alert the nearby humans that clustered around the docks. Along with the sound came the screaming of a man, "Incoming, private cruise. Prepare!" A burly man was located on a large stand that was just beside the docks. He made sure all the men understood his message before he jumped down. "Captain, what dock?!" asked one of the men. The burly man replied, "B-Dock! Make sure to arrange their landing." The man and his crew were part of the Narva''s naval forces. To be specific, they were the docking group necessary for the safe docking of every ship. "Copy that," replied his men. They cleared the area called B-Dock and did a few miscellaneous. Finally, they were ready and all they had to do was wait for the aforementioned ship to arrive. ........... Soon, a ship could be seen from the horizon. It towered over the sea like an oversized giant and moved steadily as if it belonged to royalty. When it finally reached the dock and anchored itself to it. A door opened from its side and connected to the dock. Within a few moments, a group of people walked out of the ship through the door. They were no more than two¡­..Two strange-looking people. It was no surprise that they easily gained the attention of the dock crew. They couldn''t keep their eyes off the special features of these guests. Noticing this, the captain clapped his hand, "What are you looking at?! Get back to work!" He dispelled the peculiar feeling he felt in him and quickly went to the other dock. Meanwhile, after they left, leaving the two strangers feeling alone in the dock, a large carriage with five brown horses arrived. It stopped in front of them. A young woman in a grey dress stepped out of the carriage. As soon as she saw the two strangers, she greeted with a bow, "If I may presume, are you Miss Myniene and Mr. Reve.?" They replied to her, "Yes¡­.and you are?" Of course, the two strangers were Reve and Myniene. They had spent quite a few weeks on sea and were ecstatic to be on land finally. Personally, Reve discovered that he wasn''t a huge fan of sea adventures. He belonged to forest environments, not large water bodies! In his journey, he had gotten seasick a few times. ''Hmm...who is she?'' Reve wondered as he looked at the woman that conversed with them. "I''m Ivetta. Your escort sent by the royal duchess," explained the young woman. Looking at her, Reve realized she was akin to a doll, the sort of person Reve wasn''t used to. It wasn''t her beauty per se. If anything, she was not as beautiful as the women Reve have encountered. Although, it couldn''t be helped since every female individual Reve had seen was simply too beautiful. No, what unnerved Reve was her demeanor. As stiff a log of wood. She carried herself with pride hidden in her heart. Even her footsteps were perfect. They created a rhythm that enhanced her aura. Her hands were poised behind her back. To top it off, the plastic smile she wore while speaking to them was too rigid. It irked Reve. ''It''s like she is building herself to be perfect......Is this what a noble life is?'' There were no doubts that Ivetta was a noble of Narva. It was crystal clear! This was the first experience Reve would have with one of noble status. It enlightened him on what to expect. "Well then, it would be my honor to guide you on your way to NIRA," offered Ivetta. She opened the door for the two guests to enter and entered last, following the normal customs of a host. Tapping on the small window that faced the horses, Ivetta spoke, "Curteis, take us to the nearest terminus." "Yes, m''lady," responded the driver. The carriage began to move towards its destination. Inside the carriage were dark brilliant crystals that illuminated the closed space in a way that didn''t seem uncomfortable. There were small tinted windows at every side of the carriage, which allowed them to observe the lively streets of Port Harcott Ivetta smiled at them, "How was your journey on the sea?" "Good. It served as a great experience for us," replied Myniene. Since Reve couldn''t be bothered to speak, Myniene was the one keeping the atmosphere warm. "Oh, that''s nice. Very rarely do I hear of people that made a good experience out of the Tempestas Sea. In fact, most that travel through that route vow to do it again," smiled Ivetta. "Is that so¡­.? Our journey wasn''t particularly dangerous," muttered Myniene. Listening in on the conversation, Reve rolled his eyes. The reason it wasn''t dangerous was that she and the caretaker of Nikan kept spreading aura around the ship. Normal sea beasts would find it hard to move under the cover of the combined aura. Also, the strong sea beasts wouldn''t be willing to take the risk. They might not be intelligent, but they weren''t dumb! If they weren''t on the ship, Reve would have only spent a few minutes on the sea before being attacked by small fishes. Those fishes were especially vengeful. He had a theory that they operated in a hive mind. Thus, they could tell when someone hunted other fishes, which Reve was very guilty of! Heck, at a certain point in his life, this cat emperor hunted fishes for a living. He even made a life preservation plan for the fishes in the lake in case they run extinct. Looking back on things, wasn''t he truly evil?! He saved them to eat them later. Reve praised himself in his mind, ''Hehehe, as expected from my brilliant self.'' "It is wondrous that you journeyed without a single crisis," said Ivetta. She went on, "So, If I may ask, how do you feel about this big move?" It was at times like this that her curious self couldn''t hide anymore. Chapter 125 - Arrival(2) "Nothing much. It is just another chapter in my life¡­ I guess. Moreover, all I can harbor for Narva is a strong sense of curiosity. I have long heard of the nation of progress," smiled Myniene. A warm glow radiated from Ivetta''s face when she spoke, "Yes. the place of flowers¡­..that''s what foreigners call it. In truth, the last five centuries have been our golden period. Our rulers have experienced the truth and let go of all materialistic desires," explained Ivetta. "Narva wasn''t always like this. We were originally a warring nation¡­.a country built to fight. It was later that we changed our ways. We focused more on development and abandoned our aggressive nature. The result is what you see today." Outside the carriage was a streetlife bustling with vibrance. Even Reve felt uncomfortable just by looking at the smiles on the regular peasants that walked the streets. Ivetta went on, "We made alliances over the past centuries and this has brought us to this very moment!" Before she could go on, the carriage stopped and the driver announced, "M''lady, we have arrived at South Point Terminus." "Oh, thank you, Curteis," politely replied Ivetta. She led the duo down the carriage and walked towards an open building beside them. Entering the building, the duo saw other well-dressed humans walking about. Some would walk to an altar and disappear while some would appear above the altar and go on. Reve was amazed, ''So, this is a leyline terminus. Impressive. Although Vagoroth had a lot of leyline terminus, there''s wasn''t much need to make it so advanced as this!'' Reve and Myniene followed Ivetta to a checkpoint, where she dropped six silver coins on a counter and was allowed to move towards the altar by the security men nearby. They stood on an altar and watched a barrier of transparent energy surround them. In the blink of an eye, they were zapped away to a different location. Reve could tell it was truly different as there wasn''t a heavy inflow and outflow of humans. Ivetta spoke, "Ahhh, the air of Starhold is always fresh." She led the duo out of the terminus and booked a nearby carriage. "How well do you know Narva?" asked Ivetta as the group entered the carriage. She whispered through the window of the carriage to the driver, "Take us to the Academy district." "Yes, M''lady," responded the man in control of the carriage. With a smile, Ivetta turned to face them, "So, where were we?....Ahh." "With regards to your question, well, I have read a bit about Narva, especially Starhold. It is the jewel of the nation...." If one was the list one of the important regions in Narva, the first would be Silverbrook, the capital city of Narva. Whilst the second would be Starhold! Starhold was the home to NIRA, one of the greatest academic institutes in Arcadia. Branches like the Narva branch could be found in at least one nation in every kingdom. Its headquarters was in the new continent, but it didn''t stop its glory from spreading worldwide. The main reason why Starhold was so popular in Xoris was that it housed the starwell, a great lake of magical properties that had the ability to grant mana manipulation to mere mortals aspiring to be mages. It could also instigate one''s aura and propel one to the path of ki-mastery. It was what created the mages and warriors that belonged to Narva. The starwell creates a bridge between the mundane plane and the other elemental planes. It allows an aspiring mage to create a contract with an elemental and venture into the art of elementalism without a ritual. The price for such a contract is also covered by them, the guardians of the starwell! When Ivetta was done with her words, she glanced at Reve who kept looking through the window, "Its beautiful, isn''t it?" She didn''t need an answer to her question. Reve''s intense look as he looked out of the window said it all. "Wait till you see the Academy District. You would think it belonged to only the noblest of nobles." teased Ivetta "Why is that?" "See for yourself." She spoke just right in time as the shade from the surrounding dissapeared. The small curtains that blocked the windows stopped glowing brightly and the only thing left was a comfortable coolness that spread around like a rabid disease. It was as if the sunlight was blocked from this part of the world. It was surely surprising and caught the eye of all those that were new to this land. Ivetta explained, "The starwell dampens the effect of sunlight. Here, we are eternally trapped in a cool evening. However, on every monday of the week, the teachers here cast a gigantic spell that brings the sunlight to us. That way we do not forget the glory of the sun." As she spoke, the carriage stopped, "M''lady, we have reached the gates." Ivetta smiled at the duo and led them out of the carriage. For the umpteenth time in his life, Reve was wowed by the sight before him. The buildings were made from old pieces of wood that were now extinct. Flowers grew around the edges of road. They glowed blue and shone light to the evening city of Starhold. Through the large gate that stood before him, Reve could see all sorts of humans walking joyously on the neat roads. They were dressed in some sort of uniform. The theme of the uniform seemed to be blue and silver, and the designs made sure to present it beautifully. Reve thought to himself upon seeing the wondrous view, ''It is truly a sight to behold.'' Nevertheless, he acted normal outwardly and followed Ivetta to a small gate post. She greeted the pair of man and woman that were in the post, "Hi, Conin and Allette." "Ivetta, you are back. I thought it would take you a week to reach your destination. These are¡­..." said the man while looking at Reve and Myniene. Chapter 126 - Magicrafts Over two hours had passed since Reve and Myniene got to Starhold. Currently, they were in the registration building of the Academy District. Myniene was a guest of NIRA and would need no registration. Meanwhile, Reve was to be a student. This was why he was being asked questions by the woman at the opposite end of the counter he was at. "Name?" "Reve?" "Just Reve?" "Yes," Reve sighed. He wasn''t "just Reve", but he couldn''t exactly reveal his last name which was magical in nature. Also, his connection to Amethyst should be hidden. Although, he didn''t think any mage on Arcadia would know the true name of the being called Khaos. However, it didn''t matter as his last name was still magical and any mage would be able to feel its power. Thus, he added it to the list of things he was planning on hiding. "Age?" "Nineteen years old." He wasn''t exactly aware of his age, but he knew how to calculate it. Reve had spent sixteen years before he met Circe, which she confirmed. He spent one year under her tutelage. Two years at Amethyst''s palace, which led them to this exact moment. Reve had no idea of what his birth date was, but he normally adds a year to his age after the successful passing of the year. The female attendant gave him a strange look and scribbled down something on a sheet of paper. Reve''s ocular abilities allowed him to see what it was. The woman was just filling in his race detail. He guessed she wasn''t dumb enough to ask for his race after seeing his appearance. After she was done asking him a lot of personal questions, she smiled at him, "Please place your hand here." The object she pointed at was a smooth blue slate. It shimmered with tiny blue lights that gave the slate more relevance. Reve looked at the woman, "What is it?" "Fear not. It is the Eye of Truth. It would reveal your status and confirm your answers, while also updating our profile on you. It is mandatory you do this. We can assure you that none of this information would be leaked." "Okay," cooly responded Reve. He placed his palm on the slate and a tingle coursed through his skin. After it was done, Reve removed his palm and observed as silver texts appeared on the slate. The size of the Arcadish texts was just big enough for Reve''s status to fit the slate. [ Name: Reve Race: Demihuman(Beastmen) Level(exp): 76 (50/1000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic) Titles: Hunter, Magic User(Meister) AP: 5 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 69 Speed: 87 Constitution: 60 Intelligence: 62 Mana: 400 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.1)Energy Sense(Lv.4). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Basic). Blind Magic(Lv.9). Merge(Max). Nature Echo Ver.2(Lv.2). Enchant Body: Demon(Lv.2). Frozen Gate(Lv.5). Prime Mode(Max). Polar Nature(Lv.2). Home Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.7). Yggdrasil(Lv.2). Arctic Moon(Lv.4). Suxen Magi Series(Max) ] The information he allowed to be revealed by the Eye of the Truth was quite easy to understand. Reve blocked everything that linked him with the path of secrets. He hid every title that had relations with Amethyst. He also veiled some difficult titles like [Titan] and [Deviant]. This left his title tab empty but he couldn''t do anything. His [Parrallel Status] allowed him to manipulate what was already there, not what wasn''t. He could add to his title tab. He could only subtract. For everything magic-related in his status, Reve let them be. After all, he was signing up for an academy and the teachers there were sure to be more proficient in magic arts than him. There was no way he would be able to hide things like his title as a Meister. Using that logic, he also did nothing to his level. He didn''t forget the reason the Vagoroth Council enlisted him for their special program. Reve''s side objective was to become an exemplary student in NIRA. He was going to change the humans'' view of demihumans. Of course, he wouldn''t make that his true objective, just something he would do if he had the opportunity. Another thing to note was his AP. Reve lowered it to a single digit. He reckoned that even an above-average human would find it hard to cross the barrier of two digits. Reve changed nothing about his attributes. He was worried he would mess it up and also, having to limit his abilities would troublesome. A trained eye would easily tell when someone was not using his full strength or speed. Finally, for his skills, Reve hid all his path of secret''s skills. He changed some of his innate skills but left all his magic spells. This way he would have the status to back up his magical prowess. It was his perfect execution of [Parallel Status]! ''Now, I have nothing to worry about,'' smiled Reve. The woman didn''t notice anything overly strange with his status. She was only surprised at what an excellent mage he was. It was just as he expected! "It seems we have another excellent mage in our midst," commented the woman. She waited a good few seconds to bring out a small crystal card from something behind the counter. Reve''s "see-through" ability revealed it to be some sort of magicraft that was connected to the Eye of Truth. He smiled to himself, ''Truthfully, it was a good decision to accept this program.'' This was Reve''s first encounter with a magicraft, otherwise known as magical devices. It was an object of the last era and was the hottest topic in present-day Arcadia, having its origin linked to the illustrious New Continent. Circe had told him much about magicraft. She wasn''t that familiar with the concept behind them but she relied on her extensive knowledge of magical treasures to interpret the idea behind magicrafts. Reve''s thoughts were interrupted by the woman, "Here''s your identity card.. Have a good day." Chapter 127 - Fear Pers Campus, Academy District. Reve was in a certain room in this empty campus block. He looked through the window and spied on the students that walked vibrantly outside. It had been two days and he still felt like he was in a foreign environment. Reve mentally screamed, ''Ha, this is truly uncomfortable.'' He dove his head into his bed as he thought to himself, ''Anyways, I have already spent two days in my room. I need to familiarize myself with my new environment. After that, I can begin my plans. Hmm¡­.let see what fun activities I can do for the day.'' Reve passed by the calendar that hung on one of the walls of his room. The current month was April and that was the face of the calendar. On certain dates of the month, there were markings left by Reve there. For instance, the Tuesday of next week would mark the beginning of his academic life. The Friday of this week was the day he was going to get his uniforms. The other markings were just as important. ''Hmmm¡­. I need to pick my classes. Meh, I will do that later. Hmmmm, I got it!'' Rev hadn''t just spent two days doing nothing. While a big part of the days was used to sleep and dwell in the feeling of freedom, the other part was used delicately to read through all the portfolios given to him by Ivetta. That way he would be able to know everything he needed to know about NIRA. At least, everything that would affect him. Regarding the structure of NIRA, it was quite complex. For starters, NIRA''s teachings were divided into three academic sessions. Each session was made up of one year which would, in turn, make the total academic sessions three years. In essence, a student would be required to go through three intensive years of study at NIRA before he is ready for graduation. However, other factors like a repetition of an academic session could extend the total academic sessions. To further break down this academic system, one needed to be aware of the concept of terms. In an academic session, there were two terms of four months each. Usually, a regular student''s academic session would go as such; His first term begins in February and ends in May. Afterward, a two-month break is given. His second term starts in August and ends in November. Following the normal routine, a two-month break would be given. Immediately after the break would mark the start of the next academic session. However, that was not the case for Reve. Reve was a "transfer student" that would begin his academic session mid-first term. He had a lot to figure out. For instance, his classes. Coming to Starhold, it never really deigned on Reve that he would have to "study" the same classes that he had gone through with Circe. It was basically torturing to him and he would have to conduct studies personally to keep his rate of improvement in the art of Arcanism. Thankfully, he had some notes from Circe that would keep him company for a while. If he ever ran out of books to study, he could simply request more with the help of his contracted spiritas¡­..albeit, he reckoned the price for such service would not be kind. In regards to what classes Reve would pick for his academic session, well, Reve didn''t really have a say in that matter. Or at least, he didn''t have full control over his choices. The system of NIRA was designed for two major faculty; The Magic Faculty and the Ki Faculty. Numerous hall classes spammed from these faculties and essentially built up the makeup of NIRA classes. It wouldn''t come as a surprise that Reve belonged to the Magic Faculty. As a mage, that was the only faculty for him. By the end of the academic session, Reve was expected to complete five compulsory hall classes belonging to the Faculty of Magic and a few numbers of elective classes of his choice. The limit of the number of elective classes that could be chosen was seven. ''Ahhh, I will figure this out tomorrow when I''m talking with my counselor,'' yawned Reve. He quickly put on a normal but dashing-looking dress and headed outside. A few hours later, the carriage he took dropped him just outside the academy district into the lively urban district of Starhold. The moment he walked out of the carriage, he noticed he had made an erroneous mistake, ''Oh, bollocks¡­..'' Now, he fully grasped what it meant to be the odd one out. Prior to this moment, he had not comprehended what it meant to be a demihuman living among the humans full of prejudice. But right now¡­.in this very moment, as he looked at the looks of horror in some of the humans'' faces, even children, he felt like disappearing out of sight. "Oh god, what is he¡­?" one of them whispered to their partner, but it wasn''t low enough to block Reve''s sensitive ears. "Children, stay close. With ears like that, he is surely a demihuman from legends." "Heaven, bless me! Why is one of those creatures walking in the walls of Starhold? What are the Silverians thinking?" In less than a minute, the regular street was thrown into chaos just from Reve''s appearance. Reve ran away panicky to one of the hidden corners of the street. He took a hat out of his subspace and covered his head. This time, he made sure to wear clothes that would reveal no part of his body. As he joined the street back again, he merged with the busy flow of humans. With his stealth skills, there was no way anyone noticed him. "Damn! I never knew the situation was this...wild. It''s like my appearance is a source of fear for them," muttered Reve. And he was right. His mere presence was horrific to them. Especially to those who grew up listening to the bed-night stories of various demihumans Chapter 128 - Grey Omen A few moments later, Reve appeared in a busy location in the urban district. The thriving market of Starhold. Among the mass of humans walking like freaking zombies on the clustered road was Reve, the emperor cat. He wiggled his way around his surrounding before he found himself in front of a stall, "May the sun still shine on us, what do you have, old man?" Clearly, the owner of the stall wasn''t in the young-age bracket. His piling grey hair was obvious enough. As for what he sold, based on what was presented, it seemed to be some sort of package food product. "You new here? Doesn''t matter, These are freshly baked goods. My wife makes them," explained the old man. Reve''s eyes went distant as he picked up an open package on the shelf, "Mind if I take a bite?" "Help yourself," replied the old man. The food Reve brought out of the package was some sort of pie. The moment he stuffed it in his mouth, his tastebuds went haywire. It was as if thousands of stars were exploding inside him, bringing the kind of feeling that was synonymous with euphoria. ''AHH,'' moaned Reve. He had spent decades eating meat-related items. However, at this very moment, Reve discovered his love for baked goods. "It''s good, right? Made specially from a recipe passed down ma lineage," told the old man. "How much for a box of apple pies?" asked Reve. The owner took another good look at Reve, "Twenty bronze asteriks. Hmmmm, you are not from around here, aren''t you?" "What gave you that impression?" "Your accent. It is too polite yet rigid at the same time," answered the old man. He collected the coins that Rev gave him and handed a box of apple pies to him. After that, Reve went his way. He kept on checking other stalls to see if he saw anything he liked. Two minutes later, he was conversing with a young stall owner. Reve spoke out to the man, "....I''m afraid I don''t understand what you mean." "It is quite clear. I need your help in conducting a personal market survey. In return, I will compensate you with five bags of fruits. What do you say?" said the man. Reve had been called out among the mass of humans for this. What he sold were fruits. This was not as lucrative as it sounded since there were a lot of fruit sellers. Hence, Reve skipped past that particular stall as he was not interested in it. However, before he could fully move on, the man called out to him. "Five bags of fruits?" Reve watched the man suspiciously. At the same time, he kept eyeing the fruits that were presented at the counter. They looked fresh, which was a sign that they were probably sweet. ''It''s not nice to turn down such a sweet offer,'' decided Reve. He responded to the man, "Okay, I accept. What does this survey entail exactly.....?" With an enthusiastic tone, the man told, "It''s quite simple. I have two counters. Pick between the left one or the right one." "Huh¡­.just that?" "Yes, just that. I am trying to understand the mindset of my customers. This way, I can pinpoint the dark spots of my business." "Okay..." Reve sighed inwardly and glanced at the two counters. There was no difference between the two counters. They both had the same fruits. The structure of the counters had no difference. No matter how he looked at it, he didn''t have any idea of how his choice would help the stall owner. Reve spoke out his mind, "The right one." "Any reason in particular," asked the man. "None." Afterward, the man conducted another survey. It was more technical than the last one. Reve was asked to choose between a stall opposite the man''s stall. The rival stall sold the same content as the man''s stall. Moreover, the stall''s goods were just as fresh as the man''s stall. Using the same logic as last time, Reve chose the one that his mind told him. There was no reasoning behind that option. It was the same situation that occurred when a being is burdened between choosing left or right. The survey ended after Reve made his choice. He got to leave happily with two big boxes of apples that he carried with a basket. An hour later, Reve already familiarized himself with the market. It was¡­.breathtaking in his opinion. He always found it fascinating that many people''s paths crossed in this very location. Yet, they were negligent of that. ''Hmm...what is this?'' wondered Reve. Just as he was reviewing his opinion of the market, an inconspicuous feeling swallowed him. The bright world that surrounded him dimmed. It became the shadow of the world that Reve knew, filled with the greyness of time and death. Reve racked his head to make sense of what was happening. One thing was sure; he was the only one that could see this grey world. In the blink of an eye, the grey world disappeared! Reality rushed back to Reve''s surroundings. Colors occupied the vast space. Yet, out of nowhere, the grey world came back. It blinked out again after a few seconds. This absurd situation quickly formed a loop that quite resembled a time loop specially made for Reve. His whole world was going out of control. Not being able to handle it, Reve dropped down. He tried to calm his breath. With his hands touching the floor, he gathered the support he needed. However, before he could recover, the ground shook¡­..literally. At first, Reve thought this was just another absurd experience that only he could feel. However, the stillness of the surrounding made him reconsider. As he looked around, he realized that the market was quiet. This was not normal at all. A marketplace was a busy place. So, why was such an infamous location filled with such stillness that it reminded one of death! The rumblings in the ground intensified and the humans that looked to the sky fell to their knees. It was then it came! Chapter 129 - Grey Omen(2) - Dragonkin What Reve first saw was the shadow that covered the sky. It descended the world into darkness, making the earth tremble beneath it. ''What in Xoris'' bottom is this?'' cursed Reve. Unlike the others, his abilities enabled him to see past the great shadow. The real identity of the silhouette that embraced the land was a creature. It was far up in the high which led to its concealed state but when it moved closer to the land, everyone was left to bask in its glory. The creature was draconic, having the basic features of a dragon from head to toe. It even possessed their size. In fact, Reve was sure that even the legendary dragons were not as huge as the creature that could cover an area of more than a kilometer. The creature had four limbs and greatly looked like a lizard. On its body were white crystalline scales that shimmered every time a ray of light touched them. The mere movement of its wings brought about the rumblings that Reve heard. The three horns that protruded from its head disturbed the energy in the surrounding, no matter what form of energy it was, be it ki, mana, or magi. What stuck out like a sore thumb the most was a bright white diamond, the same gradient as it scale, fixed into its forehead. Reve didn''t know why but he was attracted to it. It was like a voice was calling out to him from within the diamond. However, he quickly shook off the influence and focused on reality. "Ahhhhh! What is that?" screamed the humans nearby. Before this¡­this draconic creature, no one could keep their composure, not even Reve. The crowd went into panic mode as some humans knelt to the ground praying to whatever illusionary god they worshipped. There was no thought about escaping. ¡­..escaping where? The monster in the sky towered over everything. What place could be rid of its silhouette? Meanwhile, Reve was puzzled about something. ''This creature¡­..It fits the description of something Circe told me. However, that is not the issue right now. The way it moves. I don''t think it lacks intelligence. Which begs the question¡­..what is it purpose? What does it want?'' The monster roared ferociously, bringing forth a snowstorm that buried the land. Luckily, no one was hurt by this terrific weather. The only thing they could acquiesce to was the cold that seeped into their bones. Reve watched as the humans either fainted due to shock or knelt to the ground. Suddenly, the surrounding was clear, if one ignored the unconscious body on the ground. Only Reve and a few others stood tall against the monster. From beside him, a youthful voice said out loud, "Its horns, scales, gigantic....would it be a wild guess to identify it as a dragon? A dragon walks among us. Oh, god!" He was genuinely scared of his words. Even Reve could feel the intensity oozing off him as his voice trembled. Reve moved closer to him and spoke with a low voice, "It''s not a dragon." He figured that since he could do nothing about the monster, he could as well find meaning in conversing with the young man. The boy of similar age to Reve asked, "What is it?" "It should be a dragonkin. To be more specific, the second form of a dragonkin, inherited from their ancestor dragons," told Reve. Dragonkins were one of the most apex races on Arcadia. A large part of that was due to their direct lineage to dragons, unlike other draconic creatures that only possess a broken lineage. Just like how beastmen were said to be children of titans, dragonkins were descendants of dragons. They were the only legacy of dragons that still existed to this very day. And now that Reve was so close to one, he knew why dragonkins were horribly feared by the rest of Arcadia. "Dragonkins¡­I thought they were myths," wondered the young man. Reve chuckled, "In this present times, everything lost to the globe of time is considered a myth. Dragonkins, dragons, gods, theryns, faes. I won''t be surprised if Narva becomes a myth in the next two eras." The young man glanced at Reve, "Still¡­..what does it want?" "I don''t know, but I''m guessing it is not here to hunt. Its mere wings are enough to level mountains. Yet, it is being so careful not to destroy the lands," analyzed Reve. "No casualty. Unbelievable¡­ it''s like this thing is only here to brew chaos," said the young man. Reve smiled once again, "No. You are close enough though. Its appearance has a purpose. Think of it. Why does it show itself yet take no further action? Up till now, it has only released a threatening roar." With the facts laid before him, the young man assembled the puzzle. His face brightened as he had begun lost in the interesting topic. He snapped his fingers as soon as he reached an answer, "An empty bottle is the symbol of bluffs. Quite easy to understand. This dragonkin could be bluffing....or maybe it isn''t bluffing. Maybe this is what it wants. A horn¡­a war trumpet. No, a reddeath arrow!" A reddeath arrow was a tradition that all of Arcadia embraced. During the initial sparks of a conflict, an arrow coated with the blood of a grand being would be sent to the second party. It was used as a warning to quell any chance of the conflict turning into a mass war. Of course, there were other technicalities involved with the reddeath arrow, but that was not the main issue. The actions of the dragonkin quite mirrored the system of reddeath. Reve sighed as he took another look at the dragonkin, "Again, quite close. It is interesting to see that we are like-minded people." Reve went on, "The dragonkin is not given a warning. Before its roar, it could be understood to be doing that. But after its roar, there is only one thing that could describe the situation....a threat!" ¡­.and as for what the threat was about, Reve had a clue! Chapter 130 - Grey Omen(3) - Heritage Reve smiled, ''It seems like things just got more interesting.'' His guess was that the dragonkin''s threat was related to the shards of Sheol. Circe had informed him that all the big organizations were aware of the rumor circulating in Arcadia. However, only those that had an ancient heritage would be aware of the true grimness of this rumor, which is why, despite it having a huge possibility of being fake, they would stop at nothing to find the true source of the rumor. Dragonkins had been walking the earth for a very long time. Records of them were in scrolls belonging to the era of sins. It wouldn''t be implausible for them to still withhold information about the shards of Sheol. Just like how Reve became aware of the elusive objects, some dragonkins would have received the passed-down memories of the ancient dragonkins. He looked at the young man beside him, "What is it?" The boy sighed, spilling what was on his mind, "Every feature on that creature''s boy fit the description of a dragon. How can you tell that it''s a dragonkin?" "I''m hurt. You disbelieve me? Alright, I will tell you this. There is one undisputed way to distinguish a dragon from a dragonkin. The Dragon Crystal, otherwise known as Vraxe. On a dragonkin''s body, this crystal that possesses the power of the dragon force is visible on their forehead." The young man had already spotted the crystal a while ago, but when Reve spoke about it, he gained further clarifications as to what it was. Now, he had no doubt that the creature was a dragonkin. Still, it didn''t help the terrifying feeling he felt when looking at the dragonkin. Thy shall not stare at god!! Those words best described the horrific feelings that brewed in the heart of all the humans. Reve sympathized with them. He quite understood what they were going through. Granted, he was not in the same situation as them. After years of dealing with a self-proclaimed god and lots of peak existences, he had already built up a sort of immunity towards things like this. The aura generated by the dragonkin had no psychological effect on him. Of course, if the creature used its aura proactively, it would be a different case. "It is admirable that you can stand tall in the face of a dragonkin," commended Reve. "I could say the same for you," replied the young man. Reve just smiled in the face of that reply. He didn''t try to explain how he was fundamentally different from any human nearby. With a gleam on his lips, he extended his hands, "I go by Reve." "I''m Silas. If I may ask, you are not from around here, are you?" said the young man. Reve rolled his eyes as soon as he heard that, "Again with this question. I don''t suppose my appearance is too foreign, is it?" "No. it''s your¡­..vibe, I would say. It feels strange, oozing with such enthusiasm that you would only see in the eyes of a foreigner," explained Silas. "Is that so...?" wondered Reve. He guessed perhaps he was excited about seeing all parts of Narva. He hadn''t been this excited since he confirmed his tutelage under Circe. Reve switched the topic to something he found interesting, "You are a student of NIRA, aren''t you?" "Let me guess. My mannerism," Silsd spoke with his eyes curved. "Yes," replied Reve. He didn''t say anything after and simply focused back on the dragonkin who had paused its rampant roars. Reve''s sensory skills picked up on an unknown aura rushing towards them. He quickly understood that that was the reason for the dragonkin''s strange behavior. The monstrous creature roared one last time and flapped its wing. It disappeared into the sky, releasing the unbearable pressure that it fixed on the humans. After it left, a group of humans rushed into the scene. They wore fine uniforms that were highlighted by the silver lake symbol drawn on their backs. With a few hand-to-hand coordination, they form an aura that dispelled the remnant pressure left by the dragonkin. With a foxy smile on his lips, Reve thought inwardly, ''So, this is the civil defense force of Narva. They appear more fashionable than I imagined.'' While it was a fact that Narva had long abandoned their military zeal, it would be unwise of them to not build a semi-military force that was responsible for protecting the king''s subject. That was the exact purpose of the civil defense force. Each member was the cream of the top of their generation. Each one of them could take down no less than five magical beasts all by themself...¡­or so did the people of Narva herald. Looking at them right now, Reve knew that some of the doubtful praise rang true. Call it a predator''s instinct or whatnot, but Reve could feel a threatening aura surrounding him. It was at that moment and time did he understand that he was wrong to belittle the people of Narva. He had originally thought that his missions would be a walk in the park but now, he had to reconsider. Just as he was deep in thoughts, a murky voice reached out to him, "Young lad, are you okay?" Reve swept his eyes around to meet one of the civil defense warriors, "Yes, sir. Never felt better. Bless Xoris!" His pretense was flawless and the experienced warrior failed to catch a whiff of it. He replied just before leaving, "Yes, bless Xoris. Since I have confirmed you do not hold any wounds, you are free to leave." "Thank you, sir." Yet, Reve was not ready to leave. He walked around many times. His eyes were trained on the warriors as he tried to analyze them, extracting what little information he could. After a while, the marketplace was becoming void of humans. No one in their right mind would opt to stay and continue their activities after first-hand witnessing the wrath of a dragonkin. Hence, Reve followed the crowd and exited the scene. Today was one hell of a blast! Chapter 131 - The Fire Of Mages Two days later¡­.. In a particular grandiose hall of NIRA, a class was taking place in one of its spacious rooms. The class was positioned like an elevating spiral. The students surrounded the altar in seats that were arranged on floors. Hence, they could all see the altar which was the personal space of the teacher of the class. This created the perfect environment for the class being taught. On the altar was surprisingly a young man dressed in a formal grey and white dress. His grey goatee complimented his dress style as he walked around, making sure his voice reached every ear in the room. "We have been here before. The circle lines are one of the most important points in¨C" Before he could dwell further on the topic of discussion, the door of the room was barged open. The sound of the action attracted everyone in the room. A young man walked in slowly as he observed the room and everyone in it. He wore a canny smile and quietened his pace in a bid to not draw further expression to himself, but of course, that was not impossible. The lad was bound to be the target of crowds no matter where he went. His cat-like ears that protruded from his head and heterochromia eyes were like torches of flames in a grim night. Moreover, after one looked at him, the eventual conclusion that he was a demihuman was the creme of the top, as if his other features weren''t attractive enough! With long silver-white hair that went past his shoulders, the young man took a seat next to a person that didn''t reveal looks of fear when he laid eyes on him. This young man was Reve. Reve Amethyst. And he was present for his first class in NIRA. With a light disrupting cough, the teacher spoke, "I see our new student has found his way into our midst. Now let''s not embarrass ourselves. We have done enough kissing with our eyes." The teacher glanced at Reve, "Young lad, what do you go by?" Reve smiled, "Reve. Just Reve." "Reve of Azea. It is an honor," replied the teacher. His smile was so bright that it gave Reve tingles. ''Oh damnation, I said Reve not Reve of Azea. It makes me feel like a story character,'' sighed Reve, inwardly. However, he never revealed his thoughts. He had made a decision that he had to play the part of an easygoing demihuman. This was the best way of slayin¨Cbreaking the millennial-long prejudice of demihumans. The teacher continued, "Well then, Reve of Azea. I''m Grand Mage Helias of Arcane Class(I). I suppose you are aware of the class you are in right now." "Yes, sir," responded Reve. "Oh, please. Drop the "sir". In here, we are all people in love with the study of the arcane. Frankly speaking, it is nice to see another one among us. The practitioners of Arcanism have been dwindling over the past few years. Enough about that¡ª" Grand Mage Helias sat on the chair in the altar, "For your very first appearance, I shall grant you the honor of elucidating one of our most notorious topics. Reve of Azea, what are your thoughts on Elementalism?" Reve was shocked for a second. Elementalism¡­..? It was such a foreign word to him. "Elementalism¡­..Elementalis-" as he was about to speak his mind, he decided to start a bit differently. "Arcadia has had its fair share of glorious moments. However, I dare say that the birth of Elementalism shouldn''t be on the list. Elementalism is a cancerous issue to the people of Arcadia. The longer this issue is not dealt with properly, the more irreversible the consequences it brings will be. Elementalism promotes the idleness of mortal men. It should not be this way. The path of magic should not be for all. Our history dictates the deeds of only men that crawled their way up, not men that had bought their way into magic!" "It is no wonder that the glory of magic has dwindled. The eyes of mortals look at us differently now. We are now defined by unethical things like talent and affinity when we should be defined by our passion. The fiery passion that our pioneers inscribed into us via the wheel of time." The moment Reve was done speaking, he received a standing ovation from the other students and Grand Mage Helias. They had been moved by his words. The teacher addressed Reve''s speech, "Yes, your view of things aligns with all who are sitted in this class. Perhaps, that is why we make such small numbers. Once again, Thank you, Reve of Azea. It looks like your presence would be quite welcoming." The young-looking teacher with an obscure age spoke out, "In all honesty, mages, not arcanists, in general, should not lose our fiery passion. That is the only thing we can lean on when things get turbulent. Now, let''s continue with the actual topic for this class, magic circles...." As the class went on with Grand Mage Helias'' lecture, Reve scrunched his nose. Something didn''t feel right about the class. He whispered to the student beside him, "Hey there, are we actually studying magic circles for beginner spells?" The student laughed in response, "Grand Mage Helias has been going on about that since the start of the term, emphasizing on becoming masters of the "fundamentals"." "Oh, fundamentals, I see," Reve nodded his head. He didn''t "see" anything. Reve had mastered the fundamentals a long time ago. Heck, now that he was checking, he found out that he was the only third circle Arcanist among the students. They were all Initiates and the few special ones managed to nick themselves an Apprentice title. Funny enough, the teacher was a grand mage, which was an incredible feat. ''Maybe, I should take things slowly,'' wondered Reve. On second thoughts, he realized he had been rushing his magic practice. In the practice of magic, time was irrelevant. One should never consider it. Reve had become so used to moving things at full gear that he forgot it shouldn''t be like that. Chapter 132 - Clubs The day before, Reve had finally visited his counselor. It was just after he had sent off Myniene. The demihuman of the Vagoroth council couldn''t stay in Narva any longer. She had duties. As soon as she confirmed that Reve could take care of herself, she boarded a private ship to Azea, the beast continent. Anyways, after she left and Reve finally attained true freedom, his first stop was the counselor''s office. Now, counselors were staff of Narva that was responsible for assisting the students. With one of the counselors'' help, Reve finally picked his classes and registered for them. The thing about Narva classes was that they were divided into two main faculty; Magic Faculty and Ki Faculty. The exception to that were the grey classes, but very few people picked those classes since they supposedly provided little benefit to the students. The five main classes Reve picked were Arcane Class(I), Magia Class, Magic Combat, Mind-Diving Class, Mana Control Class. The reasons behind the classes were quite easy to understand. Each of the classes touched upon a fundamental of Arcanism. Arcane Class taught Arcanism in general. Magia Class focused on magical knowledge, which would always prove helpful. Magic Combat was concerned with how to effectively use one''s magic power. Mind-Diving Class was what they called Meditation practice. Mana Control was about achieving a delicate manipulation of mana. Although Reve used magi now, the basis behind mana manipulation still corresponded to it. When it come to his elective classes, Reve went wild. He picked the maximum number of classes he could. Most of them appealed to something that he was very interested in. In fact, he valued his electives more than his five main classes. His seven electives were Magical Studies(General), Ancient History, Enchantment, Practical Ritualism, Popular Alchemy, Magical Plane Geometry, Combat Study. For starters, Magical Studies(General) was a bit like Magia Class. He picked Ancient History since he was a big lover of historical events. Enchantment class was necessary for him. In fact, he planned to focus on that class more than his Arcane class. Practical Ritualism was chosen to stabilize his knowledge of ritualism since he seemed to be needing them a lot. Popular Alchemy was something he wasn''t used to. It interested him so he picked it. Magical Plane Geometry would help him a lot with Arcanism, especially his magical circles. Combat Study was a grey class. Despite the students'' view of grey classes, Reve actually was very interested in Combat Study Class. The study covered the technicalities of battle, be it unharmed fights or battles involving forms of energy. With this class, he could evolve the Amethyst Style. With all the crazy classes he picked, it seemed like he would be very busy in the following year. It was just how he liked it. He didn''t plan on beginning his plans before acquiring all the information he needed. He was playing a long game. What made him change his mind about starting his plans right away was the appearance of the defense force and the dragonkin. Having witnessed that crazy event, he realized he was not invulnerable. At everywhere existed a threat! ...¡­.. Current time. Reve quietly listened to Grand Mage Helias lecture...but he couldn''t stop his face from twitching occasionally. Finally, he could not endure it any longer. He faced the student beside him once more and asked, "Are you sure he plans on teaching till the end of the term?" "Yes," sighed the student. Not to attract any attention, he whispered, "I get it. This is torture, but Grand Mage Helias seems adamant that this is just what we need. He said that ninety percent of us have shaky fundamentals. I agree with him. However, what about the other ten percent? What are they to do while he goes over what they already mastered?" Reve slightly frowned, "I see¡­He seems quite passionate about the study of Arcanism." "Yes, he is. Perhaps that''s why he is torturing us. Who knows?" That was the last conversation Reve had till the end of the class. Afterward, he mingled with a few courageous students before moving on to the next class. .... Many hours later. Despite the absence of the sun, it was already evening time and Reve was exhausted. He dragged his body out of the hall. However, before he could enter his campus, he was interrupted by two students. "Hello," politely smiled Reve as he observed them. "Hi there, Reve of Azea," joked one of them. It turns out that the person was the same student Reve conversed with during Arcane Class. Reve yelped, "I''m not going to live that down, am I? Niall, right?" "Oh yes, you aren''t. This is my friend, Remont," Niall introduced the other student. After Reve greeted the man called Remont, Niall quipped, "You look tired. Heh, the first day can be very horrendous. I shan''t take much of your time. Well, you see, my friend and I are of the belief that you would make a fine addition to our club." Reve screamed inwardly while maintaining a straight face, ''Uhh-- a club, again?'' He had been approached by multiple people with the same agenda on his way to the campus. If not for wanting to keep a jovial image, he would have dashed to his room the moment he heard the word club. But he didn''t do that. Reve of Azea was known for his beautifully warm smile and polite nature. He would never act rude. Hence, Reve said, "I believe I''m not ready to join club activities. Right now, I''m preoccupied with getting accustomed to the ways of NIRA. I''m sorry." Clubs were a hot topic in NIRA. Supposedly, each club had innate benefits that were irresistible to students. Hence, getting into a club was something every student wanted, but it wasn''t as easy as it sounded. Each club had its requirement, which was always a bit hard to achieve. This way, club membership would only be available to the elites of NIRA. As for why Reve was being pursued by lots of clubs, if he had to guess, it would be because of his popularity. His identity as a demihuman would be just what the clubs would need to increase their populating thereby making them high in demand. Having figured this easily, it vexed Reve. He was just seen as a popularity booster by the clubs Chapter 133 - Darklore ''Hmmm¡­.what is that?'' Reve was about to exit into his campus when he noticed something weird about his surrounding. It was quiet¡­.too quiet. He had already accepted the fact that he would be the center of attention wherever he was. However, at this very moment, he couldn''t help but find it strange that people weren''t gasping at his appearance. After a brief check, Reve quickly understood the reason for this strange occurrence. It turns out the students nearby became quiet at the first sight of two individuals. The expression on their face was not fear but something quite close. It was wariness. Meanwhile, the two individuals, no doubt used to this, simply ignored everything in their surroundings and maintained their pace. "Niall, who are those two people?" asked Reve. Niall whispered close to Reve, "They are the Drateel twins. New transfer students from Narva Academy. However, their reputation is widespread around Narva. Everyone knows about them." "Drateel?!.....is that so?" Reve was beyond shocked. How nice was it to find a member of the Drateel House so soon? However, what was so special about this pair of paternal twins that the entire academy seemed to ostracize them? He quickly ignored Niall and kept his focus on the pair of paternal twins as they walked past the campus gate. The twins only gave him a brief glance before moving on, maintaining their aloof state. Nevertheless, Reve was not hurt by this. In fact, one could say that he couldn''t be more interested in the twins now. They bore the last name of Vaddon Drateel which probably meant they were from the same house. That was enough reason to top Reve''s interest list. After the sudden event, Reve went into the campus grounds, successfully finding his way to his room where he crashed till the next morning. ..................¡­ A week later. It was certified! Each day in NIRA was almost the same. However, due to the academic atmosphere, that didn''t matter. A student could spend a month just studying without ever noticing the apparent passing of time. Reve found himself in this exact predicament. Unknowingly, he had survived his first week at the academy. Hence, to celebrate that, Reve waited till the weekends to do something fun. He visited the library hall closest to him. By now, he had already scouted the entire of NIRA¡­.well, not the "entire", but a sizable portion of NIRA. Soon, Reve found himself standing in front of a large tower that pointed towards the sky as if challenging it. Thus building structure easily reached one of the highest buildings Reve had ever laid his eyes on. It was surrounded by gardens and in those gardens laid all sorts of students with different agendas. Some of them used the location as a favorite spot with their lovers while some of them were just simply plain boring, so boring that they would find pleasure in reading alone in public. Anyways, Reve quietly entered the library. He was quickly astonished by the large shelves of books. However, he couldn''t smell the dry scent of paper that usually came with high-quality books. After a brief check, he realized that he was right. The books here were not useful to him at all. With a thought in mind, Reve met with the librarian, "Pardon me, but are these all the books in this library?" As if well used to this particular question, the librarian replied, "No. Take the stairs at the right corner. It would lead you to the upper floor. Take note that¡ª" Before he could finish his sentence, Reve had disappeared from his sight. "What is with youngsters and rushing things. Now he won''t hear what I wanted to say." .......... ''Hmmm, nice floor,'' commented Reve. The style of the second floor was more appealing than the floor below. The room was scented with a flowery scent that reminded Reve of feywood, but it didn''t capture the thin yet attractive smell of feywood. "Theory of Dwarf Hierarchy," Reve read the title of a book he picked from one of the shelves. ''This is interesting. To theorize that there would be a hierarchy of dwarves. Almost demeaning, as dwarves are known for their lack of complex social structure.'' In under a minute, Reve found something to criticize about the book. He moved on to another book. "The origin of witches by¡­.Grand Mage Hickens." Immediately enthralled by the concept of the book, Reve flipped to the introductory page, "Witches, one of the many plagues that withstood the sand of time. Their source is still buried deep. However, what if that was not the case? The secrets of witches...." Reve twitched his mouth, ''Another foolish author. First off, witches only refer to the female members of their species. Someone that claims to know their origin should already be aware of that. This is just an attempt to gain popularity.'' He went on. Books after books, all of them turned out to be purely theoretical. Regrettably, the ones that weren''t weren''t of his interest. Hence, Reve took the stairs to the upper floor. He had guessed that there were multiple floors in the building. Judging by the towerlike structure, he estimated about ten floors since each floor was immensely huge. Reve ignored the exquisite nature of the third floor, he walked past the librarian and quickly found a book. It was locked with a magic spell. Nonetheless, its title could still be seen. Also, an introductory page was placed just beside it. Reve read it, "Okay, let''s see. Stories of the dark ages. Hmmm, catchy." He now realized why the book was placed on a gold stand and not on the shelves like the others. It was valuable, extremely valuable. "The dark age. The period before the start of civilization, when gods walked among us. People perceive this age as a boring and dull time. Yet, many things existed in this unknown age. Follow me on the journey of uncovering the hidden stories of this primal age." Reve turned to the bottom of the page and found the true title of the book, "Darklore: Runic." Instantly, he was excited about the topic explored by the book. Based on the description, Darklore was more than just one book. Each book possessed a story and the story for the book before him was Runic! In other words, Runic magic¡­.an expressive form of magic that was almost extinct. Reve didn''t waste time after finding just what he wanted. He went to the librarian and informed her of his decision. However¡­.. "I''m sorry but you can''t borrow this book...or any book on this floor!" Chapter 134 - Clashing Of Schools(1) "Ehh¡­what do you mean?" asked Reve, shocked. "It seems that you are not familiar with the setup of the library. Each floor has a level of authorized access. The first floor has a general authority of one-star. The second floor was two-star and the third floor, this floor, authority level is three-star," explained the librarian. This was probably why Reve had not seen many people on the third floor and second floor. Not many had the authority level to access the books on these floors. Also, unlike the first floor, the books on the second and third were magically locked. The main content of the books was unreadable, at least, not without the help of the librarian. Just when Reve was about to take his departure with a gloomy face, the librarian hollered at him, "I don''t know if this helps but you can increase your authority levels through various means. The most common one is by joining a club. NIRA grants authority levels to those that participate in club activities." Reve frowned before asking, "Is that why the clubs have been a bit too active in the past few weeks?" "Yes and no. The clubs find themselves with the desire to increase their ''value'' and one of the ways to do that is to recruit students. It is a complicated situation to new students like you." Reve thanked the librarian before he took his leave. He strongly ruminated while walking, ''I need to join a club.'' The captivating hold of Darklore was too strong for him. He was very interested in it and if joining a club was what was needed to get the book, then he would gladly join a club. Nonetheless, this decision required further deliberation. He couldn''t just join any club or it would come to bite him in the ass later. Sitting in his room, Reve picked the portfolio that Ivetta gave him a while ago and went through the list of clubs in NIRA. ''Hmm¡­not this one¡­.not this one either¡­.. Oh damnation, why is it so hard to find a club I actually like. Oh, this one...'' The club Reve was looking at was named Archaic Mysteries. It was essentially a book club and was quite valued by NIRA. NIRA granted each of its members an authority level increase by two stars. Among other clubs, this level of increase was exceedingly rare. However, with the high value of this club came the tough membership interview. Based on the information in the portfolio, the membership interview had a 10% admission rate. That meant that the club members were quite strict with what they wanted. Anyways, the details of the interview are privy to the normal students so he had no idea what they were looking for. All he had to do was have confidence in himself. After all, who was he? He was Reve Amethyst, the student of Circe, the Immortal Witch! As an extraordinary person, he believed there was nothing he could not do. Hence, before the night overtook Arcadia, Reve checked for the closest interview date. It was on Monday, after classes. Reve smirked, "I look forward to it" He hastily went to the club board. The club board was a massive board situated near the Elemental hall. All students that were interesting in registering for a club''s interview would write their names under the club listed on the club board. The members of the club would check up on it the next day and prepare for the interview. After doing all this, Reve returned to his room. He continues his night studies. . . . . The next Monday. Reve was currently in Magic Combat Hall. The class was carried out in an open hall that was staged like a mini colosseum. It had already been a good few minutes since the class started. "Ok. I decided that just as nature change, we need a change of view. Let''s switch to practical class to understand all my past lectures," said the teacher. The awkwardly bulky man, Grand Mage Terrick, was rumored to a famous adventurer that had ventured into the most dangerous places and had fought the feircest of monsters. However, due to old age, he retired. And what better way to do that than spread his experience to the younger generation? He went soon, knowing fully well that he had the student''s attention, "We shall have a brief battle between two students of clashing schools of magic? Based on majority, the two schools will be Arcanism and Elementalism. The other schools would have to settle for later." "Alright, among yourselves, choose your representatives," finished Grand Mage Terrick. The open ground at the center of the mini colosseum was supposed to be the battle ground. Grand Mage Terrick walked there and waited for the representatives to come forward, but, even after ten minutes, the students were still discussing among themselves. "Heh, students, students. This is a simple conversation. Choose your best. You are all aware of your capabilities," chided Grand Mage Terrick. The elementalists quickly chose someone among themselves. However, the aracanists were met with a dilemma. One of them cowered, "Should we tell him?" "Of course, we have to tell him!" another one replied. "You tell him." "My feets are quaking just thinking of doing that. He might bite us, you know?" "Don''t be absurd, he certainly wouldn''t do that, would he?" Meanwhile, the subject of this weird conversation couldn''t keep himself aloof any longer. His face twitched as if he was having body spasms. In less than a second, he turned his head and spoke to the group of arcanists a few feets away, "I have heightened hearing. I can hear you!!" Before he could totally blow off, he remembered that Reve of Azea was a nice demihuman. Reve of Azea is never hostile So, he flashed a smile at the group, "If you want me to go, I will go." With that said, he walked down the chairs to the open ground where his opponent waited for him. Chapter 135 - Clashing Of Schools(2) ''Hmmm, let''s see....Just when I thought this would be a walk in the park.'' Reve looked straight at his opponent. One thing was for sure, his opponent was definitely not easy. When he used [Appraisal] on the young lady in front of him, her stats wowed him. [ Name: Avidanna Aracana Race: Half-Elf Level(exp): 71 (1/1000) Path: Master Elementalist (Magic) Titles: #####, #####, Master AP: 11 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 70 Speed: 79 Constitution: 59 Intelligence: 55 Spirit Energy: 200 ] Her stats were immensely impressive! ''Now, I know why she looked so familiar.'' The two of them had crossed paths once on his way to the counselor''s office. As it turns out, she was a transfer student just like him. However, she was not from Azea. No, she was from the hidden continent. A continent filled with thriving history and legends. Alfheim, the continent of magic and home to elves! Avidanna was probably her for the same reason as him. After all, that was the only reason as to how a half-elf like her would leave the treasure land to cone to Xoris. Instead of being intimidated by her heritage, Reve was intrigued. As he looked at her, he discovered the unique features belonging to the race of elves. The pointy ears, albeit, hers were a bit shorter than normal elves, probably because she was mixed blood. Her fair skin was just like milk and her lithe body couldn''t be more highlighted by her mage robe. Shaking his head, Reve brought his mind back to focus, ''Hmmm¡­.a cat emperor doesn''t simp.'' Being the first time he met an elf, such a reaction was expected. After a few seconds, he quickly got over it. He walked closer to the half-elf and curiously asked, "Pardon my rudeness, but I have to say, why is a half-elf meddling with elementalism?" Avidanna politely replied, "I could ask the same. Why is a demi-human resorting to arcanism?" "It''s an easy question. My intelligence allows me to meddle with even intricate arts like arcanism. However, in your case, there is no need to stoop to the level of elementalism, is there?" Reve redirected the question, meaningfully. However, he seemed to have touched a sore spot as Avidanna''s energy burst out of her body fiercely. It formed an energy aura around her, showing that she was ready to fight. Reve smiled thoughtfully, ''It seems there is more to the story. Not my business tho...Hmmm, her energy is pure, as expected from an elf.'' This battle might just be more interesting than he thought. Reve glanced at the teacher and signaled for the battle to start. When he got his feedback, he started channeling his magi. *Wheez!* The wind brushed Reve''s face. He knew it was time to battle! As Reve browsed through his list of magic spells looking for one to use, a large fireball appeared in the sky, raining down on him. Despite not using [Morai], his raw speed was enough to evade the fireball. Reve kept charging his energy, all the while trying to sound out Avidanna''s attack style. One thing was for sure, it was definitely unladylike! Another fireball quickly tailed Reve. Before he could dodge it, a water arrow flew at him. Reve was on the defensive! He found a way between the two attacks and quickly rolled away, but before he could sigh in relief, the earth shook, throwing him off balance. Avidanna used this chance to cast another spell at Reve. The spell manifested in the form of an arrow powered by various elemental forces. The speed of the arrow was so fast that Reve couldn''t avoid it in time. It pierced through his bowels and brought him to his knees. Avidanna continued her barrage of attacks with a rain of firebirds that exploded upon impact. Immediately, Reve''s body was caught in the attack. He was not given any breathing space as one of the firebirds latched onto his skin. ''Damn, these are not ordinary elemental spells!'' The explosion from that certain firebird sent him spiraling to the other side of the colosseum. His face, rolling on the dirt ground as he gathered a cluster of dust. When the continuous attack stopped, the loud voice of Grand Mage Terrick reached out to him, "Reve, are you still able to continue?" With a murky voice, Reve managed to let out, "Yes. I''m alright." He definitely wasn''t alright! To think even the glorious him would receive an unstoppable beatdown to the point that it reminded him of the time he spent in Amethyst''s palace. Reve hid in the cluster of dust as his body''s natural healing factor kicked in, ''I have been underestimating her all along. I have been underestimating all of them.'' Reve felt that he was too good for the students of NIRA, but now that he was aware of this flaw, he wouldn''t lie down easily. ''She does aggressive control. It is even more amazing that she seems to have an affinity towards all the main elemental forces. I need to disrupt her tempo or she would really defeat me. Ehe,'' Reve abruptly analyzed his opponent. The moment he stood up, his blood closed. Red sharp lines grew on his skin, reaching for every part of his body. On his forehead, the lines formed a red drop of blood. It connected to the entire network of lines and the effects of the hex kicked in. Reve felt invigorated. He closed his eyes for a second and attuned himself to his environment. When he opened his eyes, he sharply turned his head, evading a firebird that attacked him. All of a sudden, a myriad of whitish whips of plants sprouted out from the ground. They swat at the firebirds that were incoming. Feeling a change in his situation, Reve looked grimly at the hot sun was actualizing in the air above Avidanna. ''Oh, what a sad life.'' Avidanna was casting two spells. One of them was the hot sun, why the other was responsible for the firebirds that were attacking him without stop Chapter 136 - Clashing Of Schools(3) ''Multi-tasking elemental spells¡­.impressive.'' Even while faced with this dilemma, Reve didn''t forget to mentally praise Avidanna. It wasn''t easy casting two top-tier spells at the same time. Although admittedly, Reve could do the same, it had to be known that Reve was not just anybody. *Shzzz!!* The hot globe above Avidanna began quaking, a sign that Avidanna''s preparation was almost done. ''I need to do something now!'' Reve realized his situation. He closed his eyes once more and consciously activated all his sensory skills. Immediately he opened them back, Reve ran at the array of firebirds raining down on him as if he had killed their motherbird. If he used his [Morai], he could evade them well enough, but he couldn''t, so he had to settle for his pure speed. It had been long since he tapped into the amazing agility that belonged to the cat race. As he kept moving, his speed increased to the point where he almost could not control it. Reve let his primal instinct take over as he used his four limbs to boost his speed. One firebird after the other...Nothing seemed to be capable of stopping the blue blur that headed for Avidanna. Predicting what would soon happen if Reve was let be. Avidanna quickened the casting of her spell. She improved the effectiveness of the spell responsible for the firebirds. Meanwhile, on the other side, Reve casually threw a flip just before a firebird could contact him. He noticed that the firebirds were getting concentrated on his path. Making a quick decision, blue magic circles surrounded Reve while he was free-falling in the air. Melodious sounds echoed from the magic circles as they were enlarging in size. One of them merged with the ground and sprouted a small plant whip that caught Reve in his fall. All of a sudden, other plant whips arose from the earth, wrapping around Reve until he could not be seen. They quickly formed a great tree with snowy barks. The tree''s branches shot out to fend off the firebirds. There seemed to be no limit to the extent of the length of the branches. In no time, they swatted away all the firebirds but it wasn''t as easy as it looked. Each time a branch touched a firebird, it would explode. The tree would then regenerate another branch to continue the mission of the previous branch. Even the onlookers could tell that this was energy-draining and questions whether Reve could effectively hold on were circulating. Meanwhile, just when everything seemed bleak for Reve, one of the tree branches broke through the formation of firebirds and unleashed a terrifying whip on Avidanna. *Bam!* Like a rogue rocket, Avidanna smashed into the walls of the colosseum. However, what came after shocked everyone. Loud cracks sounded from the location of Avidanna. Instantly, a pure cerulean glass appeared in front of the half-elf. The cracked glass turned into water and returned to the earth, revealing the safe appearance of Avidanna! She had survived the deadly attack from Reve. She didn''t even have anything more than scratches on her body. Avidanna''s hands were still up, powering her spells, but a smile curved on her lips. She quietly muttered out loud, "I expected you to do this. All arcanists thrive on sneaky attacks. It was a tough battle, but I prevail." Suddenly, a murky voice humored her, "Well, you are not quite right. I mean this battle is not over yet, is it?" Avidanna''s eyes widened as she detected the figure of Reve beside her. No doubt that the voice belonged to him. With a quizzical smile on his face, he shortened the distance between him and her, "Multi-casting three spells¡­..Damn, you are something else, alright? I knew you had something else up your sleeves, but this is....." "Stay back!" shouted Avidanna. Before she could summon her firebirds, Reve cast [Frozen Gate ] below her. The icy gale that swallowed her quickly encased her in a block of ice. She could only watch as Reve stared at her thoughtfully. She could have sworn that she saw a glint of coldness hidden beneath his warm eyes. The type of glint that belongs to a predator. Soon, Reve took advantage of the uncomfortable silence and quipped, "You are quite peculiar, quite unlike most of those I have fought throughout the course of my life. Just when I thought this was over, you managed to surprise me¡­.." Despite the audience not being able to see him, they could trace the direction of his sudden stare. Reve was looking up at the sky. No, at the hot globe that kept releasing scorching heatwaves. Above the miniature sun was the mundane blue sky, but something seemed strange about it. With a snap of his hand, Reve revealed the peculiarity of this sky. *Shwoop!* Instantly, numerous miniature suns appeared above the original sun. The heatwave generated by the cluster of suns brushed against Reve''s face. He could the hostile intensity of it. He could feel the pure destructiveness that the miniature suns possessed. "Now that is what I have been sensing all this while," sighed Reve. He noticed that Avidanna had already freed herself with help from the heatwaves. However, all he did to counter that was distance himself from her. He knew. Things were about to become troublesome. Avidanna quickly reconnected with her magic spells. She deactivated her firebird spell and concentrated on the miniature suns spells. Also with Grand Mage Terrick present, her safety was guaranteed no matter what. That was the only way she could go all out She was not worried about accidentally injuring the other students as the battleground had a fixed spell that created a barrier around it, preventing any attack from reaching the seats Feeling weary, she shouted out loud, "Let''s end this now. [Wrath of the Suns]!" With that said, the miniature suns finally began their descents. Just when everyone thought the battle was over, a bright blue light rose to the sky and covered everywhere with its blue halo Chapter 137 - Clashing Of Schools(4) The blue light settled at a certain altitude. It revealed itself to be a delicate orb. This orb hovered above Reve. In an instant, something broke out of it just like how birds break from their eggs. However, in this case, what came out was a single winter flower of utmost beauty. The appearance of the flower was mesmerizing and almost no one could keep their eyes off it. They became more ensnared when the flower blossomed and something began growing out of it. In less than a second, a tiny ice spear shot out of the flower. It pierced through one of the suns, transforming it into a frozen sun. This all happened in under half a minute, but from the perspective of the audience, it felt like an entire day. However, when the first sun was frozen, they broke out of their stupor and caught up with the pace of time. *Ding!* *Ding!* *Ding!* One by one, the suns were converted into frozen balls. There seemed to be no end to the furious attacks from the blue flower. Watching her spell getting destroyed, Avidanna found herself channeling all her energy into manifesting more miniature suns but unfortunately, she didn''t have infinite spirit energy. The whites in her eyes became evident as she forced all her energy out. If she didn''t stop soon, she might find herself in a serious predicament. Suddenly, a blue blur flashed towards her. She was not able to react and could only raise her guards as the blur moved closer. Before she knew it, a finger caressed her forehead. She opened her trembling eyes to see Reve looking straight at her quietly. "I expected this," smiled Reve. He quickly made a hand sign that kickstarted something unknown. *Phweep!* Following a sudden loud yet soft pulse in Reve''s body, an energy wave exploded from him. It expanded to form about ten inches radius around Reve before disappearing but that was enough. The moment that energy wave reached Avidanna, all her spells were deactivated. It was the same for Reve. His [Artic Moon] was quickly shut down and peace solemnly returned to this part of the world. Avidanna trembled as she understood what Reve had done, "Spell negation!! How did you?!" Spell negation wasn''t something that was easy to master. In fact, even Grand Mages weren''t qualified to learn it. It required the sort of energy control that was almost inhumane to think of. To even imagine a third circle arcanist pulling it off was... From the auditorium, Grand Mage Terrick applauded, "Fantastic. I don''t think I have lived long enough to witness such a spectacular display from both sides." He materialized two potions which he threw at Reve and Avidanna. They were health potions, exactly what the two needed. After Reve and Avidanna met up with the rest of the class, Grand Mage Terrick took control, "From the start to the end, the battle was filled with such rich experience that even amazed me. Out of all the details, the technicalities involved is what I want you to focus on." He went on, "I will list five major techniques that were featured by both sides. These five are exceedingly important to become a qualified mage." "In no particular order, the first is multi-casting. The ability to wield two or more different spells would help you a lot in your future endeavors. If you can cast three spells at the same time, then you might just find yourself unstoppable." "Next, quick casting. This technique is immensely desired by apprentice mages. When you find yourself in an urgent need for action, this would help you." "Third, spell concealment. Both Avidanna''s and Reve''s major spells needed a setup that was well executed with the help of the spell concealment technique. Avidanna hid the full extent of her magic spell while Reve hid his cloning spells. I''m sure some of you wonder why he was able to appear next to Avidanna in critical moments." "Fourth, Spell Precision and Subconscious control. When wielded right, these two techniques produce something game-changing. In a battle, a mage needs to be able to control some of his basic spells subconscious, so as to create more room to concentrate on other things like tactics. Also, each spell needs to be precise. Without this, you would never be able to achieve anything as a mage." "Fifth, mental versatility. If anything, this should be the first technique you master. Very rarely is a battle concluded after the first clash. You need to be capable of quickly changing tactics, securing backup plans, and others." Grand Mage Terrick concluded his class, "The other techniques they displayed are too high-level. Especially that spell negation. First, we begin with the basic techniques. I hope this battle makes you understand that magic combat techniques applies to all schools of magic." Not soon later, after making sure his students digested the information, Grand Mage Terrick closed his class. . . . . On his way out of the colosseum, Reve was interrupted by someone familiar. He smiled brightly, "Avidanna, I shan''t forget our battle." Avidanna hissed in reply, "Drop the pretense. The person I fought with wasn''t as polite as this." She already had enough clue to discern Reve''s true nature. Yet, when she revealed she was now aware of the real him, she didn''t get the reply she expected. "Oh, that''s alright. I meant what I said though. You have left quite the memorable impression on me," teased Reve. He walked with Avidanna out of the colosseum, "So, Avi, what can I do for you." "Avi¡ªDon''t call me--," Avidanna glared at Reve, but she let it slide as she had an important question to ask, "Where did you learn spell negation? The technique has been lost for ages now." Reve replied, "Does it matter? I don''t think the elves lack the technique, do they? Have the elves finally lost all their heritage?" "Watch your words!" warned Avidanna. Reve raised his hands up in defeat, "Alright, I will tell you. I learned it from my mentor. She is a witch, so, you know?.....ancient knowledge and whatnot. Is that enough?" Without waiting for a reply, he hastened his pace.. He didn''t have time to entertain Avidanna. Reve of Azea had somewhere he needed to be Chapter 138 - The Eccentric Club After walking for a while, Reve appeared at the entrance of the library. He entered the library and followed the directions he had obtained a while back. Soon, Reve spotted a brown door just behind the array of shelves on the second floor. He pushed it open slowly, but what came next shocked him. Instead of a quiet atmosphere at the other side of the door, he was met with a couple of students playing card games and shouting wildly with alcoholic bottles in their hands. There was no doubt. These youths were drunk. They only spared one good look at him before they continued their crazy game, leaving Reve to wonder what the hell was going on. He was a bit tempted to freeze this group of people but then he realized they were probably the same group he wanted to impress. From the corners of his eyes, Reve spotted something else. There was a long chair beside the drunk group and seated awkwardly on that chair was another group of students. They didn''t seem to mingle well with the drunk group. These four students just sat, poised, watching as the other group had fun. ''Oh, now I''m sure that they are just like me. They want to join the club,'' recognized Reve. He also understood that that was the waiting chair and he should take his seat. Moving closer to the four students on the chair, Reve recognized two of them. They were the Drateel twins he saw about a week ago. "Hi, my name is Reve," greeted Reve with a calm smile. The male twin replied, "We know who you are." After that, he shut his lips and maintained decorum. Instantly, Reve understood the message. The twins weren''t friendly. It seemed he would have to find another angle to get to them. Reve sighed, ''That is later. Right now, I need to pass the interview.'' One minute went by without anything happening, just Reve and co watching the club members. Five minutes passed by Ten minutes passed¡­. Twenty minutes¡­. Finally, after thirty minutes went by, the club member finished their games. "Oh, Damian, why didn''t you tell us we have guests?" shouted one of them, a girl. The one named Damian responded, "Gele, I tried telling you but you were too absorbed in the game to hear me." The other three just kept quiet as Damian and Gele bickered. They knew not to interfere with whatever was going on. Not soon after, after Gele was exhausted from bickering, she picked up a document from a nearby table and looked at it. Gele grinned, "Well, if this isn''t something." She mockingly looked at the group on the chair, "Who here is named Cecily?" "I am," one of the applicants raised her hand. Her face flushed as she predicted what Gele was about to say. "You can take your leave," congratulated Gele. "What?" "I said you are free to go." "Does it mean I have passed the interview?" "No, it means you have been eliminated," giggled Gele. Even in her drunken state, she still knew how to hurt someone with her word. "Cecily Ardon. 20 years old. Aura master. Lv.50. Based on your records, you fail terms on a constant basis. I believe, right now, you are aiming for seven consecutive failures. Yeah¡­..we don''t need people like you." Cecily gritted her teeth, "I was of the belief that the Archaic Mystery Club doesn''t care about one''s academic excellence." "Yeah, we don''t. What we do care about is one''s historic knowledge which I''m guessing is not one of your strong points," derided Gele. "How can you so be so sure? Based on just reports?" shouted Cecily. Gele sighed. She sat on a chair, crossed her legs, before continuing, "I admit, you do have a good point. Ok, one question. I will ask you one question and if you answer it, you are in. If you get it wrong, I want you out of our lounge." "What is it?" asked Cecily. "What was the race of the second demon lord?" Cecily repeated the question out loud, "The race of the¡­." Her mouth opened a few times but, ultimately, they couldn''t find anything to say. It was crystal clear to the onlookers. She had no clue as to what the answer was. Not wanting to face more embarrassment, Cecily humped her way out of the lounge. Gele then focused on the remaining three applicants, "The question still remains. By the way, the interview has begun." Before she could enjoy the sweet feeling of despair from the three applicants, the popular female twin gave out an answer, "The second demon lord was a female orc from Kyas" Gele glinted her eyes as she faced Reve, "Okay. You, tell me, what do you know about the second demon lord?" She waited earnestly for the famous demihuman to tremble before her..... "Shel. Shel, the voracious one, was a female orc from Kyas. After acquiring the ancient skill [Gluttony] as well as the skill of demon lords [Black Star], she started her conquest in her homeland, easily defeating all the factions there. She was later stopped by the hero Klayden. Do you want me to go on?" "Don''t get smug. That''s basic knowledge." Reve''s primal nature kicked-in in the face of that response, "No, it is not. Shel was known to be a terrifying demon lord. What the public doesn''t know is that she was female and that she possessed [Gluttony]. They also do not know that she was from Kyas and didn''t just randomly start her conquest on Kyas." "You seem to know your stuff," nodded Gele. She removed her focus on him and faced the male Drateel twin, "Next is you. What was King Bien of Garian''s true love?" The male twin took a while but he managed to answer, "His dog. Records show that he treasured the golden canine more than his family.. He named it Garian after the kingdom that he ruled and it followed him to every battle that he partook in, even his last battle." Chapter 139 - Book Of The World Gele released a pronounced sigh. At this point, she already knew that she wasn''t dealing with the regular type of applicants. These three were weird¡­.if not, too weird. She scratched her head, "Okay, I admit, you guys are impressive. To finalize your successful admission, let''s have a round of five questions each. If you answer four or more out of the five questions, then you are one of us. Is that okay?" "Yes." "Sure." "Affirmative." Gele smirked, "Good, let''s start with you. I believe your name is Ciaran." "Yes," the male twin responded. The male twin named Ciaran was handsome. His looks weren''t a part of the norm as he had sharp eyes that mixed well with his wavy black hair "Who created the Book of the World?" Ciaran''s pupils dilated as he went into deep thoughts. The Book of the World.....one of the oldest treasures that recorded the secrets of Arcadia. The answer to this particular question was a bit tricky. In actuality, many mages and warriors have had a hand in the development of the Book of the World. So, if the question was to be rephrased, "Who wrote the Book of the World?", any supremely influential mage that had appeared over the course of Arcadia''s timeline would suffice as the answer as they would have been given the privilege to develop the sacred book. However, Gele knew exactly what she was doing! ''The question of genesis,'' pondered Reve. Gele wanted to know which prevalent figure was responsible for the origin of the Book of the World. Reve smiled as he knew the answer... After a few minutes, Ciaran spoke in an unclear tone. It was understandable that he wasn''t sure of his answer. What he said was purely theoretical and based on his knowledge. "The Book of the World began in the later centuries in the era of sins. It represents the absolute foundation of the Magic Tower, which still exists in this present age. It is said that this infinite item was handed down to the mages by the Immortal Witch, which led to most present mages believing that the true owner is the Immortal Witch. However, on all pages of the book were tiny signatures, unreadable by all eyes. They bore the insignia of another character in the era of sins." "Archmage Valentine, the lady who read the stars. With the evidence of her insignia, it can also be hypothesized that she is the true owner of the book and the one to have written its early contents. As for her relationship with the Immortal Witch, that much is still buried in the earth." When Ciaran was done, Gele gave him a serious glance, ".....Yes, I have heard this theory. Do proudly stand with it?" Ciaran revealed a noble smile, "We, mages, believe in facts and, when this much fact has been presented before us, we would be fools to look the other way." After his burst of confidence, a sense of uneasiness coursed through him as he connected with the silent atmosphere. "Excellently said! It is only the failures of our kind that still believe the Immortal Witch is the true creator of the book?" exclaimed Gele. She seemed happy with what Ciaran said and kept spewing words of praises at Ciaran. Soon, her adrenaline died down, leading her to direct her wolf eyes at the female twin, "Lyra Drateel. Knowing your background, I dare ask you, do you know your heritage?" Her dramatic tone got through to the female twin with red hair. Lyra solemnly replied, with hints of threats, "It would do you good to watch your words¡­..but, yes, I am quite aware of my heritage." "Excellently said. Now, riddle me this, do witches exist as an independent race?" Lyra huffed, "Yes, this particular group of sentient beings fulfill all the criteria to be called a race. As for if that is the exact name of their race, that is another issue entirely." "Good answer. Now, onto Reve of Azea, what are male witches?" asked Gele. Reve effortlessly said, "There are no such things as male witches. Witches are female subspecies. As to the male equivalent of this subspecies, they are called Wiccans." "Another good answer," nodded Gele. She went back to Ciaran, "Ciaran, to close this question theme, what is the name of the race that both witches and wiccans belong to?" Ciaran answered beautifully, "Morrites. Male morrites are wiccans, while female morrites are witches." "I remain impressed," praised Gele. She moved on to Lyra, "How many annihilation wars occurred in Arcadia?" Without thinking, Lyra worded out, "Five¡ª-" She stopped just as she was about to finish her words, making the blossoming smile on Gele''s face fall off. Lyra hesitated, "Indeterminate. While four annihilation wars were recorded in the era of sins and one was proven to have occurred at the end of the dark era, records of other annihilation wars in the dark era have been surfacing." Gele sighed, "Another right answer." She went on, "Reve of Azea, here''s your second question. In what year was the last annihilation war?" "Year 6500 A.E. That was the exact year when it began and was concluded. It was the only war that played out that way," explained Reve. ''Ahhh, what is with this perfect answer rate?!'' inwardly screamed Gele. She went on to ask a couple of questions and eventually successfully reached the final round of the interview. Reve, Ciaran, and Lyra had successfully answered all their questions and were at ease knowing they had passed the interview. Gele started the last round with a look of annoyance, "Ciaran, Who was the first Aura King?" "I believe it is Seth, the paragon. He was the first to take on the mantle of the Aura King," pronounced Ciaran. However, Reve simply shook his head to that response. Not long after, Gele laughed out loud, "Wrong. Finally a wrong answer! I was starting to think you are too good for us." She said, "Oh, lovely Lyra, can you kindly lend a helping hand to your brother?" Not playing the same game as Gele, Lyra proudly stated, "If that answer is not credible, then I can''t think of a better one. My apologies." "It''s alright. I expected no less," mocked Gele. She smiled at Reve, "Reve of Azea, would you be the one to answer that question?" "If that is want you want," teased Reve. Chapter 140 - Arcana "The origin of the Aura King is hidden behind the veil of mystery. We know that the first known Aura King was Seth, the paragon. However, it is also a fact that he wasn''t the genuine "first" Aura King. Instead, he was the "first" to carry on the mantle." Reve tapped his hand on the armchair. A touch of a smile grew on his face as he reminisced about the time when Circe revealed this shocking truth to him. There he was, seated on her laps, watching the smug look on her face as she kept on talking. His light tappings resounded in his head as he repeated what Circe said, "In the era of imagination, Human Mage Kerei revealed the true nature of the title of the Aura King. It is a Zoetic skill belonging to the [Treasure Class]. It was created in the era of sins by the Shepherd Avel through incomprehensible means and was later passed down to his brother Seth after his passing." What Reve disclosed was something that only the most experienced mages and warriors would be aware of. What was even more shocking was the fact that the mantle of the Aura King was related to the arcana series. Zoetic skills, otherwise titled arcana skills...¡­..was a league of skills that were sentient in nature. They function as part of the mystical aspect of Arcadia and cannot operate without a host. Most illustrious figures in history have gotten their hands on a fair share of arcana skills. The Demon Kings possessed [Black Star]. The Heroes possessed [White Star]. Human Mage Kerei was one of the owners of [Magus]. These arcana skills gave authority over various phenomena. Sometimes, they served as a representation of the host''s true power. For instance, the royal bloods of Caeria controlled [Golden Sun], the manifestation of the power that lurked in their blood. While, very often, this inherited arcana would skip generations. ......¡­.. Facing his answer, Gele smiled beautifully, "Correct. Sage Kerei had gathered the most experienced mages during the reopening of the Magic Tower. Among the topics that were touched upon by these brilliant minds, the truth around the Aura King was one of them. I know that since one of the founding ancestors of Narva attended this meeting and recorded the topics disclosed. His journal exists in the Royal library next to the palace, only accessible to the true royals of Narva. However, for you to know that, it seems what they say about your vast knowledge is credible." Dropping the facade of a wicked lady, Gele walked poised to the three students and bowed lightly, "My apologies for my rude display. It was just part of the test. Come with us." Gele, along with her colleagues, strode out of the room, accessing the back door. It came as no shock that they didn''t appear in the library lobby, but instead a large hall filled with carvings of shimmering stars, the same symbol that appeared on the uniform Gele and the other club members wore. Gele led them to a mighty pillar that supported the hall proudly. Reve was instantly drawn by the brown documents that were pinned on the pillar. He also detected the chains of seats that surrounded the pillar. There was no doubt. This was probably the most important part of the hall. Gele declared, "Welcome to the hall of truth, our lobby. This, here, is our Star pillar." Reve, Lyra, and Ciaran couldn''t keep their eyes off the pillar coated with true silver. And how did they know it was coated with one of the rarest metals in Arcadia? Well, there were only a few metals that released low hums that sounded just like a mermaid''s lullaby and there was only one that was silver in color. Lyra couldn''t help but speak up, "This exquisiteness¡­..I must say, is almost uncalled for. I wouldn''t expect this from a club lobby. Moreover, the wealth behind this is not something to gaze over." The ceiling of the lobby was dark but magical devices that projected the night lights of stars were propped everywhere. It gave the illusion of the perfect starry night, letting the cool atmosphere be the perfect breeding spot for inspiration. Gele smirked, "Relax, darling. There is nothing fraudulent here, except for the belief that we are merely a student club. You see, the Archaic Mysteries Club is a young partner of the Royal Library Association. We help them with their commissions and also receive commissions independently. Moreover, we are recognized by the Institute of Research, the parents of NIRA. Why do you think we are listed as one of the most valuable clubs in NIRA?" Before she could go on, one of the other club members nudged her, "Gele, enough bragging. You have gone on for so long." The young man took over the presentation, "You may call me Tobias. Look, the point is that we are very influential and have an actual reputation all over Narva. We offer our services to those in need of our knowledge just like how nobles commission scholars whenever they find themselves in a pinch. Hence, we never admitted any new member into our midst. Well, until now." The one named Damian chipped in, "We don''t find ourselves understaffed but we do need to connect to the newer set of students. You, sirs and m''ladies, are our pick. Now, onto our late introduction." Damian jumped onto one of the nearby seats. He was totally comfortable in this hall. He introduced the club members, "Our head, president, or whatever you think best fits is obviously the great Princess Gellene Northstar. Yeah, I know, she is way worse than what the public thinks." Reve squinted his eyes at what Damian said. The expressions of Lyra and Ciaran were way worse. As royals, they were aware of the aristocratic circle. Leading the nobles were the royals and each one of them was famously known in NIRA. Princess Gellene Northstar belonged to the royal duke house, which was led by the brother of the current king. She was said to be extremely rebellious and downright troublesome to deal with. Yet, her intelligence and foxiness proved to be her only redeeming qualities as they had no bounds. Despite Gele''s rude character, there was no way they would have associated her with an esteemed royal like Princess Gellene! Looking at the faces of the new member, Damian felt satisfied that they were just as shocked as he was when he found out the true identity of Gele. He went on, "Anyways, she is our main sponsor. Not that we need her financial support anymore." "Ok, let''s move on. I have introduced myself. Nothing really special about me, just a normal talented commoner with exceedingly good looks," applauded Damian. "Our third member is Tobias Castezac, the heir of an earl house." After Damian was done introducing Tobias, all that was left were the two quiet ladies that watched this spectacle as if they held no part in it. Pointing at the short black-haired girl with glasses on, Damian said, "Karmin, here, possesses the greatest minds among us. She often is the one to pick commissions. Pay no attention to her calm demeanor..... it''s all fake!" Not waiting for Karmin to raise hell, Damian moved over to the last lady. He ignored her sharp blue eyes and ruffled her blonde hair. "Lithia is the daughter of Count Albion.. She likes to brag about how many dresses she has in her closet." Chapter 141 - The Way Of The World It was nighttime when Reve''s club orientation had finally ended. He walked on the lonely street, observing the stars that twinkled in the sky above. A thought couldn''t help but cross his mind. How did he get here? How did a small creature like him become a promising figure that was already playing games with the experienced heads of Arcadia? Granted, part of this was due to his status as an emperor cat. The halo of an emperor cat was too strong. His enemies always faltered in front of it. Even he, sometimes, felt bad for whoever crossed him. However, he still couldn''t comprehend how, in the face of all the odds stacked up against him, he still managed to prevail. Just how many cats could brag about becoming heirs of gods and students of hands that shaped time? Perhaps, that was the way of life. Life always had a way of bringing the unexpected. Just by a long series of coincidences and mishaps, he became part of the "incidental". It wasn''t strength that brought him this far. It, sure as well, wasn''t talent. It was just him seizing opportunities at the right time. A path cleared before him and he utilized his cockroach-like self, crawling all the way into that path Reve brought his fingers to his lips as he sighed, ''Honestly, it''s been a journey.'' Those few words brought a slow smile onto his face, but it didn''t last long as his brief walk through the past was broken by the sound of human squeals. Reve slightly frowned, not enjoying the fact that his self-enlightenment state was disturbed. In no less than a few seconds, he found the origin of the sounds. It belonged to something in the dark corners of the street nearby. When Reve spied on what was going on, he saw five humans concentrated in the dark street corner. The nightshade provided them the perfect environment to conduct any sort of nefarious activity they desired. "Aye, are you going to give it to us or not?" threatened a raspy voice. The voice belonged to one of the students. Reve''s traits as a magical feline creature allowed him to see the group perfectly. With his cat eyes, there was no distinction between day and night. The owner of the voice was a rough brown-haired youth dressed in the formal NIRA uniform. Beside him were three other youths, each donning the same fiery look the first youth had. They seem to take a supporting stance when the first youth spoke, "I don''t get why you are so stubborn about it. We have mentioned that there will be compensation for your hard work. Is that enough?" "I don''t find it surprising that you seem to not understand. Your lack of comprehension might as well be the only quality you have that is not totally irredeemable. Just like I have said before, I made a pledge with "god" not to allow myself to be taken advantage of. What will become of me if I break that oath?" Finally, the person being spoken to opened his mouth. Unlike the other four, he didn''t seem friendly at all with the others. If anything, the shaky tone at which he spoke revealed his disturbed state. However, he still couldn''t keep his sassiness to himself. With just a few sentences, he diminished the intelligence of the four students to that of dullards. *Pa!* *Pa!* *Pa!* Before the sassy youth could revel in his well-spoken words, a shard of rock pierced his innards. He clenched the small hole in his stomach and screamed as blood spilled out of him profusely. Unfortunately for him, his scream quickly died out in this hidden part of the street. The rough youth grabbed the sassy youth by the neck and kneed his bleeding guts, "It is you that seems to not understand. We are not asking you to give us. We are ordering you. I would think that after all our adventures, you would think better than to walk freely in this dark aspect of the night. No one is coming to your rescue, not like last time." A surge of flame ignited on the rough boy''s palm. He didn''t hesitate to use his fiery hands to tightly grip the neck of the sassy youth. His inhumane display complimented well with the red flame especially when it shined the brightest. Soon, the four youth carried out all sorts of brutal actions on the sassy youth. They kept asking for what they seeked from the youth, but contrary to their expectations, he was as tough as a turtle, even when he screamed as high as a goat. Meanwhile, while all this was happening, Reve thought to himself, ''Bullying. I have been seeing a lot of this lately. I shouldn''t interfere.'' The fate of a busybody wasn''t so pretty, especially when he interfered with students with influential status. Make no mistake, NIRA didn''t promote fair and equal ground. There was pretty much a hierarchy among the students. Nonetheless, what it did do was to allow the commoners to top the pyramid, just like the nobles. If they were to be backed by NIRA, even the nobles would think twice before wronging them. Just by looking at these group of youths, Reve could tell very well that they were nobles, and from the conversation they had with the annoyingly sassy youth, it was safe to discern that they were confident of getting out of trouble if their activities were ever caught. Well, Reve didn''t think they would be able to come out unscathed if ever caught, but their punishment would not be worse than expulsion. If that was the case, they could simply move to Narva Academy, a similar academic institution overpopulated with nobles. Anyways, it wasn''t wise to get himself mixed up in this interesting affair. Yet, just when Reve was about to look the other way, he finally realized what had been bothering him all this while. There was a reason why the sassy youth looked familiar. ''Oh, he is that guy!'' With that thought in mind, Reve walked back to the group Chapter 142 - Hope To See You Again Before he started at NIRA, Reve had met a young man just like himself that made a great conversationalist. He was able to keep up with Reve''s weird thought process. It was safe to say that the young man left quite the favorable impression on Reve. ''If I remember correctly, his name is Silas, right?'' Reve thought as his pace increased. In no time, just as the four bullies were about to land another fiery punch at Silas, a blue silhouette zoomed past them. Before they knew it, their ring leader mysteriously flew away from his spot. The other three bullies rapidly blinked as they could not process what had happened. How did their ring leader disappear? They turned around to see the supposedly missing ringleader laying in a pile of trash. His face was planted on the floor while his butt faced outward. It was an extremely embarrassing scene to watch, even for the three bullies. However, now was not the time for this! A red glow appeared on their body as they shouted at the invisible air, "Who is there? Reveal yourself." They were not dumb. They could tell when someone was messing with them. A cold whisper chilled their ears from behind, "If you say so¡­" The chill that spread throughout their body prompted them to fire a rapid array of firebolts behind them. Yet, before they could say it was over, the familiar blue light reflected in their eyes. Like normal humans, they closed their eyes in reaction. By the time they opened it back, a firm punch was planted in each of their guts. "Ahh!" Veins popped in their eyes as they went to their knees, groveling in pain. The power behind that punch was not something they could even start to comprehend. Even when they shielded their body with spirit energy, it failed to stop the punch. Finally, after making a quick work of them, Reve appeared in their view, his casual demeanor as they whelped in pain made them think of the fabled devil. "...And to think I thought I was about to get serious," Reve pouted. A part of him was expecting their fight to be quite difficult. However, reality was sad¡­as always. Fueled with a sudden rage, Reve walked up to one of them and lightly held them by the chin, "It would appear that not all students at NIRA are impressive. Seriously, just one punch and you drop dead like a fish?" For a moment, he forgot that as a demihuman, he boasted of physical feats that were borderline inhumane. Simply put, he was just being shameless at this moment. However, what he said had a bit of credibility. This bunch of students wasn''t impressive at all. In fact, they should be a disgrace to the other students of NIRA. ....And if that was the case, how the hell were they taking advantage of the one person that left a good impression on him? "Reve of Azea. What are you doing?!" a raspy shout was directed at Reve. What came next was rough rounds of breathing that echoed around the street corner. Reve traced the origin of the sound. He smiled as he looked at the student it came from, "I thought you were unconscious." "I will ask again. Why are you interfering in our business?" demanded the ringleader of the bullies. Reve pointed at Silas in response, "Why, you ask? He is my friend. I do not know what business you have with him, but leave him be!" Silas'' eyes trembled as he finally recognized the person who saved him. He wanted to say something, but his body was too weak to even pronounce simple words. "I never knew you had friends, Reve of Azea," smirked the ring leader. It seemed that whatever regenerative powers he used on himself was finally done as he stared arrogantly at Reve. Reve sighed, "Just call me Reve, adding anything else is really irking. Bullocks!" He watched as the group of bullies gathered together to build a firm wall that blocked the exit of the street corner. Reve had no idea what they were thinking, though. Surely, they weren''t thinking of stopping him. If that was the case, they were really ludicrous. "He needs to give us what we want!" demanded the ring leader. His aura began spreading rampantly out of his body. It collided with the exposed aura of the other bullies as they took a threatening stance. Reve sighed once more, pretending to not notice the energy building up in them, "What he has is his. I will only say this once more. Leave him be." "I can''t do that, Reve of Azea," responded the ring leader. Along with his comrades, he dashed at Reve, preparing to unload whatever technique or spells they had in mind. However, in a very anticlimactic fashion, a bunch of winter vines sprouted out of the earth and wrapped around the limbs of the four bullies. They tried using whatever they could think of to get out, but nothing worked. The only thing they could do was wait until the caster of the spell released them. So, they stared intensely at Reve without saying anything. On the other side, Reve had plenty to say......... With a few tweakings, the vines extended from all sides of the street corners and held the bullies upwards. The only thing stopping them was the winter vines that became colder at each second. Reve appeared closer to the ringleader. His right fist tightened as he landed a brutal punch in his guts. He could have landed it elsewhere, but he was scared to leave an appalling scar on the foolish student. After the first punch, Reve went on to throw a series of punches. He was clearly enjoying the screams that came out of the ringleader. Wasn''t it just a moment ago that the ring leader threatened him? What about now? To top it off, there was something the ring leader said that ticked him off! Feeling frustrated, Reve channeled magi into his body and flung a sidekick on the ringleader''s face. His teething voice could be heard, "I said don''t call me Reve of Azea..." Having released all his pent-up emotions, Reve realized the ring leader had already blacked out. He shook his head and focused on the other bullies. Yet¡­ "Hmmmmm¡­.what is that smell?" Reve sniffed the air. He saw a yellow liquid substance pouring out of the pants of the three bullies. Reve couldn''t hold the laughter in him, "Did you lots.... pee?" He watched as the three bullies trembled with colors of shame evident on their faces. It was also mixed with fear, a sort of traumatic fear that even Reve could smell. Reve tip-toed closer to them, "It seems you do not want to continue, do you?" They quickly shook their heads in response. A sigh escaped Reve''s lips, "That''s a shame. I thought we could go a few more rounds, just like your ringleader." "Anyway, did you understand the message?" he spoke as if addressing children, "Are you going to target poor Silas again?" Once more, the terrified bullies shook their heads. "What a sad life? What happened to the fiery stubbornness of youths?" whispered Reve. His downcast looks only proved to make the bullies more scared. "Alright, I will be the better person here. Take your leader and leave. I hope to see you again," sadly smiled Reve. He freed them and watched as one of them picked up the ringleader with his soaked pants before getting the hell out of this location. What "hope to see you again"? They never wanted to see him again Chapter 143 - The Man Of Thorns After making sure the useless bunch of bullies had entirely departed the scene, Reve turned around to face the reason why he interfered in their activities in the first place. His mouth gaped as he realized Silas wasn''t even awake to witness his display of awesomeness. The human had probably passed out after Reve interfered. Perhaps it could even be considered impressive that he was even able to hold on for that long. "What a sad life? I''m hurt by this¡­," mumbled Reve. He cooly walked to Silas and gently picked him up, making sure not to further tear any existing injuries on his body. Reve sighed on his way to his room, "His skin is really soft, like a female''s. Tsk Tsk Tsk. What does he use?" ......¡­.. Silas. The life of Silas was simply a constant cycle of agony. Thus, after the eventual conclusion of yet another round of suffering, Silas woke up, prepared to face a fresh round of pain. However, what he saw shocked him. It was the zoomed-in face of a human with cat ears and a mesmerising set of eyes. The appearance of this figure rang a bell in his mental faculty. ''Oh, I remember now,'' Silas ruminated. He started to recollect what had occurred just before he passed out. The last thing he saw back then was the back view of this demihuman, and a strange sense of comfort took over him, prompting him to sleep and recuperate. He recognized the demi-human. He was the person he met during the invasion of the dragonkin. They had talked for a while before parting ways due to the arrival of the defense force. As it turns out, that person wasn''t human. He was a demihuman...and the fucking Reve of Azea, the name that almost every student of NIRA had already come to know. "Huh? You are awake? Great, I was worried you would take so long and I would have to sleep before you wake up," smiled Reve. The soot black-haired young man was left in shock as he realized the reason why he felt comfortable all along. He was on Reve''s bed, while the latter faced him in a single chair. Standing up, Reve went to his mini kitchen to prepare a jug of tea. After he was done, along with a tray, he brought the tea and placed it in between the two students on a stool. "Hah. Now, we can talk over this," said Reve. That was the last thing he would say as he kept looking mysteriously at Silas'' green eyes. He offered no words for his strange action. A while passed and eventually Silas was the one to break the silence, "You s-saved me¡­?" Silas had tried flexing his muscles and realized that despite them being sore, there was little pain around them. That meant that he was healed by Reve while he was unconscious. "Yes. You could have gotten a serious infection had I not tendered to you. Luckily, my magi is naturally reactive in nature and proved to be the best healing agent for you." An almost inaudible sound escaped Silas'' lips as he tried to make sense of everything, "....Why?" "What do you mean?" "Why did you save me?" Reve repeated those words in his mind, ''Why did I save you?'' Soon, he gave his answer, "I believe I couldn''t look the other way once I found out that it was you being beaten up." Yet, Silas responded with frenetic chuckles of laughter, "So, that''s it? Pride. If it had been anybody else, you would have left them cold, wouldn''t you?" "Yes," answered Reve. He was starting to wonder what all this was about. "Hehehehe, what do you want from me?" asked Silas. "Huh? Why do you say this?" "You saved me, healed me and even went further to keep me in your room till I woke up. Obviously, there''s going to be something you want. Don''t tell me it''s all just a show of pride or sympathy?" Reve replied, "What do you suppose I want? I just took a look at your poor face and realized I couldn''t leave you out in the cold. Can you fault me?" His attempt to diffuse the situation turned out to have the opposite reaction as Silas further descended into hysteria. "Poor face¡­.? Am I just another poor thing to add to your collection of saved poor items? Is that all I ever am? Is that all I will amount to? I can''t even stand up for myself. By God''s bones, I couldn''t even deal with those foolish students." It was clear that the more he kept on talking, the less he addressed Reve. At this moment, he was just outpouring his emotions all on innocent Reve, who had a blank look on his face. He wasn''t equipped with the right skills to deal with this sort of situation. All he could do was just listen as Silas spoke. ...¡­.. The life of Silas was one filled with thorns. Yet, there was a time in his life when it was filled with positive vibrancy. However, just like any other story, it didn''t last for long. Silas'' story officially started when he was orphaned at a young age of seven. He remembered it vividly. His mother had taken him on a trip to the marketplace, but in barely a few minutes, the streets descended into chaos. All around, people screamed about monster attacks. Everyone ran to shelter. Silas and his mother did the exact same. Not wanting to be separated from family, they ran back to their home and met up with Silas'' father and his siblings. Nonetheless, his family wasn''t quickly spared from the attack. Very soon, their home was caught in the wave of unknown monsters and an enormous shadow approached the entrance of their small house. His father ordered him and his siblings to hide, and they did just that. Yet¡­. Yet¡­..that was not enough. Up till now, Silas could not explain why he survived. All of them hid. But only he survived! Chapter 144 - The Mind Of The Weak Yes¡­... Yes¡­... Yeah, he could remember it now. He hid under his bed under his father''s instruction and waited for minutes. Minutes upon minutes. It was only after it reached the half-hour mark did he finally hear something¡­..something terrifying. It was the screams of his father and the livid sounds of flesh being ferociously torn apart. And when the screams died out, he heard the crunching of bones that lasted for a good few minutes. Now, Silas was intelligent from birth. Understanding what had just happened was a walk in the park for him. Yet, he laid under his bed, offered no sounds, and simply whimpered in his mind as the unknown monster moved on to another room, his mother''s room. In a quick five minutes, the remains of his mother became food to the unknown monster. In another ten minutes, the first of his siblings followed. Then, the rest of his siblings. When it was time for him, whose room was at the far end of his house, a brilliant light accompanied by a true battle cry invaded his house¡­...and that was all he remembered. That was where his memory stopped. The next thing after that was him finding himself in an orphanage... Silas, one of the few survivors of the Chalde Disaster.....Silas, the orphan.....Silas, the unfortunate! A few years passed after what occurred on his tenth birthday, Silas was now a grown lad, heading towards adulthood. According to Narva customs, it was now time for him to make a decision that would change his life. He had to choose between becoming an elementalist or not becoming one. Yet, this choice was an easy one for young aspiring Silas. He was motivated by the tales of ancient arcanists and had decided years ago to also walk that path. Despite the warnings of his elders, Silas chose the second choice proudly. He failed to take part in the Festival of the Endless Moon, an event that only occurs on a solar eclipse. This event was what was responsible for birthing elementalists. Silas enlisted in a local magic school that had glimpses of arcanism. Oh, how delighted he was when he realized he was finally taking the first step. How delirious his mind became. He could already see himself as being the topics of future generations. His achievements, written down in the legendary Magic Tower. His descendants, basking in the glory of his name. Oh, how vibrant his dreams were. Yet, he never factored the true face of reality in his dreams! Silas could remember the look of one of his teachers as they told him his mana affinity was low...as they told him he was only attuned to one elemental force¡­..as they told him the only good magical quality he had was his mana control. Perhaps it was at that moment did he realize how helpless he truly was. It was at that moment he broke fully, knowing his struggles would be meaningless in the grand scheme of things. ...¡­ Reve''s eyes were calm as he listened to Silas'' out-pour. He had not a single idea of what to say after Silas was done. "You were a child during the Chalde disaster," comforted Reve. "But that does not mean anything¨C" argued Silas. Reve sighed, "A child can only do so much!" "That''s a lie. The Hero Artor killed an ogre when he was barely five. Young elves could best treants without any training. Giants were battling dragons from a young age. Now, you look at me and tell me you couldn''t defeat a Lv.20 troll at your young age," challenged Silas. Reve was astonished, his mouth wide apart. He couldn''t deny the facts dropped on him. Even in his younger age, which he considered being the time when he just arrived in Arcadia, Reve might have not been able to defeat a Lv.20 troll, but he would still be able to stand his ground. Not hearing any reply from Reve, Silas scoffed heavily, "I''m right, aren''t I?" A teardrop dripped down his face as he received no reply. Reve intervened, "Look, all the examples you mentioned aren''t exactly humans." "The Hero Artor was human!" "He was a hero. Entities like that have long surpassed the specs of humanity. Do you not understand? There was nothing you could do back then. There is no reason to keep tormenting yourself," sighed Reve. He was getting a bit annoyed as he didn''t know how to go about this. Reve was free-minded. His mind was like the clouds. No matter how dark things get, he wouldn''t accumulate any form of trauma. "No. Despite how you coat your words, there is one truth. My weakness, then and now. I was weak as a human child. Yet, i remain the same as a human adult," confided Silas. He went on, "I was so absorbed in becoming an arcanist that I didn''t think for once that I could never be a good one. I got ahead of myself, thinking of myself as one of the brilliant stars in the sky." "What is this? Self-pity? I don''t understand," Reve shouted. "You can''t understand. You have never been weak before. Never understood the mentality of the weak, of the forever weak!" Facing this response, Reve fumed, "How dare you say that? There is a limit to what you say! I save you at the moment''s spur and this is what I get!" At this very moment, he was ticked off. Part of it was because Silas looked down on his life''s journey. Reve Amethyst wasn''t born Reve Amethyst. The amount of time he faced the truth of his weakness was off the roof! The number of times he struggled to get up was almost uncountable. Nothing was ever easy for him. No. No. No! At this moment, Reve felt offended. However, it all died down in the next second. He realized it would be petty to keep a grudge. Getting a strange thought, Reve smiled, "You see¡­. that''s your problem. Your mind is locked.. You only see one possibility and do not struggle to change it. You only see one reality and forget that reality is shaped by mortal hands" Chapter 145 - The Different Schools(1) Silas looked straight at him, "What do you mean?" "What do you suppose I mean? For a person of your intelligence, I have to say you are very disappointing. Over the course of history, Arcadians have always found an alternative to problems. When the mundane mortals lacked the power of ancient magic, they moved to elementalism. When that also failed, they developed arcanism. When that proved to be futile to the minority, they built other schools of magic," voiced Reve. He went on, "Yet, you...you feel it is all over before it had even begun. You gave up, allowing yourself to believe your innate lack of magical qualities was the problem. You used that excuse as a way of solace. Yet, you dare admonish my struggles. I had forgotten how hypocritical humans are." Reve had no idea when he started speaking with Circe''s speech mannerism. All he knew was that he was triggered by Silas'' lament and, for the first time in a while, he wanted to do something that didn''t benefit himself. "The schools of magic have been lost to the sands of time," whined Silas. "Not all schools. Where do you think we are? We are in NIRA, an institute that boasts of having the educational materials for most schools of magic. Now, tell me, when all hope was lost, did you for one second think of switching schools?" Silas winced. He briefly reviewed his memory. Did he think of that? "No," he admitted. Reve then smirked in response, "I mean, you can''t master elementalism since it has a special requirement but some other schools utilize mana. Conjuration, Pact Magic, Invocation, Enchantment, Phantasm, Ritual Magic. You are still stuck at the 1st circle of arcanism, you haven''t had the chance to change to magi. There is still hope." Reve''s last sentence echoed through Silas'' psyche¡­.. ''There is still hope.'' ''There is still hope.'' ''There is still hope!'' For a second, he abandoned his self-pity and put his big brain to use. Silas tried to make sense of what Reve told him and the conclusion was that...¡­it was sound, viable. There have been many historical figures that had switched schools midway. As long as he was willing to sacrifice his wasted time, he could theoretically become something other than an unsuccessful arcanist. Finally, there was light in the green eyes of his. Silas wiped the tears off his face, "But how do I go about it?" "Easy. You just consider all schools and pick one you align with." "The knowledge I have about other schools is insignificant. The library surely has a book on it, but I''m not sure if my authority level covers it," said Silas. Reve sighed once more and dropped his cup of tea. He stood from his seat, heading to his closet. When he came back, there was a big bag in his arms. Reve dropped it on the ground and took his seat again. *Thud!* He then opened the bag and brought out a brown tattered book. The book had several hundred old white pages, each gentle to the fingertips. The handwriting on the cover of the page was delicate and mature. It revealed the wisdom of the writer of the book. Reve ignored the serious look Silas kept giving the book and opened it. Reading it, he said out loud, "The school of Conjuration. One of the less popular schools of magic. It focuses on summoning beings or objects from other planes of existence. However, a summoner could also summon beings from the physical plane, the plane we exist in, if he has sufficient skills." "Despite the waning popularity of this school, it needs to be said that summoners have one of the most destructive attack potential, greater than even elementals." "They possess a vast army that could easily conquer any mortal nation........this school rose to fame during the Fourth Annihilation War 5100 A.E, the Merfolk Princess Aquata commanded an army of summons that quelled the rage of Titan Garuda, the king of black skies......" Soon, Reve finished reading the introductory page of the book and lightly skimmed through the rest of the pages. There were no words exchanged between Silas and Reve, but they both understood that conjuration magic was a no-go. First, it had an excessive demand for ''Magical Amenity'', a certain trait that was important for all mages. It involves the degree of charm an Arcadian has on other sentient beings like magical beasts and elementals. It basically leads to a good relationship between both parties. Second, the contract between the summoner and summon tend to be either simple or too complicated. Third, the resources needed to nurture the summoner''s summons were vast. Four, it required a vast amount of mana. This was almost the most important criteria. Feeling downcast, Silas sighed, "Let''s move on." "Alright," replied Reve. He picked up another ancient book, "Pact Magic. This school is one of the most dangerous schools in Arcadia. Usually, the warlock binds his soul with a foriegn entity in exchange for a price, which often ends up being borrowing power from the dimensional entity. This practice of magic was immensely prevalent in the era of sins. The warlocks binded souls with the not-so foreign beings of the planes of Taxan and a few foreign beings. However, after the Year of Discord 1500 E.T, the spatial connection to the outside world has been cut off, leading to the waning of this school....." The introductory page said a lot. For starters, Reve could imagine how desperate people were for power to the point that they could even sell their souls. It also mentioned the existence of Taxan, the Devil''s Plane, but Reve was not surprised. He had already read this book multiple times, trying to figure out if there was a way to reach the hellish plane, but so far, according to this book, all spatial connection has been destroyed. "This is really crazy," mouthed the ignorant Silas. There was a blank look on his face as he tried to comprehend the origin of Pact Magic. He kept on murmuring, "The warlocks of the past....they must have lost their sanity." Chapter 146 - The Different Schools(2) Reve begged to differ, "No, they were actually sane-minded. They just figured that their souls were of no value to them. They scaled the value of power higher than their souls." In a way, Reve could connect with the warlocks. After all, when he went into Amethyst''s palace, he was of the opinion that death was around the corner for him. He wanted the power of Amethyst and was ready to give any part of him if asked. That was just how desperate he was. Shaking his head, Reve moved on to the next school of magic, "Invocation. The practice of magic involved the use of vocal words. Magic words that adhere to the pillars of reality. These magic words were said to have descended from the words of creation pronounced at the beginning of the world. Wizards were especially required to have gained recognition of the world before they could practice this school of magic." "It is said that this early school of magic existed in the dark era, but disappeared in the era of sins due to lack of preservation of the system of magic words. The only remnants are the special clans of Arcadia which have the power of invocation genetically locked in them....." Unlike the other schools listed, other than the special clans mentioned, there was not a single notable wizard over the course of history. The reason being the school of Invocation was lost. No one knew what the magic words were. Plus, even if they had an idea, they knew not how to gain recognition from the world. It was basically a lost cause. Silas sighed, "This is definitely not an option. Let''s move on." "Okay," said Reve, "The School of Hex and Enchantments. This school is one of the oldest schools of magic, dating back to the early dark era, to the period of time when the feys began their rise to power." "The school of enchantments focuses on the practice of granting supernatural phenomena to mundane beings and objects. It further expands this scope by using the same application on supernatural beings and objects. This school was developed by the ancient feys after observing the system of ancient magic. Over the course of history, there were multiple notable enchanters and enchantresses." "The First Queen of the Morgana Throne, Queen Titania, was the most dazzling enchantress to date. It is said she could modify the life-codes of any living being, turning humans to frogs and frogs to humans. Fables of her punishing trespassers with the power of enchantments exist to date as a form of moral stories for young Arcadians. There was nothing she could not modify and a handful of weapons were made from her bare hands." "The Red Witch was also a brilliant enchantress who specialized in a special type of enchants called curses. The Giant Rathor was the prime developer of the body-enchant series. With his mighty hands, he held the crippling world of Aradia together during the Year of Discord 1500 E.T....." Reve had experience in the school of enchantments. In his opinion, it was a school of magic that rivaled arcanism. Moreover, just like arcanism, it focused more on the technicalities of magic. However, where it did better was to have softer requirements for a mundane individual to practice the magic. It held little desire for mana affinity or elemental affinity as most of the enchants are neutral in nature. The only downside of this school was that it required heavy brainpower to operate the secrets of the enchants. Silas approved of this, "I never knew the school of enchantment was this diverse. I might just pick this school if there is no other option. Shall we move on?" He looked across the window. The outside world was already starting to get brighter. Light particles gathered in the air profusely. Daytime was before them! Reve articulated, "Phantasm, also known as Illusion Magic. Another school of magic, developed by ancient feys. Perhaps, this was their most brilliant achievement. To date, mages wonder how the development of this school was made possible. The concepts behind the school are way ahead of time, even now. It is one of toughest, if not the toughest, school of magic." "Phantasm magic directs its sight on the veils of reality. Supposedly, these veils that hold up the physical plane can be bent to suit one''s will. That is the job of a Weaver. Just like how a seamstress spins wool on a wheel, a weaver spins the veils of reality on the larger world of Arcadia." "They manifest phenomena on the physical plane, creating illusions that sometimes have a physical effect. The endgame of all weavers is to snatch the power of creation. A feat which only a few ancient beings have displayed." "Even as few as the weavers are, a select few have left their impact on the timeline of Arcadia. Among the Fair Folks of Feys, The Faerie Mother Maeve, a rival of Queen Titania, possessed this mystical power. It was said that the length of her illusion knew no bounds. Her illusions were very capable of gaining sentience and could exist as an anomaly for decades without being smitten by the world. Her grasp of reality was so prominent that she could create living beings...." After Reve finished reading, Reve held his breath. He knew of this mystical school well enough. Circe had told him that weavers were the most dangerous class of mages, next to the seers. However, unlike what most Arcadians thought, they were not undefeatable. Circe, the Immortal Witch, had told him of her battles with many weavers. As long as one was a brilliant mage, the difference in magic schools wouldn''t matter. Hence, Reve did not try learning this school. In his mind, Enchantment and Arcanism were more dangerous than anything. Reve smiled at Silas, "What do you think?" "Not viable. First, it seems that the details of this school have been lost.. The feys have long turned to dust and their descendants, the elves, have yet to produce another weaver." Chapter 147 - The Different Schools(3) You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net "Wise decision," agreed Reve. He had already given much thought to this topic before. Why had Phantasm magic suddenly disappeared without any explanation? All other schools of magic had a reason for disappearing, but Phantasm was different. Surely, one would expect that the illustrious feys would have preserved the knowledge of Phantasm and that it would be passed down to their later descendants like the elves, dwarves, and lesser feys. There definitely was a story behind it. "What''s the next one?" asked Silas. "Ritual Magic. An informal school of magic that focuses on constructing magic to achieve different goals. This school is quite informal, as it branches out into almost, if not, all magic schools." "There is a ritual for every magic and one cannot simply be an occultist as it does not provide an avenue for greater power, which makes the school a very peculiar one." Reve concluded, "I think you might want to consider having, at least, basic knowledge of this magic school. It might help you in your future endeavours. Anyway, that''s it. That''s all the options you have. Now, it''s your turn to choose." Reve watched Silas carefully and wondered what his decision might turn out to be. He already knew what perfectly fit Silas, but he couldn''t force the choice on him. Reve believed that each individual must be responsible for his own choice. Also, a part of him was still about not being provided the same choice. Foolish Reve had immediately delved into arcanism at first sight, without even knowing what magic was. Hence, if possible, he wanted another repeat of that. ''Hehehehehe, he won''t know the truth till the last moment,'' mentally laughed Reve. However, what happened next shocked him. "Hmmm¡­.I choose the school of enchantment," decided Silas. His mind had considered everything he knew about the school and realised that might be what best suit him. "Are you sure?" Reve eyed the young man. Silas had no idea what was going on in Reve''s mind. So he innocently replied, "Yes, the others don''t suit me. Only enchantment seems to be a perfect fit. Don''t you think so?" After a brief mental eruption, Reve sighed, "Affirmative. The other schools of magic seem to have something technical about them." "If you agree¡­.then why do you have a look of objection?" curiously asked Silas. Caught, Reve simply shamelessly replied, "You are thinking too deep. I''m just tired. My bones, weary from the stress you have put me through." A red hue appeared on Silas'' face as he realized the two had been up all night. It was all because of him. Silas stood up abruptly. He lightly bowed his head at Reve, "I don''t know¡ª--" However, he was cut short by the latter, "Don''t bother. I don''t need any compensation. All I ask is that you take this opportunity seriously. This could be your origin, you know? From here on, you only have yourself to blame for anything that goes wrong." "Yes, I understand," acquiesced Silas. "Also¡­.." "Also what?" wondered Silas. "Could you please move? I want to sleep in my bed. This chair isn''t exactly a good sleeping spot," spoke Reve. Feeling ashamed once again, Silas walked towards the door but was stopped by Reve. "Where are you going?" "To my room. I have inconvenienced you for too long. I shall take my leave." Before he could twist the doorknob, Reve yawned loudly, "You know there is a curfew, right? The patrol club wouldn''t take it nicely on anyone that attempts to break it. Surely, with your experience with NIRA rules, you would know better than I, a new student. Hence, I would like to know how you plan to evade the patrol club''s radius?" "..." Turning on his bed, Reve opened one of his eyes to look at Silas, "Huh, what''s that look? You have no plan?" At this moment, Silas couldn''t be anymore embarrassed. He looked like he wanted to bury himself in the earth. After having his round of fun, Reve said, "Alright, you can stay here for the night. Sleep on the chair. It''s a bit comfy¡­I guess. Tomorrow, I will guide through what I know about enchantments, while you register for one of the enchantment classes." Finally, there was peace and quiet in his room. Just the way he liked it. Although, it seems like that his lonely self won''t be lonely anymore now that he had someone to converse with. He looked forward to the future. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Silas'' voice reached him, "Reve¡­..?" Reve tiredly replied without moving an inch, "Yes." "Are we friends?" "...." "What do you think?" posed Reve. "I don''t think I can be friends with someone with a foul mouth and a two-face personality," joked Silas. Reve didn''t take to heart. Instead, he felt like he was being praised. He smirked, "Yeah, we are friends...Now, stop disturbing my sleep. Do you want to keep me awake all night?" "I think the problem lies with you and not me." "What did you say?!" ........ After the Reve''s fated meeting with Silas, the leaves were covered with a vibrant red hue. A newly radiant sun hung over the sky, threatening to infect the entire planet with its warm positivity. About four months had passed and the season of summer was upon this part of Arcadia. Along with it came the conclusion of NIRA''s first term. After having finished his daily classes, Reve ran to his room. Today was the last day he would attend any class in a while. He had to say he didn''t expect his godly self to be thrilled about that. ''School is terrifying,'' chipped Reve. Reve watched the various activities occurring on the nearby street from his window-side. With his heightened senses, he found out that almost every group of students had plans for the two-month holiday. Of course, most of their plans included them attending aristocratic parties and getting laid. It wasn''t exactly what Reve expected to hear. Hence, Reve closed his window and blocked the sunlight, "It''s too hot. Even the magic spell fixed on NIRA''s ground can''t stop the intensity of this season." Suddenly, Reve looked sideways. His senses informed him of something He smiled, "It is here." Read novel fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 148 - She Still Watches Over Me Immediately after Reve spoke, the calm atmosphere of his room began roaring with violent black winds. The wind brushed against Reve''s body, but the latter simply stood still. His physical stats were enough to negate the tempestuous wind. Reve''s face twitched when he observed his surroundings, "But the room¡­.." His room was now in tatters. His furniture was either laid flat on the floor or broken into tiny pieces by the ferocity of the black wind. Luckily, there was an enchantment in his room that blocked sound from escaping outside. If not, the other students might have thought a god was descending in Reve''s room. That was just how wild the situation was. Soon, the black winds formed a small but mighty tornado that had no limits to its twistings. It quickly broke apart, dispersing into tiny black specks of dust that merged with the warm air. A great black hawk emerged from this eruption. Its predatory eyes quickly locked down on Reve as it displayed a pensive emotion. However, Reve wasn''t terrified by the appearance of the hawk. "Oh King of Mis''ry, Demis. It is a pleasure to be before you once again," greeted Reve. The hawk opened its mouth. No sound originated from it, but a few comprehensible noises echoed in the room. "Reve Amethyst. Skip the formalities, I know very well that you are not good-natured enough to say that. I come bearing a letter from the Immortal Witch." Reve cocked his head, "Circe¡­..? If I recall that ol¨Cfine lady has a spiritas of her own. Why did she employ your service?" "Fyre is busy. I''m the only other spiritas that knows your location since we are bound together," explained Demis. "Is that so....?" He picked up the letter which Demis offered but didn''t attempt to read it. Instead, he had an important question in mind, "Pray tell, King of Mis''ry, since you did not appear before me in the past few months, I take it that Circe covered the monthly price of our contract?" "Yes, the Immortal Witch paid the price for the two months. However, she said you are on your own from now on," told Demis. Reve felt warm inside. Circe had always been like that. Just when he thought she might have forgotten about him, she sprung up a surprise. He rubbed on his necklace and brought out a brown crystal stone, "Take it. This is the price for next month. Also, don''t leave yet. I have a letter for Circe." Taking his time, Reve opened Circe''s letter and read it in his mind. If it was anyone else in his room, Reve wouldn''t attempt to read it, but Demis was a companion¡­..even if he denied it. As long as the fear of Circe was instilled in him, he wouldn''t spill any beans. And that was what made him a good companion!! ''Hehehehe,'' laughed Reve. He continued reading the letter, word for word, as he discerned the contents. After a while, Reve looked up, ''So, it is like that.'' There were three things that the letter contained. One, an indirect message from the Gehenna Order informing him to be careful, and speed things up a bit. In Reve''s opinion, it was almost impossible to do both at the same time. Two, Circe was interested in what he had been up to for the past two months. Quoting her, ''If possible, take your time. Now that I have gotten rid of you, I have finally attained the perfect state of slumber.'' Three, she inquired about his progress and if he needed more materials from her. Reve thought out loud, "I think she will find it satisfactory that I''m taking it slowly with my magic progress." He picked up a blank piece of paper, grabbed a pen, and started writing, "Dear Old Hag, hehehehehe......" It was only after a few minutes that he was done with his letter. After packaging it, he gave it to Demis. A gold object flew from his fingers to Demis, "Take this, one piece of Narva gold according to our contract. I shall expect you next month. Oh, and also..." "Also, what¡­?" curiously asked Demis. "Perhaps learn how to neatly enter my abode before next month," scoffed Reve. He was expecting a banter from Demis, but the latter knew better than to argue with the student of the Immortal Witch. The great hawk summoned its black wind and disappeared out of existence. "Tch!" hissed Reve. He sat on his chair and calmly watched the sun. ''The time is right. I have waited for months, laid low for what seemed like an eternity. My bones quake for more action. My mission awaits me.'' Reve quoted a monologue from a popular fable, "The Dark Knight". However, he did not do that just to jest. Instead, those words aligned with Reve''s current thoughts. It was time for him to begin his true mission! After having gathered enough information on Narva, Reve already had a plan in mind! ''I will start¡ª----'' *Booz!* Suddenly, someone knocked on his door. Reve coolly dragged his body to open it. He didn''t bother checking who it was since he already knew. From the other side came a young man with dashing looks. It was Silas, Reve''s supposed friend. "Hey, Reve. Damn, you were right, the last classes of the term were always going to be terrifying," wept Silas as he dropped his body on Reve''s bed. "That is to be expected. Those teachers really think we are sad to briefly depart from academic life," said Reve. "The guts of them to think that. By the way, did you see your results? Rumors about them are already beginning to spread, Mr. Brilliant Mage," teased Silas. Reve sighed, "What do they say?" "They say you got perfect marks in all your classes. Some even say that you might be offered a teaching position due to your marks. Can you even imagine that?" laughed Silas. "Rumors are more dangerous than world-extinction threats," joked Reve. He went on, "I didn''t get perfect marks in all of them.. I struggled with enchantment, practical ritualism, and popular alchemy." Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 149 - The Alchemist "Oh, yeah. Explain what you mean by ''struggling''?" mocked Silas. Reve simply pouted in response. The premature magical education system of NIRA took most of its ideas from its parent organization in the new continent. It implemented the advanced grading concept, as well as merged it with the ancient Arcadian magic prowess grading. A student would be graded based on their tests and understanding of the class. After all was said and done, the teacher would assess the student and give a grade that ranged from the ancient arcadian characters; Fz, Az, and Sz. Those characters had a deep intonation as they represented the first letters of three runic words; Fayz, Assez, Sarz. It was unknown what the words meant, and by the time people started to wonder, the grading custom had already stuck permanently. ''Fz'' usually means bad. It denoted the failing of the student. ''Az'' indicated that the student did well. ''Sz'' was the best grading mark. It represented a perfect grading. This grading mark was used rarely by the teachers. Hence, its immense value. .... Reve sighed once more, "I got Sz for all my compulsory classes but couldn''t maintain that streak for my elective ones." "You say it like that isn''t good in itself," spoke Silas, "I couldn''t get a single Sz, all I had was Az. Luckily, I didn''t have any Fz despite switching magic school mid-term." Feeling downcast, Silas attempted to change the conversation, "Enough about studies, the Drateel twins got into a fight again today. This one was more bloody than the last time, I tell you." Reve turned to face Silas, "Let me guess, another group of nobles initiated the fight?" If there was anyone more popular than him in NIRA, it would have to be the excellent Drateel twins and this was not because of their academic grades that rivaled his. It was because of their origin, or rather, the origin of their grandfather¡­..Vaddon Drateel, who just happens to be the man that Reve desired to see the most. Apparently, he was a former student of Narva Academy, the oldest magic institution in Narva. He had brought up a storm in his student years and the repercussions of that still follow his descendants. Reve didn''t know much about the story surrounding Vaddon Drateel, just that it was a love story and it offended some of the nobles of that time. The descendants of these nobles formed cliques to harass the Drateel twins. That was why the twins originally transferred from Narva Academy into a young institution like NIRA. The nobles viewed them as outcasts, and the rest was history. Reve laughed wildly, "Those bastards. They think they could really harm the Drateel twins. I do not even need to ask what the outcome was. What I still don''t get is why they are so relentless." The life of the aristocrats still remained a great mystery to Reve. He felt that they were just too complicated for no reason. "Prejudice. The nobles have a code and when Vaddon Drateel broke the code, he was outcast. Now, some do not care about going the extra mile, but the shallowest of them, the ones with extreme pride, won''t stop till the House of Drateel is vanquished from the domain of Arcadia," explained the experienced Silas. "Oh, I see," drawled Reve. He did not still understand a single bit, but he just had to act like he did. Cool, calm, collected. Reve focused on his only source of news in NIRA, "What''s the update with the Alchemist?" "Still nothing, his killing spree has subsided though. However, it seems like he vanished into thin air. With the Narva''s defense force on his tail, he would be smart to keep his head low." Reve pursed his lips, "I think differently. I think he achieved exactly what he wanted. He wanted a good debut. The alchemist is an underground seller. He needed the fame and the attention that came with such a profession. He needed his victims to spread his name, and it went just like he predicted. The Defense Force has him on their priority list. His products have gained traction in the underground market. Most students have consumed his potions." Reve further analyzed, "It''s a snaky situation, right there. The people of Narva desire the power in his potions while the Defense Force wants him captive. This makes it very easy for him to evade the capture of the Defense Force since some of his customers are bound to be influential." Silas raised his brows, trying to understand what Reve said, "So, he is enjoying the fruits of hard work? He doesn''t need to perform vile acts again. Sounds terrifying to imagine." Last month, a bunch of gouged bodies started resurfacing all over the dead streets of NIRA. They belonged to the students and teachers. As this streak of corpses kept being found, it was theorized that this was all the work of an unknown individual, who was later named The Alchemist. He stole vital organs from his victims and used them to brew dark potions. The Defense Force had found energy signatures of the victims all over potions turning up in the underground world. When they linked the two events together, they saw the bigger picture and increased their hunt for The Alchemist. Sadly, it seems it was all in vain as there was still no mention of any successful hunt. What made matters worse was the fact that some students have shown an almost impossible increase in magical prowess. Rumors began to shed light on this bizarre occurrence. It was revealed that the students had drunk The Alchemist''s potions. It suddenly became a question of morality and self-evaluation. Was it worth it to take the dark potion despite knowing it would come with terrifying side effects? Many students took it, and NIRA couldn''t do anything about it. They could only watch as students went crazy for potions built on the carcasses of other dead students. All of a sudden, this summer didn''t seem that positive anymore in Reve''s eyes. If anything, it looked grim! Chapter 150 - It Is Time -(End Of Academy Arc) Hours later, Reve sat on his bed as he read a history book, his favorite type of book. After their conversation, Silas took his leave. He had originally come to bid his farewells as he would be going back to his orphanage for the holidays. They talked for a while about their plans for the holidays. Mostly, it was just Silas talking since Reve couldn''t reveal his plans. Despite their friendship, Reve had things he had to keep to himself. Circe had told him to never trust humans and he took that to heart. Reve had read enough fables to commit the same mistake all historical non-humans do. Anyway, after Silas left, Reve decided to review his preparations. He had two objectives for the following two months; One, find Vaddon Drateel. Two, find the shards of Sheol. Reve didn''t expect to fulfill both objectives in two months, but he expected to have at least begun his steps. Right now, he only had two steps for both objectives, the other steps would reveal themselves as he progressed. ''On the other hand, I just need to worry about my strength.'' Before coming to Narva, Reve had understood he couldn''t let the identity of ''Reve of Azea'' be connected to any nefarious activity, which he would most likely commit. This made him decide on two things. Reve of Azea was proficient in arcanism and the school of enchantment. Whilst, his other incarnation, the spy of Gehenna Order, walked in the [Path Of Secret] and the school of enchantment. In essence, this would make it hard for any activity to be tracked down to Reve of Azea. All that he needed to worry about was the power structure of Narva since Reve couldn''t exactly just ask any powerhouse if they had the shards of Sheol. What he found out was that the top strength of Narva was around Lv.201 to Lv.250, otherwise titled the Legendary Rank. The highest court mage of the king was a Solon Elementalist, a rank of mages that was stated by the world administrator to have a power level of Lv.151 - Lv.200. It was said that the kingdom produced an Archmage in the past years, but he passed on in the last century. Since then, they have failed at producing yet another one. Even their warriors, the Ki-Masters, have yet to produce their greatest representative. The strongest knight of the king was a Warlord, a rank of Ki-Masters with a similar power level to Solon Mages. This might seem bleak, but it had to be known that the strength of humans has been on a downward slope since the era of heroes. In fact, almost all races of Arcadia are shells of their glorious selves. Narva, in particular, was seen as a strong kingdom in Xoris. Its military power was ranked among the likes of giants like the Kingdom of Solaris. Now, how did this concern Reve? Well, Reve speculated that they might come situations where he has to battle with the warriors and mages of Narva and he had to do that with his secret persona. That is, he couldn''t fight with his full power. He had to be ready for sudden situations like that! However, it had to be said that he most likely wouldn''t meet the acclaimed Warlord and Solon of Narva. They were direct subjects of the king. What he would meet would be humans with lower strengths like Master Elementalist and master warriors. ''Based on the statistics I read, about 70% of the people of Narva are below Lv.75. A good 20% are in between Lv.75 and Lv.100. Whilst, the remaining 10% are within the range of Lv.100 and Lv.150,'' reviewed Reve. Even in NIRA, it was rare to find those in the 20%. Most of the teachers occupied that percentage range. The few special ones were in the glorious 10%. Of course, only a handful of special students like Reve could boast of being in the 20%, and this applies to Narva Academy. It was only after accessing this piece of information did Reve think it was time for him to act. As long as he was careful, he wouldn''t meet any foe in the special 20% Moreover, it wasn''t like his power level wasn''t growing. Having a deep heritage, Reve was burdened with constant growth. Despite putting a pause to his magic training, his destructive potential still continues to increase marginally. What came as a shock to him was the fact that his [Path of Secret]''s prowess was the main highlight of this unbelievable growth. All skills belonging to this mystic path were amplified and he theorized that he could even bulldoze through Amethyst''s trial with only this path. What was the reason for this growth? He had not a single clue. Perhaps, it was because he redirected his focus on mainly this path. In the past four months, he had practised more of his ''secret'' skills than his magic spells. All of this was just to prepare for the eventual debut of his spy persona. Reve clenched his fist as he looked beyond the ceiling, "Nothing can stop me from getting what I want." . . . . . . [ Name: Reve Amethyst Race: Nexus Cat Level(exp): 89 (666/10000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic), Truth Seeker (Path of Secrets) Titles: Suthur-Nex, Deviant, Titan, Hunter, Magic User(Meister), Traverser, Amethyst AP: 16 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 80 Speed: 100 Constitution: 67 Intelligence: 70 Mana: 450 Psi-Force: 250 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.2) Seventh Sense(Lv.4). Energy Sense(Lv.4). Nexus Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Unique). Parallel Status(Max). Status Barrier(Rare).Blind Magic(Lv.9). Force(Lv.4). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Max). Nature Echo Ver.2(Lv.2). Enchant Body: Demon(Lv.8). Frozen Gate(Lv.5). Binary Form(Max). Polar Nature(Lv.2). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.7). Yggdrasil(Lv.2). Morai(Lv.3). Arctic Moon(Lv.4). Nexus Magi Series(Max) ] Chapter 151 - The Young Lad And The Staff [A/N: Hi, my loyal readers. I''m so excited to be finally done with the academy arc. It was hard focusing on the buildup and not just heading into action scenes. However, I was motivated by you guys that kept showing support by voting, commenting, and sending gifts. Thank you. Anyways, I have a few good news to announce( I promise none of them are bad, lol). First and Foremost, after much contemplation, I decided to break the story into two parts. The first part, which is what you are reading ends in this volume, which is a very large volume. The second part will begin one or two months after I conclude the first part. Now, there are many reasons why I came to this decision. One of them is my desire to get better features for this story(not book). At one point, I had thought that "The Arcadia System" was a dead book(meaning not trending aka not worth it). I slacked off and stopped updating since I believed no one read it, but I soon became motivated by you guys and got back to work. My momentum is broken, but I will not procrastinate further. The second point is that I want to focus on a second book during those two months. This book will participate in Webnovel Spirity 2022 and will connect to the lores of Arcadia. The second news is that I will try my best to maintain a two chaps daily update rate till the end of the volume. So, keep reading everyday. Alright, now that all is said and done, I ask that you join my discord server(The invite is in the synopsis). There, we will get to interact and you won''t be kept in the loop about anything related to this book. Also, if possible, please try and update the privilege tiers. That will enhance the possibility of this story getting features. P.S: The actual content of this chapter will still remain higher than 1000 words so don''t worry about the author''s comment being used as a word spamming device.] . . . . . . . . Starhold City, Urban District. In the busy city of magic, one particular man walked down one of the lanes of Starhold. His looks were indiscernible as he wore a grim black cloak that covered him from head to toe. The man ignored the noises of a busy day as he slipped his way through the chaotic crowd of humans. Soon, with a controlled final movement, he found himself in front of a large shop. The man bent his head upwards to read the post sign, "The Dusty Tome, heh." He revealed a young voice flowed like a mother''s milk. Luckily for him, he spoke in a low tone or else, his voice would have attracted the sort of attention he hid from. "I guess this is the place," whispered the young lad. As soon as he said that, he pushed the door and strodded in like a rich noble. The shop was well kept. The scent of hot rocks wafted through the air. It flowed into the young lad''s nose making him think of forges, those hot room blacksmiths used to create the items that were on display in this shop. After a fruitful while of daydreaming, the young lad shook his head and quickly went into business. He brushed the tip of a sword he saw. It was a greatsword, quite heavy-looking to the naked eye. However, the young lad calmly picked up the sword and made a quick swing with it. *Whoosh!* His mere motion created a sharp air current that was directed at the ground thanks to his perfect control. It left a gaping hole in the wooden ground that went about ten inches deep. After he was done testing the greatsword, he dropped it and moved on. Weapons upon weapons, he checked them all. It seemed as if he had not a single notion of time as he spent hours going through the shop''s products. Finally, he caught the eye of the shop owner, who had been eying him for quite a while. The old man dressed in formal outwear walked up to him, "Is there something you are looking for?" The young lad spoke in a slow tone, "That''s the thing. I have not the faintest idea of what I''m looking for." "Then, you have come to the right place. Let''s start small. What do you desire?" happily asked the shop owner. The young lad answered this question with hints of ancient experience, "All my life, I have believed that weapons are secondary. Pure might is primary. I thought that I could do better without one. Yet, here I am, searching for a weapon." The young lad turned to face the shop owner. Despite the close distance, the only thing the shop owner could see in that hood of his was darkness. A sort of darkness that shouldn''t be possible in this situation. He hid his surprise and kept on flashing amiable smiles to the young lad. "To answer your question, I just need a weapon that extends my might. I don''t need a flashy one," revealed the young lad. As he spoke, he saw something that caught his eye. It was a staff of about 65 inches long and two inches wide. There was nothing special about this fighting staff. In fact, it looked like a broomstick with its predated wooden design, but something about it resonated with the young lad. "I see you have taken a fancy to the fighting staff. It is one of my oldest products. People nowadays don''t understand the allure of ancient weapons like the staff, hammer, spear. They tend to only have eyes for swords. It''s all sword to them," said the shop owner. The young lad touched the surface of the staff with his fair fingers. He felt connected to it instantly. A desire to grab the staff and play with it thundered in his mind, but he kept it hidden. The young lad spoke again, "What is it made of?" "You would be surprised that it is not metal. The staff was carved from the wood of a spirit oak tree that grows at the center of the sea. Such exquisite material is hard to find in all of Arcadia. The blacksmith responsible for this artwork used his family savings to purchase the wood from the tree." "It was his lifework and he poured all his passion into it. After the making of the staff, the blacksmith and his family fell ill to a certain mortal illness. They died before selling it, giving the staff a deathly destiny," divulged the shop owner. The young lad quietly tapped on the staff as he ruminated. Truly, Spirit Oak Trees were quite rare. Its location was always a haven for monstrous sea beasts and this made it hard to acquire. Moreover, the toughness of the tree made it a must-have since it could cut apart some of the toughest metals if made into a weapon. However, that all depended on if the wood was from the heart of the tree. Most weapons that claim to be built from the wood of Spirit Oak were actually from the tree branches. As the young lad glanced over the staff, he realized that the staff might just be another fake one. Nonetheless, he didn''t care. "How much is it?" asked the young lad. The shop owner loudly declared, "Forty pieces of silver." "Forty pieces of silver? Just for a single weapon?" queried the young lad. "Yes. This staff is an exquisite piece of work." The young lad looked at him for one second before sighing, "Okay. Take this, fifty pieces of gold. Keep the change. Its for your ''good'' service" After paying the price in a grand style, the young lad grabbed his staff and took his leave. He sifted through the streets, paying no attention to the rising moon in the sky. In a moment''s time, the evening took over the afternoon and the streets became darker. The young man with no self-awareness walked aimlessly until he found himself in an abandoned corner. "Hey there, kekekekekeke," a voice reach out to him. Chapter 152 - Reve And The Thieves(1) "Hey, there. Kekekekeke." Reve heard a voice sneak up behind him. He smiled vilely as soon as he heard those particular words. ''They are here,'' he thought. Reve turned around to face the origin of the voice. It belonged to a crooked brown-haired man dressed in brown rags. His foul words complimented his unkempt wavy hair as he spoke, "Word''s around here is that you are a rich lad. To make this easier, why don''t you pull back your hood and give us all you have?" The crooked man whistled into the air. Following that, five others with the same dressed styles appeared from both sides of the street''s corner. Two on the left. Three on the right. Reve saw the glint of metal in their left pockets. Surely, they all had a weapon with them. Pretending to be intimidated, Reve raised both his hands up and smirked, "Gentlemen, am I to assume I''m being robbed?" While speaking, he let down his hood, revealing an appearance that stunned the thieves. With flowing green hair that reached his waist and electric blue eyes that seemed to penetrate through any matter. Even his facial skin was one of absolute beauty, the flawless skin tone went well with his quite oval face structure. "Well. Well. Well. Look what we have here? A lady," sneered the crooked man. He spat on the floor, "My ma always taught me to be a gentleman. So, here''s the deal. Leave all your belongings, excluding your clothes, and we can let you walk out scott-free. If you are thinking about not doing that, please remember this corner is abandoned." His ignorant self already assumed Reve was a girl as his cheeks donned a red hue. He didn''t know that just making that erroneous mistake already earned him a round of torment from Reve Whilst, Reve simply smiled mysteriously. The story of the predator and prey. Exactly, who was hunting who? To make sure his plan was going well, he activated his appraisal on the six thieves. [Name: Seith Race: Human Level(exp): 52 (69/100) Path: Veteran Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Master Thief, Master AP: 1 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 26 Speed: 30 Constitution: 25 Intelligence: 26 Ki: 50 ] ] [Name: Elgar Race: Human Level(exp): 45 (6/100) Path: Aura-Refinement Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Master Thief, Amateur AP: 0 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 20 Speed: 21 Constitution: 20 Intelligence: 19 Ki: 41 ] ] [Name: Aled Race: Human Level(exp): 51 (50/100) Path: Veteran Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Thief, Meister AP: 1 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 28 Speed: 26 Constitution: 24 Intelligence: 23 Ki: 55 ] ] [Name: Niclas Race: Human Level(exp): 51 (9/100) Path: Aura-Refinement Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Thief, Amateur AP: 1 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 25 Speed: 18 Constitution: 15 Intelligence: 15 Ki: 43 ] ] [Name: Luc Race: Human Level(exp): 50 (99/100) Path: Elementalism(Magic) Titles: Master Thief, Initiate AP: 1 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 19 Speed: 15 Constitution: 15 Intelligence: 15 Spirit Energy: 95 ] ] [Name: Tomos Race: Human Level(exp): 30 (1/100) Path: Aura-Refinement Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Thief, Amateur AP: 1 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 10 Speed: 17 Constitution: 18 Intelligence: 11 Ki: 30 ] ] ''Hmmmm, they are a bit above the norms,'' speculated Reve. He expected them to be weaker. Yet, based on their stats, they could hold their own against [Miester-Ranked] opponents. Nonetheless, this shocking discovery did nothing to deter his plans. He would still plummet them anyways. Laughing inwardly, Reve opened his thin lips, "To the common eye, this might be a random theft. However, I know this is way more organised. How did you know I had valuable possession? You certainly didn''t follow me from the start. So, that must mean you have a mode of operation." As he spoke, his lips formed a sharp curve, "Hehehe, this is really interesting. You are just who I wanted to find." Wasting no further words, Reve brought out his fighting staff. He was going to test the validity of its qualities right here. Meanwhile, the leader of the gang, Seith, shouted arrogantly, "You just made the wrong choice, mate." His aura expanded outward as he expanded Ki from his inner self. A bright green ball of energy manifested in his hand. It had no elemental affiliation but released a unique aura that fiercely faced all other forms of energy in the vicinity. While this was going on, the other thieves made their preparation. Three of them were basic warriors, in the Aura-Refinement stage. Hence, they could not actualize the energy of ki. They coalesced their body with their aura, which then took the form of various magical beasts. Watching this, Reve''s eyes sparkled, ''The basic aura skill, Aura Fortification. I heard that Narva released variants of this skill to the public, but this is my first time seeing this in person.'' When it came to Aura-Mastery, Reve had to admit he held little knowledge about this path. Most of the foes he fought were mages, and only one or two were warriors. Among them, the amazon warrior Neith was the only one to give him a good impression. Yet, he couldn''t use her as a standard of measurement. Neith was what one would consider in layman''s terms as otherworldly. Whilst the three thieves made their aura more pronounced, the fourth thief, who was a veteran warrior like Seith, converted his ki into red flames. He formed a sword out of the flames and held it with his two hands, entering a stance that immediately revealed his seasoned experience. The last one, Luc, simply moved behind his comrades. He was a mage and wouldn''t want to get mixed in the upcoming battle. However, he didn''t forget his role as the support mage. His spirit energy coiled around his to form a large fiery spear above him. Luc kept loading it with more spirit energy as he observed his vicinity. He was waiting for the right time to unleash it. As a mage, he knew he would only get one of those chances....¡­ Chapter 153 - Reve And The Thieves(2) Seith growled after noticing his gang was ready, "One last chance?" "No, please, go on," smirked Reve. His mocking smile offered no hints of hesitation, which made the gang wonder if he was just a stubborn mule. They could find no other reason for his annoying nature. That was how much confidence they had in their strength. Starting right off the bat, one of the thieves dashed at Reve. He jumped high in the air and landed a dropkick on Reve, but the latter blocked it easily with his arms. The thief grimaced as he sensed his aura dispersing, "What?" He quickly dished a sidekick at Reve. His kicking leg fueled with his intense aura as it released a thin sound. *Phume!* *Boom!* Suddenly, a small fist planted in his guts while he was mid-air. His balanced body spun out of control as he flew away. Taking his place, another thief appeared behind Reve. He put his fist together and dropped an axe punch above him. Reve responded to that by crossing his arms together just before the attack could reach him. However, his bones creaked as he soon understood the immense raw strength the thief had. This was understandable as Reve was not known for his strength. If anything, his strength was just above average human strength, but this gang of thieves were experienced combatants. Knowing that he had to top his game, Reve threw a reverse punch with his left hand. Taking advantage of the thief''s dazzled state, he continued the combo with a right punch¡­then a left punch¡­then a right punch. In less than ten seconds, he delivered countless punches with an insane speed that even he felt burnt out from. Reve ended the combo with a slow knee kick to the bowels. Using his legs, he kicked the thief far away so as to clear space for the other thieves. After ending a quick two rounds, Reve held on to his fighting staff, "Have you all had enough fun watching? Why don''t you come at me together?" As he spoke, he detected a large energy disturbance ahead of him. It belonged to the thief with fire sword who lunged at him, hoping to deal a sidward slash. Reve evaded the attack but a fire punch descended on his path. When it was about to touch him, his figure blinked out of existence making the gang wonder where he was at. Mini-seconds later, he appeared crouching on the sidewalls of the street corner. His unbelievable ability to maintain friction on the wall coupled with his insane speed made the gang understand that they had dug a hole for themselves. Seith knitted his brows in worry, "Who are you?" "Now is not the time to be asking questions," coldly responded Reve. He ignored the thief that was sneaking up behind him and focused on his staff. After a brief mental decision, Reve pointed his staff at the lunging thief just right in time. He offered no words as a look of panic creased over the thief''s face. In the next moment, the thief was hit by an invisible object. *Boom!* Reve whispered to himself, "Heh, it works that way too." Just as he was about to continue his attack, his eyes whitened as a terrifying surge of pain erupted in his head. This made him fall off the wall. Coincidentally, a fire spear was shot at him. The red halo of the spear made it seem like victory was already ascertained. The fire spear quickly exploded into rampaging flames as soon as it touched Reve. However, in a shocking turn, when the flames died down, there was nothing to be seen. Reve was nowhere to be found. His voice chilled them from behind, "You had me there for a second." They looked to see him panting. His right fingernails dug deep into his skin bringing out a large amount of red blood. If anything, he looked unstable at this moment. Reve supported his body with the sidewalls and dug his left hand into his pocket. He brought out a white headband. Quickly, Reve wore it. The moment he did that, the alarming whiteness in his eyes degraded while he felt a soothing rush of cool energy overtake his mental state. He had almost forgotten the afflictions that came with his [Force Barrier]. Luckily, he was able to escape the rage of the fire spear before he gave in to his mental pains. Reve sighed as he revigorated himself, "I''m done playing around." With this proud declaration, he pointed his staff at Luc, the thief mage, and a force barrier shot at him. The other veteran warrior slashed his fire sword at it, but it was to no avail. Being in the path of the force barrier, he was slammed deep into the face of the earth. Not soon after, the thief mage joined. Reve held his staff horizontally in the air with his two hands. With the staff firmly held, he pushed his left hand forward while retracting his right hand violently. This generated a greater force barrier that crashed into the gang. The walls of the street corner began to crack. Bristles of dust poured out of the hole his force barrier made. Reve smiled as he observed the strength of the force barrier when used effectively. He was starting to like the staff more and more. It made it easier for him to direct and concentrate his force barriers. Suddenly, a cracking sound could be heard from his side. He looked at his hands to see the staff break into splinters. "What? It was fake after all. Oh bollocks," screamed Reve. Now, he was pissed off. Fueled by this sudden rage, Reve manifested five force barriers with his two hands. He dropped them on five of the thieves and raised them back up again after the initial hit. Continuing his violent action, Reve crashed the force barrier into the thieves again¡­.and again¡­ and again until the cream color of human bones could be physically seen on the body of the five thieves. After he was done, Reve looked at their leader, Seith. He manifested three force barriers that danced around the thief. Seith''s eyes trembled as he could finally see the transparent force barriers. He spotted his comrades whelping in pain and realized they had irked the devil. "Oh, Seith, we have a lot to discuss," smiled Reve. For two months, he would happily play the role of the devil....¡­. Chapter 154 - Reve And The Thieves(3) Seith''s body shivered as he stared directly at the young lad, "What do you want?" His fellow thieves were knocked out. White foam spilled out from their mouths, which were left wide-open. The few that were still conscious pretended to be dead, despite the fact that their true status was obvious. His ki was starting to disperse and his body was gradually exhausted. He reckoned that he wouldn''t be able to keep up this optimal state for a while. Feeling alarmed, he looked front and back but could see nothing or someone that could help them. Oh, now, he remembered. His gang had specifically picked this location for its secrecy. It was at this moment he knew that¡­..he had fucked up! In essence, he shot himself in his toe. Watching the various looks appearing on Seith''s face, Reve smiled, "What do I want? What do I want? Well, this is funny. Not long ago, it was you that wanted something, wasn''t it?" The young demihuman pointed his right index finger down. A force barrier slammed into the back of Seith as his mouth ate the dust of the earth. "Ahhhh, it is good doing this often. Staying cooped up for months almost tamed my wild side," realized Reve. He noticed Seith standing up and hit him with another force barrier like it was nothing. For people like Seith, he could use little of his psi-force to deal with them. He just had to manage his psi-force output and spam endless low-tier force barriers. Yet, against all odds, Seith gritted his teeth and force his body to move back up. His mouth gutted with blood as he growled, "What do you want with us?" If anything, he was sure now. They weren''t the predator in this situation. They were preys, foolishly thinking of themselves as predators, that were baited by the actual predator. "Seeing as your display of willpower, I will wrap this up. I want to visit your base," told Reve. Seith was shocked, "What? Our base?" "Don''t pretend to not know what I meant. How convenient that the moment a young rich lad walks out of an expensive weapon store, he is robbed by thieves. A secret is required for this amount of planning to take place," explained Reve. "I don''t know¡ª" *Bam!* A force barrier dug Seith''s face deep in the earth. This time, Reve wasn''t pulling any punches. He cracked one of Seith''s rib bones with just that one attack. "I know you must have a code of covertness. I understand that you are scared of betraying this elusive base. But my dear Seith, you need to comprehend which is more terrifying; betraying your base or disobeying me?" "You motherf*cker. I have no idea what you are talking about," cursed Seith. Once again, a force barrier slammed his back until he laid flat on the surface of the ground. Looking up at the clouds, Reve sighed, "Alright, Alright. I thought there was no honor among thieves but I guess I was wrong. I shall inform you that I hold no evil intentions for your base." Struggling to move the bones in his body, Seith twisted his head to face Reve the moment he heard that, "How can I be so sure?" "You just have to believe me. Or we can simply continue this farce till you break," responded Reve. Seith ground his teeth, "Swear it. Swear it on the goddess'' name!" "Are you serious?" menacingly stared Reve. "Swear it!" Seith''s eyes revealed that he was not going to back down. It was a mystery why a thief like him was so adamant at something so trivial. Feeling annoyed, Reve acquiesced, "I swear on the name of the goddess, Xoris, that I have said no lies!" "Thank you," offered Seith. Despite the era of gods being long gone, their influence still remained in the hearts of mortals. Even in a religion-free nation like Narva, the people still respected the names of the gods and goddesses. After a good ol ten minutes, Seith finally stood up without Reve''s force barrier slamming him down, "I will take you there, but¡ª---" He looked behind to see both his unconscious comrades and ''unconscious'' comrades. "What do we do with them," asked Seith. "You carry them while you show me the way. Sounds about right," replied Reve. "I-I...understand. Give me ten minutes," said Seith. He disappeared into the street far away. Reve pulled up his hood as he waited for Seith to come back. He did not think for a single second that Seith was lying about that. Moreover, he had the other thieves here with him. If he wanted, he could simply ask them where their base was. "Huh¡­..?" Reve sensed a tiny movement at the location of the unconscious thieves. "Oh no, you shouldn''t have done that. Unconscious people don''t open their eyes, even for a tiny second," sadly said Reve. His downcast look didn''t correspond to his next course of action as a force barrier slammed the two thieves he was addressing. Not bothering to confirm if he finally did the job right this time, Reve sent another force barrier towards them. After their breathing patterns quietened, he assumed they were truly collapsed. Seith came into view afterward. He was moving a large object which Reve identified to be a big cart that was meant for fruits. Seith''s bones creaked as he carried each of his comrades into the cart. He noticed that two of them had extra blood on their faces but was too scared to ask how that came to be. In a moment, he was done with loading the cart. He directed his moist eyes at Reve, "Now, what?" "Now, you carry them and lead the way." "..." Reve asked, "What is it?" "I don''t think I have enough power for that." "What happened to the burst of adrenaline you used to stand up back then," queried a shocked Reve. "........" "What is it?" "No¨CNo¨CNothing. I will do it," replied a terrified Seith. Yes, he had dug a hole for himself today. Chapter 155 - Reve And The Thieves(4) Three months ago, Reve had started plotting his plans, which led to the present. Yet, he didn''t expect to see something like this. To understand his feeling better, about sometime a month ago, Reve realized that to progress his plans better, he had to access the base of a criminal gang. He knew the existence of gangs like that were prevalent in Starhold, and they were even more dangerous than gangs of other territories. However, he didn''t expect them to also be so coordinated..... After Seith picked up his mates, they quickly joined the nearby lively streets and mixed with the ignorant crowd. Seith took Reve through multiple streets till they got to a bakery shop far away from the marketplace. Immediately, they entered, the smell of apple cakes wafted into their noses. However, surprisingly, there was no one in the bakery shop except the store owner who simply glanced at Seith. He wore spectacles but couldn''t hide the twinkle in his eyes when he saw Seith. After a brief nod, he looked sideways and let Seith do as he wished. The latter led Reve towards the back of the store. He went through a door beside the counter and entered a stuffy room, but Reve''s eyes widened as he detected cool air rising from the ground. He didn''t need Seith to tell him why that was the case. Reve rolled up the leaf rug on the floor and saw a hole that led deep into the earth. ''Xoris bottom!'' awed Reve as he lent his ear to the hole. With his sensitive hearing, he estimated that the hole led to a large cave. He could hear the muffling of voices but it was unclear to make sense of them. A hole in a bakery store! Who would have imagined the entrance to a gang of thieves'' base existed in a harmless bakery shop?! Feeling excited, Reve motioned for Seith to go down first, but the latter was struggling with this decision. "What about my mates?" weakly asked Seith. "What about them?" Seith contemplated, "How are we going to get them down there?" Reve looked back at him as if he asked a foolish question, "How? Throw them, of course." "Huh? But....." Reve tapped him on his damaged arm, "Why are you acting so meek? Where is your previous barbarity? Just throw them. It''s not like they would break more than a few bones." "Okay¡­.." Seith picked up one of his mates and threw him down the hole. The sound that came out of the hole didn''t sound positive at all. It was akin to the sound of an egg cracking on a rock. "I think he might be dead¡­.." "What do you mean? He is perfectly fine. See! He is moving" "No, he is gasping for breath. I think his throat bone is broken." "Really?" "Yes." "..." Reve laughed it off, "He is a tough man. He would live to see another day¡­..probably." . . . . . . . . Devil''s Cave, Starhold. In a part of the illustrious city buried by the surface of the earth, a bunch of humans danced near a campfire with booze in their large burly hands. Their rugged clothes were soaked in the liquid that sometimes poured from their mouth as they sang and partied together. After a while, all the adrenaline had settled down and the sweet infested area was washed away by the cool underground breeze. They settled down on their make-shift tents, revealing the original occupants in the tents. They were kids of varying ages, ranging from middle childhood to old teenagehood. They were extremely as they watched the group of thieves enjoy the time of their lives. However, it all stopped when one of them shouted, "Enemy incoming!" The thieves paused their movements and listened to the deathly calm in their surroundings. All they could pick up was the resounding footsteps that echoed from one of the cave''s pathways. The view was hazy but they could see the figure of two individuals. One of them, they recognized as their fellow thief, but the other was unidentifiable. Slowly, the thieves motioned for the kids to hide in their tents as they brought out their weapons. The seasoned ones among them could feel a terrifying amount of unknown energy brewing inside the stranger. It was as if he was hiding it and not hiding it at the same time. With their fellow thief beside the stranger, they could understand the situation. *Phew!* Instantly, an arrow greased with black poison embedded itself in the stranger''s path. "Stay where you are!" shouted a slender thief. The chill voice of the stranger reached out to all of them, "I expected this. I guess anything I say would prove ineffective to your stubborn ears." Once again, the slender thief took charge, "It depends on what you have to say." "Ok. I come in peace. You have something I want. I can exchange the life of your comrade for it," replied the stranger. "What is that?" "It can''t be discussed out in the open like this," responded the stranger. The slender thief poured out his ki into his weapon for preparation, "Then, I''m afraid we can''t reach a positive decision." "I know. What a sad life? Having met one of you, I reckon there is only one way to get through to you," spoke the stranger. "Oh, and what is that?" Suddenly, a frightening abundance of energy spilled out of the stranger. His hood was pulled down by this, but the thieves couldn''t concentrate on that now. They heard his next words as the energy died down rapidly, "Damn." He seemed to be struggling with himself as his electric blue eyes sparkled, "As I was saying, I have come to find that thieves only respect one way of doing things. Beat up, then talk. Hence, I shall follow this tradition." Around him, something materialized in the transparent air, but the thieves could not see it. They could only feel something being wrong with their surroundings. "Shall we beg¡ª-" The thieves beat him to the chase, "Get her!!!" Chapter 156 - Reve And The Thieves(5) "By the gods, what is this...?" The slender thief cried his heart out as he fell to his knees, coughing out lots of blood. Staring at his trembling hands, the slender thief couldn''t help but wince as he could see the whiteness of his bone. He heaved heavy breaths as he tried to moderate his breathings. If he wasn''t careful he might die because of a lack of good respiration. His dry skin gained a red hue in a span of half an hour and his body lost more blood than he had lost all his life. All around him, the monotonous battle cry resounded, "Get her!" Then¡­.. *Boom!* "Get her!" *Boom!* "Get her!" *Boom!* It was the same scenario that played out every time one of his mates shouted those two words. Nothing could stop the stranger! The slender thief feared not even the devil could! God knows that he had tried stopping the stranger but he just ended up being part of the pile of damaged bodies the stranger had racked up. He had to do something¡­.. This was futile. If this battle continued, one of his mates would seriously end up dead. The slender thief struggled to get up, but when he did, he raised the white flag, "Wait, we give up!" His shout reverberated through the broad cave, making every single being in the vicinity pause. They focused on him. ... Reve was having the time of his life bullying a bunch of thieves. Some of them proved to be tough to deal with, but they were nothing too serious if he put his mind to it. After sending one of the thieves on his way to the stars, Reve''s body tingled, ''The pain is coming back. My psi-force is getting depleted. I need to wrap this up now.'' Suddenly, someone shouted among the thieves, "Wait! We give up." ''Oh, seems like they have had enough. Just in time,'' thought Reve. In truth, he could have played it out nicely. He could have easily told them what he wanted, but thieves will always be thieves. If he came out passive, they would assume him as easy prey. Heck, they might even try to rob him again. So, he decided the best course of action was to satisfy his violent urges and also to make them understand he was not a rabbit. It was good for him either way. Reve asked loudly, "Am I to assume this ends here? I''m a bit exhausted." "Yes, you have won," said one of the thieves with a broken limp. The other terrified thieves spoke up, "We admit defeat." "Yes, we now know...." Reve smiled as he gladly dropped the body that was in his hand, "Good, now can we tend to my troubles?" "....Yes," struggled the other thieves. Reve thought of something, "While you are recuperating, can I have an audience with your leader?" "Who?" Smirking, Reve halfly threatened, "Please, do not assume I do not know you have a leader. A bunch of thieves with your intelligence would have long been captured by the Defense Force. Someone is giving you rules that keep you away from them. Interesting, right? A group of rogues surviving this far." Reve concluded with a great truth that made the thieves quiet, "Someone is organizing your operations!" Feeling the silent atmosphere, Reve knew he was right, "Well, who among you is the elusive leader?" "We have no leader,¡­young lady," rasped one of the thieves. A look of horror donned on Reve''s face as he understood something he hadn''t pick up on before. In the blink of an eye, a force barrier mightier than those he had used on the thieves smashed the one that spoke up. "Did you say ''lady''? Do you think I look like a lady? I know I''m handsome and all, but goddamn!" cursed Reve. He thought over it again and felt enraged. To showcase this, he slammed the thief for the second time while the others watched. Far from having sympathetic feelings, they were tremendously happy that they hadn''t spoken up. Perhaps, they would have been reduced to dust the moment they revealed what they thought of the stranger''s gender. After beating the thief up, Reve asked again, "I know the leader is hiding among us. So, show yourself!...or we can simply continue where we left off." "Wait! I''m here," quickly shouted a familiar voice. Reve saw that it was the slender thief he recognized earlier. The man with black hair and night black eyes, an appearance that showed he was not a true native of Narva as the real native were slightly sable-haired and had brown eyes. Rev walked closer to him and inspected, "So, you are their leader?" "Yes." The man didn''t look that special apart from his appealing looks. His thin stature and laid-back demeanour made him feel like he was a lamb among wolves. However, maybe that was what made him special. The lamb had the power to tame the pack of wolves. Reve smiled, "How should I address you?" "Dorian," responded the thief with a weak smile. He couldn''t exactly smile when his entire body was breaking down. In a surprising fashion, blood gushed to his throat as he was forced to cough them out. ''Now, this is just making me feel bad,'' thought Reve. He felt awkward looking at Dorian. "Dorian, you are not from around here, are you?" "No, my pa is a native but my ma came from the faraway lands. I¡ª---" Dorian had to stop mid-conversation as he coughed blood again. His body finally broke down, leading him to fall to his knees and spurt out an abundance of red liquid. As if to guilt trip Reve, he mistakenly touched Reve''s shoes and stained it with his blood. However, Reve didn''t react as expected. The young demihuman was contemplating on whether he truly went too far. When he turned around, he got his answer. ...it seemed that the other thieves were in a similar state to Dorian''s Out of nowhere, Reve the innocent eyes of kids peeping out of the tent. They seemed terrified of him, which made the cat emperor officially feel guilty. "Alright.. Alright, I know," yelled Reve. Chapter 157 - Reve And The Thieves(6) Reve sighed, "I''m tired." About an hour after Dorian guilt-tripped him, Reve had finished healing all the thieves. He sat in one of the tents as he recuperated. Beads of sweat rolled from his forehead, indicating that it wasn''t an easy task. Because he could not expose his status as a mage, Reve proceeded to use healing potions on them. Normally, anyone could take the role of a healer with the potions, but all the thieves could barely function on their own, not to talk of helping others. "Whew," Reve let out a sharp breath of air. It was no shock that he was exhausted. Really, helping people was much harder than breaking them. ''Hmmm¡­..'' As he was in one of the tents, he was the only one there. There were kids looking at him with different expressions. However, when he looked back, they would shiver and cover their eyes. If he had to guess, they thought he was going to eat them. ''I''m hurt. To think even children are scared of me,'' sighed Reve. He laid on the ground and enjoyed the pensive stares coming from the children. As he glanced upward, he realized he was really doing it. His plans were already in motion, and he couldn''t turn back. ''Ha, I just want to sleep. What a sad life?'' grumbled Reve. Following his thoughts, he closed his eyes and took a quick nap. Despite being in a cave full of thieves, he reckoned that not a single one of them would think of attacking him in his sleep. "Excuse me, young sir," an awkwardly polite voice woke him up from his slumber. "What is it?" asked Reve. He wanted more sleeping time for himself. The thief in front of him said, "Our l-leader, Dorian, is ready. He asks if you plan on resting before conversing with him or not." Reve sighed and sat on his bum, "Tell him I''m ready." "W-Will do, sir." ".....Oh, and also, quit the ''sir'', I''m a young man¡­..or do I look old?" "N-No, sir. I mean, young man. Uhhh, young sir." The thief hastily ran away from the tent. It took a while, but later, the slender figure of Dorian pushed open the entrance of the tent. He first looked at the kids staying there and signaled for them to leave. When they left, Dorian addressed Reve. "I thank you for sparing us," apologized Dorian. Reve looked at him, "You are awfully polite for a thief. It seems there is more to you than meets the eye. Anyway, it''s better this way." He motioned for Dorian to take a seat beside him. "So, what is it you want? Seith tells me that you intentionally searched for us," asked Dorian. This question was something Dorian had mulled over for minutes. What could a bunch of thieves possibly give him? Answering this question, Reve wore his signature smile, "It''s quite simple, actually. I want information on the underworld¡­.." Dorian could feel a headache coming his way, "The underworld?" "Yes, I''m quite certain you are affiliated with this league. Apart from your apparent cleverness, they should be something supporting your gang." "....And?" trailed Dorian. "Is my curiosity not enough reason to seek out knowledge of this secret league?" "No, but I know better than to pry into your business. But did you send all my mates to the state of half-death just to ask questions?" sighed Dorian. Reve scratched his head awkwardly, "I told you I bore no nefarious intention, but you just won''t listen. So, I figured I would make you listen. You know, the way thieves do it..." "....." Fake tears poured out of Dorian''s eyes as he sadly spoke the opposite of what he meant, "I see.... I understand." "Good. Just tell me everything you know and we can part ways. There is nothing like a conversation that benefits both sides, is there?" ".....The underworld is..." . . . . . The Underworld. Most mortals would think it merely represented the plane of hell where dead souls pass on to. But to the Kingdom of Narva, it meant something different. Nonetheless, most of the regular narvens, people of Narva, wouldn''t come across the underworld in the entire span of their life. Reve, himself, had only heard bits of it during the start of The Alchemist''s killing spree in NIRA. This was when he reconstructed his original plans. He had to know what this underworld was and, according to what he finds out, he would plot his next course of action. According to Dorian, the intricate few narvens classified Narva into three levels. The first one was the Overworld, the aristocratic circle filled with nobles of different ranks and headed by the sole monarch of the kingdom, the king of Narva. The second level was the normal world occupied by the simple-minded humans. This level was the precious face of Narva and was what foreigners referred to when they talked about Narva. The third level, the archetype bottom, was the dark underworld! The underworld held everything wrong with Narva. The illegal activities like slave trading, dark potion, organ merchandise. The promiscuous bits like brothels or even multi-racial sex houses. The grim parts, like the assassin guilds and evil mercenaries. All this was kept under the wrap of the night and normal narvens, and even some nobles had no idea of this. This much could be acclaimed to the sophisticated structure of the underworld. Different organizations formed this evil league, and like nature dictates, a pyramid was built among themselves. As long as an organization had influence, they could climb the pyramid and receive more opportunities, becoming more fearsome to the point their hands could cover the entire of Narva. What made matters worse was that the underworld was a necessary existence for Narva. Something Reve quite understood. A nation could never be truly pure and free from evil. However, if they could contain the evil, they could do more good than harm to their people. The underworld was built just for that, and for that reason only, it could never be destroyed. The three levels of Narva had to live in co-existence together, lest they destroy themselves. Yet, that was not the harshest truth about the underworld¡­... Chapter 158 - Reve And The Thieves(7) The cohabitation between the three levels of Narva might have gone too far. As the second level was left in the dust, the other two levels of contrasting qualities built a union. A union that helped both sides! This was the origin story of some of the underworld organizations. They were supported by the nobles who provided them with funds. In fact, it was almost a custom that each noble house should be associated with an underworld organization. That way, they get the influence in the underworld and conduct activities under the nose of the second level. Meanwhile, the underworld organization would get a boost in productivity. They would become more nefarious and gather more members. However, with this alliance came rules imposed on the organization by the nobles. For example, one of them was to never target nobles. Another rule is to never target true mortals with no affiliation to the magical side of Arcadia. The Underworld, a complex aspect of Narva that also served as one of its pillars. .........¡­..This was the true face of the Underworld . . . . . . Dorian was finally done with his explanation. His voice was immensely passionate as he described all he knew about the underworld. It was clear that he held this menacing faction in high regards. "Well, that''s really interesting," spoke Reve. He never knew the entire faction so built deep into the system of Narva. A faction like that would not be that easy to mess with, especially since it was so intricately tied. Reve made a wild guess; they were probably rules that prohibited each organization from destroying each other to a certain degree. This made his plans complicated.... Months ago, Reve had scoured NIRA for any information about the shards of Sheol. That was why he joined the Archaic Mysteries Club. They held records that could probably provide a clue to the shards. However, surprisingly, that was not the case, both the records of the club and NIRA Library had not a trace of information about the shards. Nonetheless, Reve did find something. He found his first clue of the Underworld. Back then, as he spied on this piece of information, he mentally proposed a theory. Since he could not find what he wanted in the normal Narva, he had to infiltrate the other two levels.; the Aristocratic Circle and the Underworld. Of course, back then, he didn''t have any conclusive knowledge about both factions, but to a smart person like him, it was easy for him to have solid guesses. Reve sighed as he thought deeply, ''However, It seems it won''t be easy.'' Shaking his head, he asked another question, "The Alchemist belongs to the Underworld, right?" "Yes. The Alchemist is a new figure to the Underworld. However, he is equipped with sufficient knowledge of us, seeing as all his actions never went beyond the boundaries of the Underworld," answered Dorian. "What organisation does he belong to?" Dorian gave a contemplative answer, "He is independent, associated with the Black Market, a primary organization of the Underworld. It is the only one to keep resurfacing in the normal side of Narva." "Hmmmmm¡­.I thought as much. What about you guys? Where do you sit in this pyramid?" Dorian clenched his fist as he spoke, "The lowest bottom. We are not backed by any nobles, nor do we exist as subsidiaries of other organizations. In the Underworld''s saying, we are rats!" Reve thought to himself, ''I guess this is to be expected from a pyramid-structured society.'' In his mind, he was jotting down all the details that Dorian spilled. Of course, he knew that he couldn''t just trust Dorian''s words. Granted, Dorian might not be lying. But he might not also be in the know about all the affairs of the Underworld. Now, that it has come to this, it seemed like he would need another affiliate of the Underworld. Reve dusted his knees and stood up. Attempting to pull up his hood, he said to Dorian, "Thank you for the valuable information. After an enjoyable round of torment, I shall take my departure. Fear not, If anything happens, I will not sell you out." The Underworld was brutal and secrets about it must be submerged. This was also one of its rules, "Do not tell anyone not among us!" Just as Reve was about to exit the tent, a hand grabbed his leather pants. "Wait!" shouted the panicked Dorian. Reve raised his eyebrows, "What is it?" He didn''t do anything wrong, did he? Panicking further, Dorian stuttered, "I-I-I know you have a plan. You need something and that involves the Underworld. You won''t be able to navigate alone. We can be of use to you." Reve gaped his jaws at this sudden turn. The way he saw it the person he mercilessly beat up was asking to be subjugated? Was this also a form of.....masochism? Intrigued, Reve quizzically smiled, "Why is that?" "Huh?" trembled Dorian. "Why do you request such? I can see no reason why you would want to be allied with me. I don''t plan on doing that also," told Reve. Knowing he needed a solid reason, Dorian truthfully spoke, "I can see it. You are strong, and in the Underworld, strength is all that matters. Without it, you can''t be anything. That is why we remain at the bottom. Even teeny bits of cleverness still does not change that fact." Dorian looked at his dirty palms and spoke his thoughts, "Our gang only controls a small district of Starhold. The other gangs have the backings of large organizations. Meanwhile, we remain like rats and scrap the little we can find out there." "That is not enough. Most of us here have a legacy to protect. We have kids that can barely pay for a knight school. To top it off, some of us lack an affinity for mana. We couldn''t participate in Narva''s illustrious festival. We couldn''t receive the blessing of Narva because we lacked the money for that." Reve queried, "But didn''t the King declare participation in the elemental festival free?" "That only applied to orphanage houses. The commoners still pay. It is necessary to cover the cost of the festival. Our kids are not as privileged as the others. This was the only way we could provide for them. It''s a bunch of excuses, I know. But I-I-I-" Dorian loudly stated, "I don''t want to fail at even this bit. What would the young ones think if they knew we were this pathetic? We can''t provide them a better future!" Chapter 159 - Rise Of Kimon There was a comprehensive silence that ensued, following Dorian''s last words. Reve broke it with a pensive look, "I must say, that is hypocritical. A bit interlined. What you want is a purpose, a greater purpose for your measly existence. A purpose that will light up the darkness in the heart of your gang''s younger generation." Just when Dorian thought Reve was about to leave, the latter smiled at him, "But I''m all ears. And I think your mates feel the same...." Looking at the veil of the tent, Reve could see the silhouettes of the thieves eavesdropping on them. He had sensed them a long time ago but since they meant no harm, he let them be. Dorian looked at where Reve pointed. "What are you guys doing?" shouted Dorian "Aye..." tried speaking of the thieves, but he couldn''t find what to say. Feeling helpless, Dorian ignored them and continued his conversation, "I think you need our help. Despite being at the lowest bottom, we have the manpower and can be used however you see fit. Also, it would not raise too much attention if you operate through us." Reve smirked, "Oh, and If you die under my leadership?" "Then death will be our end. There is nothing more peaceful than having a purposeful death," remarked Dorian. Reve looked into his eyes and saw a dark star hovering in the void of his eyes. He commented, "That ideology is a bit frightening. A willful death, huh? You almost sound like a fanatic." Letting out a cold breath, Reve heaved, "What a sad life? All right, we shall do it your way. Remember, you all chose this path for yourself." He knew that there was no way Dorian was only speaking for himself. The way the other listeners kept quiet was an indication that they held the same opinion. This gang of thieves was more closely knitted than he thought. Of course, they were even crazier for offering themselves to him. Reve sat down back and watched as the realization of their actions donned on them. After a while, Dorian politely led the question, "How shall we address you?" Reve deeply thought of what he should say. He remembered the words of caution he had for himself, ''Reve of Azea can never be associated with the spy persona!'' Giving them his name was not a matter. It was a matter of absolute segregation. He had to never be linked to Reve of Azea. That was why he wore another appearance. Albeit, it was also too attractive, it would work. Thinking to himself, Reve finally opened his mouth, "Call me.....Kimon." His declaration of his name echoed through the hearts of all that heard. Taking the role of his direct attendant, Dorian moved closer to him, "Kimon...You would need something more distinctive to hide your appearance. In our line of work, identity like yours should never be revealed." Reve nodded and searched his inner pockets for something. After a while, he found it. It was a small black rock. He had requested it from Circe sometime ago. Basically, it was a substitute for another item in the gem pendant that Circe gave him. Reve had a mask in the gem pendant, but he couldn''t use it since it was too eye-catching. Hence, he brought out a rare metal from one of Circe''s collections called aranium. It was a shapeshifting metal that could be molded to an object. If provided the right enchantments, it could develop two forms. The object form and the pebble form. The object form was not that appealing. It was a plain grey mask, which was just perfect for Reve! Donning the mask, Reve gained a mysterious aura around him. Despite there being no holes for his eyes, he could use his [Nexus Eyes] to observe his surroundings. However, using that wouldn''t give him the same result as humans'' natural sight. In a way, it was better as it gave more details but focused less on beauty. Reve sighed as he once again realized his plans were already kicking in. All that was left was his impromptu next steps. Holding his chin, Reve informed loudly, "I need to get to the higher hierarchy!" That was where the piece of information he was searching for might be. However, as soon as he said that, all the thieves sucked in a cold breath. This was something they had been chasing after all their lives, yet Kimon loudly declared his goal with a tone of certainty Dorian smiled not long after, "You came just at the right time. Rumors from above say that the top organization of the Underworld is experiencing instability after their head died. This is a great opportunity for all bottom organizations. Instability denotes a slackness of rules. There will be a quick reconstruction and if we play our cards right, we might earn a spot at the top or middle." Reve absorbed what Dorian said, "An instability...¡­..the passing of the top leader....You may just be right, but we need to gain recognition fast. Based on what you said, each organization has a product or service that they sell. They have their unique activities." He went on, "This is the trait of all top organizations. To become one of them, we must adopt this trait. However, it is dangerous. We can easily make enemies which is not wise for a young organization. Hmmmm...¡­." Dorian took this chance to speak up, " I understand. I will compile a list of all local Underworld organizations and their unique traits. This would assist you in your decision. My gang is good at collecting information." "How long will it take you?" asked Reve. "A day at most," replied Dorian. "Okay, then I will spend the night here while waiting for your list." Reve closed his eyes as Dorian hastily left the scene. In his mind, he was seeing the different paths he could take from now on. That was still to be decided, but at least now he had a front cover. He could act as the leader of a new organization and infiltrate the Underworld. Now, he just had to find a good name. Chapter 160 - Black Vipers Reve woke up to a peaceful silence. His thoughts paused for a good ol ten minutes before it kicked it with vigor. He looked sideways to see the group of children still sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb them, Reve tiptoed out of the tent. Outside, he saw the gang of thieves conversing with each other silently. It seemed they had a troublesome sleep as the topic of their conversation was the event that happened yesterday. When they saw him, they quietened and nodded at him. Reve nodded in reply. This was as good a greeting as they can get. Reve followed a bunch of them that headed into one of the cave''s tunnels. He realized something, ''This underground cave has multiple entrances. This makes it easy for them to move around. I wonder how they found it.'' He did not need to know where the group was following. Wherever it was, he was curious about it. Soon, the bright light of the sun covered his eyes. He used his hands to shield himself away from him. When it settled down, Reve''s eyes twinkled as he saw a vast greenland. It was a forest, with vibrant trees and birds that chirped the morning song. All sorts of mundane animals moved about, especially the squirrels which squeaked when they heard the sounds of the incoming humans. ''The Willow Forest. I never thought I would see it one day,'' thought Reve. The forest they were in was just beside the domain of Starhold. It had long been cleaned of magical beasts and only animals remained to take care of the land of Mother Nature. It was called the Willow Forest after the great willow tree that was said to exist at the center of the forest. However, this forest was easily dismissed since most that came to Starhold came for the magical aspects not the mundane aspects like it''s great normal forest. Reve said out loud to the group of thieves, "I never knew one of the cave''s paths would lead to the Willow Forest. I must say I''m impressed." One thief responded to him proudly, "The initial settlers had ripped apart the magical aspect of the forest. The magical mushrooms and the plants were uprooted hastily by them. It damaged the land and returned it to its primate nature. After this violent uprooting, the Willow Forest was abandoned by most residents of Starhold. However, when we discovered the cave system, we happily built our base here as no one would ever think of it." "Oh, I see..." said Reve. He was starting to see the gang as a treasure cover. However¡­..if only they had the strength to back up their resourcefulness. That would prove to be a huge problem as cultivating strength can never be rushed. It took Reve about nineteen years to reach his level of strength. Yet, according to Circe, that growth rate was very uncommon. He sighed inwardly, ''This means I would have to be the main strength of this organization. I can''t have their weak strength deter my plans, but their resourcefulness would surely come in handy.'' Suddenly, the gang stopped. Reve did the same after wondering why they stopped. In front of them was a large lake that was about twenty meters. Due to the summer season, the cold lake was much more desirable than before. The fishes excitedly jumped in and out of the lake, creating a scene that was just perfect. Quickly, the gang stripped their clothes and bathe themselves with natural cold water. The development of the continent had curbed some old activities like bathing in lakes, but some people still enjoyed doing that compared to soaking in tubs filled with magical water. Reve stripped his body bare and walked into the lake. Ignoring the curious stares of the gang, he let his body float as he took a breath of the fresh air of the lake. He wondered if the gang had any idea that the one they bathed with was a demihuman. ''Probably not,'' he concluded. His innate ability to hide his beastly characteristics prevented them from ever discovering the real him. After a few hours went by, Reve went out of the lake solemnly. He was a bit sad, but he figured that he could come back here later. Perhaps, alone. The gang was just a step ahead of him as they were already dressed by the time they got out. "I must say, you lots are blessed. Not everyone has access to a refreshing lake like this," commented Reve. The gang smiled. They couldn''t find the best reply to that so they simply kept mum. Few minutes later, they returned to the cave. As soon as they arrived, another group slipped out the cave. Immediately, Reve understood, ''They are rotating turns so that the cave is never left defenseless. Interesting....,this is probably Dorian''s work.'' On the topic of Dorian, the slender man appeared in Reve''s view. He looked quite exhausted with dark circles swimming beneath his eyes. However, he positively said to Reve, "Kimon, I''m done." Reve and he went into his tent where they discussed. "Here is a list of what you requested," offered Dorian. Reve took a glance at the scroll. It was quite a long one, but luckily, more than half of the content was empty. If not, Reve would have been left wondering just how many organizations they were in Starhold. "Hmmmmm¡­.let''s see. The top organization here is the Black Market, however, this is normal as it has its hands all over the kingdom," mentioned Reve. According to the scroll, the Black Market, formally called the Black Vipers, specialized in the sales of general illegal items. It was where one could find cursed weapons and poisons that the Defense Force had long petitioned to be banned. This unique activity racked the organization bags of coins constantly. One thing to note though was that Black Vipers had a concealed structure.. After all, if their innate members were to be exposed, it would be the end for them as they would be expected to be in possession of large sums of money. Chapter 161 - Rise Of Kimon(2) "Hmmmm....they seem untouchable and have a good domain," analyzed Reve. He saw another notable one on the list, "The Ravagers. Organ harvesters...¡­.." The so-called organ harvester was a special profession that was derived from human alchemy. It followed the principle of, "If thy lacks, thy takes from others.".......quite a brutal principle. By implanting excellent organs from exquisite beings into a human, they could theoretically grant the mundane human a special chance to receive the qualities of the owner of that organ. Normally, they target magical beasts and take all their organs. Implanting them in a human would turn them into mutants. However, it was not all bright. The side-effects that came with this branch of human alchemy were immensely severe. One of the prevalent ones was the large loss of lifespan. Yet, this profession never stopped, as desperate humans would always feel the gains outweighed the loss. "Another wild one," commented Reve. He moved on, "The Black Hand, an order of assassins that devoted their lives to mastering the arts of assassinations...." There were a lot of assassination guilds in Narva. However, they knew well to occupy one territory for themselves. Whilst the gargantuan ones were free from this limitation. The Black Hand was the head assassination body in Starhold. There were responsible for numerous unexplained deaths in the magical city and served as one of the many headaches of the Defense Force. He continued reading after understanding this order. Apart from the three giant organizations, there were other rivals. The Venom Order. They specialized in the sales of poison and had allies everywhere. One such ally was the Black Hand. In essence, the two organizations were interlinked. Sisterhood of Naamah. The only normal organizations in Starhold. It conducted one of the most desired activities in the history of mankind; sensual pleasure. This sisterhood was a whorehouse, but it wasn''t just that. It could also cater to female needs and was the favorite place of all nobles that visited Starhold. Looking at the list, Reve sighed, "We can''t mirror them. They have built a solid foundation over the years. We need something different, something new." His mind tried to find the solution to his problem. To make sure his organization was among the top, he had to be prevalent in the Underworld. In other words, his organization had to be outlandishly popular. Hence, they needed something that sold well in the Underworld. Dorian joined the conversation, "I thought as much too. I suggest we find a blank spot." "......A blank spot, huh?" What could this be? Reve ruminated, ''Ahh, let''s see. Organ selling, assassination, illegal merchandise. Hmmm¡­..that''s it. We need something magical.'' He soon spoke out, "A dark magical potion¡­..something like a drug that is extremely addictive. The consumer won''t be able to resist the effect of the drug. Also, it can provide boosts of strength that would be the selling point." Dorian''s face went through a series of emotions before it settled on a troubled one, "...But the resources needed to produce it and the expertise would be high-tier. The recipe for the drug needs to be perfect, something that does not lead to an adverse reaction." "That is true," pouted Reve. Well, it was not as if he didn''t not how to go about it. Granted, Reve was not an alchemist. He could not produce a potion, but he knew someone who could fit the part. He knew an ancient witch with enough reasons to help him. Reve smiled after this discovery, "Leave it to me. I will figure it out. What you should do is collect more information. However, tread a fine line, make sure not to attract unnecessary attention. Also, continue your thieving activities but spread rumors of a new organization surfacing." Sucking his breath, Dorian asked, "What will be the name of this organization?" Looking at the ceiling, Reve smiled, "The Tribe of Somnia." Dorian raised his brows at this name. He didn''t understand the meaning behind the name. Yet, he could feel there was a deep meaning behind it. It wasn''t just a bunch of random words Reve offered no help to his confusion. Only he knew why he picked the name. It was a mythological name whose stories Myrna used to read to him back when he was just a normal cat. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Reve realized that was his cue to leave, "Get ready. when I''m back, the Tribe of Somnia will rise." He stood up and suited his cloth. After giving one final parting glance to Dorian, Reve left the tent. He greeted the other gangs before departing. Soon, he used his senses to trace the cave path that led to the shop he entered earlier. Reve pulled up his hoodie as he found the exact hole that led up. Using his inhumane physical stats, Reve jumped to the surface. He adjusted himself and opened the door that was before him. Reve saw the old shop owner as he attended to a customer. He knew not to act suspicious to the customer, so he only mouthed a few words, "Thank you." Quickly, Reve exited the shop and joined the nearby streets. With his hoodie over his head, he used his sensory skills to detect if anyone was following him. Just to be safe, he walked around for a few minutes before he came to the conclusion that he was safe. Reve intentionally mixed with a crowd of humans as he headed back to his campus. As he walked, he transformed back to his normal appearance. This way, no one would notice the minute difference in height or size. When he was sure that he was done with his transformation, Reve walked closer to the gates of the campus. "Take your hood off and present your card," ordered the security guards at the gate. Reve gladly complied, revealing his cat''s ears and heterochromatic eyes. "Reve of Azea..." mouthed one of the security guards. There was no way he didn''t recognize the man before him. Stuttering, he said to Reve, "Please, go on." For a person like Reve, he didn''t need any identity verification Chapter 162 - The Hollow Woods "Finally," heaved Reve. Closing his room door, he dragged his poor body on his bed and took a deep breath. Right now, the only thing he desired to do was to sleep comfortably. The rest could wait till tomorrow. However, could it be that easy¡­..? Just as he was about to fully shut his mind, he heard knockings on the door. "Oh, for fucking sake," cursed Reve. He unwillingly stood up from his bed and moved toward the door. Opening it slightly, he saw the close-up view of a lady in her nightgown looking back at him. Recognizing the lady, Reve fully opened the door, "Lady Lithia, can I assume the purpose of your visit is to play the part of a succubus?" "Surely, your mind is still as adventurous as ever," smiled the blonde-haired lady as she walked into the room calmly with an object in her hands. Reve directed her to a seat where he set the tables with his gentle skills, "Now. Now. You know better than to fault me, Lady Lithia. A woman does not simply visit a man at night. Where I''m from, it is called a ''spellbind nighties''. A night filled with violent yet attractive captivations....." Lady Lithia of the Archaic Mysteries Club revealed a scornful look, "Yet, here am I, at the silent hours of the night, in your humble abode, and you seem to have no interest in me whatsoever. Do you only claim a glib tongue?" Reve smiled. His hands ruffled the smooth hair of Lithia as he brought his face in front of her. His breath resonated with hers as they shared the same air. "I''m mostly tame when I know not for certain if my lady friend is toying with me," whispered Reve. Lithia blushed at this outlandish display. She faked a cough before picking up the cup of tea presented on the table. Tasting it, Lithia instantly found a topic of diversion, "I must say, I didn''t expect your tea-making skills to go up a notch. I almost thought you were a lost cause." Reve smirked, "Well, I did have the best teacher. Not all teachers would force the art of tea-making on their students. You should feel proud." Once again, a familiar red hue creased Lithia''s face, but this time, it was that of faint shame. After all, Reve did not lie. After having found out Reve''s helplessness in the art of tea-making, she demanded he get better. Lithia adjusted herself as she spoke genuinely, "I also never knew the etiquette lessons I casually gave you would create the fine gentleman that is before me." "Well, what can I say? Once I put my mind to it, there is nothing that can stop me. Hmmmm....Lady Lithia, should I assume that you simply came here to flirt with me?" said Reve. The young lady sighed as she dropped her cup, "Hush! Drop the formalities. You have had enough fun as it is. And¡­.my visit has a purpose, unfortunately for you." The casual bant between these two individuals showed that truly Reve had made some friends within his few months at NIRA. His and Lithia''s story went way back to their very first mission together. He had to say, even he was embarrassed when she called his mannerisms barbaric. It came with no derogatory intentions so Reve took it lightly. However, it didn''t stop him from attempting to best her in her so-called noble mannerism. Finally, he was successful! Feeling victorious, Reve laid on his bed as he spoke with her. This time, he spoke in his normal speech mannerisms. "So, why do you seek me?" asked Reve. Lithia revealed the contents in her hands. It was a letter with an unfamiliar insignia inscribed on it, which she later offered to Reve. "What is it?" queried Reve. "A letter of invitation from Lord Rycharde. He is holding a large banquet and requests your presence," told Lithia Reve went into deep thoughts as he ruminated on the name drop, "Lord Rycharde, huh...?" "Surely, you haven''t forgotten about him?" "No, but he does bring back some old memories, doesn''t he? Back then, we struggled for two months before completing the mission he deigned on us." Lithia laughed out loud. Yet, she still retained her womanly vibe, "Oh, yes, how can I forget those horrorful months? In truth, I thought the same as you when I received the invitation." "One cannot simply forget those two months," sighed Reve. ...¡­ Just a while after Reve had befriended the enigmatic Lady Lithia, they were soon posed with a mission. The other club members gave it to Reve to be his first big mission and Lithia was asked to assist him as the two were quite close. However, it was not all warmly as they had expected. This mission¡­..was absolutely hideous in nature. The details of the missions were such, "Identify these items." Back then, seeing this, Reve was immensely delighted. He had thought that the mission was only considered ''big'' because the commission was larger than the norm, being around 100 silver coins. However, Reve and Lithia would soon come to understand that the mission was insane! For starters, the items were acquired from a campaign in the Hollow Woods. This piece of information was enough to complicate anything. The Hollow Woods was perhaps one of the most dangerous locations in all of Xoris, not just Narva. It was a system of interlinked forests that connected to almost all kingdoms of Xoris and was the sole habitation for magical creatures that terrorized the land of Xoris. This large part of Xoris held records of beautiful and grim historical events that took place in early Xoris. The battles of the Second World War. The final battle of the Witch War. The birth of the Kingdom of Arania. However, such vast wealth could not be recovered as the creatures that lurked in those woods would not hesitate to kill any trespassers. That was why over the years, some humans would conduct campaigns to explore the parts of the Hollow Woods. The ideal was that if they gradually expanded the explored region, they would uncover all parts of the forest. A good plan......if one did not factor the bizarreness of the magical creatures Chapter 163 - Am I To Your Fancy? In Reve''s opinion, the Hollow Woods was like a small Azea continent. There was no way humans would be able to claim the land for themselves. In a realistic sense, just exposing hints of invasion could lead to a hollow tide that could leave a lasting effect on any kingdom for years to come. Hence, when Reve and Lithia knew that the items they were asked to appraise were obtained from the Hollow Woods, they realized the severity of the mission. Immediately, they went to work, using whatever knowledge and skill they harbored to try to identify the items. Reve was not familiar with Narva''s history so he could not help a lot, but Lithia was the opposite. She quickly identified a marking of the items, which was in fact an armor and a sword, to the symbol used by a forgotten faction that existed in the second era. Roughly three thousand four hundred years ago, the demon lord of Gluttony, Shel, challenged the kingdoms of Xoris with her vast demonic army. Her victory was said to have been imminent. Her foes crushed into white dust and her path painted with the red blood of her victims. That was until a young half-elf, born in Xoris, that went by the name Klayden rose to the challenge of the demon lord Shel. He rallied the support of the kingdoms of Narva and led a combined army that eventually quelled the rage of the demon lord. Now, how did this story relate to Reve and Lithia''s mission? Well, the symbol Lithia identified looked impeccably similair to one of the old kingdoms of Xoris. The Meral Dynasty, a kingdom whose territory was now occupied by Narva. The symbol represented the knights of Meral, which gave Lithia the wild idea that the armor and sword could have possibly belonged to one of the knights who fought in the second demon war. This was plausible as one of the battlefronts of the war was believed to be around the location Lord Rycharde''s campaign took place. Also, materials of the armor denoted that the knight who wore it was probably a rare one. A further analysis revealed that armor was "touched upon" by Enchantress Sheela of the hero''s party Yet, there was a brimming issue¡­..the sword. The sword did not fit any historical records of the swords used by the knights of Meral. If anything, it was the opposite of that. A black dagger-like sword tainted with red pigment that absorbed sunlight. About a month had passed when they made this discovery. The duo realized that they had hit a wall. Luckily, Reve''s knowledge shined through. After a brief scan of the picture of the item, Reve saw it for what it was. It was a demon sword, belonging to a demon beast, the derogatory term for a magical beast that belonged to a demon lord''s army. This discovery marked the successful completion of their mission but the duo would soon realise that about two months had passed since they took the mission, leaving them annoyed. ......¡­ Remembering all this, Reve sighed once more. The pain in his eyes couldn''t be more evident, "Lord Rycharde¡­." Feeling comfortable, Lithia rested her body on the chair, "He is having a grand banquet this coming Friday and invites guests from all corners of Narva. Of course, he wouldn''t forget to invite his saviors, the ones that accomplished what all others couldn''t¡­.us." Reve''s face twitched, "Does the final say lie in my hands?" "No, you need to know that this invite is not individual. Instead, it is for our club. However, the others have all brought up excuses as to why they can''t attend. Damian returned home for the holidays. Gele is too high-class to show herself. Tobiaz is away from Narva at this moment. The Drateel twins will attend the banquet not as the club members, but rather as members of their noble house." Lithia curled her lips, "So, it is up to you, me, and Karmin to uphold the presence of our club. You can''t drop out of this one. I recall you saying boredom is all that awaits you this holiday. Well then, here is your chance to have fun." Reve protested, "You don''t need me. I have no plans on mixing with noble cliques for the holidays. Also, my bones are weary and I reckon they would be like that all week. I might have caught a sickness." "Don''t be ridiculous. It is rare for mages to get sick. Also, you can''t be thinking of leaving two dainty little innocent ladies all by themselves, can you?" mocked Lithia. "Those two ladies are very capable of taking care of themselves. I''m sure Karmin can agree with me on that," retorted Reve. Lithia flashed her eyes like a pup, "Come. It will be fun. With me by your side, I assure you shall have the time of your life." "I¡ª-" Just as he was about to reply, Reve realized something. ''Wait, wasn''t I trying to get into the aristocratic circle? What she is offering me is basically a gift. I can make sure to familiarize myself with the nobles of Narva,'' thought Reve. Changing his mind, Reve smiled at Lithia, "Well, since you guarantee to be my escort, I surely can''t deny your request. What type of gentleman will I be to do that?" "Good," applauded Lithia, "Now, my job here is done." She stood up, but was stopped quickly. "Is that it? Don''t you want to stay a bit longer?" "No." "Oh, so, all this exciting talk was just to make me comply with your request," said Reve. Lithia had no idea how to answer that. She simply stood still as Reve moved closer to her. "What are you so afraid of?" teased Reve. "Nothing. I''m definitely not afraid of a-a-a virgin," squealed Lithia, Reve chuckled despite being embarrassed, "I remain as such because I have yet to see anyone that attracts my fancy." Lithi gave him an odd look, ".....And am I to you fancy?" "Oh, yes, you are, Lady Lithia." "T- T-Th-Then, I shall take my departure before you devour me as though I was a fruit from the gods." She hurriedly ran out of the room, leaving Reve to cackle wildly. His voice thundered out of the open door, travelling all the way to Lithia who was well on her way to entrance gate of the campus Chapter 164 - Demis Returns After Reve was tired from laughing boisterously, he sat down on his bed and mentioned, "Heh, she is finally gone." In truth, he was only teasing Lithia. He had no idea that his teasing would be so effective. It seemed like Reve still maintained his godly emperor charm wherever he went. However, he had to say, he had not thought of his love life at all. ''Oh damnation, I have become a loner like Circe,'' complained Reve. If he let things slide, he might just die without ever feeling the company of a lovely female, be it demihuman, magical beast, or human. Now, he was terrified of this truth. How was he to defend his title of a cat emperor if he could not produce a single cat empress? ''I shall deal with this later. For now, I have pressing issues to deal with.'' The original plan was to sort out all his problems the next day, but since Lithia disturbed his sleep, he might as well use this lucid time to finalize his plans. This would in turn allow him to spend tomorrow as he wished. Hastily, Reve picked up a blank scroll and a pen. He started writing what he planned to send to Circe. In his letter was an impromptu request to assist him in his plans. He gave the details of what he planned and asked Circe to advise him on what magical potions to produce and their formula. He also emphasized that it should be easy to make since he was not an alchemist. The exquisite aspect should lie in its rare ingredients and recipe, which would make his magical potion one of a kind. Reve had planned to find an alchemist but reckoned it wouldn''t be anytime soon as he needed a trustworthy one. He also couldn''t just pause his plans because of his lack of an alchemist. After explaining his thought process in the scroll, Reve left his magical name at the bottom of the scroll. It was necessary that he did it so Circe would be able to validate the authenticity of the scroll as she was one of the few who knew his true name. He rolled the scroll and used his magic to seal it so only the receiver can read its content. Soon, he was done so he stood up and sat on the cold floor. Positioned in a meditation stance, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to his surrounding. As he felt the mana in the air, Reve circulated his magi. His body shone with a vibrant bluish-green light as his heterochromatic eyes donned a purity that couldn''t be rivaled. The following words spilled out of his mouth as if he was possessed by a celestial being, "I calleth upon thou gentle spiritas. His steps blesseth the land with gold. The prince who sleeps in the field of lush. Noble is thy coronet." "I summon thee. Thy King of Mis''ry, Demis! The eye who seeks only salt''d drops of sorrow." The ethereal link in him tingled as his contracted spiritas immediately appeared in front of him. The great black hawk opened its mouth but no words flowed out. Only an annoyed voice rang in the air without a sound, "Reve Amethyst! What is the meaning of this? I seem to not recall granting you to summon me as you wish." Reve smiled in reply, "It''s good to see you, old friend. I summoned you for a pronto delivery. Lest you forget, we have a contract of Hermes." "......that is right." The great black hawk was instantly diminished to that of an unreliable contracted being. "That reminds me. Do I have any letter from Circe?" asked Reve. If he remembered correctly, he sent a letter to her and was expecting some kind of feedback. Surprisingly, Demis avoided Reve''s gaze when he replied, "No." Reve knew fully well something was up, "What is it?" "Nothing," quickly retorted Demis. "The King of Misery does not simply say ''nothing''," taunted Reve. He thought as to why Demis was behaving strangely. Soon, he arrived at a conclusion. "Could it be that....Circe hasn''t read my letter yet," slowly asked Reve. "......" "That is the case, isn''t it?" "I have no idea what you are talking about." "She threatened you not to tell me, right?" "...." Reve facepalmed. Surely, someone like Circe would prefer to sleep than to read a letter from her student after assuring he was safe. "Damn, just give this scroll to her and tell her if she doesn''t read it, I will march back home and quit the mission. Damn, old hag," shouted Reve. He threw the scroll at Demis and laid back on his bed. However, the latter hadn''t left yet. "What is it?" queried Reve. Demis'' serious voice flowed into Reve''s ear, "Is your mission to find the shards of Sheol?" Reve eyed him, "....How do you know of that?" "I have spent a long time with you and the Immortal Witch, enough to discern the authenticity of your supposed mission." "So, why do you ask me?" "So, it is true. My brethren have heard rumors of the shards of Sheol resurfacing. I never thought the terrifying shards to be real, but if the Immortal Witch approaches the matter with such seriousness, then I suppose it is as real as it gets," revealed Demis. Unlike the races of Arcadia, the elementals and spiritas of the elemental planes are not prohibited from sharing information about the shards of Sheol. In fact, most of the time, the world administrator was quite lax with them. After ascertaining the true mission of Reve, Demis attempted to leave but Reve asked him, "I plan on figuring out where the shards are. Can I depend on you to help me?" "We have a contract. I am already helping you," said Demis. Reve offered, "True, but what if I use your connection with your brethren to nurture contracts with other humans for a lower price?" Demis knew what Reve was getting at. He was asking to change the status of their contract from just two parties to allies. This would mean that Demis can go above the details written on the contract and Reve would not be required to pay for it. This was a tough decision for spiriton that are hungry for contracts. Demis disappeared after giving it thoughts, but not before murmuring, "Give me time to consider." Chapter 165 - The Banquet(1) Days later. Reve looked at the exceedingly handsome figure in the mirror. Oh, boy, was he so dashing? Donning a smooth shirt buttoned up to support the elegant tie he was wearing, he wore a chic with a v-line over it. He also wore a suit jacket with intricate rope patterns that made it look stylish and graceful. Complimenting the dress was his pants, which had the same pattern and style as the jacket. He finalized the full suit with a shoe he couldn''t describe. He had simply thought it was fashionable and bought it. Appreciating his beautiful work, Reve thought, ''That should be all. Seems like the large sum of money I spent in the tailor shop wasn''t in vain.'' This style of formal wear was new around this area, which made it costly to get. It came from the new continent and was apparently what the people there dressed in when they had formal events to attend. He had spent quite a lot to acquire this dress. Sighing, Reve left his room and headed to one of the campuses where Lithia resided. Due to the mature age of the students, there was no gender divide on campuses. Each campus allowed both male and female students. Instead, the difference in campuses was based on other themes. Reve was quick to get to Lithia''s room as he had been there a handful of times, each time because of a shared mission. After knocking on her door, Reve waited for a few seconds before the door halfly opened. A head popped up, "Oh, Reve of Azea, you look.....I would say elegant, but I know better than to fill your damn ego." Reve smiled, "You don''t need to tell me. I''m quite aware of how much of a lady-killer I look like in this dress." "Do you lack the ability to take a compliment," cursed Lithia. She didn''t continue the topic and fully opened the door, revealing the dress she wore. She wore a long majestic dress that flowed from top to bottom. It had a v-neck, which revealed her milky cleavage that was sure to stir sensual feelings in the hearts of male onlookers. Leading Reve inside her room, the latter saw his fellow club member, Karmin. The black-haired girl had a similar dress to Lithia, but hers revealed no cleavage and was lighter in color. Nevertheless, she managed to distinguish her own female charm. If Lithia was like a blue fire, Karmin was like a calm blue water that became more attractive the more one stared at it. Reve joked, "Karmin, I must say, I didn''t think you could put on a dress and look good." There was a bit of history between the two club members. "Would it hurt you to keep your foul thoughts to yourself? Oh blessed Xoris, why do I have to be stuck with your wretched arse?" sharply retorted Karmin. Clearly, her words did not match her demeanor and appearance. It was almost as if whatever came out of her mouth was sure to be fouler than a dirty gutter. Reve was her main source of aggression. The two of them could bicker for days if left unattended. Luckily, Lithia was here to prevent that. "Now. Now. Today is not a good day for this bantering. I suggest we put on our best behavior and smile throughout the banquet," coerced Lithia. "You mean I should endure hours with this¡­..this braggart!" hissed Karmin. "How dare you call me that? I will have you know not a single word of praise I have sung for myself was untrue. You know, it is okay to admire me. You shouldn''t hide it." "Oh, goddamn it!" The two were about to duke it out before Lithia utilized both her hands and dropped a chop on their heads, reminding them of where they were. She threatened, "Gele sent a letter yesterday. She said we should act cordially and whoever damages our favorable reputation would receive a month of missions when school resumes. Do you understand or should I continue listing her series of threats?" "Yes." "I understand." "Good. Now, I arranged for Morgan to be our driver today. He will soon arrive with his carriage. So, we have to simply wait." *Ta* *Ta* *Ta* "Oh, good. He is already here. Let''s go. We have a banquet to attend." . . . . . . . . . . The carriage the trio rode quickly left the domain of Starhold and crossed a short forest. It soon arrived at the domain of Neverbell, the territory of Lord Rycharde. After a while, it stopped in front of a tall manor. The trio got down and waited for Lithia to finish instructing the driver, Morgan, to wait in one of the nearby inns and pick them up when her linking spell tingles. The linking spell was a kind of spell that, obviously, links two parties together. It reveals the status of the parties. So, if manipulated well, it could be used as a means of information. The three of them passed the servants positioned at the door. It was a strange sight to Reve¡­..watching others bow to him as if he was nobility. He preferred the barbaric approach of "Hi there" or "Hey". Entering the manor, they were greeted with the sight of long tables that were about fifty feet long. On the tables were dishes of different varieties that left Reve''s mouth itching to taste a bite of each of them. Before he could attempt it, a large arm grabbed the trio. It brought them to the center of the manor where everyone noticed them. "Ladies and gentlemen. May I have a moment to announce the arrival of my saviors, the Archaic Mysteries Club," loudly shouted the man that grabbed the trio. His breath oozed of alcohol and his stance wavered from time to time, but it didn''t stop him from gathering a round of applause from his guests. After the crowd focused back on their personal self, he focused on the trio, "I''m glad you came. Please enjoy this banquet. Tonight is a night of wild festivities!" He moved his drunk body out of the scene. Chapter 166 - The Banquet(2) Watching the nobles converse in different groups, Reve sighed as he didn''t feel like talking right now. He tried sneaking away from his club members, but Lithia''s firm hand grabbed him before he could successfully escape. "Don''t go anywhere," sharply whispered Lithia. She took the two to one of the noble cliques. The nobles there looked at her and revealed warm expressions. "Well. Well. Well, if it isn''t our dear Lithia and Karmin. God, I haven''t seen you in ages," welcomed one of the female nobles. She hugged the two and directed them to free seating spots among the noble clique. "Linota, I could say the same. How''s your academy life? You know, occasionally I hear rumors that another noble has fallen into your trap. So, I reckon you have had quite an adventurous year," greeted Lithia. She, Linota, and Karmin were quite close. They were playmates back in their childhood days and would visit each other''s territory just to talk about girly things, like men and dresses. However, as their adulthood approached, they found themselves pursuing different paths. Karmin and Lithia wanted to make a name for themselves in the new NIRA, while Linota preferred joining the Narva Academy. Linota twirled her brown hair, "Well, you know me best. I have had fun with some fantastic male companies. Now is not the time to discuss that. Tell me, who is the dashing man beside you?" She noticed that Reve had cat-like ears on his head, but seemed to not be bothered about it. Her wicked black eyes exhumed a feminine charm as she scoured all over Reve. Taking the lead, Reve gently took Linota''s hand, "I am Reve of Azea, my beautiful lady." He softly kissed and let it go after he was done. "Reve of Azea? Take a seat among us. These are Metylda, Chad, Greysen, and Wesley," introduced Linota. She pointed her hands at the other nobles seated with her. After respectfully greeting Reve, the group continued their previous conversation. "So, where was I?" said the nobleman named Chad. "The part where you encountered an orc," responded Wesley. "Yeah. There I was, trembling in my feet as my father conversed with this humongous creature. I tell no lie when I say this orc was scary, absolutely hideous. It kept gazing at me while my father tried to avoid a confrontation, but nothing went his way. So, he brought out his sword and pointed at the creature, saying, ''Begone or I shall make this place the ground on which you take your eternal sleep.''...." "......Yet, this orc was stubborn. It changed at my father''s knight, smashing through all weapons and spells. It broke my father''s sword and left him bleeding, but suddenly the orc stopped when it reached me, it grabbed me and ran away from the fight it started." While Chad was telling the story, Reve whispered to Lithia, "What is going on?" She whispered back, "Whenever we meet, we like to tell stories of our past adventures. I''m guessing this is a story from his recent journey to Kyas." "And is what he says true?" curiously asked Reve. Based on what he knew, a story with an orc was never this comedic. It usually never ends well. "I''m unsure. All I can do is listen as he spins his tales," told Lithia. They focused back on the story. "It took me to its cave where it dismantled the clothes on my body. It was then I found out this creature was actually a female orc. Her heavy breathing pattern was an indication that it was mating season for her," divulged Chad. He took a chug of the alcohol on the table and went on his story, "By my mother''s name, I swear she raped me day and night until she became tired of pleasure. I took the chance to flee and that remains the best decision I ever made in my life." "You were raped by a female orc?" said a shocked Wesley. "Truly you are a cut above the rest, my friend," applauded Metylda as she also drank her cup of alcohol. Chad smiled. He had managed to garner respect from his noble friends once again. He looked at the demihuman across the table. He was the only one to not praise him so he asked, "Reve of Azea, you don''t seem impressed." Not expecting to be questioned this early, Reve quipped, "Oh no, I am merely still in the state of shock. I have heard some female orcs are especially hungry for males of other races, but I never thought I would see a victim of that here." "Hmm....those days remained a source of nightmare for me for months to come." "I imagine it must have been truly hard. The libido of orcs, especially female orcs are truly wild. For you to make a female orc surrender in defeat with purely manly energy is breathtaking," smiled Reve. His words might seem normal but he was actually making fun of Chad. There was no way a human could outdo an orc in a game of sex. In fact, the chances of humans dying during copulation with orcs was higher than 70%. "Are you insinuating I''m lying?" grunted Chad. "No. No. I mean no such thing. Surely, with your physique that has been blessed by magic, it was expected that you gain the upper hand against the female orc," cajoled Reve. He had no intentions of challenging Chad, so he settled the case by praising him more. Chad nodded his head, "Hmmm¡­.even with that, it was truly difficult to achieve. My body was broken when I rejoined my father." "What a terrible experience? By the way, it seems like the chances of you having an orc child are high? Female orcs are easy to impregnate. Heck, you could have about ten children trodding the lands of Kyas," innocently said Reve. "What?" shouted Chad. "You never considered the possibility of a child sprouting from the union between you and the female orc?" "I-I-I shan''t think about it!" Chad shook his head, emptied his jug, and allowed the next person to tell their own story. Chapter 167 - The Banquet(3) Amidst the chatters between friends, a loud bellow disturbed the friendly atmosphere. "Ahh, Lord Gaweyn! You have arrived. It is so nice to finally see you again," shouted Lord Rycharde. The big nobleman hugged a middle-aged man with great strength. The two seemed familiar with each other as Lord Gaweyn did not opt for this display of friendship With a peaceful smile, he greeted Lord Rycharde. However, from where Reve sat, he couldn''t hear the details of their conversion over the large banquet. He would have to concentrate his hearing to pick up their words. This was highly unnecessary, so he decided against it. Reve thought, ''Who is this Lord Gaweyn? Huh?'' Just as he was trying to identify the unknown lord, Reve saw something interesting. Behind the man, who looked to be at the end of his middle-aged years, there was a young man and woman with a similar appearance. Reve recognized those two. They were his club members, Lyra and Ciaran. ''So, that would make that man.....the son of Vaddon Drateel¡­..Hmmmm, interesting.'' His eyes stuck to Lord Gaweyn. He couldn''t focus anywhere else, especially when one of his goals was much closer to him now than ever before. Lithia noticed the abnormality in Reve''s stare, so she questioned, "Notice something that finally caught your fancy?" Reve snapped out of his absolute concentration and winked Lithia, "N-No, I''m just merely curious. This is my first time seeing Lord Gaweyn in person." Lithia nodded back at him. She noticed the Drateel twins and called them out before they could join any other noble clique, "Hey, Lyra and Ciaran, over here!" Normally, these two nobles would be ostracized in a banquet like this. Lithia wasn''t like other nobles. She was a fellow club member of the twins and had long moved past the prejudice against them. With her leading the scene, there was no way her friends would object to the twins joining them. The twins garbed in wonderful light red dresses, sat across the table, close to Reve. Continuing their conversation, Wesley told his story, "So, where was I?......." . . . . . . . . A few hours later. The group had finished their meads, rendering them as drunk as ever. They kept spouting all sorts of nonsense. Chad exited the scene with a fine lady while Wesley, Greysen, and Metylda, cuddled up in public. Linota stood up with her face occasionally blurring the lines of reality. Yet, she seemed to not waver, "Reve, why don''t you assist me as I grab a basket of grapes? I desire that right now. Certainly, you won''t turn your eyes away from a defenseless lady." Reve was not understanding, "Ehh¡ª" Before he could even object, Linota''s dainty hand grabbed Reve and took him away from the scene. They trailed across the large banquet, greeting other noble cliques along the way. Finally, they found the large table that held the fruits. Reve attempted to grab a few fruit baskets, but he was stopped by Linota. "What is it?" asked Reve. Linota''s eyes sparkled. Her fingers moved around his body, eventually finding their way to his cheeks as she caressed them softly, "You honestly didn''t think I would move all this way for fruits." Reve felt as if his sensitive skin was being invaded by a large tentacle that evoked a sensual feeling he couldn''t quite describe. The lady in question moved her face closer to Reve, allowing the young man to feel her calm breathing. It smelt greatly of mead, but there was a sort of feminine charm to it¡­..as if the meaded breath was tainted with scented wild roses. Reve''s thought process slowed while he found himself losing control of his body. He even forgot that he was still in the banquet and all that existed in his eyes was the detailed figure of Linota. Hell, she couldn''t look more desiring. "Unlike most people, I think that your demihuman status makes you more enticing," slowly whispered Linota. She brought her face to Reve and kissed him passionately. For the first time in his life, the cat emperor was left shocked at the hand of a woman. His years of experience with his cat empresses failed to help him in this situation. He could only surrender as those fiery lips contacted his lips. Soon, Reve got lost in the moment and kissed back. He pushed Linota to a corner and continued the passionate activity. Each second passing by, he became more experienced in the romantic act. Linota was the first to go beyond that, putting her hands into his clothes, "This manor has a lot of rooms. What do you think? Shall we continue in one of them?" "Y-Ye¨C" "He is not going anywhere!" A hand pushed Linota away from Reve. It belonged to Lithia, who had come to check on the duo only to be surprised by their atrocious display in public. Granted, the others around them were doing the same. "Dear Lithia, why are you disturbing my fun?" protested Linota. Lithia said with hints of anger brewing inside her, "Keep your hands to yourself." "Why is that? He seems to be enjoying it. Aren''t you, Reve?" complained Linota. She grabbed Reve''s arm, joining it with hers, but this union was quickly broken yet again by Lithia. "He is influenced by the mead. Why don''t you try this again tomorrow while you are both not drunk?" Linota hissed, "I see....all these excuses." As if discovering something paramount, Linota eyed Lihia with a sly smile, "Well, if it''s for you, I can do this. Reve, hopefully, we can continue where we left off at some later time." Meanwhile, the one caught in the middle of the quarrel attempted to sneak out, but his cloth was snared by Lithia. "Oh, goddamn it, Reve. That is my friend. Can you keep your hands to yourself!" scoffed Lithia. Reve kept mum as she rained her words on him. His years of experience kicked in at this moment.. He knew he couldn''t interrupt the young lady right in front of him or he might just make the most dangerous mistake in all of history. Chapter 168 - The Banquet(4) "Reve, are you listening to me?" Lithia glanced at the person she had been talking to for minutes. His eyes were distant. He seemed far away from this physical location. Her brows curved as she opened her mouth again, "Reve, are you ignoring me?" No words came out of Reve which gave her the answer she sought. Feeling annoyed, she vengefully kicked him in the groins. His eyes beamed back to reality as he hastily went to his knees, groveling in pain. "May I ask why you did that?" cried Reve. He thought by ignoring the lady, he would not accidentally step on a landmine. Who knew that was far from the case? Lithia pouted when she heard him. With a "harrumph", she walked away, taking delight in her action. Reve followed her while whispering to himself, "Are women always violent?" From Circe to the Gehenna Order women¡­..to even a noble lady like Lithia, none of them was peaceful in nature. Heck, Circe took the cake among the list of women. His dear mentor always treated him aggressively, most times opting to use him as a subject of experiments. Thinking of the tragic events that had occurred to him through his dealings with women, Reve realized that historians shouldn''t have really tagged men as agents of carnage. It should have been women! He had sufficient evidence to prove that! Reve coughed lightly, ''.....Hmmm, I certainly cannot reveal my true thoughts about this topic.'' Finally reaching Lithia, Reve asked, "It is getting to the dead of the night. Shall we leave?" "No, I''m afraid we are not in a good shape to leave¡ª--" They stopped in their tracks when they saw something really weird. A drunk Karmin blubbering all sorts of nonsense was all over a nobleman, no doubt as drunk as her. They kept touching their body as if they couldn''t get enough of this highly sexual tension. Soon, like little squirrels, they disappeared out of the main hall. Reve''s guess was that their destination was one of the rooms Linota talked about. "--Well, this banquet has been quite eye-opening, both literally and figuratively," joked Reve. Where else would he see annoying Karmin act like a prostitute near a brothel? Karmin sighed, "Don''t bother her. It is in events like this that she lets loose. Heh, as you can see, the aristocratic world is filled with degeneracy." Her line of sight could trace directly to the second half of the hall where the few adult nobles conversed wildly. Unlike the other half, there were little lewd activities going on there, but it didn''t mean there weren''t any. Reve gained an understanding. In the world of nobles, the young nobles were always obscene. However, after they grew up into leaders of their territory, their high sexual drive would cool down a little. So, it became a tradition. The adult nobles would leave their youngsters running amok naked, as long as it didn''t negatively affect their noble house. It was just a guess, but Reve figured he was probably right seeing as the older nobles did nothing to stop the other half of the hall that had quickly turned to wild house. It seemed like that was the lifestyle of nobles. Reve and Lithia got back to the closed-off of their noble clique. Some seats were empty. Wesley, Greysen, and Metylda were nowhere to be seen. The last time Reve saw them they were cuddling without any regard to the others watching them. So, Reve knew not to question their disappearance. Linota was also gone. She had probably pestered another young nobleman. Lastly, Karmin''s disappearance was already covered. Now, the formation of the clique was broken, leaving only Lithia, Reve, and the Drateel twins. It could have been awkward if those present didn''t have something in common...they belonged to the same club! Hence, this became the topic of their conversation. They quickly blocked out the outside world as they discussed the various missions they had taken. Soon, all their cups were empty and there was nothing on the table to use to water their mouths. In a sudden motion, Lithia said before slumping beside Reve, "Oh no, I think I''m going¡ª--" Reve touched her neck and confirmed she had truly drunk to the state of slumber. He had no idea what to think of it. The feeling of drunkenness was something he had never associated with. Even when he was in Azea, the stronger meads there proved futile to his mightier body system. He would need an imperial drink to truly get himself drunk. Nevertheless, it was now Reve and the twins. It quickly became awkward as Reve did not have his wing man with him. "You can certainly hold your own," commented Lyra. Reve smiled, "I could say the same for you two. I never expected there could be another one that had the same drinking capacity as I." Ciaran shook his hands, "Please. We arrived later than you. I reckon you have been drinking since you got here." Reve merely brought out his signature smile and said nothing else. True, they had the advantage. He decided to switch the topic of conversation to something he observed about them, "Lyra, can I inquire about your hair? What do you do with it?" Lyra looked at her hair in a stupor before cocking her head at Reve, "What do you mean?" Maintaining an ignorant look, Reve pointed at a few strands of hairs on her body, "I''m talking about those little strands, They stand out a lot." Amidst her lush red hair, there were a few grey strands that had a grim halo. It did well to add a bit of deadliness to her aura, but Reve knew that this halo was misunderstood. He saw that Ciaran had similar strands on his wavy black hair. In fact, he had more grey strands than Lyra. "To be honest, I was not aware of this," complained Lyra. Her eyes focused on the grey strands as she tried to discern the true reason for this. She had not even noticed the same grey strands on Ciaran''s hair. Reve lips curled as his mind mysteriously raced, "It must be genetics. How lucky you are to possess a trait that brings out such beauty" Chapter 169 - The Banquet(5) Hours later, Reve and the twins could be seen laughing on one of their topics. "Yes. I was just as flabbergasted as you were. I had referenced every note on historical swords only for me to realize that this sword was just a normal iron sword with a fancy design," told Ciaran. Reve giggled, "And did you still get the commission?" "Of course, I had to. A week of blindly searching for answers couldn''t go in vain. In fact, I petition for a higher commission seeing as he wasted my time," said Ciaran. He was talking about one of his weirdest missions. This was the topic that the trio was conversing on. "Yeah, I remember back then he asked me to assist him with his mission. Thankfully, I declined or I would have been left stunned to death," commented Lyra. They engaged in another round of laugh. Suddenly, Reve looked sideways and noticed the scarcity of nobles in the hall. Somehow, they had all dispersed somewhere. Understanding it was time, Reve stood up and lightly bowed, "You have made this banquet edged in my memory. Unfortunately, it is time for me to depart. I look forward to continuing this conversation." A sad gleam coursed through the twins'' faces as he said that. Lyra spoke, "I understand. I reckon it is about time for me and my brother to take our leave. Godspeed, Reve." Reve gave his farewell and exited the scene with Lithia in his arms, carried like a princess. He remembered something, "Oh damnation, I forgot Karmin. On second thought, we should leave without her¡­..hehehe, that will get rid of her annoying arse." Sadly, Reve knew he could not do that. He hissed and went into the corridor of the hall. At the sides of the corridor were rooms. Coming from the rooms were sounds of intense moans that Reve absolutely didn''t want to hear, but he couldn''t exactly block them out, could he? Suddenly, the corridor seemed to be an undesirable location for him akin the fabled river of death. Yet, Reve had to bravely cross it! He began opening the doors, one by one, checking inside to see if he could spot the face of Karmin. "Ehh, it''s you, care to join us?" squealed one of the nobles when they saw Reve. Reve looked at the female dish they licked from head-to-toe and mercilessly slammed the door, "No, thank you." He went on to the other doors. "Hey there, Reve of Azea. You know, we could really use¨C" "Nope." "Hi, handsome." "Nope." "Ahhh¨CIncoming, flower," "Hmm¡­..you can go on." In less than thirty minutes, he had ransacked half of the doors. He was starting to become weary as he did all that while varying Lithia. Quickly, he opened the next door. There, he watched as a group of males tried undressing a woman but she kept beating their hands. "Damn, what is wrong with her?" cursed one of them. "We have been at this for hours. Fuck, this is useless," cursed another. They continued trying to undress the drunk women to no avail. Reve closed the door after watching a bit. His brain clicked in a few seconds away from the door. He dashed back and pushed it open, yelling, "Stop." The drunk woman the noblemen were battling with was Karmin. It seemed that her drunk self was even more troublesome than her sober self. "Hey, go away," shouted one of the nobles. "Go, fuck yourself. We are more than enough for her." Listening to the rain of curses, Reve sighed as he vowed to never attend a banquet with Lithia and Karmin. Nevertheless, he walked closer to the nobles with his mouth kept mum. All the nobles saw was a flash of light before their entire world descended into a state of chaos. They mysteriously fell to their knees, holding their stomachs. After Reve was done with his quick work, he attempted to lift Karmin but she slapped his hand away. "Damn!" shouted Reve. With evil intentions, he tapped her nape, sending her to sleep. Then, Reve focused on the few nobles that were still awake. He did not know why, but seeing their faces aggravated him. Reve raised his leg and beat them till they lost their memory and collapsed. Finally, he felt lighter. "Hah, what do I do now?" He had to signal Morgan, Lithia''s attendant, to drive the carriage to the entrance of the manor. "Hmm¡­.I could do that." Reve placed Lithia on the bed and screamed in her face, "Wake up!" The only thing that did was make the lady flip around on the bed. No matter what, her sleep wouldn''t be compromised. Receiving an epiphany, Reve moved closer to her ear and sang melodiously, "Lithia, wake up." It was a soft tactic, but it would work for sensitive people. Slowly, Lithia''s features became defined as her eyes drowsed open, albeit it didn''t seem like she was fully awake. She mumbled, "Who is it?" "It''s me, Reve." "Oh, Reve. Did we sleep together today?" "..No." "That''s a shame. I already made plans." "..." This was what Reve was talking about. The soft tactic he employed was only capable of bringing out the semi-consciousness of the sleeping person. They would think they were still in dreams and might reveal secrets they wouldn''t normally reveal. Reve did not want to take advantage of the young lady. He got straight to the point, "Lithia, can you contact Morgan?" "Oh, yes, Reve. I will do anything for you." "..." Her speech slurred again, "Morgan? Who is Morgan?" "Your personal attendant." "I have a personal attendant?" "Yes, you do," sighed Reve. It was hard dealing with a drunk person. When he gets back home, he would demand compensation from Lithia and Karmin for the hell they put him through. "Oh, Morgan. Old Morgan. Okay." After saying that, her body jolted. Reve reckoned that was her way of sending the signal. He whispered into her ear, "Thank you. You can sleep now." "Huh? No, I want to sleep with you." "....." Chapter 170 - The Banquet(6) Outside the manor, Reve stood still in the lonely environment as he waited patiently. The neighs of horses assaulted his ears as he looked sideways. A large carriage was coming into view. When it reached him, an old man with grey hair visible on his face got down from the front. However, his neutral expression would change into that of surprise as he looked at Reve. He quickly understood Reve''s predicament and rushed to help. They dropped the ladies in the carriage before they finally talked to each other. "Mr. Reve, I can''t thank you enough for looking after Lady Lithia and Lady Karmin. Normally, Lady Lithia rations her drinks, but I suppose she didn''t feel the need to do that today," thanked Morgan. Reve''s face twitched, "Is that so¡­.? I understand." He understood now. The reason Lithia drank freely was that he was there to take care of the repercussions. Reve entered the carriage, "They are not in a good condition for traveling. Take us to a good inn nearby. We shall spend the night there." "Yes, Mr.Reve," bowed Morgan before he moved to the front of the carriage and drove away. Not long after, they arrived at an inn named the "The Three Cups" "Mr. Reve, please wait here. I shall arrange for our reservations," said Morgan. Before he could leave, Reve advised, "Four different rooms. I reckon Lady Lithia and Lady Karmin would like premium rooms. Also, book a premium room for me and you." Morgan beamed happily, "Thank you, Mr.Reve." There was no servant that would not like to spend a night in the classiest room an inn had to offer. After Morgan left, Reve guarded the carriage. He watched as many familiar faces entered the inn and realized this was going to be the resting location for most nobles coming from the banquet. ...That was if they were sober enough to move away from the manor. If not, he guessed they were sleeping there. Giggling, Reve thought, ''I can''t imagine the scene of them waking up the next day. Imagine even the most dignified nobles sleeping naked close to one another. On second thought, it might be normal for them.'' The life of nobles still remained incomprehensible in his eyes. There were many things that didn''t make sense. "Oh.." Reve trail of thoughts was stopped as soon as he saw Morgan coming out of the inn. "Mr.Reve, it has been settled. The inn-keeper demanded forty silver coins," reported Morgan. Reve reached out to his necklace and brought out the exact amount of coins to which he gave to Morgan. Afterward, Morgan went inside and came out with a young boy. According to Morgan''s agreement with the inn-keeper, the boy was to take care of the carriage and its horses till the next day. Reve and Morgan carried the two ladies into the inn. They ignored the curious eyes of the people inside and headed into their rooms which were located at the back half of the inn, where the lodges were situated. A few minutes passed until the ladies were properly laid on their beds. Reve sighed and dragged his weary body into his own room. He said to Morgan, "Have a good night." "Likewise, Mr.Reve." That was the last thing Reve heard before he closed his door and lay on his bed. One minute into his sleep, his eyes sharply opened, "I can''t sleep yet!" Moving to the window side, Reve absorbed the cool night air. He had something to do this night. No, Kimon had something to do! Reve brought out the clothes of Kimon and wore them. He slipped out of the room through the window, falling perfectly on the ground. As Reve dashed into the unknown shades of the night, his mind worked wonders. Truthfully, he never thought he would have to wear the mask of Kimon this early, but sudden situations call for sudden measures. As his face shifted to that of Kimon, Reve ruminated about how he was about to do something dangerous....absolutely rash. Tonight, he was going to confront the Count of Drateel, Lord Gawyne. This plan had been set in motion after the signs that shone his eyes throughout the banquet. Lord Gaweyn''s appearance, the twin''s grey hair strands, their late departure, the grim night of today. There was no way Reve was going to deny himself the perfect chance to talk to Lord Gaweyn. ''The territory of the Drateel is south of Neverbell. They would have to take the Southmeadow path if they plan on going home, which I''m fully sure is the case. The twins were sober enough while their father didn''t participate in the ''fun activities''. He was formal throughout the banquet.'' As Reve analyzed this information, a map appeared in his brain. It was a map of Neverbell. The south of Neverbell was barricaded by a vast expanse of forest. The Southmeadow wormed around the forest, taking all sorts of cuts and turns. This would make one''s journey on the road slower than expected, but it was worth the risk as the forest was dangerous...especially at night. ''Hmmmm.....If I travel through the forest at my fastest speed, I can intersect them at this point,'' understood Reve. He knew what he had to do. Reve stripped himself and mentally mentioned, "[Zero Form]." Following those words of power, his bones started to bend into irregular shape as pain became evident in his eyes. His white fur protruded from his skin and his claws became more pronounced. He was shifting back to his cat form. Meowing loudly, Reve enjoyed the feeling. It had been long since he had done this and he was starting to feel like he was wearing someone else''s skin. In no time, the small Reve appeared in the place of humanoid Reve. He couldn''t dwell further on this beautiful feeling. He meowed one last time before dashing into the closest green land. Somehow, he felt connected to the natural environment. This gave an advantage when it came to navigating. Thereby, increasing his optimum speed. Only his white after-images were left in this corner of Neverbell Woods Chapter 171 - Knight Villiame Tens of kilometers away from Lord Rycharde''s manor, a carriage could be seen running on Southmeadow road. Inside the carriage, Lord Gawyne said to his daughter, "Why do you keep looking at your hair? Is there something I should know?" Lyra released a short laugh, "It''s nothing. I''m just surprised I can''t figure out how a few strands of my hair got dyed." "What?!" Lord Gawyne''s body trembled as he stood up to have a better look at his daughter''s hair. Just as she said, there were a few grey hair strands among her contrasting red hair. In fact, the number of grey strands had increased by one since the last time Reve saw it. Ciaran picked up on his father''s expression, "Father, what is it? The look on your face worries me." "It is noth¡ª" *Boom!* As if it was hit by the force of a mountain, the carriage rolled out of the road into the deep forest. It kept on rolling until it collided with a sturdy tree. The horses neighed loudly as some of their bones broke, rendering them the inability to stand up and run away. A bright light shone in the carriage. The stuck door broke open and a bloodied hand slipped out. The owner of the hand struggled to get out of the carriage. Grunting, the person successfully escaped from the carriage. However, it was not any of the Drateels as one would expect. The person who was garbed in brilliant black armor, from shoulder to toe, punched a hole into the carriage and created a human-sized space for anyone to come out from. He lent a hand to Lord Gawyne who also struggled to escape the stuck carriage, "Milord, are you okay?" Blood trailed down Lord Gawyne''s face, but he still managed to cough out, "Don''t worry about me. Check on Lyra and Ciaran." "Yes, Milord." The knight brought out the two unconscious siblings. He laid them beside the tree and finally paid attention to his surroundings, "What in Xoris'' name happened?" Lord Gawyne''s pure eyes pierced through the veil of the night, "It should be a magical creature. It has to be large for it to leave such an impact on the carriage." He had checked the state of the carriage. The horses were down and the unconscious driver sustained tremendous injuries. "Be on the alert, Knight Villiame. Whatever it is, it should be lurking," warned Lord Gawyne. "Yes, I shall protect Milord with my life." Lord Gawyne went behind the knight and attended to his children. Suddenly, Knight Villiame sensed movement in the nearby bushes, "It is here." Whatever it was, it was moving closer to them. When it came into view, the knight''s heart skipped a beat. He saw the true identity of his assailant. The humanoid shape was a big clue that he wasn''t dealing with a magical creature or at least, not something normal. The human language that flowed out of its mouth was a second clue, "Relax, I mean no harm." The unknown being moved into the shade of moonlight, allowing the others to see it. It wasn''t an "it". It was a "he". The man had a mask on and was protected by a well-designed hood. "Who are you?" aggressively asked Knight Villiame. The masked man politely introduced, "I''m merely Kimon. I request an audience with your lord." Knight Villiame looked back at Lord Gawyne. He turned back after he got an answer, which was still unknown to the masked man. Pointing at the carriage, the black knight hissed, "Tell me one thing, did you do this?" "Ahh, that was an error on my side. You see, I couldn''t control my speed." Knight Villiame''s sword beamed with red ki as he threateningly spoke, "Then, you have your answer." . . . . . . . . "Then, you have your answer." Reve sighed beneath his mask as soon as he heard that. Why was it that the people he dealt with were too stubborn? He felt they didn''t believe him when he said crashing into them was a mistake. Moreover, from the way he saw it, none of them were dead. There was still a chance to salvage the situation. Reve ignored the terrifying amount of ki building inside the black knight. He focused on Lord Gawyne, "Must it end this way?" The knight retorted, "You attacked Milord. There is only one way this can end." "Are you willing to risk the safety of your lord for something so trivial?" asked Reve. The knight menacingly stared, "Should I take that as a threat?" Reve was once again shocked by the reply from the knight. Why did it seem like whatever he said was going to be perceived negatively by the knight? He understood now that the knight lacked the ability to comprehend his true intentions. Just like he said, there was only one way this could play out. He activated his [Appraisal] and the rigid knight. Reve knew better than to fight a battle with the unknown. [Name: Villiame Race: Human Level(exp): 81 (900/1000) Path: Master (Aura Mastery) Titles: Knight, Master, Disciple of the Ember AP: 5 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 80 Speed: 76 Constitution: 49 Intelligence: 30 Ki: 150 ] ] It was an impressive stat, almost made him give up pursuing Lord Gawyne. But Reve wasn''t going to give up now, not when he was extremely close. His eyes closed as a scene of Myrna smiling entered his mind. This was enough to rejuvenate him. Reve Amethyst was going to win this fight and get what he came here for! He let down his robe and flexed the tight light armor he wore inside. Offering no words, Reve flicked his fingers. Knight Villiame stood still as he expected something to happen. In all his years of experience, he knew the most terrifying foe was one whose means couldn''t be understood. He sensed something irregular invade his circle and slashed his sword at it. It was just a simple slash, yet it radiated with such ferocious ki that it even received the attention of Reve. ¡­...Then, the sound Reve never expected to hear occurred. It was akin to an egg breaking, but this time, it was Reve''s [Force Barrier] that broke. He cursed inwardly, "Well, I will be damned." Chapter 172 - The School Of Ember(1) Reve moved his right leg forward as his left leg tilted back. Beneath the mask, his eyes glinted, ''It seems this is not going to be easy.'' It was almost certain by now. So, he decided to test the waters first before fully acting. Reve punched out. This sudden action manifested a force barrier that thundered about like a vengeful mother. From Knight Villiame''s point of view, he could only see a flicker of light blinking closer to him. Despite not being able to make it out, he knew he would be foolish to let it get closer. He raised his burning sword at slash vertically at the flickering light. His sword was embedded in the force barrier, but it got stuck before it could break into pieces. Knight Villiame''s body trembled as the impact he felt from clashing with the flickering light felt just like he crashed on a thousand large stones. "What sorcery is this?" bellowed Knight Villiame. He circulated ki around his body to speed up his healing rate. However, not like what he expected, the masked man said nothing to him. On the other side, Reve took advantage of Knight''s lack of action and jumped at him. He appeared behind the knight and landed a punch. Knight Villiame seemed to sense it just in time. He swung his blade sideways, forcing Reve to block the attack with a force barrier. Reve followed it up with a reverse kick to the chin. He was so fast that Knight Villiame couldn''t even retract his sword in time to react. Suddenly, Reve felt his skin burn as his leg got closer to the knight. He forcefully ignored this and went forward with his punch. Out of nowhere, a heatwave blasted him away! He found himself losing control of his body. His world, spinning out of control. As the violent wind around him invaded his body through his mouth. Yet, he was not to be done like this. In a fluid motion, Reve flipped mid-air and landed on a tree with his leg miraculously sticking to it. He looked down at the knight, now engulfed in a brimming red aura, "I never thought I would encounter a disciple from the School of Ember. I wonder how someone like you became the knight of a count." Knight Villiame eyed him, "You know of the School of Ember?" "There is little that I do not know of. Everything thing you do points towards this fact. Your unduly sizzling aura. Your particular stance. Your strange ki," answered Reve He took a pause to observe his burnt right leg. Luckily, his light armor was able to absorb most of the damage, but the fact still remains that some of the heatwaves got to his flesh, which left a gruesome smell in the air. With a single thought, he fastened his healing rate and focused back on the knight, "Well, I can now see that those details about the school of Ember rang true. Truly a wondrous school¡­...However, if you think that meager trick is enough, then¡­.." Right after, Knight Villiame noticed something rather shocking. The figure of the masked man blurred for a brief second. He thought he was seeing things but, in the next moment, the masked man broke into tiny specks of lights. Knight Villiame''s mind raced as his body took a defensive stance, "It''s an after image!" After reaching this conclusion, he understood he didn''t need to think further. With quick fluidity, Knight Villiame bent his knees and positioned his sword sideways. The dark longsword pulsed once more like a flower that was about to blossom. The red light it radiated represented the only true path in this dark forest. "First Style of Ember: Pleasant Flower!" His ki exploded into passionate red flames around his sword and he twirled like a tornado unleashed by the gods. Covering all angles, his sword destroyed everything in sight¡­...that was what he thought! By the time he noticed it, it was too late. A grey light invaded his inner circle. No, it had been there since! The origin of the grey light, the masked man, released an upward kick with such momentum that it felt like it was mightier than the heavens. *Clink* As the heel of the masked man''s leg connected with Knight Villiame''s chin, the latter felt a thousand electric sparks break out from his straightened spine. His world dulled and his breathing quickened in less than a second. Blood rushed into his eyes, his other orifices, and some forcefully rushed out of his mouth. In just one exchange, he was painted red by a single kick. Yet, that was not all. Reve was not pulling his punches. He appeared beside the kneeling knight and drove a punch into his chest. The knight''s armour prevented the punch from being effective but Reve seemed to not care about that. The madlad released a left punch and quickly retracted it, pushing all the momentum into a right punch. This time, a deep dent that connected with Knight Villiame''s ribbons appeared on the chest armor. Before Reve could continue his barrage of punches, Knight Villiame mercilessly ignored his injuries and grabbed the masked man by the wrist. With a body flick, he threw Reve far away. The knight aimed his sword at Reve, "Second Style of Ember: Light of Ember!" A stream of fiery red energy shot out of his blade, heading for Reve. It proved to be faster than what Reve could deal with as the latter quickly became engulfed in a constant stream of hot flames. Reve erected his force barriers to protect himself but due to the nature of the attack being mystical rather than physical in nature, it could only do so much. His body brightened up as he faced the radiation of the flames. He reckoned that if he hadn''t used his force barriers, he would be akin to the grilled chicken served during dinner. ''I have to stop this!'' Review thought amidst the immeasurable pain. Suddenly, the constant stream of red energy flickered off for one second. It activated back again but this time it was weaker. Seconds after seconds, it''s effect reduced until it shockingly disappeared. Knight Villiame coughed out blood. He looked at his trembling hands and the way the red liquid meshed the sands of the earth on his fingers. Knight Villiame leaned on his sword. His mind flashed back. He could see the smile of his lord and young master as they waited for his victorious return, "I can''t stop here!" Chapter 173 - The School Of Ember(2) The School of Ember......... Just like the magic styles of mages, the ki-warriors have schools. Schools are a series of related techniques that emphasize, firstly, mental discipline, then body movements. It also factors the manipulation of ki. They mostly are built on a particular principle or worldly concept and are taught by experienced masters. Some schools are closed off; that is, they don''t teach outsiders. Whilst, some schools are open; they teach outsiders. Of course, it could be discerned that the closed-off schools tend to have greater techniques. One such closed school is the School of Embers, a school that accentuates the way of the passionate flame. It was developed by humans and could only be taught in one place, the Brightsung Highland, a mystical location that is said to be located somewhere in Xoris. ........................ Current. Reve was just about to vanish into thin air when Knight Villiame recklessly stood up and continued his outburst of red ki. He caught Reve off-guard, drowning him in an attack that was sure to kill him if he let things be. ''Such a passionate school. Normally, the injuries he received would have rendered him useless, but he is forcefully keeping himself in the game,'' analyzed Reve. ...¡­Just like how the warm red Arcadian color was the theme of passion. Reve realized that the only sure way to put Knight Villiame down was possibly death. If things went on, the knight would probably become a zombie in a living body. However, what could he do to deter that?......his life was on the line! Reve closed his eyes as his mind mapped his surrounding. He figured that since he could not move his body. He could block out the pain and use his mind. A sort of mystical grip appeared on the nearby trees as his [Force] worked its magic. His brain pulsed with visible head veins showing the tension in his mind but Reve didn''t stop his outlandish action. Soon, trees of varying sizes and types rose up from the ground. They seemed to have gained the ability to think as they all pointed at a single thing¡­..at a single knight that was still unaware of his grim predicament. Reve gave a single command, ''Fall!'' ¡­.and they fell like an ice shower. They broke into tiny splinters, making sure to pierce the little holes in the knight''s armor. When that didn''t do its work, a large tree rammed into his unprotected face. Then, another. Knight Villiame rolled into the ground as the trees came down on him with such intense ferocity. This gave Reve the breathing space he needed. The cat emperor opted to heal himself with half of his mind while the other half controlled the trees that kept Knight Villiame busy. Soon, a red light shone from the tree tomb that buried the knight. The light destroyed every tree in the vicinity, be it in tiny small parts like splinters, or still whole. Knight Villiame came out of the light, looking like he had aged a century. His breathing pattern was rugged as he heaved heavily. However, that did not stop his eyes from becoming the incarnation of unstoppable flames when he spotted the masked man. He released teething words, "[Third style of Ember; Firebirds]." Coupled with his exertion of ki, tiny red constructs actualized in front of him. They took the shape of the mythical firebirds and chirped fervently as if possessing life. As soon as they were released, the temperature of this part of the forest went up a notch. Regular objects like rocks and fallen leaves began to combust while the complex ones were almost as hot as the sun. Meanwhile, Reve squinted his eyes as the natural heatwave generated burnt through his thick muscles. He made a hand gesture, "[Enchant Body: Demon]!" The lines of reality appeared on his skin as he quickly transformed into a hellish being whose evil demeanor could not be kept hidden by the grey mask. This enchant spell protected him from the hot temperature. It also did well to boost his physical traits. Despite being tempted to use more of his magic spells, Reve resisted the feeling. He had already decided a long time ago. Reve was an arcanist. While Kimon walked an unknown path and minored in enchants. *Chirp* *Chirp* While he was in thoughts, a flock of firebirds rushed at him. It made him remember a scene from long, long ago. Contrary to what one might predict, Reve jumped at the onslaught of firebirds. His mind had captured their path which gave him the ability to slip in the gaps of the bird. As he evaded the first firebird, Reve smiled and went on...¡­yet, that smile would soon be washed away. While he was not paying attention to his rear side, a terrific flame engulfed his back and disrupted his movement. This one irregularity sparked a chain of adverse reaction. The flock of firebirds swallowed him, taking advantage of his moment of weakness. It took a good few minutes before he was able to escape from the army of firebirds. His body was chalked and his inner muscles could be seen vividly. On certain body parts, his pallid bones were on front display and his patch of skin was nowhere to be found. However, bit by bit, his muscles were rejoined and bones were regaining the state of concealment. He looked back to see the flock of firebirds chasing him like he killed their mother, ''I see. To think a ki technique would have a homing effect. Ahhh, this is getting annoying. Why does a mere noble lord have such a fantastic knight?'' He had come here thinking that he might only struggle a bit, but reality was as disappointing as always. Getting burnt over and over again wasn''t exactly struggling a bit. It took all efforts from his genius brain to protect his life as he stood right now. For the first time in his life, Reve decided to take the active role in a fight, ''Since his attacks are this annoying, I will have to deactivate the source. I''m going to kill him!'' Chapter 174 - Kimon’s Carnage Filled with this new mentality, it was as if something afresh broke in Reve''s mind, akin to a sudden epiphany. He gained further understanding on his path...Reve was passive in nature while Kimon was aggressive. That was how the two different personas should be. Upon this self-discovery, Reve wasted no time. His mind gripped onto something ethereal as his fingers formed a familiar hand gesture, ''My body is the marionette and I''m the marionettist. [Morai]!'' In an instant, his now ultra-sensitive self could feel the hidden physical forces on his face. This veil of the world was forever new to him, filled with endless wonders that could take eons to comprehend a meager percentage of it. Reve celebrated this by becoming a white blur that couldn''t be traced. Even the perceptive Knight Villiame lost sight of him. His thoughts were cut short as a punch landed in his guts, It was quickly followed by a knee kick. The knight tried regaining the tempo by engaging in close combat with his sword. His opinion was that only a foolish person would fight an armed man with a sword while barehanded. Oh, how wrong he was. Reve sensed each sword slash before they even occurred. He used this sensory feedback to evade each of the sword slashes that might end the battle if they touched him. Like a god demonized, Reve thrashed the knight until the latter body became a sandbag. He threw a feint kick while unleashing the actual one with his other leg, gathering the momentum he needed to finalize the battle. In an insane turn of events, Knight Villiame blocked the attack with a sword defense move. Yet, Reve was one step ahead of him. Despite being midair, the latter seemed to have broken all notions of science as he took two steps in the air, giving himself the push and angle he needed to face Knight Villiame. Reve sensed the firebirds rushing at him but he gave not a single care to them. Just like how he had practised over and over again, he used the momentum he had gathered to land a straight punch to the knight''s face with all his strength. *Boom!* *Crack!* Afterward, Reve lost control of his body and spiraled away, but not before hearing a cracking sound. Something definitely broke in the knight''s face. Reve laid on the ground as he was momentarily enthralled by the stars in the sky. Nevertheless, he tried to move his body but he was too weak at the moment. He could only recuperate silently. Normally, it would be unwise to do that, but looking sideways, Reve understood that he had all the time in the world. The knight''s body laid lifelessly a few distances away from him. His slow breathing indicated that he wasn''t dead, but Reve reckoned he wasn''t far from death. The battle was at its eve. The moment he stood up, it would be game over! Victory was in his grasps. He could already taste the scent. After a few minutes silently passed by, Reve stood up, albeit rockily. He was like a falling leaf, harassed by the winds, swaying sideways. However, nothing could stop him from reaching the knight. His mask faced down as he stared at the knight who couldn''t afford to speak, "It would have been better if we just had a good ol conversation. You just had to complicate things." His tone was unlike him. His voice, as cold as the harshest ice mountain ranges, "Don''t worry. I just need to speak to your lord¡­..even if it means getting you out of the way." He turned away from the knight and attempted to check back on Lord Gawyne. The battle had stretched the distance a few good kilometers away from the count. Reve felt some resistance on his leg. He looked down to see the tottery hand of the knight holding him down, It wasn''t at all firm, but it still aggravated him. Despite his perilous physical status, the knight''s passionate desire to protect his lord was still enough for him to move certain parts of his body. Reve shrugged the hand off, "It is pitiful. Why do you go the extra mile?" He didn''t understand and he didn''t want to understand. Kimon had an audience with a certain count to attend. "Cairan, now! [Storm Egg]!" A shout disrupted Reve'' walk. He quickly took a stance as he processed the contents of the shout. Red electric lights trailed beside him before he could even react. It wrapped around Knight Villiame and retreated, leaving Reve in stupor. Meanwhile, at the same time, another red electric light. This time, in the form of a large gigantic ball suddenly appeared above Reve and descended on him without giving any explanation. Having being caught off guard, it was not surprising that Reve had no defense set up against this. Luckily, his enchant was still active and that guaranteed his survival against the violent lightning that swallowed him. When the attack dispersed, Reve came out disheveled beyond imagination. Blood trickled from his forehead as he leaned on a tree while panting wildly. Just when he thought everything was about, this damned shit happened. His annoyance could be well detected in his following words, "The Drateel twins. How lovely of you to join us? You took back your kind knight. Now, I wonder what is your stance in this situation." If the name shouted wasn''t enough clue for Reve. The fact that the attack was a magic spell and scheme that overthrew him involved two people proved to be sufficient. The only viable group of people that can be at this place, at this particular time, was the Drateel twins. Reve knew Lord Gawyne couldn''t use magic or even ki. The smooth but thorny voice of Lyra retorted, "Who are you and why did you attack us? Does it have anything to do with Knight Villiame?" Reve released a short breath. Lyra probably thought he was a foe from the knight''s past. At least, it seemed she was easier to talk to than the knight. Chapter 175 - Battlemage "No, you misunderstand, Miss Lyra," replied Reve. While he spoke, he used his sensory skills to map out this section of the forest. The twins were hiding somewhere. It was probably all according to their plans...¡­.distract him, grab Knight Villiame, and retreat silently. This made him wonder just how long they had been watching his battle with the knight to come up with such a strategy that heavily relied on him being out of energy. Whatever the case was, Reve hoped he could smoothen things out. He politely said to the thin air, "I am not an enemy of Knight Villiame, nor am I your foe." Her cold voice reached him, "Then, can you explain why you engage in a death battle with my family''s knight? Can you explain why you attacked our carriage?" "That was an accident, an error on my side. I didn''t mean to collide with your carriage but seeing as you are all safe, isn''t it better to let the past lie? Your knight couldn''t understand that but I think you can," patiently explained Reve. "Before I give you my answer, tell me the truth of your appearance. For what purpose did you seek us? Don''t you dare lie as I''m known to be perceptive!" Reve''s voice echoed back to her hiding location, "I wouldn''t dare, Miss Lyra. Your reputation precedes you. The reason why I sought after your carriage was to request an audience with your father, Lord Gawyne." He had no idea that his well-thought words would have an adverse reaction. Lyra sharply bellowed, "What do you want from my father?" "A private audience. If I were to tell you, it wouldn''t be private," responded Reve. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this as, with every passing exchange, Lyra''s tone would get more defined and thorny. It was as if something he continuously said aggravated her. "....And I am to believe you? I''m to hold you responsible for words? And what would that make you? A gentleman? A darned gentleman wouldn''t leave a kind knight to his death!" Reve simply leaned on the tree as he listened to the brimming rage in the lady''s voice. He murmured, "Surely, it has come to this. What a sad life? Why do they not understand any words I say?" To confirm what he took out of her response, Reve shouted, "What do you mean? I didn''t laud myself as that. Do you intend to hold the same stance as your knight?" "Yes¡­.." slowly whispered Lyra. With her brother by her side, she knew she shouldn''t risk a battle breaking out, but the masked man was too dangerous to let near her father. It was up to her and her brother to protect their beloved father. Knight Villiame had already fallen. The two of them hid tens of feet away from the masked man, on a tree. This hiding spot was suggested by Lyra as they factored in the insane sense of the masked man. Moreover, this spot would do well to hide the origin of her voice when she spoke. Suddenly, the masked man menacingly spoke after a short while of silence, "Truly, what a sad life? We could have reached a mutual agreement. Whatever, this doesn''t mean anything." From her vantage point, a shiver coursed through her body as she forced herself to not utter any sound. Lyra trembled as her natural instinct picked on something weird going in her surrounding, ''What is this feeling? An aura? What type of aura is this? Oh Blessed Xoris.'' It was known that each individual possessed an aura, an expressive wavelength from one''s soul. While the ki-warriors focused on manipulating this aura and reaping profound power from the soul, the mages preferred to let their auras develop naturally. This gave birth to two different aura types, each belonging to the two main path in Arcadia. However...¡­this man before her was exuding something different¡­.something so pure and deadly that even her mind could not help but retreat further into her shell of a body. Her hands quaked as, occasionally, her magi occasionally lost control. This was too terrifying for her and Ciaran, who reacted the same way. Nonetheless, despite being engulfed in this sea-like aura, the two were not so easy to break down. They quickly recollected themselves and jumped down from their tree. By now, they knew their location had been compromised. Just when they were about to vanish to another spot, the silhouette of the masked man appeared in their distant front. He silently stared at them, offering no words as they stayed deep-rooted in the ground. Beneath the mask, they could feel his abysmal eyes scouring all parts of their body. He was looking for it and he found "it" on the shoulders of Cairan, who moved in front of Lyra to protect her. "Stay back," said Ciaran to his sister. Despite both of them having similar characteristics, Cairan was a more quiet person than Lyra. He preferred staying behind while his sister showed her talent to the world. Yet, he wouldn''t hesitate to jump in and protect her if the situation calls for it. Ciaran only looked back once before his mana spilled out of his body. They took the form of lightning sparks swimming around his physique as he spoke out, "Thunder Manifestation!" Now, Ciaran and Lyra were some of the few arcanists in NIRA. Lyra took the role of a genuine arcanist, representing the original long-range style of arcanists. However, Ciaran took something more different and unique. He accepted the mantle of a battlemage, a class of mages that were said to house the best aspects of both paths. Coupled with his innate lightning affinity, Ciaran was almost unstoppable in his generation. Even at NIRA, there were only a handful of students that could claim to be capable of contending with him. That was why, at this moment, he couldn''t help but gain confidence once his unique magic spell materialised. All around him, three magic circles with frightening rigid blue lines danced in the air. One of them dropped down to him and landed exactly on his palm. Its bright light blinded everyone for a second but when the light dimmed, a long serpentine whip was in its place. Gripping it, Ciaran whispered, "Shall we dance?" Chapter 176 - Oh, Blessed Xoris Reve looked at the spell Ciaran wielded, ''It is almost like a summon spell, but this is different. It was formed from magi. Thus, it shouldn''t be .....'' Without thinking any further, he dashed at the young man but the tail of the whip quickly appeared in his face. It took him his fastest burst of speed before he could break out of the perilous situation. Reve flipped sideways and jumped at the nearby trees. Using the trees in his path, he made sure to reduce the extension range of Ciaran''s whip. *Cackle!* His efforts proved for naught as Ciaran mercilessly broke all the surrounding trees with a single whip slash. Ciaran effectively protected his circle, making sure that there was no way Reve could invade it with only speed. Stopping his movement, Reve thought to himself, ''I see¡­.he chose this weapon for this reason. His goal is to keep me at hand''s length. I need something special to break this checkmate or els¡ª'' Just as he contemplated, a large thunderbolt shot at him from the sky. Luckily, his senses alerted him of this attack. Reve jumped out of the way, rolling on the ground. before he could get scorched by the deep magical force hidden in the bolt. As he heaved, he understood that Lyra had started providing support to Ciaran. Reve finally decided to let loose despite already suffering from internal injuries. His fingers formed a strange hand sign, "My body is a marionette and I''m the marionettist. I can command it as I wish. I can summon it tirelessly,......[Morai]!" Suddenly, his legs began to float in the air. It was a surprising event...too sudden for a mortal brain to process. Reve hovered in the air as he spied on the twins. The only thing they could see was a figure with blinking lights erupting from within him. It was only later when something hit Ciaran''s face did he realize how foolish he was. He blocked a second hit from Reve with one of his magic circles that materialized into a shield. Yet, Reve ignored that and simply kept pounding. Using the full potential of [Morai], Reve''s speed and power were exponentially increased, but if he remembered correctly, it had a time limit and distinct flaws. Reve danced around Ciaran while the latter struggled to keep up with Reve''s speed. Soon, Reve landed a soft punch on Ciaran. The punch was simple, easily one of the slowest punches Ciaran had seen. It was definitely not a cute attack. The effects of the attack were delayed, but after two seconds, a massive force erupted in Ciaran''s guts. He flew like a cannonball away from the scene. Reve watched his course path for a brief second. In the next moment, he focused back on Lyra, who couldn''t help but shiver. "You chose this path for yourself," coldly spoke Reve. His figure dematerialized once more. However, just before he reach Lyra, a swift arrow intercepted his path. He stopped to evade it, yet that was not all. Soon came a downpour of divine arrows coated with fierce red lightning. Lyra took the chance to prepare her spell. She touched the meek ground and connected with it. Three magical circles entered into the depths of the earth and came out as crimson pythons coated with the familiar red lightning energy. They rushed at Reve at insane speed, quickly joining the legion of arrows that we''re produced by a distant Ciaran. While Reve was preoccupied with the attacks, Ciaran limped towards Lyra. His expression was not looking good as he struggled to keep his mouth from perfectly expressing the pain he felt. "Lyra, we need to leave now!" demanded a weary Ciaran. Lyra nodded in reply and grabbed Knight Villiame. Despite her not having sufficient strength for this, she knew better than to let her brother bear this burden. As for how she was to successfully carry the knight...¡­...in times of distress, exceptional feats are not surprising. They moved out of their spot and stumbled on a few trees before getting their bearing. "Now, where do you think you are going?" The lightning in the sky dispersed and an ephemeral bluish-green sea sprouted out of Reve''s coordinate. The latter came out of this chaos looking like a war god with his cloth stained with his blood. His body, high up in the air, but it didn''t stop him from making the twins shiver in their steps. They wasted no time running away from the scene. Whoever or whatever the masked man was, they couldn''t deal with him....even when he was in his weakest phase. While they scuttled like little mice, a transparent object slammed into their back, throwing them off course. They stood up rather quickly and continued their escape but another round of invisible objects hit them fiercely. This time, they fell face flat. Their eyes strained forward. They could see the distant boots of the masked man moving closer to them. Soon, he was within a foot''s distance. The masked man crouched to speak to them, "This could have not happened, but I guess it is better this way." His eyes focused on some part of the twins'' head but their minds were too cloggy to discern which parts. The last thing they saw before they blacked out was the hand of the masked man reaching out to them. Their minds resonated, ''So, this is how I die.'' ....... ''The sounds finally died out. Has the battle come to an end?'' panicked a sole man in the lonely woods. He was Lord Gawyne, ruler of the House Drateel. Yet, he couldn''t maintain his glorious composure in a fight. It was highly known that he lacked the gift to use magic and the body to sense ki. This was something that had tormented him all his life. Something that terrified him at this moment as he understood that his children and beloved knight were out there fighting with a terrifying unknown man. Lord Gawyne shook his head and focused on his surrounding. Due to the climax of the battle ahead, the dust from the ground rose up to block his sight. Everywhere was hazy so when he saw a distinct figure that quite resembled his son ahead of him, he jumped up fervently. "Ciaran, oh, thank the blessed Xoris. You are back!" bellowed Lord Gawyne. What happened next shocked him...¡­. "Blessed Xoris, you say......" Chapter 177 - The House Drateel "Blessed Xoris, you say...¡­" The raspy voice, very unlike that of Ciaran''s, replied to him comically. Lord Gawyne gasped as he finally realized the true identity of the figure. He hid his fear beneath his suddenly composed face. His teething words slipped out, "Kimon, where are my children and my knight?!" The masked man seemed to be staggering as he walked closer to Lord Gawyne. Every movement he made was so awkward that it was crystal clear that he was in the worst shape possible and could easily be taken advantage of. Lord Gawyne couldn''t deny that the thought of him fighting this nerfed Kimon didn''t cross his mind at all. Fortunately, he knew better than to poke a lion on its last breath. Kimon''s trembling hands pointed behind him where Lord Gawyne could see an assembling of trees floating mysteriously in the air without the help of any energy. On the rows of trees, three figures lay unconsciously. Their clothes and armor were torn apart and a deep red hue seemed to be the constant theme in all their dresses. Kimon controlled the trees until they softly landed beside Lord Gawyne. The father dashed to his children and check their vitals. A look of horror donned on his face, "Did you have to go to such lengths? My children are about to leave this world!" "I wouldn''t have done this if you simply instructed your knight to back down," hissed Kimon. He winced in pain as he continued, "Oh, I must confess. You have been quite a difficult man to meet. Finally, we are all alone, just two of us...just the way I want." As if contradicting his threatening demeanor, he bent towards the three laying individuals and materialized a potion in his hands. Kimon carefully poured one-third of the potion into each of the three individual''s deathly mouths. Lord Gawyne was beyond stupefied. He tried understanding this unexpected action, ''What is he doing? This potion smells of magic herbs....'' Truly, just like the lord thought, after Kimon had emptied the potion bottle, a sheet of mundane creaminess flocked onto their faces and then to the rest of their body. It was slow...¡­but Lord Gawyne could detect the harsh injuries on their body healing. There were no doubts now. This was a healing potion. "As a show of my cordiality, I saved your people from the grasp of death. Now, can we talk peacefully?" tirelessly spoke Kimon. By now, it was apparent to Lord Gawyne that there was no harm in complying with the man''s wishes. In fact, there was little Lord Gawyne could do to resist Kimon. It was better to maintain this cordial status by granting him what he wanted. Lord Gawyne "Very well, I acquiesce. What have you so committed that you braved death just to seek an audience with me?" This question was especially important. It invoked a serious atmosphere filled with silence from both parties. Kimon finally could bear his standing posture and leaned on a tree. He heaved deep breaths as he moved down to sit. After another round of quietness, Kimon divulged, "I need something of your father''s. His journal!" Lord Gawyne sighed as if expecting this, "My father''s journal¡­..why is it always about that? Frankly, I will tell you the truth, I don''t have it." As soon as he said that, Kimon turned sideways to look at him. His heavy eyes drilled into the very existence of Lord Gawyne. "Hoax. You shouldn''t play this game with me. Before Vaddon Drateel died, it was said that he visited you once last time. I reckon it was there he passed on all his possessions, including his journal¡­.." ................ Reve had done his research. While he might not know much about the infamous Vaddon Drateel, he knew enough to form an opinion. Vaddon Drateel broke the code of nobles. He fell in love with a female from another race and sired her legacy into his noble house. In the nobles'' view, he had stained their heritage. However, Reve felt this man never cared for what others thought. If not, why would he scour multiple continents looking for a way to resurrect his wife? Such commitment to his goal was scarier than anything Reve had ever seen. It was pure and undiluted, making Reve wonder just how deep Vaddon Drateel had fallen into the well of love. Nevertheless, as much as Reve respected this man, he understood that he would have to scavenge his grave to get what he wanted. So, as he watched the annoyed face of the man''s son, Lord Gawyne, Reve scoffed, "You know where it is. The real question is what it will take for you to give it to me. You see, most people have been fascinated with knowing what exactly your father did to earn the ire of his fellow noblemen. But the moment I took a good look at your children, I knew just what it was!" Lord Gawyne cocked his head at the masked man while stealing a glance at his children briefly, "What do you know?" Reve laughed loud, before dropping the truth bomb, "Your father is really a romantic man. If he loves, he loves the most dangerous woman there ever was. Quite frankly, I didn''t expect your children to have morriten heritage." Lord Gawyne''s mother was a morrite, a witch. The facts were all there since day one. While Lord Gawyne seemingly didn''t inherit the good traits, his children were beyond exceptional. They had long surpassed the regular human scope. This could be best seen from how they went toe-to-toe with Reve. Furthermore, their withdrawn aura. The twins never really revealed their aura. They had mastered the art of permanently concealing it, so much that today was the first time Reve truly saw it. Today would also be the first day that the twins truly used all their power to combat an opponent. Lastly, their features were oddly unique for young nobles. Their innate beauty and peculiar skin were basically eye-candy to anyone. Reve smiled mysteriously, "Your mother was a witch. Your father was human. Two races with deep-rooted hate unified by the power of love. I can see why your house wasn''t well-received, but that is not all to the story, is it?......." Chapter 178 - The House Drateel(2) The history between humans and morrites was not one of joy. It was filled with such grimness that at its peak, the two races vowed to commit genocide on a continental level. The number of small "wars" that had occurred between both races was uncountable. The two races simply couldn''t live in harmony. The humans were full of greed and envy towards the morrites, while the morrites themselves were too unstable to cohabitate with any race. So, no matter the method Vaddon Drateel used, Reve had to commend him for bagging a beautiful witch. It was just that.... "Someone¡­..no, something, killed your mother, isn''t it?" told Reve. He didn''t need any answer. He was so sure about that. As he saw the comprehensive look on Lord Gawyne''s face, Reve continued, "It couldn''t have been the nobles. Xoris had gotten rid of its discrimination against morrites a long time ago...¡­at least on the surface level." "There was also a little possibility that it might have been someone else. Morrites are powerful. They are artificial forces of nature that could even be compared to the elves of the present day. They are also hermits, having little to no connection with the outside world. So, I find hard to believe that your mother''s death had a human factor." Thinking this through, Reve focused on the little detail that had been bothering him since he saw the twins at the ball. He pieced the grand puzzle together, "Your mother died naturally¡­.or at least it wasn''t a living entity that took her life. You know that, don''t you?" "What are you getting at?" scoffed Lord Gawyne. Inside, he was a bit enthralled by Reve''s analysis. Not a single person had come this close to figuring out the truth about his parents. For Kimon to near the truth, it speaks highly of his magia and this terrified him of what else he could discover. Reve continued, "As I have said countless times, I saw your children. They hold the beauty of morrites. Pale skin, Anti-social character, high magic prowess, good physical stats. However, I also noticed something irregular. You see, on your children''s hair, there are a few grey strands." Watching Lord Gawyne tremble, Reve smiled, "The color of grey is never a good omen. I honestly didn''t think much of it until I looked at them again a few minutes ago. I saw something that interested me." Facing the direction of the twins, Reve manipulated a twig, using it to pull the grey strands on the twin''s hair. The strands had tripled in number. It was already seeming to clash visibly with the other normal strands. Anyone with a brain could tell that this was abnormal. "Your mother was sick, wasn''t she?" quietly asked Reve. His question stung Lord Gawyne as the latter''s mind went back tens of years ago. He could see himself listening to his mother''s lullaby at the perfect time when the night was at its most glorious. There he was, in the body of a young boy, smiling.... Suddenly, his mother coughed violently. She held on to his bed frames and brought out a piece of cloth to wipe the blood that came out of her mouth. A few strands of her hair flew away from her head and entered his mouth. He looked at it.....they were deathly grey. ...¡­ Present time. Lord Gawyne''s eyes became moist and heavy. He scrunched up and bellowed, "She was sick. She was damned sick and nothing in this world could save her. Her eventual death led my foolish father to a state of denial. He abandoned me and attempted to fill up the void in his heart with a fallacy, a deluded concept of resurrection." Reve sighed, "That makes me wonder. What magical disease was it?" "You don''t know," curiously asked Lord Gawyne. Up till now, Kimon had provided a perfect retelling of his story. So, it came as a shock that Kimon was not aware of the magical disease. "There are many magical diseases that have the same symptoms like conversion of hair color," offered Reve. It wasn''t that he didn''t know the exact magical disease. It was more of him not wanting to force himself to guess incorrectly. So, Lord Gawyne, who was unconsciously cajoled into spilling his lonely past, helped him, "The Curse of Nimiel!" The moment Reve heard this, the whites in his eyes widened, "The Curse of Nimiel! Oh, how tragic? I would have never guessed this fate on a witch. Not a single living being deserves to be the host of this ravenous magical disease." His mind processed every information he had in his head concerning the House Drateel, "So, that is how it is? Your family line has been forever stained. What a sad life?" The Curse of Nimiel¡­.. It was the most dangerous magical disease in all of Arcadia. Stated to appear randomly, it latches onto talented Arcadians, usually those with good energy affinity, and consumes their energy until they become a walking bag of bones. What made it exceedingly dangerous was the fact that the survival rate of this disease was almost non-existence. Once one had it, it would terrorize that person''s entire existence till the person died due to lack of energy. As for the symptoms, they quite correlated with the irregularities of the twins, but they were even much worse than that. "Oh, Xoris'' bottom. Your children! Somehow, this magical disease skipped you, but it must have been down to your children through a hidden genetic trait," revealed Reve. The Drateel twins were cursed by this magical disease. In essence, their time on Arcadia was already been counted. A single drop of tears rolled down Lord Gawyne''s cheek as he clenched his fists. Of all people to be harassed by this magical disease, why his children. Those pure children shouldn''t have to receive the same suffering as his mother did. He had already been through hell watching his mother descend more and more into madness due to the magical disease. He didn''t want to watch his children go down the same path. He understood that he wouldn''t be the same without his children as they were all he had. Chapter 179 - The House Drateel(3) As of posing as the devil, Reve brought hope to Lord Gawyne, "But the curse has a cure. It is not widely known by most people. Your children still have a fighting chance. They are still young, at the best time to get rid of the cure. The Curse of Nimiel isn''t kind at all. The stronger you get, the stronger the curse gets. I reckon that''s why it must have been so difficult for a witch like your mother to relieve herself of the cure." The more the twins used their energy, the more they fed into the curse. That was why their hair was currently gaining a shade of grey. The moment it turns fully grey, the curse would kick in and the horrors of it would out pour. Right now, the curse was in a phase which Reve termed as being dormant. Reve smirked, "I truly pity you, Lord Gawyne. How about this? I am in possession of the cure for the curse. I can trade it for your father''s journal. It''s a blissful situation for both parties." ''A cure for my children,'' rampantly thought Lord Gawyne. He had almost jumped at the mention of those words. Truthfully, Lord Gawyne had given up searching for a cure for them. He knew very well he wouldn''t be able to find one and he should instead make sure his children enjoy their life while hosting the curse. However, if what Reve said was true, he could save himself from a lifetime of tragedy. Lord Gawyne posed, "How do I know you are not lying? I have seen countless men bluff when they find themselves in a perilous situation. You would have to do better if you want to convince me of the validity of your words or else I will take it with a pinch of salt." Reve hissed, "Are you really in the position to doubt my words?" "It''s my children''s life on the line here. I would do everything I can to make sure it is in safe hands," retorted Lord Gawyne. "Then, you can do well to ignore my offer and also do well to regret this moment in the future to come," scoffed Reve. He was basically saying "what do you have to lose?" Reve painted a picture with his words, "Live the rest of your grievous numbered life, knowing that you had a chance to be a good father, but you went against it!" He looked at the lonely stars and waited for Lord Gawyne''s response. In his opinion, an offer like this should never be skipped on. He understood that from the others'' perspective, it might be sketchy but that did not make it not worth checking out. Lord Gawyne went through a series of intense hidden thought, before finally speaking up. His tone was slow and slow as he understood the gravity of the decision he was about to make, "I will accept...but only under three conditions." "Oh, what are they?" nonchalantly asked Reve. "First and foremost, you only get the journal after Lyra and Ciaran have been healed. Secondly, I will need to review the cure before I allow my children to consume it. Thirdly, you shall take an oath to never harm my children again, no matter the circumstance." Faced with this instructions, Reve cackled, "Now. Now. I must tell you. There are only a few lengths that my KINDNESS can take me. What makes you think that you are the one to state the conditions. How ballsy? Do you not recognize your situation." As he spoke, Reve controlled a large tree with his mind and hovered it above Lord Gawyne, "While you ranted like an ignorant man, I took my time recuperating from my injuries. I''m not fully healed but I reckon I can threaten the lives of your children while in this state! Seeing the immense love you have for your children, what would happen if I hold your children captive and demand you give me your father''s journal?" Lord Gawyne trembled, "You wouldn''t dare do that?" "I would dare do that, for they have imposed scars on my body. However, as a gentleman, I took the peaceful route, so do not for one second take my generosity as a sign of meekness. I do not like to be exploited," shouted Reve. He exposed Lord Gawyne''s thought process. The aristocratic nature in the noble lord was evident as he tried to take advantage of the offer given to him. Lord Gawyne nodded while looking at the tree above him, "I understand. My apologies for my rudeness." "Good. As for your conditions, I shall accept them, but I have my conditions to state," coyly revealed Reve. Reve was not a man of anger. He rarely had bursts of rage, so it was weird that he got angry when he discovered Lord Gawyne''s On second thought, it was perfectly normal.....for a shameless Reve. After all, he needed to be feared by the noble lord so he could list his conditions and expect them to be accepted without resistance. He went on to list, "I need the help of your noble house. I plan to start an underworld organization and will need finance that only large noble houses like yours can provide." Lord Gawyne was surprised by this revelation. He had expected the condition to be something more appalling but this was.....well, it wasn''t something he could easily decide on, but it was better than what he expected. Lord Gawyne struggled to speak, "My noble house has been unaffiliated with the Underworld for centuries now. If the price of saving my children is rejoining the Underworld, then I will accept it. However,.....my house income is not infinite, I implore you know understand what you are doing before you request financial assistance from us. I will not let my house be dragged into the mud." "I understand. All I request is little financial assistance. I can take care of the rest from there on," cooly responded Reve. After the conversation played out the way he wanted, a wave of relief coursed through him, and his mind became weary. Meanwhile, Lord Gawyne became curious, "So, what is this cure you speak of?" Chapter 180 - The Aftermath Two days later. Reve was back in his room after the entire ordeal he went through in the Neverbell Woods. So as not to attract the wrong attention, after conversing with Lord Gawyne, Reve went back to the inn and spent the rest of the night badly injured. The next morning, he made sure he revealed no injury. It was not that hard as Lithia and Karmin were still hungover from the night at the manor. When they finally came to their senses, they were deeply embarrassed by their actions. Reve failed to count how many times they apologized to him for what they put him through. Of course, Reve didn''t make it easy for them, especially Karmin. He kept laughing and bringing up what he saw them do. Oh, how fun it was to mock someone till their face became deep red. Anyway, he was happy as, ultimately, Karmin and Lithia''s drunken states had paved the way for Reve to contact Lord Gawyne. If the two ladies weren''t drunk, Reve would have not dared slip out of the inn. ''Hmmm...¡­so far, so good,'' nodded Reve. He had successfully gained the support of Lord Gawyne. Such support built on the safety of his children was a strong one. There was no way the noble lord would go against their agreement especially now that he knew his children still had a chance of living past their early adulthood. They had arranged for them to meet in his territory a week from now when the healing process for the twins would begin. It was all good to him. However, ...¡­.. Reve had a terrible confession. It was sad to say that he had bluffed his way through the negotiation. He didn''t know of the cure for the curse of Nimiel. In fact, he had no clue about it either. Reve never planned on offering a cure prior to meeting the noble lord but when he saw Lord Gawyne''s immensely stubborn side, he knew he had to bring something attractive to the table to make the noble lord earnest in their deal. He spewed a lot of nonsense and he ended up owing Lord Gawyne a cure for the curse of Nimiel. The problem was still salvageable, though. Reve knew of someone that could help him....his lazy mentor, Circe. While she could not physically help him, she could provide him with the knowledge she had on the curse of Nimiel. Hence, Reve wasted no time writing to her. He summoned Demis the moment he got home and handed him the letter. He also checked if Circe had any letter for him. She didn''t! That damn old hag has probably been sleeping all day. He specifically told Demis to report his anger to her. Despite it not working the last time, he reckoned it would work this time. And if not, he might just as well be damned. .........¡­ A few hours later. Reve was at the thieves'' hideout. "Are you ready?" In front of him were two thieves looking at each other with flaming eyes. Their innocent eyes tainted with bits of malicious intents proved to be quite an entertaining spectacle. In actuality, the two in front of him were not thieves. They were "thieves-in-training". They were part of the younger generation and were a few years younger than Reve. However, right now, the stance Reve took against them disregarded their age difference. "Yes," the two shouted in unison. On his chair, Reve nodded his head, "Good. Now continue. Listen to my words when I speak." "Yes, Kimon!" The two thieves faced each other afterward. In the blink of an eye, their bodies moved as their hands connected to their faces! Meanwhile, the older thieves sat around Reve and speculated the upcoming battle ...... To understand how it came to this, a brief walk-through time was needed. A few hours ago, Reve became bored with laying on his bed all day. His body was still banged up, but he couldn''t bear another minute staying cooped up. So, he thought, ''Hey, why don''t I pay a visit to my henchmen and see how they are faring?'' Following his thoughts, he quickly got to the Devil''s Cave and met with the thieves present. In a wild turn of events, he was approached by one of the teenagers for help. As future thieves, they were honing their abilities and when they saw Reve, memories of his battle against tens of thieves resurfaced in his mind. If they could just get someone like him to tutor them, it would be exceptional. So, they brought out their scapegoat. The young thin man trembled the closer he got to Reve. Nevertheless, he obeyed the orders of his friends and asked Reve the intended question. Contrary to their expectations, Reve''s answer was simple, "Oh, alright." They failed to realize that they just offered themselves up as a source of entertainment for bored Reve. .... The two youngsters continued duking it out in front of Reve. The cat-emperor''s eyes were fully activated as he kept analyzing each of their moves. His brain was working at the optimum at this time. He could see every bodily part twitch. Their muscles moved every time they prepared for a big attack. With his special abilities, observing the inner work of a combatant opened a new perspective in Reve''s mind. This type of introspective observation would surely come in handy if he found himself in a pinch anytime. "Jervis, guard your left side. You are unconsciously leaving it open. This makes it easy for Herry to attack you on that side, which is what he has been doing since," cautioned Reve. Herry and Jervis stopped for a moment before continuing their battle. On the other side, Reve speculated more. Reve was not a good fighter, in his opinion. But he was experienced with fighting talented combatants. Hence, he was qualified to guide a warrior on how to fight. "Herry, stop making obvious attacks. You have not yet learned a style and you are already having a routine set of attacks" Chapter 181 - The First Generation [Name: Herry Race: Human Level(exp): 30 (19/100) Path: Aura-Refinement Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Thief, Amateur AP: 0 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 15 Speed: 12 Constitution: 17 Intelligence: 19 Ki: 30 ] ] [Name: Jervis Race: Human Level(exp): 35 (28/100) Path: Aura-Refinement Warrior(Aura Mastery) Titles: Amateur AP: 0 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 16 Speed: 19 Constitution: 15 Intelligence: 18 Ki: 28 ] ] . . . . . . Based on the stats of Herry and Jervis, it could be hypothesized that a battle between both of them would end in Jarvis'' victory. However, being the only one that truly absorbed Reve''s instruction, Herry won the spar. His face was so bright as he went out of his way to do corny victory poses. Reve facepalmed after noticing that the other youngsters wanted to spar, "No, actually, this has been really hurtful to watch. Even as a young kid, I knew the basics of fighting whereas, you all lack it completely." He was about to call upon the older thieves to demonstrate what a real battle was, but then he realized that they were also a lost cause. Didn''t he plummet them despite their superior numbers? ''Damn! I had entertained myself with the spar but it seems like I might have touched upon one of the few blemishes in my plan,'' thought Reve. Reve was not omnipresent. There would come a time when the organization would be managing itself without him. He wasn''t scared of that as he had Dorian, a man of great intellect. However, what about the defense aspect of the organization? If other organizations find out that Kimon is the only line of defense, wouldn''t they set their hungry eyes on this blossoming organization? Worst case scenario, imagine they led an attack when Kimon was away or badly injured.....like right now when he knew very well that he was not in a good shape. He suddenly realized that he had been too ignorant to think that only he can defend the organization. He needed at least groups to support him, but finding them would surely take time. For now, he had to focus on what he can do right now. Sighing, Reve stood up from his chair and walked towards one of the cave''s paths, "All of you, follow me now." He offered no explanation for his sudden behavior but the group of thieves, both young and old, knew not to question. They could only curse him in their heads while pursuing Reve. Minutes later, Reve led them to the Willow Forest. This aspect of the world was wild and unbridled. The plantlife had no restriction on their growths. The wind whistled with rivals. The small mundane animals scuttled around with no plans for the next day. The Willow Forest was a symbol of freedom. The more Reve came here, the more appealing the place seemed to him. Reve jumped on one of the tree branches and addressed the audience below, "It has come to my notice that my organization is filled with useless people. Now, I can''t magically upgrade this group of useless people, but I can at least catalyze an evolution by working on their fundamentals." His voice echoed throughout the forest, "Here, you will begin your first training on the Amethyst Style! All of you, whether you consider yourself experienced or not, would participate in the same training." His intentions were loud and clear as all the thieves shouted in unison, "Yes, Kimon." The Amethyst Style was unknown to them, but they knew that this was a rare opportunity to learn a fighting style that was actually exceptional. Of course, they didn''t know the style was still in its making and not fully developed. "Good. Now, all of you sit down. Before we start the physical training, I want you to comprehend the intent of the Amethyst Style. Someone that is literate among you should write down what I''m about to say." As the group of thieves decided who was to record the "white sermons", Reve was faced with an internal dilemma. He had never taught his self-developed style to anyone other than himself so he knew not how to structure it. Nikan was an exception as the demihuman was one of the co-founders of the style. Reve continued after he saw Dorian with a scroll and pen, "First, empty your minds and listen to the earth. Quell your turbulent thoughts. Merge with the wind that blows on your face. The ground speaketh to you." Reve decided to take the same approach Circe took for him. He would prep this class with a meditation practice. ''Hmmm¡­..of course, would it ever be that easy?'' While some of them obeyed him, the rest found it hard to even close their eyes. What more could be said? They were street vermins, thieves. It wasn''t that easy for them to abandon their inner self and listen to some guru preaching. Reve had predicted this. So, for once in his life, he tweaked his voice to flow with the gracefulness of nature, "The earth summons you. Your past is washed away. Your future is built by thy hands. From your birth, you have been disassociated with the vast world. It coils around you every day and night, yet you never notice." "What does thou seek? It''s peace. All beings seek true peace. Resignation from the conflict brought by human factors. Thou can only find it in places of true origin. Where the land is left meek and untrodden." Reve was spouting a bunch of rubbish from the books he had read in the past. It was said to induce a meditative state and, judging from the quiet atmosphere around him, Reve was confident it was working. He couldn''t stop her. To most of them, this was their first meditation. He needed to make sure they understood the importance of meditating. He needed to hook them well! "Nature is peace. Peace is nature. How can there be such a creation filled with such purity, neither divine nor demonic, just peaceful? Your heart thirsts for it, just like a husband would crave for his wife. Do not deny this craving. Open your heart to nature....to your true peace!" Chapter 182 - The First Generation(2) Reve was not hoping for some kind of magical evolution in the body of the thieves. If meditation could do that, he would have transformed into a god by now. Heck, he would probably be a being of absolute force. No, what he was searching for was the first step of learning basically anything. The earnest and adaptive mindset. To him, this was much more important than anything....it laid the perfect foundation to master the Amethyst Style since the style was too complicated for mortal minds. All the concepts of the style were abstract and could be twisted based on one''s understanding. Reve made sure he got the perfect mesmerizing tone as he repeated his meditation sutra to the group of thieves. Soon, he didn''t need to speak anymore. His words eternally echoed in the minds of the thieves and they became deeply immersed in their meditative state. ''Now, this is progress, albeit artificial progress,'' ruminated Reve. This was all he could do at the moment. He could only forcefully induce this state on them, but he reckoned that, sooner or later, they would be capable of doing this themselves. "Now, I just have to watch them while thinking of the next step." The group of thieves opened their eyes after a while¡­.or what seemed like a while to them. In actuality, five hours had passed since they last opened their eyes. The soft breath that came out of their mouth was as fresh as morning dew and their eyes shone with such purity that it resembled the clear moon. Occasionally, they would be flickers of negative streaks showing in their eyes, but this was to be expected. Reve couldn''t totally "purify" the innate nature of these thieves. "Welcome back," greeted Reve. He perfectly understood the magical feeling of one''s first meditation. The thieves were still stuck in limbo and could not produce any word. The euphoria evident in them made them feel like they were a foreign soul stuck in another''s body. Reve took advantage of this phase to lay down his next teachings. "Every morning. I want to meditate like this. Hmmmm...let''s move on. Tell me, how do you feel?" One of them replied calmly, "I feel like I have been born again." "I can feel a vigorous power flowing through me." "Is this truly¡­..me?" All sorts of responses were thrown at Reve. It was as if they all had different experiences that bore similar characteristics. Reve nodded, "Yes, truly, that is the feeling. Your mind controls your body and, when sharpened, it could prove to be your most powerful asset. As you are now, you can sense things that have laid dormant in your body for years." "You can distinguish the scent of transparent air. Your eyes see past the mundane human color spectrum and everything around you is beautified. Your feet, connected to the earth, can sense the slow heartbeat of Mother Nature. And your body cells are once again welcoming your true self." "However, this might as well just be an illusion. This resplendent sensation ends in three...two¡­..one!" Following a loud clap from Reve, the thieves were jolted "awake". Now, the normal expressions that should have been visible before appeared on their faces. They looked at Reve in surprise, "What was that?" To them, it was as if they were not themselves. As if they were being controlled by pure basic instincts. "Welcome back to the land of the living," announced Reve. The after-effects of the meditation were too much for fragile beings like themselves to bear. If he hadn''t brought them out, their minds would have been totally lost. From his position high up in the tree, Reve declared, "I''m sure you could all feel the power that you possessed not quite long. It can be yours if you put your mind to it. Now, let''s continue." Despite radiating no form of energy, Reve pointed to the ground and a vibrant pillar made of green lush rose from the ground. It wasn''t dramatically high, only reaching a height a bit greater than 8ft. The group was once again marveled by this feat. Leading them, Dorian asked, "Kimon, if I may ask, how did you do this? There was no energy radiating from you when this pillar stood tall." Reve smirked, "When you reach my level, the world listens to you. It''s as simple as that." Inwardly, he giggled, ''Hehehehe, so this is how it feels like to be a master.'' Okay, maybe he was a bit shameless. But now he understood how Circe felt when she flexed on him constantly. Reve quickly got to the point, "This pillar shall be our favorite pillar for the next few months." His words resounded around the curious group of thieves, "The Amethyst Style is a style of ''force''. It encapsulates all types of ''forces''. However, before we train in each one of them, we need to master a force I like to call ''the singularity force''!" He thought to himself, ''Hehehehehe, as expected of myself, the great cat-emperor, to spawn all sorts of bullshit terms on the spot. I don''t even know what I was worried about before.'' Reve developed the Amethyst Style by understanding the movements of The Shadow. He broke it down and analyzed it into tiny bits, then he absorbed his analysis with the help of Nikan. There was no formulaic process, or whatsoever, in the development procedures. It was purely just two demihumans messing around with forces they couldn''t comprehend. However, to formally teach this style, Reve reckoned he had to factor in the comprehensive talent of the student. Luckily, the Amethyst Style leaned more on instincts than any other thing. Enjoying the silence that his words produced, Reve smiled and went on, "Now you may ask, what is the ''singularity force''? Well, shall we have a demonstration? You, move closer to the nature pillar." Reve pointed randomly at one of the thieves. When the thief did as he ordered, he spoke again. "Well, then punch it." The thief obeyed instantly. He sent his fist towards the pillar.. It was a clean punch, nothing bad to comment about. Chapter 183 - The First Generation(3) Reve showed no expression and continued the demonstration, "Alright, move aside for a second. Hey, you, try punching the nature pillar." The second thief wasted no time before firmly landing a punch on the pillar. Once again, there was nothing special about the punch. Just an attack dished out by a normal warrior. However, his punch was visibly better than the previous thief''s punch. As the group was left in the unknown, Reve smiled and put his hand on his chin, "Good. Now, Walter, kindly tell your strength points analyzed by the World Administrator." Walter was the first thief, while Sayer was the second thief. They were both Aura-refinement warriors, so Reve didn''t expect much from them when he asked them to hit the pillar. Walter wavered, but he still spoke, "It is 14 strength points, Kimon." "14¡­..you say," responded Reve. Of course, he knew the full stats of Walter and Sayer but to make sure his teachings would be understood, it was better for Walter to disclose his strength points publicly. "Sayer, why don''t you tell us yours?" A red hue creased over Sayer''s face, "12 strength points...." His words created chaos among the thieves. Why was it that Sayer with 12 strength points produced a mightier attack than Walter with 14 strength points? There was no way Walter didn''t give it his all because after he was done punching, he panted wildly. So, why did it turn out this way? Even Walter couldn''t figure this out. If it was before Sayer announced his strength points, he might have assumed it was because he had weaker strength, but that was not the case, was it? Reve finally shed light on this dilemma, "Contrary to what you think, this sort of unexplainable situation occurs every time in battle....A supposedly stronger opponent loses to a lesser foe. At first, it becomes a matter of who has the better experience. But then, when the factor of experience is irrelevant, the matter of who can punch better is prevalent. But why is that the case?" Reve welcomed the others to perform the same demonstration. Some of the outcomes were as expected, while the rest were just as baffling as the first demonstration. It was at this point they realized that Sayer''s victory wasn''t a fluke and Reve''s word touched upon something they should consider very important. "Very well, I will un-mystify this mystery. It all boils down to the singularity force. A force that affects little but key factors in a battle. Now, what is this singularity force?" Reve''s words flowed like a mother''s milk and the thieves did well to understand it. What was singularity force? In truth, this was something that Reve only grasped much later after developing the Amethyst Style and it was just today he named it...¡­but he could explain it perfectly as if he had been aware of the force for eons. Singularity force was more of a state than a physical force. Reve understood it as a state of oneness. Not spiritual oneness that mages try to attain, but physical oneness. It encapsulated the art of always being at 100%. When a person punches, he doesn''t realize that his body does not fully agree with him. The innate physical traits in him are not fully utilized. Only his surface-level physical traits are used. When he kicks, it is never with his peak kicking power. Even when he bellows, "I''m going plus ultra", it is merely a delusion. He was never going "plus ultra". That was just how the body worked. Reve theorized that a being could produce five times his greatest strength easily if he ever realized his greatest strength. For example, the true reason why Reve always came out victorious in a physical brawl was that he was amplifying his physical stats with the Amethyst style. His true strength, his singularity force, was never really up to the task as feline creatures boasted of immense speed, not strength and constitution. Going back to the main point, one''s singularity force was hard to graph, but luckily, the Nixy Window revealed the exact stats. Only an ignorant person would think he could attack dish out an attack with the same stats mentioned in his Nixy Window. Most of the time, it was always a few points below the exact stat. In this case, it could be easily understood that Walter''s punch had the strength point of less than 12. Reve estimated the exact number to be around 10 strength points. Sayer, on the other hand, did better, but not that much better. So, in conclusion, they both failed to use their maximum potential or even close to it, and this led to their under-performance. As Reve spoke, he reached the conclusion, ".....and that is the factor of singularity force. You would need to attain this force as the Amethyst Style requires you to double that force with the help of other physical forces!" With one speech, Reve managed to channel the feeling of youth into the thieves. They forgot themselves and waited patiently for Reve to continue. "Therefore, we shall focus on this till you attain the force. Meditation would help you gain better control of your body while a special form of training which I''m not ready for, right now." "For now, we shall do a make-shift training," devilishly smiled Reve. It was clear that he was up to no good. With a snap of his fingers, Reve manifested thousands of nature pillars and spread them wide. On the body of the pillars grew two-dimensional blue lines with rugged curves. It was an enchantment that Reve summoned for this training. Reve asked Dorian to lead the demonstration. He instructed the man to hit the nature pillar without the power of ki, just his pure physical specs. Dorian did exactly just that, but nothing happened. The punch was seemingly absorbed by the pulsating blue lines. "Good. Now punch again." Dorian was skeptical but he obeyed Reve. He summoned his strongest punch and landed it on the nature pillar. *Puchi!* His body stayed deep-rooted in the ground but everyone could feel the sounds of violent collision coursing through his bone.. His body shook tremendously and Reve smirked at the sight of that. Chapter 184 - The First Generation(4) "Well, how was it?" mockingly questioned Reve. Dorian could not answer that question as he was too engrossed in dealing with the constant tremors in his body. That, in itself, was a form of an answer. "The nature pillars were imbued with a special enchantment called the [Brand of Nemesis]. This enchantment allows the pillar to store the force of your attack and send it back to upon next contact," explained Reve. He jumped down from the tree and moved closer to a nature pillar. There, he sent forth a simple punch. *Thud!* Of course, his "simple" punch was not so simple. For the first time, the gang of thieves saw the nature pillar tremble with such intensity. Even the ground shook a little bit. However, that was not the point. In less than a second, Reve punched again. This time, the aftereffects of his attacks were much more disastrous than the previous one. The natural pillar remained unbroken as it was protected by Reve''s enchantment, but the ground slightly opened to form cracks. Reve ignored that and gave a final punch, still within the one-second range. His punch widened the cracks on the earthen surface and some of the sensitive thieves could feel the weak vibrations in the ground. Taking advantage of their silence, Reve divulged, "This will be your training. One of blood and sweat. One that would make you beg for death." "The training is simple. Keep punching the nature pillars. Each successive punch has to carry a greater force than the previous punch. Each attack is an upgrade, a forceful upgrade as if you fail to surpass the previous punch, your bones would be injected with the force behind your punches. You would be basically punching yourself. Of course, this is too easy for you. So, upon failure, I made sure the force injected into your body would be amplified." "In essence, your bones would quake and your skeletal frame might even receive permanent damage. There is no doubt that this training could lead to death." Reve cooly said, "You said you are not scared of death. So, prove it to me now. Face death and come out anew. Your training begins now. You are officially the first generation of the Amethyst Style." His words managed to raise the heartbeats of the thieves. If they understood correctly, Kimon was offering them a chance at a glorious purpose. He was offering them a position as the disciple of the style he uses victoriously against his foes. All this while, their lives had been mundane. It was all theft for them. The joy of the younger days had left them as they realized they were forever trapped in this rogue lifestyle, but...¡­ Now, they could become something else....someone else. Kimon never promised this would be a magical process or an immediate evolution. It would surely take a long time to master a style. Yet, for once in their life, they put down their savagery and earnestly complied with Kimon''s instructions. Seeing the entire gang of thieves picking a nature pillar for themselves, Reve revealed a rare warm smile. ''Well, this was totally random. But I seem to have made an excellent decision. To think the first generation would start here...¡­'' Feeling invigorated, he quickly shook his head and went to advise those that failed the training on their second punch. ''Yeah, it would not be easy.'' . . . . . . . . . ¡ª---------- The Forgotten Peaks ¡ª--------------- The Forgotten Peaks was one of the few mountainous regions in Starhold, situated near the vast land that protruded out of the city. As for why it was named as such, it was because the mountains of this region frequently discharged a red breeze that was poisonous to any living being. With this type of harsh environment, there was no way that anyone in their right mind would think of staying here. However, at this particular time, in a large building structure built on one of the mountains, a group of humans conversed. "I am of the opinion that it is time to expand the varieties of my potion." The voice belonged to a man covered in a black cloak and grey bandages wrapped around his head. The people he addressed were across the table where he was currently seated. "Oh, Alchemist, should I assume that you have conquered most of the side-effects of your base potion?" asked one of the other men. The other individuals seated at the table glanced at the person called Alchemist. What the Alchemist casually said was a matter of great importance. The Alchemist responded with a croaked voice, "I have not made any progress. The issue of side effects cannot be tackled easily. I would need adequate time to translate words of an old journal to normal Arcadian. I plan on making do with what I have now." Once again, the obese man on the other side opposed him, "If you have not dealt with the side-effects of your potions, I''m afraid there is little we can do¨C" He was quickly interrupted by a brown-haired middle age man, "Now, Now, Toka. Our customers love his potions. They like feeling the closeness of death that it gives them. Cut Alchemist some slack, let him do what he wants to do. Anyway, he has our blessing." "And that, there, is the problem. He shouldn''t have free reins over what to do with our blessing. Who knows whether his next potions would be as successful as this one," mocked Toka. Some other individuals on the table aligned with Toka''s thoughts. While the minority held the same opinion as the brown-haired middle-aged man, Daniel. Daniel''s lips curled strangely to form a sneer, "You make no sense, Toka. The Black Market thrives because of the blessing we give to young upstarts. Alchemist has proven himself to be a cut above the rest. So, what is wrong with funding him? It seems like you have brought personal opinions into our field of business." "Yo¡ªYou!" shouted Toka. Yet, he could say nothing as he had not a single good point to counter that. What Daniel said was true, but he would die before admitting it. Toka''s face swiftly changed, and he hissed, "Where is the feast?" Chapter 185 - The Black Vipers The Alchemist thought, ''The inner circles of the Black Vipers still remain tense.'' He took no offense to the harsh words Toka said to him. It would be petty of him to hold a grudge against a foolish man. Since he had taken his first breath, he had always been like this. Always laidback and weirdly collected. Nothing could make his neutral expression waver, not even the death of his loved ones. He would mourn internally but his mind would quickly shrug it off. Cold and unfeeling...he remembered those were the words his beloved parents used to describe him. As for why they said it with warm eyes and positive intent, it still remained a mystery to him till this very day. He ruminated, ''There''s no time. I need to prepare my next class of potions.'' Bearing the name of The Alchemist, it should be expected that he had little to no problem when it came to alchemic magic. That was true. He meant not to brag, but he was an undisputed genius in that school of magic. However, there would always be some things that are too obscure for him to grasp. Some potion that was too technical for him to concoct. That was the stage he was at now. To secure success in the Underworld, he chose a special potion with a recipe that he had chanced upon. The recipe proved hard to decipher and, up till now, he could only improve with some of the unknown ingredients and procedures. Unfortunately, he estimated that the potions were too unstable to secure him a firm footing. Hence, he decided to produce another one from the archaic grimoire he had with him. To do that, he needed resources, and to get that, he required funding from the Black Hand. ....and that took him to present. The Alchemist took a look at the chicken breast presented on his plate. He was not hungry so he let it stay untouched while he spoke to Daniel. "If I can get the funding I need, it would be a sure success. The potion I plan on brewing is not like any other seen on Arcadia''s soil in a hundred years, or even a thousand years. I speak no lies when I say this potion is ancient and if announced publicly, it could easily spark a war between kingdoms." Feeling the confidence radiating from Alchemist, Daniel couldn''t help but ask, "A potion that can spark a war in this peaceful times. What potion is it?" "Forgive me, but I shall keep that part to myself," politely responded Alchemist. "I see....then I shall gather the money you need for this project. You would know better than to let us down," finalized Daniel. He was a sub-head of the Black Viper branch. There was no singular leader, only two, Daniel and Toka. So, as long as it wasn''t a humongous matter, Daniel could still make decisions like this. He didn''t need Toka. On the other side, Toka stuffed his food into his mouth while pretending not to hear a single word from Daniel''s mouth, "I must admit. This dish is more delicious than I expected. Seems like the cook has been mastering the art of cooking." He spied at Alchemist''s plate and saw the full chicken dish, "Is there something wrong with the food? You haven''t touched it at all." Alchemist''s eyes were fervently concentrated on his plate but when he heard Toka, he faced up and flashed a smile, "Oh, nothing is wrong. I merely don''t have the appetite for a big meal like this. Now that you ask, can I request a meeting with your cook?" ".....and what is your reason for that?" "You might not realize this, but the silk soy sauce he used to coat the chicken is rare. Absolutely delightful. I''m no master of cooking arts, but I yearn to learn how to produce such wonder." Toka was the only one who had not noticed the peculiarity of the situation. All others had paused their actions after Alchemist spoke. It was unknown whether it was because they were interested in what Alchemist wanted to say to the cook. Soon, a standing maid went out of the room at the instructions of Toka, when she came back, beside her was an underweight, honey skinned man with flat nose. His white apron was shinning in Alchemist''s eyes as he moved closer to the latter, "You called for me, sir?" "Oh, stop with the pleasantries. I always admire men of arts like yourself. If anything, I should be the one calling you sir," greeted Alchemist. He had a sway with his words. When speaking with him, one would find it hard to associate him with the savagery he committed in Starhold. The cook still remained adamant, "I''m merely a master of a mortal art. I can only bow in the presence of an alchemist." The reply the cook received wasn''t what he expected. Alchemist coyly glanced at him, "Is that so...? Hmmm¡­.." He shifted his glance towards the food, "This soy sauce¡­..how delightfully made it is, isn''t it, Toka?" Toka, who was galloping another round of Fire-Grilled Giant Chicken paused and nodded his head. By now, two plates were already empty before him. Alchemist maintained his smile, "If it''s not a bother, tell me, how exactly did you make the soy sauce." "I assure you, sir. It is not. The main ingredient for my special recipe is wheat. It has to be of a good quality with healthy brown shades that indicates it is in its peak maturity. Of course, soybeans are also important. I normally let it dry with the power of natural sunlight. Patience is key to this recipe. I ¡ª---" "----You can stop now. I think I already have an idea." Alchemist fiddled with the soy sauce after he interrupted the cook. He even took a lick of it and dwelled in its exquisiteness. "Truly so marvelous, like the sweetness of mother''s milk. I can definitely imagine the entire cooking process." "Thank you for your prais¨C" "--However, there is something that bothers me." "What?" "How exactly did you mix poison with it?" Chapter 186 - The Black Vipers(2) "How exactly did you mix poison with it?" ...¡­ The room became still. Every figure in the room dropped their forks and focused on Alchemist. The implication of his words wasn''t something that can be easily glanced over. The cook revealed a look of surprise. His eyes widened as he asked with pure innocence, "What do you mean, sir? I confess I can''t understand you." "Exactly what I meant," politely replied Alchemist. He took another lick of the soy sauce and commented, "If you don''t want to tell me, that is fine. However, how exactly does it work? Does it take just one lick as I have just done? Does it take multiple licks to do the deeds? Or even does it just serve as an assist to u? Oh, how I wonder now." Immediately he said that, a weak voice yelped, following it was a banging sound. "Oh, fuck¡ª-------" Alchemist turned around to see an appealing sight, at least to him. On the other side of the table was the cold body of Toka. His face was planted into the table while white foams flowed out of his open mouth. His eyeballs disgustingly rolled out of his eye socket. In other words, he was dead! Alchemist beamed at this sight, "Well, that answers it. It is an accumulation type. I have to admit. You almost got me. I''m an excellent lover of all things food-related." The others were still in shock. They didn''t need any further confirmation of what was happening. Alchemist had painted the full picture in their faces. The figure of Daniel appeared beside the cook and threw a kick. It was supposed to be a finishing move but the cook appeared to be one step ahead of him. Despite not looking sideways, his head bent away from Daniel''s kick. He quickly counterattacked with a sweeping kick that was possibly powered by all the energy in him as his body was glowing black. *Boom!* "Kekekekeke. I had thought you merely had good alchemic skills, but you are more than that, aren''t you?" laughed the cook. He was speaking to Alchemist, who surprisingly still retained the smile on his face, even when seeing how the cook easily made quick work of Daniel. The cook became louder after observing this small detail, "Hehehehehe, there is more to you that meets the eye." He turned his back on Alchemist to focus on the other figures who lunged at him with their special attack. Their individual power was not enough to faze him, but their joint power was something else entirely. The battle prolonged for minutes with the state of the room being badly damaged. The cook came out of the battle panting wildly. He had managed to kill a few more influential members of the Black Market but he wasn''t without injury. As he analyzed his next course of action, he heard something far away, ''Footsteps? Reinforcement. They won''t matter to me, but I don''t think I can prolong this any further, I need to finish the mission!'' Following his mental decision, a black miasma spread forth from his ki. It took the form of screaming vile tentacles that desired to spread its perveted "hands" everywhere. "What is this?!" panicked one of the figures. Before he knew it, a tentacle had wrapped around his leg. He could feel the hasty pulses present in the tentacle. His skin quickly turned chalk as his blood was sucked dry by the tentacle. After a few other tentacles latched on to the upper parts of his body, the strangeness that happened to his leg flowed to his face and he died while being unclear of the cause. "Hehehehe, this is it. Now, die!" bellowed the cook. He went on to kill a few more influential figures, leaving only three still alive and breathing. Just as he was about to attack those three, a hand touched his shoulder. The cook jolted as he felt a foreign warmth on his skin. How had he not sensed it? To a master of arts like him, this should come easy? He tried to break free of the grasp but it proved futile. Not going to be taken down easily, the cook''s tentacles reached out for the unknown person behind him. It touched thin air as the person disappeared. Despite being free, the cook cocked his head around, "Who is it? Show yourself¡­? Or is it you..?" Rapidly, he turned around to spy on the table. No, it wasn''t Alchemist! Alchemist was still seated on the table, passionately watching him, which he had to admit was a bizarre thing to do, but he didn''t have the time to pay too much attention to it. A relaxed voice reached his ears, "Oho, I have seen enough. An assassin of Black Hand, aren''t you? Now, you can be on your way." "What are you¡ª" Before the cook could protest, he saw Daniel materialize before him. With lightning speed, Daniel placed his soft palm on the cook''s chest. He said, "Now, I have my reservation¡ª" *Boom!* Just halfway through his speech, a thundering pulse echoed from his palm and entered the body of the cook. The pulse was too much for the cook to bear as the sound of an organ exploding was the next thing that could be heard. The cook fell to his knees instantly. He had already died the moment the sound was vocalized! "---on how you infiltrated our base, but I can''t be bothered with that now." The light particles in the air perfectly hit his face as he stared down at the corpse of the cook. The corpse had turned to a shriveled skin in less than a minute. It was as if...¡­.. Before Daniel could act, Alchemist beat him to the chase. He bent down to touch the cook''s corpse and pinched it. His mere pinching created a tear in the skin of the cook and beneath it was another skin of contrasting skin tone. "Surely, a peak assassin of Black Hand. This is a master of the Way of Skinwalkers. No wonder he appeared incredibly strong," explained Alchemist. "....and the poison?" asked Daniel. "It can only be from one place. The Venom Order. It serves two purposes. One, it weakens your body immensely.. Two, if consumed to a certain percentage, it guarantees a sure kill." Chapter 187 - The Brimming Chaos "To think Black Hand would attempt to assassinate us. They even did half of the job successfully," mentioned Daniel. As a leader of Black Vipers, he knew more of the Underworld than Alchemist. The forbidden rule that prevented other organizations from attacking each other was supreme and only fools would attempt to break it. However, there was an unspoken loophole; the period of chaos. Any period of chaos would make the rules void and it would produce a free-for-all environment. Yet, was it that simple¡­..? Would a man actively seek danger just for the sake of sowing chaos? Daniel analyzed the situation once again, "Venom Order and Black Hand are affiliated, so it comes as a surprise to no one that they would act together. To target us, that would mean that they are trying to remove all competitions, taking advantage of these perilous times." "Nevertheless, I didn''t expect them to be so proactive. What exactly is the reason for that? Surely, they don''t expect to be successful in their endeavors." Following Daniel''s thought process, Alchemist mentioned, "What if they are that assured? This would make them reckless, wouldn''t it?" Daniel realized, "The other organizations wouldn''t be so easy to destroy. They can only be assured if they.....blinking hell, it would appear that there is a bigger organization helping them. Somehow, I predict Starhold would become a battlegrounds for the higher echelons of the pyramid." "The chaos is spreading here, it seems," said Alchemist. He had just finished scavenging the assassin''s body for anything that caught his eyes, but it was to no avail. There wasn''t anything fancy on him except for hidden daggers and poisons. He lightly bowed, "With that said, I shall take my exit and use the few days we have to prepare for the incoming chaos." Just as he was about to leave, Daniel called him out, "Alchemist..." Alchemist looked back, "Yes?" Daniel eyed him with a red glint, "Don''t pull that stunt ever again?" "What are you referring to?" "I was watching you. You knew the food was poisoned long ago, but decided to wait until Toka consumed the right amount before you alarmed us," divulged Daniel. That was why he didn''t touch the meal. He was suspicious of why Alchemist wasn''t eating. Thankfully, he made the right decision. Alchemist sighed in response, "I could say the same for you. Why didn''t you alert Toka the moment you noticed my strange action?" His words put Daniel on the spot as the other three influential figures gasped. Somehow, they had become extras in this big game. Seeing that Daniel could not provide an answer, Alchemist gave him one, "We are all seeking the golden fruit in this chaotic field. You used me to eliminate your rival. I, on the other hand, was tired of listening to Toka''s foolish rants." With that said, he took his leave. As Daniel watched his fading silhouette, he thought with a look of seriousness, ''Alchemist.....he is scary.'' Nevertheless, he had gained full control of Starhold''s Black Market. All that was left was to report the change of situation to his superiors and wait for further instruction... . . . . . . . Two days later. Academy District. Reve sat on his chair as he went deep into thoughts. It had been two days since he started training the first generation. Some of them has started showing progress in their training but the greater large were still the same. Albeit, he had to admit they were a bit different from themselves before training. It seemed he couldn''t rely on them for another five months or more. ''Hmmmmm...I''m tired. I never expected this mission to be this stressful. I wonder how Nikan and the others are doing. They better be more stressed than I.'' The other prospects of Gehenna Order were scattered around the globe searching for the shards of Sheol, or at least, pinpointing the source of the rumors. It was definitely not going to be easy for them. Reve''s room suddenly shook violently. The calm atmosphere began roaring with violent black winds. The black winds concentrated to form a small tornado that quickly dispersed to reveal a human-sized black hawk, "Oh Demis, it''s good to see you again," greeted Reve. "Hmph. Unfortunately, I don''t reciprocate this feeling," scoffed Demis. Reve didn''t take offense to that and waited patiently for Demis to speak again. "I come bearing letters from the Immortal Witch," announced Demis. It materialized two letters and sent them Reve''s way, who caught in with one hand. He also dropped a small chest on Reve''s bed. Noticing that Demis was about to leave, Reve pressed, "Have you thought about my offer?" "...I''m still thinking about it." Demis then disappeared, leaving Reve alone with the two letters and a chest. ''Tsk Tsk. He will have to consider it sooner or later.'' Reve had seen it. The King of Misery, Demis, was bored of his everyday routine. His eyes yearned for excitement, and what better excitement was there than messing with Titan-related missions ''Anyway, I have to see what Circe wrote.'' Hence, he tore open one of the letters and read it. His eyes were absolutely concentrated as he absorbed the content of the letter. The letter contained Circe''s reply to his search for magic drugs. In it, she wrote a lot of details concerning magic drugs in general and listed some good ones that would very well serve its purpose. However, being the expert that she is, she picked one excellent one for him and wrote down the exact recipe. ''Hmmm¡­.I will focus on that later.'' Reve picked up the second letter. It was just as he expected, containing Circe''s message on the curse of Nimiel. At first, she mocked him for promising something he had no idea of how to fulfill. She then told him that the cure for the curse is almost non-existent and would require rare materials. Finally, she bragged about how she had once come across a mage with the curse back in her younger years. Back then, the curse was not yet named and anyone who had it was said to have been cursed by the devil. Luckily, she and the mage managed to create a cure for it and it was effective. The mage survived past her young adult age! Chapter 188 - Dragontail(1) Minutes passed, and Reve was finally done with reading the letter. He thought to himself, ''Okay, Circe had delivered on her part. The remaining bits lie on my shoulders.'' Firstly, the Tribe of Somnia now has its own unique traits with its very first line of products. As Reve had decided weeks ago, they would be focusing on magic drugs that were almost similar to dark potions, except they have a temporary effect and were more perverted in nature. The magic drug that Circe had in mind for him was called Dragontail. Being the old witch that she was, Circe had dabbled into all schools of magic, and Alchemy Magic was something she was not new to. Reve knew this well. She explained that, when she was still studying the school, she had theorized a magic drug that would temporarily boost one''s mana reserve as well as physical stats. However, Circe didn''t need help from a magic drug so she perfected the concept of Dragontail. It was only now, millennials later, when Reve was in dire need of a magic drug did she finally perfected the concept of Dragontail. It only took her a day to develop its recipe and she made a few on her own, which was in the chest that Demis gave him. Reve hastily opened the chest. Inside it were small vials that hosted a luscious blue liquid. The energy radiating from the vials was too suffocating. Reve could already smell the scent of the liquids and that took him to an euphoric state. Reve held one of the vials, "The Dragontail." This would be his selling product! Circe mentioned that Dragontail gave a sort of pain-pleasure. It was certainly addictive to its consumers and that was just what Reve needed. The only problem was that the drug required technical and experienced skills to make it. He couldn''t keep relying on Circe, so he would need to find another alchemist in less than a week. "I can already smell success coming," smiled Reve. He pondered about the second letter, which contained the cure for the Curse of Nimiel. In actuality, it was not really a cure, but a curing process. The Curse of Nimiel was parasitic in the body of its host. It bonded to the host''s life and, together, they spend the same finite lifespan. To stop an infestation on that level, Reve would need a lot of things, but mostly, he would need to divert the attention of the curse. The curse feeds on energy and if it can''t find its source, it would suck one''s life. Hence, Circe speculated that he needed a potion that grants mana. He also needed a good reagent to mix with the potion. A good reagent would be something like dragonblood, feyblood, primoblood, mammon''s saliva. But all these were quite rare and would be immensely hard to obtain so Circe advised him to use the closest reagent to him¡­..his blood. Reve was a titan, so he had titanblood, a perfect reagent. He could negate the cost of mythical reagents by using his immature blood. Despite Reve being unsure if it would serve its purpose, he reckoned it was worth the try. The only thing that irked him was the fact that he was going to use an intricate part of himself for the cure. No matter how he looked at it, it was weird and not pleasant to think of. "Now, I have everything I need. There is nothing stopping me now," muttered Reve. His eyes were focused on his palm but his mind was elsewhere. He kept thinking......would he fall in his journey. Nevertheless, Reve was definitely not weak-minded. A little self-doubt was okay. It would make him more cautious in his endeavors. Reve entered a meditative stance, calming his turbulent mind, ''I can only move forwards now. Tomorrow, the Tribe of Somnia will debut.'' To prepare for this, he had to save up his energy. Reve Amethyst wasn''t planning a gentle debut! . . . . . The following day. At the outskirts of Starhold, where the loathsome hills of the Forbidden Peaks resided, two hooded individuals trotted its edges. They stopped after the image of a large mountain appeared in their view. There were other mountains beside it but none held such grandiose. The titanious mountain towered over the rest easily. Covered its peak was a ring of clouds that seemed to exalt the mountain just as how mortals bow to gods. One of the hooded figures said calmly, "Dorian, is this it?" The other hooded figure replied politely, "Yes, Kimon. The highest peak is your destination, the home of Black Market. Beware, a few miles further and you would be attacked by the miasma." "Do not worry about that. I have countermeasures against it," replied Kimon. He focused on the titan mountain, many kilometers away, one last time before saying to Dorian, "You have done well. You can leave now. I will go on myself." "As you wish," lightly bowed Dorian. Kimon thought inwardly, ''oh no, he is becoming smoother with his words.'' He had noticed that Dorian ordained himself as Kimon''s personal attendant. He, along with the gang, saw Kimon as an almost supreme figure. If not for Kimon intervening in their affairs, they would have referred to him as their ''light.'' Kimon¡­.or better yet, Reve, waited till Dorian left the vicinity before he moved. He walked for a while and stopped as soon as he saw something in front. The way ahead was foggy, clouded with some sort of deadly green gas that corroded all lifeforms, even the trees weren''t spared from this occurrence. ''So, this is the miasma of the Forbidden Peak. I can see why people feared it.'' If he took just another step forward, the miasma would attack him. Yet, knowing that, Reve still did it. He died his hand into the miasma and watched as the green gas ate his flesh. Quickly, after having enough, Reve brought back his hand. ''The corrosion is rough. It doesn''t corrode cleanly. Furthermore, ¡­...'' Just as he had expected, Reve''s muscles grew back in place. It seemed that his healing factor would play a major role in his mission to reach the top. Chapter 189 - Monster Reve had reached a conclusion as soon as he saw his skin regenerate back. With his mind prepared, Reve dashed into the miasma. His speed resembled pure lightning as all that was visible was a bluish-green streak that rushed through the miasma. ''Oh damnation, the pain!!!'' mentally screamed Reve. He could feel each layer of his skin consecutively being peeled off. The miasma brushed on the part of his face that wasn''t protected by the mask. It was killing him. The only thing that kept him moving was willpower. Yet, even for someone like him, it was beginning to prove futile. His speed kept decreasing and he was losing momentum. What existed in his mind wasn''t pain. Instead, it was the bright light that kept showing in front of the massive gathering of green gas. That was the only thing he could think of. He guessed, ''It is hope.'' It should be hope. Hope that the green mass had a certain boundary and beyond the boundary was a normal mountain region not infested by it. ''I need to get faster or my healing factor won''t be able to protect me for long,'' inwardly screamed Reve. As he ran, he shouted loudly like a mad man. His demihuman ears came out of his side. His tail flung about. His fur reappeared back on his skin. Conclusively, a pair of antler protruded from the upper parts of his head. He was channeling his primate form, [Tres]. This unleashing provided him with the right amount of power to increase his speed. He stopped running like a human and put his four limbs to good use. His cat-like eyes, protected by the mask, observed the boundary in sight. He estimated the distance to be about one kilometer. *Whoosh!* Now it was 900 meters...it reduced to 800¡­..to 500...to 50¡­.He was getting closer. 5¡­.4¡­.3¡­2¡­1. Reve shot out of the green miasma and reached normal green land. He rolled onto the dirt until he struck his claws into the earth, forcefully stopping his movement. "Ahhh!!!" It was not his current action that made him scream. No, it was the pains becoming evident as the clothes on him soon turned to dust and his skin, long far gone. The only thing on it was the inner redness of his body that shouldn''t be shown to other living beings. In a way, it was sort of his private self. Reve squeezed his face as his healing factor began working its magic. Perhaps, that''s what made the entire ordeal terrible to bear. Each time a fiber in his body was being elongated, it would release a stinging sensation that did feel more than stinging to Reve. It felt as if a thin pin was continuously stabbed into his eye. ''Damn, what a sad life? Ahhhh!'' Not being able to contain the pain anymore, Reve released a piercing scream out into the world. It scared off all animals in the vicinity. From nowhere, someone shouted at him, "Stop where you are!" Staying in a curled up position, Reve couldn''t see the person, but his eyes reddened as soon as he heard the sound. His tail wagged, sending forth a force barrier that slammed the person instantly. Reve quickly appeared in the face of the man dressed in light armor. All notions of intelligence in Reve''s eyes were suppressed as he gnarled. "Oh, for fucking sake, what is this monstrosity?" screamed the man. He tried freeing himself from the grasp of the red monster but its claw dug deep into his body. This would render him unable to move, even if he was free. The monster opened its mouth and shot a force blast directly at his face. The last thing the man saw was the wicked fangs of the monster as it roared once again! *Phew!* ......¡­.. The man was dead, leaving the monster without prey. Yet, the monster couldn''t care. It widened its mouth to attempt a bite at the dead man''s face, but before its fangs could crush its head into what he considered to be wild sweetness, the monster paused in its footsteps. Reve woke up! ''What the hell is this? What happened?'' He spat out the disgusting head that was forced into his mouth. Luckily, it wasn''t crushed yet or he would be reeling in absolute disgust. The last thing Reve remembered were the words of surprise from the man who he assumed to be a mountain guard. The next thing after that was the man''s head in his mouth. Was such a thing possible? Looking at the scene around him painted in red, he could see traces of savagery. Something or someone chopped the dead man''s hand libs away from his body. Chunks of flesh splattered on the ground. Once again, he wondered what happened and how he played into it. ''Someone is coming!'' Reve sensed movements ahead of him. He couldn''t afford to ponder on the mysteries of his present environment. By now, his body had healed, so he hid behind a tree, but before he did that, a glimmer coursed through his eye and he threw all the remains of the dead man into the miasma. Just like he expected, the green gas quickly disposed of any material evidence. The only thing left was the bloodstains on the ground. Reve broke his code and used his magi to grow plants around the stained spot. It did well to hide the stains while also releasing a natural scent that covered the smell of blood in the area. "Whoever you are, show yoursel!" shouted a voice in front. Reve panicked, ''Damn, I''m late.'' He couldn''t exactly show his demihuman form to the mountain guards. Reve took a few seconds morphing behind the tree. Bringing out a new set of clothes, he put them on hastily. "I shan''t ask again. Show yourself or we will attack," warned the mountain guard. Judging by the incoming footsteps, Reve garnered that the group of mountain guards had already assembled. The energy radiating from the was brimming, a foreboding sign that an attack was about to occur. Reve jumped away from the tree with his hands up in the air, "Easy. Easy. Easy. I come in peace.. Your swords won''t be needed." Chapter 190 - Oh Shit! The guards looked at the cloaked figure. They couldn''t understand how this was possible. To their knowledge, no one could breach the green miasma that they called Devil''s Breath. It was impossible to do so without the pill that Black Market produced. And getting one of them was even more impossible. Black Market only gave them to their inner members or to guests that were visiting them. So, was this man an honored guest? The leader of the mountain guards whispered to his men, "Be on alert. He is an intruder. There are signs of forceful entry in the vicinity." The roughened ground was one of them and the broken trees were a close second. The leader tried to control the situation, "Pull down your hood. We do not converse with people that hide their faces." After he said that, he saw the intruded reveal his impeccable appearance. His flowing green hair and electric blue eyes were not something that was commonly seen around this part of the world. So, why was such a man here? This question unsettled him. No matter how the leader looked at things, there was a certain weirdness in this situation. The intruder, still with his hands up in the air, politely said, "Greetings, I am Kimon. I request a meeting with your leader." "For what reason?" asked the guard leader. "Business purposes. I aim to present an exquisite deal to your leader. It is one I''m absolutely sure would dazzle your leader." The guard leader ruminated after hearing this, ''I can show him to the heads, but we just faced an assassination and this could very well be another one. It would be unwise to guide him to the mountain peak.'' The guard leader then spoke, "Kimon, I''m sorry but we can''t do that." "I understand your reasoning but I assure you I mean no harm. All I seek is an audience with your leader," asked Kimon. The guard leader reached his hand towards his crossbow on his waist, "The answer remains the same. I can''t let you pass." "Very well, then. I will just have to pave the path myself," sighed Kimon. His body abruptly turned into an after image. He was moving at an incredible speed, heading for the path blocked by the guards. However, the guard leader was prepared. He had already loaded his crossbow and unleashed an onslaught of arrows towards Kimon. Unlike his men, the guard leader''s main choice of weapon was a crossbow. He had daggers on his waist belt but he was victorious whenever he loaded his crossbows. The other guards rushed at Kimon while he kept restricting his movements. "Great Fire!" shouted one of the guards. His sword pulsed with deep flames. Raising it high, he timed the moment which Kimon would appear in front of him and slashed downwards, not caring for the safety of his mates as he was sure they would have realized his attack before it happened. Kimon''s eyes squinced just before the large blade appeared to claim his life. He brought his arms together and took advantage of his leather bracers, defending the attack with his arms. *Shshshshs!* After the attack was over, his bracer went rendered useless as it turned into crisp, while a large patch of skin was blackened by the intensity of the flames. He reckoned that, if he hadn''t sacrificed his bracers, his arms might just have been cut. Kimon brutally kicked the guard, but in the next second,... "Rhino drive!" A mercilessly leg smashed into his face. Kimon rolled until he hit the nearby tree and coughed out blood. He realized that the guards were all seasoned and it won''t be easy going through them, especially when they had good rapport. ''I need to take them out, one by one. First, the archers, then the frontmen.'' He murmured to himself, "My body is a marionette and I''m the marionettist. [Morai]!" He didn''t just stop there and activated [Enchant Body: Demon]. Kimon was pulling no stops! Instantly, he disappeared from his spot. He later could be seen behind an archer, who was already surprised by his disappearance. A straight punch to the face was all it took to knock out the archer. However, one had to factor in the actual strength of the punch which was enough to destroy a tower instantly. Kimon''s flashes could now be seen everywhere as he kept attacking all the archers who were previously restricting his movement. He was not without injuries, though. A few arrows infused with elemental forces had gotten the better of him. They went deep in his skin, but luckily, none of them were close to his heart. Archers have proven to be his worst enemy, especially the good ones who were capable of predicting his next movement, even before he thought of it Kimon jumped up just before an arrow could hit him. While retaining the ability of levitation in the air, he saw a linear alignment of archers. They might not have noticed but, from this angle, all it would take was a single devastating attack. ''Good. I shall end this absurdity now!'' Reve tried buying himself time by manifesting a violent airwave with a normal physical kick, which he directed at the incoming guards behind him. In less than five seconds, he lowered his altitude and face the line of archers. His sensory skills, perceiving all that was around him as he closed his eyes. A simple punch was released by him. *Boom!* The punch generated a force barrier that smashed into the line of archers¡­..and that kickstarted everything! Kimon withdrew his hand and punched with his other arm. *Boom!* His speed increased as he kept punching and punching into the invisible air. Each time, the power of the force barrier generated doubled. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* Kimon was creating a natural disaster at this point. The ground quickly levelled as cracks began appearing on it. Trees flew about randomly, with their barks cutting into the bodies of the archers. Now, they knew what it was like to be pierced. The situation was a complete pandemonium. ''Wait. I can''t let them die,'' thought Kimon. He was here on official business. There was no need to stain the waters. Reve looked at the chaos he created, ''Hmmm¡­that is about enough.'' He turned behind as a guard lunged at him. Reve easily evaded him and sent a kick into his guts. Other guards were coming, leaving Kimon no time to dilly-dawdle. ''I suppose this would end things.'' Feeling a headache coming, Kimon paused the battle and wore his white victory headband. He was now refreshed so he continued on with his plans. With [Force], Kimon controlled the broken trees, raising them high in the air where the guards saw it and could draw comparisons to the lonely sun. They all thought, "Oh, shit!" Chapter 191 - The Mountain Peak(1) Reve''s destructive potential was something he could not attempt to estimate. He agreed he was not that powerful in the world of Arcadia. Yet, when it came to a battle between him and weaker beings, there were no questions...he would absolutely decimate them. Facing the assembly of front guards, Reve used the trees in the environment to attack them. It rose in the air, gaining the momentum it needed to transform into a powerful attack. Still maintaining a certain altitude in the air, Reve pointed his fingers downwards, ''What a sad life?!'' The trees and tiny wooden shards blitzed towards the front guards. Each item was just like a shooting star. It was sudden, but while it still lived, it was absolutely dazzling! Some of the guards used their brains to deduce that an attack made with natural tree shards wouldn''t affect warriors like them, but when their bodies contacted the shards, they were beyond livid! "Heavenblight!, what is this?!" "Ahhh!!" The power of the shards had escaped the confines of logic. Immediately they hit their bodies, they would disintegrate, but not before dealing sufficient damage. It all took them by surprise, giving them no time to erect their defense techniques. They were caught off guard, and that was the end! After the rain of attack was done, no single guard was left standing. They were all buried in the earth, albeit still breathing, just like Reve calculated. Feeling his muscles being strained, Reve panted, "The after-effects of the battle with the knight still lingers. To think I can only do this much without succumbing to weariness." This made him wonder whether it was a wise choice to seek Black Market at this time. On second thought, it was probably better this way. There was no time like the present. If he simply waited till he fully recuperated, he would have lost the ideal time to strike a deal with the leaders of Black Market. Reve glanced at the defeated guards, "I need to move on. They won''t stay down for long." He ignored his body state and focused on the task at hand. Wanting to converse his energy, Reve deactivated [Morai] and [Enchant Body: Demon]. He walked past the trees, increasing his pace as he went so as to optimize his energy. Soon, Reve reached the gigantic mountain which Dorian suspected to be the base of Black Market. He was just about to begin his upward journey to the mountain''s peak when he heard something. "Cease!! Who are you?!" He looked at the trees on the mountain. On some of them were guards with identical clothes to the other guards he met at the mouth of the mountain region. Instantly, he understood that these were higher-level guards that were positioned here to protect this particular mountain if the other guards failed...which in this case, they did. Reve sighed and introduced himself, "I''m Kim¨C" "We do not care who you are. Go back to where you came from or we shall see this as a provoked attack!" A group of the guards wore light outfit sets that were popularized by the elves. This outfit, combined with their bows, created one of the most destructive classes of fighters in all of Arcadia. Reve noticed that their arrows glowed with a wide spectrum of lights. They were arrows imbued with the power of mana or ki, something that the other guards weren''t capable of pulling off. Reve had only seen one person achieve this feat, and it did not end ugly. He wryly smiled, "Can I ask that you do not point that at me?" The main speaker of the guards laughed, "He asks us to point down our weapons?! Surely, he jests!! Archers, let''s kill this fucker. We shall send him back to his mother, in pieces." A sigh once again escaped Reve''s lips. Dark bags of circles were evident under his eyes. Nevertheless, he still quipped, "That hurts, really. I never had a mother." As he spoke, a blue streak brightened in his eyes and he rose up from his ground. Ignored the surprise of the guards since they have never seen a man fly before, Reve danced in the air before rushing at the group. Like always, his figure could not be seen . . . . . . At the peak of the giant mountain, a few guards stood on standby beside the large mansion that housed their leaders. "Do you hear that?" asked one of the guards He walked to the edge of the mountain peak and lent his ear to the wind. He couldn''t hear anything anymore. ''It must have been nothing,'' thought the guard. He turned back to his colleagues, "Its''----" All of a sudden, a bright light exploded in the hazy sky. The guards'' faces tightened and they forced their sight on the flashes of light flickering above. They couldn''t discern the state of the light. The flickering light settled after it crashed into the earth. In its place were two figures, one on top the other. The one beneath resembled the guard leader of the second vanguard while the one on top was someone the guards could not recognize. He kept punching the guard leader with a powerful force that bore similarity to that wielded by the mystical giants. All the while, he muttered, "First, you interrupt my greetings. Then, you insult my non-existent mother. There''s no way in hell you are leaving my grasp." The guard leader laughed while he threw in a few good punches that remained futile in the end, "You fucker! Heh, so that''s what this is all about." "Of course," huffed Reve. He sent a final punch that knocked out the guard leader. With rigid movements, he stood up and turned to the other guards he had noticed a while ago, "Greetings, I''m¡ª" Suddenly, he fell to his knees and held his head wildly. He could feel a thousand pins creating tiny holes in his brain and it turned him insane. He wanted to scream yet his body failed to recognize that normal reaction. This was the repercussion of overusing the skills from the [Path of Secrets]. Its been a while since he felt this bad. Of all places this could happen at, why was it here, in a place that he had already sowed bad karma? Chapter 192 - The Mountain Peak(2) - Daniel "I can''t show weakness here," thought Reve. He forcefully drove his fingers into his palm. This sensation, different from the pain in his head, brought his mind to reality. He opened his eyes again as the curse of the secret path disappeared. Ahead of him was the group of guards. They maintained a stance of caution as they further observed Reve. "Who are you?!" calmly asked the spokesperson. Reve struggled to stand up, "Greetings, I''m Kimon." He waited for some words from the guards, but all they did was look back at him in silence. A few times, their eyes trailed to the bloodied human that laid close to Reve. Reve smiled, "I apologize for the barbaric spectacle. But as you see, I''m in urgent need to see your leader." From the guards'' point of view, there was nothing to say. What comment could they possibly speak? The man named Kimon appeared with an unstable body that seemed to sway by the mere brush of the wind. Yet, even while in this state, he wrecked the guard leader of the second vanguard. No matter how cordial Kimon presented himself as, they could only perceive this situation as it was....a hostile situation!!! Hence, they brought out their weapons and charged them with energy. Meanwhile, Reve almost lost his balance when he sighed, "I see¡­.You chose the same path as the others. What a sad life?" The wind picked him up, and he moved with a great burst of speed. He had lost count of how many times he had been through this type of situation. Was it his curse to be burdened by scenarios like this? As he lunged in the air, he sent forth a force barrier that sneaked up on the guards without them knowing. Their charged-up attacks deactivated as they were left to focus on the transparent force barrier. Reve increased his speed and lurked behind his force barrier. In the next moment, his figure vanished, and the guards were left to wonder about his whereabouts. Yet, that was not the right time for that! "Skyslash!" shouted one of the guards. The other guards positioned themselves behind the guard leader, leading the man alone in the wake of the force barriers. Suddenly, their senses tingled. They could feel something approaching their behind¡­.and it was fast, insanely fast. They could barely react in time, erecting an earth wall that would block the incoming invader. But, it didn''t work out well. They were too late as their senses still warned them they were in danger! The incoming invader had breached their earth wall. His body frame reflected in their eyes. His normal human hand was postured to form a flying punch. Even before the attack could connect, they could feel the air vibrating in fear. Surely, this was not something they wanted to land on their bodies. If this was to hit it, it would be game over. No doubts about that. But, could they do something against it? Time was not on their side, and their thought process slowed. The punch, that was now pulling with it a tempestuous gale, seemed to be unquenchable. "Stop!" In this perilous situation, at this dying minute, a loud shout echoed rampantly. . . . . . . "Stop!" Reve''s body subconsciously paused his action when he heard that particular voice. ''Who is that?'' he wondered. It was then he saw another human. This one wore a different outfit than the guards. His brilliant formal shirt complimented his black pants. His oceanic hair flew with the wind when he spoke again, "I said stop." However, that was not what bothered Reve. There was an invasive feeling growing in his body. The words coming out of this man released a pulsation that disrupted all his energy. He was familiar with this certain disruption phenomenon. However, he wasn''t aware that just a mere voice would make his heart pound painfully. *Dun!* *Dun!!* As his heart''s beat reduced, he found himself gasping for breath, which made him fall to his knees. It also didn''t help the case that he already had enough internal injuries. ''Focus¡­Calm breaths¡­.Calm breaths,'' chanted Reve. He touched the meek texture of the earth and focused on that only. His entire world disappeared, leaving only him and an abundant rich land that pulsated vibrantly. Soon, his heartthrob died out, and he was back to normal. Inwardly thinking, Reve looked up at the blue-haired man, ''Just who is he?'' ''.....and what did he do to me'' He had never expected he would meet someone like him here. Someone that appeared even more mysterious than him. Hence, Reve tried using his [Appraisal] on him. [Name: Kaerius ####### (Daniel) Race: ####### Level(exp): Level 101 (1,669/9,000) Path: Grand Mage (Magic), ######## Titles: Underworld Boss, Grand Mage, Grand Elementalist, ##### AP: #### [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 105 Speed: 87 Constitution: 90 Intelligence: 73 Spirit Energy: 400 ] ] ''Fuckery! What such stats is this?'' Now Reve was innately prideful. Even while he struggled with Knight Villaime, he was still under the notion that there were no interesting individuals in Starhold''s Underworld. Of course, Knight Villaime was special, but he was not part of the Underworld. Even if he was counted as part of it, he would merely remain a singular exception to Reve. Yet¡ªthe horrors¡ª, this man was goddamn special! Some of his titles could negate the effect of [Appraisal]. Even his name was obscure. His race was encrypted as well. This would suggest that he wasn''t human or, at least, he wasn''t a normal human. Worst of all, he seemed to have more horrifying details than even [Appraisal] let on. His aquatic blue eyes stared down at Reve as he went into pensive thoughts. Reve could sense his body being stripped apart by those pure eyes. It was certainly not a good feeling. He discerned that this man had [Appraisal] too. It was hard to guess what the rank of his [Appraisal] was. Furthermore, what had the man found out?! Whatever he found out would relate to how high-ranked his [Appraisal] was.. So, Reve figured he just had to wait for the man to speak up¡­. Chapter 193 - Dragontail Testing Anyways, that was that. He was only marveled by the man''s stats. He had seen better stats. On second thoughts, maybe he hadn''t, but he had seen people that would surely produce better stats if he appraised them. Reve stood up and faced the man. If he guessed right, there shouldn''t be anything fearful about this situation. Seeing Reve''s face regain calmness, the man named Daniel spoke up, "Kimon, is it?" "Yes, Daniel." Reve had not yet introduced himself but Daniel already knew his name. He processed this bit of information, ''It seems like I was right. He did use [Appraise] on me. However, it appears the rank of the skill could only take him to the surface level, the mask I built to hide my true self.'' Since Daniel was not bothered about revealing his [Appraisal], Reve too followed along. His awareness of the man''s name was proof that he, too, had the skill. "So, Kimon, why are my guards injured? What should I take from what I''m seeing right here?" queried Daniel. Despite not feeling any threatening aura coming out of Daniel, Reve knew that the man was not calm at all. If anything, his calm pretense was a sign that he was annoyed. Reve smiled like a true gentleman, "I assure you this is all a misunderstanding. All your guards are still breathing and physically sound. Well, except one that flew into the miasma accidentally." "Hmmmm¡­..so what? You injure my men and laugh it off. Give me a reason to not consider you an enemy," threatened Daniel. "I came to strike a deal with the leader of Black Market, which I suppose is you. Your guards didn''t believe me, but, surely, you will be different, wouldn''t you?" told Reve. "Oh, and what deal is this?" Reve looked at his surroundings first before focusing back on Daniel. His body creaked like an ancient metal mechanism, "Well, we can''t discuss it here, can we?" Daniel stared deep into Reve''s eyes as he maintained his silence. He seemed to be going through a wide variety of thoughts. "Alright, entertain me¡­.." . . . . . . . . Seated in Daniel''s informal office, Reve closed his eyes for a second and enjoyed the feeling of his body being supported by something cushy. This feeling did not last for long as Daniel hurried him, "I don''t think I brought you here to relax, did I?" Now in his comfort zone, Reve smirked, "A good deal needs to be decided over a cool atmosphere. Do you have any cold drinks to serve to your guests?" Daniel stared briefly before snapping his fingers. His servant rushed into the room. She bent her head towards Daniel''s mouth, listening to his whisperings. Reve could hear what Daniel was saying, but he pretended not to have any idea. After a while, the servant left. She came back in less than two minutes with a tray and two bottles of wine. Her experience was showcased as she dropped the tray on the table and served both Daniel and Reve. She left not long after doing that. Meanwhile, Reve wasted no time before gulping the wine in the cup. Instantly, a refreshing sensation gushed into him and his skin gained a warm hue. Reve refilled his cup while he talked, "As I said, I come bearing an irresistible offer. It has come to my knowledge that Black Market is a neutral faction that sponsors younger organizations." "....And you want to take advantage of that?" smirked Daniel. "In a way, yes. But from a good vantage point, this benefits both parties." "I have lost counts of how many young factions told me the same thing," snorted Daniel. "So, what makes your faction so special?" Reve sipped the wine mannerly, "My faction''s trait. It is something that would secure this deal, and I''m a hundred percent sure of that. Also, I''m not so needy that I would need your ''sponsorship''. All I ask for is that you showcase my products on your market. That is, I would be selling my products through you!" "Quite ballsy of you to state the details before presenting your so-called miracle product," said Daniel. This Kimon was an enigma. He was one of the few individuals who could remain composed in his presence. Reve dug into his pocket and inexplicably brought out a small vial. Inside it was a blue gooey substance that appeared to be alive as it moved like ocean waves. Reve introduced, "Dragontail. A magic drug that enhances one''s physical and magical prowess. While it could easily pass as a dark potion. Its uniqueness lies in its effects." Reve cooly threw the vial towards Daniel, who caught it perfectly, "A magic drug? You don''t say. This idea has been tossed around a lot, but no one has really pondered on it. Rana!" Following his beckoning, the female servant of Daniel entered the office with great strides. She quickly assumed an attentive stance beside Daniel. "You called for me, sir?" she said. "Get me a guard," commanded Daniel. Rana, the female servant, was quick to her feet as she left the room. Meanwhile, Daniel kept looking at the vial, "This is the moment of truth. I will verify your claims here. Bear in mind that if it doesn''t please me, this won''t go well for you." Reve simply sipped on his wine, "Relax. I''m certain this would meet your fancy." The door pushed open, and a guard rushed in. He walked close to Daniel with raised eyebrows. "Take your seat," chided Daniel. He stood up from his spot with the vial in his hand. The guard did not understand what was happening. So, it wasn''t surprising that he thought he was in danger. His body trembled yet he didn''t leave his seat. Daniel placed his hands on the guard''s shoulder, "Now. Now, relax. You are in no danger." He forcefully opened the guard''s mouth and poured the contents of the vial into it. The guard gurgled in reflex, but the liquid substance had already gone into his system. A red electric streak appeared in his eyes.. It intensified continuously until his contained aura burst out of his body. Chapter 194 - The Contract The guard''s face became rosy as he mouthed moans of pleasure. He juddered his head countless times due to not being able to withstand the bouts of sensual pain. This man''s eyes were lifeless for a few seconds before it sparked zestfully, bringing forth the freshness of life that was akin to a baby''s pure first breath. ''What is happening to me?'' thought the derided guard. When he looked at his surrounding, there were too many colors looking back at him. He could feel the texture of air and touch the scents around him. He felt invisible. The guard grabbed his armchair, but it broke instantly. In shock, he tried moving away but he quickly turned to a blur whose identity was revealed when he appeared fixed in one of the sidewalls of the room. The wall broke soundly, resulting in a large hole in the wall. "I feel strong. I feel mighty¡­.I feel¡ª" Daniel sneaked up behind him and whacked him in the head before the guard could cause any more chaos. He returned his unconscious body to the chair. Daniel concentrated on the unconscious guard for a while. He later focused on Reve, "Well, now you have me interested." "That was expected," retorted Reve. Daniel snapped his fingers, and the guard woke up. His eyes were still drowsy from the prior events. "What happened?" he asked for the umpteenth time. Feeling curious, Daniel decided to test the waters, "What did you see?" "I was in a dream, a long dream. I towered over all my foes. Married an elf princess and sailed past the waters of Xoris. In this dream, I was supreme.....as mighty as a dragon." Daniel went into deep thoughts, ''He can''t remember his savage acts?!!'' He voiced out, "I see¡­..once you drank the vial, you went to sleep. It is alright. You can leave now." A smooth lie. But it was necessary. Daniel didn''t want to expose the truth, as might lead to unwanted scenarios. "But..." "Leave!" cooly said Daniel. His words seemed to have an effect on the guard. The guard straightened his body and prepared to exit the room. Just when he passed by Reve, he retraced his steps and asked, "Sir, do you have any more vials?" From his sparkly eyes, it was clear that he very much wanted a positive answer, but Reve gladly disappointed him. "No, I don''t, sadly," replied Reve. Soon, the guard left the room, leaving Reve and Daniel all by themselves. Daniel was the first person to break the quirky silence, "It appears that you are not wrong. This Dragontail is superb. Just the prototype is enough to make me interested." "What did you expect? I never lie," boasted Reve. The two moved on to state their contract details. "You said you required my sponsorship?" "Well, that is very coy of you, Daniel. If I remember correctly, I need you to act as the seller of my product, the perfect trader. I don''t need funds from you. I''m well capable of producing my own," smirked Reve. Someone like Daniel wouldn''t forget a major detail. So, him making that obvious mistake was probably just him trying to throw Reve off his game. That was how promising Dragontail seemed like to him. Daniel played innocent, "What is the difference?" "The status of the two parties involved. My faction is not a subordinate. This offer should make us on equal seatings. I only pay what is required of me and you give an excellent service. However, your price would be more lenient as my faction is barely new and you don''t want to overwhelm a promising faction with lots of bills," stated Reve. He had thought about this many times before coming. Black Market was just like its name denoted. It was a closed-off market where varieties of underworld items were sold at. This market was the most popular in the underworld and it wasn''t even by a small margin. They rope in small factions and make sure to secure a debt from the faction that would take to fruition after the faction has fairly grown. Most small organizations start like this since they wouldn''t be able to do better on their own. However, Reve planned to be different. He was going to be arrogant and picky.....he had the rights to do that because Dragontail was sure to shake the markets of the Underworld! Daniel tapped his hand on the table surface, "Are you sure you don''t want our monetary support? Surely, a young faction wouldn''t just appear with a large sum of capital." "Aye. I have my means. So, about the deal, what do you say?" "You have other vials present with you?" asked Daniel. "Yes." Reve sent the few extra vials he had with him to Daniel. Once Daniel got hold of it, he explained. "I would need to convince the other leaders. Nevertheless, consider this deal landed. I''m confident this is something that Black Market won''t gloss over." Daniel opened his drawer and brought out a reddish small star-shaped device. He pressed a certain button on which beamed with a red glow. Suddenly, a weird sound came out of the device. Daniel saw it as green light and started another round of conversation. "Let''s go over the details before anything else. What price shall we task for the services we perform? Firstly, this contract would only last for a year. After that, we shall review it and upgrade the details based on the progress of your faction. Is that okay with you?" "Yes." "Regardless of whether you succeed or not, in the first six months of our partnership, you will pay thirty percent of your monthly income to us." Reve argued, "Twenty-five percent." "Twenty-four percent." "Twenty percent!" Daniel broke into a warm smile, "Twenty percent, it is." He went on to state the further details, "After the first six months, you will pay thirty percent of your income." "I can make do with that," agreed Reve. He thought to himself, ''I don''t need the money. The gang of thieves don''t also need such abundant money so I can acquiesce here. Our future income would mainly be used to secure quality production of Dragontail.'' Daniel listed the final condition, "Good. I''m sure you are aware that we should be the only market you have a partnership with?" "Yes." The blue-haired man placed his index finger on the device and allowed a red ray of light to scan his finger. Then he passed the device to Reve. Reve looked skeptically at it, ''Is this a voice recorder? And also an energy-signature reader?'' Judging by the two things Daniel did, he guessed as such. Anyway, Reve placed his finger and allowed his energy signature to be scanned. He was sure by this point that this device was surely proof of their contract and if he went against it, he would face the full brunt of Black Market. "There is an open spot in our next week Friday''s auction. Prepare a large batch of Dragontails before that date and seek us on Thursday. That will be your debut!" Finalizing the deal, Daniel gave Reve a white pill, saying it would negate the effects of the miasma.. This way, he would be able to arrive here safely on Thursday. Chapter 195 - Sisterhood Of Naamah The nights of Starhold were always so brilliant. All sorts of men and women came out of their recluse to take part in the depravity that could only exist under the blankets of the stars. They reveled in the sensation that the moonlights gave them. The perfect balance of coldness that it produces upon hitting their tender skins. And the way it beckoned at them to show their true self. Reve quite liked this spectacle. It had been a while since he had been walking around, but he wasn''t tired yet. In a way, the wildness of the night was comfortable to him. It reminded him of his wildlife as a white arcadian cat, where death was present in every corner and the sheer randomness of it was ludicrous if one thought deeply into it. However, Reve was not simply here to admire the beauty of the night. If he wanted to, he could have chosen a top spot where his inhuman eyes could spot every side of Starhold. Reve was here on a self-assigned mission. Having just finished securing a deal with Black Market, he had to do a bit of promotion on his side. He waited till night came before he took to action. Reve finally stopped walking. His eyes looked forward at a large mansion that existed at the end of a particular street. The stalls of the streets were empty, and the mansion proved to be the only thing that the street possessed. An enormous crowd gathered around this mansion. Lines of humans flowed into the open gates and entered the mysterious front door of the mansion. Each time the door opened, Reve would see flashes of dazzling lights escape the mansion and protrude the dark spaces of air. Each time it opened, he would see a particular female shaking her hips as she welcomed the guests. The main issue here was that this seductive lady couldn''t exactly be tagged as well-dressed. Heck, she wasn''t even dressed. The only part of her body that Reve could see, her upper body, was bare, and her abundant milky breast became emphasized by the escaping lights each time the door opened. Yet, Reve showed no signs of surprise. That was to be expected from a brothel, was it not? Moreover, this wasn''t just any brothel. This was the prime brothel in all of Starhold, as could be discerned from the sizeable crowd it gathered. This was the Sisterhood of Naamah! ''Truly tempting. However, I am here on official business,'' Reve convinced himself. In truth, he could pick anywhere else, but the Sisterhood of Naamah had a large congregation of guests of all types. If he wanted to do what he planned, this would be the best spot. As for what he planned, it was nothing else than to lay the groundwork for Dragontail to succeed at Black Market''s auction. ''I have to be unnoticeable.'' Reve hid in a corner and muttered, "[Zero Form]!" His body began the transformation process and, in less than five minutes, he had changed into his original form, his cat form. After hiding his pair of antlers, Reve joined the crowd. Now, cats are good at mixing with crowds. They could practically become unnoticeable in large congregations like this. That was why he chose this form. As he went through the gaping holes between the humans'' legs, he finally found what he was looking for. Just at another corner of the street laid a drama spectacle that was just begging for viewership! . . . . . . . . Alan Danet was your regular unfortunate human. Being the son of a lowly baron that ruled over a normal village town situated in the suburban parts of Starhold, he was easily looked down on by his peers. It didn''t help matters that he received private education but did not bother to learn the mystical paths. Alan had actively chosen his fate as a mortal, wanting to dwell in all the fine delicacies the mortal world had to offer. His gang of nobles saw this as a sign of cowardice and looked down at him. Of course, they weren''t any better, were they? Despite boasting of being mages and warriors, their highest feats were getting admitted to NIRA Academy, an institution that would always accept nobles. What about after that? How fine of a mage and warrior were they? The way Alan saw it, they were worse than him. They forced themselves on another world and remain at the bottom tier, while he was contented being a mortal with a finite lifespan. However, he dared not say that or they would gang up on him once more, like they always do. They would rob him of his cash and leave him in tatters and he would go home to his father, hiding the fact that he was being bullied by his peers. This routine had been paused when his peers left to complete their second academic semester. He was beyond happy at his new lease on life. Alan could now pace around Starhold without fearing for his life. He celebrated this freedom a lot by going to his favorite brothel, the Sisterhood of Naamah. Yet¡­.. Yet....he had forgotten that his peers would be back on holiday. .... A punch landed on his chest, "Give me your coins, Alan. Don''t be foolish. You know the routine!" The person that punched him was one of his peers, Mathias Hardwood. He was a sweet boy in his younger years. Yet, just like most bottom-ranked nobles, he grew up to become such a terrifying monster. Using his knight training, Alan blocked the next punch but, out of nowhere, someone kicked his legs and he fell face-flat. The owner of those wicked legs picked him up with one hand and drove a punch in his guts. Alan winced, "Ahhhh." Seeing as his training still proved futile, he confessed, "I don''t have any money, I swear. I used it all." The person, whom Alan recognized to be Derrick, sneered, "No, correction. You don''t have any money with you right now. You are a young Lord. You know better than to present yourself as a walking cash cow" The third in the group smacked his lips, "We don''t have time to waste on this useless fool. Make quick do of him and let''s leave" Chapter 196 - Life Is But A Dream(1) Mathias grabbed Alan from Derrick''s hold and slapped him. He kicked Alan to the ground, stomping on him a few more times just in case his attack wasn''t sufficient enough. "Well. Well. Well, look what we have here," eagerly announced Derrick. Earlier, he had invaded Alan''s body with his thrifty clothes. This seemed to be fruitful as he brought out a grey slate with a snake drawn on it. Below the slate were two stripes of gold. Mathias smiled at the slate Derrick found, "The two-star membership plate of Sisterhood of Naamah. Hehe he, so this is what you spent all your money on. We will be borrowing this." Mathias kicked Alan once more before signaling to his friends for them to leave. "Wait..." Alan struggled to speak out. The membership card was one of his most valuable items. It was worth more to him than anything else. Mathias flashed a look of disgust as he noticed Alan holding the helms of his clothes, "What do you think you are doing?" "Give it back," wimpy said Alan. "Aye aye." Mathias raised his foot and powered it with mana. His leg shone like a star in this dark night and he mercilessly used it to smash the face of Alan. This totally knocked out the mortal. When he woke up again, the bullies were far gone. He lay on the cold ground, bleeding in the freezing night. Alan tried standing up, but his body was too weak to do that. When he tried shouting for help, no one came. It was unknown whether they were too preoccupied to notice him or they didn''t give a damn. ''Ahhh, why now of all times?'' mentally screamed Alan. This was basically a repeat of last year. The same thing happened over and over again. There was nothing he could do that could stop the bullies. ''Hmmm¡­.what is that?'' Despite his contorted face, he managed to distinguish the figure of a cat coming closer to him. The cat was strange. Its appearance was something that was not normal around here. Its eyes full of curiosity stared deeply into Alan''s eye. It was as if it was seeing Alan''s soul. With his eyes wavering, Alan had a few drowsy thoughts, ''To think that only a cat would pay attention to me¡­..?'' ''Maybe I should have trod the path of Magic¡­or maybe Ki-mastery? If I had, I wouldn''t be in this situation¡­'' "....But what is wrong with being a mortal?!" What was wrong with being a mortal? That was a question all Arcadians struggled to answer. In truth, there was absolutely nothing wrong, as mortals were the rightful owners of Arcadia. Yet, with the rise of magic and ki-mastery, few people maintained the dignity of mortals. They all flocked to the paths, desiring the innate power dwelling in the paths. Alan cried his heart out, ''This world is no more hospitable for people like me. The ones who would like to remain normal.'' He made an oath. If he were to have another chance, he would grip it and make sure he studied the paths, just for the sake of beating up his aggressors. ...And so, his eyes finally closed. By this time, the weird was just a foot away from him, looking at him with pure eyes. . . . . . . . . Reve sighed, ''This person would do.'' He had no intentions of helping the young man. Everyone had to carry their cross. Plus, bullying was present everywhere. That was why he revealed himself late. He was taking his time to inspect if the young man would be a prime volunteer for his promotion. Despite his pathetic strength, he could be of use¡­..somehow. Reve realized something scary, ''Damn, now I''m starting to sound like Amethyst.'' He shook his head quickly. He had not yet reached Amethyst''s level. ''Hmmm¡­.what do I do about this man now?'' A light bulb ignited in his mental mindscape. Reve had an idea. ''[Dos Form]!'' Reve transformed back into his humanoid form. He joined the crowd with Alan in his arms. . . . . . . ''Where am I?'' Alan kept looking around. His eyes stared deep into the empty space of the room he was in. ''What is this?'' Alan could feel a certain cushy texture bearing his weight. Instantly, he looked back to find himself on a large bed. Now he was beyond confused. Did he die back then and somehow reached the rumored Elysium? Was this the palace of dreams where all souls have their rest? A suspicious sound barged into his ears, "Ah! Ah!! Faster Faster." ''....'' His thoughts took a reversal, ''On second thoughts, I can''t be there.'' The sounds originated from another place. When Alan checked around, he was the only one in the room. As the sounds intensified, Alan became surer of his guess. He was in the Sisterhood of Naamah''s mansion. Such degenerate sounds could only be fully expressed in one particular location. Also, he recognized the style of the room. It belonged to the dreamy theme that the sisterhood uses. ''So, how did I get here?'' ''.....and who healed me?'' That, there, was the prime question. He felt like the more he thought about this matter, the more questions he would find himself being buried under. Alan stood up from the bed and saw something that caught his eyes. He curiously inched closer to it. At the center of the room, just a few feet away from the bed, there existed a single crystalline vial that was placed on a table. As the night lights touched this vial, it separated the light particles into different light rays, showcasing a beautiful scene that would not be noticeable if one didn''t pay minute attention to it. Alan couldn''t help but pick the vial. The icy feeling of the vial didn''t bother him. Instead, he felt more enthralled. Alan read the note that was beneath the vial, "Life is but a dream¡­.." Those words were mundane. Yet, they seemed to ignite something intrinsic in Alan. Looking at the vial with distant eyes, he murmured, "Life is but a dream." Suddenly, his hands slowly moved. He knew what he had to do. At this very moment, he had little care for anything around him. All the brewing questions were dialed down. All that mattered was the vial and the mesmerizing liquid content inside it. Alan opened the vial and drank it in one gulp! Chapter 197 - Life Is But A Dream(2) Immediately the liquid entered Alan''s gut, he felt a stinging pain swimming through his body. It was like a large electric snake was coiling around him. There was no part of his body that was protected from these stings. Normally, this amount of painful electric sting would have created dark patches on his skin, but surprisingly, his skin still remained healthy. Alan was not able to bear the pain any longer. He thrashed around, smashing all the furniture as he tried to please his pain. There was nothing he could do that could make it stop. It was akin to the feeling one gets when he tries to scratch his back but his hands can''t reach the exact spot. After this entire ordeal went on for about five minutes, a different sensation took place. Was it painful pleasure or simply pleasure? Alan could not discern in his fuddled state. From his perspective, all around him was spinning, and he was welcomed into a larger world. A world that was full of wonders and perpetual mysteries. As for the new sensation, the best way to describe it was that each time the familiar ''electric snake'' sparked him, he would receive the normal response¨C pain¡ª- but this time, along with a subtle gush of pleasure. However, it wasn''t so subtle when the majority of the sensation he felt was pain. Once he focused on this minor pleasure, he would gain the ability to overcome the pain, and¡­..in fact, he would seek more pain just to relive the experience! What was the term called again?... Masochism. Alan thought he was gradually becoming a masochist. Unfortunately, the stinging stopped at a particular time. Alan was now unburdened but he was yet again attracted by his new perspective. This new world was just too beautiful to ignore. He reached his hand in the not-so empty air and touched the air current. "Ahhh. Ahhh. More. More." With his heightened senses, he picked up on the moans originating from the rooms around him, but his ear only paid attention to one particular moan. That was because he had recognized the voices. They belonged to his supposedly ''friends''. Was this a coincidence or not? Alan was not in the right state to give a damn about that! Anger filled his mind and he let it free. Bursting through the empty air, Alan broke the room door and searched the corridor for the exact location of the moans. Soon, he found it! Alan bashed through the room. His sudden appearance shocked the three bullies, but they quickly recovered as soon as they noticed it was just Alan. "Alan, what do you think you are doing?" demanded Derrick. His eyes revealed an evil glint. He stood up to face the unresponsive whose only proof of life was not his breathing but the red electric ring that circulated around his iris. It gave Alan, the mortal, the demeanor of a ravager. His entire aura seemed to be screaming angrily, which was the opposite of what his physical actions were. Of course, Derrick would not think much of this. He dismissed all the warnings at the back of his head and approached Alan. "Why the fuck are you¨C" *Whoosh!* Alan''s hands casually moved, but this supposedly normal movement was too fast for Derrick to detect. The latter did not know what happened until it hit him. He flew into the wall and embedded himself into it. His body quickly became unresponsive. The other two bullies revealed shocking expressions. They failed to process what had just happened. How did Alan successfully slap Derrick into an unconscious state? Even if one factored the element of surprise, Derrick was, after all, a brilliant mage. His physique, while not as strong as ki-warriors, was far mightier than the mortal physique. There was no reason for Alan''s attack to produce the opposite outcome. This was not making sense to them Mathias instinctively powered his body with ki, "I don''t know what you did, but don''t think you are going to get away with this." He cautiously paced towards Alan while the third bully, Tophas, was just behind him. The two bullies then jumped at Alan, just after the prostitutes of the brothel slipped out of the room frantically. Mathias dished out a flying punch with his full power, but Alan blocked it with his two arms. It seemed like the strength difference between the two of them tipped in Mathias'' favor as Alan was pushed back a bit. Tophas took advantage of that by kicking the lower body of Alan, throwing him off balance. Mathias quickly joined the fight with a deadly stomp that shook the room. In less than one minute, the two bullies showed that they didn''t just play in Narva Academy. They also learned a few things and amassed a vast combat experience that Alan could not even begin to match. Tophas snaked behind Alan and attempted a lock. He was successful. Alan was now trapped in his lock. Mathias punched his face, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Alan remained silent. He was punched by Mathias again, "Answer me!" ¡­and again¡­and again. Mathias'' arms soon became heavy after all his exertion of ki. Yet, Alan was not bulging. It was unknown whether he refused to speak or he could not speak. Whatever the case was, the silent stare he gave Mathias was more than unearthing. "Life is but a dream," whispered Alan. "Huh, motherfucker? What did you say?!" challenged Mathias. "Life is but a dream!" ¡­.and true to his words, Alan sunk deeply into his fantasy dream. Out of nowhere, Alan broke out of the hold with a quick jab to Tophas'' face. He followed this with a swift movement of his fingers. From it came a bright energy bullet that pierced Mathias'' guts. The latter screamed in shock, "What? You can use ki?...How is this possible?!" Mathias and Tophas were at the lowest bottom of ki-mastery. They could only augment their body with ki, but not outwardly manipulate it. So, when they saw Alan, who was a mortal a few moments ago, skip the first stage and unleash a blast of ki, imagine their surprise. Alan took advantage of the situation as he grabbed the necks of the two bullies and slammed their heads together. He kept battering their bodies even when he realized that they were knocked out. Tonight, he would live his fantasy dream! Chapter 198 - Life Is But A Dream(3) Ten minutes later, Alan quietly closed the door. He looked sideways, but there was nothing strange going on. He expected to see a few customers panicking about his outburst or a bunch of guards flashing their swords at him. Not knowing what to make of this, Alan went back to the room he came from and grabbed the vial. His mind went back to the events that occurred. He had mercilessly beaten his oppressors. This was something he hadn''t thought would ever happen. Yet, with a single gulp of this vial, it was made possible, easily possible at that. ''Life is but a dream¡­..'' repeated Alan. He clenched his fist, ''I must get more of this. With this, no one can bother me ever again!'' Walking out of the room, he made his way to the receptionist, "Hi, I want to make an inquiry." The female receptionist was shocked at the appearance of Alan, "Oh, it is you!" "You recognize me?" asked Alan. "Yes, you were carried by a hooded man. I had thought¡­." she quickly shut her mouth. In truth, the receptionist had thought that Alan and the man were into kinky stuff. After all, not everyone would carry an unconscious man into a brothel and not request the attendance of any ladies. Alan''s face brightened, "I was carried by a man¡­forget about that. Do you know his name? His face? Did he leave anything? A message for me?" He unleashed a barrage of questions at the receptionist who didn''t even know where to start, "I¡­He was hooded. I couldn''t see his face at all. His voice was indistinct. Hard to make anything of." Facing this reply, Alan stared at the floor. As expected, the man purposely left him hanging. He badly needed another vial. At least, for security purposes as the three bullies would soon wake up and make sense of the entire situation. It didn''t take a wise man to denote that Alan took something to boost his strength and that something must have been temporary. "However¡­." The receptionist shone hope into his precarious situation, "The man did leave something." Going through her desk, she brought an item. It was a normal paper slip, but the true value lay in what was written on it. She then gave it to Alan, not before spying a bit on it. She couldn''t help but be curious about what could make Alan lose composure. Also, the whole situation seemed strange. Getting information was absolutely crucial. Alan read the slip, "Dragontail. Black Viper. Auction." His mind went through a few quick thoughts as he pursed his lips. This was an invitation from the mysterious man. The man had predicted Alan would look for him and left something behind. Dragontail should be the name of the vial. Black Viper was the other name of Black Market. Hence, the vial would be available there. ''Auction'' referred to the time. It would appear in Black Market''s auction. It was unclear when exactly, but was Alan so desperate enough that he would check all their auctions? The answer to that was yes! Yes, he was! . . . . Elsewhere, still within the domain of Starhold. A young girl cried with blood flowing from her eyes. All around her were dead corpses, and the injuries on her body suggested that she had just been through a fight. She held one particular corpse tightly in her arm as she wailed, "Mother¡­.Uwaahhh!! I should have drank the vial earlier¡­.If I had, you wouldn''t be dead." Clenched in her palms was Dragontail. The thing that had kept her alive throughout the assassination of her family. A mysterious man actually gave it to her mother, but her mother gave it to her instead. The young girl lauded the vial as a scam, but when they were attacked, she found herself needing it. Sadly, she was too late. The young girl finally let go of her mother''s corpse. By now, with her mother''s death, her brother would have already gained control of their noble house. A lot of hidden warriors would come out of their shadows to protect him. She needed strength, an unsurmountable strength that could bravely match those warriors. She vowed to kill her traitorous brother. Her face focused at the bottom of the vial. Small arcadish characters were manually inscribed on it, "Dragontail. Black Vipers. Auction." "That is it. That is where I need to go," realized the young army. A wicked gleam coursed through her eyes. She would do whatever was needed to get her hand on the vial. . . . . . . Elsewhere, something similar happened. And in an opposite location, the same scenario played out. Again and again, it all reaped the same outcome. These events created a fervent desire for the people involved to acquire Dragontail. Of course, these events didn''t just play out in one single night. In some cases, a single Dragontail went through multiple hands before it reached its destination. In some other cases, it took more than a day for the owner of the vial to decide on drinking it. All in all, Dragontail quickly spread like wildfire all over Starhold. The rumors of a miracle drug reached everyone''s ear. However, major details about it were kept by only those who had experienced the wonders of the drug. Meanwhile, the orchestrator of these stories was just about to enter his room. *Kck!* He entered his room and sprang to his bed. ''Oh, what a day?'' Throughout the night, Reve had been dashing here and there. It was not just the Sisterhood of Naamah, he had hit up other places with large crowds, finding the people he wanted to target. Of course, he could easily just approach any man and offer him a vial of Dragontail, while also giving him substantial proof of its effect. But it wouldn''t work that way! That would be an emotionless promotion. Reve wanted to create a storm, an army of wraiths that sought after his product. To do that, he needed to pick specific people. Unfortunate individuals, who would easily offer their organs for another vial if the situation called for such measure. Reve thought before closing his eyes to sleep, ''I have laid down the foundation.. Next is to find my alchemist.'' Chapter 199 - The Green Knight A few days later¡­.. Just before the sun could rise up, Reve woke up and left the Academy District. It was time for his appointment with Lord Gawyne. The Domain of Drateel was a long distance from Starhold. Hence, he woke up early to arrive on time. Prior to the start of his journey, Reve had checked his map. It was almost impossible to travel by foot. It would be wiser to book a carriage, but he reckoned that it would also be foolish to do that. This was a matter of identity. While he reckoned he could call the service of a carriage while hiding his identity, it would still be easier to find him¡­or at least, the scope of where he lived. To prevent that, he could try switching regions, but that would be too stressful for him. So, he decided to simply run through the forests surrounding Starhold. He could then access the Neverbell forests. ''Civilized humans would take all sorts of turns just to arrive at their neighbor territories. I am not civilized nor am I a human.'' Reve quite liked journeys like this. It reminded him of when he was still a white arcadian cat. Back then, he would travel miles to get to his destination and if it was still too far, he would simply just into the closest river and hoped that it went down his path. . . . . . . . Five hours later. In the Red Oath Mansion, three figures talked in one of the rooms. One of them was a hooded figure and the main receiver of his words was a middle-aged man that aged like a fine wine. He sat on a chair opposite the hooded man. The third person was a knight, who stood dashingly beside the middle-aged man. Of course, the trio was Kimon, Lord Gawyne, and Knight Villiame, respectively. Ten minutes ago, Kimon had arrived at the home of the Drateel. A lot of events occurred, but it finally led to this moment. With his mask hiding his expression, Kimon greeted, "The Red-Oath Mansion, such a grand building. I can perceive the deep history made here. Can I assume that this is the place where you grew up?" Lord Gawyne nodded, "Yes. My parents quite loved this mansion. As a young boy, I always beamed whenever my mother took me here." His hands traced the arms of the chair as his mind relived his younger days. Kimon crossed his legs as he spoke, "I had expected some form of resistance from your guards when I showed up at your doorsteps. It turns out it didn''t play out as I expected, fortunately." How many times had Kimon been harassed by guards of influential figures? He had lost count. Kimon was so unlucky in this aspect that he would be surprised if he was gently welcomed by a group of guards. "My guards were informed of your eventual arrival. Surely, I wouldn''t want them to die due to misinformation," quipped Lord Gawyne. Kimon glanced past Lord Gawyne. His gaze seemed to be aimed at the large portrait of a man and his wife hanging on the wall. He looked at it for a while before moving on, "Hmmmm¡­..so where are the wonder twins? I have a tight schedule. They might as well show up now." "Patience, they will soon be ready," smiled Lord Gawyne. Just after he spoke, the two twins entered the room. Ciaran dressed informally in a brown shirt and pants, while Lyra wore a loose gown that went straight to her feet. Just as Lord Gawyne had said, they seemed to be ready for whatever was going to take place next. Immediately they entered, they kept a keen eye on Kimon, the hooded man. Their father had briefed them on the deal he had struck with Kimon. He had also revealed to them their full family history and the curse they had wrongfully borne. "Kimon, here they are. So, can I ask what is next?" asked Lord Gawyne. Kimon flexed his fingers in response, "I would need a room¡­.a dark room¡­a silent space. Hmmm¡­.perhaps a basement or something more natural, like a cave or an underground ritual ground, filled with violent yet natural energies." "...And what would you need that for?" queried Lyra. "Well, my dear Lyra, that would be our operating ground. Lord Gawyne, can you provide me a room like that?" "Yes, my mother has a ritual ground. Those it''s not quite closed off as you wanted, I expect you can work with that," told Lord Gawyne. "Hmmm¡­..I can only give you a reply once I see it myself," responded Kimon. Thus, Lord Gawyne stood up from his seat and led the group across the mansion. Beside him was the Knight Villiame. His creaky footsteps and pallid skin, which was revealed a few times beneath the gaps in his armor, made Kimon question, "You are still suffering from the after-effects of the battle?" Knight Villiame raised his eyebrows as this was the first time Kimon spoke to him. He had always thought of Kimon as a threat to his lord, and his expressions did well to express his inner thoughts. So, when Kimon disregarded his hostile face and spoke up, he didn''t know how to feel. "Of course. I over-exerted myself. I went beyond forbidden limits. I would be surprised if I got off easy. You, on the other hand¡­." "Don''t think too much. I heal faster than normal humans. This much is normal. But if it does give you a smile, I will have you know I stayed in bed for days after that battle." "Just that? My lord fetched a healer just to secure my life." "That is the aristocratic lifestyle for you. I don''t have the luxury of that. I must admit, I''m a bit jealous." Sighing, he continued, "I had to wait till my natural healing factor activate while you were helped by some tender hands." "What do you mean? I suffered more. You couldn''t begin to imagine the pain I went through for days after that battle," argued Knight Villiame. "I could. But let''s say I couldn''t. You were knocked out pretty quickly and carried by the twins. Did you walk yourself home?" "No..." "Did you have to prepare your meals?" "No¡­.." "Did you tender to your injuries?" By now, a red hue had already creased all over the knight''s face. He squealed, "No¡­." "Yet, you came to have suffered. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.. Still too green." Chapter 200 - Morrites "I won''t bother with you anymore!" grumbled Knight Villaime. True to his words, he focused on his lord and blocked out any words coming from Kimon. Meanwhile, Kimon slowed his pace to join the Drateel. He kept giving them strange looks as if he was having degenerate thoughts. However, the mask he wore made the twins a bit skeptical. Why did he keep looking at them? Was there something on their face? Lyra couldn''t keep those questions within for so long. She bit at him, "What is it?" "Ohh¡­Nothing, Miss Lyra. It''s just...I have only seen a handful of morrites. Adding you and your brother to that list is a weird process for me. Tell me, have you ever tapped into your morrite''s trait before?" "What do you mean?" asked Lyra while Ciaran simply paid attention to the conversation. "Well, the morrites are an artificial race, but that doesn''t stop them from possessing a few unique perks. If I recall correctly, each morrite would manifest an ability called Kyos when they come of age. Can I suppose you have acquired your Kyos?" Lyra slightly frowned, "Noo¡­.this is the first time I am hearing of this. I don''t remember manifesting any strange ability." Kimon turned to Ciaran, "What about you? Wiccans are most likely to manifest their Kyos earlier than witches." "Nothing on my side, either," said Ciaran. Kimon went silent for a few seconds before speaking up, "I see¡­your morrites'' gene must still be dormant. Same with your father. I suppose this is for the best." There was nothing like a half-morrite. One was either a morrite or not one. However, a third option existed. Since the morrites gene was hereditary, there was a possibility of the gene lying dormant in one''s body for varying reasons. This mostly occurred in the bodies of morrites that were the union of an adult morrite and another race, perhaps humans or elves. "It appears that you are familiar with the makeup of morrites," cooly said Lyra. "Well, I did meet a few morrites, dazzling ones at that," offered Kimon. He lied smoothly. Kimon had only met one morrite¡­and that was his teacher. However, he had not just met any witch. He had met the Immortal Witch, a witch that didn''t gain her title by idling around. Circe was one of the earliest morrites. He knew not what her Kyos was, but he reckoned it tied directly to the secrets of her immortality. Occasionally, Circe would tell him the history of morrites. So, that was why he was confident in his knowledge about them, especially now when the lores surrounding witches were kept secret. "Is that so¡­..?" wondered Lyra. Kimon paused and directed his gaze at her, "You haven''t met any morrites besides yourself and your brother?" "Yes. I don''t suppose I should have met one, should I?" "But that makes little sense. Your grandmother''s coven should have reached out to you. Maybe during your childhood and you forgot about it." "I guess that is possible¡­.." trailed Lyra. The conversation with Kimon was confusing her and Ciaran. It was immensely embarrassing that they knew little about themselves and had to rely on a masked man to shed light on themselves. "That should be the case. I''m sure they have been watching you and your brother for a while now," concluded Kimon. Morrites were more than a race. They were a close-knitted family that had long ago escaped their destiny as the "evil of the world". They were prone to building secluded homes they called covens and raising their young ones there. In some instances, a coven could have more than a millennial heritage. That was just how firm they were. Anyway, Kimon knew it wouldn''t do any good to keep on questioning the twins. He concluded the conversation just in time as Lord Gawyne took them underground via a basement. They quickly exited the basement with a side door, entering a large cave filled with dim crystals. The first thing Kimon noticed was the sharp air. There wasn''t a particular aroma or strong scent. It was mainly the beaming energy in the vicinity affecting it. The second thing he noticed shocked him utterly. All around the surfaces of the cave were two-dimensional complex geometrical shapes drawn on them. It gave the cave a mystical vibe. The shapes resembling magical circles were ritual circles. Each of them served a different purpose. Kimon smiled at the sight of this, "Lord Gawyne, your mother must have had such a fine taste and talent. This room is beautiful to the extreme." He looked up and discovered a large hole in it. The hole was covered with a thin magical glass that was angled perfectly to meet the blue moon. Kimon could understand the logic behind this. Moon was a powerful ally for ritualists. The thin glass would attract the power of the moon and purify it. Then, it would direct it towards the altar that was beneath it. "Brilliant¡­.." commented Kimon. He had studied ritual magic before so he could see the exquisiteness of such design and the sheer wealth poured in to make this cave. Most of the things that looked normal were far from that. For instance, to draw the ritual circles, Lord Gawyne''s mother most likely used the blood of a powerful creature. He could smell it. The dim crystals were called Celenais. It was a type of gemstone that was found deep in the earth. Now, the practice of uprooting natural oddities from below the earth''s surface was not popular since it damaged the earth. It was more likely for one to find a pot of gold lying around than to find a chunk of Celenais. Also, the cave was enchanted. Kimon speculated, ''It should be a fourth circle enchantment. This enchantment spins the mana around and mixes it with ley energy, producing the violent, pure hybrid energy that is roaming here.'' Kimon walked up to the stone altar and touched the dry blood on it with his fingers, "All these efforts for a past-time hobby? I don''t think so. Not even a noble lady would be willing to spend this much.. Lord Gawyne, it seems like your mother attempted to cure her curse here." Chapter 201 - The Curse Of Nimiel Lord Gawyne looked straight at the altar, "I have had my suspicions. This isn''t surprising." "Yes, it makes sense that would try to cure herself. However, the outcome was not like what she expected," muttered Kimon. He was heard by Lord Gawyne, who became unnerved the instant he heard it. The lord bellowed with total seriousness, "Kimon, now that we are here, can you tell me what this cure entails?" "Patience is the key, Lord Gawyne. I need to ''feel'' out this place, or else, I wouldn''t know how to fully utilize the wonders built here," calmly responded Kimon. He moved about, touching all sorts of things to satisfy his curiosity. Lyra observed him scrutinously, "Kimon, I didn''t take you for a mage." Kimon paused in his tracks. An alarm went up in his mind, ''Damn, I almost broke the Kimon persona.'' Knowing he had to respond in time, Kimon lightly coughed before speaking, "I am no mage, but I can''t deny my love for magical arts. In fact, I am confident in calling myself a scholar of all things magical" "Then what are you if not a mage? You are also not a ki-warrior. What path do you follow?" asked Lyra. She had dug a hole for Kimon and he went right into it ignorantly¡­ or so she thought. Beneath his mask, Kimon seemed to have donned a coy smile, "That is a secret." Inwardly, he thought, ''Whew, I managed to dodge that bullet.'' There was a reason he specifically built the person of Kimon and even went the further mile to hide his mystic path. It was all about the element of surprise. Once he lost it, his foes would know how to deal with him. ''I mean...if I were to fight myself and I knew I could only spam force barriers, then I would know how to counter it,'' reasoned Kimon. This was a dangerous realization that urged him to find out more skills in this mystic path. Although, that would take longer. Kimon was done with his inspection, "I''m ready." He finally turned to the eager Lord Gawyne, "So, ''Milord'', what do you desire to know about this curing process?" "Everything, even the irrelevant bits. Don''t think I would allow you to use a foreign cure without my approval," warned Lord Gawyne. Kimon postured while walking in circles, "Hmmm¡­..I suppose that is alright. After all, only a foolish man would blindly trust the other party. Very well, then." Out of nowhere, a potion manifested in his hand. Kimon threw it at Knight Villaime and gave an introduction, "A special green reagent that was concocted by me. My curative process is soft. It would take a lot of time, which the twins don''t have. So, I plan on using this reagent to buy us time." "What does it do?" "The nature of the twin''s curse is parasitic. The curse would keep on feeding on the twin''s innate energy until there is nothing left. Fascinating enough, it would also die with the host. The curse is fully active after the maturity of its bearer, which I''m guessing is in the coming future for the twins. Once the curse is active, it would be absolutely unstoppable" Kimon went on, "So, we have to curb it now and delay its awakening. That is where the green reagent comes in. You see, the means of activation of the curse is not the absorption of energy. Instead, it''s the host state. When the dormant effects start to become too visible to even attempt to hide, the curse would activate, attempting to claim the life of the host...." Kimon divulged for a while. The Curse of Nimiel was horrible. It was akin to a maze. There was almost no way of escaping its trickiness. Most that try to ward it off accidentally end up empowering it. However, Kimon''s plan was not to ward it off¡­at least, not yet. It was to fatten it up! He would distract the curse with the reagent while lighting a flame beneath it. This was an assassination! After explaining this, Kimon said to the twins, "Lyra, Ciaran, stand in front of me." The twins were hesitant. Nevertheless, they obeyed Kimon. When they stood tall ahead of him, Kimon went into deep thoughts, ''I should follow Circe''s advice and check up on it myself.'' Kimon attempted to do something he had never thought of before. ''[Third Eye]. Activate.'' [Third Eye] was a passive skill, but when he used it actively, it became something else entirely. As a shudder went deep into his bones, Kimon''s vicinity changed. The once-colorful world became a mix of black, white, and grey. Even the surrounding humans lost all their colors. All that existed before him. Grey lines connected every living being together. Sometimes, they tingled vibrantly. When Kimon attempted touching one of them, a massive surge of information rushed into his head. Instantly, his mind was set aflame. He quickly brought his hand away and the mind attack stopped. Unfortunately, the pieces of information seeped out of his mind. He felt they were immensely valuable, but somehow, he couldn''t remember them. If he managed to touch the lines connecting the twins, he might be able to get what he wanted, but that would risk burning his mind. ''This is not enough. [Seventh Sense]. Activate.'' Kimon went through another round of shuddering. After the intense shudders left, he opened his eyes once again. This time, there was nothing different. It was the same as last time, but when he looked at the twins, he could hear a disgusting squeaking sound coming from inside them. ''What is it?'' Sadly, he could only hear, not see. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was munching on something fervently, like how a house rat would sneak into kitchens to eat. ''One more. One more¡­'' Even while he assured himself, Kimon''s mind couldn''t bear it. His head felt like it was supporting the weight of a mountain. Yet, he couldn''t stop here... ''[Nexus Eye]. Activate.'' His two eyes brightened, revealing to him a new world. Here, Nothing veiled could hide from him. When he looked down, he could see the green leyline that the cave''s enchantment was illegally tapping from. But that was not his concern. Kimon hastily spied on the two twins. At first, he could only see past their clothes, but when he concentrated, he saw their inner anatomy. It was beautiful. Yet, Kimon had no time to waste. He glanced at something hidden in them, ''Xoris'' bottom!'' Chapter 202 - The Curse Of Nimiel(2) Situated in the palms of the twins, there was a black monster¡­No, a black slime? The best description would be that this vileness took the form of a black, gooey substance that was just as alive as any other living being. It reminded Kimon of the slimes he used to fight with back in the forest of Azea. This black substance pulsed as it sucked on a stream of energy coursing into the twin''s palms. It was the source behind the squeaking sound that Kimon kept hearing, and the way it pulsed when eating was damn ghastly. Kimon reckoned if he wasn''t used to such sight, he would vomit his bowels right now. ''This is the true identity of the curse.'' Kimon was just about to look into it more when veins popped on his head. The headache he was feeling was too much, and he smartly deactivated all his skills. The others watched the different gestures Kimon showed. They couldn''t understand what he was doing, and this was even tougher as he wore a mask concealing his expressions. Kimon finally spoke, "Let''s start the process. I have a tight schedule today. Lord Gawyne, as I was saying, the green reagent is our means of stalling. I would supply you with lots of it." "How can I be sure that the green reagent is not poisonous?" asked the skeptical Lord Gawyne. Kimon sighed as he was expecting this, "How about this¡­" He manifested another green reagent in his palms and threw it to Knight Villaime, "Pick one of them randomly. I would drink the one you pick and you would drink the other. Surely, you have no issues with testing the green reagent for your lord?" "Yes," mouthed Knight Villaime as he caught the green reagent. He wasted no time deciding on the one to pick. After he gave Kimon one reagent, he opened the other and drank it without hesitation. Kimon did the same. He certainly felt weird drinking a potion that was mixed with his blood. What was the term for this peculiar situation? Was it self-cannibalism? Maybe not. Anyway, Knight Villaime''s eyes shone with whitish-green light. The same shade that was on the body of Kimon''s real form. The Knight spoke his heart, "This is wondrous. I can feel a sort of energetic substance bubbling inside me. It''s like within me is an infinite amount of energy, begging to be released. Ahhh." ''...'' Kimon did not know what to think of this. Did the knight know he was getting high off his blood? How strange it was¡­ He certainly didn''t expect to hear the knight describe the magical properties of his blood like that. It was accurate, but it just felt perverted. The knight''s cheek became rosy as he ascertained, "With that said, there is no poisonous substance in the potion. It is just like Kimon had said. The energy in the blood will sustain the curse while the curative process is ongoing." Kimon said, "Lord Gawyne, you have your answer." Lord Gawyne told his children to drink the reagent. Quickly, the substance entered their body, and their body shuddered for a second. Their eyes shone with the same whitish-green hue while their grey hair became tame. They could feel it. Something in them had been paused. A sense of relief surfaced as they sighed happily. Ever since they had found out the truth, they had never been the same. The truth made them sad and gave them something to fixate on. They fixated too much, to the extent where they became paranoid of every single moment. They would watch each strand of their hair just to see if another one was turning grey, just to graph the progress of the curse. Seeing this, Kimon clapped, "This can''t do much. I estimate that the effects of the reagents would wash away after a day or half a day. You would need to constantly consume the reagent before we start the curative procedure." "You are not beginning today?" queried Lord Gawyne. "You don''t have sufficient equipment and resources. It would be foolish to start without being prepared," warned Kimon. He said more to re-assure Lord Gawyne, "We have already stalled the curse. So, we have all the time in the world right now. We might as well use it to acquire the best materials." "With that said, I demand that you pay for every single reagent I supply to you. Unlike you, I''m not a wealthy noble. I have used my treasured money to produce the reagents I came here with today." Kimon manifested a crater in his hand. Inside the large crater were rows of green reagents with the same exact appearance. After getting guidance from Circe, Kimon purchased a lot of average green reagents from a local alchemy shop. All he had to do was mix his blood and the super-value green reagent was created. It was super convenient, but Lord Gawyne didn''t need to know that. All he needed to know was that the reagents were valuable. "How much is one?" asked Lord Gawyne. "Ten pieces of silver," shamelessly replied Kimon. Lord Gawyne stuttered, "I will compensate that by increasing the limit of my financial support on your organization. Is that okay?" "I suppose so," sighed Kimon. He had expected to be paid right here, but Lord Gawyne was smarter than that. Kimon turned to the twins and gave them the crate, "I suggest two reagents a day. Take three if you feel it coming back. Never overuse it, though. Also, it would be wise to stay away from meaningless fights. You should know the reason." "Yes," responded Lyra. She wasn''t a kid. A lot of things could go wrong in a fight. They could end up provoking the curse. Their previous fight with Kimon had proven that was possible. The number of gray strands in their hair had doubled. Kimon gave them one last look before focusing on Lord Gawyne, "If I remember correctly, we have a deal. Now is the time to honor it" Chapter 203 - Arcanites Kimon watched Lord Gawyne observantly. He had fulfilled his end. Now it was Lord Gawyne''s turn. It was clear by now that Kimon had delivered a sound curation procedure. He was too invested in his deals with Lord Gawyne that he wouldn''t even think of running away when Lord Gawyne partially fulfilled the end of his deal. "Are you still chasing my father''s journal? I don''t see it assisting you in your endeavors. Everything written in it couldn''t help my mother, even after death," sighed Lord Gawyne. Kimon''s tone softened, "It has something I need. Something I want. You wouldn''t understand, and I don''t need you to understand." Lord Gawyne looked at the blue moon as he spoke, "I might not understand but I recognize that fervent desire burning in you. It is the same flame my father bore, and it killed him! He turned his back on his family, and in the end...." Lord Gawyne''s soft laughter was mixed with weak hints of cries, "Hehehehe, in the end, it became futile. He lost his wife and he lost me!" "That doesn''t bother me. It is none of your business what I do. Just give me what you promised¡­or I promise¡­.." Kimon had to admit, the words of Lord Gawyne irked him. He aligned it with the voice of a defeated man. The voice of a man who never pursued the impossible. How sad must it be that Vaddon Drateel''s son couldn''t understand him and saw his acts as destructive? Kimon thought himself lucky. Fortunately, he didn''t have anyone like Lord Gawyne on his side. No one could deter him from his true goal. The only one capable of that, Circe, only tried for a while before supporting him. Perhaps this was the perks of having fleeting relationships. His number of real friends was a handful. That was for the best. Lord Gawyne took a step back, "Pay no attention to my words. You have given my children hope. For that, I am forever indebted to you. I just¡­..don''t worry about it." It was the same situation with his father. After his mother''s death, he had turned crazy and refused to listen to his pleas. Lord Gawyne sighed, "My father''s journal is not with me¡­." A fierce aura blasted out of Kimon. It was good enough that Lord Gawyne irked him. Now, he did this!! Knight Villaime stepped in front of his noble lord and held on to his sword. He faced Kimon''s aura with his own. A terrific battle was about to spark. "Wait¡­Wait. I never said I couldn''t help you. It is true that my father''s journal is not in my possession. But I know who has it," shouted Lord Villaime. "Who?" "My mother''s coven. You have to know that my father discovered all sorts of secrets in his pursuit to resurrect my mother. His journal is invaluable. There is no human that can deny being attracted to it. I realized that if I kept on receiving guests, I would not be able to protect myself, so I gave it to someone who could successfully keep it." Kimon withdrew his aura as the conversation went on, "You are in touch with your mother''s coven?" "I have only communicated with them a few times. They are quite secretive." "Might I ask which coven is this?" "The Circle of the Willow¡­." Kimon cocked his head instantly, ''Things just more complicated.'' The Circle of the Willow was not an ordinary coven. It was one of the greatest covens in Xoris if not all of Arcadia. This coven was speculated to be located in Narva, which rang true. They were the prime allies of the present royal family during the Great Rebirth, the event that reshaped Narva. After that, they disappeared silently, only showing hints of themselves occasionally. Kimon could guess Lord Gawyne''s mother was one such hint. Perhaps that is why the Noble House of Drateel still remained in their seat even after the controversial marriage of Vaddon Drateel. Normally, some noble extremist group would mercilessly wipe the noble house from the face of the earth. Kimon rubbed his head, "How on earth did a witch from the Circle of the Willow fall for your father? He must have been quite the lady-killer." He faced the pressing issue, "How do I find them?" "I-I-I don''t know. Despite the number of times I have been welcomed into their coven, I can''t remember how exactly I got there. But they did gift me a coordinate.." "Damn, they must have cast an enchantment on you. Hmmm¡­can I see the coordinates?" Lord Gawyne brought out a thin slip of paper he had prepared long ago and gave it to Kimon. Looking at it, Kimon discovered that the characters weren''t arcadish numbers as one would expect. Instead, they were obtrusive symbols. ''Hmmm¡­.runic language? No.'' Runic language had been lost even before the Era of Sins. There was no way any existing coven could still have access to it. Furthermore, Kimon had seen his fair share of runes. This did not look like it. ''Then, Feyspark? No, it can''t be that. I would recognize it easily. It shouldn''t also be dragon tongue.'' Feyspark was a form of Ancient Elvish language that was spoken by the faes. Dragon-tongue was the language of the dragons. Yet, none of them seemed to be the characters Kimon was looking at. ''Hmm¡­.these symbols seem geometrical¡­..That''s it!'' How could he have forgotten? Morrites were talented arcanists. Most of them delved into this path. After all, they had everything required; the long lifespan, the great affinity, the terrifying mana control. During the Era of Sins, a few powerful morrites had come together under the banner of the Great Mother, the ancient leader of the morrites. It was there they had developed the Arcanites, a language system built on the foundation of magic circles. It made a good encryption system since even a minute change in the vertex of a magic circle could change its entire context. ''This would be technical,'' realized Kimon. For the first time, he wasn''t confident in himself. Arcanites weren''t easy to decipher, and each of them had mini-systems. Nevertheless, he would attempt it! Kimon lightly bowed at Lord Gawyne, "Thank you. I will see what I can do with this." Thus, he took his exit. Chapter 204 - The Frost Tree It was all dark, just the way he liked it. ...¡­ A day later. Reve opened his eyes after a long-desired sleep. ''Where am I?'' His first thoughts conveyed his confusion as they should. This confusion was not unwarranted. How else would a person react if they suddenly found themselves waking up on an unknown ground? Reve quickly jumped up from his laying position and gazed everywhere. There was nothing but a green sheet of grass that extended to the horizon. The wind brushed against his body weirdly. In this place, there was no sun or moon, just a frozen, whitish-blue star in the sky. Reve headed towards the blue star. He didn''t know why, but he felt compelled to. Before he could put reasoning behind his actions, his body moved instinctively. Not long after, Reve saw something. No, it was there all along, but he failed to detect it! A large tree towered over the plain field. It seemed to be at the edge of the horizon and perhaps that was why Reve headed in that direction. ''It is calling...me,'' realized Reve. Suddenly, he picked up his pace. In the next moment, he went on his fours and ran like a hunted prey. He had no idea how long he had been running, but he reached the tree finally. In front of him was a tall tree that he found hard to estimate its height. In his opinion, it was higher than a thousand meters. The tree had thick grey barks that pulsed every time he touched it. It was like it was alive, and the way its leaves swayed was even more mesmerizing. Reve could not keep his eyes away from the tree that hid perfectly beneath the blue star. Suddenly, the tree released a slow pulse. Shimmers of lights from the blue star fell on it. The shimmers became solid snowflakes that formed the symbol of snow. "This is just like the World Tree in Alfheim. Tall and mighty. However, I feel this is much more different," commented Reve. In front of the tree, one would feel drowsy and their mind would start slipping out. This was not in the description of the World Tree. So, to be safe, Reve decided to call it the "frosty tree" because of the innate frigid trait it bore. If Reve wasn''t used to such a hellish temperature, he would have long been encased in an ice block. As Reve connected with the heart of the tree, he discovered many interesting details about the tree. For instance, there were a few symbols inscribed on the tree. Even when he tried understanding them, he really couldn''t get a good idea. The biggest symbol out of all of them was a triangle with three circles connecting to its vertices. Another circle occupied the center of the triangle, and inside the circle was the image of a tree that was just like the frosty tree. All sorts of runes were written around the tree, which just added to Reve''s pile of confusion. The next noticeable symbol was an eight-pointed star with a snake making a circle around the center. It was yet another symbol that Reve didn''t understand. The third noticeable one was a simple image of an owl looking straight at him. There was nothing special about the owl. It looked like a regular owl that one would find when they visited their nearby forest at nights. That was what interested him. Apart from that, there were a few other symbols which Reve didn''t recognize. He thought out loud, "What is this place? What does this all mean? It has to mean something. There has to be a reason why I''m here." Reve''s palm caught a snowflake. It was crystalline and almost too hard to break. He pondered on his situation while maintaining direct eye-contact with the snowflake, "There is a greater meaning. I can feel it. This place connects with me." Feeling his turbulent thoughts, the tree swayed, causing a violent outburst of wind pressure. When Reve calmed down, the tree quietened and resumed its ethereal atmosphere. This puzzled the cat emperor. He was going crazy, "I can''t figure it out. I reckon I won''t be able to for a while. Right now, I need to leave this place." This place existed in the mental dimension. That much he had discovered. Surely, there was no way to abduct him in his room and place him in this world without him knowing. Hence, Reve deduced that his body was in the real world, sleeping. However, his brilliant trail of deduction ended there. He couldn''t explain what this place was? It wasn''t his mindscape¡­.he had been there once. That was the only mental location he knew of. Suddenly, while in deep thoughts, the roots of the tree bulged. It sent a soft vibration towards the upper parts of the tree. Reve removed his hand in shock, "What happened?" A tree branch came his way and swatted him away. It sent deep into the earth, making his mouth forcefully eat the green grasses. When Reve stood up, he noticed that the tree was reacting weirdly. It became violent and there was no way he could go closer to it now. "My emotions are not wild now, so why is it behaving this way?" Reve would never know the answer. All that he knew was that, in the next moment, the tree roots coiled around his feet and thrashed him. Another tree branch struck his body, piercing his heart mercilessly. Reve coughed out blood as he was brought closer to the tree, "Damn, that is my fighting style. Now, I know how it feels." His eyes closed after a few seconds. . . . . . . Light shined on the dark space again and Reve woke up! His eyes strained with hints of redness as he took a defensive stance. He was expecting an attack in the following moment but nothing came. It was then he realized that he was no longer in the green field. Judging by the design of his location, he was in his room! "What the heck is happening?" shouted Reve. Chapter 205 - Triple-digits "Something is wrong¡­." Yet, nothing was wrong. How best could he describe his situation? There was a certain strangeness that loomed over him. Yet, he could only perceive it, not see it. Everything was in place. His book was arranged on his shelf, just the way he liked it. His bed was positioned beside the sidewall close to the window. His closet was left slightly opened. The drinks were standing beside the bed in case he woke up with a light head. The room was with no artificial light. It could only be radiated by natural sunlight. There was nothing weird here. So, what was it that made his heart palpitate? Why was he so unnerved? Reve jumped down from his bed. He was about to¡ª Wait, he jumped down? Instantly, Reve blitzed towards his mirror and took a good look at himself. "Oh, fuckery!" he cursed. The problem had not been with his surroundings. The problem lay with him. Reve could see a feline structure looking back at him in the mirror. The creature boasted of a height of seven feet. The room seemed to not be capable of holding him in any longer. Nevertheless, that was the least striking trait of the feline beast. Accompanying its majestic white fur were trails of green streaks that seemed to move with meaning. If one looked closely, one would discover that the green streaks formed strange symbols wherever it went. Right now, the green streaks was glowing intensely. It augmented the beast with an ethereal aura that released a voiceless hymn into the world. Reve looked past that and noticed his antlers had also grown three inches longer than before. The pair of antlers looked just like a tree branch, with its slim structure and forked path. Luckily, there weren''t that tall, so the antlers had only gone through one series of forked path. Reve was also conscious about that. In a battle, his pair of antler would be so easy to attack and he reckoned that might be a weak spot for him. He thought of magic beasts that had lost their horns. It never ended well for them, so he didn''t think it would end well for him if his antlers were destroyed. Looking at himself in the mirror, Reve had a lot of things going through his head. ''So, this is what I was feeling? I had transformed back to my real form.'' This bit worried him. Reve had perfect control over all his transformations. He should be aware of his transformation. What more was the fact that he did that in his sleep, during his strange ordeal with the frost tree? One does not simply sleep and wake up in their real form! ''Yet, I seem to have grown. The difference is glaring, even though they were just improvements on my other features.'' Could it be¡­.that this was a growth phase? The major feature backing this idea was his enormous size. Reve was accustomed to being small. As a white arcadian cat, he never thought he could get big. However, was that still the case for a [Nexus Cat]? The ''cat'' in it implied it belonged to the feline family, not that it was a small domestic cat like he once was. The more he thought of it, the more he was convinced that it was a growth phase. He wondered just what was next for him and what stage he was currently at. Suddenly, large screens actualized in front of him. Reve sighed, as it had been long since he had seen the Nixy windows. [Notice: You have grown from Nexus Cat(Kitten) to Nexus Cat(Young Adult).] [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Title] has been updated.] [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Race] has been updated.] [Notice: [Level] has been updated.] [Notice: [Atrributes] has been updated.] [ Name: Reve Amethyst Race: Nexus Cat(Young Adult) Level(exp): 91 (009/10000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic), Truth Seeker (Path of Secrets) Titles: Suthur-Nex, Deviant, Titan, Hunter, Magic User(Meister), Traverser, Amethyst, Young Kaya, Kimon(Leader of the Tribe of Somnia) AP: 16 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 85 Speed: 106 Constitution: 70 Intelligence: 75 Magi: 600 Psi-Force: 350 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.3) Seventh Sense(Lv.4). Energy Sense(Lv.4). Nexus Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Unique). Parallel Status(Max). Status Barrier(Rare).Blind Magic(Lv.9). Force(Lv.6). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Max). Nature Echo Ver.2(Lv.2). Enchant Body: Demon(Lv.8). Frozen Gate(Lv.5). Binary Form(Max). Polar Nature(Lv.2). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.7). Yggdrasil(Lv.2). Morai(Lv.3). Arctic Moon(Lv.4). Nexus Magi Series(Max) ] ''Hmmm¡­..the change in stats is a bit too much.'' Just as he had expected, the key change was his magi and psi-force. The two energy forms had easily increased by a factor of 100. This was understandable, as the innate trait of [Nexus Cat] was his abundant raw power. His lack of impressive skills was compensated with a violent energy reserve and destructive potential. Reve quite preferred it like that. He wasn''t someone that massively relied on skills. As long as he had a good few, it was okay. The other thing he noted were his attributes. Reve had to say, he had come a long way from the ignorant cat with single digits attributes. Now, he had one triple-digit, if magi and psi-force were not counted. How godly was that?!! As expected of a cat emperor. Now, the cat empresses would admire him more. Anyways, Reve realized that he had surpassed Lv.90. This was a big change as, just a few more levels, and he would be beyond Lv.100. To an arcanist, this was the perfect time to advance to a Grand Mage, a fourth circle arcanist. However, to a genius like Reve, he could begin his advancement process now, opting to become a pseudo-grand mage, just like he did for his previous magic ranks. Reve had everything he needed. At least they were in his grasp. His level was good enough His magi reserve was well suited for advancement. His mana control just needed dedicated training. His body was ready for another upgrade. Lastly, his mind was ready for another spell.. This time, it would be a domain spell, the intrinsic spells of grand mages. Chapter 206 - Frozen Inn ''That is another plan for the coming future,'' sighed Reve. He had many things on his mind right now. His situation was worse to the point where he had little time to train himself and prepare for his advancement. Reve transformed back into the form of Reve of Azea. His body broke and reassembled until they fit the look of what he intended. Getting up, Reve picked up a slip of paper that lay on the side table. It was the same paper that Lord Gawyne gave him a day before. However, he had scribbled a few things on it. The open books also present on the table were a sign that Reve had focused on deciphering the code yesterday. It took him hours but he finally solved the code. Looking at the slip, he pondered on the words he deciphered, "The Frozen Inn. Red room." This was an invitation. Or to be more specific, it was a message to a specific audience. Reve surfed through his memories, ''If I recall correctly, Frozen Inn is a famous inn in the west domain of Starhold. Some of the students here are quite familiar with the place. Hmmmm¡­..what then does ''Red room'' entail?'' Reve pondered on this for minutes. While doing this, he took his bath and dressed himself in casual wear. ''Hmmm¡­I don''t have a clue. It should be literal. I can only confirm this when I get there.'' After he was done, Reve walked out of his room and left the Academy District. While merging with the usual crowd of humans, he transformed himself into a young man with regular looks. He then called for a carriage which responded swiftly. The driver stopped in front of him, "Where to, young Sir?" "Can I assume that you are familiar with Frozen Inn?" politely asked Reve. The driver smiled, "Yes. Almost everyone knows that place." "Then, that is my destination," replied Reve. He saved the driver a few good seconds by opening the carriage door himself and entering inside. The driver whipped his horses lightly and they began to move. *Neigh* While the horses ran freely on the road, heading for Frozen Inn, Reve went into another round of deep thoughts. ''My auction debut is coming in a few days. My main priority should be to find an alchemist, but they are not so easy to find. If I can''t find anyone in time, I shall just make more Dragontails myself.'' Reve was not an alchemist, but that did not mean he could not make potions. Due to his lack of alchemical knowledge and experience, his potions were sure to be subpar, but they could still be considered potions....if one reviewed it while shutting down their brain. Okay, maybe he needed an alchemist badly! ''Hmmm¡­.I will see what I can do before the day ends,'' muttered Reve. ''I''m tired.'' Since the start of the holiday, he has been running here and there like a rat chased by a cat. He merely had moments to himself where he just behaved like himself¡­.like a cat emperor that loved adventures. But, he could not complain, could he? He chose this path despite the warning from Circe. Reve leaned on the inner sidewall of the carriage. Feeling the warmth of sleep embrace him, he closed his eyes and let his body rest. ..... Two hours later. The voice of the carriage woke up Reve, "Young Sir, we have arrived." "Hmmm..." Reve struggled to get out of the carriage. His eyes showed signs of drowsiness but his body refused to collapse. Ten bronze coins were given to the driver by Reve. The carriage soundly left after the driver received it. Reve turned towards the building where he was dropped at. It was the sole building in the vicinity which felt strange to Reve. The only thing he could see were trees, green pasture, and a short road that led to the building. "Ahhh, another walk," sighed Reve. He spent minutes walking but he eventually got to the door of the inn. As he was about to open it, he heard noises coming from inside the inn. Reve released a short stream of breath and confidently pushed the door wide open. He ignored the looks of the boorish men drinking ales beside their table and walked ferociously. "Well, well, look who we have here," hissed one of the men. Nevertheless, he didn''t continue his words and kept on drinking his ale. Reve glanced at him with a menacing stare. Realizing that if he didn''t show dominance here, the others might see him as an easy target. Hence, he released his vast aura that covered the entire space. Everyone that swam in it felt their throats constrict. They fell to the ground, begging for breath as their mouths opened widely. "Oh, good gods, boys! Why do you always have to be so messy?" said someone in the inn. Reve traced the feminine voice to a well-defined lady with obvious curvy hips. She wore a tight-fitting shirt with small shorts that only covered half of her laps. Reve paused his steps as he noticed she was not affected by his aura. She almost seemed to be immune to the effects that it came with. Reve frowned, ''She is strong, excellently strong, but I feel like....she is not stronger than me.'' Sadly, he could not check with [Appraisal]. He feared the lady would be able to detect it as he was capable of detecting if somehow used similar skills on him. Reve retracted his aura, sparing the boorish men. From the corner of his eyes, he traced his sight all the way to the counter and noted the empty seat. He then noticed that the men had shut their mouths immediately the lady spoke. With a quick understanding, he walked closer to the lady, "Good day, I''m¡ª-" "Aye, aye. I don''t care who you are. How are you going to compensate me for what you did?" Reve smiled in response, "I understand. My apologies for my sudden attack." In a shocking turn, he brought out a bag of coins and dropped it on the table she sat at. The lady instantly scowled, "What nonsense? You think you can settle this with materialistic objects?!" Chapter 207 - Frozen Inn(2) As she barked at him, she kept giving a strange eye to the bag of coins placed on her table. "Men of this generation are so brutish. Do you think you can solve everything with just coins?" scoffed the lady. Reve felt a headache coming as soon as he heard that. Just by her looks, it could be discerned that the lady was in her late 20s. So, what gave her the qualifications to look down on this generation? The only answer he could think of was that she wasn''t from this generation. After all, looks can be deceiving. Despite all her harsh words, Rece maintained his composure, "Forgive me for my ignorance. I had thought to compensate you for the troubles I caused, Ma''am." The lady was taken by surprise as she could not retort such fine words from Reve. She nervously looked sideways and finally locked her sight back on the bag. Muttering inaudibly, she extended her hands to pick it up, "Fine, this is the problem with young men, always so pretentious." After stuffing the bag of coins into her clothes, she faced Reve once more, hollering, "What is a fine gentleman like you doing here anyway?" "I''m looking for a room to spend my day in. I traveled for days to get to Starhold, and having just arrived, I''m too tired," told Reve. Right now, he was a traveler. It wasn''t that important to keep up with this lie, but Reve likes to be cautious. One can never know when the lie and identity can come in handy. "A traveller, I see? Well, you have come to the right place," boasted the lady. She lunged away from her seat, dashing for the counter. After reaching the counter, she then hollered at Reve, "Hehehehe. I''m the owner of this fine establishment. Now, what type of room do you want exactly?" Inwardly, Reve rolled his eyes at this immature display, but outwardly, he dared not show his ridicule. Donning a pensive expression, Reve spoke, "I have a detailed specification. Do not worry about the price. Money is not an issue." "Oh, a rich young man, I see. You seem to be confident in your strength, seeing that you are not careful about your money-spending. Well, I shall not stand on a high pedestal. Young man, prepare to be sucked dry. What exactly are your golden specifications," chided the lady. Reve went silent. He was a bit hesitant to say the following words. Nevertheless, he spoke, albeit with a low tone, "Red room." "I see, Re¡ª--Wait, what did you say?" "I want the Red room," repeated Reve. A red glint coursed through the lady''s eyes as she heard Reve for the second time. Her body jittered and a reddish smoke substance was emitting out of her skin pores. Reve distanced himself upon seeing that, ''It seems like I touched the wrong tail.'' All of a sudden, the lady retracted her aura. She gained back her her healthy hue and smiled at Reve, "The Red room, huh?" It has been a long time since someone asked for the red room specifically. Most people that inquire never end up well. The lady dove straight at her desk. The sounds she made indicated that she was looking for something. After a while, she raised her head back up and presented a large black key to Reve. Looking at the designs of the key, Reve eyed her suspiciously, "Why is it so big?" "You will understand when you get there. Follow me," said the lady. Her voice was no longer like before. She lost all energetic vibe and felt more serious¡­too serious. The lady led Reve to the back of the inn. She passed multiple doors until they appeared in a grim corridor where the only thing that existed was darkness. Rev thought to himself, ''So, the red room is separate from the other rooms.'' The section they were in was different from the lodging section. Reve had passed there a few minutes ago. This place was much more different. If not for his innate heightened sight, he would not be able to make out the doors of the rooms at the side of the corridor. ''There seems to be something at the end,'' speculated Reve. Not able to keep the suspense, Reve asked the lady, "Where are we?" However, there was no reply from behind him which prompted him to turn backwards. ''...Damn!!'' The reason why there was no reply was because there was nobody to reply! The lady had disappeared without him even noticing, a feat well deserving of praise. Reve''s senses were sharp. Fooling him was not something so easy. ''Now, it is just me. I need to find the red room!'' Reve walked past the lines of doors. Nothing about them screamed ''red room!''. His guess was that the authentic red room was at the end of the corridor. There was a red dim light attracting his sight coming from that end. Reaching there, Reve touched the door. The texture seemed to be made of wood, carved from an exquisite tree. When he tried pushing it open, a few enchantments came to life. ''These are third circle¡­.No, fourth circle enchantments! It seems I am at the right place!'' His eyes brightened as he wanted to disarm these enchantments, but he didn''t have the time for that. Reve saw the large keyhole and inserted the room key into it. *Kachink!* He twisted the key and it got sucked further in. The door slowly opened. Ghostly wails escaped from inside like hot air trapped in a balloon. The tremendous vile aura spewing out of the room was accompanied by the smell of stale blood that flowed into his sensitive nose. Reve was reminded of gory scenes he had seen many times. They always had such a thick stench that would make him want to permanently block his sense of smell. Reve could feel all his senses warning him to turn back at this instant, but his mind didn''t want that. A few seconds passed by but it felt like an eternity to Reve. The door fully opened. Its last motion ended with a vengeful screech. Not listening to his inner alarms, Reve dived into the room Chapter 208 - The Circle Of The Willow The whistling silence echoed all around him. As soon as he took his first step into the room, he got sucked by a mysterious force. Reve found himself in a dark space where he could not see anything or feel anything. He didn''t know whether to panic or not, as it was almost impossible for his senses to be impaired. ''Well, this certainly doesn''t look good.'' The hair on his skin has been raised to the maximum as he continued walking aimlessly in the dark space. Looking down, he saw nothing, not even the ground he was walking on. It made it look as if he was walking on air, but Reve knew that was not the case. His feet touched solid ground. ¡­..or was he hallucinating? "Child, What is your name?" A voice whispered into his ears. Reve reacted in shock, turning sideways to meet whoever it was, but saw nobody. He cursed inwardly, ''Damn, why does this situation always happen to me?'' "Damn, why does this situation always happen to me?" Reve was shocked, "..." Were his ears malfunctioning or did he just hear his thoughts echoing in the dark space? Reve thought again, to confirm, ''Hmmm¡­..'' "Hmmm...." It was certain now. His thoughts weren''t private anymore. At least, his surface thoughts were clear as crystal in this dark space. Sighing, Reve ignored this discovery and focused on the voice that whispered to him, "I am Bartho¨C" Immediately he said that, an immaterial claw descended from above and slashed at him. He brought his arms together to block it, but the claw could not be stopped. It went through his body and came out, not long after. Reve wondered if it was just a scare tactic. Yet, before he could think further, sharp lines opened on his skin. Blood seeped out like the water gushing from a fountain. The lines formed the imprint of a claw on Reve''s body, bringing him tremendous pain that was both physical and mental. He fell to the ground and screamed. The pain was unbearable . He could feel his heart tearing out. His inner anatomy followed suit as they crumbled to make way for the claw wound. Blood gushed out of his eyes, leading him to panic. So he shouted out loud, "My name is Reve Amethyst. Reve Amethyst." Those few words made whoever had a grip on him cease the attack. The claw wound on his body closed tightly, disappearing with no evidence that it was ever there. The unknown figure whispered again, "Reve Amethyst¡­.a magical name. Do not lie to me again." "Yes," panted Reve. He thought as much. This unknown figure could easily detect his lies. "Tell me, Reve Amethyst, is this your true form?" "No." Being wise, Reve removed all his transformations. The sensation of nakedness was all he felt after he was done. A red hue creased to his face. He had never felt more embarrassed. What made him embarrassed was that the voice told him to strip. It commanded him in such a condescending tone. After his transformation, Reve waited for the voice to speak up again. As if carried by the ghostly winds, the voice whispered, "Reve Amethyst. Such a peculiar name. Such an outstanding form. You make such a peculiar sight. There is something about you that you are hiding from the world, isn''t there?" Reve gritted his teeth, "Yes." "You are free to keep your secret. However, for what purpose did you come here?!" The soothing voice aged a bit as it rained in the form of thunder roars on Reve. His mind shook as he bore the brunt of this vengeful voice. "I want a passage to the Circle of the Willows." "Oh, you do, now? How did you know to seek this place?" Reve patiently answered, "Gawyne Drateel gifted me the encrypted direction. It wasn''t so hard to decode it. A bunch of arcanites characters isn''t tough for an arcanist." "Oh, your mouth is loose, I see? Young Gawyne gave you the coordinates. He must have been so desperate to offer you our secret. Tell me, what did you do to him?" The voice raged again, and the dark space shook in response. Fear filled Reve''s eyes as he fell to the immaterial ground, feeling the black aura coalesce violently around his body. For one second, he went through a series of mental hallucinations. He saw himself die in a thousand ways he never thought he could. In the following second, his mind jolted from the mental influence, and he regained his true self. Reve smiled all the way, "It was a mutual deal. I help him alleviate his children''s curse, and he gives me Vaddon Drateel''s journal, which seems to lie in your hands. Fear not, I would not dare harm a family associated with your coven." "The Curse of Nimiel¡­.?! What lies did you fill in his head? The curse has no cure. It has taken the lives of countless mages," accused the voice. "I know of a way to cure it. I succeeded where you failed," boasted Reve. Knowing he had to prove his arrogant claims, Reve told the voice about how exactly he planned on curing the twins. He went into deep details and enriched its knowledge. The silence that ensued told him enough of the voice''s state. It was utterly surprised. "Such a method is plausible. Hmmmm...I understand. There is always a loophole when it comes to magic. To think a mere magical beast would have found it. How wonderful the wheel of fate is?" The voice looked down on Reve and the latter could feel this condescending attitude so well. It was absolutely ludicrous! Reve was not someone to look down on. He was Reve Amethyst, the heir of a true god, the student of an immortal, a young titan! No one had the rights to look down on a talented being like him! Nevertheless, he hid the detest he harbored for the voice, "So, can I ask for passage into the coven or will you give me what I want, right here?" "No! Your deal with Gawyne does not concern us. You can take your leave now!" Chapter 209 - The Circle Of The Willow(2) "Hmm¡­.." mouthed Reve. He could almost feel a headache coming his way. He had planned and planned until he reached this moment, and having reached it, he wasn''t going to give up just because some voice told him, ''no''. However, he also couldn''t force his way through. The magical prowess of the other party was so great that he would probably die the moment he thought of attack. ''What do I do now¡­.?'' His surface thought resounded, "What do I do now?" Reve instinctively closed his mouth. ''Oops..'' "Oops.." He then realized that his sudden action wouldn''t change anything. He got an idea! Ruffling his clothes that lay on the floor, Reve brought out a black ring from his subspace. It was an object that Circe had given him many years ago when he was still a fresh student of hers. He had refused to wear it before as he didn''t have a stable humanoid form back then, and when he got one, later on, he had totally forgotten about it. However, as it came to be, this might just be the perfect time to bring out the sleeping object. Holding the rope that was interlocked with the ring, Reve bellowed with a victorious smile, "Do you know what this is?!" "A common¡ª-" The voice cut its words just when it seemed to spout another round of deriding words. The aura of the room lessened and its magical grip in this dark space became unstable. Reve obviously picked up on this. His smile widened as this was the reaction he wanted. "How do you have this?" panicked the voice. "How else will I have this? It was passed down to me by my mentor," smiled Reve. By now, the darkness has already subsided and Reve could perceive light particles appearing in his vicinity. His smile widened much more. He had made the perfect decision. The voice''s whispers still lingered in the air, "Are you by chance¡­.a morrite?" "No, I''m no morrite, but I was taught by one¡ª" "Impossible, there is no new generation of disciples. The last living one perished a long time ago without passing the teachings of the Great Mother." Reve mocked, "Yet, here I stand." He noticed that the enchantment responsible for exposing his thoughts had already weakened. So he took advantage of that by pondering on the source of confusion he had in him. ''Great Mother? Disciples? What are all those? Circe only told me that it was proof of our kinship. It was supposed to give me an elevated status among morrites. Damn! Circe, you didn''t tell me everything!'' Nevertheless, Reve acted as if he understood everything, "Nothing is ever lost forever. How do you know that there are not other disciples hiding in the reclusive parts of Arcadia?" "That is true," reasoned the voice. its control over the room''s enchantments increased as total darkness resumed in the room. But this time, there was something different. Reve looked sideways to see a large clear mirror that appeared out of nowhere. "Enter it," commanded the voice. Reve touched the surface of the mirror. It reacted to him, separating its liquid surface to form a holeust big enough for his finger to fit. Understanding the mechanics, Reve confidently strode into the mirror with his eyes wide open. He wanted to capture the magic in the mirror. "Huh?!" Nothing happened. He had walked in and come out¡­.Wait, he came out of the mirror? Looking back, Reve could see the familiar mirror. Its surface moved about like a wavy sea. One thing he noted was that he was not in Red room anymore. Instead, he appeared in some sort of village that was surrounded by green trees. All sorts of humanoid beings smiled gleefully as they walked about. They had not yet noticed the stranger that had magically appeared from nowhere. In front of him, a well-aged woman with saggy skin lightly bowed as he recollected himself, "I greet the disciple of the Great Mother. I am High Priestess Ianthe." Reve looked at her and recognized her voice instantly. She was the one that had been tormenting him for many minutes. Now that he was before her, he could catch hints of her vast aura that she withheld. ''She is surely a grand mage. Her aura doesn''t give hints of innate spirituality so she is only just at the peak of the fourth circle. That, itself, is an achievement.'' Reve knew better than to not be polite. He lightly bent his head, "Lady Ianthe, I''m awestruck by your magical prowess." "Oh, such fine words. Welcome to the Circle of the Willows." Her words made Reve give the so-called village a second look. Nothing about it seemed normal. The people here use arcane magic on a daily basis, like the woman that just sparked a flame beneath the clustered firewood or the man that enchanted his ax and chopped a log of wood beside his house. Watching them, Reve realized that all the people here, both children and adults, were mages. The lowest rank among them were Initiates and the most popular were Meisters. Also, maybe he was dreaming, but Reve could have sworn he caught on the auras of a few grandmasters. How could such a powerful force be hidden from the rest of the world? Surely, only a coven could produce such splendid talents? Reve was about to continue his observation when he noticed something, "High Priestess Ianthe, may I get my clothes back?" "Call me Ianthe, and sure," smiled the priestess. She cast an unknown spell that absorbed an infinite amount of her magi. The black mirror came into view. Its center opened like a beast''s mouth and it spat out Reve''s clothes. The latter quickly transformed and wore his clothes. Now feeling comfortable, he commented on the magic spell that Ianthe performed. "Fixed teleportation enchant. I do not know if you casted the enchant on the Red room, but you have a spell that can link to it. Superb. The mirror is a spatial spell that hones in on the coordinates of the room." "As expected of a disciple.. Follow me." Chapter 210 - The Circle Of The Willow(3) High Priestess Ianthe led Reve into the village. The morrites roaming about paused in their steps as they saw a foreign face. Reve could detect complex thoughts weaving in their heads, but they didn''t seem to be hostile. Reve sighed inwardly, ''Thankfully, they are not hostile. I have to be on my best behavior here. If I wrong them, I''m not sure I would be able to leave with my head attached to my body.'' Nevertheless, the situation was not as tense as he imagined. Ianthe stopped when she reached a large building. The structure coated in black seemed ominous as not even the light rays from the sun could radiate it. Instead, it seemed to absorb all light particles and store them in its abyssal well. On the upper half of the building was an insignia that made Reve feel strange. ''An owl symbol. I have been seeing this a lot lately,'' pondered Reve. Now that he thought of it, he had seen this symbol about five times in the village. All sorts of buildings seemed to hold the symbol on a high pedestal. Reve felt he should be aware of what the symbol meant, but somehow, it didn''t ring a bell in his mind. Opening the door, Ianthe welcomed, "Enter, there are others waiting for you, young disciple." Following the invitation, Reve entered the building at a slow pace. The inside of the building resembled a church with dim light and a tense atmosphere. There were low sharp hums that a normal human wouldn''t sense, but Reve could hear it well enough. It did well to promote the mystical nature of the place. ''This feeling of deja vu...this building was built like a church with glass panels on the sidewalls. This is a meeting room. A village council room.'' What more was that the glass panels depicted images that were hard for Reve to comprehend. On one of them was a woman dressed in a black gown that flowed to the ground. She had blood smeared around her eyes and her fingertips were painted with the most beautiful shade of red. Surrounding the woman were multiple morrites. They knelt down in front of her and their mouths were open, suggesting that they were saying something. Ianthe saw that Reve was ensnared by this particular glass panel. The high priestess joined her palms together and made a praying gesture at the glass panel, "It''s normal to be attracted by this piece. The advent of the Great Mother. The daylight shone upon us morrites." Her eyes became weary as she ruminated on this godly event. Meanwhile, Reve was left in the unknown. He thought out loud, "Just who is this Great Mother?" How knowledgeable was he? Yet, he knew not an ounce of the figure referred to as the Great Mother. She seems to play a major role in the circles of morrites. A role that even a grand mage like Ianthe is submissive to. Ianthe directed her sight at Reve. Her words were a bit high from surprise, "You don''t know the Great Mother. How is that possible? Aren''t you a disciple?" Reve scratched his head, "I must confess. I''m unfamiliar with my identity as a disciple. However, I speak no lies when I say that I got this from my mentor." "Hmmm¡­.it is alright. The mother rings can never be worn unjustly. It is the greatest proof of discipleship. I see that your mentor failed to inform you of your identity. Let''s go." As they headed for the dark end of the building, she muttered, "The truth will always prevail." Getting to the end, Reve left the domain of light and traversed into the world of darknesses. At the center of this dark end was a circle table carved out from the roots of a tree that grew beneath it. Furthermore, as expected, on the table was the drawing of a black owl. Its black eyes held two abysmal gems that swallowed all that stared, leaving nothing but a body with a void mind. Five morrites sat on the different chairs around the table. Once Reve and Ianthe moved closer, they turned their heads to inspect Reve, the foreigner. "Ianthe, you are back and with a dashing demihuman. I take it he was the one that sought us," said one of the morrites. The voice belonged to a similarly old lady with black hair that refused to turn old and a smooth skin that contrasted her old age. Despite all this, she didn''t look any younger, and she didn''t dress as such. She wore a plain black gown. "Oh, the few moments I spent with this young lad had been eventful, Amaya. I feel young again," smiled Ianthe. "Oh, such kind of thing is possible for a boring woman like you?" wondered Amaya. Another morrite among them interjected. His ancient red eyes patiently scrutinizing Reve, "....and what is the name of this young man." Reve took the chance to introduce himself, "Exalted elders, I am Reve Amethyst." "Amethyst¡­.!" Hearing the last word, all the morrites felt their body tremble in shock. It was an instinctive reaction that could only happen to the sensitive individuals in Arcadia. This reaction was feedback. They didn''t need to inquire further to know that Reve bore a magical name. The one that appeared to be the youngest among them with overflowing red hair sighed, "A magical name capable of causing such a reaction. You must not be a random person. Ahh, I can already feel a headache coming." Ianthe found her way to her seat while Reve stayed behind, "Good, Nesryn. This matter closely concerns you. Before we start, let''s give our introduction." She spoke to Reve, "Seated among you are the most experienced morrites in our coven. Nesryn, Cora, Athan, Amaya, Kaine, and I. We are the elders of the Circle of the Willow." Reve could figure out who Nesryn, Athan, and Amaya were. They spoke a couple of seconds ago. As for the identity of Cora, it was surely the young lady with white hair and eyebrows that sat quietly in her seat. Kaine was a rather young man, just like Nesryn and Cora. He had the normal features of morrites; black hair and black eyes.. But the shades of his eyes produced a subtle but striking aura around him. Chapter 211 - The Circle Of The Willow(4) Nesryn asked, "Ianthe, what were you saying before?" "This matter concerns you," said Ianthe. She gave a brief look at Reve before explaining, "You see, our dear Reve didn''t just chance upon this place. He came here with a purpose, after having been directed by your nephew Gawyne." Instantly, Reve''s calm expression shuddered. It was not an overly shocking revelation per se, but he didn''t expect to casually meet the aunt of Gawyne Drateel, which made her the grandaunt of the twins. Yet, she looked so young. "....hehehehehe, are you wondering why Nesryn appears to be young?" Amaya read his mind. Well, it wasn''t hard to read him when his expression was too evident on his face. Nesryn stared menacingly at Amaya but didn''t do anything further as Amaya revealed, "Boy, you need to study more. Morrites have a long lifespan that rivaled even that of the elves. Nesryn here is over a hundred years old." "I''m barely 100!" sharply retorted Nesryn. Amaya met her stare, "You are still above 100." "I''m 105 years old. I''m nothing compared to you granny," said Nesryn. Amaya seemed to roll up her sleeves, "What did you say?!" "Silence!" Ianthe stopped the bickering by furiously banging the table with her bare hands. She had successfully captured the five''s attention, which just made her smile, "Now, as I said, Reve is here for a purpose. He seeks Vaddon''s journal." Nesryn bellowed, "Absolutely not, Vaddon''s last wishes were to protect his journal from this vile land." "Patience.. Patience. Nesryn. I won''t have brought him here if that was the case. I planned on sending him back, that was until he revealed something to me." Amaya queried, "What was it? "Take a look at his right finger." The five elders observed him. Seconds later, they could not hide the shock that spilled out of them. How was this possible? "A disciple...." mouthed Amaya. The five of them quickly bent their heads, "I greet the disciple." Now, it was Reve''s turn to feel awkward. Oh, how he wished to vanish from his spot, right now. It gave a weird feeling when five grand mages were being polite to him. Reve merely stood still and didn''t say anything. "Even if he is a disciple, I can''t give him what he wants. The journal culminates all that Vaddon worked hard for. The journal''s pages are stained with his blood and sweat. I just can''t give it to anybody just because they bear the mark of disciple-hood." Reve smiled, "I understand. Then, how shall I prove to you that I''m worthy?" Nesryn was speechless at this tenacity, "....." Luckily, Ianthe came to save the day, "Very well, since Nesryn insists, we shall decide on that later. For now, we have a lot of things to discuss, Reve Amethyst." She looked at Nesryn, "Nesryn, don''t tell me you aren''t the least interested in how he plans to save your beloved grand niece and nephew?" Not giving Nesryn any time to retort, she went further to tell Nesryn all she knew about the curative process. The others that listened to the conversation kept nodding their heads as it was rare to hear such a compelling theory. "Truly wonderful¡­..why haven''t we thought of that?" Nesryn brought her hands to her chin, "It requires something unique as the reagent. Also, the method of drawing out the curse still needs to be pondered upon. But, this is good. Hmm¡­." "I think the same too. The amount of delicate thoughts put into the process amazes me. Surely, he is a disciple," praised Ianthe. Reve took the chance to speak up, his words came out slowly, "Hmmm¡­..what is this disciple-hood you speak of?" "You don''t know!" Ianthe sighed, "I forgot to mention that. Our dear Reve has no notion about the actual value of the ring he holds." "This is really interesting. His mentor might have not thought it relevant to mention," commented Amaya. Ianthe divulged, "Reve, you see...." It was then Reve was introduced to a piece of historical news that he wasn''t aware of. It also introduced some conflicting stories. The origin of disciple-hood boiled down to the era of sins. At a certain point in this era, when the morrites were being hunted by the other races of the world....when they were looked at as vermin that would do nothing but cause devastation, one morrite rose to lead them¡­. She was called the Great Mother of Morrites. She led a nomadic coven whose single mission was to bring in more oppressed morrites. There was nothing that could stop her as she held a supreme power that rivaled that of the Immortal King or the Dragon King. It was because of this that the morrites survived the threat of mass genocide back then. Now, the Great Mother invented two things. The system of titled morrites and disciple-hood. The system of titled witches was for all the exemplary morrites that existed in a single era. The unnamed nomadic coven, which still existed to this day, would inaugurate the morrites into that position and title. So, in essence, it was responsible for titles such as the [Black Witch] and the [Red Witch]. Furthermore, the coven also crowned the [Witch Queen], the title only worn by the greatest morrite in an era. The [Witch Queen] or [Wiccan King] held the highest status in the morrites hierarchy, second only to the Great Mother, who disappeared many eras ago. However, the system of disciple-hood concerned something different. Before the Great Mother disappeared, she taught a bunch of morrites that carried her ideals. They withheld her teachings and passed it on to the next generation. They were called disciples. They were morrites and, sometimes, beings from other races that received the direct teaching of the Great Mother. This uniqueness prevented them from ever bearing a title since it would promote impartiality. The only thing they could do was prepare the next generation of morrites for the future. They were breeders and highly exalted beings that were respected by all morrites. However, their uniqueness prevented them from escaping the test of time. Slowly, their numbers died down until, in this era, not a single disciple was heard of¡­...not even from the unnamed prime coven. Chapter 212 - The Circle Of The Willow(5) Amaya concluded, "So, your mentor must have also been a disciple?" Reve was thrown off-guard, ''Circe¡­..a disciple?'' It was absolutely impossible for such a statement to be true. Reve might acknowledge his ignorance in some aspect of world history, but he, at least, knew the role Circe played in Arcadia''s timeline. It was something he would never forget. Circe was the Immortal Witch, one of the five immortals that roam the earth. The Immortal Witch was the second immortal to appear. She was first seen in the era of sins, a few hundred years after the first appearance of the Immortal King. Yet, her might was not to be underestimated! Wherever she went, blood will flow and kingdoms would fall. Bodies would turn to ashes, and at her mere scream, souls would be extinguished. She was the first morrite to be called a witch. This term was later adapted to the description of a female morrite. However, this was widely influenced by her. Hence, after many eras of horror, she took her rest on the forgotten continent of Azea. No one would expect her to sleep there periodically. That was the story of Circe, the Immortal Witch. Reve reckoned that there was no witch as influential as her. He made darted glances and he spoke in a low tone, "The Great Mother¡­.how come I have never of her? I''m only aware of the Immortal Witch." "Well, lad, it''s not exactly a secret, but only those with close relationships with a coven would know of this. As for the Immortal Witch, she is a controversial topic around here...." True to her words, when Reve observed the reactions of the elders, he noticed that they were all contrasting. Ianthe, Nesryn, and Athan had a touch of a smile on them while the rest squeezed their faces as if they just saw something disgusting. Clearly, they didn''t think much of the Immortal Witch. Observing this, Reve raised his eyebrows, "Oh, is there anything wrong?" "The Immortal Witch is a legendary figure, but only to the rest of Arcadia. She has been nothing but a bad example to younger morrites. Not once had she deigned to protect her race from the widespread prejudice. Her care for her fellow morrites is minuscule. She won''t get any reverence from us," scoffed Amaya. "Hmmm..." Reve didn''t have to say anything before Ianthe countered, "You are wrong. This excessive need for camaraderie is exactly what is your problem. The Immortal Witch played her part. Whether it was intentional or not, her legends were what protected us just like how the Great Mother protected us. No race in the era of sins dared to touch the beloved morrites that spawned the Immortal Witch!" "No race dared to irritate the originator of Arcanism. No race, I say again, dared to offend the God-killer. So, forgive her if she didn''t lead us like a queen. But don''t you deny that she did her part and her name still protects us till this very day." Nesryn joined the conversation, "I agree with Ianthe. A morrite is a free being. Why do you task the Immortal Witch with such a detrimental responsibility? Why do you expect her to sacrifice her freedom just to be the leader you want? Is that what you expect of me too? Is that what you want from all of us?" "I didn''t mean that," Amaya backed down. "But that is what you implied?" Amaya was tongue-tied. Her expressions softened as she spoke with aggravated emotions, "She left us. She ignored the prejudice against my ancestors. She could have stopped everything with just one single action, but she didn''t. Instead, she trod the lands of Arcadia as her fellow brethren suffered." Was the Immortal Witch right not to actively involve herself in the affairs of the early morrites? From Reve''s point of view, there was no problem with that. Why sacrifice your freedom just for another? Granted, it would be a chivalrous act, but was that required from everyone? Not everyone wanted to be a knight. Moreover, it wasn''t like the Immortal Witch was on a jolly path. She had her own fair share of troubles to deal with. Reve''s ideals were similar to Circe''s. He was absolutely selfish and would rather sleep in a reclusive region than actively involve himself in something large than him. Plus, he had seen Circe. The so-called Invincible Immortal Witch was tired of Arcadia and its endless conflicts. Apparently, living through three eras wasn''t something so simple. As Reve thought deeply, the argument transformed into something else entirely. Nesryn bellowed, "So, what? Were you present back then? How do you know she didn''t do her best? You talk like you know her. Like she owes you something?" "Are you telling me that if this coven was to be attacked and you were elsewhere, you wouldn''t see it fit to help us?" "Yes, I would assist with all my strength. However, the Immortal Witch didn''t grow up in any coven. There weren''t covens back in her prime. The morrites were scattered and it was hard to classify them under one term ''Morrites''. The world called us aberration because we came in different forms." "Yet, she could have done somet¡ª-" "Enough!!!" Ianthe''s scream disrupted the conversation. It became silent and the only thing that could be heard was the resounding thud that occurred when Ianthe''s hand slapped the table. It was this peculiar sound that brought the elders back to their senses. Ianthe smiled, "We can''t embarrass ourselves in front of a guest. He merely asked a question and you turned it into a titanic quarrel." After seeing the comprehensive looks they had, Ianthe continued, "Let''s focus back on Reve." She faced the latter, "Young Reve, as Nesryn said, Vaddon is our close-knitted friend. We can''t give any of his belongings without knowing it is in the right hand." "Then, what is required of me?" asked Reve. "A test. A mirror test. You would have to pass it to get what you want." Reve sighed, "That''s a bit abstract. What happens if I fail this test?" "It differs.. Your punishment might be a curse, an attack, banishment. But, in the worst case scenario, death might be your ending!" Chapter 213 - The Coven Of The Willow(6) - Tunnel Of Dreams Ten minutes later. At a certain part of the village, in a certain building, a group of people clustered around a large door. Among them was Reve, ''Damn, another door. I am having a bad feeling about this. Why do I keep being pestered by doors?!'' He was shedding crocodile tears. In retrospect, it could be said that his past experiences were tragic as they always involved a mysterious entrance. At this point, Reve could not be faulted for developing trauma. The young cat emperor nervously asked, "So, I just have to go through this door and the test will present itself to me?" "Behind this door is the tunnel of dreams. That is where your test will take place. Once you reach the other side, you would have passed the test," explained Ianthe. This door was just below the meeting hall where Reve met the elders. They had taken him to the basement and stopped as soon as the door was in sight, leaving Reve to wonder what was on the other side. The door itself wasn''t something attractive. It was a small wooden door with green moss growing on its surface, proof of its old age. Reve closed his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips as his eyes opened back fiercely. There was a sharp look in it, the look a cat emperor would wear when going to war. He couldn''t stop here. He had to reach the other side and claim his reward. He had come so far...now was not the time to have second thoughts. Death could not stop him! Reve''s hands held the door handle and pulled it. The cold breeze that gushed out of the open entrance chilled his bones but he ignored it and jumped inside. The door creaked and swung back into its place on the entrance. . . . . . . . Ianthe calmly watched the lad named Reve enter the Tunnel of Dreams, "Do you think he would pass the test?" Nesryn kept a straight glance at the door but her thoughts were beyond that, "Honestly, I have no idea. I don''t know what to expect from the boy? He is a disciple so I think he should be able to pass the test." Athan merely snorted, "You underestimate him." "What? Could it be you know something that we don''t?" questioned Amaya. "I tried using [Appraisal] on him. It didn''t work. The look he gave me made me aware that he knew of this concealed inquiry. Not just anybody could possess a counter to my [Appraisal]. The skill needed for that requires a lot of AP, even more than I have acquired in my lifetime." Ianthe joined the conversation, "Now that you mention it, I felt his energy once. He is an arcanist. Although he hides it so well, my senses cannot be deceived. Reve harbors one of the purest forms of magia I have ever seen. It gives the scent of nature but, somehow, mixed in it is the aura of destruction. Moreover, he is a third-circle arcanist. Nesryn, how old were you when you become a third-circle arcanist?" She asked Nesryn as the latter was the most promising morrite in the coven. After all, even before she became an elder, the other elders had graded her as a candidate for the [Red Witch]. That was just how talented Nesryn Darkmore was. "Hmm¡­..I believe I was nineteen when I joined the third rank of arcanism," Nesryn indifferently mentioned. She might not see it as something worth bragging, but it was definitely a piece of news that could shake the foundation of Arcadia, not just Xoris. Throughout history, there has only been about a thousand people that achieved this feat and all of them went on further to become legendary beings. Some even attained the ranks of demigods! Hence, one could imagine the shock that coursed through the elders when they heard of this bizarre news. Ianthe hummed, "Nineteen¡­.Then, it seems that pales in comparison to what Reve achieved. He is still young, around the age of 19 or 20. The energy built up in him tells me that he had been a 3rd Circle Arcanist a long time ago. If I estimate the time, it would be about three years ago. So, no matter how false my calculations are, he definitely became a 3rd Circle Arcanist at a younger age than you." The rest took a while to absorb this shocking revelation while Nesryn commented, "Interesting¡­..I hope he survives then. I would love to chat with him. Hmmm¡­.did you modify the test to fit what Vaddon wants?" Ianthe showed a mysterious smile, "I don''t need to. ''It'' is always aware of everything. ''It'' knows what to do." "I see¡­." . . . . . . . "Fuckery, why does it always have to be dark! Can the world come up with another theme?!" In the Tunnel of dreams, a young cat emperor could be seen cursing. After he passed through the door, he discovered that the entire tunnel structure was without light. Luckily for him, he could rely on his superior five senses to navigate around. The tunnel was just like what he expected; a long path with no end. Reve had lost count of how long he had been walking. Was it three hours or ten hours? All he knew was that he had passed the hour-mark! Yet, there was nothing in sight except the serpentine path with no end! "Hmmm¡­.." Wait, there was something.. ''What is it¡­..?'' Reve identified it as a fork in his path. In front of him were three large holes that held no distinctions. ''So, I just have to pick one, huh? So, unoriginal.'' He spied into the entrance of the three holes, trying to see how to make his decision, but he couldn''t see what he wanted. In essence, he understood....he just had to pick with his eyes closed. Reve 101: When in doubt, be random. This ultimate law made it that he could only blame his luck if he ended up with the wrong choice. "Hehehehee, the third one, it is. Three is a fascinating number." So, Reve headed for the third path while taking his time to enjoy the plain scenery Chapter 214 - The Tunnel Of Dreams Reve continued walking carefully. While it might seem like he was having fun, that was far from the case. His senses were strained to the optimum and his eyes tensed around. Yet, his body kept jumping. That was his way of easing the tension. A little fun won''t hurt, would it? *Phew!* A thin sound occurred as a sharp object flew past his cheeks. In actuality, it aimed at his face, but Reve reacted in time by bending his head sideways. He was stunned, "What was that?" If not for his superior senses, his face might have been hit by the mysterious object. Reve turned back to observe. Lo and behold, the so-called object was a snake. Its hissing sound was particularly loud as it danced its way back to Reve. It jumped again. *Phew!* This time, Reve was more prepared. He evaded the attack with a flip. Yet, a searing pain gripped his right leg and he fell instantly. Looking back, Reve saw another snake biting into his leg. He raised his hands straight and chopped the snake, leaving only its head biting him. The snake''s flesh squirmed but it wasn''t dead yet. It applied more pressure into its biting grip. "Ahh!" The snake certainly knew how to bite. The pain it gave Reve was something entirely unique. It was too thin yet it knew the right buttons to push. As veins popped on his face, Reve mercilessly ejected the snake away from his body. This violent action allowed a lot of blood to profuse out of the tiny holes that the snake made. Around the flesh of those wounds was a purple liquid substance that was smoothly coated on his skin. ''Poison¡­..now, what type of poison is this?'' wondered Reve. Nevertheless, he had no time to wonder about that. Reve faced the path ahead. Making no movements, his eyes strained into the black abyss. His senses picked up on a few movements up ahead and he knew it would be foolish to move further. Yet, before acting up, he needed to know what it was. A sphere of light shot out of his hand. The blue streak dashed at the abyss and shed light on the horrors that lurked. "I will be damned," cursed Reve. What was worse, one snake or a den of snakes? The answer was simple. A frickin den! Ahead of him were many snakes coiling on top of one another as they ''snaked'' their way to Reve. Immediately they were revealed, their speed massively increased and they shot out like an arrow plucked by an elf. Reve held his arm up and an almost transport shield appeared. It blocked the incoming snakes, but cracks began to open upon it. ''They are too much. The force they generate all together can probably fall a giant.'' That was an exaggeration but it was a sensible one. The number of snakes Reve counted were around 500. Their little body but long bodies occupied this section of the tunnel and Reve could only act passive in the face of the swarm. ''No, I need to do better. I need to do something.'' Knowing that his force barrier would break in any second, Reve punched it forward, giving himself the time that he needed to act. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. A large magic circle appeared on the ground. It bellowed like a ferocious beast and what came out of it was a hellish gas that froze everything it came into contact with. The snakes quickly turned into ice statues but some of them didn''t! No matter how many ice particles fell on their skin, they kept on advancing towards Reve. Reve sneered as he noticed this. The first in line was soon attacked by a variation of [Frozen Gate]. The tree magic circles coiled around the particular snake and outpoured its contents on it. The snake couldn''t resist the magical effect of the spell. Its magic-resistant scales overheated and self-destructed, leaving it vulnerable for yet another [Frozen Gate] that Reve cast beneath it. Reve analyzed the army of snakes heading for him in less than a second. He gave up thinking and multicast the variant [Frozen Gate] on each one of them. It was a reckless decision that cost him about half of his magic. However, looking at the lack of snakes around him, Reve smiled as it at least did the job! Now that he was free, he tried using [Appraisal] on them to understand just how they were able to resist his magic. "....." ''Am I doing something wrong?'' Even when he summoned the Nixy windows, nothing popped up in view. It was just empty air, leaving Reve to speculate on what happened. He tried summoning the windows again, this time, on himself. "..." The same outcome! ''Is it me or..---'' *Hiss!!* An army of snakes approached Reve with their small vengeful eyes. The cat emperor shivered as he yet again got attacked by the front army. He materialized a force barrier just after the first snake bit him and pushed the army back. Using one hand to keep half his mental focus on the force barrier, Reve cast multiple [Frozen Gates] that attacked the snakes in front. It was ineffective as usual so Reve did what he knew would work. He wasted his magi yet again as he overloaded three magic circles on each of the snakes. They hissed loudly till they transformed into blocks of ice, just like he wanted. A wave of rush left his body as he felt weakness overtake it. ''Sure enough, I have wasted most of my magi. Hmmm¡­ I can''t use my other magic spells since they take even more magi. Moreover, any nature magic spell would be bad for this setting. I can''t also rely on my physical stats. That would be unwise.'' As he spoke, he realized that his view was distorted. He was beginning doubles of each single thing in the cave. This was no doubt the effects of the poison. He paced like a drunk man, swerving to the left, swerving to the right. However, he could still control his body and make minute movements when it mattered. Reve sighed after coming to a conclusion. A white headband appeared in his hand and he wore it, "I can only rely on the brute force of my path of secrets" Chapter 215 - The Tunnel Of Dreams(2) A force barrier slammed into the last snake. The tenacious impact broke its bones as white foams stained with blood escaped its mouth. Reve walked closer to the dead snake, "Whew! That should be all, shouldn''t it?" He had been fighting for hours and had finally cleared the path filled with snakes. All over his body were many snake bites that went deep into him. He could feel his bones spasming from the intensity of the bites. His hand shuddered occasionally as he could barely keep up anymore. Having killed the last snake, Reve collapsed on the cold ground. The dust rolled into his hair and blemished his clothes, but he could not care for that. Reve muttered to himself, "I guess I should take a quick rest." Out of nowhere, he felt something coiling around him. He jerked away but he still could not escape the grip of this unknown body. It was then he saw the tail of a snake wrapping around him. The black scales of the snake reflected dim light into his eyes and he trailed its body to spot the head of a woman atop the snake. She had beautiful black hair that was made into thick locks. Suddenly, the locks hissed! ''Heh!'' reacted Reve. Those weren''t locks. They were snakes. ''Damn! What the fuck is this medusa now?'' cursed Reve. He struggled to escape the hold of the snake but he couldn''t. This creature was not like the other snakes. It had a length of 8ft and a thickness that could easily stomach an average-sized human without bulging. Hence, one could only imagine just how strong its body was. Reve using [Force Barrier]. However, his hands were stuck in its grip. It was impossible to move it. Thus, it was also impossible to manifest a [Force Barrier]. Moreover, he couldn''t also manifest one when his hands were too close to the target he wanted to attack. The [Force Barrier] would backfire on him and break his bones. Well, it would also break the creature''s bones but majorly his. Reve tried tapping into his magi reserve. The magi points there were miniscule. He would only be able to cast his basic magic spells at this point, which obviously wouldn''t work on the creature, especially when they didn''t work on the other snakes. ''Was this all planned? Draining me with her minions, making sure they poison me. After that, sneaking up on me when my senses were failing.'' If that was the case, then what a frightening intelligence this creature had! ''I need to do something before it bites my head off. [Tres Form]!'' Fur grew on his humanoid mode and his claws sharpened. Quickly shifting, Reve opened his mouth and bit the tough skin of the snake. The scales fought back but his fangs weren''t to be defeated. With all his muscle strength, Reve clamped on the snake just before its head dove at him. His fangs seeped into its body and its blood streamed into his mouth. *Hisss!!* The snake danced in pain. It made the mistake of loosening its grip on Reve, which the latter didn''t ignore. Reve slipped out with a fierce momentum and rolled on the floor continuously. He struck his claws on the ground and stopped his reckless movements. ''[Morai]!'' His figure disappeared after this mental declaration. The snake had recollected itself and whipped its tail towards Reve, but it was too late. The latter appeared a few feet away from his previous location and constantly analyzed the snake, looking for a weak point it could take advantage of. Soon, this field became a dancing ground. The snake would try to attack Reve, but the cat emperor was too nimble to be caught by the snake. In one round, Reve stumbled while moving during his bad body state. The snake approached him with an obvious tail whip, but Reve sidestepped just in time. He smiled at the snake as his claws gripped its body, ''I caught you!'' Using his two hands, he twirled his body and flung the snake away with his optimum strength. The snake hit the wall and caused a crack that revealed the outside to also be in a state of blackness. It tried moving multiple times but Reve guess he had done enough damage to stun it for a while. He advanced to deal a finishing blow when, suddenly, one of the eyes of snakes on the female snake jittered open. An ominous aura overcame Reve and he fled the scene. ''Damn, just what is that?!'' He didn''t need anyone to warn him that approaching the little snakes on the medusa''s hair was bad news. He had already figured that out on his own. *Hiss!* Seeing its prey flee, the medusa constricted its body and dashed at it. It became a game of cat and mouse! Reve was slowly losing speed as he burnt all his energy but the medusa was instead increasing speed. It was almost like the more Reve struggled, the more it got stronger. A bright beam of dark energy shot from its mouth. Reve jumped sideways in an instant as the energy exploded just beside him. *Boom!* Reve''s face tensed. The rock that had been devastated by the attack might have just been him. He picked up the pace just when the medusa got within close proximity. Meanwhile, the medusa kept firing all sorts of energy attacks at him. Some of them grazed his skin while the others were well evaded. Nevertheless, this only did well to lessen his speed. The shadow of the medusa covered Reve, leading the latter to panic. He flipped in the air. Whilst still suspended, Reve turned his head backward and unleashed one of his most destructive force barriers. With a cat-like balance, Reve got back to the earth and continued his staggering run. He noticed that his attack had successfully slowed down the snake and couldn''t help but reveal a smile on his face. ''Perhaps that''s it!'' ''The last time I couldn''t afford to use force barrier because there were a lot of snakes, but this time, I only have one target....a target that was slower than me.'' Chapter 216 - The Tunnel Of Dreams - [Winter Rose] With a growing determination, Reve snapped his fingers, and two transparent screens collided with the snake. *Boom!* Suddenly, a bright light attracted his eyes from the top of the snake. The moment he looked at it, a sheet of stone began growing on his arms. Reve hastily closed his eyes and distanced himself from the snake. The sheet of stone regressed until his arm was back to normal. He sent a loose force barrier at the snake to keep it preoccupied while he analyzed what just happened to him. ''It is those tiny snakes! Petrification! I should have expected this medusa-looking creature to possess something like that.'' With his eyes closed, Reve evaded another attack from the snake but this time, barely. His clothes tore apart from the attack and blood seeped out from the wound that it made. Reve could not fully rely on his senses at this moment. The poison from the snake did something to deter his perfect sensory skills. Sometimes, he would receive an excellent interpretation of his surroundings. Yet, in crucial moments, this interpretation would go black leaving him vulnerable to any sudden attack. Anyway, if he wanted to shield himself from the attack of the medusa''s head, he needed to focus on his senses despite their unreliable status right now. ''I''m used to this fighting style. It''s a pity I can''t use magic. However, I should be able to go physical now!'' Reve''s silhouette disappeared just when the thoughts flashed through his head. A large array of black energy balls blitzed towards him, but he infiltrated its gaps and headed for the snake. Getting closer, Reve pulled on his sense of balance and punched the body of the snake. His dainty fist was imprinted on its skin. The inside of the snake mushed together and it flew backward like a rocket ball. Still, Reve didn''t give it any break. He jumped in the air and landed a kick on its middle section! *Boom!* A bright light radiated from its inside as it was about to unleash an energy blast. Reve stared at its face and dug his claws into its intestine. He brought out his hands stained with black blood along with a few patches of flesh mushed into his nails. ''It should be over now, shouldn''t it?'' In an instant, the hole that he made closed up, and the snake slammed its tail on him. A few seconds later, Reve stood back up from the whole he made on the floor. He spat out dirt from his mouth, ''Fucking healing factor. Damn!'' The snake had merged with the darkness so it was hard to find it, but Reve knew it was recuperating. Meanwhile, Reve''s healing factor would take a while before it fully regenerates his body. '' If this went on at this rate, he would be eaten by this snake. ''Damn, is this how it feels to face a stubborn foe like myself?'' Reve took a second to appreciate the beauty of excellent healing factors. In the next second, he shamelessly vowed to utterly despise creatures like that. Anyway, Reve knew what he had to do. He had to deal a lot of fatal damage to the snake, overwhelming it in such a way that it would basically kill it. Last time, he had gone for the heart, but he seemed to have missed it strangely. Reve''s eyes could see the internal structure of any being. He had seen the heart of the snake and attacked it, yet it slipped out of his grip, meaning the snake can shift its heart at a moment''s notice. He had to target another vital part! Reve raised a force barrier. Slamming on it was the impatient snake. Reve used his other hand to fling another force barrier at it, which sent it away for the meantime. Still, with his eyes closed, he released wisps of hot breath from his mouth and calmed his mind. His breathing merged with the atmosphere and his every minute movement seemed as slow as a tortoise''s walk. Yet, he wasn''t bothered¡­..even when the snake dashed at him. Suddenly, his aura spilled out and a bluish-green energy escaped in a tiny long stream from his body. They went upwards, forming a magic circle that spawned two other magic circles. This constant dance of complex magic circles sparked a tiny white orb into existence. The orb grew from a tiny object, the size of an apple, to the size of a mature watermelon. It was then a crack appeared on it and a beautiful flower, with a description similar to the flower of paradise, grew out. The energy radiating from it condensed an ice spear that was as reflective and smooth as the clear blue moon. Reve muttered softly, "...[Artic Moon]!" The ice spear shot in this close region. It blitzed like a dying meteor. Even Reve couldn''t see the movement of the ice spear. Time seemed to slow down. The advancement of the snake, the movement of Reve, everything appeared to pause. Only the ice spear rampantly dashed in the air! In the blink of an eye, it struck the snake and pierced its head. An ice sheet got released from the ice spear. The glacial sheet froze the snake until it was fully trapped in a block of ice. However, in what seemed like the final struggle, a blast radiated from the snake and broke the block of ice, rendering it free. Yet, Reve was prepared. Beneath the snake swam an inconspicuous magic circle. A thin stream of energy rose up from it and subtly pierced the snake, disregarding its magic-resistant scales. The stream of energy came out of the other side of the snake and on its tip was a bud that blossomed instantly into a fine flower. If the flower of [Artic Moon] and [Ice Fantasy] was that of paradise, this one could be aligned to the frigid hell plants. Every part of the flower was crystalline, thorny, and didn''t seem real. Looking at it, one would feel like it break upon touch, but that was far from the case! The moment the flower widened, the entire tunnel became akin to the northern region and when Reve blinked his eyes, the snake whitened! Chapter 217 - Tunnel Of Dreams(4) - One Last Time Its surprised expression paused eternally. However, it wasn''t right to say it was frozen in a block of ice¡­.that didn''t fit the description. The ice particles from that flower infiltrated every part of the snake and turned it into an icy structure. This was a very parasitic magic spell that took a long time for Reve to learn. Oh, how he remembered. The endless day and night he had poured in to master this particular spell so that it didn''t backfire on him when he was ready! He might not be ready right now, but he bet he could now use the spell without worrying about fatal side effects. [Winter Rose]. That was the name of the spell, titled after the rose that only blossomed during winter. ''Well, that''s about that. Right now, Ahh--- '' Reve collapsed on the floor as his body shuddered continuously. He kept shaking like a fish out of its habitat. Deep down, he recognized this occurrence, ''energy deviation. I had planned my attacks well. I guess I''m still not ready for [Winter Rose]. Truly, what a sad life.'' When the battle was ongoing, Reve kept a constant check on his magi reserve. He was waiting for the perfect time to unleash a devastating magic spell that would end the tyranny of the snake. [Arctic Moon] was that spell. It seemed to do its work well, but somehow, the snake survived. So, Reve instinctively picked a spell with a greater destructiveness, regardless of his magi reserve¡ª [Winter Rose]. Theoretically speaking, he didn''t have enough magi in him to pull off the spell, but that wasn''t going to stop him at that important moment. Thankfully, that was only in theories. Even after one''s magi reserve is depleted, there would still be magi points swimming in their body, just not in their magi reserve. Now, in times of great distress, one could upon these magi points, but it wasn''t wise to do so as it would leave a terrible impact on his muscles and body framework that had housed that particular magi point for many years. A side effect¨Cranging from death, amputation, or mild injuries¨Cwould catalyze from this deviation. In Reve''s case, death was a far stretch. He would live to see another day, but right now, all he wished for was that pain stopped. Not knowing how to cope with it any longer, he closed his eyes and let himself find recluse in the warmth of dreams. His body stopped spamming. It laid still on the cold floor as the blood of the snake found its way to him, staining his fur. . . . . . . ''Hmmm...'' An unknown time passed. Reve eyelids jittered open as he woke up with fresh vigor flowing through his every vein and muscle. While he was asleep, his body took the chance to patch itself up. His magi reserve refilled its tank. ''I don''t find myself at the mouth of any monster, so I''m guessing there should be no obstacle for a while, right?'' Sadly, no one was around to give him the reassurance that he wanted. Reve stood up and deactivated his transformation. It wasted a lot of energy. He didn''t need to keep up such a form right now. With eager steps, he continued walking down the cave''s path. After what seemed like an eternity, Reve saw something other than brown earthen substances. A blue mist blocked the path ahead of him. It didn''t seem to be ominous, but Reve wasn''t buying it. The cat emperor picked up a stone and threw it into the mist. Nothing happened. Heck, he didn''t know if something was supposed to happen, but he guessed the lack of any unfavorable reaction was good, right? He tried reassuring himself by repeating the same test about five times until he realized the mist was probably safe. Reve jumped into it and closed his eyes in the next second. ''Hmmm¡­..so, it was nothi¡ªCrap!'' The scent of the mist forcefully shut his mind down, and he closed his eyes. ...¡­.. When he opened his eyes, he discovered his body to be transparent, just like a ghost. The lower part of his body was invisible, even to him. Or was it that he lacked a lower part and the wispy bottom he had was just as real as it could get? Anyway, Reve ignored his body status and focused on his surrounding. Before he was something from his memories. It was a scene from long before he became his godly self. There was Myrna, sitting in her office, with him on her laps as she combed through his fur with her bare hands. Illuminated by the lampstand, a document laid on the table and her head focused on it, "The Devil''s Triangle. Hmmmm¡­.seems dangerous, isn''t it Reve?" Reve purred. His exact thought was, ''Yes, you crazy old lady.'' "Kekekeke, I have gotten old, haven''t I? I have reached the stage where I consider most adventures to be dangerous. Now, what would become of me?" Reve purred loudly once again, ''So shameless. Despite your hesitation, you still embarked on all your planned adventures.'' The cynical old lady, who believed she could understand her dear cat, giggled, "Well, I''m something, aren''t I? Quiet, the kids are sleeping, wouldn''t want to wake up those monsters late at night." "Hmmmm.....still, this one seems to be worlds apart from our normal adventures. The other adventurers believe that it is the source of all the supernatural events that happened here. The Devil''s Triangle, a place one can not come back from...Basically, a place where you lay your coffin." "Hehehehehe, if the associations think that I can pull off this adventurer in my old years, then who am I to ponder on my rotten efficiency?" "Reve, let''s do it again, one last time. We shall uncover the secrets of the triangle. Damn, it doesn''t matter if we survive or not. Fame and wealth are irrelevant. All that matters is that we were there, and we saw the secrets. Wouldn''t that be a good way to go out?" Reve purred, ''Fucking caretaker, you want to kill us?!!'' "Hahahaha, what is it, Reve? Your bones have gotten old? You have become a lady cat?" Reve purred, feeling provoked by Myrna''s word, ''One last time....'' "Yes, one last time..." Chapter 218 - Tunnel Of Dreams(5) - The Willow The current Reve looked at this scene and mouthed those familiar words that had now come to age like fine wine. ''One last time¡­.'' Yeah, that was the pledge they had made back then. Both of them were in their old years. To Reve, death was arriving in months, if not days. To Myrna, death was coming in years, but the true death was idling alone with an uncomfortable bag of bones while being taken care of by servants that only cared about her money. So, they celebrate the wonders of their life. They embarked on the most dangerous adventure. Yet, that was just a side wish. Myrna wanted to see the wonders of the triangle before closing her eyes. A wish that she shared with Reve. It was her desire to uncover more truths that had saved her life multiple times, even when her body failed her, and the mysteries lurking in the triangle could be considered the supreme truth. It was the perfect closing chapter and Myrna wanted to stare at it while smiling contently. Yet, out of the two of them, Reve was the only one to see the truth. Myrna died as soon as she stared at the frontmost parts. ''She never accomplished her dream....and that is why I would bring her back to accomplish it!'' As soon as that thought occurred, the scene shattered and Reve was brought back to the real world. He wasn''t in the tunnel of dreams anymore. No, he was in a divine spot. Lo and behold, a tree of immeasurable size stood tall before him. The only thing Reve could see with his mortal eyes were the long barks that extended all the way up. The tree''s leaves seemed to sway mysteriously and some of its branches coiled around his face. Surrounding the tree was a small lake, which was the source of the wetness that Reve felt. Reve stood up and faced the tree radiating with a profound aura. He shouted, "Isn''t that what you wanted?" Who was he shouting to? "You wanted to know my reason and conviction. Did you find a pleasing answer?!" Lashing out, Reve cut apart the branches that connected him to the tree, "Did my true desire come out worthy enough?!" Suddenly, the tree branches regrew and found their way back on Reve''s body. That was the being Reve was talking to... Reve had a few suspicions when he traveled through the tunnel of dreams. Everything there seemed surreal, but the craziest thing was that he couldn''t use [Appraisal] on the snakes. This was different from blocking the effects of [Appraisal]. At least, if his enemy blocked his skill, he would still feel it. However, when trying [Appraisal] on the snake, it seemed as if his skill just went through nothing and thus, brought out nothing. When trying it on himself, it remained the same scenario. Hence, was he also ''nothing''? So, if the snakes and him were ''nothing'', did this bizarre occurrence extend to the cave path? His mind ruminated on the name of the cave; The Tunnel of Dreams. It could be interpreted many ways, but Reve found one exact meaning that aligned with his present dilemma. This place was false, as false as the flying pigs. Reve guessed it was a mental structure, a sort of mindscape that adapted to the creator''s whims. Proving that for him was his fight with the snakes. They were endless in numbers and kept coming at him as if he was a supernatural magnet. The medusa snake showed feats that were outright impossible to think of. It could reactively shift its heart in mere milliseconds. Its healing rate was also a bit too sporadic. Combined with its toughness, this would make it a not-so easy to deal with creature. Furthermore, creatures like that couldn''t just be found in a place called Tunnel of Dreams. Reve hollered at the tree once more, "First you test my battle prowess. Then, you probe my reasons." Back then, after going through all those revealing thoughts. He wondered who was behind all this trickery, but looking now, the answer was clear. A coven wouldn''t just call themselves Coven of the Willow without any meaning behind it. Right in front of Reve was the true willow. The trademark of the coven. ''It appears to be sentient,'' noted Reve. Yet, the only response it gave to Reve was the movement of its branches. Reve sighed and walked closer to the tree. His palm touched its rough bark, "A sentient tree. I never knew the coven would be hiding such a wonder. I know of the world tree, but nothing more. This is truly fascinating." Reve''s anger had long died down after he saw the tree. As a mage with nature affinity, he couldn''t deny being attracted to this exquisite being. His mind connected with the tree and indistinct thoughts flowed into his head. He couldn''t make sense of them, but he didn''t need to. Reve sent his thoughts toward the tree, ''So, what is my result?'' Ianthe appeared behind him, "You passed." Beside her were the other elders with their usual varying expressions. Reve ignored the element of surprise and looked at her, "How long was it?" "Her majesty sensed your race against time so she made it quick but still retained the full brunt of the test. She gave you everything at one go while upping the difficulty so as to prevent no shenanigans. Who would have thought you would complete the test in under two hours?" "Two hours, huh? That is good," sighed Reve. He feared he might have gone days in the tunnel, but then again, the mental dimensions were weird. A day in one might mean a year in the outside world. A year in one might mean a day in the outside world. Reve hurried, "Forgive me for being blunt, but where''s my reward?" "I understand. I shall go get it." Ianthe went to the roots of the willow. She dug her hand into the empty pockets of space where some gold and jewels sparkled. A long chest appeared in her hand as she quickly left the roots, but not before paying her respect to the willow, "Thank you, your majesty." She smiled as she opened the chest before Reve. *Kachink!* A sigh of relief escaped Reve''s lips. He was finally getting what he had worked for for months. As he stared at the empty chest, he could not help but giggle in joy. Wait¡­empty chest! The chest was barren! Chapter 219 - Marya And The Portraits "How can someone steal our prized possession under our nose?" frowned Ianthe. She faced the willow, "Your majesty, do you know who did this?" Amaya commented, " Relax, Ianthe. The pocket space is the most safeguarded place in the coven. For someone to steal from underneath it would mean that her majesty didn''t think it was just a big deal." Reve saw something in the chest, "There''s a letter." Hearing his words, Ianthe dipped her hand into the chest and brought out the thin slip of paper . . . . . [ Dear Elders, I am familiar with the stories of Vaddon Drateel. I have been told that he was such a fine man to the end. So, I wonder, why leave the fruits of his hard work in a chest that wouldn''t be opened for another millennial? Is this your way of paying respect to his legacy? Do you plan on burying his greatest proof of existence? Knowing that you would be stubborn to the end if I questioned you, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I shall hereby remain anonymous as I announce that I have taken Vaddon''s journal to put it into good use. Do not worry, I would not put his legacy to shame. ] . . . . . Reading this letter, Ianthe scoffed, "Anonymous? She thinks she can remain anonymous. Hehehehehehe." Accompanying her derisive laughter was a vengeful shout that scared almost all lifeforms away, "Marya!!!!" "Oh goodness, that girl never ceases to amaze me," chided Amaya. "Marya strikes again. This remains her best act." "I never would have thought she would target our esteemed treasury. Surely, she is out of her mind." They left Reve in his stupor, "Might I ask who is this Marya?" "Marya is¡­.hehehehe, well, you will find out yourself," laughed Nesryn. Something about the matter was funny as all the elders revealed amusing expressions. Yet, Reve was not following. He was merely here to grab his reward. How did a notorious witch manage to muddle his plans? ''Hmm¡­.'' smiled Reve. He was barely able to keep himself together. The only thing that kept him from exploding was the group of elders in front of him. It wouldn''t do good to show his enraged self. Reve''s mouth twitched, "So, I can assume that you know this anonymous witch? Marya is her name, isn''t it?" "Yes, do not worry about it. I know just where to find her," sighed Amaya. ".....and where is that?" asked Reve. Amaya simply smiled, "Ianthe, I will take it from here." she nudged at Reve, "Follow me." Reve did as she asked. He quickly realized that the mouth of the willow was on ground level and not underground like he had expected. Just how had he managed to walk to the surface? Nevertheless, he noted that the willow tree was the huge tree he saw a while ago when he had just arrived at the coven! . . . . . A few minutes later, Amaya and Reve arrived at a long but slim tower that Reve estimated to be three stories at least. "Is this the home of this Marya?" whispered Reve. Surely, anyone that lived in a structure like this was a cause of concern. He was starting to get worried here. ''Damn, why am I always stuck in this type of situation?'' panicked Reve. Amaya knocked on the door subtly, "Reve, any last words?" "What do you mean?" replied Reve, who had already jumped backward. "I''m just joking. Relax, Marya is a lovely lady. She won''t kill you. Well, she would try to, but I don''t think that she can¨C" "WHAT?!" "Pfft! You should have seen your reaction. I will be honest. All you need to do is walk in there and request for Vaddon''s journal." "...and what happens after that?" "Well, see for yourself¡­.." The door opened but no one was behind it, leaving Reve to possess second thoughts about venturing into the tower. Trying to help him, Amaya pushed him into the tower as her voice flowed into his ears, "Contrary to what the others believe, Marya is not crazy. All her actions carry meaning. So, I believe that she stole Vaddon''s journal for a reason. Most likely, it is tied to¡ª" The door closed and Amaya''s voice was extinguished. Afterward, Reve saw a clear path that led to a staircase. It seemed that was his destination. As he walked on the staircase, he discovered something puzzling. ''Oh damnation, what is this now?!'' stressed Reve. On the walls were portraits of various figures. It was clear that they were painted by hand, but something about that discovery made the painting more attractive. When Reve stared further, he realized that the figures were abstract. There was no way he could make out what their original form was. Hence, he kept on moving. He soon got to the upper floor and entered the tall door that presented itself in his view. Entering it, the first thing that caught his sight were the continuation of portraits that hung on the wall. He understood that they were drawn by the same artist based on the similar style between all the portraits, both the one on the stairs and the one here. He cursed as, this time, he could see the portraits clearly, "Oh, fuckery!" The identity of the figures were¡­.well, they were him! More specifically, the figures were his various forms. Reve as a white arcadian cat, Reve in his [Prime Mode], Reve as Nexus cat. Reve of Azea. Reve in his [Tres Mode]. Lastly, there was even two of Kimon; Kimon without mask and Kimon with mask. "What sort of pervert is this?" That was not even his major concern. His real concern was the fact that all these portraits were arranged together. For instance, if another person saw this gallery, they would wonder what was the link between the ''Reve of Azea'' painting, the Kimon painting, and the ''Reve in his [Tres Mode]'' painting? However, Reve knew the answer. They were all him. They were his faces! Most of them were not public knowledge, especially his Kimon persona. Reve had gone extra lengths to make sure nobody would be able to link two and two together, and figure out the truth behind the personas. Yet¡ª "You are here!" a melodious voice beamed, cutting Reve''s thought train short. Chapter 220 - Marya And The Visions "You are here!!" Reve turned around to see a shadow lunge at him. Not knowing what to think, he evaded this shadow with a quick sidestep. The shadow rolled into the wall and ended its roll with a banging sound. "Aish. Aish. Aish. Why did you dodge, Reve?" screamed the shadow. As it stood up, it revealed its true appearance to be a young adult with sleek silver hair that ran all the way to her knees. Her semblance was weird. She had white brows that arched over her deep red eyes. Mixed with her pale skin, she gave a sickly bearing, with looks that could instantly provoke protective feelings in her onlookers, both male and female. It didn''t help that she bore a petite stature. Not too petite as she had a moderate bust and ample body, but, nevertheless, such body proportions couldn''t beat that of the well-endowed average woman. However, she compensated for that with a height of over 5.5 ft tall. Reve cocked his head at the mention of his name, "You know me?" "Of course, I know you. Reve Amethyst, blessed by Khaos, taught by the Immortal Witch. Hehehe, I expected you to come long ago, but you came eventually. How wonderful. Reve Amethyst in the flesh¨C" Reve stopped her there by releasing his hostile aura, "How do you know so much?" He understood now that the ominous sensation he kept feeling wasn''t unwarranted. Not to talk of the paintings, just the words that she spoke was something that only one other person knows¡­.and that was Circe. Circe wouldn''t tell another soul and no one could force her to! "Wait! I should have expected this reaction. Surely, the esteemed Reve Amethyst wouldn''t think of this lightly. You can be assertive sometimes, like that time when you fought with that amazon lady. What was her name again? Ahh¡­I forgot. I forgot. I forgot. What is her name Reve?" ranted Marya. With a cautious stare, Reve mouthed coldly, "Neith." He wanted to test how much this lady knew about him. That was crucial to him. "Yes, oh feisty Neith, your karma. Her stubbornness is what led her to you and her drive to avenge her parents¡­.how dramatic. Yet, you denied her of this while still sparing her life." "..and¡­.?" "...and what?" innocently asked Marya. "What is your point?" Marya facepalmed softly, "My point¡­Oh, forgive me, I have ranted again. I tend to rant when in a joyous mood. And as you can see, I''m absolutely happy. Oh, I get to see you in person. How many nights have I dreamt of this moment?" "I don''t understand you," commented Reve. He thought to himself, ''This lady is crazy. Damn! Fuckery! Just how did I get here?'' He looked at the ceiling for an answer but got no reply. Feeling annoyed, Reve sighed, "Please, get to the point." Marya closed her mouth with her hand for a second before gently opening it back, "I''m sorry. The truth is that I have been watching you for years now, practically since I was born." Reve''s frown deepened, "What do you mean ''watching''?" If someone was trailing him from the start, then he would have noticed. No, it was even absolutely impossible to do that! Reve had been through a lot of things. Also, he had met a lot of higher beings. If he didn''t detect a lifetime stalker, those higher beings would have detected the stalker. It was a simple truth. "Since I could walk, I have been receiving visions of you. I know almost all about you. Ah, I even know your favorite food. It''s cat soup, isn''t it?" Reve''s face twitched but he offered no response. Anyone that thought his favorite food was cat soup, even after knowing his identity as a feline creature, was obviously an enemy. "I''m kidding. It''s not cat soup. Though, that is probably your second favorite meal. I mean, it truly depends on how you make cat soup. Sometimes, the meat gets soaked and its toughness is lost. Sometimes, when chewing on the meat, one can taste the perfection of the soup. And, oh, sometimes¡ª" Reve sighed again, "Marya, focus!" "Oh, I am sorry¡­.. Back to the topic. You see, I''m special¨C" "Yeah, I can see that," said Reve. A red hue creased over Marya''s face, "Oh, thank you for your kind words. In actuality, I''m not an arcanist like most morrites. I am a trueborn seer. Born with the ability to divine and the mind to house divinations." Reve concentrated on those few words, "Divination, you say?" Divination was a lost school of magic. He found it hard to believe that he could easily come across a seer, and not a normal one at that. A trueborn seer! Those types of seers were even more powerful than the normal ones. "Yeah. Yeah. I was lying. I couldn''t see you with just my divination. I was blessed by¡­ the voices" "The voices?" "Yeah, the voices. They spoke to me, telling me of their mighty Kaya. They couldn''t stop talking, couldn''t stop revealing things about you that just mesmerized me. Like how you became a titan and how you easily mastered magic or the fight you had with that [Terror Lizard]. I hope you don''t mind because I took it upon myself to imprint all these fine adventures into something permanent. Your story will never fade away." "Ohh¡­..easily mastered magic, you say?" repeated Reve. In a span of a few minutes, he had become absolutely dumbfounded by this lady. She said things that just struck him deep. ''Easily mastered magic...Damn!!'' Reve hasn''t even mastered magic yet! Moreover, he spent years to reach this level of magic prowess. Yet, it was easily glance over by saying ''easily mastered''. Could there be any greater injustice?! "Yeah, you easily mastered it. What you have accomplished in years would take decades for most humans, even morrites? I remember there was this wiccan that took three hundred years to attain the third circle in arcanism. Really untalented. Yet, he... " Meanwhile, inside Reve''s mind, ''Damn, can she stop talking?!'' Chapter 221 - Crazy Just who was this Marya? She had introduced herself as a trueborn seer, but, obviously, there had to be something more to the story. Her claim of being able to listen to the voices was enough to make Reve alert. The skills required for that were [Seventh Sense] with a level above Lv.4¡­.or at least that is the required level Reve estimated it should be. Not just anyone could acquire this skill. It wasn''t innate and also wasn''t something one could train for. It entailed one to be associated with a mystical experience. For Reve, his access to the [Path of Secrets] was just the experience that he needed. However, if he were to believe Marya''s statement, just what was her own experience? "...And the wiccan was just baffled by how easy it was to attain higher ranks after centuries of stagnation. A hole had opened in him and endless potential¡­.." Listening to the stream of words that attacked Reve''s ear, he winced in displeasure. How can such a lady speak so much? He impatiently spoke, "Marya!" "What is it¨C" Understanding dawned on her instantly. She looked downwards with guilty eyes mirroring her minute movements. "I''m sorry." "I don''t care. I don''t want to know anything. I came for the journal as I was told it was in your hands," intoned Reve. He realized he was a bit harsh with his words. Yet, his desire to get the journal after coming so far clouded his mind from anything else. Marya softly responded, "Oh, the journal! I kept it because I knew you would come looking for it sooner or later." "Where is it then?" asked Reve. Marya searched the room for the object until she found an old dusty book laying on one of her chairs. Its leather cover was torn and some pages inched outwards. Looking at it, Reve asked for confirmation, "Is this it? The journal of Vaddon Drateel?" With her gaze still on the floor, she nervously spoke, "Yes. I checked it myself. The key to finding the doors of Taxan is there. There are some things you would have to figure out on your own but the clues...they are helpful." The entire atmosphere had undergone a total change. The lively bearing had been long gone as a sour feeling lingered in the air. It became more pronounced when Reve took hold of the journal and skimmed its content. It was encrypted in an ancient language that he recognized but there was a problem. ''I can''t understand this, not here. I need to get somewhere comfortable.'' Reve placed the journal in his subspace and attempted to depart. He was held down by Marya''s courageous shout, "Is that it?" "What?" wondered Reve. "Is that all? You are just leaving?" "Is there anything else?" Her fingers kept twitching as she spoke, "I have dreamt of this moment for years. I have planned on my words. I have prepared for this. And you just leave! You can''t leave! You can''t leave me!" "But, why?" "You can''t just leave!" A line of tears slowly dripped down the corner of her eye. Reve cocked his brows at this situation, "I have no business with your dreams. I came to get what I want and I have gotten it. Now, why can''t I leave?" "You can''t leave me! Your face is all I see when I close my eyes and, for years, I anticipated this very moment. I beg you, don''t leave. I will do anything. Everything you want. You can''t leave!" Facing this act of craziness, Reve stepped back as he inwardly thought, ''....This is madness. Pure madness.'' While Marya knelt on the floor and weeped, Reve gave one last look before dashing for the door. He jumped over the stairs and landed on the doorstep. Not wasting any second, Reve slipped out. *Bang!* He closed the door with all his might. In the next moment, Reve leaned on the door and caught his breath. As a new wave of energy replaced the already spent one, Reve felt safe again. His face seemed to have paused in time as he didn''t know what to think of the scene back there. He now understood why the elders had amused expression when addressing the identity of Marya. He was concerned, ''That witch is crazy...I''m familiar with craziness. Yet, how can someone be this crazy?'' "I see you have met her," an elderly voice spoke to him. Reve jerked sideways. His eyes caught the figure of Amaya. Just as he was about to speak, the tower shook yet again, accompanying a shriek, "You can''t just leave!" Feeling endangered yet again, Reve was about to continue his escape when Amaya spoke out, "Where are you going? You don''t know the way out of here. Follow me." Immediately after she said that, her feet began moving again. She didn''t look back for once but it was obvious that Reve was behind her. . . . . . Inside a cottage on the outskirts of the coven. Reve squeezed himself into a small chair. His eyes darted around, observing every detail about the interior of the cottage. No matter how he looked at it, he found it strange¡ª- "You didn''t expect a powerful witch like me to live in such a small cottage?" teased Amaya. She was seated on a rocking chair that continuously moved. Beside her was a small stove with a kettle placed on it. The red embers that grew beneath the kettle indicated that it was being used. "That''s¨C" Reve tried to apologize. "It''s alright¨C" she lent her ear to the birds chirping outside, "---When you get old, you would come to appreciate plain lifestyles and peaceful sceneries." Reve sighed, ''Circe said the same thing too¡­..'' If one were to compare Circe and Amaya''s stance towards reclusion, they would find Circe to be way overboard. While Amaya preferred to live in the outskirts, Circe banished herself from the world of Arcadia and hid in one of the most neglected continents in Arcadia. She went further to live in the outskirts of said neglected continent. ''Yeah, Circe is way worse.'' He couldn''t complain though. Reve had come to love such a simple lifestyle, especially when since the moment he got to Xoris, he had been embroiled in all sorts of conflicts. The kettle whistled and Amaya revealed an old smile, "Oh fantastic, tea is ready." Chapter 222 - Lineages Sipping on the hot tea in his cup, Reve released a heated wisp of breath. Amaya did the same while looking at him. As soon as she was done, she placed her cup on the side table and spoke, "Before you leave, there is something you need to know." "I figured that out since you brought me here. What is it?" sighed Reve. Amaya started with a direct question, "What do you know about morrites?" "Huh?" "I assume you are a master of knowledge. Seeker of History," chided Amaya. Reve smiled with gleaming eyes, "That which I am." "So, tell me, what do you know about the history of morrites?" Reve dug into his memory as he tried to produce something substantial, "It all started in the era of sins. The Morgana Throne had achieved a breakthrough in the magical experimentation of the fallens, physical remains of beings that could never be explained by any man. Up till that time period, not a single force could utilize the wonders of fallens." "The Morgana Throne led by the auspicious feys had created a subspecies of faes. One that merged with the fallens. They were called Darklings, the ancestors of present-day dark elves. Now, the Morgana Throne reigned supreme, no kingdom could force them to reveal the secret of their success." Having been tutored by an immortal witch, it would be strange if he didn''t know the history of morrites. In fact, he might even know more than the coven, but that was not ascertained yet. Reve went on with a brief summary, "This discovery shook the factions of Arcadia. It sparked a new flame in their heart, one that vowed to attain success in their respective fallen experimentation. And so, from this zeal came the morrites...or as they were known back then, the cursed ones!" Amaya sipped her cup as she smiled, "As expected of a disciple, you know our history. Please go on." "The peak forces came together under the moon''s blessing. They discussed how to succeed in their experiments. From the brains of the smartest mortals alive, a theory rose up. It spoke about a mystical power dwelling in the fallens called Kyos. To access this power and achieve perfect ''fallen merging'', a potion dubbed the Golden Potion was needed. They soon realized that the success of their diverse experiments boiled down on the profession called Alchemy." "And so¡­..the period of blackness began." "Many years later, the denizens of Arcadia heard of the first successful experiment. The man responsible was a human alchemist by the name Mikkel Mor. It was said that he created the best golden potion using the blood of a primo, a chunk of the philosopher''s heart, the heart of a titan, and many more mystical objects. His black heart forced him to drown this potion in the bellies of his pregnant concubines and, as a result, his unborn children became the first morrites. A later term for the race in honor of his name." Amaya nodded, "Mikkel Mor. He started the lineage of morrites known as the Arch Line." Reve continued, "The second alchemist to succeed was Alchemist Tal. She used the blood of Terrans, the eye of a dragon, the pineal gland of a Fae, and the root of the world tree to manifest her very own brand of the golden potion." Amaya included, "Hmmm¡­.Her lineage of morrites was called the Tal Line" "Archmage Karina was the prime third addition to the exalted group of alchemists. Her golden potion was made with natural heavenly oddities, most of which were said to have been founded in the Garden of Eden. Among the oddities are the golden-red apples, hallow aether crystals, water from the Fountain of Life, and divine morning dew." "Her lineage is called the Kar Line," commented Amaya. She took over the speech, "There were other alchemists but these three created the best golden potions and it didn''t help that coincidentally they lived in the same location and time period." Reve raised his brows, ".....That is the history of morrites." "Yes, but there is one crucial detail that you missed. These three lineages have unique traits. The morrites that spawn out of this tend to be vastly different from the morrites in other lineages." "Oh¡­." worded Reve. "You had no idea about that, huh. It is not something every morrite talk about. I shall tell you then," replied Amaya. She took another sip of her tea before continuing, "Let''s start with one of the aspects of Morrites; their Kyos. Kyos is the unknown power brimming in the fallens. To morrites, this power manifests into an innate ability that grants them powers still incomprehensible to the mages of Arcadia. Sometimes, it might be normal abilities. Sometimes, the Kyos borders on the line of insanity." She went on, "The Tal line is one such lineage. Those from this lineage are prone to intense outbursts of emotions which temporarily augments the status of their kyos." "The morrites of the Arch Line possess the best kyos. They are known for their general excellence, strong willpower, and immense magical prowess. To date, the number of morrites belonging to this lineage is minuscule. They are the least popular lineage among the prime three, this title could even be extended to among the other lineages." "While the Arch Line remains the rarest lineage, the Kar Line assumes the role of the most problematic. Perhaps due to the immoderate pureness of the golden potion, most of its morrites, while remaining free from the influence of kyos, manifest personality disorders. They are crazy and their thought process could not be easily understood." Reve ruminated on this new piece of information. Circe had not told him this. He had always wondered what the different variations of golden potion meant to the race of morrites. Now, he knew his answer. It meant a diversity in lineage "I''m guessing you are telling me this because of Marya, right?" "Yes." Reve sighed. He could predict what Amaya was about to say, especially when she had laid the foundation for her next words. He spoke before she could open her mouth, "She is from the Kar Line, isn''t she?" Chapter 223 - The Cursed Witch "Yes. You guessed that much, huh," smiled Amaya. She explained, "Marya is a trueborn seer, the likes that haven''t been seen in centuries. However, while this was supposed to be a blessing for Marya, it wasn''t!....." Amaya told the story of the witch named Marya. Marya was born in a small village to human parents with dormant morrite genes. They themselves didn''t know they had morrite blood in them, which led to their exaggerated surprise when they first saw the appearance of their expected daughter. They found a way to stomach this, but when their daughter started showing abnormal character traits. When the child Marya dissociated from her childhood friends and preferred to be alone. When the young infant always kept a calm expression even when she was going through something painful. When she would cry for the little things that remained irrelevant...It was then the parents knew that their daughter was exceedingly strange. It didn''t help matters that, by the age of 5, she started seeing people''s future. She would say, "Aunt Darhk. You are going to die at age 60, killed by that rabid dog that you treasure so much." True to her words, Aunt Darhk died a year later, exactly at age 60, bitten by the dog she kept feeding for years. It was an authentic prophecy, but the more Marya kept talking about her visions, the more the people of the village hated her. As for why that was the case, it was because of Marya herself. Most of her visions were ghastly and grim. Most of her prophecies concerned death and blood. No one would like to be told that they wouldn''t die in peace. Instead, their death would be so troublesome. Hence, when Marya was ten, she was thrown away from the village by the other people and her parents, who had lost all hope in her. It was there that the elders found her. It was their mission to make sure they would bring in stray morrites who had fallen prey to the prejudice of the world. "Her childhood only made her mentality worse. Marya is highly unstable, just as one would expect from a witch of the Kar Line. But beneath that, she is a beautiful girl," smiled Amaya. Reve cocked his head, "So, she can''t control her visions and can only see visions of death?" "Yes. There are rare cases like that. Most of the time, it''s because of the latent power of the seer. If she could get hold of her seer power, she would become the most powerful seer in all of Arcadia, but it is not so easy to control this power," divulged Amaya. Those cursed with the ability to only see death were truly unique. They were delicate inside, yet they housed strange abilities. "Now, I know not when a change started to occur, but sometime later, Marya became more sane¡­.more sound. She would mutter stuff like, ''he is beautiful''. She would acquire lots of canvas and master the art of fine art just to paint what was in her mind. She would visit the heads of different professions and study under them. I had no idea what to think of this. Was this a sense of normalcy or just concentrated madness?" rhetorically asked Amaya Reve could understand what she was talking about. Most likely, that was when Marya started talking to the voices. His expression shifted, and he released a wry smile, "So, what is your point?" "I know it has something to do with you. I had my guess since I discovered she stole Vaddon''s journal," told Amaya. "....and what do you want me to do?" "I just wanted to let you know the backstory of Marya. What you do from now on is all up to you?" "Good. I am leaving." There was no way in hell this new piece of information would change his desire to leave! Reve drank the last sip of tea and stood up, "How do I leave exactly?" Amaya kept a neutral eye on him. She sighed and also stood up. Her hands danced like that of mermaids and her well-aged hair flowed perfectly behind her. Her magi profusely spilling out of body weaved together to form four magic circles that distanced themselves well enough. They stayed in a rectangular formation and when a thin line connected all the circles, the outline of a door came into existence. Amaya tapped her finger. A door materialized from the center of the formation. "Enter it and you will find yourself in the Red room." "Much appreciated, Elder Amaya," thanked Reve. He walked closer to the door. Within an inch from it, his already extended hands could feel the coldness radiating from the doorknob. It had no effect on him and only came out as a bit cool. All that was left was for him to twist the doorknob. All that was left was for him to push the door open and jumped into the void that the door would produce. Yet¡­. Yet, why wasn''t he doing that? It shouldn''t be so hard to open a freaking door! ''Damn, what am I thinking?'' In a rare situation, his subconscious and his body were aligned, going against his surface thoughts! ''Oh shit, no no no!'' As he fought against himself, he willed his body to twist the doorknob and left him leave. But that was not going to happen, and he knew it. Behind him, Amaya was puzzled, only for a brief second, before realizing the entire ordeal. She smiled but refused to speak up. It was better this way. Meanwhile, Reve landed a punch at the door, only managing to shake it a bit. His exasperated was evident as he shouted, "Fuckery! Shit!" With slow movements, he turned his body back and faced Amaya. He thought to himself, ''You conniving elder! You expected this, didn''t you?'' Yet, he wasn''t idiotic. It would be immensely foolish to reveal his thoughts. He stared deep at the elder and sighed, "Lead the way, Elder Amaya." "Oh, where to, Reve?" smiled Amaya. Reve gritted his teeth, "You know where to!" Chapter 224 - Bound He left her. In this lonely part of the coven, buried in a tower that stood alone, a lady wiped off the last of her tears. Her thoughts resounded once more in her mind, ''He left me.'' As she stared at the ground, her pupils dilated and her eyes lost all light. He left her. She had waited for decades, prepared for his destined arrival, and yet he left her. Marya''s eyes found their way to the paintings. She looked at the perfection that was her handiwork and nervously said, "He is coming back, isn''t he? He had to come back." She lay on the cold floor and kept quiet. Reve had been her focal point throughout her mental outbreaks. He had been her light. Hence, she adored him with all her heart. This made it even more painful when he left her. She had thought they could spend a few more days together. "I should have expected this. No one wants me. No one wants to associate with the crazy lady," wept Marya. "Could it be that Reve is the same as the others? But the voices¡­.the voices assured that he was special¡­that he wouldn''t look at my defect," vocally thought Marya. It never occurred to her that perhaps Reve left not because of her craziness but, instead, because he got what he wanted. Moreover, her desire to make him stay was truly insane as there was no reason for him to stay. Marya shook her head, "No, Reve is not the others. He obviously had something to do. Yes, he is behind them!" She reassured herself with words she wasn''t sure of. All that mattered was that her perspective of the only person that kept her sane enough didn''t change. Suddenly, she looked ahead of her towards the open door. Her acute senses picked up on something or someone heading towards her door. Shades of color came back to her pale face as a smile blossomed on her face. She looked the most beautiful when smiling. . . . . Standing beside the large door of the tower, Reve sighed, "Just why am I here?" Amaya muttered a few words before disappearing, "Thank you, Reve Amethyst." Meanwhile, Reve ignored her and pushed the door open. As he advanced towards the upper floor, this time, the change in the situation had allowed him to notice the details put in the indistinct paintings. The first time he was here, Reve thought it was a failed sketch. ¡­.but now, the painting seemed intentional. He didn''t know why though but that much he was sure of. Reve found his way upstairs where he spotted the figure of Marya laying on the cold floor. It seemed that she heard his footsteps but didn''t react to it. She only curled her body and spoke quietly, "Why are you here?" "I have some questions," responded Reve. Marya turned her head to look at him, "What kind of questions?" Her pure red eyes reflected in his eyes and he got enthralled by it, "You have spoken to the voices before?" "Yes." Reve was baffled, "You have the ability to do that." "It is more technical than you think. I have to ability to sometimes listen, but it doesn''t matter if they don''t talk," explained Marya. "So, they don''t speak to you?" Marya released a short laugh, "They don''t speak to anyone. I reckon that why they spoke to me was because they wanted to groom me for their kaya, who they had many words for." "Oh¡­." Wait¡­.wasn''t he their kaya? He had no idea what the word meant but he had acquiesced to assuming the identity some years ago when he was on the verge of death. ''Heh¡­..to think that something related to that event would surface many years later.'' Understanding that this was going to take long, Reve sat on one of the chairs and continued the conversation with one particular word that Marya said. "Grooming? For me?" wondered Reve. Marya''s face beamed as her words became faster, "They said their kaya would need an assistant and they found me worthy of assistance." "Oh¡­" "I assure you. I have learned many things that do not contradict your skillset. I can be of assistance." Reve felt a headache coming his way, "So, the voices, can you still hear them?" "No, they stopped talking to me a long time ago, but this is what they want. They had told me everything about you, filled my mind with dreams. You became my knight in shining armor and my sole compass in troubling times. Don''t you understand? I was saved by you. After a while, I didn''t need the voices anymore. I began seeing visions of you. Moments when you smiled. Moments when you cried. Moments when you faltered and moments when you stood tall against all the odds," confessed Marya. Reve pondered, ''Well, that explains a lot. Such obsession is even more deranged, even more than streaks of mental instability.'' His mind tried to grasp the entirety of what Marya revealed to him. There were many things to focus on. Was it the fact that the voices still watched him? Or the fact that they groomed someone for him? Marya smiled, "Don''t you see it? We have become bound. The only visions I see that doesn''t end with death are yours." "Hmm¡­.." mouthed Reve. That might be the case. To think that someone would be well capable of spying at him without him noticing. Reve smiled inwardly. ''This lady is becoming more interesting...Damn, my chaotic side is showing!'' He said after much thought, "Alright." "Alright, what?" "You win." "What did I win?" Reve twitched his face, "I don''t know. What do you want?" "I want to be by your side," blushed Marya. Seeing this strange action, Reve mentally made note to be careful around the mad lady. "Regretfully, I am not in a position to allow that right now." "Oh, I know. Dragontail, truly an exotic potion. What more is the fact that it was crafted by the Immortal Witch herself. Oh, such an item of legendary origin. Do you know why it is called dragontail? Legend says that the tail of a dragon¡­.." "Hmm¡­.." Would she ever stop talking? Chapter 225 - Success! An hour later. Reve combed through the array of trees in the forest. The green life could never confuse him as he found his way around, heading towards his destination. His voice echoed, "Is this it?" Behind me, the figure of Marya could be seen as she followed him. She panted wildly with visible beads of sweat falling down from her forehead, "Wait¡­Wait¡­you are too fast for me to follow. Let me catch my breath." "I never thought a seer would be¡­.so physically weak¡­" quipped Reve. Nevertheless, he stopped in his tracks like a gentleman and gave Marya time to catch her breath. "Y-es. Th-is is the place. While we don''t have any roads to bookmark the directions. I guessed that it would be easier to follow natural directions like the position of the sun and the paths of moonflowers. On that topic, moonflowers are one of a kind. They only grow¡ª" Reve sighed, "So, this is the place?" "Yes. The path we embark on will lead us out of the forest." reaffirmed Marya. . . . . A few moments ago, Reve had finished his conversation with a happy Marya. He told her that he could not take her as he was not in a position for that. However, she insisted that, while she could not follow him to the outside world, they can still keep constant meetings. This made Reve question how that was possible? Well, according to Marya, it turns out it was very much possible. The coven of the willow existed in a forest region¡­..that was something Reve understood when he first came here. However, since he hadn''t arrived through normal means, his analysis failed to consider that the location was physical not ethereal. One could simply walk to the coven if they knew the exact location. ...and having lived here for a long time, it was expected that Marya knew the exact location. While Marya was still catching her breath, Reve placed his hand on the nearby tree with a pensive expression on his face. He pondered on a notion brewing in his mind, ''This forest¡­this tree¡­.they are not magical. They are natural. It is rare to find a forest of this caliber. It almost feels familiar.'' Most forest regions in Arcadia were magical in nature. They would attract all sorts of magical beasts and creatures. The oddities manifested there would be akin to miraculous objects in the hands of mortals. That was why the profession of adventurers gained a high value. It was the adventurers that acquired the oddities from these magical forests. ''Hmmm¡­.truly peculiar.'' Sadly, he didn''t have time to inspect further as Marya quickly spoke, "Oh, I''m ready now." She took over and led the way Trodding along the forest, Reve discovered there was something different. It seemed the temperature had changed, but he wasn''t capable of detecting this change since it was minute. Soon, they arrived at a crystal lake. The mesmerizing nature of the lake attracted Reve but his mind was elsewhere. "Is this¡­..?" "No, this is still within the coven''s reach. I reckon this lake is not the one you associate it with. There are a lot of lakes in this forest. Still, this lake is quite special. I have been here before. Just beyond northward of this lake is the region of Willow Forest, a region you should be well familiar with." "The Willow Forest?! I should have expected that from the name semblance," self-mocked Reve. Now, it all made sense to him. The Willow Forest was a natural forest and this forest was also natural. However, for them to exist as one single forest region would mean that the coven had some sort of concealment enchantment on this part of the forest. Most likely, one so powerful that even he wouldn''t be able to detect it. However, now that he was aware. His mind should subconsciously store the coordinates. He wasn''t the type of person that would get lost in a forest. Reve kept on going forward but not before speaking, "Are the elders okay with you revealing to me this secret?" "I guess they should. Those old fogies can''t do anything either way," pouted Marya. "I see¡­.." In essence, they still didn''t know that Marya revealed their secret. Well, they would surely not do anything to Marya if they found out. Marya was just too crazy to be messed with. Reve asked another question, "When should I expect the potions?" "Tomorrow. Now that you have given me all the materials, I shan''t sleep until I make hundreds of it¡­no thousands¡­no ten-thousands¡­No¡ª" "Just a few hundred is enough," sighed Reve. It was hard dealing with this lady. "Okay, a few hundred, it is," Marya hung her head down. Clearly, she wanted to make more. "We will meet here tomorrow when the moon covers the earth," decided Reve. He didn''t wait for any reply and simply vanished into thin air leaving a happy Marya as she bopped her way back to the coven. The potion he discussed about was obviously dragontail. It was no surprise that a seer like Marya would branch into the art of alchemy. It was something he had expected and part of the main reason why he went back to meet her. Of course, the major reason was because she was unique and, just like Amethyst, he was attracted to unique people. It was an innate trait that he couldn''t betray. Anyway, he had acquired his alchemist along the way. ''My trip to the coven was as fruitful as I expected.'' Morrites were experts in all sorts of professions except weapon-making¡­Reve didn''t mean to be stereotypical but he had never seen nor heard of a morrite blacksmith. According to his plans, if he somehow managed to leave a favorable impression on the morrites, he could strike a deal with one of them involving the production of dragontail. ''Now that my pressing issue has been solved. I just have to wait. In two days, my auction debut should start. I need to prepare for that.'' Reve sighed, ''The life of a boss is tough.'' Of course, it would be tough. It was even tougher when one factored in an organization with only a few good members. Chapter 226 - The Prelude Later the next day. Reve is in the Devil''s Cave or rather the Willow Forest. Loud grunts entered his ear as he sat on a tree branch with his eyes closed. Below him were the members of the former thieving gang. For days now they had been training in the same routine that Reve ordered them to follow. The last time Reve checked their progress, he seemed to have been discontent so he prolonged their training time. Hence, on this very day, they had been breaking their bones since morning. Being a gentleman, Reve compensated for this by giving them healing potions and five minutes breaks in every five hours. He smirked, ''Feels good to teach. However¡­..this is a bit evil, isn''t it? I never trained this much¡­Well, most of my training involved magic. I usually spend an entire day studying¡­.but I guess the equivalent of that for warriors is physical training.'' As for which one was worse, he wasn''t experienced enough to decide. ''These guys require more training since their foundation is warped. They would have remained bottom-tier if I didn''t interfere. In the future, they would come to thank me for showing them a strong hand." After a while, Reve got down and grabbed a few water sacs he placed on the ground when he came. He filled them with fresh water from the lake. Looking at the tense group, Reve shouted, "Enough! Take this." His words declared the conclusion of the training as all the group fell to their knees panting like beasts. Reve took it upon himself to meet each one of them and deliver one water sac, one healing potion, and a warm steak. This was the prize they earned from earnestly working hard. ''It is necessary to show a kind hand after training. Circe did the same for me,'' thought Reve. His format was thus: During training, act the part of a devil. After training, become a kind angel. Afterward, Reve jumped high and landed on his favorite tree branch. Upon closing his eyes, he felt the wind brush past him, which led him to open his eyes back, "Dorian, what is the status?" Dorian, who was the cause of the sudden change, appeared on the opposite tree branch. He failed to balance himself quickly. His legs shook many times but he soon managed to force a balanced state on himself. "Kimon. There was a bit of progress during this training. Half the group can use 70% of their strength. A quarter of us can delicately produce a feat of 80% while five of us can now dish out 90%." Reve stared at Dorian. It was unknown what was going through his head, especially to Dorian who was already nervous as it is. He wondered if this report was satisfactory. If not, their training routine would be elongated yet again. Kimon finally said, "Are these feats constant?" "...." Dorian couldn''t help but speak in a low tone, "No, Kimon." "Then, what use are they? I don''t need something irregular. You can''t depend on that in battle. Get the constant factor," order Kimon. "Yes," acquiesced Dorian. He jumped down and met with the group. A few minutes later, he was back up with Reve. " About half can produce 65% of their strength without fail. A good quarter is confident of yielding a 80% strength. While five of us have attained a peak 90% of their full strength." Kimon ruminated on this piece of information, "So, not much changed, huh. Seems like only a quarter passed the hallmark." Dorian felt a headache coming his way. "By the way, which percentage do you fall in?" "I''m part of the five, Kimon," told Dorian. "Good. You should always lead the group." Kimon went on, "Hmmm¡­.well, we shall make do with these numbers. Tomorrow, we will expand the training so that it can cover all attributes. The singularity force doesn''t just apply to strength. Pure strength does not produce the best attack force. It has to be mixed with speed and other stats." He made sure to speak loud so that the others could hear him. They were joyous that they were finally moving forward, but some of them feared the training that was ahead of them. If just the strength training was this vile, how would the other training go? Kimon said with gentleness, "The obvious factors would primarily be speed and strength. Hence, we shall focus on just that. For now, rest. The coming days will be harsh on you." No sort of warrior would endure these kinds of training. Even talented warriors would abstain from this destructive routine. That was because it was sure to leave everlasting internal injuries. However, that was where Kimon came in? With his vast wealth as Reve, he procured premium healing potions for the group. Moreover, if his relationship with Marya went as planned, she would be able to brew his potions for him¡­.as long as he brought the material. That was easy. Reve could simply request ingredients from Circe. After all, that old hag had lots of ingredients. However, he wouldn''t do that. Instead, he had already set his sights on the Gehenna Order. Since they gave him this mission, they should pay the required price. Nevertheless, he had a backup plan which involved asking his contracted spiritas, Demis, to fetch the materials for him in Azea. There were just a few issues with this plan, mainly, the attitude of Demis. One can''t simply ask the esteemed King of Misery to play "garden boy". Well, he would think about that later. Right now, he had enough money to cover the cost of premium healing potions for a month. If dragontail became a massive success, he might install a few healing devices here. Noticing the constant stare that Dorian gave him, Kimon asked, "What is it?" "Kimon, might I ask, how is the progress with finding an alchemist?" "I have found one. The potions should be ready soon. Tomorrow is the auction." "Oh, might I¡ª" "No, you can''t. I understand your desire to assist me but right now, you can''t be associated with me, especially after dragontail shakes Starhold." "Is it because of my strength?" "Yes, none of you can safeguard your lives. This might be hurtful to hear but any random henchman can defeat you. That is why I''m training you¡­.so that when the time comes, you will be well enough to represent the Tribe of Somnia. Hence, put more effort into your training. I will cover everything else." "Yes, Kimon." The others chanted, "Yes, Kimon." They had long shedded the mentality of brute thieves. Right now, they were the first generation of the Amethyst Style. With fierce determination, they stood up and continued training. Kimon smiled, ''Don''t worry. I shall make sure no harm comes your way.'' He was a bit hesitant, but, seeing this display, he was now sure this group was what he wanted. Just as he was about to speak, a thin voice invaded his ear, "They are fascinating, aren''t they, Reve?" Reve jittered as he recognized the voice of Marya, "What are you doing here?" She had sneaked up on one of the branches, "What else, Reve or should I say Kimon. I am fulfilling the end of my deal. Hehehehehe." "I didn''t sleep yesterday and I was worried if I slept now that I might wake up late for the agreed meeting. So, I stayed awake.. But I couldn''t wait anymore. So, here I am, surprising you!" Chapter 227 - The Auction Nightlife. Such a fascinating concept. The nightlife of Starhold was brimming with degenerate vibrancy. The eyes of the beings that breathed the same air of the blue moon were never so dull. The agents of the night arranged themselves in lines as they flowed to many locations, but the most common location was a popular restaurant that only seemed to sell expensive meals. Now, to a regular person, if they saw this scene, they might not have any problem with it per se. After all, everyone was free to spend their hard-earned money the way they liked. But if they thought deeper, they might find themselves asking, "How does a group of about 1000 people fit themselves in a two-story building?" Now, that there was a valid question? Truly, how does an increasing number of people, previously graphed to be about 1000, conveniently occupy the limited space of a two-story building? The answer to that was unexpected. The truth was that the group wasn''t exactly fitting themselves in a small space. Every time a handful of them enter the restaurant, they would be led by its staff to a hidden staircase that would go downwards, instead of upwards. It was in this hidden underground structure would they begin to enjoy the peak enjoyment of the nightlife. . . . . . . Yesterday night, Reve Amethyst had visited Daniel, the sole sub-head of Black Market. True to their deal, he had delivered the bunch of dragontail and was given the location of the auction and the time. Well, he was told to come a few hours early since he wasn''t the regular participant but, instead, an esteemed guest of Black Market. The auction was being held underground, beneath a popular location. It was arranged in a rectangular dimension. At the top of this rectangular box was the stage, where the various items would be revealed to the participants. From the beginning of the high stage to the opposite end of this rectangular box were the audience seats, arranged in elevating rows that were higher in each successive row. Hence, that was why the last row of the seat marked the highest point possible. It seemed to be detached from the other seats and became a separate room itself as walls were erected around it. Nonetheless, the big black window in front of this room allowed the insiders to watch the stage perfectly. The other participants could stare their eyes out but wouldn''t be able to make out the insiders of this room. Just below the room were the VIP rows. Another set of seats that had been given much thought before constructing. They had the same "private room" treatment given to them but, in this case, their wall structure was built with a much more visible inferior material. Out of these two premium classifications, Reve resided at the highest one. With his mask on, he sat on a large comfortable chair, but his mood wasn''t comfortable. ''I didn''t expect the executive rooms to be this technical.'' Truly, the highest group of seats was the VIP seats. Although there was a hidden one called the Executive seats, it required tough conditions to acquire. One of them was to be associated deeply with one of the executives of Black Market. A tough condition that was almost impossible to achieve. In essence, this hidden set of seats originally belonged to the executives. However, they could invite their associates to join them and watch the spectacle unfold on the stage. Reve sighed, ''Each executive to a room and his associates reside in the same room.'' He would have much preferred to stay in the VIP seats. Yet, this might not necessarily be a bad thing for him. Since his goal was to familiarize himself with the underworld, he guessed this would be a good way to go on about it. ''There is one more guest in this room, though...'' Reve frowned his eyes as he shifted their view sideways to meet a man covered in a black cloak and grey bandages wrapping all over him. As soon as the man came into the room, he paused for a good while to have a look at Reve, "Well, who might you be? I don''t take Daniel to be someone who easily makes friends." Reve maintained his quirky persona, "The name is Kimon." "Kimon, huh? Such a peculiar name. You can call me the Alchemist." Upon hearing that, Reve''s eyes widened as his inner thoughts operated rampantly, ''He is the elusive alchemist? To think I would so easily chance upon the man desired by the large populace of Starhold.'' "The Alchemist in the flesh. My day keeps getting better and better," said Kimon. "Likewise. I have a feeling we are going to become quite the friends," smiled The Alchemist. He continued walking and picked the closest chair to Kimon. "So, tell me, Kimon. How did you worm your way into Daniel''s heart?" Kimon''s mask hid his expression, but his smile could still be felt, "If you want to know so badly, then I shall tell you. I took the hardest route. I enthralled him with my fine charms." "Oh, I had deduced that Daniel''s preference lay in men. I was true," The Alchemist played along. "If you want to, I can teach you my seductive method. All you have to do is lie beside him like a pregnant lady and puff out the steamiest breath you have ever released while baring your chest naked, allowing him to see your well-defined body. I actually think the key lies in your eyes. You have to capture his soul perfectly and smoothen it with your attractive glints." "....Oh come on now, why would I want to do that?" "You seem like the type to me. Don''t worry. It is okay to feel shy. I am not one to discriminate," quipped Kimon. The Alchemist was as aghast as ever as he gaped at his mouth. Kimon''s laughter revitalized the dim atmosphere, "Surely, I jest. I jest." After a brief round of laughter, "In all truth, if I''m to guess, I am the same as you. We both are partners of Black Viper." "Hmmmm¡­..is that so?" "Very much so. Are you doubting my words, Alchemist?" The Alchemist sighed, "Since when did we get to first-name basis?" "I figured referring to you as ''The Alchemist'' is quite a mouthful. Do you have another name you go by?" "I am ¨CNice try," laughed The Alchemist. Kimon raised his hands to signify defeat, "It was worth it though" Chapter 228 - Brunn’s Regret Many hours had gone by as Kimon and The Alchemist continued their conversation. Their mutual friend, Daniel, was nowhere to be seen. Well, that was not true. They had once seen him on the stage talking to one of the auctioneers. Clearly, he was busy directing the details of the auction, leaving Kimon and The Alchemist alone for hours. After another hour mark had reached, guests started to pour in profusely. Kimon made sure to memorize the looks of each of them. If he had questions about their identity, the experienced Alchemist was just within hair reach. There were a few he spotted that he mentally marked as dangerous. For starters, he had finally caught the appearance of the dangerous leader of Black Hand. Just as he spied on this skinny man, the man looked back at the executive room with a smile that seemed to taunt whoever was on the other end of the stare-off. Kimon quickly looked away and allowed the man to go. The man named Morcan was one to be dealt with carefully. Another notable figure was the leader of the Venom Order, an unnamed lady that didn''t associate well with the rest of the Underworld. However, her meek looks didn''t compliment the actions of her organization. Just yesterday, together with Morcan''s men, they had massacred the organization, Inferno Clan. It was said that nothing was heard during this massacre and this first witness only saw the aftermath. The scene was filled with dead corpses writhing in pain despite their lack of life. The majority of them had died seated at a large dining table, while the minority had a few slashes on their neck, indicating that they were killed with bladed weapons. This wasn''t the first of this act. In fact, this remained a repeat of their previous events. All around Starhold Underworld, numerous organizations had been falling due to the joint hands of these two organizations. So for them to show their faces in the event of a rival organization....Yeah, the lady, as well as Morcan, wasn''t normal. Apart from the underworld bosses, some noble families made an appearance. Kimon noticed some of his academy friends. However, the appearance that shocked him the most was that of two men. One, with a similar age to his, while the other one was middle-aged. They wore a black-silver robe and covered their faces with a hood. Yet, their contained aura mixed well with the energy around. As expected, a special person needs not to hide. They would always be indications in the surroundings, especially to sensitive people like Kimon. Kimon asked, "Who are those people and why do the rest of the guests fear them?" The Alchemist leaned in to whisper, "The Defense force. Do not stare. Those pesky knights of the King make it their life mission to keep an eye on all of our activities." Kimon frowned as yet again his stare was caught by the two hooded men. He looked away in the next second! "Can they do that? Isn''t this an act of provocation?" "Not necessarily. It''s an unspoken rule that the auction remains safe. Whoever breaks this rule would receive the ire of all the guests? However, whatever happens after the auction is all up to you. The Defense Force has only acted a few times. Every time, it was because someone went overboard with their activities." "Hmmm¡­.." Kimon analyzed this information, ''This is madness. To think that they would host many of their rivals and potential foes. There seem to be supreme rules that all the organizations and the defense force follow, but who knows how supreme it is? Black Hand and Venom Order have already broken most of the rules. Just how far are they willing to go this time?'' Looking at this massive cesspool of potential enemies, Kimon understood he had made a good decision to not bring anyone with him. He was only sure of his survival if a death battle erupted right here. Luckily, The Alchemist saw through his thoughts, "Do not worry about the defense force? They are men of codes. Who you should be worried about are the other guys? I reckon by the end of today, you would be a hot commodity." It was clear The Alchemist was well informed, and he had already connected Kimon to the mysterious dragontail. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome once again to the monthly black auction!" A lady, with a tight gown that parted ways from her waist to her leg, came on the stage. She held a device that reverberated her voice around the auction field. "I''m your lovely host, Seren," lightly bowed the lady. Her experience clearly showed as she quickly quelled the noise in the background. Everyone''s eyes were kept on her body. Some of them found her to be desirable, especially the way her foxy brown eyes accentuated her skimpy dress and creamy skin. Whilst the others were just attracted by her cordial nature. Seren danced around, "I see that I have caught your esteemed attention. Very well then, this auction shall now commence!" The other presenters walked to the stage carrying a large stand with them. They unveiled the stand, revealing a completely metallic armor with a gold sheen. Everything about it was majestic, from the helmet to the little armor pieces like the bracers. "Yes. I''m sure we can all feel it. The deep history of this set. Truly, something of this vastness cannot be false." "My esteemed guest, before you, is Brunn''s Regret, an armor set for battlemages. This set is like none you have ever seen before. It belongs to the era of sins and its exact maker is unknown. However, if that was all, what made this set so special?" "I''m honored to tell you Brunn''s Regrets belongs to a special class of battlemage''s armor, mainly useful to the elementalists. It grants increased compatibility with the wearer''s contracted spiritas or elemental. This will, in turn, produce purer spirit energy and augment the wearer''s spells. Yet, it doesn''t stop here." "Based on the information given by our research team, it is highly possible that the armor grants deeper interaction with the contracted spiritas or elemental. It is possible to attempt a spirit possession in this armor!" Chapter 229 - Spirit Possession Spirit Possession was a phenomenal skill of mages. This skill concerned the temporary merging of the souls of the contractor and the contracted, bringing forth a destructive force and purer energy. It was a skill that was said to be near-unattainable, as the sub-skills required to pull it off were not something easy to master. Even with that, if the skill was to be ever performed, the mage would need to consider the drastic decline of his health. In some cases, execution of the skill would lead to a damaged soul. In worst cases, it was instant death¡­.although, this was mostly because the skill was forcefully executed. All in all, only the exceptional minor thirty percent of the entire population of Arcadian mages can successfully pull off such a stunt. With that said, it had to be understood that these mages were all elementalists. Back when he was still with Circe, Reve hadn''t even bothered to study the skill. It was something he wasn''t interested in. Instead, he preferred other technical skills like mana-negation or double casting. Very soon, he would master layered casting, an advanced form of spell casting that required one to merge two or more magic circles together. Reve had been working on this skill for quite a while now. As Rev¨CKimon went into deep thoughts, the entire audience descended into chaos. They had originally staggered at the revelation of Brunn''s Regret, but hearing the added analysis on it, it would be weird if their mouth wasn''t wide open. "Spirit Possession¡­..You are telling me I can attempt it with this suit?!" "Surely, this is impossible." "No one is getting this armor except me!" "It is rightfully mine." Seren smiled at this scene, "I understand some of you may be skeptical about the Spirit Possession element. You are right to be doubtful. That is why since we cannot confirm the authenticity of this information, the price of the armor suit would remain the same¡­..starting at a humble price of 30 gold coins!" Listening to the lady, Kimon could peer into her thought process, ''Smart. On the surface level, it appears that the information doesn''t change the price, but¡­.'' Kimon looked down to observe the reaction of the audience. "I bid 100 gold," shouted one of the guests. In less than a second, another guest spoke, "150 gold coins!" "Hehehehe, we are just starting. 160 gold coins!" "169 gol¡­." It was just like he expected. There was no way they wouldn''t be influenced by this information. That was just the way the mind worked. Eventually, a young noble bought Brunn''s Regret with a massive prize of 500 gold coins. Kimon did not know how to feel about this. It was his first auction, so he couldn''t tell whether it was a preposterous prize or not. However, what he did know was that 500 gold coins could last an average family for a year, or possibly more than. And this was if they factored a healthy lifestyle! The auction quickly forgot about Brunn''s Regret and moved on to the next big item. "Once again, just like the previous auctions, we present to you an awakening pill, also called the Pill of Zasort. This legendary can enable one to access a new source of power different from that of Ki and Mana. It leads one to the secret path, an unexplored path that is rumored to have been crossed by only a few distinguishable individuals in Arcadia''s timeline." "Our last winner has given his feedback." Seren presented two large scrolls with identical energy signature drawn on both of them. One of the scroll was a document backing an unknown second party''s purchase of an item, while the second scroll was an informal letter addressing the wonders of the said item! Copies of the scrolls were sent around by Seren''s helpers and everyone got to understand the truth of the pill. The second party had reported that ever since he consumed the pill, he gained the ability to distort the five senses of his target. Now, as to whether he was lying or not, that would remain unknown forever. However, most guests here were willing to bet he wasn''t! "We will start at 20 gold coins..." . . . . The auction continued, and many items appeared on the stage. None of them caught Kimon''s fancy. The only one to come close was Brunn''s Regret, but ultimately, it was exclusive to elementalists. As for the Pill of Zasort, Kimon tagged it as an interesting but inferior item. An artificial item that could only produce such a result in the secret path was not really worth mentioning. To understand this better, Reve had his mind wall torn apart by Amethyst to access the secret path. Yet, this pill would only pierce a hole in the consumer''s mind wall. That was Kimon''s guess. Whatever the case may be, he would surely not be far from the answer. As the atmosphere filled with wealth propagated, Kimon''s thoughts came to a halt when he heard something spectacular from Seren. "Our next item is not a common one. Yet, its value depends on the eye of its possessor." Seren''s helpers moved a table to the center of the stage. At the top of the table were about ten slips of ragged papers placed in a glass shield. "Now, it was known that the Wiccan King Galahad disappeared during his era. His whereabout is still discussed as a hot topic among mages in this present time. However, do you know that before his departure, he embarked on a great journey for a month, spreading his teachings among those he chanced upon?" "Of course, a wise man would know to record his teachings." "These sacred scrolls have circulated throughout the continent of Xoris for more than an era. I''m ashamed to say that the ones we have with us here are merely copies, but they still hold the same teachings. The only problem is that the original writer had encrypted it with unrecognizable symbols. Countless people have tried to decipher it, but it was to no avail." "It can be considered a ''lost'' item, but an item with such a deep history still retains value, does it not?" Chapter 230 - Sacred Paper "Why don''t you cement your name in the list of its possessors? Who knows, maybe you might be the one to decipher it and attain sacred knowledge?" "The starting price is 100 gold coins!" The audience was silent for a while. Everyone was thinking about the item. Kimon too had his fair share of pondering, ''Is that Arcanites?'' ''Of course, the writer had coded everything in Wiccan King Galahad''s innate language. For him to know of it, he might be a morrite just like the wiccan king...this is interesting, but what exactly does it contain?'' Kimon only saw value in it as a relic related to the wiccan king. He was not concerned about any of its actual content since he was tutored by a legendary being. He didn''t need teachings from another entity. That was not to say that he looked down on the wiccan king, but instead, the two teachings might be conflicting in nature. Kimon watched as the first guest spoke up. He easily dropped a bid of 110 gold coins. Then, the other hesitant guests gained confidence and began bidding higher. It seemed they had gathered the resolve they needed to acquire the item. Meanwhile, Kimon was faced with another dilemma. ''Should I buy it or should I not? Buying it is immensely risky. I risk the possibility of being unveiled. After all, people like Daniel have never seen me perform magic. No matter the case, I should hide my identity as a mage.'' Kimon quickly joined the bidding with a high price, "I bid 250 gold coins!" He wasn''t worried about money. Kimon was wealthy. Circe had made sure he wasn''t lacking money before he left, but he was in possession of his own natural wealth. Yet, it would have been stupid to spend it in an auction. However, since his endeavors were bound to pool in a lot of money into his pocket, he saw no need to restrict himself. "300 gold coins!" Kimon sighed and upped his previous bid, "400 gold coins." "700 gold coins," arrogantly said one of the guests. Kimon wondered just why the person was bidding so fiercely. Was this the way rich people behaved? Just drop a price on something that has only stationary value? He refused to believe that the person could decode the texts. A look of annoyance flashed on his face as he said loudly, "750 gold coins." "850 gold!" The other party declared with the bearing of a tyrant. "900 gold coins!" "9¨C" The other party stopped his erratic action just before he could doom himself. After his forfeit, Serene''s soothing voice sounded, "Is there anyone willing to challenge the bid of 900 gold coins? Five¡­.four¡­three..one!" "Since there is no one, the item shall now belong to Mr. One!" Mr.One referred to Kimon''s auction number. Everytime he raised a bid, he would flash a card that revealed his number to everyone. This was his form of identity throughout the auction. After Serene took note of his number, she moved on with the other items. Towards the conclusion of the auction, his purchased item would be given to him by her helpers. As Kimon wondered just what he might find after he decoded the papers, a voice found its way to him. "I didn''t take you as a mage." Kimon jerked his body to face his new buddy, The Alchemist, "Well, I like to collect things, especially objects I''m familiar with." His quick response saved him. ''Damn, I almost broke form. I should have realized that something was wrong. Kimon is not a mage. He shouldn''t be interested in treasures of mages.'' His current persona, Kimon, gave no magical aura and no indication of mana. It was easy to dissociate him with a magic user. It was just as he planned. The Alchemist said, "Oh, you are a collector. I understand. I also collect things here and there. Pray tell, what path do you follow? You do not have the bearing of a mage nor does your body permeate with the scent of ki." "Well, if I told you, it wouldn''t be a secret, would it?" "Keeping yourself mysterious, I see. It''s a good tactic. In this present time, only the wise will survive," The Alchemist dropped his queries and switched to words of praise. "I could say the same for you," replied Kimon. Wasn''t The Alchemist even more mysterious than him? . . . . . The night was getting brighter. Tapping on this feeling of closure, Seren brought out the last item, or better said, the last group of items. "Haven''t you been waiting for this moment?" she smiled. "Lately, there have been rumors of a miracle drug surfacing all around Starhold. Most of you, esteemed guests, followed the trails of the rumor, which led you to this place. I am happy to announce that your efforts are not in vain. We have just what you came here for." Signaling her men with a pointed hand, another table replaced the old one. This time, nothing was concealed. The golden light belonging to the items on the table quickly attracted the eyes of the audience. They strained their eyes to see beyond the sharp light. On the table were multiple gold chests. Only one was open among the multitudes. If one peeked further, they would notice that two rows of blue vials sat on the cushioned interior. "It is understandable that some of you don''t believe the claims of dragontail. So, to those who are unbelievers, I welcome you to test the vials yourself," lightly bowed Seren. The instant she said that, one of the guests jumped to the stage. His eyes locked on the vial as the world before him disappeared. Seren smiled, "Dear Sir, please go ahead." Offering him one of the vials, she stood at the side and allowed the guest to drink to his heart''s content. In one gulp, the guest gulped everything. He crushed the vial as a red electric snake danced in his eyes. After a couple of seconds, a fierce roar came out of the man''s mouth. Wisp of fire coalesced around him as his frenzy state couldn''t be stopped. Suddenly, every mystical effect receded and the man was back to normal Seren took advantage of this moment, "Those that truly paid attention would detect the difference in strength from this esteemed guest''s aura. I only offered him a diluted vial so as to speed up things. Now, what effect would an undiluted vial bring about?" "The starting price is 50 gold coins per chest.. Please take note that we only have a limited number of chests." Chapter 231 - The Aftermath "100 gold coins," shouted one of the guests. "I counter with 120 gold!" "130¡­.." The bidding went on and on until a bid of 700 gold coins won the chest. Normally, the price wouldn''t be propelled up this much since one could just assume they can settle for another chest, but in this scenario, how sure were they that they would get the other chest? The number of chests was finite while the number of guests surpassed that by a large margin. Hence, the average bid for a chest of dragontail was around 700 gold coins. Some went further to bid 900 gold coins, but it was rare. Yet, by the time the auction was done, Kimon understood that he was rich. Moreover, it wasn''t like Starhold wouldn''t be seeing his dragontail anytime soon. They would be! Black Market''s main market was their shops, not auctions. Daniel had agreed that chests of dragontail be sold in their auctions while the vials would be sold in their actual market. As Seren''s helpers paced towards some certain guests, Seren bent her body to form a perfect bow, "My esteemed guests, it is sad to announce the conclusion of this auction. Truly, it has been a soothing night and I would like to be your host someday next time. Good night." The light shining on the stage shut down. Seren and the stagefloor were covered in darkness and most of the guests reckoned she had already left. Although, her helpers were still around. They were responsible for giving the items to their respective owners. No complication was to be made about that! . . . . "Can I see proof that you are Mr.One?" asked an adult man dressed in a nice black suit. Kimon flashed his card at the man. The man''s hands traced the surface before displaying a cordial smile on his face. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Kimon. Here is your item," offered the helper. He gave Kimon the sacred papers kept in an empty book cover. Kimon only looked at it for a while before keeping it in his subspace. He responded to the helper, "Thank you. You may leave now." "As you wish, Kimon." Just as the helper was about to leave, Kimon shouted, "Wait¨C" The helper stopped and directed his expectant face at Kimon, who spoke quickly, "Do you have any idea when Daniel will be free to attend to his friends?" "It is not likely that Mr.Daniel will find time in his schedule today," responded the helper. He was experienced with their auctions so he could make a guess. Kimon sighed, "Very well. Relay this to Daniel, ''I will come tomorrow.''." "Yes, Kimon." He left not long after. Kimon''s eyes kept observing the remaining guests that had yet to leave the scene. Now that the auction was over, the truly dangerous game had begun. Kimon speculated on which time he should leave. He wondered whether he should be the last person to leave, but that would be too cowardly. Furthermore, he didn''t really plan on hiding every time he showed himself in public. ''Yet, it would be unwise to take an arrogant stance when the number of foes is too large to estimate.'' The moment he came out of the executive room, everyone would know him. Who would be the first to attack him once he leaves the auction site? "Alchemist, so how do you play this?" smiled Kimon. The Alchemist, who had been deep in thoughts, snapped out of it to respond to Kimon, "Uhh¡­Oh! It''s easy. You just need to know how to disappear." "Disappear?" wondered Kimon. "You will see." "Now, you are making me curious." . . . . . Thirty minutes passed by before Kimon and The Alchemist made the first move. They found their way to the surface and walked out of the restaurant. Behind them was a small number of people that seemingly had coinciding paths. It was clear that they were being followed but they showed no signs of knowing this. Kimon whispered in a low tone, "So, what are you going to do now?" With a smirk on his face, The Alchemist stopped pacing. His body seemed to radiate with energy and his bandages glowed with intense hue. Soon, his every part turned into black specks of light that dissolved into the night sky. It was a fast process and by the time he knew it, the spot The Alchemist was on became empty. There was no one besides Kimon. ''What is that? An ancient spell. No, something about this is familiar, but where do I remember this from? Interesting¡­..'' Anyway, he didn''t have time to ponder on it as the group of stalkers advanced towards him. Kimon stopped them before they could assume an ignorant stance, "Gentlemen, why do you follow him?" "Kekekeke, it is merely a coincidence. Surely, you can''t expect only yourself to use this path?" retorted someone. The person was a crooked man among the group with one tooth missing. His mannerisms were as boorish as ever but he seemed to have not an ounce of care for that. "Hmmmm¡­..I detected your intention even before I departed so if you want to keep up this pretense, then it''s okay," sighed Kimon. His eyes darted around, trying to see beyond the group. In truth, there should be a few more lurking behind the scene, but they wouldn''t show themselves until it''s the right time. He worked on this information, ''What do I do? I can establish my reputation by making a mess out of everyone here, but how sure am I that I''m going to do that?'' ''Let''s see. Hmmm¡­..I can''t tuck my tails behind my legs and run away. I''m well capable of doing that¡­.but, this is the underworld. One can''t survive by hiding all his life. I represent an organization.'' His true self sighed. He just wanted to get some rest after all these stressful days, but it would seem he would need to postpone his rest. "You have guts. I will give you¡ª" Before the crooked man could finish bragging, a transparent shield slammed into his face and some of his teeth flew out of his mouth. Chapter 232 - The Stalkers *Whoosh!* "What is that?!" exclaimed one of the stalkers. He quickly went into a fighting stance along with the others. As one of them checked up on the crooked man, the other suddenly chopped his hand into the thin air. His face scoffed as the sound of something breaking could be heard, "Hehehe, do you think the same thing will work on us again? Motherf*cker, you could have just allowed us to do what we want, yet you attacked big boss. You¨C" Another light flashed in his eyes but the man was too late to react. Kimon''s force barrier hit him square in the face. In less than five seconds, a knee embedded in his guts, followed by a sidekick that sent him flying through the air. "What was¨C" The third guy tried to shout but his body was unresponsive. In the blink of an eye, he found himself planted on the rough ground with a foot on his face. Kimon''s leg muscles bulged. He pushed the third guy''s head into the earth further, making a hole that could bury a rabbit. "With this level of strength, you tried to stalk him. You are joking, right?" "Hey, get off-" Following Kimon''s menacing stare, a force barrier shot forward. It dashed with the speed of lightning. Just before it could hit its target, a thin line appeared in its center. It cleanly broke apart into two, losing all momentum and disappearing out of existence. Kimon''s line of sight disregarded the surprised man, focusing beyond him, "Come out now. Did you think I wouldn''t notice?" There was no response. Kimon removed his leg from the guy beneath him and sent him away with a swift kick. It was only after this brutal action did the hidden person speak out, "What do you think you are doing to my people?" A vast aura collided with Kimon. The latter simply smirked as the aura had no effect on him. He maintained a carefree smile, "Do I suppose you are the leader of the rats that have been following me? You are Morcan, I presume." He had seen the skinny man at the auction and already knew of his identity. Morcan, the leader of Black Hand. Kimon kept his smile, "For an assassin organization, I must say, your men have subpar stealth skills. Even a fool can hide better than them." His taunts didn''t work. Morcan simply laughed it off, "Kimon. I have been hearing all about you. Leader of the Tribe of Somnia, producer of dragontail. I had thought you were just another fool trying to climb the ladder, but who would have thought you would become so popular in a single night?" Walking closer, Morcan continued, "Forgive my men for their lack of arrogance. They can''t handle people like you. It was just a test to see if you have the strength to back your brimming reputation. Clearly, you do." Morcan offered his hand for a handshake. Kimon deliberated on whether to shake it but he eventually decided on playing along. As soon as their hands met, Morcan tightened his grip, displaying his unexpected strength. Kimon''s bones cracked due to the strength. He couldn''t counter it. Nevertheless, he held a composed smile on his face as his hand was continuously wreaked. After a while, his hand retracted in an instant, leaving Morcan wondering how that was possible. When he flashed his hands again, Morcan could see the perfect shape of it. There seemed to be no signs of injury. "I accept your apology. Now, you may take your leave." Morcan frowned. His goal was to intimidate Kimon and get him under his wings, but this Kimon...in a wild reversal, Kimon had instead acted out as if he was in the same league with Morcan. He was even more arrogant when addressing Morcan. Morcan''s face twitched, ''This is annoying. I want to crush him, but there are too many eyes here. Hmph, I shall give him this.'' Facing his men, Morcan said, "Stand up. Let''s go." He exited the scene in style. Meanwhile, Kimon smiled victoriously. Suddenly, his body jittered. His senses picked up on something hidden. He looked above him, but nothing was in sight. Even when he used his [Nexus Eye], nothing surprising was revealed. ''Maybe it was false¡­.'' It was then he caught a tiny sparkle in the area above him. This led him to wait patiently for another sparkle, which never came, but that wasn''t needed anymore. He had found something. His paranoid self washed away as he regained composure, "You know. Nothing is supreme. You may deceive my eyes but you cannot deceive the world." Seeing as no one replied, Kimon divulged, "You may be cloaked but the world doesn''t consider you as such. Your coordinate is preoccupied with your presence. You still exist in that coordinate. Do you need me to go further?" Finally, the hidden person revealed himself. It was the duo from the defense force. It turns out that they had been following Kimon all along. However, this Kimon was too hard to stalk. They offered no words but Kimon''s mask focused on them. They could feel his "eye intent" trying to analyze every body part. The older one turned to the younger one and grabbed his wrist. A soft gale washed over them. In the next moment, they were nowhere to be seen. ''Hmmmmm¡­..'' Kimon stared deeply into the direction in which they departed. They could not fool him. His eye caught on their movement before they disappeared. Yet, he let them go. It was clear that the duo wanted no fight, and he felt the same way too. He had no intention of provoking the force. Suddenly, he looked sideways. ''Hmmm...there are other people.'' It seemed like this night was going to be a long night. . . . . . It was morning when Ki-Reve got back to his campus. He had spent the entire night trying to throw off his stalkers with every skill he could think of. ''Damn, I need to acquire more stealth skills.'' Circe had taught him some, but they weren''t useful in situations like this. He didn''t need a stealth skill per se. He needed something that could make his presence fleeting and could make him vanish into thin air like The Alchemist. ''Yesterday was a success.. I can take today off.'' Chapter 233 - Domain A week later. Reve was on his campus. He sat on his chair as read from a new piece of paper with old scroll papers wandering beside him. He had finished cracking the sacred papers he got in the auction. ''Damn. Who would have expected the sacred teachings to be concerning domains? It''s a compact study of domains.'' Domains were the main feature of the fourth circle of Arcane. It was a term too technical to be taken for just its literal meaning. What were they? Well, Domains were a type of spell where one displays excellent control over his immediate surrounding. In truth, it is a complex array of spells held together by good skills. The technicality of this spell led it to it being one of the toughest complex skills ever. To gain a domain, there were a lot of skills needed for it. The first one was domainhood, a mystical state where one gains control over his area. It was the main skill as even the mages seemed to acknowledge this part. The second skill was spell linking. Reve had talked about this before. Spell Linking was the ability to link the effects of two or more spells together. For example, if the right conditions are met, the possessor of this spell would be able to link the magic circles for [fireball] and [ice shard] together, creating a union spell with attributes of both spells. Now, this may sound easy, but one needs to understand that the attributes of two or more different spells would always contradict, so an impressive feat of control was needed. Spell Linking was a variant of Layered Casting, another skill that was needed for his domain to work. The third most important skill was the ability to successfully activate the domain spell. It was very easy to lose control over this spell. This was to be expected as a domain is operated by a single domain spell. It was delicate and, thus, could backfire on the mage easily. At the academy, some teachers recounted how some of their friends lost their lives when studying domains. ''I need to be careful,'' cautioned Reve. While he was in a hurry for greater strength, he wasn''t going to compromise his safety in doing so. Back to the topic, apart from those three main skills, there were other skills that could easily vie for the main three. Skills like Layered Casting, Multi-Casting, Chain casting. ''The others would heavily depend on the domain spell, and some of them I already have. So, I need to focus on the main three skills.'' ''Scratch out domain spell since it would only be useful after I have mastered the other skills. Spell Linking is something I haven''t mastered, but I am already well on my way to mastery. So, I''m left with domainhood, huh?'' If Reve remembered correctly, Circe had once made a random comment about how domainhood could be attained through meditation. Now that he thought of it, he could see a certain direction worth pursuing. Domainhood was a state most associated with meditation. As long as he tried advancing his meditative state, he could find his way to domainhood. ''Ahhh, finally, the period of advancement is near!'' . . . . . . Day in. Day out. Reve''s routine was a tough one. Apart from a few unique events, Reve''s lifestyle was almost too robotic. He would train in the morning and inspect the training of the first generation in the afternoon. After he was done, he would continue his training at Devil''s cave. Sometimes, some of the first generation like to watch him. So, he changed their training. The current one wasn''t that different. The only change was that it now included study hours. While Reve took his breaks at Devil''s cave, he would be ambushed by Marya, who had plenty to say. The loud lady had somehow found her way to him. She had also found her way to his organization. Reve lamented the time when he discovered Marya had created a sub-group under the Tribe of Somnia called the Secret Order. Apparently, she was grooming one prospect mage among the first generation. What was even more shocking was that she was teaching the young female mage the other magic arts, like alchemy, enchantment, pseudo-divination. Reve couldn''t possibly deter her. Well, he tried to since she was taking everything too seriously, but since when did his words ever stop her? That day, he wept at the fact that he was only the leader of The Tribe of Somnia in name only. Anyway, back to the topic, Reve''s training routine continued till the night when he would rest by reading books and studying magic spells. The latter was necessary. Reve needed to expand his array of magic spells. For someone of his level, it was embarrassingly small. Of course, there were sometimes when he wouldn''t be able to train due to external factors. Those factors came in the form of events, meetings, or even little things like a friend coming over. Since he didn''t have that many friends, Tribe of Somnia''s activities caused most of his irregular time. As the leader of the organization and only known member, he had to be present anytime the tribe was invited to an underworld ball or meeting. It was vexing, but he had to do it. However, nowadays, Reve guessed he was just too much of an influence to be casually invited, as he rarely receives invitations anymore. After all this while, the Tribe of Somnia had finally reached the point he envisioned. It was small progress, but well enough for now. Having survived through the chaotic period, the tribe had cemented its position as one of the top underworld organizations in Starhold. It had gotten to the point where dragontail expanded to other regions through the help of Black Viper. His tribe was well known, and it just needed time to enter the upper echelon of the Underworld. He had even started a project with Marya. The project was about finding another magical drug that can stand side-by-side with dragontail. Marya was given full control over the project. She had dedicated her time to experimenting with all sorts of recipes.. Having gained a vast wealth, Reve was in the position to cover for her wastage. Chapter 234 - Academy Begins ''It has been a short yet exciting journey.'' Tomorrow was the beginning of the academy''s second term. The person of Kimon would slumber while Reve of Azea takes the spotlight. Many things have happened over the past few weeks. For starters, the period of unrest in the Underworld had been concluded, in a dramatic fashion at that. Supposedly, a dark horse in the upper echelon rose up and took control of the situation. The figure started his reign over the prime organization by exterminating the other pest organizations vying for his seat. This brought stability back to the Underworld, but the deed had already been done. Not many organizations could brag that they came out unscathed. Even the big ones took a few casualties. For instance, the Black Market was attacked multiple times and Kimon was called to assist them. Many of their executives died, especially during the last attack when a group of Lv.90 and above assassins came to claim Daniel''s life. Together, he and Daniel thwarted their plans but not without sustaining heavy injuries. Reve remembered that he was in bed for a week, but that was still manageable. His relationship with Daniel had grown even stronger and the Black Market was indebted to him. On the other hand, Black Hand has been washed away from the soils of Narva. Black Hand, being the sole culprit of many organizations'' disappearance, was caught by the Defense Force, who had finally decided to intervene. This was only possible with one important betrayal; the betrayal of Venom Order. Up till now, the reason for such traitorous behavior was unknown. Black Hand became a pitiful victim in a span of just one night. It didn''t help that their rumored parent organization was too busy with the chaos elsewhere that they failed to react in time. The ambush that caused the fall of Black Hand was said to have one tiny mistake; Morcan! Morcan had escaped. Reve did not know if this was true but there had to be a certain truth in this rumor. Morcan was, after all, a sneaky bastard. Possessing a few life-saving means was not beyond him. Anyway, Black Hand was no more, giving the Tribe of Somnia just the momentum they need to rise up. Although, Reve reckoned it wouldn''t be long before another assassin organization try to fill the void Black Hand left. ''Oh, yeah. I also got attacked a few times.'' As Kimon, Reve''s life wasn''t easy going. There were many events where his tenacity would be put into question. Sometimes, he was the one that initiated the attack, while most times, he was clearly the wronged one. The last time, he got so angry that he went on a killing spree, something unlike him. He destroyed many organizations, but ultimately, raised the white flag when the Defense Force stepped in. Those busybodies were a pest! Somehow, they had made it their life mission to be present everywhere he was. ''I have no idea whether to applaud their strong desire for order or to mock it.'' ''Oh, that reminds me. I still have to take care of Demis'' situation.'' Demis had come to one day, agreeing to join his cause like a tsundere. It was just as he expected. The King of Misery was immensely bored and would do anything to brighten his life. The same went for his friends who he represented. To be able to use Demis'' and his companions'' power effectively seemed to be a tough task. Elementals and Spiritons could not showcase their power in the physical plane. Reve had an idea in mind of how to use them, but it would need further preparation. On the matter of preparation, the issue with the Drateel twins has not still been resolved. Nevertheless, they were in good health, thanks to the reagent he constantly provided them. Reve spent his time studying the curse. For him to curb it, he had to understand its traits perfectly. When he feels like he knows enough, he would start the actual recuperation process. ''I even consulted Alchemist about the curse. Of course, I didn''t reveal the full situation to him.'' While Alchemist remained a figure he was scared of, Reve found him to be knowledgeable. The experience he brought with him wasn''t something to scoff at. On that topic, it seems like Alchemist would be following in his footsteps very soon. Daniel told him that Alchemist plans of forming his own organization. He even got his very first assistant/student. Whatever the case was, Alchemist got a lot of work cut out for him. Reve wouldn''t be seeing him anytime soon As Reve self-reviewed, he looked at the clear moon and clenched his fist. ''A step closer,'' he thought. He had gotten yet another step closer to his goal. No, it could be said that everything was already set. The bait was hooked, all that was left was for the fish to appear. The Tribe of Somnia was a big organization in Starhold. He was just about two levels beneath the top organizations of Narva. Time to bring him higher. His relationship with the nobles was fine at least. Reve made sure he presented himself properly. He might not be friends of any son of duke, princes, princesses, but he would get there sooner or later, once the name of Reve of Azea became common in the mouths of the denizens. So, yeah, he was in the waiting period now. All he had to do was close his eyes and wait patiently for his efforts to become fruitful. Reve repeated in his mind, ''A step closer!'' He took his sleep and prepared for the next day. . . . . . The following day. Arcane Class. "Welcome back, students. I hope you enjoyed your break because this term might just be the most terrific for you right now," Grand Mage Helias said. "We have wondered too much on the system of basic magic spells. Now, it is time to study the intricacies behind advanced magic spells and beyond. By the end of this term, I expect you to have evolved an intermediate magic spell." The students moaned in displeasure. An intermediate magic spell was hard to master, not to talk of evolving. Reve was relatively safe as he had mastered magic spells of higher ranks. His [Frozen Gate] and [Yggdrasil] were intermediate rank so he was eager to know how to evolve them. Better yet, it seemed this term might touch upon the ability to break down magic circles. Chapter 235 - Festival Of The Black Sun Hours went by quickly. Reve was finally done with the last class for the day. He had almost forgotten the feeling. His bones were weary. They creaked as he walked towards his room. Getting to the door, he was surprised to see a familiar face. "My my, Silas, it is good to see you again," smiled Reve. He opened the door, allowing Silas to come in, but the latter simply lunged at him for a hug. ''Damn, what is this embarrassing situation?'' internally screamed Reve. He was lucky that no one saw him or else, his reputation as a cold student would be tarnished. Silas beamed, "It''s been a long time, Reve." "Don''t be dramatic. It has only been two months. Your face seems to have aged a bit. You have had quite the wonderful experience," wondered Reve. If before Silas looked like a man that had given up on life, now he looked sharper. There was something indescribable about him. Silas attempted to say something. He closed his mouth quickly before words could escape his lips. Reve smiled, "You don''t have to tell me. I understand." It was probably something too private. Reve sat on his bed and spoke, "I''m tired. To think the first day of resumption would be so weary." "My Enchantment teacher seems to have it against us. She is conducting multiple tests throughout this semester, supposedly there will be one test every week." "Since I took enchantment as an elective, my teacher wouldn''t be that serious. I don''t know. My enchantment class is tomorrow. However, my Arcane teacher is even more horrifying. He has given us an unsurmountable task to complete before the end of the semester," lamented Reve. "What is it?" "I have to evolve a spell an intermediate spell. That is, I have to upgrade a spell to either advanced rank or grand rank." Silas laughed, "Hahaha, I wouldn''t want to be in your position." Reve pouted, "Laugh all you can. You should head to your room to study for your test this week." The two of them threw jabs at each other. After another round of mocking, they felt tired from laughing and settled down. Silas said, "There is actually a reason why the classes are becoming tenser." "Oh, really?" "Yes. It is surprising that you are not aware of this." "Stop gloating and just tell me," quipped Reve. "The Festival of the Black Sun is upon us. The teachers are trying to prepare us for the upcoming event." "The upcoming event?" "Damn, were you holed up in your room throughout the holiday?" Reve twitched his mouth, "What is wrong with that? Meanwhile, you seem to have become gutsier!" Facing the glare that Reve sent his way, Silas remembered that he probably shouldn''t tick Reve off or he might end up planted in the wall. "During the festival, the people of Narva gather around one place. The capital, Silverbrook. There, the king arranges the biggest event. He demands that the various academies display the effect they have had on the younger generation. They would participate in any game of his choice." "However, this event is not one-sided. The winners of the event gain the favor of the royal family. Not only that, they are gifted treasures from the palace treasury." Reve muttered, "Hmmm¡­.I think I understand where you are going. Let me guess, the academies can only send a limited number of representatives?" "Yes." "So, these tests that our teachers have for us are some sort of filtering means? They want to find the students worthy to represent us." "Yes. You have figured it out." "What I don''t understand is how the selection process is detailed? We are first-year students. We shouldn''t be the face of the academy. I reckon second-year students aren''t also qualified." Silas yawned, "That would be the case if the king was specific on what he meant by ''younger generation''. Usually, NIRA sends a lot of third-years, an adequate amount of second-year, and a handful of first-years. So, fear not, we wouldn''t be the face of the academy." "I see¡­." Reve went into deep thoughts that were unknown to Silas. Attempting to read him, Silas questioned, "Are you planning on representing the academy? You are very popular among the closed circle of teachers, so that is possible. Nevertheless, it would be tough to guarantee a position for yourself. There are a lot of wonderful students in our session. Although you are one of the best, it will all depend on the quota given to the teachers." "Hmmmm¡­..what kind of rewards can we expect from the royal family?" asked Reve. Far from what Silas thought, if he wanted to be added to the list of representatives, he would. Heck, he could even do better than most third-years, not to talk of the second-years. Just how many third-year mages were third-circle arcanists or the equivalent to that? Moreover, he would soon advance to the fourth-rank and attain the same power level as most teachers. Silas still underestimated him. Unlike most mages, Reve was capable of bringing out the full power of his rank. "I''m only familiar with the prizes for the last event. That was the only one I attended. Let''s see, among the various rewards, the biggest ones were Skyfall Reaper, Challenger''s Chakram, Solarsong, and the Vial of Truth." Listening to Silas, Reve was surprised, "What are those?" "You don''t know?" "...Yes. Am I supposed to know?" "Hahaha, they are famous weapons wielded by legendary figures. Most of them were excavated from the Hollow Woods." Reve ruminated, ''I bet his definition of "legendary figure" is different from mine. I''m only interested in learning about people that shaped the timeline of Arcadia.'' ''Nonetheless, this is rather embarrassing. I don''t know anything about weapons. I am not aware of the rankings of items.'' Reve followed a strange code, "The mightier the foe, the mightier the spell." If he found himself in a pinch, he would just spam a destructive range of spells. That was why he was in a disadvantageous situation right now. His range of skills couldn''t protect him. In essence, he had mostly attack and defense skills.. His auxiliary and speed skills were not adequate. Chapter 236 - Progress Reve concluded, ''It might be time for me to get a magical weapon.'' A good magical weapon has the ability to increase one''s energy affinity. Furthermore, it sharpens the effect of the spells. Also, depending on the structure of the weapon, it could refine the energy until it becomes purer and more destructive, enabling the holder to dish out basic "energy attacks" that were better than most intermediate spells. "Energy attacks" are attack skills that involved a form of energy but don''t need a magic medium, like a magic circle, to activate. Back then, Reve had a few enemies who could shoot out flaming balls of energy from their hands without the use of magic. This innate talent was common with magical creatures. Anyway, Reve had decided it was time he become a true battlemage. That was the style he was destined for. There was no use denying that. He was a battlemage at heart. On this very day, a flame ignited in his heart and he finally accepted his identity as a battlemage. . . . . . . Time went by quick after this enlightenment. It was suddenly the last month of the term, but not the last day. There were still a lot of days left before the end of the term. Reve was currently in his room. In a meditating posture with his eyes closed, his mind tried to grasp the feeling of domainhood. ''Just what is it? It is the only thing I need.'' ''I have a certain sensation. It is like there is an itch on my back but I can''t scratch it. I don''t like this!'' His eyes widely opened as he exited his meditative state in annoyance. It was a bit embarrassing to think that he would be stuck at a certain stage for months now. Reve was familiar with bottlenecks, but not his kind of bottlenecks. It was frustrating. ''Maybe I should focus on other things.'' ''Let''s see... Oh, I am yet to complete the task given to me by Grand Mage Helias.'' Reve had been so focused on perfecting the skills he needed for his advancement that he forgot all about the task given to him. The result of that erroneous decision was a success in acquiring almost all the skills but failure in the task. ''I still have a few days. Grand Mage Helias'' lectures have taught me all that I need to know.'' Reve had decided on the spell he should focus on. His options were [Frozen Gate] and [Yggdrasil]. [Yggdrasil] was too basic to be evolved. He was better at working with [Frozen Gate]. He could also work with [Polar Nature]. However, that was way more basic than [Yggdrasil]. ''I can already see a lot of avenues to venture. The size, the form, the speed, the coldness¡­.'' thought Reve. [Frozen Gate] was a small child in his eyes. Once he raised it up well, it would correspond with his power level once again...especially now that he had attained linked casting! ''Hmm¡­..three weeks. I can finish this in two weeks! Who knows I just might surprise Grand Mage Helias.'' Feeling eager for his new project, Reve dived into work. . . . . . . Two days later. Situated in the forest near Devil''s Cave, Reve''s voice could be heard. "Excellent. After months, you have finally attained an average of 85% singularity. Most of you successfully completed the training with 100%. This is all because of your efforts, your crazy training style brought you to this level. Now, I permit you to check your level." Previously, Reve had prohibited them from doing so. He found that they abused Nixy windows too much. So he had to beat this bad habit out of them. The first generation checked their stats as instructed. The first thing they discovered was the massive increase in levels. Most of them had climbed about 15 levels, something that they were sure they wouldn''t see in their lifetime. In fact, if not for subpar prowess in their paths, they would have seen thirty levels or above increase in levels. The next thing they noticed was the single AP that appeared in their stats. "Congratulations, you can now access the singularity force. The road ahead will be more treacherous so you can take the rest of the week off. You earned this break." The first generation thanked him before dispersing away, leaving Reve on his favorite tree branch. "Is that okay?" asked a voice. Reve wasn''t surprised by this, "Yes, Marya. It is convenient for them as well as for me. I need time to focus on my other life. The life of Reve of Azea." "I see¡­." said Marya. She had already grown accustomed to Reve''s character. Hence, she sat on the opposite tree branch and kept quiet. It was tough for someone like her. Reve paid no attention to her. His mind was plotting out the upgrades he planned for [Frozen Gate]. This was how the day went by. The next day, Reve received alarming news. It had started when one of his men rushed to him, "Kimon, I found it!" Reve frowned, "What did you find?" "Remember when you said we should be on the lookout for anything strange?" "Yes," said Reve. It was just something he had said in passing. He didn''t expect any fruitful result from it. "Well, there is a piece of news I''m sure you will be interested in," smiled the person. Reve finally jumped down to look at him, "Bathos, right? Go on." Feeling happy that the esteemed Kimon remembered his name, Bathos spoke, "There is a rumor¨CNo, it is not a rumor. A man appeared in the region of Elderpass. He is said to have lost his sanity and words that come out of his mouth are incomprehensible. Yet, he managed to fool the villagers into joining his religion. It is unknown what his mission is, but his promise to grant strange powers rivaling that of mages and warriors was too much to turn down for the poor villagers." "It has been a while now but he had amassed a fellowship of hundreds of thousands. The Defense force tried to investigate him, but it lead to a battle in which he mysteriously disappeared along with his followers. He appeared yet again in another region close to Elderpass and continued his sacred journey." "People now have a name for him. They call him the Prophet!" Chapter 237 - The Fated World "Hmmmm¡­" Elderpass was the territory very close to the Hollow Woods. Occasionally, magical creatures would invade the region and the kingdom''s knights would push them back, but it was always too late. The casualties were high. That was why Elderpass remained a region without no noble leading it. It was divided into rural villages. Those that lived there endured the poorest living conditions in Narva. In essence, it was basically an inhabitable region. So, Reve could see how a mysterious man managed to amass a cult in this region. The people there were desperate and wanted the power he offered. Also, they might have been brainwashed, thinking they should forget about themselves and focus on something higher. All this was just speculation, but Reve felt he was probably right. After a while, he spoke to Bathos, "You may leave." Bathos left the scene. Reve turned to Marya, "What do you think?" As a seer, Marya had an excellent brain that he could not comprehend. If not for her obsession with him, he would have been cautious with her, putting her on his red list. Marya''s intelligence was usually masked by her weirdness. If one thought deeply enough, they would find it disturbing that just one lady could study the profession of weapon-making, alchemy, and rune enchantment while still being in her 20s. This was absolutely preposterous. "Same thing as you. The Prophet is probably who you have been looking for. Based on the information provided, he is mentally influenced by something. He also has a goal, but it is unknown whether he needs a large mass of followers to achieve it. He also possesses a spatial item that can store living beings. The item you are looking for is spatial-aligned." "Yes, he might be the one I''m looking for. I will need to confirm that before I report to the Gehenna Order," thought Reve. His day had just taken a sudden turn and he was unsure whether it was for the worse or better. . . . A day later. The rumor quickly spread across Starhold and everyone seemed to be talking about it. They all had different opinions and conspiracies around it. Meanwhile, Reve couldn''t wait any longer, "Marya, can you divine this person?" Marya pouted, "Divination magic is dangerous. Especially future-scry. It comes with a lot of rules. One of them is the usage of life-force. The more one divined, the more one aged." "So, you can''t predict his movement?" "Not really. While I can''t divine his movements, I can employ tracking methods. It is also technical, but the cost is not too drastic." "Tracking method?" "Yeah. That is what I call a series of seer spells that I can use to track. For instance, I can summon one of his past memories to get insight on personality. Then, I can divine his recent past. From there on, I can sketch his movements based on my analysis...but" Noticing Marya''s downcast look, Reve asked, "But what?" "I don''t think that is possible, especially if The Prophet is the guy you are looking for." "What do you mean?" "Each living being has what we call life-codes. They are one''s state of existence. The stronger one gets, the stronger their life-codes become. People with strong life-codes are our bane as the radiation of these life-codes disrupts our abilities, giving them immunity to it." "Oh," said Reve. "Also, anything or anyone associated with the person with a strong life-code is also granted immunity." He was familiar with life-codes. That was why Reve could not use [Force] on his enemies'' bodies. He had to resort to other means. "So, if what we think is actually right, The Prophet will have this immunity through his contact with the shards that house the titans." Reve asked, "What if we are wrong?" "I can try to check if we are right or wrong." Reve was yet again surprised, "How?" "The school of divination is an interconnected maze. Different paths lead to the same place. At the same time, they don''t lead to the same place. I just need to be smart about it. I can attempt to divine The Prophet''s past or future" "But you said¨C" "Normally, the cost will come after I clash with my target''s life-code and successfully pierce it. However if the target''s life-code is too strong, I would be repelled instantly and face backlash." "How big of a backlash?" wondered Reve. "It depends on how big the spell is. There is no time to waste." Marya got down from the tree and sat on the green grass. She made a few strange hand signs and spoke, "I will be starting now. No matter what, don''t disturb me." Then after, she closed her eyes. From Reve''s perspective, the only major difference was the gathering of energy around her. Suddenly, a shockwave erupted from her body. It was silent and he guessed he was the only one that noticed it. By the time he focused back on his surroundings, he noticed all the vibrant colors had washed away. The only things present were objects painted in either black or white. Tiny grey lines connected both living beings and objects. They interconnected to form a giant spider web that went up into the sky. Reve thought, ''The Fated World¡­.the mystical world only revealed after the veils of reality have been cut down. To think it was real. To think I would see it one day!'' He was left emotional by this scene. The Fated World was a theoretical topic that was the debate of most mages. The only reason he could sense the world was because of the shockwave that erupted from Marya. But also, it was mainly because of his [Seventh Sense] and other sensory skills. Reve watched as the voice of Marya turned to an ephemeral whisper. "The Prophet." "The Bringer of the End." "The Leader of the Red Crusade." "Oh child that is lost, come to me." "I request your presence." Her hands weaved through the grey lines. As more and more lines came closer, she sorted them, looking for the one she wanted. Finally, her hand grabbed the right one. She seemed hesitant as she brought the line to contact her forehead. In the next moment, the grey line turned red and a massive electric shock surged through it, into her body. She was caught off guard and there was nothing she could do. Reve deemed the situation as dangerous and dived in.. He pushed her away from the red line. The moment he did that, it turned grey again and everything was back to normal Chapter 238 - The Puzzles Marya opened her eyes so softly. Everything was back to normal, the beautiful colors filled the environment once more. She blushed as she was in Reve''s firm arms. She wanted to stay like this forever but Reve''s voice woke her up, "Are you okay?" "Yeah¡­.I just feel a little numb," replied Marya. She quickly jumped away from Reve''s arm while her mind kept replaying the previous scenes. Shaking her head, she said, "I underestimated your sensory skills. As expected of Reve Amethyst." "I didn''t think I could interact with the world, but seeing you in danger¡­ it was worth the risk." "Oh." Marya blushed. The ignorant Reve talked further, "Anyway, I guess we have our confirmation. The Prophet is dangerous. I will need to report back to the Gehenna Order, but first, the Prophet might slip away if I don''t do something." "Let''s track him then. You can figure out what you want to do once you find his location." "But you said¨C" "Oh, I didn''t say I have no means of tracking him. Since I can''t directly track him. I can track his followers who are less affected by the life-code radiating from the shard." "Hmmm¡­.will that work?" "Not sure. Theoretically, it should work, but I guess it depends on what spell I use. I have a spell in mind, but I would need materials objects that are of huge value to the target. If that is not possible, I have another spell that requires me to go to places the target has been before." Reve thought on her words before giving his opinion, "The requirements for the second one are easier to procure. Although, it seems we will need to go to Elderpass." . . . . Five hours later. Marya screamed as she rode on the Reve''s beastly form. She grabbed his antlers to face against the sharp winds and nearly broke them. Reve wanted to shout at her but he could only pay attention to his fast movement. If he got preoccupied, he might hit something. After five more hours, he stopped. In front of them was a green plain field filled with wooden huts that were protected by a low rickety fence. Reve morphed back to his Kimon form. His eyes danced around the village. He announced the obvious, "We are officially in Elderpass." The village was empty and the doors of some huts opened and closed frequently, giving a freakish vibe to this place. While the both of them walked into the empty village, they conversed. Marya asked, "Won''t leaving make NIRA suspect you?" "No. Today is Friday. There are classes on the weekends. For all they know, I could be anywhere. It is easy for me to create an alibi." "Oh, I see, as expected from Reve," smiled Marya. Reve sighed, "Can you stop saying that?" "Saying what?" " ''As expected from Reve''. It is unnerving," told Reve. "Hehehe, it is just like Reve Amethyst to be humble." "Hmmm¡­.." "Reve, are you in a relationship?" "Where did that come from? That''s too random." "Well, are you?" "No, Why are you asking?" "Nothing. Just curious." Reve said, "Relationships are for people without vision." "What do you mean?" "People who have seen the true face of the world don''t have time for relationships." "Is that what you think? I feel like you are projecting." "I''m not projecting." "To think my dear Reve would be scared of relationships." "I''m¨CYou know what. Let''s focus on the task at hand." "Okay, we shall discuss this later." "There is no later." "Why are you running away from this conversation?" "Because there is nothing to discuss." "Now, you are sounding like someone who is avoiding a conversation." "I¨C Let''s focus, please." Knowing Marya, Reve didn''t give her time to retort and entered one of the huts. It was small, only capable of fitting a small straw bed and a cooking stove. Reve thought, ''Do people still use these primitive appliances?'' Perhaps, he was wrong all along. There existed some part of the world where development receded instead of advanced. Elderpass was one of them. Only people that couldn''t survive in the other regions lived here. Reve said to Marya, "This place will do, right?" "Yes." She entered the hut and caressed the objects around, "This will do." "Okay, I will head outside to see what I can find. Do what you can do," told Reve. He left the hut and wandered around. There was something on his mind that needed pondering. ''If The Prophet has the shard of Sheol, why hasn''t he opened it? What is he waiting for? Why all these reckless movements?'' It was pretty clear that the shard was in The Prophet''s hands. ''...Unless he can''t open it! Is that why he is gathering followers? He needs them for a ritual?'' A ritual was all that he could think of. The people that created the shards wouldn''t allow them to be easily opened. It was understandable that there would be some kind of lock. However, there would always be a ritual that can counter magic locks. Seeing as The Prophet exposed himself just to gather followers, then he probably wanted to use them for a ritual. ''Where did he find the shard, anyway? Who is he? How powerful is he? How powerful are the gifts he grants? How much contact does he have with the titans?'' ''Damn, all these questions are making me uneasy. If not for the urgency of the situation, I would have contacted the Gehenna Order through Demis.'' ''I always knew I''m not the only one pursuing the shard so will I meet the others? Moreover, how will I evade the eyes of the Defense Force and the court mages?'' If he was a fourth circle mage, perhaps he might have small confidence in himself, but with the way things are right now, he had no confidence in himself to pull this off. ''I''m not going to die for the Order''s cause. Once I detect this is past what I can endure, I will run away!'' Suddenly, something touched him which made him jerk. He looked behind to see Marya. "Reve, the clues I found are not literal. They are puzzles. Nevertheless, we should be able to figure it out." "What are the clues?" "A silver moon. A lake.. A book." Chapter 239 - A Book "Silver Moon. Lake. Book," repeated Reve. Three lines. Once he connected them together, they should reveal where the follower of The Prophet is, which in turn would reveal the location of The Prophet. Reve put his brain to good use. "The silver moon is the main theme of Narva. The royal family loves the theme of silver. This influence has affected many things in Narva. So, at least, we can deduce that the follower is still in Narva." "Yes," agreed Marya. "On the other hand, ''the lake'' is not specific enough. It could mean anything." Marya intervened, "We can find good results if we look at this like a coordinate where the country is revealed, then the region, then the local community." "So ''the lake'' emphasizes the ''silver moon''? Hmm¡­ ''silver-moon-lake''?! That''s it! It''s Starhold." "Starhold?" "Starhold is famous for its starwell. What most people don''t know is that the starwell is actually a lake. Based on my knowledge, there is no way the starwell will be actually constructed in the form of a well. Moreover, some people have seen it before during the Festival of the Endless Moon." "Okay, then the follower is in Starhold, what are we waiting for?" "After the conclusion of the festival of the endless moon, the participants are made to forget the location of the starwell. It is just like what your coven did to Gawyne Drateel." "So ''book'' will help us find it?" "Yes. ''Book'' can mean a lot of things. It could denote a library. We have a grand library in Starhold. It could be literal like the others, but the chances that the starwell lies in the dimension of a book are minuscule. I must say, that would be absolutely ridiculous. I think ''book'' means education which denotes institutions." "NIRA Academy!" Marya realized with a smile. "Yes. It is the only thing that makes sense in this situation. The starwell is in NIRA Academy. Ahh, this is troublesome. We have to head back now." Reve transformed to his beastly form and allowed Marya to ride him. He dashed away from the village, heading towards Starhold. . . . . . Ten hours later. Reve and Marya arrived successfully. He panted wildly as he quickly summoned two healing pills from his subspace. He handed one to Marya while consuming the other himself. Reve transformed back to Kimon. As he and Marya walked the sleeping streets of Starhold, he thought, ''Just how are we supposed to infiltrate NIRA? Well, it would be easy to slip past the guards and mess with the detection spell, but there are strong people on NIRA grounds.'' They soon got to the entrance of NIRA. They were five guards guarding the entrance. Just before the guards could notice them, Reve held Marya''s hands. His eyes closed at the mention of a guiding thought, ''I am nature.'' He became transparent, but his body could still be vividly seen. However, the real magic was his lack of presence. If one didn''t pay visual attention beside him, they would fail to notice him. Every clue of his living state had been nulled. His breath. His aura. His footsteps. Reve picked up Marya and placed her in his arms, he made sure to not be in the guard''s line of sight as he snaked his way in. Just as he was about to cross into the academy, he stopped. His legs were just inches away from the grand detection spell fixed into the entrance site. ''I am nature. I am everything.'' He first placed his right leg on the spell. He could feel it. How was he to explain it? At that moment, he could feel its function, its orders, its heartbeat. As he absorbed energy, at the same time, the spell breathed. He seemed to have connected to it. He was the spell! This phenomenon was so strange that he could even sense the location of neighboring spells. Hastily, he slipped into the Academy and hid behind one of its buildings. "Oh crap, I shouldn''t have brought you along!" Reve had been so caught up with catching The Prophet that he forgot that he would move better if Marya was not around. "I can help you." "You told me you aren''t versed in magic combat, right?" "That is true, but I can be of support. While I do not have good attack spells, I can buff you with my other skills." "Well, the bridge had been burnt already. There is no going back," sighed Reve. As a seer, Marya could not access destructive magic schools like elementalism and arcanism. She could only study the other ones. Reve whispered to her, "We are just going to scout. Follow my every step. Don''t make any noise and make sure to understand what I''m doing." "Yes. I''m not a fool," pouted Marya. She looked at the sky and asked, "By the way, how are we to find the starwell now that we are in NIRA?" "It is simple. We just have to wait until The Prophet does something interesting. I''m familiar with the energy vibe of NIRA so I would quickly detect if someone disturbs it. I just hope it is not too small." "I can help you with that," told Marya. Reve sneaked around the streets before looking at a rather large tower. It was the bell tower of NIRA. It was more customary since the students have magic spells that tell them the time. Reve smiled while thinking, ''That will do.'' He said, "Climb on my back." "Huh?" "Climb on my back." "Okay." Following his order, she placed herself on Reve''s back. A snarl came out of his mouth as claws grew out of his hands. Reve jumped high in the air. He struck his arm at the tower wall and retained his altitude. To move up further, he continued his climbing until he was at the top of the tower. Then, he dropped Marya beside him and took in the breath of fresh air. "This place always amazes him." Disregarding the brilliant view from the top, Reve informed, "From here, we can see all of NIRA.. This would help us pinpoint the exact location of any energy disturbance we find." Chapter 240 - The Strongest…. "Hmmmm¡­I am getting nothing." Reve opened his eyes back. He had just done a brief investigation yet it was to no avail. Marya placed her hands on Reve''s shoulders, "Perhaps I can help." She murmured something indistinct and told Reve, "Now, try again." Reve closed his eyes again and opened all his sensory skills. A radar expanded from his body covering all the angles. It spread wide until it reached the borders of the academy. After receiving its feedback, Reve opened his eyes. He bent his head to look at Marya. His eyes were full of adoration, "What was that?" "One of my sensory skills. I can share it with you, merging my senses and yours. Did you get anything?" "No, nothing is suspicious." "Hmmm. He is yet to make any move. What should we do?" "I doubt you can divine the location of the starwell. So, we wait." "Yes, I can''t divine it." "Share your skill with me again. We can''t afford to turn our eyes away for even a single second." "Okay." . . . . . . Deep in an inconspicuous place, three men walked past the fields of flowers. The middle man had a crazed look on his face as he approached a silver lake. His red cloak complimented his red eyes and also his insane demeanor. The man wept at the sight of the lake, "This is it. We have found it, brethren. With the power of this lake, we can free the crimson titans. They have been unjustly persecuted by the rest of Arcadia. However, we know the whole story. It is just like Arcadians to victimize the minority, the ones who don''t possess the same features as them, the small group who are unique." "The Crimsons shall rise again." The two followers bowed. With a deranged face, The Prophet spoke, "I spoke to them. They have promised us vengeance. This world persecuted them just like Narva did to us. They forced them to go by their foul narratives. This world has sinned and the day of reckoning is before all Arcadians. They shall pay the price of their sin!" "The Crimsons shall rise again¨C" A voice echoed out of nowhere, "Honestly, I didn''t think I would be dealing with fanatics." The Prophet stopped in his tracks as he focused on the person that appeared before him. It was a fair-skinned woman with dark, round, green eyes and an aquiline nose. She wore a large old-fashioned robe that highlighted her brown hair. A smile arched on her face. "I never thought I would live to see another fanatic. In your case, you don''t worship the gods, you worship something worse." "Who are you?" asked The Prophet. "Solon Thalia, at your service. It has been so long since I have come out again," spoke the woman. The Prophet brought out a huge mace from his subspace while speaking, "I see. Solon Thalia, the Deranged Mage. You are the pillar of the congregation of sinners, the highest court mage. Do you confess to your sins? The Crimsons are forgiving. You can be reborn in their eternal light." "My reputation precedes me. About your offer, Hehehehe. You dare threaten me! Truly, it''s been so long since my heartbeat fiercely. I expect you have the power to back your words." Five magic circles materialized behind her. From within them came mighty serpents that spewed green liquid at The Prophet. With the shake of his hand, a dome was erected in front of him, shielding him and the followers from the green liquid with obvious corrosive effects. The followers wept in joy, "The Crimsons are all-encompassing. How dare our mission be tarnished? This blasphemer shall pay the price for her actions!" The Prophet touched the necklace on his neck. It was an obsidian necklace tied together with a red chain. There was something hidden in the obsidian stone. Something red that pulsed slowly like a dying heartbeat, yet it wasn''t diminishing. "Blasphemer, your fate has been decided. For the Crimsons have spoken, you shall die. I will show you the power of the Crimsons'' grace!" Following his declaration, a drop of red blood appeared on his forehead. His eyes became crimson and black horns grew on his head. His appearance constantly shifted until he became akin to a lizard man with a tail sprouting behind him. Red scales protect his inner skin and his teeth transformed into fangs. "Behold, the power of the Crimsons'' grace," shouted The Prophet. His voice became something too monstrous to hear. His mere sigh created an air pressure that swept the floor clean. By the time he had finished speaking, there were no flowers or any green life in his line of sight. Beside him, two other crimson monsters appeared! Solon Thalia distanced herself upon seeing this sight. With her many years of experience, she could feel the vile aura spilling out of these three monsters. Without a doubt, they rivaled that of a Solon, and that was in their unstable form. Sometimes, the aura peaked above that of a Solon. Sometimes, it receded to that of a Grand Mage. Whatever the case was, every time the aura was unleashed, it would bring forth destruction to the surrounding, causing an earthquake at its mere appearance. The strongest mage in Narva thought to herself, ''Can a simple disposition cause this much destruction? The King was right to pay attention to this matter. I don''t know what group of gods The Prophet speaks about, but it is certainly not a good one.'' With a single thought, her robe slipped away revealing the outfit of a battlemage. She held a sword in her hand as she whispered lowly, "[Domain Grand Skill: Falling Stars]" Her aura expanded from her body in an instant. They were like the night sky. So clear yet filled with tiny stars that wandered about. Just as she was about to complete her domain, the crimson monsters pounced at her. Luckily, she had already predicted this. The winds brushed against her body and she levitated just in time before the claws of the monsters could reach her. Now high up in the air, Solon Thalia said, "You can''t fly so you might as well wait for me. [Starry Sky]-- What?!" She suddenly felt a warmth on her waist. Inspecting her body, she found the tail of one of the monsters wrapping around her. She looked down. The monster was still on the ground. Somehow, he had the ability to elongate his tail. With a pull, she was sent towards his way with no time to react. She cursed, "Oh shit!" Chapter 241 - Crimsons’ Grace Five minutes ago... Reve sighed sadly, "There''s nothing. Wherever the starwell is, there is a sort of spell concealing any energy fluctuation." "So, what do we do?" asked Marya. "We wait until the spell can''t hide it anymore. The goal wasn''t to confront The Prophet anyways. I just need to bring valuable information back to the Gehenna Order." Marya placed her hand on Reve. The two of them went into their combine-sense state and filtered all the high energy fluctuations in the academy. Out of nowhere, somewhere in their southwest, the natural energy spiked! Following the spike was the tainting of the clouds that gathered above that particular region. Flashes of lightning roared in the air like a vengeful wraith. It released lightning on the ground, scorching it in the process. It began to rain. Marya was dumbfounded as she spoke, "Reve, do you see that¡­?" "Yes. That''s the Forest Gardenia. I thought the dome built there was to nurture the flowers, but I guess I was also fooled. Let''s go!" With Marya on his back, Reve jumped down, heading for the region with red gathering clouds. . . . . Five minutes later, at Forest Gardenia. The battle had ended in a grim outcome. The garden was totally unrecognizable. If not for the protective dome, the attacks thrown by both parties would have destroyed all of NIRA and even Starhold, especially the final attacks¡­ Two of the followers slept eternally on the warm grass that had now been stained red. In his monstrous form, The Prophet stood tall, albeit, blood poured out of his body through the multiple wounds on him. On his face was a gnarly scar which only served to promote his terrifying appearance as he spoke, "How does it feel, sinner? Your life is my hand. You can''t rely on any trick now. How does it feel to know you lost your chance at repentance because of your stubbornness? How does it regret?!" Holding the body of Solon Thalia by the neck, he spoke arrogantly but he had the right to be arrogant. With the power of the Crimson''s grace, he defeated the strongest mage in Narva. The Prophet looked behind him. He saw the body of his dead followers. A look of sadness flashed in his eyes, but it was later replaced by the normal apathetic look. "My followers. They followed me to the end just as they promised. For this, they shall be reborn in the Red Paradise. However, you, on the other hand¨C" Looking at Solon Thalia, he spat out, "--You shall pay the price for taking the lives of my brethren!" Solon Thalia coughed out blood while ridiculing, "Bastard. I should have dealt with you first instead of those two idiots. Just one more spell and you would fall flat. Tell me, does the power of your so-supreme Crimsons only amount to this much?" "Blasphemer, I''m familiar with your type. You would spout rubbish till you die. How can you begin to comprehend the Crmisons'' grace? Here you are, gasping for breath in my hands." coldly responded The Prophet. "But you are not far off are you!" "Still ignorant," mocked The Prophet. "You are the one to talk. Your body is damaged and your health is on the brink of death. Sure, you have the ability to recuperate. However, that is if you manage to leave here alive." "What do you mean?" The Prophet stared hard at her. "What did you think?! That you would intrude the sacred grounds of a magic academy and walk out unscathed." Realizing the danger that would soon befall him, The Prophet attempted to crack the solon''s neck, "Hahahaha, you will be dead before then!" "Stop there!" A huge projectile filled with ravenous magi smashed into The Prophet. It exploded like fireworks blasting the man high up in the air. Before he could recollect himself, another projectile exploded in him. The power of the two attacks created a shock wave that expanded half a kilometer, wiping clean everything on the ground. The Prophet fell to his doom. He winced in pain but his expression was still sharp. "I suppose you are Vice-Chancellor Aphior" His line of sight was directed at the man that appeared out of nowhere. The man maintained his position in the air and offered no words. Instead, his eyes continuously glanced at the beaten Solon Thalia while he went into deep thoughts. The Prophet suddenly laughed, "Hahaha. It is widely known that only one solon exists in Narva. Who would have thought there is another one, and that he is the hidden vice-chancelor of NIRA? Hahahaha, this is good. Another sinner! How about the other sinners should reveal themselves?" Following his words, multiple figures materialized beside the vice-chancellor. If Reve was here, he would instantly recognize them. They were all Grand-level beings; Overseer Zarune. Overseer Ethera. Dean Agem-Krest, the Dragon Knight, of the Warrior Hall. Dean Launceletus the Gentle of Ki-Combat Hall. Dean Mirilld of the Elemental Hall. Dean Azorius of the Arcane Hall. Dean Ingaretta of the Magic-Combat Hall. There were others but they seemed inconspicuous in front of this large group radiating with a vibrant aura. The Prophet laughed with anger, "What does it matter if it''s one sinner or five sinners? In front of the Crimson''s grace, all sinners will be vanquished. I will end this nonsense at once." From the tip of his right index finger, a small beam of unknown red energy was growing. It appeared out of nowhere, shocking the other party as they quickly assumed a defensive stance. The small beam quickly grew to a large ball of vileness. The presence it brought to the garden could make mortal''s hallucinate of the destined end-time. Luckily, the heads of NIRA weren''t mortals. Solon Thalia struggled to speak, "Run..away. It''s a trap. The energy¨C" "It''s already too late to warn them! [Crimson Shower]!" The large ball of crimson energy shot forward, multiplying in size until it became akin to the congregation of clouds. It zoomed in an instant, washing the group in its energy. They tried everything they could do to stop it, but nothing worked. The energy merely stopped for a second before consuming the power of the defense techniques. It used this power to empower itself and went on. In the blink of an eye, every single one of them fell down like flies attacked with insecticides! Chapter 242 - Elemental… The heads of NIRA jerked like fishes out of their aquatic habitat. On their body were red streaks that connected to their mouths. The whites in their eyes were visible. They gasped for breath for about five seconds before the flames of life left them. A few inches away from them was The Prophet. He fell to his knees and panted for breath. By the time he looked to his side, he noticed a change in his surrounding, "So she escaped. Idiot, a sinner will never escape the Crimson. We shall meet again. I have to find the elemental heart." He stood up once again and moved in a particular direction. That was where his objective lay. The Prophet walked past the scorched earth and found a sole lake in this destructive field. It was unassuming and appeared to have no unique characteristics. He wasn''t surprised that the lake could not be destroyed. How can the starwell be destroyed by his hands? Within it was an object that can destroy the gates hidden in the shard of Sheol. Such kind of oddity was eternal and could never die. He dived into the lake, swimming to the bottom ground. Surprisingly enough, the depth of the lake was impossible to reach. As he kept on going, he saw nothing in view. The lake was boundless, but his determination would surpass that boundlessness! The Prophet pushed forward until he saw the first sign of underwater ground. It was in the form of an aquatic plant. He grabbed it and pulled himself downwards! Now touching the ground, he was instantly attracted by a crystalline pebble. ''It looks just like the allies of the Crimsons said. Blue and inconspicuous.'' NIRA never activates the elemental heart until it is the right time. The Prophet held the oddity with great power. He could feel an infinite amount of energy dwelling in it. ''To think this had once been the heart of an elemental king. Now it''s merely a remnant, an inkling of the power it once possessed together with its rightful host. With this, I can free the Crimsons.'' He had been directed here by the Shelonians, the true residents of what was once known as the Sheol Plane. Finding understanding with the imprisoned Crimsons, they had plotted for years to free themselves and unleash a barrage of punishment on this sinful world. The Prophet jumped out of the lake with a smile on his face. He quickly hid the elemental heart in the subspace of his pendant where the other followers were. Just as he was about to vanish, he noticed something. There were two people looking at him from the nearest building. Judging by their auras, they were too weak to be considered a threat. However, there was something strange about one of them. His aura seemed¡­.familiar. It was because of this reason that The Prophet shouted, "I shall let you be, for you are not a sinner. As for the one beside you, her sinful self is veiled by you. Such a peculiar being. If fate allows it, I will be back for you." After saying that, he escaped while limping. He looked weak, but the two hidden people were skeptical of how much strength he had left. . . . . . Seated on another building, Reve finally found his breath, "Ha. Ha. What was that?" He and Marya had been here since The Prophet defeated Solon Thalia. They had watched as he killed the heads of NIRA. It was not a merry spectacle for them. The heads were the peak existences of the continent of Narva, yet they had been killed like flies. He knew the reason. ''That last attack was too powerful. A lot of factors were placed into it, but the prime one was the angle. The angle perfectly covered all the heads, allowing for an attack that could kill them in one shot. The Prophet¡­he is not a mindless fanatic!'' Reve didn''t dare stop him even when he obtained something from the lake which Reve guessed was the starwell. In truth, if the heads had been lucky enough to circle around The Prophet. They might have easily killed him, but such luck was not easy to get. ''He has what he came here for. His expression tells me that he has everything he needs to open the shard. Damn, this situation just escalated. I will need to report¨C'' Reve looked up after sensing something. A look of panic appeared on his face as he whispered, "Marya, leave now." "Huh? What are you talking ab¨C" Just in the next milliseconds, she sensed what Reve sensed. "I can''t abandon you," spoke Marya. Reve whispered, "Now. We will meet in the Devil''s cave." "But¨C" "Marya, leave!" Knowing how stubborn she could be, Reve pushed her off the building. She easily landed on the ground and blitzed away from the scene. Meanwhile, Reve continued looking up. The person he sensed finally arrived through flight. He was dressed in red armor, but the symbol of Narva inscribed on his armor chest caught Reve''s attention. Reve went on to notice the similarities between this armor set and another group of armor sets. There was no doubt by now. This man was part of the Defense Force. As he descended in front of Reve, he curiously looked towards the direction the figure of Marya could be seen dashing at. "You are a smart one," smiled the red knight. He continued speaking, "I will be straight. Where''s The Prophet?" "He escaped, but not after¡­." Following Reve''s line of sight, the red knight was immensely surprised at the gory scene on the ground, "a solon,another solon. Multiple grand mages and grand masters!" He looked at Reve again. This time, his eyes wanted to scour every inch of Reve''s body. "Why are you alive if even a solon can''t survive? There is something you are not telling me," cautioned the red knight. Reve sighed as he already expected this, "If you go this way, you might be able to catch up to him." "Seems to me like you are diverting the question. I wonder for what reason. Anyway, you will need to follow me back to the palace. You are the only surviving witness.. We need your report." Chapter 243 - The Battle "...You are the only surviving witness. We need your report." . . . . Standing firm, Reve stared hard at the man in the sky. His thoughts wandered, ''Based on his flight ability, he should be a Grand Level being. He possesses spirit energy so he is a mage, but the glaive on his back indicates he leans toward magic combat.'' ''I don''t want to fight. This location is doomed. Let''s see.'' Immediately the thought appeared in his mind, a spark ignited in his body and he activated [Morai], [Enchant Body: Demon]. His body flashed out of his existence, leaving a blue streak with a tail that was disappearing as fast as lightning. Reve dashed past the buildings, heading for the exit of the academy. Once he appeared in the city district, he could mix in a congregated crowd and hide. All of a sudden, the red knight appeared in front of him. Reve paused his violent speed. His feets dragged on the ground until he stopped inches away from the red knight. "I had thought you would be a nobody, but the speed you possess is something that is not easily seen. Who are you?" Reve was still in his underworld get-up so his expression was veiled from the man. That was good since his face constantly shifted, betraying his rapid thoughts. He responded quickly, "I''m Kimon." "I have heard of that name before. You are the leader of the Tribe of Somnia?" asked the red knight. "Yes. So, kindly move away, sir. The Underworld and the Defense Force have lived together for many years. Our peace is built on the rules we agreed to. Capturing me unjustly will go against those rules," warned Reve. The red knight entertained the conversation, "You have a glib tongue, I will give you that. You are right. I need to have a reason for requesting your presence in the palace, right?" "Yes," cautiously answered Reve. "It''s simple, really. You interfered in the search ordained to us by the king himself. On the site where The Prophet rampaged, you were the only one left standing. Moreover, your appearance is unwarranted. No matter how I look at it, you know something. So, shouldn''t I capture you for withholding information important to the royal case?" Reve distanced himself away from the red knight''s spreading aura. They were like snakes trying to wrap around him and suffocate him. Just feeling the aura provoked a suffocation sensation. The red knight grabbed his glaive while speaking, "Will you go willingly or not?" Reve sighed, "What difference does it make?" He had expected this is where the conversation would go. "One entails you leaving in one piece. The other¡­well, it won''t be a fine sight." "I thought as¨C" Taking advantage of the moment, Reve dashed at the red knight and sent him away with a quick side kick. Following that, he dashed away with the fastest speed he could possibly mutter. In less than ten seconds, his senses went haywire as he sensed something incoming. He had no time to react, not even enough to attempt a block. A leg reflected in his eye for a brief millisecond before smashing into his face. It was Reve''s turn to smash into multiple buildings, leaving a human-sized hole in each one of them. Reve spat out blood after stopping. ''What kind of goldy strength is that? Just one kick is enough to shatter my insides!'' He hid in the field of dust around him and attempted to sneak away, but a loud voice thundered in his ears. "Little rat, where are you going?!" With a wave of his hand, the red knight blew away the field of dust and revealed the position of Reve! Meanwhile, Reve entered a defensive stance. He analyzed, ''I can''t afford a full-on battle. Escaping is my priority. I need to throw him off-guard, but his speed is faster than mine.'' He had found that out the hard way. Twice in a row, he tried fleeing after causing enough distraction. Yet, the Red Knight always came back to him in less than ten seconds. What kind of speed and toughness was required for that?! Reve smiled, ''I guess fleeing is not an option. How about I try a mix of both? Half attack, half escape. I just need to make sure he won''t be able to pursue me when I''m done with him!'' He realized that it was an insurmountable task, but there was no other option. Right here, right now, he had to face off against a grand mage! He finalized his analysis with a self-warning. ''Just his physical feats were able to outmatch. His full strength goes beyond that. He is a mage. I need to remember that!'' The red knight lunged at Reve speedily. This time, Reve was more prepared. He sidestepped just before the knight''s body could touch him. Reve went for a low kick, a successful one at that. Afterward, he launched a dropkick on the body of the knight. Each of his attacks was at full power. However, when he saw the aftermath of his series of attacks, he frowned. The red knight slashed at Reve with his glaive! *Swish!* A thin slit appeared on Reve''s mask but that was all. He had managed to evade it at the last second. Reve reacted with another sidekick. The arms of the knight grabbed Reve''s leg and flung him away. While in the air, Reve balanced himself, realizing full control of his aerial movements. He pointed his hands forwards and waited for something to happen. The red knight stayed alert. ''What is he doing?'' Instantly, an object crashed into his back. The Red Knight reacted just in time with a parry. "Hmm..?!" In the same instant, Reve went in for a punch! Time seemed to slow down as Reve moved closer to the Red Knight. He thought he would land a hit. He had to land a hit! The eyes of the knight found their way to him while his body faced Reve''s force barrier. He freed one of his hands and blocked Reve''s punch before following the attack with a straight thrust into Reve''s guts. The glaive went through without any resistance! Looking at the mask-covered face of Reve, the knight arrogantly said, "Weak. How dare you touch me? Now, I''m curious what face lies behind the mask?" His hand stretched towards the mask. He was going to remove it! Chapter 244 - The Battle(2) An arrow flew in the air like a cannonball. Its direction was aimed at the Red Knight and the destructive potential it carried was nothing small at all. The Red Knight blocked the arrow with one of his hands. His quick action allowed Reve to slip away from his hold and distance himself. Reve wheezed with heavy breaths. He looked in the direction where the arrow that saved his life came from. He couldn''t see anyone there. Being naturally curious as to who it was, he kept on looking. Suddenly, his senses picked up on a unique change of environment. "Good. Good. Good. Another pest! Show yourself!" The raging knight was livid and his veins were visible. From an opposite direction, an arrow came at him. He blocked it with a side slash. The Knight noticed something, "Come here now!" He pursued the fleeting Kimon. His speed inched him closer and closer until Kimon was within his hand''s reach. Out of nowhere, something invisible threw him off course! He had failed to sense it in time, but it didn''t matter to him. Those petty tricks of Kimon were of no consequence to him. Kimon zoomed past the group of entrance guards as they stood stupefied by the current scene. Not long after, the Red Knight also crossed the entrance. He was alert this time so when the invisible force barriers came for him, he evaded them perfectly. Yet, this Kimon was so slippery to catch. It was nighttime so the streets were empty, but Kimon''s movements were too deliberated. The Knight quickly picked on his plan to hide in a crowded region. He increased his speed and soon got inches away from Kimon. Before Kimon could fling a surprise kick, the knight revealed a disturbing smile. "No more playing!" His glaive brightened and he shot out a sharp beam of energy at Kimon. He had purposely waited until he got close to the latter! The sharp attack created another hole in Kimon''s body. However, the latter didn''t seem to pay attention to it. Or rather, he wasn''t in a position to pay attention! In a span of five seconds, a large array of similar sharp spirit energy in the form of glaives materialized, with him at the center of their formation. They were unleashed rather quickly, with no time to waste. Kimon''s feet rose high above the ground as he danced around the onslaught of attacks. Every time it seemed like death would claim him, he would slip away in just the right time, only bearing enough injury to keep on moving. . . . . ''Ahhh. I can''t stop!'' Reve was determined. Stopping meant death. Death meant an end to all his goals. As this thought circulated in his head, his body stats heightened to their limits and his mind fully captured all incoming attacks. His current state was perfect as he became aware of everything However, it proved to be futile. Some things can just be evaded! Soon, a large glaive embedded into his guts. His blood spilled onto the ground. There was a look of pain flashing in his eyes. Before he could remove the glaive, another glaive gutted his limbs and one stopped just in front of his head. While on the ground, he could hear the footsteps of the knight moving closer to him. Reve entered a panic mode as he thought, "Fucking Elementalist. Why do they always have practical abilities?" He was going to be dead if he did nothing! Immediately he received the first sign of his healing factor, Reve pushed the first glaive away from his right hand, before bending his head away from the attack of the "head glaive". Getting up, the figure of the red knight appeared in his view. He hadn''t noticed when the knight stopped walking, but at this moment, a look of shock donned on Reve''s face as he spotted the knight''s glaive. It was glowing with energy. An orb ejected out of glaive towards Reve. It hit Reve and created an explosion that flattened all the buildings around. Luckily, there was no residential home here, which was probably why the knight went forwards with his plans After the explosion subsidized, the knight walked forward. He had a gleeful look on his face as he spoke. "Such a monster. A normal person would have died yet, I don''t understand what the source behind your tenacity is. You walk on a path neither magic nor aura." Wavering in his steps, Reve mocked, "I guess this is it, huh?" His psi-force was almost depleted. He had enough for just one round of attack. He could use his magi but it wasn''t an option. The only thing worse than a dead Kimon was an alive Kimon tied to the identity of Reve of Azea. Moreover, it wouldn''t guarantee his survival. It would merely add 5 percent to his current 15 percent chance of survival. "Yes, it is over. You fought well," lauded the knight. He made a strange handsign and the surroundings change. A low whisper came out of his lips, "[Domain Grand Skill: Polarity Dome]!" His aura expanded wide until his 180 ft radius was covered by his aura. Reve paid attention to his every move. He was ready to burst out his last struggle, but he needed the right time to do so. "[Supreme Beckon]!" With a thrust of his hand, Reve mysteriously flew towards the knight involuntarily. "[Supreme Appoint]!" Afterward, the same mysteriously force bound Reve to the ground. No matter how he tried to free himself, there seemed to be something forcing him down. Even with his Nexus Eye, he could see nothing, which gave him an idea of what the mysterious force actually was but he couldn''t act on it for now. "Any last words." The knight asked. On his hand was a magical rope which he planned to use on Reve Reve smiled after he came to a decision, "Have you heard a psychic scream?" "Huh?" "Don''t worry. I shall give you your first experience." Then, he unleashed it. It was stated that those who walked on the path of secret were unstable. This instability peaked when in emotional turmoil and it could claim their lives. Right now, Reve expressed his anger by screaming out loud like a banshee from folklore. Apart from his terrible high pitch, many telekinetic ripples swam around him. They slammed the Red Knight away, creating a protective dome around Reve. The figure of the knight was like a shooting star without no direction. One minute later, Reve opened his eyes. He saw destruction everywhere. His mind was groggy but he forced himself to stand up. He slipped. He stood up again. He slipped. As he continuously dragged his body away from the scene, a warmth covered him. He found himself carried by someone. His paranoid self could only finally rest after he heard a voice. "You can leave it all to me now, Reve." Finally, his eyes closed. Chapter 245 - Conclusion Somewhere on the outskirts of Starhold,... The Prophet panted wildly. ''I am still not worthy enough to bear the Crimsons'' Grace.'' He ran towards the forest in his sight. Just as he was about to pass the last building in the vicinity, a shadow lurked over him. The Prophet frowned as he took an alerted stance. "Who are you? Why have you come for me, sinner?" The shadow took the form of an unknown man with an oversized cloak that covered all his body. The man''s raspy tone sounded, "Oh, that hurts. We just met and you called me a sinner." "Most people don''t realize that they have inherited the sins of their past ones. I see you are one of them. Join me and the Crimsons shall wash your sins away," preached The Prophet. His character was always weird. Even in an unknown situation like this, he still found time to expand his fellowship. "About that¡­we might need to put that on hold. Fear not, I will consider it." "How dare you reject my offer? Do you want to live in sin for the rest of your life?--" mocked The Prophet. He suddenly moved back with a pensive expression on his face. "You finally realized, huh?" "What do you want?" threatened The Prophet. "Simple. I want your life." A blade extended out of the cloaked man''s hand. He brandished a sword and slashed at The Prophet. The wispy energy coiling around the blade sharpened its might. With his damaged arms, The Prophet attempted a block, but the Crimson''s Grace had already left his body and he was immensely weak. The sword cut through his hands and decapitated his head. "Well, that was easy." That was only easy because the cloaked man had surpassed the Grand Stage. He was a warlord! His every attack was something to be taken seriously. As the cloaked man picked up the head of The Prophet, he sighed, "Such a zealous man. I almost did not want to kill him. Admiration is all I have for the man capable of sowing chaos all over Narva." A quick question appeared in his mind¡­ Would the other parties know that he killed The Prophet? He guessed not. With happy steps, he ran away from the scene, disappearing with the body of The Prophet. . . . . It was unknown how long had passed since darkness overtook his world. He opened his eyes slowly. The sharp rays of light burnt his tender skin. Raising his arm to protect himself, he took his time to look around. ''Where am I? I''m in a tent¡­The Devil''s Cave?'' The tent''s flail was pushed apart and Marya came through. As soon as she saw him, she rushed at him with a concerned expression. "Reve, you are awake. That''s good. That''s good." Feeling the warmth of Marya on his face, Reve wanted to stand up, but a searing pain coursed through his back. "Don''t do that. Your body needs to heal. In a day, you should be able to move." Reve concentrated on a certain word she said, "A day? How long have I been asleep?" "Two days," mentioned Marya. Reve thought, ''Two days? What about NIRA? They would soon notice my disappearance. I can''t linger here anymore.'' Forcing his body to stand up, Reve spoke, "I need to protect my other identity at NIRA." He was still wearing a mask so he guessed the others haven''t seen his face which was why he spoke like this. "But, you are hurt¡­" "I can simply inform the teachers that I got injured while training and would need about a week break," responded Reve. He put on his clothes and finally faced Marya, "Thank you for everything. We will talk later. Is that okay?" "...yes," squealed Marya. Reve nodded before leaving the tent. He was met with a large crowd of his men staring pensively at him. Following Dorian''s action, they bowed, "Kimon!" "I will be back. For now, resume your training!" "Yes, Kimon!" . . . . . Two hours later. Reve was in his sub-counselor office. "So, you are saying that you got injured while training?" asked his sub-counsellor. He had just reported to her the lie he cooked. "Yes," innocently said Reve. "...And no one checked up on you." "I can''t train in my room, can I? I went to a nearby forest for my training. My original plan was to attain the skills necessary for advancing to a grand-mage but it seems things took a dramatic turn." "I see¡­ A Grand Mage?!!" The sub-counselor thought to herself, ''How old is he and he is already on the cusp of being a grand-mage. I, myself, never felt the doors of this stage. He is truly a genius.'' Focusing on the young man, she smiled, "It''s okay. I will inform your teachers. You can take the week off while a hardcopy of all your classes'' lectures will be sent to you regularly. Do you require a healer?" "No, only a few bones broke. I can take care of everything by myself." "Good to know. Reve of Azea, please do not rush your advancement. Rushing would bring about a factor of unpredictability. The key is to be calm and collected." "Yes, ma. I will take that to heart." "Good. Now, go to your room and rest. I will check up on you when I''m free." . . . . Reve opened the door of his room. He whistled, "Home sweet home.." Afterward, he couldn''t keep a composed look any longer and winced in pain. He quickly jumped on his bed where he felt comfortable again. ''Ha, what a wild day that was?'' sighed Reve. To think a mere escape would leave him in such bad shape. This reminded him of his first meeting with the terror lizard. That creature has terrorized him to the brink if death, '' He reckoned it was not for Marya. He would be dead, currently. ''The days keeps getting more dangerous.'' Once Reve was fully healed, he would send a letter to the Gehenna Order. He wasn''t pursuing the shards anymore! Chapter 246 - A Brief Reflection Reve stared at the ceiling. His eyes dilated as found himself a victim of something terrible; Boredom! Even when he tried to sleep, it would prove futile as he would just wake him back. ''What do I do? Oh, that''s it!'' Reve had noticed something different about him when he woke up. It seemed he needed to do some inspection. While on his bed, he mentally pronounced, "Stats." Immediately, he declared that a large inflow of notifications popped up in front of him. He was almost overwhelmed by them. [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Title] has been updated.] [Notice: [Skills] has been updated.] [Notice: [Level] has been updated.] [Notice: [Atrributes] has been updated.] [ Name: Reve Amethyst Race: Nexus Cat(Young Adult) Level(exp): 97 (116/10000) Path: 3rd Circle Arcanist (Magic), Star Chaser(Path of Secrets) Titles: Suthur-Nex, Deviant, Titan, Hunter, Magic User(Meister), Voyager, Amethyst, Young Kaya, Kimon(Leader of the Tribe of Somnia) AP: 16 [Attributes]: [Skills]: ] [ Attributes'' Nixy Window Strength: 86 Speed: 109 Constitution: 70 Intelligence: 100 Magi: 610 Psi-Force: 500 ] [ Skills: Third Eye(Lv.3) Seventh Sense(Lv.4). Energy Sense(Lv.4). Nexus Eyes(Max). Ice Fantasy(Max). Appraisal(Unique). Parallel Status(Max). Status Barrier(Rare).Blind Magic(Lv.9). Force(Lv.6). Merge(Max). Force Barrier(Max). Nature Echo Ver.2(Lv.2). Enchant Body: Demon(Lv.8). Frozen Gate(Lv.5). Binary Form(Max). Polar Nature(Lv.2). Home Magic Series(Max). Faceless Magic Series(Max). Voice Magic(Max). Winter Rose(Lv.7). Yggdrasil(Lv.2). Morai(Lv.3). Arctic Moon(Lv.4). Nexus Magi Series(Max). [Phantasia](Lv.1)(New). [Banshee](Lv.2)(New). ] ''Hmmm¡­.this was expected.'' Reve had longed stopped growing in the secret path. He had reached a roadblock. All he needed was a final push that would liberate him from the mental confines. Regrettably so, the battle with the grand-mage was just what he needed. Particularly, it was his final act that secured his survival. An act of desperation that brought him closer to the hands of death. It was ironic. If Marya hadn''t gotten to him, nothing would have mattered. But she did and now, he had the chance to experience the side-effects of his reckless move. Reve began anaylzing his progress. First, his level had increased. If it was before, he would have gone up by more than ten levels, but that wasn''t the case anymore. From now on, it would be hard to increase his level even if he was a nexus cat. Next, it was his development in the [Path of Secrets]. He was now at the Star Chaser rank with the title of Voyager, a title which bore similarities to that of Traverser. After that was his clear change in [Attribute]. Almost all his attributes had developed. Of course, the one with the best development was his Psi-Force. It was now trailing just behind his Mana. Reve was happy with this development. He would be able to spam more [Force Shields] when in battle. He could also increase its efficiency. He just had to find a way to do so. Finally, his skills! Reve now had two new skills. It had been so long since he acquire one that he had forgotten the feeling of excitement that came with it. [Skill Name: Phantasia Skill Rank: Unique Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Path of Secrets) Ability: -> You have unlocked another ability on this dim path -> As long as the right conditions are right, you are capable of forcibly sending your target into their mindscape. -> This skill comes with other hidden functions waiting to be discovered ] [Skill Name: Banshee Skill Rank: Unique Magic Spell/Ki Art Rank: None(Path of Secrets) Ability: -> You have unlocked another ability on this dim path -> Your screams are capable of unleashing a storm that affects both the mental realm and the physical body of your target. Beware, for it comes with a cost. ] ''This two skills might not be what I wanted but I can work with them.'' This time, the skills he generated were more of the support type than the last one. However, Reve knew not to underestimate them. He already got a feeling of what [Banshee] was and it left him in a terrible shape. As for [Phantasia], it would surely come in handy once he masters it. He could already see himself using it. ''Hmmm¡­I now understand why my [Path of Secrets] didn''t seem unique.'' Reve gained an innate sensation when he searched his body. He realized that he had subconsciously viewed his [Path of Secrets] as a secondary path that was as much important as his other path. However, the secret path would only augment his combat prowess. This was why he was incapable of manifesting his psi-force in the physical world. It only existed in his mind. Nonetheless, it was a good thing. Reve knew that it was foolish to possess two forms of energy. That was why one could not be a ki-warrior and a mage at the same time. There were exceptions to this notion though. Psi-force and Magi don''t mix. While Psi-force originated from his mind. Magi was from the outside world. His body could not channel both energies. It would lead to a conflict that would be too difficult to reconcile. ''I reckon that it''s better this way. I don''t need an attack skill, a support one would be better.'' Reve was enlightened. He had been pursuing the wrong goal all this while. As soon as he understood this error, his mind was finally free and he felt light. He then closed all the Nixy windows. He stared at the ceiling once again. His bored mind kept going over his battle scene with the grand-mage. Reve didn''t like to admit it but he was immensely out-classed. Now, one would think, ''You are a master mage and he is grand-mage. Of course, you would be outclassed!'' But Reve begged to differ. He should be capable of defeating opponents superior to him. However, in the face of the man''s brutish strength and weird ways, he collapsed! Reve ruminated, ''Not to talk of his domain'' Chapter 247 - Domain(1) Reve Amethyst sat in a meditative spot. His mind was clear and his objective was in his linear path. As his mind aligned with his surroundings, his aura seeped out of his body. His normally abstract aura was like a cloud of grey over a green pasture. It was cold, immensely icy, yet it merged well with nature. This grey aura gained streaks of blue and green. It whooshed around like a gale. Wherever it went, nature would be stimulated and tiny winter plants would emerge from the ground. Even though his eyes were not open, Reve could ''see'' this through his sensory skills. In fact, the picture that appeared in his mind was clearer than anything his eyes could give him. Suddenly, after his aura hit its limit, which was a 100 ft radius. A low whisper escaped his mouth, "[Domain: Nexus Field]" Following the sound of sizzling, all sorts of energy appeared in his surroundings and when Reve allowed a bit of his magi to cover them, they connected. For a brief moment, an outline of grey lines connecting him to each single energy particle could be seen, but they disappeared hastily. Reve''s declaration marked a lot of things. The amount of energy in the surroundings tripled instantly, and this rate of progression didn''t seem to stop. Four magic circles appeared in the air. They descended on Reve''s body. Afterward, another four magic circles took their place. Reve called those four magic circles and watched the cycle repeat itself; another four magic circles replaced them. He was testing the capabilities of the domain, and judging by the smile he couldn''t hide, it was obvious that it was to his liking. Reve moved on with his inspection, "[Domain: Secret Wanderer]" The grey domain blinked for a while. In between that irregularity, there was a complex magic circle that appeared beneath Reve. Some of its content changed during this. By the time everything was back to normal, the grey domain transformed to something else. The grey hue of the domain washed away and what was left was transparency. Nothing seemed different but to a sensitive person, this mundane vibe was more dangerous than anything else While in his meditative spot, Reve moved his hand right. A mysterious force scooped a large part of the earth and threw it to its right. When Reve''s hands went left, another crater would be created and the former portion of the earth would fly towards Reve''s right. When he clapped his hands together, the air pressure would compress, and the sensation of an earthquake would be active below their feet. Every single time his hands moved, what ensued would be destruction, on a city-wide level. Reve was satisfied with this result. He finished testing and opened his eyes. ''Whew. It''s been two weeks, and I finally became a grand-mage.'' As soon as he said that, a mental lock opened in his mind. The magic circle beneath him shifted to a smaller form and entered his body. Meanwhile, his magi overflowed to such an excessive extent that Reve found it hard to control it. His physical parts absorbed this excess magi particles. But that was not all, the ambient energy in his surroundings moved around him. Unexpectedly, they were sucked in by his bones and muscles until his physical components were satiated. "Ha, the acknowledgement of a grand-mage. This feels good," muttered Reve. He had finally done it. After all those days of struggling to gain a clue of what domainhood was. Not only had he successfully acquired the mystical state, but he had also mastered the basic domain and even went further to manifest his own innate domain. It wasn''t something so easily achieved. A basic domain was a domain with attributes pertaining to standard magical forces. It could be a [Ice Domain], [Fire Domain], or [Wind Domain]. It only had one characteristic, which was to augment any elemental attack aligning with the domain. Of course, such augmentation was about 200%, but when facing other grand mages, it wouldn''t matter. It would only matter when dealing with mages of warriors in the lower rank. On the other hand, an innate domain was by far complex. It was titled "innate" because it was intrinsic in nature. Basically, it was based on each individual trait. This was the best way to build a domain. Apart from the traits gotten from basic domains, it would also come with unique attributes. In Reve''s case, his [Nexus Field Domain] always had four powered magic circles as backup. So, once he took control over that incomplete magic circle and completed it for the spell he had in mind, he could easily dish out an attack. This might not seem awesome, but in a battle with foes, Reve would barely spend three seconds before wielding another spell. He would basically be spamming spells like they were nothing. Moreover, Reve had already created spells unique to his domain. ''I remember I had no idea on how to go about it,'' smiled Reve. He had quickly attained domainhood during his week of recuperation. This was because he had seen two active domains prior to that. Previously, he had no idea what domainhood was, but as soon as he experienced the domain of the grand mage from the Defense Force, he understood it. Domain was just the spreading of one''s aura. The aura was like tiny appendages, whose only defects were that they were not physical in form. Auras were an outreach of one''s existence. So, if he covered his surroundings with his aura and somehow connected the various energy particles to himself, he could achieve control over his surroundings. In layman''s term, that was domainhood! Yet, how was he supposed to connect with the energy particles? Well, Reve got his inspiration from the Fated World. The way the grey lines connected every single existence¡­ Reve imitated that. His magi heart was the center of this grand formation. So, he could draw on the power of every single energy particle to power his domain spell, which he agreed to always leave hidden in the ground. That was the most effective way.. He didn''t need anything special. Chapter 248 - Domain(2) Meanwhile, his [Secret Wanderer Domain] was the easiest to master. Domains weren''t only for mages. Reve reckoned that the Warriors also had their own variation of the concept of domain since it symbolized a state of sovereignty. Therefore, Reve theorized that a domain was also possible for those that walked the secret path. He took one step further to transform this theory into fact by creating the [Secret Wandered Domain]. In essence, it was easy to do this. He already had the perfect skill repertoire to create a domain. He possessed [Force]! [Force] was just the controlling of physical objects. So, the moment he increased his telekinetic influence around him, he could control his surroundings, but that would expel lots of psi-force at once. Sadly, he couldn''t solve this issue. However, the gains outweigh the losses. Reve had discovered that his [Force Shield] would block energy attacks. Previously, it was just physical attacks. All his secret path''s skill would be strengthened and he would unleash a more destructive potential as seen when he easily made craters in the earth. There was just one tiny issue. Using the materials on the earth would prove futile when fighting an equal enemy. Not even rocks on the ground could defeat them. So, he would have to rely on his other skills or just find something that might help him overall. ''Anyways. Now, I''m finally liberated.'' He had made up his mind. As soon as he finished his mandatory three years, he would leave to search for the gates of Taxan. As for the issue of The Prophet, Reve was in contact with the Gehenna Order. He had told them the matter was dangerous now and he wouldn''t be able to probe further. However, the information he gave to the order was enough for them. The two had come to an agreement. If he hears any news about The Prophet, he should contact them immediately. This way, they would send someone that was not a demigod to nip the bud before it developed into a troublesome issue. Reve had nothing against that. Despite being a grand-mage, he would be foolish to think that he could handle the other grand-mages and solon that guarded the kingdom. Moreover, he still didn''t forget that there were other forces at work. The emergence of The Prophet was too quick for them to react, but they had learned their lessons. They surely are paying attention to any news now. That reminded him¡­. ''Damn, I''m supposed to be lowkey now. There is a bounty on me right now. To hell with that red knight.'' Luckily for Reve, the bounty only came from the defense force and was not backed by the king. Also, it would be hard to catch Reve since he was largely a mystery. There was nothing that could link back to Kimon, except the Black Market. However, his contract with them was highly confidential. If they went against it, it would lead to chaos which Reve was confident of bringing to them. ''I will soon have my own force¡­'' He knew it. His force was in the works. . . . . It was finally the last day of school. Coincidentally, Reve''s last class was magic combat. Grand Mage Terrick concluded his class with an inspirational quote. "It''s our last day together. I hope my teachings will be forever etched in your minds. Just as Archmage Grandius once said, ''You might move forward, but do not forget the steps you took to get here. Once you forget them, you are a failure.''." "I do not teach failures. My students are glorious and their names will be written on the slab of history. My name behind them representing one of the pillars that brought them up." "That is all I have to say. May our paths meet again." Grand Mage Terrick clapped his hand, signalling the end of the class course. As the students went out with hazy expressions, he stopped some of them, "Reve of Azea, Avidanna, come here. We have matters to discuss." Reve sighed before rushing up to the lecture altar. Beside him was the half-elf. She looked eager to hear what the grand-mage was about to say. It was possible that she had an inkling of it. Grand Mage Terrick waited for them to come closer before speaking, "I assume you understand why you are here." Not waiting for them to respond, he smiled, "Avidanna, the famous half-elf of NIRA. Your name has become the pride of the first years. You are a Master Elementalist on the verge of becoming a grand-mage. This isn''t something common even among the third years." Facing Reve, he said, "Oh the famous Reve of Azea. I can''t count the number of times I have heard someone mention you. Recently, you advanced to a grand-mage and a stable one at that. You have officially cemented your position as the peak of the first years." "Both of you are the cream of the top. In our closed circles, other teachers have recommended you, but I took it upon myself to be the one to send the invitation. Will you two represent NIRA in the Festival of the Black Sun?" "Yes," They both responded. It would be an honor to be the face of the academy. "Excellently said, follow me." He led them out of the teaching grounds. They soon entered a building with a grand title labeling it "Teaching Quarters". Seated in one of its halls were all the teachers in NIRA. Due to the grim event that happened a while ago, there were empty designated seats in the hall. Grand Mage Terrick smiled upon entering, "It seems we are late." He instructed the students to go to the center of the hall where the other students stood. Among the students were some that Reve recognized like the Drateel twins, but the others were people he wasn''t familiar with. He simply stayed beside Avidanna and kept quiet as the murmurs surrounded him. "Is he Reve of Azea?" "I heard he became a grand-mage?" "That is old. I heard he once defeated a solon with just his strength." Reve''s face shifted. ''What are all these stories?!'' It seemed he was too popular nowadays! Chapter 249 - The Royal Prince "Silence, please!" A loud shout reverberated throughout the hall. Everyone focused on the origin of the shout which appeared to be an old man with grey hair. "Now that I have your attention, shall we begin?" smiled the old man. He focused on the students at the center and explained, "I am the acting vice-chancellor Aleyn. Due to the events that have plagued us for quite a while now, I understand some of us find it hard to get excited about any event." He went on, "But that is why we must do this. The Festival of the Black Sun is before us and the royal family has released the quota for each academy. We mustn''t falter here. We must uplift the moods of our fellow students and staff by bringing a wonderful result." "For this purpose only, we have inspected each year and brought out the best of the best. Overseer Gavin, you may continue." Vice-chancellor Aleyn allowed a much younger man to speak up. The man glanced briefly at a slip of paper on his laps before saying, "Starting from the first-years, who have been rather surprising this year, we have Lyra. Zane will represent the school of enchantments." Reve knew Zane. He was the black-haired young man that always wore a calm face to the point of being scary. "Ciaran Drateel represents the Magic Combat." "Avidanna represents elementalism." "Reve of Azea will be the face of arcanism." "Lastly, Lyra Drateel will be one of the back-ups." "We picked you based on your specifications. This might not be necessary, but since the specifics of the royal event are never revealed, it is better to be safe than to be sorry." "Moving on to the second years, we have¡­.." The Overseer kept talking but Reve wasn''t listening anymore. He couldn''t bother himself with knowing the names of the participants from the upper years. After all the participants had been introduced, the Overseer went on to designate the leader of the group. It was based on their experiences so the role fell to a lady in the third year named Amice. Apparently, she had been through three events and had only experienced one NIRA victory, which occurred in her first year. The Overseer concluded the meeting, "Since the event takes place in a month''s time. You are required to meet up in the Hepha''s lounge a week before the event. Now, we will have a method of transportation waiting to take you to Silverbrook. Amice, you will be responsible for organizing and preparing them for the event." "Understood, sir," agreed Amice. "Let''s see¡­we have two weeks left before the Festival of the Black Sun. I expect all of you to have gathered at Hepha''s Lounge on the Monday of next week. Is that clear?" "Yes." "While I may not be traveling with you, I will be present for the event. We will all be watching. So, make sure to put on a fine spectacle. You may now disperse." "Yes, sir." . . . On his way to his room, Reve was in deep thoughts. ''I wonder what to expect from the event. It is said to be tough but a grand-mage should easily win it, right?'' He shook his head after a while, ''No, I shouldn''t think like that. After all, I''m not the only grand-mage. There was a grand-mage that won the event last year. If I remember correctly, he is quite influential among us, young ones. Hmmm¡­. Isn''t he the royal prince representing Narva Academy?'' ''Also, this event is not limited to only academies situated in Narva. Other academies from the outside kingdoms will be invited. Hmmm¡­this will not be easy. Yet, I am not required to give it my all. It is not a fight to the death.'' Reve entered his room. He still couldn''t believe that he had finished his first year at NIRA, a successful first-year at that. All his classes were passed in flying colors, except for enchantment which he still struggled with, but passing it was rather easy. He still could not get perfect grades for all his classes but, at least, this time, it was better than his last result. ''Hmmm¡­next year, I would have to pick my profession. Although, I already know what I want to be,'' smiled Reve. He had known his true self from the beginning. As he watched the onflow of students leaving the campus site from the window side, Reve thought to himself, ''That reminds me. I have a few things to work on before the event.'' Quickly, he took a fresh bath. After he was done, he headed out of Academy District and wandered about. By the time he was fully mixed into the crowd of regular humans, the face of Kimon appeared on him. He didn''t wear a mask this time as his masked face was on the posters of the bounties slips. Whenever he turned sideways, he would see those bounties plastered on the sides of walls. ''1000 gold coins. That is too generous. I am tempted to offer myself to them.'' Reve found his way to the Devil''s Cave through the regular obscure shop. No one would think that The Tribe of Somnia hid in the amateur hide-out of a low-tier thieving group. Moreover, Reve made sure his men kept their thief persona so as to not draw any attention to himself. They were basically hiding in plain sight! As Reve walked into the open space in the cave, he could hear the grunts of his men from one of the passages. This was the passage leading to the forest. Reve smiled and put on his mask. ''They sure are masochists. Their love for training now outclasses mine.'' Getting to the training ground, Reve hid his presence, allowing them to focus on their training without feeling pressure. He had begun new training a while ago. The training objective was to double their singularity force, and the method to do that was an obstacle course with obstacles that would need to be destroyed before moving forward. Reve''s objective was to harness a force he dubbed as The Flow. While singularity force was the fundamental of the Amethyst Style, the flow was its main feature. It was basically the force of inertia that Reve mystified. To a regular human, they would deal with inertia, but to people like the first generation, they would harness an upgraded version called the flow! Chapter 250 - The Flow So, why was an obstacle course the training routine of the flow? Well, it was simple. The flow entailed the power gained from movement and momentum. That was why Reve''s [Morai] was a ''moving skill''. As long as he moved, he would be capable of dishing destructive capabilities. There were other technicalities involved with this skill, though. One simply couldn''t convert speed into power. They would need techniques, specific movements that can guarantee an instant win. For instance, Reve mirrored The Shadow''s heel kick and double kick. His friend, Nikan, had made him understand that was not the only skill viable, so he wondered what the first generation might develop. Hence, he didn''t teach them what he knew¡­ not yet, at least. Through their obstacle course, they would come to adapt to their intrinsic skills. He also planned other training routines for them, but they had to spend a month on this course before advancing towards the next routine, which was relatively smooth. For the next routine, they had to battle an aquatic beast on an artificial lake. The artificial lake was in the works. Reve and Marya had already begun digging up the space required for it. Next, Marya would set up the enchantments and Reve would locate the best beast for the task. ''Next year is going to be so much fun.'' Based on his calculations, the first generation would start seeing the fruits of their efforts ?soon. It wouldn''t be that visible, but gradually, they would become a force he would be proud of. Marya appeared beside Reve as he went deep in thoughts, "You have arrived!" "Yes. I suppose everything is ready, isn''t it?" "Yes, the site is ready for the ritual. Dorian is waiting for us, along with the other chosen ones." Reve arrived at the lake, the site he had chosen for what he was about to do. He noticed Dorian and the other guys. They were the best of the first generation, so it made sense that they would be the one to enjoy his plans. "We greet Kimon," they bowed upon seeing him. Reve simply nodded his head, "Strip yourself. Leave your underwear." The group complied with his instructions. After they were done, the training had already finished and the rest of the first generation gathered around the lake watching Kimon. Reve gave further instructions, "Submerge yourself in the lake. I shall begin the process randomly. I advise that you meditate." The group of three did as he instructed. As they closed their eyes, Marya moved closer to him. Her wet dress flowed beautifully on the lake and her face had few water drops on it. She said seriously, "I have everything we need." "Good. Let''s start." He moved towards Dorian, who was still submerged, and brought him out gently. Marya placed a huge leaf pad beneath Dorian, allowing him to float above the water''s surface level. Holding a calabash bowl which contained the blood of an unknown creature, Reve dipped his hands in it. He painted a slash on Dorian''s forehead. Quickly, he proceeded towards his neck and his joints. Reve gave the calabash back to Marya, who then gave it to the person she deemed as her apprentice. "Dorian Kimonag, the first warrior. You have slumbered in a still void for ages." Reve pronounced his words with a hypnotic tone. He whispered quietly to Dorian, but the others could still hear it. Some of them fell asleep upon hearing his voice. This was the effect of Reve''s [Phantasia]. He could make his target''s mind weary. Nonetheless, that was merely a side-effect. Reve touched Dorian with his right index finger. As soon as he did that, Dorian''s head pointed upward. The two of them stopped moving, even their breaths ceased. It seemed like they had been eternally locked in that moment. Seeing this, Marya muttered, "It seems like it has begun." . . . . Reve appeared in a dark void. He flew around for a while before halting. ''I was right. Not everyone has developed their mindscape. Dorian''s mindscape is dormant. It would need a little nudge. Hmmm¡­'' What came into view was a large door that was infinite. The simple style of the door complemented the unknown markings that existed on some portions of it. Reve recognized some ?symbols pertaining to him. Symbols like Kimon''s mask, and the weird frost tree, and an inscription of his true form. He smiled as he thought, ''He is truly loyal. Even in his mind, he remains honest towards his ideals.'' ''Disregarding the other symbols, what is scary is this frost tree? Truly, the mind is mysterious. How does it know of the frost tree?'' ''Hmmm¡­ This would need further deliberation. Right now, I have not the time for that.'' With a snap of his hand, Reve appeared in the outside world. He felt a wave of nostalgia hit him as he looked at the position he and Dorian were in. He didn''t know when he started speaking. The words that flowed out of his mouth were words that were once directed at himself. "Body. Soul. Energy¡­ the three main cores of existence. Another particularly marvellous core is the mind, which has the traits of the three main core. It is also known as the regulator¡­ maintain the body, house the soul, harness the energy." "The mind possesses limitless potential. At the same time, it does not. It is up to one''s utilization." Reve hit his chest and coughed out a blob of blood closest to his heart. As he followed the procedure of the ritual, he painted his right index finger with the blood and touched Dorian''s forehead once again. This time, Dorian continuously shook. "For you aspire to shed your ignorant self, I shall acquiesce and grant your power¡­ yet not power. A new path to traverse, one as cold as the hellish polar region¡­ as rugged as Arcadia''s highest mountain range¡­ as elusive as the lurkers of the cosmos. The path of the mind!" His energy penetrated the focal point of Dorian. "Beware. For you have asked for power. A cost shall be demanded¡­ that is, if you can bear the hellish pain that precedes this moment." "Let''s begin. [Phantasia]!" His skill activated the moment he punched a hole into Dorian''s mind wall Chapter 251 - [Animation Hex: Synite Fusion] Dorian was still on the waterleaf pad even when Reve opened his mind wall. ''This is going as I planned,'' thought Reve. Marya ran up to him and offered him a white pill. He took it casually. Opening Dorian''s mouth, he forced the pill into it. The outline of a white glow could be swirling in Dorian''s head for a while before it disappeared. Reve used him [Nexus Eye] to inspect Dorian. He was not the Amethyst so he couldn''t guarantee a 100% success rate. He had to focus on the side effects so as to make sure Dorian was okay. ''There is blood in his head but the white pill is absorbing everything. This is good. I can proceed.'' With a neutral expression, Reve said out loud, "Success. Marya, we begin the next step." "Yes." His magi spilled out of him as a misty air was spread out from his nose. It wasn''t detectable so the other didn''t know how he did it. It took less than three seconds for the entire lake to freeze. On the now-crystalline surface, blue lines were soon inscribed. They weaved together until they formed the diagram of a magic circle. After that, multiple magic circles combined them, using the encompassing space of the lake. Placed in the middle of these circles, Dorian laid still. No signs of life were present in him. Meanwhile, Marya stepped on the cold ice and shouted with the raw power of her magic, "I summon thee. Thy King of Mis''ry, Demis! The eye who seeks only salt''d drops of sorrow." A black haze appeared in the surrounding, blocking everyone''s sight. Two orbs brightened in the concealed sky. The two orbs were like the celestial moon and celestial sun that hung over Arcadia, bringing with them the power of light. A grim voice originated from the sky, "Who calleth me?!" Reve stepped forward, "Demis, it is me." "Who are you¨C Oh" Demis'' great bird form flew down to the earth. He once again looked at the appearance of Kimon. It was unfamiliar, even the man''s voice, but Kimon''s aura was something that he could never forget. It was identical to that young man''s aura. The man he was contracted to. Immediately, Demis understood everything. "Why are you¨Cohh." He gained an idea of why Kimo¨CReve didn''t personally summon him. "My good friend. It is time," said Reve with a pleasant smile that could not be hidden by the mask. '' "I can see that¡­ Let''s start then." "Thank you." Reve made a hand sign that enclosed the lake with a veil. No one outside the lake could see what was happening. This way, his secrets would be protected. Touching the different sides of Dorian, Reve muttered, "His body is ready." "Demis, you may descend now." The great bird turned into a wispy form. This form twirled into Dorian''s innard through his mouth and nose. While he infiltrated, Reve brought out his customized blue reagent and began pouring it into Dorian''s mouth. Every time the vial went dry, he would grab another one and continue the process. After an hour, he was done. Dorian still laid static. Reve placed his hands on Dorian''s firm chest. His magi spilled into it and a spell was being performed, "[Animation Hex: Synite Fusion]!" With the lines of enchantments growing on Dorian''s skin, they quickly transformed into rugged lines that rushed to the center of Dorian, his heart. Not long after, the lines disappeared and Dorian''s breathing resumed. His eyes widely opened, revealing its perfect blackness. There was nothing that could be seen in those eyes except darkness. Reve walked closer while he asked, "Who are you?" "DEMIS," A voice befitting a spiritas came out of Dorian. Soon, the blackness in his eye washed away and the normal human eyes replaced them. "Who are you?" "I''m Dorian," responded the person behind those eyes. Once again, the eyes changed. This time, it was a mix between blackness and whiteness. Only the pupil became white while everywhere else was covered by blackness. "Who are you?" "I''M AZUR." "Hmmm¡­.I understand. Sleep child. We shall meet later." Reve placed his hand on Dorian''s forehead and compelled the latter to his sleep. The process was successful but they were quite a few things to ponder about. Afterward, the veil was released. Reve came out of it with Dorian in his arms. He called out to one of the first generations, "Drop him gently in his tent. When he wakes up, tell him to come to me immediately." "Yes, Kimon." "Good, now go." Reve went back to the lake and installed the veil again. Marya noticed his pale face, "Are you okay, Reve?" "My magi is spent. I''m afraid we will have to pause our plans. I didn''t think I would be this tired," said Reve with a wobbling posture. Marya smiled, "I''m the same. Summoning Demis drew all my fate energy." "Okay, let''s take a break." A bed rose up from the lake and Reve laid on it without thinking. After all, he was the one that made the bed. Marya smiled as she thought of something. She looked at her quiet student, "Ryana, watch over the other guys in the lake. Once you detect something strange, don''t hesitate to call me." "Yes, master," responded the girl. Receiving this reply, Marya jumped on the ice bed beside Reve. "Go away." "I''m tired too." "Make your own bed." "I don''t know how to make one. Move to the side. You are taking all the space." Marya clearly enjoyed tutoring Reve as he slept. . . . Meanwhile, inside Dorian''s mindscape¡­ A great bird was seated beside him. "So this is a mindscape. How wonderful? This is my first time seeing something this mystical." Dorian''s mindscape took the form of a large mansion that was infinite in space. The mansion was tody and not a single speck of dust could be found. The two of them were currently seated in the dining room. They were by the window side so they could observe what was the cause of all the noise going on outside. Knowing who was in front of him, Dorian politely spoke, "This is not just my mindscape, O King." "Call me Demis. We will be together for quite a while." "Yes...." Chapter 252 - [Animation Hex: Synite Fusion](2) Two days later¡­. Reve was on his favorite branch. He kept looking at the sky but his thoughts were elsewhere. ''What went wrong..?'' ''I did everything according to my proofread procedure. There shouldn''t be an unknown element in the outcome.'' Reve had finished the empowerment plan for the four¨Cnot three¨C people. At first, he had worked on three, but Marya asked that he gave the same treatment for her apprentice since she would also qualify for it. Reve wasn''t against that. Dorian and the others were chosen by him based on his preferences, which were unbiased. However, in a way, they were just what he needed; people like him who could turn potential into power. However, Marya and her apprentice didn''t follow the same style. They were ''the hand hiding in the shadow'' and it would be wrong to not acknowledge their role. Anyway, the empowerment project was successful but there was something peculiar about it. The four participants'' appearances had changed drastically. At least, that was the only factor he could observe. Their appearance now resembled that of Reve Amethyst, with flowing streaks of silver hair and shades of green and blue present in their eyes. Luckily, they still maintained their regular hair color, except it now had a few streaks, or Reve would have been horrified. He realized that their mutation was caused by him somehow. This was the first time he faded something like this and he didn''t know how to feel. ''I shouldn''t think too much. All that matters is that the project was a success.'' Months ago, Reve had come up with a plan. The plan was simple. He would empower the best of the first generation, giving them a top-tier potential that would take them a long way. After deciding on this plan, he gave it a simple name; The Empowerment Project. However, how was he to go about it? All he knew was that he had to make use of Demis somehow. So, every time he pressured Demis into helping him, he was hoping to achieve this goal. To his surprise, Demis finally agreed. He brought some of his friends with him. '' ''The elemental world is apparently too boring for them. I guess this is what happens when you are strong.'' However, there was yet another problem. How exactly was Demis going to help him? This was a major dilemma. An elemental or spiritas wasn''t allowed to enter this world directly. They had to be invited, and even with that, there was a time limit for how long they could stay. Frankly speaking, Reve didn''t understand this concept very well. He studied for months before coming to an understanding. ''Since spiritas are prohibited from entering and interfering, all I have to do is conceal them.'' ''I have to make the world administrator not recognize them as spiritas.'' This thought process took Reve back to his first auction. The word "Spirit Possession" kept ringing in his mind. An elemental or spiritas had to be present in the physical world before attempting spirit possession. Also, there would be no time limit on them while in this state. However, to Reve, Spirit Possession was a no-go for two reasons. One, his men weren''t elementalists. Two, most of the time, spirit possession comes at the cost of loss of lifespan. So, he had to go about it from a different perspective. Using the concept of spirit possession yet not the technique. Reve discovered something called [Spirit Symbiosis]. A practice of a forgotten kingdom long ago. They created warriors that were a mix of both races. These warriors called Synites were supreme and, for a brief time, they towered over almost all major races. Nonetheless, this kingdom now called the Synite Kingdom was quite unfortunate to have existed during the era of sins. They became yet another arcadian pride that was extinguished by the fury of the titans. The methods of [Spirit Symbiosis] were lost to the sands of time. ¡­Except that, it wasn''t! In his younger years, Reve had once seen a journal belonging to a Synite in Circe''s library. He might not have a perfect memory but he remembered that the Synites were created from an unknown spell and a perfect ritual. Creating the ritual was easy for Reve. His experienced mind could develop one perfect for the event. On the other hand, the spell was the difficult part. The journal didn''t give any detail of the spell. Reve wasn''t well versed in enchantments so developing one was not something he could do. He left that task to Marya who went through all the dusty books kept in the Coven of the Willow just to develop a perfect spell. As it turns out, she found one good enough and modified it to fit the occasion. Then, Reve was ready. Coincidentally, Reve''s secret path evolved a few days later. He gained [Phatansia] and [Banshee]. [Phantasia] was just what he needed. Since it involved him traveling to his target''s mindscape. He would surely see their mindwall. This way, he could locate the physical location and open it the same way Amethyst did for him! It was just as Nixy reviewed, [Phantasia] had a lot of potential apart from its main ability. So, Reve added ''mindwall opening'' to his empowerment project. He was going to do that for everyone while the actual empowerment project was reserved for three people. As it turned out, the quota was increased to four people but Reve still opened the mindwall for the entire first generation and Marya over the last two days. The reason no one was disturbing was that they were in pain. ''The Tribe of Somnia had grown yet again. It is not enough though.'' Reve knew for him to be contented his men would have to be just behind him in strength. As he continued thinking, someone said to him from below, "Kimon, they are awake." Reve smiled and faced the person, "Good, bring them here." Not long after, four people stood below Reve. They had a dazed expression which Reve could understand why. It was not every day that one went through such a bizarre experience Chapter 253 - Style Of The Old Ages Reve looked at the four of them. They were too intimidated to look back at him which made him sigh, ''I am not a tyrant, am I?'' Even his mask was plain, so what were they scared off. His voice was as cute as a puppy''s bark¡­ ''Damn, now I feel offended. I''m not fricking scary!'' Sighing once again, Reve faced the four people, "Dorian, Ryana, Herry, Karl." "Yes, Kimon." "You have gained power far beyond your understanding. Your true name has been decided. Azur, Haeven, Daimon, Rath. You shall form the pillars of the tribe and lead the others. While I''m away, I shall task you with protecting our dealings with the other organizations." "Azur and Rath. You shall be responsible for collecting our income from the Black Market and safeguarding it. You shall be the face of the tribe when I''m away. Do not participate in any social event, unless you have my approval." "Haeven, you are to focus on only tasks related to Marya." "Daimon, while the others are away, you shall protect our base and watch the training progress of the others." Reve concluded, "I''m not going to be present every time so I trust in your ability to maintain the peace here." "Yes, Kimon. We shall not fail you." Reve sighed and raised his hands, "You may leave." After they left he continued looking at the blue sky, he wondered how things would be from now on. "Is it okay to just leave?" asked someone who appeared on the opposite tree branch. Reve easily recognized the voice. He wore a wry smile as he spoke, "Marya, I have somewhere to be towards the end of this month." "Can I follow you¡­?" "No, I am not going alone. Also, I need you to oversee the tribe. I''m worried that someone may find my missing presence the right time to attack the tribe. We have been gathering attention at a dramatic rate. Everyone wants to know our secret." "Ok¡­" Marya slurred her speech, but she understood what Reve meant nonetheless. She faced her head downwards and kept quiet, allowing Reve to enjoy the serene atmosphere. . . . Days later. In the Hepha''s Lounge, Reve pushed apart the large door and walked inside. Hepha Lounge was a popular place in NIRA where students could go to have fun. It was essentially an inn or a bar. A group had the choice to sit in one of the many sections in the public lounge or they could book a private room. For Reve''s meetup, it was conducted in the public lounge so he easily found just the group he was looking for. Amice welcomed him with a headnod, "You came early. Have a seat." Beside her were some of the third years. They also flashed welcoming smiles at Reve to which he reciprocated with a warm smile. After that, there were no words exchanged between the small group. It was unknown if this was because they were too unfamiliar with one another or they were simply anti-social in nature. Two minutes later, another one joined the group. Based on the person''s appearance, he was a second year. Reve said, "Welcome." "Thank you," replied the person to Reve. Minutes upon minutes, the group expanded futherly. They were not yet full. Only a few students had yet to appear. By the time Reve checked the time again, it was already evening. He had arrived in the morning so tens of hours have been shaved off. Reve thought, ''My throat is dry.'' He stood up and faced the group, "I''m going to get a drink. Do you need anything?" "Uhh¨C" sounded some of them in the perfect hesitant tone. Reve''s face twitched. Hepha''s Lounge was high-class. Most of their services and products were expensive. A regular beer in Hepha''s Lounge was around one silver coin. Although, the quality of the beer was guaranteed to be top-tier. "Don''t worry. The drinks are on me." "Will that be okay?" asked Amice. "Yes, it''s not inconveniencing me at all," replied Reve. Reve was sort of a wealthy student, even without the income from his sketchy underworld organization. He also had income from a verified organization; the Archaic Mysteries Club. It had just been months but the reputation of the club had gone up a notch due to its members successfully completing complex missions. The club was on a winning streak right now and it would take long before the streak could even get tarnished. Reve ordered seven large drinks, mainly cocktails and wines. He instructed that there should be 17 cups, the exact number of students participating in the event. He also added steaks as a side dish. When he was done, he simply went back to his seat and waited for the waiter to bring his order to him. Not long after, the polite waiter appeared with a rather large tray. As soon as he arranged it on their table, Reve opened one cocktail and filled his bottle, grabbing a steak with his other head. ''Damn, I have to maintain¡­what do they call it again, etiquette!'' He ate slowly and made sure to not stain his dress. The others quickly joined him after sending their words of appreciation. . . . . Three hours later. One of the teachers appeared with a dean beside him. The dean was someone Reve was familiar with. It was Grand Mage Helias, who had gotten the position of dean after the previous one died at the hands of The Prophet. He was now the Dean of Arcane Hall. Seeing the group, he quickly opened his mouth, "It seems we are waiting on three more students. We still have time." Amice asked, "Dean Helias, what mode of transportation would we use?" "Why spoil the fun by telling you now?" teased Dean Helias. He and the teacher soon joined the group. They grabbed a steak and a cup, and peacefully ate while praising the chef that made the steak. "We are here," announced the Drateel twins. They just arrived and the beads of sweat on their forehead was proof that they ran to this location hastily. The door once again opened. The last student revealed his appearance and joined the group. Observing everything, Dean Helias snapped his fingers, "Okay, it is time for us to leave." He led the group out of the lounge to an open space where a bunch of creatures were waiting for them. Reve was surprised at the creatures'' appearances, ''Body, tail, back leg of a lion. The head, wings, and front-feet of an eagle. Damn, is that a griffin?'' Griffins were legendary creatures that varied in strength, but no matter their strength, they would always have an immense value. Dean Helias laughed, "Haha, back in the old ages, beasts were used as the prime method of transportations. Kings and queens would take pride in their chariot collections. Lone warriors would occasionally showcase their pegasus. The elves never got tired of riding wyverns." "So, I thought to myself. What entrance shall we make at Silverbrook? I''m sure we all want to make a grand entrance. What is more grand than revisiting the wonders of the past?" Dean Helias patted one of the griffins, "Do not worry. They have been trained to take us directly to our destination. All you need to do is show an amiable face and hold no nefarious intention towards them. Griffins are capable of reading hidden emotions." Reve didn''t hesitate to comb the fur of one particular griffin which he had chosen. ''To think I would be able to see such a creature. My "creature-spotting" list is quite remarkable now.'' Reve had seen a lot of legendary beasts. Heck, he had even seen a titan. When he moved closer to the griffin, its eyes were frozen in fear but it didn''t attempt to move. After a few cuddlings, it warmed up to him. Yet, Reve could still see the look of apprehension present in its eyes. ''Could it be capable of seeing my true nature?'' Perhaps it was something along the line of "Only beasts could sense beasts" Reve wondered whether the griffin recognized him as a titan or just a higher magical beast on the pyramid. It was probably the latter. Titans were the ancestors of magical beasts, the absolute peak of the jungle pyramid. If their presence were to be sensed, all other magical beasts would descend into madness. That was how crazy the annihilation wars were back then. Reve shook his head and tried warming up to the griffin. It worked to a certain degree. The griffin now behaved like a young child seeking attention from its mother. It kept jumping around and around, more lively than the other griffins. Dean Helias smiled, "I see we all have this under control. There is nothing to worry about. Now, prop yourself on the mane of the griffins. We shall begin our journey in no time." There was saddles placed on the back of the griffins so, it was rather easy to climb on the griffins. After all of them had settled down, Dean Helias shouted, "In three¡­ two¡­ one.. Go!" Following his countdown, the griffins were startled by his shout and took to the sky Chapter 254 - The Breakfast(1) "It seems we have arrived, students," said an eager voice. In front of Reve was a majestic territory barricaded by large gates. Around the territory was a snake river that reminded him of Valgorath which bore a similar appearance. There was a large bridge that connected the front gate of the territory to the lands just beyond the wide river. "We go down now. Down!" shouted Dean Helias. His voice seemed to be the command activation for the griffins. They flew down to the bridge where they met other regular humans rushing towards the front gate. The group of students easily gathered the attention of regular humans. They moved to the sides, allowing the griffins to walk majestically towards the front entrance. Some of them murmured, "That uniform¡­they are from NIRA!" "Make way. Make way. Surely, they came for the festival. We have been receiving lots of academies lately." "Yes, it seems this year''s festival will be fun. The academies participating are significantly more than those of the previous festival." "I know¡­.." Reve stopped focusing on the murmurs and looked sideways. ''The river¡­ it occasionally reflects silver light.'' He had seen this silver glint before, but he thought he had imagined it. Yet, after more than three times, it couldn''t be a mistake. ''I see¡­ As expected of silverbrook. Just as Starhold has its starwell, Silverbrook has its silver lake. It was said the founder of this brilliant kingdom once found an unknown metal growing in the lake. He spent decades trying to bring out this heavy substance and another decade trying to find a perfect use for it.'' ''However, when the periodic Xoris territory war ensued, he found the perfect use. With the help of the other founding families, he created a sword so heavy that its mere thud could cause city-destroying earthquakes. Yet, in his hands, it felt as light as a feather. That is the origin of the Silvermoon Sword.'' ''It is said that the original lake still nourishes the sword. The radiance of the lake escapes to other water bodies and contaminates them.'' Reve knew there was more to the stories. However, seeing the silver sheen on the surface of the river, he understood the story was at least truthful. Dean Helias showed the documents of identification to the gate guards. They opened the large gate for the group of students to enter. What appeared before them was the sight of a perfect city. Tall buildings. Clean grounds. Lively atmosphere. Beautiful residents. Silverbrook had everything! The group''s eyes were attracted to a large building located in the center of the city. It could be perfectly seen from their point of view as it towered over the other buildings easily. Its height directly challenged the sky. Dean Helias introduced, "Some of you that have visited Silverbrook before may recognize that structure. However, to those that haven''t, that building is the illustrious palace of Narva. Living there is the royal family that lords over our kingdom, our rulers!" The group quickly arrived at their destination. It was a mansion that was close to the manor palace. The sort of aerial view they could get from one of its balconies must truly be something special. "Welcome to our exclusive mansion, the starry mansion. Now, it''s almost night. After we have all settled down, I expect you to have a good sleep. We shall discuss the event tomorrow." There were servants waiting for the group. Each of them helped a specific participant offload their belongings and take care of the griffins. Whilst some of them were responsible for leading them into the mansion, to their respective rooms. Meanwhile, Reve was just guided to his room. Entering it, he moved closer to the window side and looked at the rest of Silverbrook from this angle. ''It is truly beautiful. Although, I prefer the night sky of Starhold to this. The two cities give different vibes.'' If Silverbrook could be aligned with the word majestic, Starhold was the opposite. It felt more youthful, vibrant to the extreme, and the various living styles there would suck anyone in. ''I wonder how the others are doing. Since Marya is there with them, I can feel at ease¡­ but that is the problem, Marya is with them!'' Marya was absolutely not responsible. Yet, somehow, he could rely on her. Reve went to bed feeling tense about the situation back at Silverbrook. . . . . The next day¡­ He had Just had his bath and was dressed in casual clothes when he heard a knocking on his door. "Who is it?" asked Reve. "Mr. Reve, it is time for breakfast. The dean asked me to tell you it is compulsory to attend the breakfast gathering downstairs." "Ok, I will head down once I''m ready. Thank you." "It is my pleasure," thanked the servant. Due to the cold season, Reve put on a jacket and departed for the dining room. As he got closer to it, he could hear an eerie silence, as if no one was there, but he knew that was not the case. He entered the room. His eyes visibly shook when he spotted an extra addition to the group of participants and teachers. This addition came in the form of a matured woman. She dressed in a casual style, but there was something amazing about her. Was it the deep silver hair that she donned or the image of perfection that was her face? The bearing she exuded was noble. Reve had seen his fair share of noble bearings, but hers was so¡­ so grand! In her presence, he felt like a common man. Reve didn''t reveal his surprise for long. He moved to an available seat and quietly ate his breakfast meal. Suddenly, it occurred to him, "How could I be so foolish? Deep silver hair, grey eyes, the extension of a tattoo on her hand. There is only one group with these traits? The royal family!" Immediately, he moved from his seat and lightly bowed, "Forgive me for my ignorance. I greet the Royal Duchess." It was common knowledge to treat anyone from the royal family with absolute respect. Not to talk of the royal duchess, the direct sister of the current king. Funny enough, that path had crossed a few times indirectly. ''Royal Duchess Ryia¡­ I knew I would see her one day, but I didn''t think this would be the circumstance.'' Chapter 255 - The Breakfast(2) The duchess smiled as she noticed the astonished looks on the students'' faces. They quickly greeted her, following the custom of Narva. Royal Duchess Ryia wryly smiled, "Oh, please. We are not in public so you can call me Miss. Ryia or just use my other title." "Other title?" asked one of the students. It was then that Dean Helias quipped, "I expected all of you to know this. What a pity? The Royal Duchess is also our mysterious chancellor." "What?!" Everyone was flabbergasted. Royal Duchess was the chancellor? Even after repeating this statement in their mind countless times, it still didn''t make sense. The structure of Narva was strict, At the bottom were the regular students, and above them were the special students like the ones who were in clubs. Continuing this upward climb were the regular teachers, and above them were the prospect teachers who were just waiting for an above position to be available. Then came the deans, the leaders of each hall. Halls were the exact location where a class took place. Hence, there were all sorts of halls, like Arcane Hall, Magic History Hall. Halls were grouped into departments and the people responsible for each department were called Overseer. Their authority and power were among the peak of NIRA. Yet, they were second only to the vice-chancellor, the supreme head of NIRA. The vice-chancellor position was currently empty, along with the overseer positions, since the previous holders of the roles died tragically. However, in this type of situation, the customary head of NIRA was expected to step up and manage the academy. The customary head which assumed the position of chancellor! The chancellor was responsible with taking care of the foreign reputation of the academy. So, most times, she was away from the academy grounds, seeing to it that NIRA was well respected by outerworld. ¡­. Royal Duchess Ryia laughed as she saw the expression on the students'' faces. "I understand your surprise. It''s not every day that you hear something like this. Hahahaha." She was not like Reve expected. After getting a taste of the aristocratic life, Reve had assumed the prime figures of such a lifestyle were stuck up in their asses. It couldn''t be helped as even the lower nobles always acted so pompous. But to his surprise, the royal duchess was a breath of fresh air. The liveliness she exhumed was something Reve hadn''t seen in a while. He didn''t know when he broke into a smile as he listened to the royal duchess. The royal duchess focused on Reve, "Ahh, Reve of Azea. I have been watching you. I must say, as expected from someone recommended by the Valgoroth Council. Speaking of that, I''m just coming back from a trip to Valgoroth." Reve smiled, "Valgoroth¡­ how is it?" "Still as lively as you left it. I invited the council to our festival. I''m sure they would come to watch the prized pupil display the glory of Valgoroth." "I shall do my best to live up to their expectations." "Oh, surely you jest. If anything, you have already surpassed their expectations. Don''t put pressure on yourself during the event. We have no intention of doing that to you. Now, finish your meal. We have a lot to discuss." The dining room once again descended into silence. Everyone was eating the sandwich on their plates, but their minds were rampant. Reve thought to himself, ''It seems like I should put on a good show.'' He had already created a good image of demihumans on NIRA grounds. All he had to do was expand this influence on the entirety of Narva. Coincidently, the event was the perfect occasion for that. If he did good, the humans would have a good impression of him. After all, over the course of history, there were only words of praise given to victors, not the other way around. After the group finished, the servants took away their plates, leaving only the juices. Another group of servants brought a large board in front of the dining room. The was covered in a large brown cloth so the students couldn''t see anything. This only served to make them more eager. "Now that we are finished with breakfast, let''s talk about the reason I am here and not resting in my quarters like I should be doing." She went on, "In truth, I knew you were in good hands when I designated Dean Heliad to be your instructor. But I''m a busybody, so I came here anyway. There has been a rumor surfacing that the king has already decided on the details of the event." Holding everyone''s attention, she continued her speech, "It is supposedly going to involve lots of battles. So, I took it upon myself to prepare you for the event. As the saying goes, to win the war, you have to know your enemies." Pulling away the clothes covering the board, Royal Duchess Ryia revealed the big documents plastered on the board. On each of the papers were pictures that identified the subject of the documents. "On the documents are the other participants in this event. I picked only the ones you should pay attention to. Their fighting style, their weakness, their strengths. Everything is displayed on the documents. While I won''t go over everything, a handful of them need my introduction." Royal Duchess Ryia grabbed multiple documents and passed them to the students. She left only the biggest documents on the board. Reve opened one of the documents that got to him. He looked at the name, ''Mathias Dawne, a third-year student from Narva Academy¡­ '' He focused on the pile of details given on this man. Afterward, Reve passed on the document to another person and received another one. It was yet another student from Narva Academy. At this point, it seemed like their fated enemy had been picked out. It was Narva Academy! Of course, a large potion of their competitors would still originate from outside Narva but beating Narva Academy seemed to be the true objective of their participation Chapter 256 - Festival Begins(1) Days went by. The students had gotten used to the routine of doing last-minute training and studying the documents given to them by the royal duchess. After a few days, it was finally time for the event. A carriage was arranged for them and they entered it. They were formal attires that had the theme of NIRA, but their battlesuits were packed in a large bag carried by one of the servants. While in the carriage, Reve made sure to sit beside the small window. Since there was no one talking due to the tense atmosphere, he kept on looking outside while going through serious thoughts. ''A battle event? Ahh, this is making me both eager and tense¨C'' One of the students finally asked, "Dean Helias, where is our destination?" "The only place that can house almost all of Narva''s denizens, the royal colosseum!" answered Dean Helias. The students were dumbstruck. If before they were agitated, now they were beyond agitated. It finally dawned on them that the whole of Narva will be watching this event. As the leader, it was Amice''s job to quell this negative feeling, "After three participations, I can confidently say that this means nothing. You don''t have to think about the spectators. I won''t dismiss the pressure on us, but we have to get our heads into the game. Our prime objective is to showcase our true strength. We can''t control what is beyond us." Her words of encouragement managed to invoke a blissful atmosphere. The teachers watching this conversation smiled. ''It was a good decision to pick Amice as their leader,'' thought one of them. Soon, the carriage stopped and the students got down. They had arrived early in the morning so the place was quiet and only other carriages could be seen here. As they observed the huge structure that appeared in front of them, some of them noticed that there was someone waiting for them at the entrance of the colosseum. It was the royal duchess. Three maids stood behind her as she walked closer to the group. "Finally, you arrived," said Royal Duchess Ryia. She led the group into the colosseum. It was huge as expected. The center held a large field with nothing but brown earth while surrounding it was the circle of seats, divided into different sections. Royal Duchess Ryia led them to one particular section. There were other groups dressed in formal attires seated in some of the rows. Their eyes met the group and a silent fire sparked. Reve thought to himself as he looked at the theme of their attire, ''Silver background¡­ they are from Narva Academy!'' Apart from them, the other groups seemed to be from smaller academies in Narva so Reve paid little to no attention to them. To him, except for the prestigious academies, nothing else mattered. That was the sad truth. However, that did not mean that he would look down on the minor participants. After the NIRA students settled down on their seats, Royal Duchess Ryia said in a low tone, "The details of the event still eludes me. The king will commence the event in a few hours time. I suggest that you use this time to prepare your mind for any scenario." "I will be in the royal section. If you need anything, tell my attendants." She motioned for one of her maids to stay behind while the rest of them followed her back to the place where she sat. Reve observed that the section was empty with only the royal duchess sitting down. After a while, lots of people began rushing into the colosseum. Most of them were aristocrats so they filled the upper sections of the colosseum. Soon, the chatters stopped as a solem footstep could be heard. A man covered in a silver robe made of fur approached the aristocratic section. His head was raised straight as he walked dignifiedly. He sat just beside Royal Duchess Ryia. Naturally, his seat was constructed higher than her. In fact, after a momentary observation, Reve discovered that his seat marked the highest seat in the colosseum. With the way he gathered attention easily and the bearing he exuded which made one want to bow to him naturally, his identity was quite clear. He was the king of Narva, the supreme head of the royal family! Two young people stole the crowd''s attention from him suddenly. They possessed the same deep silver hair as the king and the royal duchess. However, they didn''t dress just as lavishly as the two. Rather, they wore the standard formal attire that the Narva Academy students wore. Feeling their intense aura, Reve realized, ''The prince and princess of Narva. I was wondering when they would show their faces, especially the royal prince, the previous victor of the event.'' If anything, the royal prince was just as Reve expected. Just by looking at him, his senses got burnt and he could only force himself to look away. In terms of appearance, the royal prince was a bit similar to Reve, except that he was way leaner. However, that wouldn''t make Reve underestimate him. ''I can''t get a read on his power. Even when I look at the royal princess, it remains the same issue.'' This only served to put Reve on alert. He removed his focus on the group and waited for the king to commence the event. Minutes passed by before the voice of the king reverberated in the colosseum. There was no one that could not hear his autocratic voice clearly. He held a tiny device in his hands as he spoke, "It was around this time in the Year 610 A.E when the world was ravaged by the fury of the Black Phoenix." "Her waves of destruction saw no bounds. She consumed the sun and plunged Arcadia into its first eternal darkness. It was said that nothing could stop her and her army of phoenixes. Mortals were nothing more than slaves and the various races were her servants. She drank in the blood of gods and feasted on the flesh of dragons. But we know how the story goes."