《Conqueror》


 Chapter 1 - The Summoning

    Hi, I''m Zieglind Reysh. A corporate slave. Nothing much achieved in life. Heavily obsessed with history. So much that I ruined my other jobs. And this job too.

    "You''re fired."

    "Umm what?"

    "Oh sorry. You couldn''t hear me? YOU''RE FIRED!"

    "But why?"

    "Shut up nerd. Do you know how many deadlines we missed because of your incompetence? Your weird obsession with history. You do know that our company is a freaking STOCK COMPANY! Not a goddamn museum. I don''t give a shit what Sun Tzu said. He''s dead. And I don''t even know how you use his words on our clients! I told you so many goddamn times to put our company''s priorities over your history diploma that you won''t ever use! So now regret what you did. You''re FIRED! GET OUT."

    I went home after that embarrassment. "Ah damn. That''s another job gone."

    "Kekeke... You''re an interesting fella."

    "Hmm? Someone there?" I looked around at it seems like someone was talking to me.

    "You want a reset button? For your failed and miserable life?"

    A sudden chill enveloped my body. I stood up but I was calm. No one was near me. No one heard the voice. But I heard it again. I know this isn''t a simple hallucination. Its real. I was getting pretty worried. I remained calm and thought to myself, "What do you mean?" Hoping to communicate with the voice that no one could hear but me.

    "You seek a kingdom? Glory? Fame? Die and I''ll give you what you wish."

    I was in doubt with everything that I heard. But no. Seeing as I can communicate with him or her its real.

    I went inside my apartment and shouted, "Who are you? Show yourself!"

    A black aura engulfed my room and a human. No. A God appeared before me.

    "What?! What are you? What are you doing here?" I was shaken up on the inside but I needed to act tough. I don''t know what he is for he does not look like a human nor a monster.

    He was just a black figure with a shape of a man.

    "Keke. I told you. I could give you a reset in life just do what I say."

    "So that was your voice? What do you want with me?"

    "ENTERTAIN ME." As soon as I heard those words the chills overtook me and the area around me had a sudden gust of wind. I knew I wasn''t dealing with a normal being.

    "What do you mean by entertain you?"

    "I am a god but the boredom of living an eternal life is so difficult. So I want you, a human, to entertain me and I will grant you three wishes after you fulfill the summoning."

    "First of all why did I got chosen for this? There''s a whole billion people out there and I was the one chosen? And second what''s the summoning?" I am ready to piss or crap myself on the spot but I managed to act tough. His overwhelming pressure is so scary.

    "You were chosen because..."

    *gulp*

    "I can''t tell you. But..."

    "But what?!" I was beyond shocked. "So I was chosen at random?!"

    "I told you. I was bored. I just made a map of your whole world then used darts to pick a location, select all the humans there and picked a random one."

    "You used a dart? Wow." This god is beyond understanding. Using that stupid method is... "By the way the summoning. Explain."

    "The summoning needs some things done to activate. DIE. Any way. May it be quick or slow. Or I could be the one who lays the judgement on you. And the second have a contract with a god. Which is me. And what awaits you in that world that is freedom."

    "In that world? Wait do you mean in another world will be the location I''ll be transported for the summoning?"

    "Yes." The god replied with a smile on his face.

    "What''s the catch?" I asked.

    "This world has hmmm.. what do you call it in human language... Magic per se. It all revolves around magic. And there are multiple races of organisms there. Elves, Orcs, Humanoids, Monsters and more. If you accept my calling I can guarantee you three things."

    "I''m interested. What is it?"

    "First: I will watch over you even if it takes your whole lifespan but I will never help you even if you are asking for my help or near death. Second: I will make sure that you will get strong. I will implement a system on you just like the games on this planet. A leveling system. Your limits are unknown. Third: You will start as the weakest entity on that world. So weak that normal monsters can kill you. So what will it be? Will you accept the conditions? Zieglind Reysh?"

    It seems too good to be true. My whole 20 years of life has been nothing but boredom for me too. I achieved nothing. My life was a cycle of work, eat, sleep. I entered college looking forward to my dream of becoming a historian yet I became a corporate slave. I don''t have a special someone nor family members. If I could restart my life then I''ll gladly accept it no matter the cost. I looked at this god and said to him, "I''ll do it. If I could give a shot a new life I''ll give you entertainment that you''ve never seen before."

    "Hoo... I could see the determination in you. Then I declare, Zieglind Reysh, Human, accepts the summoning!" The god waved his hand and summoned a guillotine in front of me.

    "Is this the death contract?"

    "Yes, and the summoning will reborn you in your new world."

    I am prepared for my death. As soon as I heard the blade scraping the wood of the guillotine I knew it was coming for my head.

    *chop*

    I woke up sitting under a tree with no entities nearby but it was just plains everywhere. A message popped up infront of me.

    [Welcome Zieglind Reysh]

    "So this is it. Prepare yourself world. I will build a kingdom that no one has ever seen."

 Chapter 2 - In Another World

    [Zieglind Reysh, Welcome to Pandir] this popped up in front of me. Pandir? Is it this world''s name? And this menu... The leveling system? And holy crap why are my stats like this?! All LEVEL 1?

    "KEKE. I told you. You''re the weakest." I suddenly heard the God of Death suddenly in my head.

    "Hey, what about your agreement that you won''t help me or anything?"

    "Yes but I''ll appear if something interesting is going on. I only wanted to relay this pocket of gold, and the reason why your stats are like that is because you haven''t selected a class yet." The God hands me the pocket of gold containing 100 gold.

    "Class?"

    "Yes it''s divided between, Warrior, Ranged and Abyss."

    "So there''s only three classes?"

    "Yes but no. Each one is divided into sub-classes.

    A Warrior has a sub-class, Berserker, Assassin and Vanguard.

    The Ranged sub-class are, Archer, Magician and Battle-Mage

    The Abyss is well... No sub-class. You start with your starting stats."

    "Then can you explain each sub-class and their bonus stats?"

    "I wish I could tell you but no. Choose one and I shall explain the benefits of that."

    I was curious at what the God of Death meant by that. But since this my new world I will start at the bottom.

    "I''ll choose Abyss."

    The God suddenly emits an enormous aura and it enveloped me and then suddenly its all gone.

    "The Abyss chose you. Now choose one ability from this selection."

    [Dark Armor]

    Envelops your body with dark armor.

    [Skill Devourer]

    If you kill any living being you can get their skills but you can only get one and if there''s more than one skill you can choose one and the others will forever be gone.

    [Abyssal Chest]

    Once a day you can get random items. There are two choices. [Blessed Abyssal Chest] you will get an item you need at your current situation. [Cursed Abyssal Chest] get a high ranking item.

    "Hmm..." I''m thinking very hardly on this. A daily item is good since I won''t meet enemies right now. Dark Armor is good for extra protection since the Abyssal class does not give any stat boost. "I''ll get Skill Devourer." I know its difficult to hunt right now but it''ll be my strongest weapon.

    The God speaks again, "Good choice. I shall explain the Abyssal class. The Abyssal class is a progressing class. Let me explain.

    You will get a new skill of your choice.

    You will be given a gate key that can be activated anywhere. The gate key unlocks a new dimension where there''s a lot of monsters and a stronger monster at the end of that. After completion you shall be transported back to this world with all the items you got there.

    A blessing of your choice will be placed upon you.

    Gain a Familiar.

    Unknown. Your choices in this new life shall affect the rewards of your leveling.

    That''s the summary of it. Welcome to Pandir, Zieglind"

    "Wait." I stopped the God from leaving because I wasn''t satisfied from his answer back then. "Why did you choose me?" I asked the God again.

    "I told you it was rand-"

    "Bullshit." I cut him off before he could speak. "This system, this world is too intricate for myself only. And I don''t know what I did in life to be in this situation. Now tell me why I was chosen."

    The God hesitates before answering. "If you are so curious then I should explain. Yes this world isn''t just for you. Its for the 1 Million chosen ones in this world too."

    "Wha...?" I was shocked at how many people were chosen. But why?

    "All the Gods have this ceremony where we put any living being in new worlds and the one standing atop shall be a new God. And the winner shall be granted 10 wishes whatever it may be."

    "Wait so you''re telling me the one million people right now on this planet..."

    "Yes. You are all Conquerors. You are all in a Battle Royale."

 Chapter 3 - First Day

    The God told me all about the battle royale. There are one million people right now on this world. A defeat means death and nothing else. I can create parties in the system if I decide to join up with the others. But is it really worth it? There might be people here who will go as far to betray people.

    After the God finished explaining all these rules and information about the battle royal the God left. "Goodluck Zieglind Reysh."

    I smiled and waved goodbye. I made plans on what to do before going to a town. I at least need to be level 5.

    "System, how much experience needed until level 2?"

    [You need 100 EXP before ]

    "Well. The system acts on voice recognition so that''s good. I should head into the forest for some monsters to level up."

    So I went into the forest then I noticed something. "Wait... I don''t have a weapon?!?"

    [The Abyss class starts out with your starting stats and brings no benefits to your equipment.] The system replied.

    "What do you mean?! How can I level up in this state?!" I forgot that I was in the forest so the monsters nearby heard me.

    "Skrieeehh...."

    I knew something was nearby.

    "Crap... I lured some monsters because of my loud voice." I continued to examine the are around me. I saw something in the bushes. "System, what monster is that?"

    [Goblin, have a mediocre equipment and always have a dagger as their primary weapon. Their levels range from ]

    "Damn. I messed up this time. Its around those levels."

    The goblin shrieks and charges at me with dagger in his hand. I dodged to the left but the goblin is quick. After I dodged the goblin goes back to the bushes and moves around so I don''t know where his location is. "Crap, this one''s intelligent."

    I waited for the goblin to attack. Then again he charges with his dagger in hand but now I dodged to the left again and grabbed his tiny hands and redirected the dagger to his stomach and that pierced his body.

    "Damn that was difficult. One wrong move and I would''ve died to a goblin. And I leveled up from killing one? System, what level is the goblin?"

    "So there''s classes too for monsters? This is difficult than what I expected."

    [This Goblin''s body is ready for Skill Devouring]

    I got a new dagger from the goblin. Its rusty but not that good. "Skill Devouring? Oh yeah the bonus skill I got from the Abyss starting class. Umm, System, how do I activate Skill Devouring?"

    [You can simply say Devour]

    "Okay. Let''s try this. Devour." A pop up screen appeared in front of me. It listed two skills.

    [Sprint]

    Increases movement speed by 5%

    [Harvest]

    Harvest the meat of dead living beings.

    "Hmm... I don''t know what I would do for now. If I get Sprint right now that would eliminate the options of being a tank, mage and a support if I want to have comrades. I need Harvest right now."

    [Harvest skill acquired]

    "Guessing how the Skill Devouring activated on voice Harvest should too. Harvest Goblin." The goblin suddenly emitted a light and transformed in to finely cut meat.

    [Goblin Flesh x10, edible. Gives you poison if eaten raw. If cooked it provides a good meal and a bonus +5 strength for 1 hour.]

    "Oh? So edible foods gives me ability boosts? That should be useful. And night is already here." I found a small cave and some sticks around the forest and light it up inside the cave using primitive techniques. I cooked up the goblin flesh and it was really good.

    "So this is what a day is like in Pandir? Its interesting." I slept inside the cave hoping to wake up in a new day. Then suddenly, I woke up in the middle of the night with 5 goblins surrounding me and a knife through my leg. "AGHHHHHH!!!!"

 Chapter 4 - Ambushed

    The goblins were pretty startled when I woke up. They backed up as soon as I tried to stand up. I held my dagger in front of them and they were slowly trying to get near me.

    "Shit... *pant*" This wound is deep. Why didn''t I notice it before? I''m inside a forest and I entered a random cave. That''s already a red flag for me. "What do you want?"

    "Skrie?!"

    I didn''t understand a single thing they said. "Status, translate."

    [The Translate is a skill therefore its not accessible by the system until unlocked by the user.]

    "Great. System, analyze goblins."

    [Speed-Type Goblin x1, Tank Goblin x2 and Archer Goblins x2.]

    The goblins were pretty scared whenever I spoke. They had no clue what I was saying. They had no choice but to charge.

    The Tank Goblins with their shortsword and shield tried to ram me in the wall but seeing as how small the are goblins I used my dagger to stab the two Tank Goblins on their open head.

    "SKRIEEEEEES!!!"

    "Heh you guys angry?" I can''t keep this up for long. I''m bleeding so much from my leg.

    Knowing I can''t move well, the Speed-Type Goblin charged at me full speed and the two Archer Goblins behind him supporting him.

    "What?" I noticed that this Speed-Type Goblin wasn''t as fast as the one I saw before. It was actually pretty slow. A bit faster than Tank Goblins. I dodged this Goblin''s attack and counter attacked with a vertical slice on him. His body was cut in half.

    The Archer Goblins were pretty scared of me now but they have no intention of retreating. I don''t have much time I''m bleeding a lot.

    "COME ON!"

    The remaining 2 goblins were scared but they continued fighting me despite all of their comrades dying.

    Seeing as my state I can''t last long enough I decided to charge in.

    "Skrieeeee?!"

    The other Archer Goblin got me with one arrow. I finally got near them and pierced the Goblin with my dagger and the other one a taste of their own arrow.

    "Crap... I''m losing consciousness... Hmm.. if what I''m thinking might be possible..."

    "System Devour Tank Goblin."

    [There 2 skills available.]

    [HP Boost]

    Increases Vitality and Endurance and when leveling up you will gain a bonus Vitality and Endurance points.

    [Heal]

    Heal minor wounds. Does not regenerate missing limbs.

    "Yes!! HAHA! I''ll take Heal. Tanks always have heal skills if there are no Healers nearby."

    [Gained skill Heal]

    "Heal!" A green essence was focused on my wounded leg and healed it. It didn''t close all the way so I need to this at least 2 more times.

    After a while, I healed it completely. Since there''s this many goblins I''ll take your skills.

    "Devour Tank Goblin and get HP Boost."

    [Gained skill HP Boost]

    "Devour Speed-Type Goblin and get Sprint."

    [Gained skill Sprint]

    "Devour Archer Goblin"

    [There are three skills available]

    [Archer''s Enhancement]

    Increase your weapon''s Damage.

    [Shroud]

    If standing still you''ll be invisible but if you breathe the invisibility will be cancelled.

    [Archer''s Eye]

    Have an eyes that will allow you to see great distances.

    "Wait aren''t these useless for me? Hmm... System, what will happen if I get other skills that are not suited for me?"

    [Abyss has no class and all buffs and active skills will be converted depending on what weapon or armor you are using.]

    "So an Abyss class person can adapt to anything. System may I ask, what does the other classes'' starting stats?"

    [Other classes start at all their stats boosted to 100]

    "Crap. So that''s why the God said good choice. This class is very weak early on. Well no choice. I''ll get Archer''s Enhancement."

    [Gained skill Archer''s Enhancement.]

    [Skill adjusting to abyss class...]

    [Renamed to Abyssal Enhancement]

    "Devour Archer Goblin and get Archer''s Eye."

    [Gained skill Archer''s Eye]

    [Skill adjusting to abyss class...]

    [Renamed to Eyes of Abyss]

    "Harvest all goblins."

    [Gained Goblin Flesh x50]

    Since there are these many goblins that attacked me. Let''s go pay visit to their hideout for a payback.

 Chapter 5 - The Hideout

    I looked around the forest to look for a Goblin''s encampment. There are so many goblins in this area so that must be the reason.

    After looking for a while, "Hehe, found it."

    The goblin encampment was huge. There are two towers with two Archer Goblins each. And one tower in the middle is what I think a Goblin that blows the horn whenever someone gets near their base. There''s a lot of Goblin Tanks. That''s going to be a problem. There are about five houses and I don''t know how many exactly are there. I see an old Goblin. Maybe its the chieftain here. And there are... I don''t know what that is. But they are freaking huge. "System, analyze goblins."

    [Archer Goblins x4, Goblin Alarm x1, Goblin Sage x1, Strength-Type Goblins x2, Goblin Tanks x10]

    System doesn''t analyze hidden things so this is just a rough calculation. I needed to eliminate this camp. This will be good for my leveling and getting skills.

    I hid behind the trees and equipped my bow. "Abyssal Enhancement, Bow." It has its damage enhanced. I need to one shot those archer goblins or I will be rushed by everyone. "Abyssal Enhancement, arrows."

    [Abyssal Enhancement doesn''t work on ammunitions or throwable items.]

    "That''s that. Welp. I''ve got to give this shot everything I got." I aimed for one of the Archer Goblin''s head. Aiming this bow was pretty difficult since this is my first time. I released the tension from the bow and hit one of the Archer Goblin. The other noticed and I immediately shot an arrow again. "That was close. If they noticed the Goblin Alarm will notify the whole encampment."

    I did the same with the other tower and killed the two Archer Goblins.

    I can''t get the Shroud skill since they are not near me.

    Seeing how much trouble the Goblin Alarm will be I sniped him with my bow and arrow.

    Now that I think about it if I killed the Goblin Alarm first, killing the Archers would''ve been less risky.

    I went to the entrance of their base. There are five Tank Goblins. I threw a rock to the trees to distract them. They took the bait. "Abyssal Enhancement, Shortsword." The sword was buffed. I just need to wait for the right time to strike. The Tank Goblins were pretty wary and they were walking slowly.

    "System, Sprint."

    I ran towards them and they were startled. Before they could draw their swords I sliced up two tank goblins with ease. The others were unfazed and still tried to ram me into the trees. I used the same tactic of stabbing them on their heads seeing how small they are. I killed another one. "That''s three." The goblins backed up getting ready to ram me again. They noticed how I easily killed the two. The goblins dropped their shield and rushed at me with their sword. "Shit." I dodged one goblin but the other one got me in the leg. I tried to cover my pain with my mouth since if I make even a noise all of the goblins inside will kill me. "Crap. *pant*" They backed up again to charge at me once again. I threw my sword that caught them off guard and that pierced through one of the goblins. I equipped my bow and shot the remaining one.

    "Heal!" My leg wound healed instantly. It wasn''t that deep. "Why do they always get my leg? Anyways. I need to elimate the other 5." I checked to see if the Tank Goblins had new skills. "System Devour Tank Goblins. And there it was.

    [Rage]

    Increases one''s overall damage but reduces HP.

    [Gained skill Rage]

    [Skill Devourer proficiency unlocked]

    The rage must''ve been unlocked from those two goblins. So driving someone at the edge can unlock hidden abilities? That''s interesting. And it seems like I upgraded Skill Devourer. "System, what does level 2 skills give me?"

    [It unlocks skills that isn''t available in skills.]

    "System, explain."

    [For example, your skill, Skill Devourer in you can get common skills. If unlocked to you can get uncommon skills.]

    "System, what are these common and uncommon skills?" I didn''t understand it fully. There is surely a lot of mysteries in this world.

    [Skills and Equipments are divided into tier classes.

    - Lowest

    - Highest

    And every use of Skill Devourer will increase your proficiency with it unlocking new skills.]

    "Oh... Okay. Got it." So there will be a lot of skills scattered throughout the world huh.

    "Welp. Time to infiltrate the inside. Its payback time."

 Chapter 6 - Final Hurdle

    There are about 5 Tank Goblins, 2 Strength-Type Goblins and a Goblin sage. I''m pretty worried about those two bulking goblins. And I don''t know the real numbers since there might be goblins inside the house.

    I wanted to kill the 5 Tank Goblins but it will be pretty risky. But... If I split them up it''ll be easier.

    I used the same tactic but I threw two stones in opposite directions. The 5 goblins were alarmed and they went their seperate ways. They were split 3-2. Of course I followed the two goblins. "Abyssal Enhancement, Bow." I sniped one of the goblins and it was a headshot. I tried to shot the other but he blocked it with his shield. "Sprint." I rushed towards the goblin and I stabbed him through the head. This battle was easy and I didn''t get hurt.

    As soon as I was done I followed the three goblins. I sniped one goblin and used sprint to finish off the other two.

    "System, Harvest."

    [You got Goblin Flesh x50]

    I went ahead and found a sightseeing spot for the encampment. "Eye of the Abyss." My eyes got an increased range and I could zoom in whenever I think about it. "This is making me dizzy." I scouted the whole camp and I only see the three goblins left.

    "Abyssal Enhance, Bow." I used it to try to kill one of the Strength-Type goblins but it didn''t kill him it only pierced its skin. "This''ll be a tough fight. Other goblins can be one shot but this one''s different." The goblin shouted as loud as he can. I guess... To call for reinforcements? "Sorry bud. They''re all gone." The Goblin sage was saying random words and then a magic circle of some sort appeared on the ground. It grew wider but I didn''t know what it did. The three goblins got closer and started talking about something.

    They menacingly looked at my location.

    "WHAT? That must''ve been a detection skill or something. Since they know I''m here, I''m going to greet them." I began walking back to the entrance. "Abyssal Enhancement, Bow and Sword." I got ready before getting near them. I went through the front gate and said, "Sup?"

    "Human...!"

    Huh? A goblin knows my language and can talk?

    The Sage Goblin didn''t hesitate and began chanting some kind of spell. The two Strength-Type Goblins charged at me with their heavy clubs. I shot my last remaining arrows but they didn''t kill them. As expected they only pierced the skin.

    "ARGUAHHH!"

    "Feeling the pain yet?" My bow is useless now so I just dropped it. "Sprint." I used my shortsword to inflict some light wounds on the two Strength-Type Goblins. But I''m more worried about what that sage is cooking.

    I used sprint to get around the two Strength-Type Goblins and managed to backstab one of them. "That''s one." I''m pretty scared about the sage so I threw my shortsword at the sage and it caught him off guard that it cancelled his channeling. But it dodged. I picked up the club of the dead goblin and slam it on the other one. Cracking his head open.

    [You gained 600 EXP]

    I walked up to the Sage Goblin who was clunching his staff tightly. I got my shortsword that I threw at him. I wanted to kill him but I want to ask it some questions first.

    "Hey."

    "Argh... What do you want?!" The goblin was angry of course seeing as how its whole base was destroyed.

    "What''s in those houses?"

    "I must not say."

    I need to be informed on what''s inside those houses or it''ll be me walking through a death trap. So since I need that information, I used my club to fake-swing to scare him.

    "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! Those are our slave houses. For our food and children."

    "..." Without a warning I smashed my club on his head due to my rage. I don''t know what face I''m making but I do know that once I go in that house death awaits for any goblin.

    [Do you want to get the rewards?]

    "Not now. After all of this is done then I''ll take it. Devour Sage Goblin first."

    [Detection]

    Detects living things in a 100 meter radius.

    [Root]

    Roots the enemy. The duration depends on how long the spell was cast.

    [Universal Language]

    Able to talk with any living being. Can converse normally without any activation.

    "The skill he was casting before was root. If I hadn''t thrown my sword I would''ve been dead meat. I''ll get Universal Language."

    [Gained skill Universal Language]

    I went inside of one of the slave houses and found one goblin inside it.

    "Skrie?"

    I smashed the goblin with my club.

    "System, Analyze the goblin."

    [Goblin Slavers. Forces living beings, mostly women to submit to them.]

    "Devour."

    [Enslavement]

    If a living being has HP less than 20% there''s a chance you can enslave them and they will be forced to follow you.

    "There''s only one? Welp. I''ll get this one then. Even though I don''t have any skill to know the current HP of an enemy this''ll be handy."

    [Gained skill Enslavement]

    When I was thinking of what I''m going to do with the Slaver skill I heard some cries of a woman. My eyes widened. There are about 20 women here. And this is one slave house.

    I rushed to the aid of the women and untied them.

    "K... m..."

    "Don''t speak. I''ll heal you."

    "Don....t.... Plea...se... End me."

    I just looked at her with pitiful eyes and didn''t know what to do.

    "Al..l of us... Wa..nts all.... This to end... Plea...se... Kill... Us..."

    I raised my sword and killed them all with a swift death painlessly. I can''t do anything. The other women in other slave houses also wished for the same thing. They wanted salvation

    For which is death.

    "Damn it."

 Chapter 7 - The Rise of an Army

    I''m still pretty depressed on those girls. I couldn''t do anything. Damn it. Well no use dwelling on it now. "System, I''ll get the rewards for level 5."

    [Great Heal]

    Heal 20% HP of anyone in your party in a 5 meter radius.

    [Summon Basic Ammunition]

    Sumon basic bullets and arrows. Even if upgraded it doesn''t change anything. Cannot be buffed.

    [Summon Mounts]

    Summon a random mount. Only limited to land based mounts.

    "I''ll get Great Heal."

    This will be useful. I''m going to hunt some monsters to enslave.

    So I went back to the front of the forest to hunt some low level goblins and enslave them. I wounded them using my shortsword. "Let''s try this. Enslavement."

    [Forceful Enslavement]

    The slave will be treated harshly but the success rate of the slave''s loyalty will increase.

    [Sympathetic Enslavement]

    Treat the slave with care but the loyalty is unknown.

    "I am no dictator. I will lead a peaceful kingdom. Sympathetic Enslavement. Make that always the default option."

    [Understood. Sympathetic Enslavement is now the default option.]

    [Used Sympathetic Enslavement on an Archer Goblin.]

    [Enslavement Success.]

    "Oh. So I can level up just by enslaving monsters? And why did I level up so fast? Oh... It must be because of the women in the Goblin''s base. Tsk." I tried to forget what happened to those women. They didn''t deserve it. I''ll build a kingdom of peace. That''s my promise and redemption for the women that died in that encampment. And this Archer Goblin will be my first unit.

    "Hey. Can you understand me?" Since the universal language is passive, I hope this works.

    "Yes... I can understand you. What do you want from me?" This goblin was really scared from me.

    "I''m your master now. Serve me well."

    "What do you mean? Are you going to kill me?"

    "No. Just follow my orders and you live. That''s all you''ll do."

    "Okay. I understand."

    Hmm? Maybe the Enslavement skill affects the mind of the slave? That was too easy of a deal. "Heal. This is my pact that I won''t hurt you unless you hurt me." The wounds I inflicted on the goblin was gone. "From now on your name is Rize Reysh. I bestow you my last name." This goblin is my first unit. Her name should be special.

    "Thank you very much!" Her eyes widened. And in a matter of an instant she grew and gotten bigger. Almost the same height as me. Her body from a kid grew up to be a woman.

    "What?! System what happened?"

    [Archer Goblin evolved to Goblin Sniper]

    "Yes but why did she evolve?"

    [The slaves will get an evolution bonus whenever a player like you takes possession of a living being.]

    Rize looked at her body confused on why she evolved so fast. "Hngg???"

    "Rize did anything change? How about your skills?" I remember every skill of the Archer Goblins. And crap now that I think about it, I forgot to get the shroud skill from the encampment.

    "Oh uhm... Yes I got a new skill called Summon Basic Ammunitions."

    "That''s perfect! Just use that whenever you use your bow."

    [The system detected you haven''t invested your skill points into anything. Do you want to put points now?]

    "Hmm? Wait, what? I thought whenever I leveled up it would be automatic. Then, system show me my stats."

    [Status]

    [Points Available: 70]

    The reason why my HP is high may be because of the HP Boost of the Tank Goblins. Its +10 per level. So I won''t invest in that.

    "System add 30 points to Strength, 20 points to Defense and 20 points to Stamina."

    I might be the Tank for now for Rize. She needs to get stronger. Wait... Now that I think about it... How did she know that she has a new skill? Does she also have a system inside of her? For every monster in the world? Then she can get as strong as me? I guess I need to kill some monsters first for her to level up. I need her for my kingdom.

    "System, add Rize Reysh to my party."

    [Added Rize Reysh to your party]

    Me and Rize hunted for some monsters for a while until the night. Rize was getting pretty used supporting me in the back row.

    Night was in sight and we sat outside the forest and started a campfire and sat down on the grass.

    "Rize what level are you now? Heal Rize."

    "I''m level 5 now sir. Oh uh and thanks for the heal... Sir."

    "That''s good." I''m still level 7. It seems that the monsters inside the forest were weakened for some reason. May be because I destroyed the Goblin hideout they can''t reproduce anymore? So only low level goblins that have been scattered throughout are left? Maybe its because that.

    "Rize invest your points in strength and speed. Once we get to the city tomorrow I''ll buy you a heavier bow."

    "City? But... I''m not allowed... Inside."

    There must be some discrimination inside the city. "Well I can get you in... Maybe. If I introduced you as a slave? I don''t really think of you as a slave but a comrade that will be the start of me building my own kingdom."

    She was speechless and was in tears. "Hey, hey don''t cry." I tried to comfort her. "No its not that. Many of our days here in the forest is us running for our lives. I left the village so that I won''t be attacked by humans or adventurers. I didn''t agree with their methods of reproducing too. So I''m thankful that someone sees me eye to eye." She was helding back her tears. "I''ll give you more people that can talk with you and have fun. So for now let''s endure the harshness of the world. For soon we''ll build our own kingdom and every monster there will co exist. I can promise you that."

    "Really?"

    "Yep. So tomorrow let''s head down to the town and find a guild hall or something to get quests. That will be the first step of my creation of a kingdom. We shall let others know how dangerous we are."

    After that talk we slept under the night on the campfire that kept us warm.

    This will be the start of my conquest.

 Chapter 8 - Town

    "Rize, wake up. Its time."

    "Hmmm?" She was still sleeping.

    "Hey. Wake up."

    "Hmm? Oh uh... Yeah. I''m awake." She was still half-asleep when she said that.

    We got ready and headed for the nearest town. Itz is the name of the town as Rize said.

    We finally got to the town and it was huge. The walls stand up about 10 meter high, a gate open that acts as our bridge since there''s a river underneath and a lot of guards inside and out.

    We just barged through the front and to my surprise no one asked me about Rize. Maybe its because she looks like a normal human now? Well except for the skin color.

    I instantly headed to some shops that allows me to sell some things.

    "Greetings! Need something?"

    "Yes. I want to sell this."

    I offered my 300 pieces of goblin flesh. I got a lot when me and Rize hunted.

    "Hey, hey, hey are these all goblin flesh?"

    "Yes."

    "I can offer you about 20 gold for these. That''s a good deal."

    That''s pretty low isn''t it? Or not? I haven''t gotten across any currency here so this is my first time selling. "Make it 300."

    "What..? Sir that''s too high of a price! You could buy a house with that! How about 23 gold?"

    Wait... I could buy a house with 300 gold? Since I currently have 100 gold... Isn''t that a lot? I need to know how the currency in this world is flowing.

    "Last offer. 40 gold and if you don''t accept I''m taking all this back with me"

    The store owner was pretty worried. He looked at the goblin flesh like it was treasure.

    "I accept 40 gold for all of these."

    He handed me a pocket of gold which contained the payment.

    "Thanks."

    Me and Rize went out the town and head into some armor shops to get equipments.

    "Hey there storeowner, how much for this?"

    "Oh... That costs 10 gold. It has good defense but can you afford it?"

    That was relatively cheap. "Them how about this one?"

    "5 gold and 20 silvers."

    Silvers? Gold? Oh... I know what this means. This is a tier currency. I''m betting its 100 Copper for 1 Silver and 100 Silver for 1 Gold and 100 Gold for I don''t know for now.

    "Do you do custom made armor?"

    "Yes absolutely." He was pretty confident in his skills.

    "How long for a full set armor for me and Rize?"

    "About a day."

    About a day? That''s fast as hell!

    I noticed Rize was window shopping around the shop. "Hey Rize come over here for a second."

    "What do you need... Sir?"

    "Hey there storeowner I want two complete sets of armor for both of us. I want mine to be on the medium side and for her on the light side. I want it made on the most durable materials. Do you do magical enchantments on armor too?"

    "Yeah I can do that. What''s your preferred buffs?"

    "I want her armor to be more on the archer side. And for mine just put strength boost."

    "Okay. That''ll cost 20 gold all in all."

    "Deal." I handed 20 gold to him.

    "Dear customer, what''s your name? I''ll engrave it on the armor."

    "I''m Zieglind and she''s Rize."

    We left the shop and the storeowner started forging the armor. "So he was a blacksmith."

    "Hey sir. Look at that."

    "Can you stop calling me sir? Just call me Zieglind."

    "Oh uh... Okay. But there''s a weapon shop there. It seems they can also forge weapons."

    We went into the shop and found a blacksmith hitting the steel. "I wanted something custom made. Can you do it? I need it for tomorrow."

    "Heh? What do yer want? A custom made ey? What weapons do ye need?"

    "Well can you check this bow she got? How heavy is this?"

    The blacksmith grabbed the bow and pulled the string. "This is about a 30 pound bow."

    "Can you make a bow that''s an 80 pound bow?"

    "Ye I can do that. What material do you want it made?"

    "The finest materials you''ve got. And for me I want a heavy shield, two handed greatsword, two dual wield curved swords and a rapier."

    "That''s a lot of what ye want ey? I can''t do it tomorrow. Pick at least two items that I can do ey."

    "Then prioritize Rize''s bow and the two handed greatsword. I''ll get the remaining items the day after tomorrow. How much is everything?"

    "About 20 gold."

    About as the same as the armor huh? "I''ll take it. I''ll be coming back tomorrow for the two weapons." I handed him the gold.

    *Rumble...* "Hmm? Are you hungry Rize?" I guess its natural since we haven''t ate since the hunt yesterday. "Let''s go that inn. Let''s eat and then rest. Tomorrow we''ll register if there are any guild here."

    "Welcome!"

    We were greeted by the innkeeper. We sat down on the table and a maid comes up to us.

    "How much for a night?"

    "5 silvers for a night."

    "Can I make an advance payment?"

    "Yes sure!"

    "Here''s one gold for 10 days and the remaining will be used for our food. I want our rooms to be one room and two beds. Thank you. And can we order whatever she wants?"

    "Zieglind thank you very much!!"

    We ate a lot and thanked the innkeeper below for cleaning up the mess Rize made for eating so much. "Rize sleep for now. We''ll hunt again tomorrow."

    "Huh...? Oh yes."

    She was already asleep and fell on the bed by herself. Seems she was so full on eating so much.

    I need to know why prices here are so cheap. I have 99 gold left. Its like I didn''t spend anything. I''ve got to know the bottom of this.

    Tomorrow will be different. I need to join a guild if there are any here. I need to grow my influence and it will start here.

 Chapter 9 - The Guild

    The sun pierced through the windows of the window in the inn and it woke us up.

    "That''s bright. Rize are you up?"

    "Yep. I''m up. Should we go to the armorer''s and the weapon shop?"

    "Yeah. Let''s go now. Then we''ll register if there are any guilds here."

    We walked to the armorer''s shop and entered inside.

    "Is it done?"

    "Welcome Zieglind and Rize! Its done. Go to the backroom to check it out."

    We three went to the backroom and found the two sets of armor placed on the table.

    "Is this it?"

    "Yes this is the armor you asked for. This one''s for missy and this one''s for you."

    When I put on the armor I got an armor set bonus. +50 strength and +20 speed.

    The armor is black and it isn''t too heavy nor too light. This had pointy scales on the shoulders and the knees. It doesn''t restrict me too much on movement. I almost can''t feel that I have the armor on. My name was engraved in the right shoulder. I think this can nullify goblin attacks but I don''t know about any monsters yet since all I''ve been killing were goblins.

    "Nice work old man."

    "Hehe, thanks."

    Rize was in the corner taking in the beauty of her armor. It was a red... No a rose pink armor. Made for women for all the girly designs it had. Her name was engraved on her left shoulder.

    "Rize do you like it?"

    "This is beautiful! Thanks Zieg!"

    "What bonus stats you have?"

    "It says I got +50 speed and +20 strength."

    So its basically mine but the stats are swapped.

    "That''s great. Thanks old man for all of this. What''s your name by the way? I might come to you again for some armor."

    "People call me Ruf."

    "Thanks Ruf."

    Me and Rize left the armor shop and went to the weapon shop.

    "Sup old man. How''s the bow and greatsword doing?"

    "Its done. Take a look at this ye?"

    The greatsword had my engravings on it and it was massive. It was a curved greatsword. And it also gave me bonus stats. +200 Strength.

    "Damn. This is insane. Thanks for this."

    "That''s not all ye. This is for missy."

    He handed over to Rize a bow. It had been enhanced with a scope. Her name was engraved on the front of the bow.

    "Try pulling it Rize."

    Rize pulled it with her strength and it seems she has no worries about pulling an 80 pound bow.

    "Is it difficult to pull?"

    "No not really. Its a bit heavier than my previous bow. This one I can manage."

    It seems there''s no problems.

    "I''ll be coming back tomorrow for the remaining weapons. By the way what''s your name and how did you know our names?"

    "I''m Ruz. Ruf''s brother. He comes asking for me for some materials and told me about ye two."

    "So that''s why. Thanks for the help."

    We went out the store and I looked for some guild if there are any here.

    And for some while we finally found one. Its on the middle of the town. We went in and people were looking at us. Maybe its because of our armor and weapons.

    "Hello Sir and Madam, are you taking a quest?"

    "No. We''re here to register."

    "Please fill up this form and the cost for making an account is one gold."

    Me and Rize filled up the forms. Its just our names and such. And I handed the one gold to the guild.

    "Here''s your badge."

    The badge was a bronze plate. I''m guessing there are tiers too for the rankings.

    "Can we get any quests right now? How about..."

    I looked around some quests and this one got me interested. 50 Gold for killling a giant serpent.

    "I''ll take this quest."

    "I''m sorry sir but that''s for gold plated adventurers only."

    "Are there restrictions?"

    "Well no... But its recommended for you to stick with bronze plated quests first."

    I need to level up and gain influence fast. So I''ll take quest two tiers from my rankings every time.

    "Sorry but me and Rize will take that quest."

    "Well... Okay... You''ll need the serpent''s head for proof of death."

    "Where''s this located?"

    "Southwest of Itz. Its in the Serpent''s Swamp."

    "We''ll be going now."

    We got a lot of angry stares from the adventurers inside. Maybe its because they think we''re underestimating this guild.

    We went to the Serpent''s Swamp.

    "Zieg... Is this really necessary? You know we should''ve taken an easier quest you know?" She was trembling and holding my armor.

    "Have you seen this Serpent before?"

    "Yes. This serpent invaded before on our forest."

    "Can you tell me anything about it?"

    "It exhales poison and since the serpent is in the swamp maybe its swamp is poisoned too."

    "Thanks for the information Rize." I patted her head. "Don''t worry. This''ll be an easy quest."

    Actually its not. I need her to calm down since she''ll be my main damage attacker. I don''t have any antidotes for this serpent.

    After walking for a while we finally found the serpent.

    It was a towering snake about 5 meters tall. Has thick scales and this serpent has teeths so long and sharp. His intimidating appearance scared the hell out of me.

    "Holy shi-"

 Chapter 10 - The Giant Serpent

    I covered my mouth as soon as I mouthed those words. The serpent was sleeping in its lake. As expected. Its poison.

    "Abyssal Enhancement, Rize''s Bow and my Greatsword."

    "What do we do now Zieg?"

    "I''m going to climb the serpent. Use your full strength to snipe his eye. We won''t be able to kill the serpent with one hit." This was no ordinary serpent. It was huge. 50 gold isn''t enough for this. "System, Analyze."

    [??? Level 30]

    So the system doesn''t know the serpent either.

    I climbed up its back and I could feel the serpent breath. It has a hard scale. I''m so unsure if my blade can pierce through this.

    I can''t reach the serpent''s other eye. "Damn. This would be easier if I can reach that." I looked at Rize at the distance and signalled her that she should shoot now.

    I usedy greatsword to plant my sword in the serpent''s brain. Its body was so thick, my greatsword pierced really deep through its head. Rize''s aim was amazing and she blinded the serpent''s right eye. The serpent woke up and moved around aggressively.

    "Damn. This is a rough ride." I clung onto my greatsword that was stuck im his head.

    "Sir Zieg!!"

    "Don''t worry about me! Just go shoot all your arrows!"

    Rize''s arrows pierced through the serpent''s skin but it isn''t enough to kill it.

    I grabbed the greatsword while the serpent was flailing around his body and I tried to pull myself down so that the momentum of the serpent''s flailing would slice through his body.

    "AHHHH!" The serpent shouted in a cry then I fell off the serpent''s back. I didn''t understand how I fell off. But when I looked at the Serpent it has all of its scales standing up. It enhanced its body armor.

    "Crap. It can enhance its body?" Rize kept shooting but to no avail. It didn''t pierce through the serpent''s thick scales. But for about 10 seconds after the serpent''s scales slowly go down.

    "Rize, attack now!"

    "Okay!" Rize kept firing barrages of arrows to the serpent.

    I charged to the serpent and stabbed its body. "It worked!" The serpent''s head slowly goes down due to the damage it took. I went around its head and stabbed its left eye. Due to the serpent''s rage, it released a green gas.

    "Zieg! Get out of there now!" Rize shouted in the distance.

    I didn''t hear Rize but my whole body feels weak.

    [Gain debuff Poison and Weaken]

    I''ve been poisoned? I quickly retreated and used heal on myself.

    "System what is this?"

    [The poison eliminates 0.50% of your HP per second. It isn''t much but the rate increases by 0.10% per second. Around... 50 seconds.]

    "Are you oka-?"

    "Don''t touch me. There''s a chance you''ll be poisoned too." My limbs feel weaker and my sense of balance is getting distorted. "I''m going to charge in there, back me up"

    "But Zieg-"

    "No buts. This is the start of our glory. There will always be obstacles. And this serpent is one of them. Now. Will you help me?"

    "Yes." She had a brave face and her eyes shows that she''s serious.

    "Let''s go."

    I went near the serpent and tried to feint attack the serpent. It used its hardening again. It released it poison again on me.

    [Poison duration reset and speed rate reset.]

    "Zieg!!"

    "Don''t worry. Poison effects don''t stack if its the same skill." But it does reset the timer. "Crap. 30% HP. Heal!" I recovered and I have 50% HP left.

    Me and Rize waited for the Serpent to lose his hardening skill again. "Rize!"

    Rize nods in agreement and shot a barrage of arrows through the serpent.

    With the last of my strength I used everything I had to slice its body. And when the serpent''s head touched the lake I gave it a swift heavy blow that sliced his head.

    "Not now. After we come back from the guild then I''ll claim it."

    "Zieg! We did it!" Rize went down from her sniping point and got near me. She did a lot of damage I''ll give her that.

    "I had 10% HP left. That was close. Heal! Great heal!" I only recovered 40% of HP from that. The poison''s duration finally ended and I was free from the poison and weaken debuff. I waited for sometime and healed myself back up to full.

    "You did a great job Rize." I gave her a pat on the head.

    "Hehe, thanks!" And gave me a hug.

    I stood up and went to the serpent. "Devour."

    [You killed a boss monster. You can choose two skills from here. And here''s two eyes of the serpent.]

    [Poison Mist]

    Deals 0.5% HP per second. Damage per second increases by 0.1% per second. Duration, 40 seconds.

    [Beast Instincts]

    Even if blind, impaired hearing, you can still sense people with bloodlust towards someone.

    [Beast Armor]

    Increases armor''s durability and defense by 100 for 10 seconds.

    "I''ll get the Poison Mist and Beast Armor." Beast instinct might be the reason why the serpent hardened itself when I feinted an attack. Its pretty useless right now.

    [Gained skill Poison Mist]

    [Gained skill Beast Armor]

    [Adjusting to Abyss class...]

    [Renamed to Dark Armor]

    "So that was my skill when I started out as an abyss. Good thing I didn''t pick that."

    "Harvest Serpent."

    [You got Serpent''s Flesh x500]

    I put the serpent''s head, eye and flesh in my inventory. "Rize let''s go back."

    "Yep!"

 Chapter 11 - The Challenge

    Me and Rize went back to Itz. First of all, I wanted to go to the weapon shop and send Rize to the armor shop. "Rize, can you ask Ru...z? If he can make an accessory out of this? And here''s some gold. Inventory." I grabbed one of the serpent''s eye from my inventory and handed it to her and 20 gold.

    "Ughh... Okay. And Zieg, its Ruf the armorer."

    "I forgot. Thanks."

    "Oh and by the way Zieg, I got a new skill. Its called Arrow Rainfall."

    "What does it do? It says I just need to shoot an arrow upward and a barrage of arrows will shoot out."

    "Let''s check it out later. You go now where you''re needed." Rize nodded and went her way. She said her new skill to me so that means she''s loyal to me.

    We went our seperate ways and I went to the weapon shop.

    "Ruz, are you done with anything?"

    "Ye have been gone for only a good 4 hours. Nothing''s been done yet. I can get the remaining weapons done by tomorrow ye?"

    "Can you make this be implemented on all of my weapons?" I pulled the remaining eye from my inventory.

    "By the gods! This an Elder Serpent''s eye! Good job for tackling a diamond plated quest ey!"

    "Huh? What do you mean? This is only a gold plated quest."

    "No. The gold plated quest is a giant serpent about 2.50 meters tall. And its a young one too. But not as strong as an elder."

    So I accidentally did a high rank job? That''s good. I hope the rewards are high too.

    "So can you implement this eye to all of the weapons?"

    "Ye. It ain''t easy but I can."

    "How much for this?"

    "Its on the house. This Elder Serpent was terrorizing the woods so we can''t get wood and food. That''s why we''re in famine right now."

    So that''s why food are more expensive right now than weapons. I have to sell half of these serpent''s body.

    "Thanks Ruz."

    Me and Rize met outside. "So... Can Ruf make an accessory for that eye?"

    "Yeah. And he was happy too. I don''t know why though?"

    "Yeah about that... We killed the wrong serpent. We killed the Elder Serpent which was stronger."

    "Ohhhh..." Rize eyes glimmered with stars of how amazed she is about the feat we just did.

    "Let''s go to the guild now."

    We went to the guild and met with the front desk.

    "Good evening Sir Zieglind and Madame Rize."

    "Yeah about our quest..."

    "Do you want to abandon the Giant Serpent quest?"

    "No, no. We accidentally killed the wrong giant serpent."

    "What do you mean by that sir?"

    "Inventory." I pulled out the Elder Serpent''s head from my inventory and laid it down.

    "Oh my!"

    "What?!" The whole guild was in awe of what they just saw. I heard murmurs everywhere of how amazing this feat was.

    "Sir congratulations on completing the Diamond Plated quest, the Elder Serpent. You now have been promoted to Platinum Plate." She handed over to me and Rize the platinum badge. "Here''s your reward, 1000 gold."

    "Well, well, well..." An unfamiliar voice was heard at the entrance of the guild. "Who dares to steal my prey?"

    "Greetings Bladedge party!" The woman in the front desk greeted the party.

    The "Bladedge" party consists of two swordsman a tank and two mages.

    "Hmm..." The, what I think is the leader, is inspecting me and Rize. "How did you kill the Serpent?"

    It seems that he was angry at us for killing the elder serpent. "Sliced it."

    "Hey, hey, hey. Don''t get fucking cocky with me."

    Yep he was really angry at me for killing the serpent.

    "You two must''ve met a random obsidian plated party then stole their prey. Everyone! Its pretty impossible right? How a newbie just killed an Elder Serpent who was terrorizing Itz. A diamond plated quest was beaten by a bronze plated party." After the leader said that the murmors of the whole guild grew louder. Raising doubts on us. "I''ll expose the two of you for the looters you are."

    Seems like this won''t go down easily. If I want to establish a relationship with this kingdom I need to protect my validity. "Then how about an official match. Your whole party versus me and Rize."

    "Ehh? Sir Zieglind?" Rize was pretty worried about this party duel.

    "Don''t worry about it Rize. Its an easy win." I said to her.

    "Hoo... Okay me and my mage right here versus you two. If we bea-" I cut him off as the leader of Bladedge said those words.

    "I told you. All of you versus us two."

    "You''re really getting cocky huh? This''ll be a massacre you know that?"

    "Yes. For the Bladedge party not us."

    I could see the anger through his veins popping out of his head.

    "Tomorrow. At the Itz Arena. Early in the morning. Don''t you dare run."

    Everyone cheered about the upcoming duel. Most of them cheering on the Bladedge party.

    After all that, me and Rize went back to the inn we were staying and slept until the morning came.

    "Rize, let''s pick up the things we bought at Ruz and Ruf."

    Rize simply nodded and got ready.

    We went first to Ruf''s shop.

    "Yo Ruf. Is the accessory done?"

    "Greetings Zieglind and Rize. Yes its done. Its pretty darn hard to implement the eye in this one." Ruf gave me a ring. "It enhances one''s ability to see and it makes targeting easier."

    "Hmm... I can''t use this so..." I put the ring on Rize. "There. You use it."

    A blush ran on Rize''s face. "Oh uh... Thank you Zieg."

    I didn''t know what that meant but Ruf looked at me with a weird face.

    "Thanks Ruf. I''ll come back later."

    We went to Ruz''s shop.

    "Ruz are all done?"

    "Yep. One Heavy Shield, two curved swords for dual wielding and a Rapier. The eye that you gave me was too much. There''s still some left. By the way the bonus benefits of the eye is poison."

    "Thanks Ruz."

    "What will you name all of yer weapons?"

    "If I''m in the heat of battle their names will surely emerge."

    "Heh. Can''t argue with that."

    I put all the items in my inventory. "Sorry for the trouble Ruz but can you make me two items really quick?"

    "Depends. What is it ey?"

    "One Great Hammer and a short dagger. And put the remaining eye on those two."

    "Hmm... I can do it in two hours."

    "Okay we''ll just wait. Its three hours left for the start of the duel anyway."

 Chapter 12 - The Clash

    "Ey sonny. Its done." Ruz pulled out the humongous hammer from his forge. It was a towering hammer. "Why do you need this anyway?"

    "Some creatures cannot be sliced. Pulverizing them might kill them."

    "*nods* I can agree with that. And here''s one dagger. By the way sonny, the hammer with the poison enchant sucks. Find me another one ey? I could make it better. And why did you want only one dagger?"

    "For this." I grabbed the rapier from my inventory. "Having two rapiers interrupt with each other." I didn''t spend all my time in history just learning who died. I got interested in sword fighting too. "Well, thanks for the help. We''ll go the arena now."

    "Take care ey?"

    "Yeah. We will."

    Me and Rize went to the Itz arena. It was packed with people. The deafening cheers of people was heard throughout the arena. There were also some... Nobles? But why? Maybe its to see if we really defeated the Serpent? Nevermind that. We saw the Bladedge party sitting in the corner.

    "Welcome to Itz arena. First of all. We can reduce our numbers to two you know. For equal match up."

    "I told you we don''t need that. I just don''t like people running around their mouths talking shit of me. It could ruin my reputation you know?"

    "Don''t get cocky newbie. You''re just a looter. Secondly. Bets. What can you give us?"

    "This 500 flesh of the Serpent''s." The crowd was silent for a second. Then the cheers grew louder from the stands. They must''ve been scared of the flesh but since they knew its dead they just kept cheering.

    "Ohh..? The obsidian plated party you met were pretty generous huh?" I could see his face sweating but he refused to believe it. "For the Bladedge team we will give you this shard of unstable metal."

    I didn''t know what it was but it seems pretty worth it. "I accept the bet."

    The Bladedge team responded with, "I accept."

    The Bladedge went to the other side of arena while me and Rize stayed here.

    "Are you all ready for the match?!"

    There was an announcer for this match? Well that was reasonable since there are what I think are nobles.

    The cheers continued to grew louder by second.

    "From Bladedge, their leader, Rafael! He is a great swordsman that came from the east! Following him, his brother Rael! It was said Rafael and Rael has such a great combination they are both swordsman! And meet Tas! He is a huge bulky warrior. The vanguard and the guardian of Bladedge! Now here''s the two lovely mages of Bladedge, Lily and Lila! Lily is an attack type mage while Lila is a support type mage!" Every mention of the Bladedge member''s name everyone of them cheered.

    "And now meet... Hey psst." He asked me what our name was. I don''t want to decide what our name will be right now. So...

    "Just say our name."

    "Here''s Zieglind and Rize! Their birthplaces are unknown but they said that they defeated the Elder Serpent!"

    Some people were silent but there were some cheers. Not as much as Bladedge''s though.

    "Here are the rules!!! You are not allowed to kill the opponent but injuring them is okay. A defeat is when someone can''t fight anymore or surrendering. Do both parties agree"

    "The Bladedge accepts."

    "We agree."

    "Then on the count of three the battle will commence!"

    "Three..."

    My heart was pounding on the upcoming clash.

    "Two..."

    I sense that the Bladedge party also feels the same way.

    "One..."

    I hope after all of this is over I could make them work under me.

    "Fight!"

    Me and the Melee warriors of the Bladedge instantly run to the middle of the arena.

    "Rize, stop here. Just keep supporting me from the back."

    "Got it. Archer''s Enhancement!" Rize buffed her own bow.

    The Bladedge team had a good teamwork. They let the tank charge in first then let the two mages stay while the two swordsman follow the tank.

    "Abyssal Enhancement, all weapons in my inventory."

    I jumped through the air without any weapon. Tas, their tank, raised his shield at me. Without knowing that he left himself open Rize shot him on his knee that made Tas kneel on one knee. I summoned my giant hammer from my inventory and smashed Tas'' shield with it.

    "Tas!"

    The Bladedge party showed worry of their ally being injured.

    "I''m fi....ne...." Tas'' shield broke and the aftershock of my hammer hitting him injured his head that made him unconscious. Rize''s arrow that hit his knee weakened his pose so that''s why his defensive stance weakened.

    "No way... Tas was the highest level out of us! He''s level 30!" Lila worriedly spoke.

    "Lila! Heal Tas! Get him out of here!" Rafael, their leader knew that Tas was done.

    Level 30? I''m only level 11. How am I this strong? "System what bonus does this hammer give me?"

    [+500 strength -10% speed]

    Damn... I''m weak but Ruz has good creations. The speed is getting compensated by my skill sprint. So its just -5%. I can only swing this hammer one time. It took a toll on me. This was heavy as hell. I retrieved my hammer back to my inventory and got the Rapier and Dagger.

    "You''ll pay for that!" Rafael angrily told me.

    Their party got aggressive and charged at us with all their might.

    "Arrow Rainfall!" A bunch of arrows suddenly appeared on Bladedge''s team.

    "Guardian!" Casted by Lila. It spawned a huge shield above the arrows.

    "Sorry Zieg. $&#(/��" Rize softly spoke.

    "Don''t worry about it. Just keep supporting me!" I didn''t heard what she said in the last part but I think she''ll be fine. I stopped by the middle and waited for them one by one.

    Rafael and Rael charged at me with their swords. They lunged at me which I dodged by the nick of hair. I thrusted my rapier grazing Rael''s face. Rafael tried to follow up by slicing my face but I blocked it with my off-hand dagger. I retrieved the dagger to my inventory and raised my hand in the air to pull out the greatsword in my inventory. Using the momentum of my hand falling from the air I easily smashed the ground between us three that made those two fall back.

    "Lily and Lila back us up here! Buff us up imme-" He was cut off in his speech. I didn''t notice it either but Rize used her skill Shroud to get around us three and knocked out Lily and Lila.

    "Brother, we have to use our skill Rage!" Rael told Rafael about his plan.

    "Yeah. I know. Let''s use it." A hot steam emerged from Rafael and Rael. Without any skills I realized they got stronger no doubt.

    I retrieved my greatsword and rapier back to my inventory and got my dual wielded curved swords.

    Rafael used his skill, and got behind me really fast. Before he could unsheath his sword I chanted, "DARK ARMOR!" It hardened my body preventing myself from any damages but it threw me a long way. Before I could even get up Rael jumped in the air and attacked me with a vertical slash but I blocked it with my curved swords.

    "Zieg!" Rize shot Rael in the back causing him agony.

    I retrieved both my curved swords and swapped them for my rapier and dagger. And Rael was caught off guard with my exchange so I pierced him in his shoulder and pinned him to the ground. With my strength, I punched Rael so hard he was knocked unconscious. "Hey judges. He''s unconscious. Heal him fast my weapon has poison."

    The men grabbed Rael and rushed him to the clinic in this arena.

    "Hey... Are you mocking us?"

    "I''m not. My weapon has poison. Such a waste if he died."

    "I can see you''re telling the truth. Do you accept my preposition for a one on one duel?"

    He raised his sword slashed the air to the right, raised his sword again flipped it to the side and flipped it again to the front. This was an indication of respect and honest duel between two warriors.

    "Rize stay out of this."

    "Yes, Sir Zieg." Rize lowered her bow.

    I retrieved back my rapier and dagger to my inventory. I grabbed my greatsword. "This is my greatsword. Its name is... Devoratrix. This is what I''ll use to defeat you. I accept your duel invitation."

    We both walked to the middle of the arena. And got ready.

    His foot was on the far side of his front foot. He was looking down on the ground and holding the hilt of his sword that is sheathed.

    I immediately knew of that stance. It was a fast horizontal slice that no one would even notice they were dead.

    I held my greatsword in a high guard stance. "Dark Armor."

    Once he took a step forward we both unleashed our strength.

    I swung my blade overhead lf his but Rafael was simply too fast.

    His sword skill was simply beautiful. He drew his sword so fast I could say that he moved as fast as the light in that millisecond. But all of that was in vain. My armor made by Ruf the armorer and my Dark Armor combined... It broke Rafael''s sword in half.

    Knowing his defeat he knelt down and accepted my blade. I swapped the blade with its back side knocking off Rafael.

 Chapter 13 - Establishing Relationships

    "A VICTORY! A VICTORY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! A COMPLETE WIPEOUT!" The announcer shouted in his microphone. The crowd roared with cheers and the nobles watching stood up from their positions and clapped.

    "We did it Zieg!" Rize happily jumped up and down.

    "We can''t get the unstable thing from them so let''s go back for now."

    "Okay! Can we get something to eat?"

    "Yeah."

    As soon as we got to the exit of the Itz Arena we were greeted by people blocking our way.

    "What do you want?" I intensely glared at them.

    "W... Well... His majesty wishes to meet with you." I could see their nervousness and their sweat running down from their face.

    "What does he or she want with me?"

    "I need to talk to you." The guards blocking me opened up for a path for their king. And he appeared. "I wish to convey my utmost gratidute to what you have done to the serpent. I wish to invite you in my chambers."

    This is it. Finally. I can get a good relationship with this king. By the way he talks to me, he doesn''t boast authority. He is a wise king.

    "I can join you but can Rize come with me?"

    "She''s a Goblin is she not?" When the king spoke those words the bodyguards behind him held their unsheathed weapons. "I don''t mind. She looks harmless since you enslaved her." He noticed my enslavement spell on Rize.

    "I don''t consider her a slave." I put my hand on Rize''s head. "She''s a comrade right now."

    "Hmm... Very well. Guards! Escort us to the castle." As soon as the king approved Rize the guards loosened up their grip on their weapons.

    We walked for a while. The castle was in the middle of the entirety of Itz. We were greeted by several maids lined up perfectly on both sides of the pathway. The castle was shimmering with accessories of gold but looking at the condition of the castle, its pretty old.

    We soon walked in a private room.

    We all sat down on the comfy couch.

    "First of all, my name is Mir Itz II. I want to thank you personally for killing the Serpent. I want to give this to you." He got the sword resting on top of the furnace. By looking at the shape of the sword...

    "Is that a Katana?" I blurted out loud.

    "Oh. So you know about people from the south and you''re quite knowledgeable about them too. Yes. This is a Katana. Its been enhanced by the finest blacksmith in this town. You might''ve met him. Ruz and Ruf. This is their masterpiece."

    "Oh yeah those two. Actually our armor and weapons was by those two."

    "Then this is more fitting to give this to you since you know those two." He gave me the sword.

    "System, analyze."

    [+500 Strength, +50% Speed, -100 Defense. Item buff:

    Bleed, each time you damage the enemy the next slash continues to increase. Every slash increases by 5%. Slash multiplier will reset after 1000% and will deal a critical bonus damage for 200% more. If you hit a different enemy the multiplier will reset.]

    That''s some insane buff. But the conditions for the additional damage is pretty difficult to attain. But the bonus stats are really good.

    "Thank you very much."

    "Its no problem. I have a task set up for you. I need you to keep an eye on the cargo we''re going to send."

    "Hmm..? For what? And this job is easy. You can put it on the guild."

    "You know we are in a great famine right? Ever since the Serpent appeared a month ago all of our trades are getting either stolen or eaten by the Serpent. But just today when we sent our trades to the neighboring town, we didn''t receive any gold nor response to the villagers we sent."

    "Bandits?"

    "No its not Bandits. I sent out large group of forces to the area the villagers were travelling everytime we ship out a trade. Its impossible for a mere bandit party could eliminate experienced fighters."

    What the king is saying is reasonable. There may be someone who lured the Serpent to the woods near this kingdom to have an excuse to steal the trades of Itz.

    "I will accept this quest. Are you in dire need of food right now?"

    "Yes. The rations of our farm is nearly depleted."

    I don''t want to scam him right now for money. I need him to get on good terms with me.

    "I''ll give your kingdom this." I pulled out from my inventory 250 pieces of the Serpent''s flesh. "System, analyze."

    [Serpent''s Flesh x250, poisonous when eaten raw. If cooked, it gives a nice poison resistance buff. Edible when cooked.]

    "As you can see, its edible."

    The king stood of from where he sat and bowed. "Thank you very much sir Ykir." He raised his head. "I wish to buy this from you f-" I cut him off.

    "Take it as my payment for the Katana. Well I think its not enough but please just accept it."

    "I''ll take it. I really appreciate it on behalf of the kingdom of Itz."

    "By the way, King Mir, I want to complete this quest with the team Bladedge."

    "I''ll allow it. But I don''t think the Bladedge will."

    "I''ll find a way."

    "I''ll send you two off your way. Take a good rest. I''ll send the trades tomorrow morning."

    "We will be on time. Thank you very much King Mir."

    We went back to the inn we slept and got a good night''s sleep.

 Chapter 14 - The Kings Quest

    Me and Rize woke up at the morning. We got down at the lounge in the inn and I saw the Bladedge group hanging around.

    "Hey there Bladedge." I greeted them with a smile. I wanted to befriend them rather than be enemies.

    Rael stood up from where he sat and bowed his head down. "I''m really sorry we... No... I doubted you. The king of Itz personally asked us to go here and kill the serpent terrorizing this kingdom. I thought you were just lying to get the rewards and killed off some random serpent in its territory."

    "No, no. Don''t mind it. Please raise your head."

    He met me eye to eye and he said, "Well... The same thing happened to our kingdom not far from here you see. A random guy boasted that he killed a giant Ogre. Well we believed him of course. But after a week from that, the Ogre raided our kingdom. The kingdom''s defenses were breached. Well the Ogre was killed before it could reach the castle but a lot of innocent people died." He was telling no lies. I could see in this young man''s eyes and his way of speaking that he truly regretted doing nothing when a monster was running amok.

    "Sorry about that." I couldn''t say anything but a pitiful sorry.

    "Don''t worry about it. And here''s the unstable metal we promised. We''ll go on our way now."

    The unstable metal glowed in red. Rafael their leader, handed me the metal.

    "Wait, before you leave." I stopped them in their tracks. "Will you join this quest with me?"

    "What quest?" They curiously asked.

    "Well you know that this..." I told them the whole details of the quest.

    "Hmm... Okay what do we get in return?"

    "Ah crap. I forgot to ask the king. Let''s just ask the king after."

    Rafael showed hesitation but since he wasted his trip here since the serpent died he accepted the quest. "Okay. Let''s do it."

    The time for the quest began and both the Bladedge party, me and Rize went to the pathway the caravan were taking.

    The caravan finally started moving towards the neighboring kingdom.

    "Rize, use your magnifying skill."

    Rize nodded at chanted, "Archer''s Eye!"

    "Keep a close eye on them. The Bladedge party, do the same. Rael and Rafael, go behind those trees and slowly follow. For Tas and the two mages, follow Rize. I''ll follow you from the back for unsuspecting enemies."

    All of them nodded and got into position.

    Once we got into the 30 minute mark of the travel with the caravan, monsters appeared. The three bodyguards of the caravan held their swords but the villagers told them to lower it.

    "Let''s go Zieg!"

    "No." I stopped them before they could move. "Something is wrong here."

    I saw one of the goblins chanting something.

    "Shit. Everyone run to the opposite direction!"

    "Why?" Rafael asked.

    "Just do it!"

    We all ran to the opposite direction of where the caravan was going. The goblin''s chant ended and a the area around the goblin illuminated.

    "Zieg, what was that?"

    "That''s a detection skill. It detects living beings around the caster in a 100 meter radius. If we were spotted we would''ve been swarmed."

    "What do you mean by that?" Lily, the mage asked.

    "Look at the monster and the villagers riding the caravan. They are talking to each other. They''re accomplices."

    "What should we do?" Tas, their tank asked.

    "Let''s follow them for now."

    Everyone agreed.

    We got deep into the forest until we saw a garden...? It was just a bed of flowers. The bodyguards was worried of what was happening.

    The goblins chanted something again.

    "Sir, I might ask, what are these goblins doing and what are they to you?" One of the bodyguard asked the villagers.

    "Just wait. We''ll leave soon." One of the villagers told them.

    It was a long chant for about 20 seconds then their staffs was redirected to the bodyguards. It was the skill root.

    "What is this?!" All of the guards tried to get out of the root spell by tilting and rotating their bodies. "What''s happening?!"

    "Kekeke." The villager laughed evilly. "God! I came to bring you sacrifices!" The bed of flowers that surrounded them was tainted by black and the beautiful flowers transformed into disgusting buds that have teeths. But the most surprising of all is the humongous bud that suddenly grew as big as the elder serpent.

    The Bladedge team beside me grew scared of the thing that was about to eat the bodyguards.

    "Hey!" I shouted at a voice wherein the villagers can''t hear. "Snap out of it. This is the reason why the kingdom of Itz is in famine right now! Do you want more people to die?"

    They wiped off the sweat that was pouring from their faces. "No. Absolutely not." Rafael replied.

    "How about the rest of you? Rael, Tas, Lily, Lila?"

    They all nodded to each other and said, "No!"

    "Rize?"

    "I''ll follow you wherever Zieg."

    "Then follow my lead. Lily, Lila and Rize. Stay here. Lila, prioritize healing Tas. Lily and Rize, unleash everything you have to the small buds. We should all kill the small buds first before the big one. Rafael and Rael, kill the small buds too. Tas, you and me we''ll charge to the large bud. We''ll hold off its attacks so that they can kill the small buds first. Got it?"

    "Yes." All of them replied.

    "Let''s go!"

    Rafael and Rael are attacking the small buda while Tas and Me immediately ran to the buds that are about to eat the bodyguards.

    Lily and Rize supported Rael and Rafael from killing all the small buds.

    "What is happening?!" The villagers were startled by our visit.

    "Tas! Go in front!"

    "Got it!" Tas got in front of the bodyguards to prevent the large bud from eating them.

    I jumped above Tas and used the same move that defeated him. I grabbed my hammer from my inventory and smashed the head of the large bud.

    "Skrieeeee!!!"

    "Zieglind! All of the small buds are killed!" Rafael shouted.

    "Okay let''s kill this gian-..." I was cut off in my speech because of the movement of the bud.

    The giant bud moved so fast I didn''t notice that it ate the bodyguards behind Tas.

    As soon as I saw Tas buckled from his position near the giant bud I shouted, "TAS! GET OUT OF THERE!"

 Chapter 15 - Plant?

    Rafael used his fastest skill, "FLASH!" He instantly bumped into Tas and they was thrown back about 2 meters but Tas dropped his shield.

    "Are you okay Tas?" Rafael worriedly asked.

    "Yeah I''m fine... But my shield..." Tas was practically useless right now without his shield. He can still use his shortsword but we lost a tank.

    "Get back for now!" I ordered them all and they all followed.

    We all got back to where we were hiding earlier. The plant didn''t move it only stayed in one spot.

    "We can kill it if we just stay here." Lily suggested.

    "Let''s try. Rize, Lily open fire!"

    They both attacked with all they''ve got but the large plant deflected it.

    "Crap. We need to get near huh? Inventory." I pulled out my greatshield in my inventory. "Tas, use this. Same tactic. Rush. We support. Got it?" I handed the greatshield to Tas.

    "Oop." Tas took the greatshield from my hand. "Damn. This is heavy."

    "Can you use it?"

    "Yep. Thanks."

    "No problem. Now, everyone except for Rize, Lila and Lily, let''s go!"

    While Tas was charging with my greatshield, the mysterious plant launched some seeds onto the ground. Those seeds turned into mini plants that shoots projectiles.

    "Rize, Lila and Lily! Focus on the small plants!" I explained to them.

    Those three nodded and started casting spells and are shooting arrows.

    The huge plant attacked Tas but my greatshield prevented any damage. I used this opening to pull out the Katana in my inventory and slashed one out of three of its head.

    "Got it!"

    I retreated and Tas did too.

    The plant grew angrier and one of the buds ate its own and the two merged. The plant grew larger as tall as the serpent I previously fought. The plant once again shot out seeds to the ground. But the plants this time was half the size of its previous form. Its as tall as me.

    The plant focused its attacks on me. The projectiles it shot was not little round pebbles anymore. It resembled a spike that pierces through everything.

    "Rafael, Rael! Go behind its back and assassinate it!"

    "Got it!" They answered in unison.

    I tried to keep the giant plant in bay since its focused on me.

    "ARGHHH!" Tas shouted out of nowhere but the giant plant drew its attention at Tas. The spikes of projectiles were no longer directed at me.

    "Nice Taunt Tas!" I exclaimed. "Great Heal!" Everyone in my vicinity regained their health.

    Rize, Lily and Lila wasn''t healed since they are so far away. They are having a tough time killing the medium sized plants.

    "Lila! Stop casting the barrier skill on Tas! My greatshield can handle it pretty well! Don''t waste mana!"

    With that, Lila stopped casting barrier on Tas and focused on buffing Rize and Lily''s firepower.

    While those three are supporting as from the backline, Rafael and Rael were waiting for my orders to execute this giant plant.

    "Tas! Use the taunt skill again. This time lure it near those two!"

    Tas shouted a large battlecry that taunted the giant plant more. Me and him ran at full speed to where Rafael and Rael were. Once we got to the vantage point I signalled those two to execute the plan.

    "Go!"

    The two unleashed their stronfest attack. Rafael used his fastest and most powerful skill. A horizontal slash that cut the stem connecting the head of the plant. Rael took a huge swing so powerful, he spun in the air splitting the head of the plant in half.

    When it died, the corrupted terrain on where we were starting grew back to its normal green and dirty color. And the medium sized plants died too.

    "We... We did it!" Rafael cheered.

    "Yeah... That was exhausting." I replied.

    "You are a great commander you know that?" Tas playfully said.

    "Yeah I can agree with that." "Yep!" "Zieglind is really good!" "I agree too." Rael, Lily, Rize and Lila exclaimed.

    "You give me too much cre-" I was cut off in my speech as I saw the dead plant shone in yellow. "EVERYONE, GET OUT!"

    *BOOM!*

    I forcefully grabbed the greatshield from Tas, moved infront of them and shielded them from the explosion of the plant.

    Due to the powerful shockwave emitted by the explosion, I was thrown back.

    My ears were ringing, my eyes were blurry and I could barely hear anything.

    "Zi....lind!"

    Ah crap. I''m losing consciousness.

 Chapter 16 - Nobility

    "Hey you, you''re finally awake."

    "Huh?" I got up from my bed...? "Where am I?" I asked Rafael in the corner of the room.

    "You''re inside the castle. This goblin of yours wouldn''t leave your side since yesterday."

    "Yesterday? Oh yeah, what happened? We got back safe?"

    "Yep. You''re pretty damn heavy you know that?"

    "Haha. Did you explain to the king yet what happened?"

    "No. You''re the one who accepted this quest so you''ll be the one doing the explanation."

    "Touch��."

    I got up from my bed waking up Rize that''s been sleeping on my side while she''s sitting on the floor.

    "Hngrr?"

    "Hey Rize."

    "Are you alright now Zieg?"

    "Yeah I''m fine. I''m going to go explain to the king now what happened." I gave her a pat on the head. I then looked towards Rafael, "Come with me. You''ll be the representative of your group Bladedge."

    "Got it. I''m going to explain it to others. Just talk to me when you''re ready. And get dressed. You''re half naked."

    "Ah...hahaha."

    I got up and asked Rize to leave the room.

    "Hmm? I leveled up to 15 huh? I forgot to claim the rewards. System, claim level 10 and level 15."

    [Level 10 Reward]

    [Portal Key, go near to any eliminated dungeon and it''ll be reset and the monsters will be twice as strong.]

    "This is good for leveling. Nice. Claim."

    [Level 15 Reward]

    [Choose a blessing.]

    [Five Leaf Clover]

    Increase your luck by a 100%, disabled if life is below 90%.

    [Charismatic]

    Increase your likeability of others by 100%. Enabled only if life is equal to or greater than 40%.

    [Demonic Aura]

    Due to this aura that emits the as the monsters, more enemies will be lured towards you. Can be disabled anytime.

    "Hmm... I don''t need luck. Demonic Aura might be good for leveling but the portal key is sufficient. I''ll get Charismatic blessing. Might be good for establishing relationships with kings and princesses."

    I got up and wore my armor. I went through the halls of the castle and met with Rafael first.

    "You ready?"

    "Yeah. Let''s go Zieglind."

    We went to the chambers of the king.

    "Ah... Greetings Zieglind and Rafael of Bladedge. Take a seat. I see that you all were wounded. What happened at the forest exactly?"

    "Getting to the point already huh?" I gave Rafael a strike from my elbow. "Ugh."

    We sat down on the couch and explained the situation.

    "Well... Your caravan leader was sending in humans to be fed on a plant."

    "I see..."

    "You seem calm about this king." Rafael exclaimed.

    "Well. No need to lose my sanity here. By the way, where''s the location? I''ll send some personnel there."

    "Ah about that. We already took care of it. The bodyguards near the caravan were eaten by the plant so we couldn''t save them."

    "Ah... Really? You''ve done a real favor for the Itz kingdom. How about the caravan leader?"

    "He too was devoured."

    "That''s good. I just hope something like this doesn''t happen again." The king stood up and ordered his bodyguards. "Bring those in."

    The bodyguards standing behind us got out of the room and went back in with a container holding two pouches. And two amulets.

    "Please take this you two." The king handed us the pouches and Rafael and me got the amulet. "That pouch holds 1000 gold. My apologies I can''t give you more than that. I wish I could but the remaining funds will be feeding the people in this country."

    "No don''t be sorry. Its okay. This is plenty for us. Right Rafael?"

    "Wow... Oh uh yeah." Rafael awkwardly agreed.

    "Thank you gentlemen. And also that amulet boosts your strength." The king explained.

    "System, analyze."

    [Breaker Amulet, +50 strength for each level.]

    "So... +50 strength. If I''m level 15... +750 strength?!"

    "Wow. I''m level 35 and this gives... Wait... What did you say Zieglind? Are you LEVEL 15?!" Rafael shouted loudly.

    "Huh? Yeah."

    "How did you beat us then? We''re a party consisting of level 35+, Lila being the lowest, level 31."

    "I don''t know. Ruf and Ruz makes good weapons and armor."

    "Hmm... That might be it."

    Due to our bickering we forgot we were infront of the king.

    "Oh uhh... My apologies king."

    "Don''t worry Zieglind. Its okay. I have another request. Please kneel here of me."

    "Huh? Umm okay."

    I went ahead and kneeled. The king pulled out a sword and used it to tap both of my shoulders.

    "I hereby grant you the the title of Knight, a symbol of nobility."

    "Thank you so much king."

    "Don''t worry about it. Same for you too Rafael come here."

    Rafael got his title of Knight too.

    After all the formalities, our meeting ended. We went outside the castle with Rize and the Bladedge group.

    The skies were orange as the sun sets down. The light breeze enveloping our bodies. This world was so much fun than I ever expected. I didn''t know what to do next so...

    "So... Where are you going now?" I asked the Bladedge party.

 Chapter 17 - Gathering Allies

    "What... Are we doing now huh?" Rafael put his hand under his chin thinking seriously.

    Seeing as how their teamwork is so good, I can''t pass that up. "Well I have a preposition. I really want to party up with you all."

    "That seems good and all but it seems you two can handle yourselves pretty well."

    "Its helpful to have more allies too you know?"

    "For now we would like to go on and leave. But if we ever meet elsewhere someday then I''ll give you the answer."

    Guess they aren''t ready yet. Well anyway, its good. I need to focus up on leveling anyway.

    "Well. Thanks for everything." I reached out my hand for a handshake.

    "Same here. Goodbye Zieglind and Rize."

    "Oh and Zieglind here''s your shield." Tas suddenly spoke and handed me the shield. "Thanks for this."

    "No problem."

    We shaked hands and bid farewells. We saw them walking off the distance waving goodbyes.

    "Rize, let''s go hunt."

    "Mhm!"

    "Let''s go back to the forest."

    We went back to the forest swarming with goblins.

    We spent all the rest of the day to hunt some goblins. Half of our time was us messing up and killing them. I wanted to turn them into slaves.

    After all that battle, I got about 3 levels. These goblins were giving low exp. Maybe because I''m a higher level now?

    At the end of the day, I caught 20 goblins. 5 Goblin Sages, 10 Goblin Tanks and 5 Speed-Type Goblins. They all evolved into,

    Goblin Sage >>> Goblin Mage

    Goblin Tank >>> Goblin Protectors

    Speed-Type Goblins >>> Goblin Assassins

    They looked like humanoid forms while keeping the green skin and the characteristics of a goblin.

    "Goblins, you all will be called Group Assault. And for you..."

    "Me?" One of the Goblin Mage looked at me as I pointed at him.

    "Yes, you. You''ll be named Grien."

    "Thank you so much Lord!" He bowed sincerely.

    "You''ll be commanding the rest of your team. I expect great things from you."

    "I''ll be sure to live up to your expectations lord!"

    "And by the way. Do your species have builders?"

    "Yes lord."

    "What''s the location in this forest?"

    "South of here my lord."

    "Let''s go."

    We got to the location Grien said. Its not much but there''s a big ogre there. Might be some trouble.

    "Rize and Group Assault, kill any goblins that are not builders."

    Making a slave isn''t easy. It drains a lot of energy.

    "Leave at least 8 builders alive and 2 Goblin Alarms."

    "Got it!"

    We went into the town and wrecked havoc.

    Rize took care of the archers resting in their tall towers. She got a lot of experience killing them I bet.

    Group A is doing okay. They''re level 5 right now so they''re pretty weak.

    The Group A mages used their immobilizing crowd control spells and the assassins and tanks killed them off in a couple of hits.

    I took care of the big ogre. He wasn''t that much but it seems he was high level. I got 2 levels from that.

    [Do you want to get the Level 20 reward?]

    "No not now. Maybe later."

    The raid ended and there were exactly 8 builders and 2 alarms. I used my slave spell on them and they too evolved.

    Goblin Builders >>> Goblin Craftsman

    Goblin Alarms >>> Goblin Watchers

    "Nice. Goblin Builders and Goblin Alarms you''ll be named Group Workshop. And you, you''ll be named Ortov."

    "Me?" One of the Goblin Craftsman asked.

    "Yes. You''ll report to me when I ask something."

    "Thank you lord."

    "Goblin Assassins! Come here."

    They quickly moved from the back to the front.

    "Yes lord?"

    "Run around the plains and find a nice building spot."

    "Will do lord."

    The Goblin Assassins ran around outside of the forest.

    "Group Assault and Rize, wait for the Goblins I sent out. I''ll go back to Itz. It''ll be quick."

    "Okay Zieg."

    "Will do!" The Group Assault exclaimed in unison.

    I went back to Itz and went into Ruz and Ruf''s repective shops and bought some armor and weapons. I went ahead and bought some already made armor. Since there were 50 of them, for the Goblin Mages I bought 5 sets of mage armor and for the tanks I went ahead and bought some heavy armor, for the assassins and alarms I went ahead and got them lightweight armor. For the builders I went ahead and bought the enchanted set of armor that increases their craftsmanship progression. For the weapons, I bought two staffs of healing and three death staffs for the mages. For the assassins, I bought 5 twin blade butterfly sword. Weird name. And also this unlimited throwing knives. Its pretty useless for strong enemies but good enough for low level hunting. For tanks, I bought 5 greatshield and 5 normal sized shield. I also bought 5 Zweihander greatsword for those who are using the normal sized shields and 5 Longsword for the greatshield users.

    It all cost a hefty price of 550 gold. My previously 2098 gold is now 1548.

    I then went into the market inside. I asked if foods rot here but they said it doesn''t and jokingly said only monsters rot. I bought 100 gold worth of food. This can last us a year.

    My remaining gold is now 1448.

    I put all of these in my inventory.

    I left Itz kingdom and went back to where they were earlier. It seems the assassins found a great spot.

    "Lord, we have found a spot for building. Its in that direction."

    "Okay thanks. But first of all equip this."

    I gave all of them some food and all the armor I bought earlier. They seem to like it.

    "Thank you so much lord for letting us creatures wear this armor."

    "No problem. Group Workshop, your time to shine is now."

 Chapter 18 - Progress

    We all went to the location of what my assassins told me. It was south east of Itz. It was about a 3 kilometer distance.

    "Okay Group Workshop, start building a house. Group Assault, get some wood and stones. Use your skills or anything that can cut those trees and destroy those stones. And also, Ortov, do you have a crafting skill?"

    "Yes lord."

    "After they got the materials you need, Ortov pick one of your teammates to craft some simple building materials and tools."

    "Will do lord."

    "Okay start building!"

    All of them did their tasks. Grien''s group, the Group Assault, started to gather materials.

    Ortov started to lay a foundation. He casted a spell called, Blueprint.

    "Wait what?"

    "Is there something wrong my lord?"

    "No... Nothing. Continue on."

    A giant blue 3D model of what they''re building suddenly appeared. It was really like building a 3D model in computers. I guess this is what is supposed to look like after its finished.

    "How long will this be until its completed?"

    "It depends on how long Grien''s team can gather materials. But if we already have everything just a couple of hours. But since we''re waiting this can take a day to craft all the necessary things."

    That''s fast. I guess its a simple wood house but its fast.

    "Okay, Ortov I''ll let you be in charge here of building. I''ll go back to Itz. I need to do something. Rize, stay here also. They are pretty weak right now."

    "Got it Zieg!" Rize exclaimed.

    After a long run to Itz I got there in a couple of minutes. I equipped my dagger that gave me speed boost. I guess equipping different weapons gives different stat boost.

    "Ah. I forgot something."

    I went outside of Itz where no one would see me. "System, claim rewards."

    [Level 20 Reward]

    [Fox]

    Grants your team buffs if Fox is near you. +100 in all stats. If Fox levels up, stat boost will increase. If Fox dies, -1 Day Cooldown-

    [Golem]

    A huge familiar. Grants +400 in defense if near allies in a large vicinity. If Golem is in inventory -100 Speed. Golem''s movement speed is dependent on 30% of the maximum speed of the user. Golem starts out as a normal rock but if leveled up, his body structure will change. If Golem dies, -1 Day Cooldown-

    [Eagle]

    Eagle''s eyesight can be shared with the user or any ally. Can move independently. Has a bonus skill, invisibility. If near allies, Eagle grants the buff, increased dodge chance. If Eagle dies -12 Hour Cooldown-

    This is some good familiars. Eagle might be good for scouting seeing at how it can share its eyesight. I need it for the village. But the Golem is good for labor work. I don''t need the fox for now.

    "I guess I''ll get the golem."

    [Level 20 Rewards claimed. Level 21 and above rewards will be random.]

    The golem spawned beside me. Its as tall as the trees surrounding Itz. Its rocky body is humungous.

    "You''ll be named... Gaia."

    The real name of my previous world. Earth.

    "I have the perfect idea to use you. System, how can I put him in my inventory?"

    [Command is, Return]

    "Return, Gaia."

    Gaia returned to my inventory. I could see his icon in there as just a square with eyes.

    I went back into Itz to find what I need. I first went into Ruz''s shop. I bought his giant axe for Gaia for 20 gold. I then went next to Ruf''s workshop.

    "Hey Ruf can you craft me another armor? About... This size. Gaia, come out."

    Gaia emerged from my inventory. When he stood up he broke Ruf''s roof.

    "By the gods, that''s huge! And also, don''t let him move. I''ll take his measurements."

    Ruf took his measurements carefully.

    "This''ll take about a day. 28 gold for the full armor."

    "Got it." I handed him the gold needed.

    Maybe in the future, I''ll invite Ruz and Ruf to my now village soon kingdom.

    I left him to work and put Gaia back in my inventory.

    I then roamed around Itz and finally found it. The underground dealings.

    I really want to find a strong slave here.

    "Sir, dear sir! Welcome here! Do you want a strong companion?" A random guy approached me.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Oh? Aren''t you mister Zieglind? I watched your battle against the Bladedge. Good fight it is. And what I''m saying is... Do you want more slaves? Your companion Rize is a goblin is she not?"

    "Yeah. Got something?"

    "Well here are the selections. Please what race do you want?"

    "Hmm... Just whatever is good." I didn''t know what race of creatures are living here so I just acted I know it.

    "Then would I interest you in this? Its the race of elves. She''s a great swordsman. She''s level 34."

    Ah. She''s higher than my level. She''s pretty much broken. I tried to ask her something but she didn''t respond. The slaver kicked her cage to force herself to speak. I stopped him from doing that and he apologized sincerely.

    The slave trader saw my hesitation to buy her.

    "And also she''s a..." He whispered something in my ear that I wish I never heard.

    "I... Didn''t need to know that. Haaa..." I facepalmed myself.

    "I''ll take her. Show me more. I''ll pay after I take a look at everything."

    "Okay. Hey you guys! Prepare for her depart. And DON''T. YOU. DO. ANYTHING. TO. HER. Like you did the last time." The slaver angrily spoke.

    I didn''t want to ask what happened the last time.

    The slaver showed me some more slaves. I took interest in that male mage and that female beastwoman.

    "I''ll take those three."

 Chapter 19 - Upgrades

    "Thank you mister. That''ll be 300 gold."

    The slaver then casted a skill that I don''t know but a mark appeared in each of them then suddenly faded.

    I handed him the gold. I only have 1100 gold left in my pocket.

    "Hi there. I''m Zieglind Reysh." I reached out my hand to the three. According to the slaver they''re battlers. The Elf woman is a swordsman, the male was a support mage and this beastwoman was a berserker that transforms.

    "Ah they''re not still ready to talk huh?"

    "Hey you goddamn slaves talk to him!" The slaver raised his hand but I stopped him at the right moment.

    The three flinched at when he raised his hand. So they''ve been really physically abused here.

    "Hey, hey, hey they''re not yours anymore. Don''t hurt them."

    "Ah. Yes. My apologies. Tsk."

    The three looked at each other and started to speak. "Hello... Master..." they said in unison.

    Maybe they spoke because they were scared.

    "Ah hello there. What''s your name?"

    "We don''t have a name... Master." The beastwoman replied.

    "Hmm... Okay I''ll give you a name. For you Elf..."

    I thought hard about it and since they''re stronger than me and will benefit me in the future, I guess I''ll give them my last name.

    "How about, Precia Reysh? Do you like it?"

    "Yes master. I appreciate bestowing name upon us."

    "Ah. Don''t call me master. Feels weird. Just call me Zieg or Zieglind. And for you boy, Zeta Reysh."

    "Thank you sir Zieg." Zeta happily replied."

    "And for you beastwoman, Greta Reysh."

    "I appreciate it." Greta exclaimed.

    "Hey beastwoman show respect!" The slaver suddenly butt in.

    "Hey. I told you. They''re not yours anymore."

    "My apologies." The slaver retreated.

    I saw those three flinch again. I feel so bad for them.

    "I bestow to you three my last name. I hope we''ll get along."

    They are still hesitant to talk to me. I guess I need to open them up more.

    I escorted them outside of the black market and went into Ruz and Ruf''s respective shops again.

    I bought a custom made armor for them which cost me a little bit more.

    For Zeta, I ordered for a custom staff for supports. Since Greta transforms I ask her what her preferred weapon was and she said claws so I ordered one set of claws.

    "Hmm... Then that''ll be all. I won''t order something for you for now Precia. I have something perfect for you."

    The three nodded.

    I went back to the construction of my village and we already finished a single house.

    "Get back Sir Zieglind, we''ll take care of this."

    The three quickly moved in front of me when they saw the goblins working.

    They''re loyal enough to die for my sake when they don''t even have any weapons.

    "Don''t worry about it. This is my village."

    "Huh? This is your village?" Greta asked.

    "Yep. Hey Ortov!"

    Ortov stopped at what he was doing and looked at my way. I waved my hand and he walked towards me.

    "Hi there lord. Are those...?"

    "Ah don''t attack. They''re a friend. Anyway, nice job on finishing that house. And I see that you''ve laid some blueprints all around. Why is that particular house bigger than the blueprints?"

    The three looked at my way. I''m guessing I said something wrong that I don''t know.

    "Ah yes lord. That''s your house. Forgive us but this is the best we could do for now. I wish we had better materials."

    "Don''t worry about it. I appreciate it. Call back Grien''s group and tell them to continue tomorrow. Can you add some extra beds on my house? Enough for 5 people and after that, focus on building some houses for everyone here. And also, here''s some food. Distribute it to everyone. And can any of you cook?"

    "Thank you so much lord. And yes, all the Goblin Craftsmen can cook."

    "Never ceases to amaze me. Go on take a break everyone. And eat for now."

    I saw Rize walking at the distance and coming towards me.

    "Hey Zieg. Who are these?"

    "Ah. The Elf is Precia."

    "Hello."

    "This mage is Zeta."

    "Greetings."

    "And this beastwoman is Greta."

    She did a silent bow.

    "And everyone, this is Rize. Welcome to the family."

    "Family? Did you give them your last name too?" Rize asked.

    "Yep. You are all one of the Reysh family. Now let''s eat."

    The feast was fun. Ortov and his craftsmen cooked a lot and there were cheers everywhere from the goblins. The three was awkwardly sitting in the corner.

    "Hey. What are you doing? Let''s eat."

    They began munching on the food whatever we gave them. They smiled for a bit so that''s a progress. I guess they weren''t given that much food back in the market.

    After the feast was done, the goblins slept outside and tomorrow they''ll continue to build houses for them. Me, Rize, Greta, Zeta and Precia went inside to the house the goblins built for us. They were quick enough to build extra beds for us.

    We all went to sleep and morning came.

    I asked the goblins to build a large bucket with straps. They easily made it in a minute. I summoned Gaia and gave him the Axe I bought and I made him wear the large bucket. I ordered him to cut some trees in the vicinity and drop off the wood near our village. He immediately went ahead and swung his axe and one swing took down three trees. Grien thanked me so that their gathering process is now easier.

    Rize, Greta, Zeta, Precia and me, in other words, the Reysh Family, we went back to Itz to claim the weapons and armor.

    We claimed the armor first.

    Greta''s armor changes when she transforms as Ruf said. I still haven''t seen her transform but its okay.

    Zeta''s armor was a robe imbued with magic. It was a color green robe and a pointy hat.

    Precia''s armor was a full set of red armor. Its like her eyes as I noticed.

    Finally, I claimed Gaia''s armor. It was seriously huge. Its body armor was taller than me.

    We then went to Ruz''s shop and saw the weapons ready.

    The claws for Greta retracts so that she could keep it on whenever she wanted.

    Zeta''s staff was tall as him. But it can shrink and be turned into a staff. Ruz says that it buffs support skills.

    And finally, I gave the Katana the king gave me.

    "Isn''t this...?" Precia''s eyes was locked on to the weapon I intend to give her.

    "Oh my? Is that my work?" Ruz noticed it.

    "Yep. I want to give it to her. This is the Katana of the Itz kingdom forged by Ruz."

    "Thank you very much." Precia hesitantly took it out of my hands. "But why would you give all these to us? I mean we could revolt against you if we all had this power. Or are you doing this so that you''ll give us hope to escape then kill us?"

    "Okay that escalated quickly. But no. This is my proof of allegiance to you not as slaves but as allies."

    I casted the skill Sympathetic Enslavement to overwrite that slaver''s magic on them.

    "Its gone?" The three of them noticed all of their marks vanish on their skin.

    All three of them looked at each other and kneeled in front of me.

    "We''ll not forget this debt master. We''ll vow our lives to you." The three of them said in unison.

    "I told you just call me Zieg or Zieglind. Besides, I need all the help I can get. Let''s go back to the village now. And thanks Ruz for everything."

    We bid our farewells to Ruz and we all head back to our village.

    I then saw all of my goblins fighting some humans.

    "Crap... Raiders already? Reysh Family, defend the village at all costs!"

 Chapter 20 - Raiders

    "Damn. They are hanging in there barely with the defense boost of my golem. Greta, transform now! And for the rest of you, I grant permission to battle!"

    I see Grien and his team fighting off but they are badly wounded. Ortov and his team are hiding in back of one of the houses they built. They must not have any combat experience nor skills to protect.

    Greta shouted a big roar that startled some of the looters in the distance. Greta''s body grew larger. She became a giant werewolf with her black fur that covered her body. She became enraged and immediately rushed to the aid of the goblins.

    We followed Greta from behind and we finally reached the battlefield.

    There were about 30 people here that are trying to raid my village. The goblins are badly wounded and hanging by a thread because of the healer mages and the defense buff of my Gaia.

    "Zeta! Use heal!"

    Zeta immediately casted an area of effect heal the barely saved some of the lives of the goblin.

    Precia joined the skirmish and used her Katana.

    "Shadow Steps." Precia casted her skill and she became ethereal. None of the looters attacks can reach her and she already killed 3 of them.

    "Damn! What are we gon do boss?" One of the looters asked.

    "I don''t freaking know! Look at their equipment. They should be rich! Just continue." I assume the leader of the group replied.

    Rize casted her spell and a flurry of arrows came raining down from the sky.

    Greta used her increased speed to go in her preferred range faster and dice them up using her claws.

    Zeta retracted his weapon so that it turned into a staff. He uses it to protect the other goblins being attacked.

    Precia''s buff ran out but she can still fight back. She moved quickly and whenever she got near to someone they''ll be cut in half.

    Gaia joined in the fight and swung his axe. It instantly killed 8 of them in one swing.

    "We''ll prove ourselves useful too!" The Assault Group stood up as they were finished healing. Grien and his mages used their immobilizing crowd control spell to root some of the looters. The protectors rushed up and used their shield to bash the raiders. The assassins used their vanishing presence to get behind some of them and kill them in a quick strike.

    "Goddamn it! Retreat!" The leader of the looters ordered.

    "No you won''t!" Rize shot him on his shoulder.

    "Aghhh!" The leader was in pain.

    I went ahead and questioned him on why he was attacking us.

    "I don''t give a crap about you. My boss will be coming for you."

    "Trying to avoid the question huh? Goodbye then." A quick use of my dagger killed him painlessly in a second.

    "Yes boss that''s them!" A voice in the distance was heard. They walked up to us and that was one of the previous raiders that escaped. And the one beside of him was a bulking man with strong muscles and a huge sword on his back. "Oh my god! Brother!" The looter saw his old comrade dead.

    The huge man walked in front of me. I couldn''t help but notice the floating triangle on his head.

    "You can see this?" He asked.

    "Yeah what is that?"

    "Haha. HAHAHAHA. FINALLY." He laughed maniacally.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Nothing, nothing. My name is Tark. Just Tark. I challenge you to a duel."

    "What''s in it for me?"

    "Wait Zieglind." Precia stopped me. "Don''t you notice? He''s at least a level 50. Let us handle him."

    "Nah. I didn''t get to participate earlier. Besides, I need to test something."

    "Anyway, if you win, I''ll give you my precious item. But if I win, I''ll take everything here including your village and your women." Tark creepily smiled.

    "I accept."

    "Zieglind!" Precia shouted.

    "Don''t worry."

    "Then take this." She handed me the Katana I gave her.

    "I told you. That''s already yours. I can do well here. This is your first time watching me fight right? Savor it."

    I put Gaia in my inventory. I combined him with the armor Ruf made. It seems it can equip items when its in my inventory. I removed his axe and swapped it for my giant hammer.

    All of them cleared out an area. Ortov and his team went outside of their houses to watch the duel. I asked Grien to start the fight.

    "Are you ready?" Tark asked.

    "Yep. Ready when you are."

    "Fight!" Grien commanded.

    I pulled out Gaia from my inventory and summoned him.

    "Hey ain''t that cheating?" Tark asked.

    "I summoned it."

    "Whatever you say."

    I pulled out Devoratrix from my inventory.

    Gaia smashed his hammer on the ground. It created a large shockwave and it sent a lot of the ground flying.

    Tark avoided most of it but he was pretty slow.

    I rushed in and swung my blade. He blocked it with his own sword. I then pulled out the dagger from my inventory and one hand my Devoratrix and then the dagger pierced through his skin.

    "What a dirty move." Tark said with an annoyed face.

    He wasn''t fazed at all from that shallow wound. He begun counter attacking.

    "Protection, Heal, Enrage." Tark casted three buffs that recovered his health and boosted his stats.

    "Abyssal Enhancement." I buffed Devoratrix and every weapon in my inventory.

    Tark charged in, "Demonic Swing!"

    I dodged it by the nick of hair but that swing sliced through most of the trees behind me.

    He continued his attacks. "Demonic Barrage!"

    A flurry of attacks went my way. I pulled out Devoratrix and my dagger to get the greatshield from my inventory. I blocked most of it but I was blown away by his hits.

    I took back greatshield and pulled out both of my twin curved swords.

    I attacked him in an X pattern downward and upward. Then a vertical slash combined with a thrust of my weapon.

    "Agh!" Tark''s eyes grew redder every minute. It must be from his buff enrage. I took out a chunk of his health and his body was bleeding from the wound I gave him.

    I took back my curved swords and swapped it for my rapier and dagger.

    I thrusted with all my might and I pierced through his thick skin on his shoulder.

    But Tark took advantage of it and tightened his muscles. He raised his sword and swung at me.

    "DARK ARMOR!"

    *ting!*

    The clash of metals was heard ringing. I put back my rapier and dagger back in my inventory and swapped back to curved swords.

    Even though my dark armor negated much of the damage, I was bleeding on my sides. Enough for me to falter down.

    "Zieglind!" All of the spectators shouted.

 Chapter 21 - The Player

    "Damn you''re strong. Who are you?" My body aches and my sides are bleeding.

    "Ah... You''re a beginner aren''t you?"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "You see this arrow in my head? That means we''re the same."

    "Do you mean..."

    "Yes. I''M A PLAYER."

    This is my first time encountering a player in this world. We all have the same goals of conquering the world for the 10 wishes we were promised.

    "That explains a lot."

    "Enough with the chitchat. Let''s go!" Tark raised his humungous sword and rushed to me.

    "Heal, Great Heal!" With the two casts of my heal my damaged body returned back to normal. I pulled out Devoratrix from my inventory and clashed with Tark.

    *Clang!*

    The sounds of our huge chunk of metal swords resisting each other. Tark is overpowering me by a bit.

    "Damn. I don''t want to use this but... Poison Mist!" A blue wave of purple smoke emerged from my hand. I waved my hand to redirect it to Tark.

    "*cough**cough**cough* What the hell is this?" Tark was kneeling from the ground and coughing up blood. My poison mist is stronger than the Serpent''s so it deals more damage.

    30 seconds. That''s all I need. I need to survive for that long.

    "If I''m going down... I''m taking you with me! Rage, Berserker, Warrior''s Pride, Paladin Armor, Breaker! Get ready Player! Aghhhh!"

    "That''s a lot of spell buffs. Crap."

    Tark rushed again and swung his blade. He is swinging it so fast despite it being so big and heavy. I can''t block any of it. Every time I try to block with my Devoratrix I get blown away by an inch. And my whole body is aching with every clash.

    I pulled out Devoratrix and quickly swapped with my greatshield.

    I can barely take the damage from Tark.

    Tark tried to hit me over the shield and stab me.

    "SPRINT!"

    I retreated backwards in a quick second.

    [Sprint leveled up to Level 3]

    "*cough* *cough*" Tark started bleeding out from his mouth. "Not... Yet... WARRIOR''S LAST STAND!" Tark''s body glowed in red and a magical circle formed under him. Then it rose enveloping his body.

    "System what skill is that?"

    [Warrior''s starting skill. If life is reduced by 10% become invulnerable for 30 seconds.]

    "30 seconds! That''s an insane amount of time. I guess I just need to hold out again."

    Tark raised his sword and smashed it down to my shield. He managed to blow me away about three meters and I landed on the distant tree behind us.

    "What? *cough*" I started coughing blood. "He got stronger too?"

    Tark lost his mind and began swinging his sword everywhere.

    I rushed back to Tark using sprint. My family and goblins might be in danger.

    Tark looked at my way and jumped through the air and spun around one time and smashed his sword down to the ground. The ground was broken and a lot of debris came flying out in all directions.

    "Dark Armor!" I blocked it barely using my greatshield and dark armor.

    As time passes, Tark''s body had a red aura of light in his body. It also makes him stronger every second.

    A flurry of attacks from Tark is pushing me back a lot even with my greatshield and dark armor.

    He swung it to the left and right back and forth like a madman and he grows stronger every single swing

    "AGHHHHH!" Tark''s invulnerability ran out. "Not yet."

    Tark swung his sword for the last time.

    *clang...*

    A silent sound resonated from my shield and Tark''s sword. He finally ran out of steam.

    Tark finally died.

    "Congratulations Zieglind!" Rize, Reysh, Zeta, Greta and Precia chanted.

    "We agree lord!" The goblins too joined in.

    "Haa... Sorry for displaying such cowardice. I just held out until the poison got to him."

    "No don''t be. You did a good fight Zieglind considering he was level 50 or more."

    "Mhm!" The others agreed in unison.

    Haa... That was exhausting. Players are dangerous people that roam around in this planet. And there are about a million of us? This is a lot to take in.

    I looked at my greatshield and felt proud that it lasted so long. "I''ll name this Greatshield.... Defender." Yep. I''m bad at names.

    I sat down and took a look at my status and... I got 16 additional levels. "Wait what?"

    [If a Player vs Player happened and the other one was killed, 30% of his level will be given to the winner. In this case, Tark was level 53 and the 30% of his level is 16.]

    [Do you want to get the Level 25, 27, 30 and 35 rewards?]

    "Claim all."

    [Level 25 Reward, allows you to wear any weapon and all stats distributed for strength, magic and accuracy stats will change depending on the weapon holding.]

    [Level 27 Reward, upgraded Skill Devourer to the max level. Can now get any number of skills and any rarity of skills]

    [Level 30 Reward]

    [Fox]

    [Eagle]

    [Wisp]

    Gradually heals a large area for about 0.5% of their health per second. Wisp is ethereal. Cannot die except if owner dies.

    [Level 35 Reward, the Bottomless Box. Can put anything in this box. If food is in here it doesn''t rot. If living beings are in here, -50 Speed and the living being inside will be put to sleep. Cannot be used in combat and will be disabled.]

    "I''ll get the Wisp familiar. These are a lot of items in one go. And finally, I can use mage skills." I looked over to Tark''s dead body. "Devour."

 Chapter 22 - New Skills

    [Rage]

    [Paladin Armor]

    [Breaker]

    [Lowers the durability of items. Prone to breaking in exhange for stats. Armor, +200 speed. Physical weapons, +200 strength. Magical weapons, +200 magic. Status boost increases everytime the durability of the weapon decreases. The increase per lower durability is +50.]

    [Warrior''s Last Stand]

    [Become invulnerable for a short time. If life is 90% or higher, become invulnerable for 10 seconds. 60% or lower for 20 seconds. 30% or lower for 30 seconds. 1% for one minute.]

    [Strength Boost]

    [Adds a certain amount of strength for a short period of time. Strength +200]

    [Warrior''s Pride]

    [Cannot be crowd controlled. Passive. Can be turned on and off.]

    [Berserker]

    [Loses sanity in exhange of status boost. 90% HP, +100 All Status. Status boost increases every -10% of HP by +100.]

    [Telepathy]

    [Transfers knowledge. Too much information might break the receiver.]

    "Why did he have telepathy? Seems like a mage skill. Okay system. I''ll take all."

    [Leveled up Rage to Level 2]

    [Gained skill Paladin Armor]

    [Paladin Armor and Dark Armor and combining...]

    [Renamed to Unholy Armor. Damage from undead and hollow using Unholy Armor are now greatly reduced to 60%]

    [Gained skill Breaker]

    [Gained skill Warrior''s Last Stand]

    [Skill adjusting to Abyssal class...]

    [Renamed to Last Stand]

    [Gained skill Strength Boost]

    [Gained skill Warrior''s Pride]

    [Skill adjusting to Abyssal class...]

    [Renamed to Unstoppable]

    [Gained skill Berserker]

    [Gained skill Telepathy]

    Nice! I got to level 36 and I got a bunch of new skills. But... If leveling is just going to be thos easy... That means there will be a lot of PK''ers to this world. Which will be difficult if people stockpiled the levels to insane amounts.

    I heard Zeta, Greta, Rize and Precia, "Nice fight Zieglind!" "I agree." "Well done Sir Zieglind!" "Mhm!"

    "I''m going to try something. Greta come here."

    "Yes." Greta walked up to me and kneeled.

    I wanted to stop her but no need.

    "Telepathy, pass Strength Boost."

    "Ugh!" Greta groaned.

    Lots of information flew from my head and swirled around. I could feel the thoughts and the details of the skill flowing down my body. When the feeling inside of me reached my hand, it emitted a bright light and passed on to Grega.

    "Wha... This information..."

    [Passed Strength Boost to Greta]

    Greta''s eyes changed as if an error in a computer. It all reverted back when the process is complete.

    "Greta are you okay?"

    "Yes. But... What is this you gave me?"

    "Unequip your claws."

    "Yes." Greta unequipped her claws.

    "Use that thing I gave you and punch the tree."

    Greta chanted strength boost. A red aura flowed from her hands. Then she raised her hand and punched the tree.

    *bang!*

    A loud explosion erupted from her hands that made contact with the tree.

    "Well done Greta. I passed you one of the skills I have. Use it well."

    "Thank you Zieglind." Greta tried to kneel again but I stopped her.

    I don''t really want to treat them as slaves but a part of my growing family.

    "How do you feel?"

    "Kind of exhausted." Greta sat down on the grass.

    "Must be the side effects of the Telepathy. Hmm... Now come here Zeta."

    I gave Zeta Paladin Armor. It seems I can''t send combined nor higher tier spells for now. I gave Rize Strength Boost. Finally, I gave Precia Last Stand.

    "I''ll give you more skills to use after I get more. It seems the Telepathy took a toll on your mental state. Ortov, go to your respective houses. Just continue building it all tomorrow. Same for you too Grien."

    "Thank you sir." Ortov then ordered all of his goblins to come home and sleep. And so did Grien''s team.

    "Come now everyone. Let''s go to sleep."

    I guided the four to our house and laid them down to bed. It seems telepathy is so taxing to their bodies. So that means I can only do it once per day and help them recover.

    "Come out Wisp."

    A red light emerged by my side. Its wisp. It heals me for a fraction of health in a large vicinity.

    "Wisp, you''ll be named La from now on. I command you too go around houses starting from here to heal all of them."

    La danced around emphasizing she knew the command and got on healing us, the Reysh Family first.

    "Welp. Time to sleep."

    I slept under the shade of the night until morning came.

    I ordered Grien and his team to go outside and meet me there.

    "Okay. Grien. As you saw from yesterday, you still can''t defend yourselves."

    "As I regret to say it lord, yes. We are still weak." Grien grasped his fist.

    "Don''t worry about it. I have a task for you. You will be accompanied with Gaia here."

    I pulled out Gaia from my inventory and swapped his hammer to the axe he used previously.

    "You have three tasks. One, gather resources. Two, capture some goblin builders. Ask Grien to make a cage. Three, kill anyone that isn''t a goblin builder. If you find a goblin that is pretty rare in your kind, capture it. Got it? This is a task for you all to level up equally."

    "Yes. Thank you for giving us a chance to prove ourselves my lord."

    "Good. Now for you Gaia, protect them. Us Reyshs will go to a dungeon. Take care Grien and everyone of you. Tell Ortov and his goblins too."

    I went back inside the house and found them all sleeping.

    I let some time pass by. This is Zeta, Greta and Precia''s first day so I wanted them to rest.

    They all woke up at the same time when they heard Ortov finally started building outside.

    "Good morning."

    "Ah. Good morning Zieglind." Each one of them said in a sleepy way.

    "Rize sorry to ask this since you just woke up but, do you know any dungeons nearby?"

    "Huh? Ah..." Rize yawned. "Yeah. Its not far from here."

    "Okay. Pack up. You all need to level up."

    "Got it!" All of them energetically got ready.

 Chapter 23 - Dungeon Depths

    We went to the dungeon Rize talked about. We encountered 3 goblin encampments. I alarmed Grien''s party to take over them and capture most of them. We snuck behind the encampments and found the entrance of the dungeon.

    The dungeon entrance was huge. Plants were hanging from its top and a lot of rubble laid outside of it. It looks like an abandoned mine.

    "You sure this is it Rize?" I asked.

    "Yep!"

    "Okay. Let''s go in."

    We went in and I summoned La to illuminate our surroundings.

    We went about 5 minutes of exploring the dungeon and we finally found some monsters.

    They were big red ogres joined with a pack of goblins.

    "Zeta, Rize, support them. Greta and Precia, wreck havoc."

    "Got it!" They exclaimed.

    Zeta casted buffs on all of us. Mostly defense buffs and strength buffs. It increased about 20% of our defense and strength. Greta entered her battle mode in which she transformed. She got ready and equipped her claws. Precia also chanted something on her katana. It was enveloped in a swirling color of red. Rize casted an enchantment on her bow and launched a surprise attack on the enemies using her barrage of arrows.

    "Now!" I ordered.

    Now that the ogres and goblins are in disarray, Greta rushed in and swiped her claws in an X formation and diced up several goblins. Precia sliced them all with one swing of her Katana. Rize continued giving ranged support in the back while Zeta is standing in the back channeling a healing spell that heals us gradually.

    With quick work, everyone of them leveled up a bit.

    "Zeta, what was that skill?"

    "Oh uh. Its a channeling spell that heals allies in a large area. It drains a lot of mana though."

    "Okay. Good job everyone. Let''s continue going down farther."

    We all went down deeper in the dungeon and different creatures emerged every time we went 10 meters down.

    First, we met some lizardmen. They were all in an armor and all of them were using spears as main weapons. They weren''t that strong but they swarmed us in a matter of seconds. Reminds me of zergs in a game in my previous life. Lizardmen used their trusty shields to block our blows and pierce with their spears. Basically, attacking while blocking.

    We had a rough time dealing with them. But Greta managed to save us all. She asked us to cover our ears so we did. Greta shouted a skill that can be heard outside of the dungeon since even though we covered our ears her voice was insanely powerful.

    The lizardmen ran in different directions. Zeta took a quick action and began channeling another spell that roots enemies in a large area. He rooted most of the lizardmen that were running. Rize took care of the lizardmen that managed to escape Zeta''s root.

    The lizardmen still raised their shields and weapons but Greta and Precia took care of it.

    I was amazed by their teamwork. I didn''t even do anything.

    We then found a safe place to rest. I used La to heal everyone. I then asked Zeta to set up a fire. I then pulled out some food in my inventory.

    We rested for 30 minutes and continued our journey to the depths of the dungeon.

    We met some fierce monsters like some serpents, poisonous rats and some corrupted plants.

    We are finally at the 250 meter depth of the dungeon and we saw some people in cages. Well... Not people. More like beastmen like Greta.

    "Father, Mother?" Greta had tears in her eyes when she noticed her parents in their cages.

    Greta rushed immediately to their aid.

    "WAIT GRETA!" Zeta warned Greta. There were traps near the cages. "Barrier!"

    *clang!* *boom!*

    Logs, saws and blades that are swinging from the roof dropped into Greta but Zeta''s barrier protected her.

    I rushed in to Greta and pulled her out where her parents were caged in.

    "Ah ah... I hope that would''ve killed you at least." An unknown voice resonated from behind the cages.

    Greta recognized that face and she instantly turned into a beast form again.

    "Oh? A beastwoman?"

    "Who are you?" I asked the mysterious figure.

    "Ah my apologies. I''m Fredo. A shaman."

    "Zieglind... No. Lord Zieglind. I beg of you to let me handle this one." Greta must''ve some kind of grudge to this guy. "He''s the one that attacked our village. He''s the reason why I became a slave and why my parents are locked up in there."

    "I told you to call me normally. *sigh* Okay. I''ll let you handle this one. Telepathy."

    I passed on to her my skill Last Stand so she could have some survivability.

    "Use it if you''re on a pinch. Be careful. It has a 10 minute cooldown."

    "Thank you very much Zieglind. But I think I can handle one more skill."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes." Her eyes grew fiercer. This battle must meen a lot to her.

    "Telepathy."

    I passed on to her Paladin Armor.

    "Keen Eyes, Status Boost, Double Evasion, Haste. This is all my buffs I have. Use it well."

    "Thank you Zeta." Greta smiled towards Zeta.

    "Hmm... Are you sure? You do know a simple beastwoman can''t beat me."

    "She''s more than enough." Zeta counter spoke.

    "Mhm." Everyone agreed to his statement too.

    "Well then. I shall reward you all for your ignorance! Duplicate."

    Fredo multiplied himself in absurd amount of numbers. Greta wasn''t shocked at all. It seems she already saw his skills.

    "Well?" Fredo boasted his skills.

    We were all silent waiting for Greta and Fredo to make their moves.

    "Healing Totem, Electric Totem."

    More than 20 large pillars sprouted from the ground. It seems his clones can also cast spell.

    Greta grew worried and used her quick mobility to rush in and flailed her weapons to Fredo''s clones.

    Every time Greta slashed one of his clones, its clones health is slowly filling up to maximum health.

    And each time Greta goes near the clones, she is immediately struck by the Electric totems surrounding the area.

    "HAHAHA! You cannot beat me! My master will succeed in his plans!"

    "Tsk. Is that all? Rage, Berserker, Paladin Armor. This is where the fight truly starts. GET READY FREDO!"

 Chapter 24 - Totemic Incantation

    Greta continually lost her sense of self and began attacking the clones of Fredo. She can now one shot clones of Fredo but he can still create multiple clones.

    "Fire Totem." Fredo continued healing his totems and summoning new totems. The combination of the perfect offense and defense.

    Lightning and Fire. Both of these elements gradually hit Greta and the damage is absurdly high.

    "Damn it. I can''t watch anymore." Zeta raised his wand and began chanting a spell.

    "Stop." I commanded.

    "But she''ll die if she continue."

    "Trust her. Just wait a little bit longer."

    Greta inhaled deeply getting ready for something.

    "That is... Zeta, protect the people in the cages. Everyone, cover your ears!"

    "BEAST ROAR!" Greta shouted so loud a powerful shockwave emitted from her mouth killing most of the clones and the totems.

    "AGH!" Fredo''s ears started to bleed and his eyes spurt out tears of blood. Fredo tried to speak. "Lightning Totem, Fire Totem, Healing Totem!" All of the totems erupted from the ground but none of those words he said reached out to his ears. "I... I can''t hear anything! AGHHHHHH! You dare. Hurt me. The King of Totems. Lord Fredo?! AGHHHHHHH! You''ll pay you bastards. Even though I can''t hear, I can still speak!"

    "Shut up." Greta launched herself from the ground and jumped so fast it caught Fredo off guard.

    "Fuah?! Duplicate!" Using the millisecond invulnerability from the duplication spell, he mamaged to dodge Greta''s attack. "Protection Totem, Ability Boost Totem!" More and more totems usurped from the ground.

    When Greta jumped to Fredo, she also aimed for the wall behind him. She rebounded from the momentum and launched herself again to Fredo.

    Using his Duplicate skill, Healing and Protection Totems, he can tank most of the damage Greta is doing.

    While he was tanking her attavks, the lightning and fire totems continued to damage Greta despite her being on the offensive.

    "Take that you lowly beastwoman. You can''t beat me! You''ll be the sacrifice of my master!"

    "Tsk." Greta, her exhausted body, weakened state and her losing her sanity every second took a toll on her body. She''s close to dying.

    "I''m... I''m sorry Zieglind but... I need to intervene." Zeta tried to use his wand again.

    "No. Look at her. Do you really want to stop a woman like her while her objective is right in front of her?"

    "But..." Zeta took a close look at Greta. Even though she was in beast form, he could see her eyes shining like a warrior prepared to die.

    "Don''t worry. She''ll evolve in this fight. Trust me."

    If my theory is correct. The conditions are all set. The question is when will it activate.

    "Beast Roar!" She again used that damaging skill but Zeta protected most of us and the prisoners from the defeaning noise.

    Fredo predicted this and blocked the shockwave using his totems.

    Greta then rushed with her claws. Launching herself from the ground to Fredo. She jumped so fast and then rebound to the nearest surface she could get on. But everytime she did this she would get hit by the totems Fredo set up.

    Greta finally stopped her barrage of attacks. And then a red aura emitted from her body.

    [Your party member, Greta, unlocked a hidden skill. Her skill Rage will now evolve to Hunter. She can now maintain her sanity will using this skill. Her strength will double if she attacks the marked enemy.]

    "What... Is this?" A menu popped up infront of me. I guess I can see the progress of my allies when they get something new.

    "What do you mean Zieglind?" Zeta worriedly asked.

    "Don''t worry. Greta got this."

    Greta''s sanity came back. She was no longer an enraged beast. She looked so calm and analyzed her surroundings. You could say... She''s the calm before the storm.

    "Hunter, mark Fredo." She already knew the skill inside out. Her before aura of red when she used Rage now changed into a calm green color. Fredo had a red circle on his body.

    "What is this?" Fredo looked at the center of his body finding several circles marked. His arms, head, stomach and feet were all marked by the color red.

    "Fredo. I''m going to get revenge for what you did to my village. Its now your time. TO GET HUNTED."

    Even though Fredo cannot hear Greta, his face turned pale when he saw her eyes flickering in red. "No. I cannot die here! I refuse to! I can do so much more... For my master! Aghhh! Totems, full power! Drain all my mana!"

    All of his totems grew larger in range. Especially his barrier and healing totems. His lightning and fire totems, their projectiles are now twice as large as before.

    "Paladin Armor!" Despite Greta''s health being so low, she still took the damage head on. "I''ll remember you forever Fredo. Goodbye." Greta focused all of her power in her feet and launched herself to the air. With quick strikes, she blew away all of the limbs of Fredo.

    Both of his hands and feet, his stomach filled with holes and his head blown away.

    "Im...possible... Mas...ter..." Fredo''s body lay dead in the cold depths of the dungeon.

    "Ugh." Greta coughed out blood.

    "Zeta, cast healing!"

    "Yes!" Zeta casted a channeling healing spell.

    I ordered La to heal Greta and I used heal and great heal to heal her faster

    [Heal and Great Heal leveled up to Level 2. Increased range. Heal can now target up to two people]

    Zeta held Greta in his lap and she was still sleeping.

    "Devour Fredo."

    [Healing, Barrier, Lightning and Fire Totems. Summons a totem but effects differ from each other. All totems are same range. Healing, heals 50% HP per hour, if 1% of health is missing from an allied unit this will activate. Barrier, provides +100 defense and an hourly barrier to all allied units that shields you no requirements. Lightning, a continuous lightning damaging enemies near the totem needs confirmation. Fire, shoots a fireball, needs confirmation. Totems have 3 tiers. Basic Totem, Elite Totem, Tower Totem. Can store mana in a totem to last even if the caster is away. Mana will not be consumed unless the requirements of the activation of totems are met.]

    "Claim all." Its a pretty complicated spell. But it''ll do."

    Greta woke up and immediately got away from Zeta''s lap. She stood up and went over to me.

    "Nice fight Greta."

    "Thank you for giving me the chance to take revenge my lord. May my dead friends rest in peace."

    "I told you to call me normally. *sigh* What are you going to do now?"

    "Huh?" Greta curiously asked.

    "I''ll grant you an out. You could leave peacefully with your parents and live a normal life."

 Chapter 25 - Improving the Town

    "Well... You gave me a reason to fight, gave me a chance to do what I must supposed to do and gave me a chance to live as a normal beastwoman again. I pledge to you that I''ll follow you wherever you go and be with you even if the world turns on you." Greta''s eye shows a flaming desire of loyalty. This fight and having a second chance at life is enough for her as long as she sees her parents are safe.

    Rize, Zeta and Precia showed a shocked face but a happy one. They thought she''d leave but she did not.

    "Okay then. Release everyone here."

    Greta''s eyes was in tears when she freed her parents. A loving embrace and the warmth of her parents calmed her down.

    "Zeta. Heal everyone of them."

    "Got it."

    Zeta casted a heal on every prisoner.

    "I''m sorry sir for my selfishness but, where should we go after we leave this dungeon?" One prisoner asked and a couple of them agreed. "Mhm."

    "You can be a part of my village."

    The prisoners looked at each other with happiness.

    "Okay. Let''s go."

    I gathered every single corpse of lizardmen ogres and goblin. "Harvest." A big pile of harvested meat of all of them appeared. "Put in inventory."

    [You got, Lizardmen Flesh x1000, Ogre Flesh x200, Goblin Flesh x300]

    [Harvest leveled up to Level 2]

    [Harvest leveled up to Level 3]

    "Let''s go back."

    All of them agreed and we walked an hour to get out of the dungeon.

    I thought about soloing this dungeon using the key reward I got but... Not for now. They are all exhausted and we got prisoners.

    When we went back to my village, I could hear the battles of Grien''s group and Gaia in the distance. It seems they are leveling up seriously.

    After a while we walked, we finally arrived.

    "Ugh! Goblins!" "Not now! Help!" All of the prisoners were in shambles when they saw the goblins.

    "Ah don''t worry about it. Ortov!"

    Ortov ran towards me. "Yes, my lord."

    "These are the new residents of our village. Tell Grien''s group and your group to treat them as your neighbors. Never attack them. Got it?"

    "Yes my lord."

    "Also build some houses for them."

    "Got it."

    "Are you sure those goblins won''t attack us?" Greta''s father asked. "We are weak and we cannot protect ourselves."

    "Don''t worry about it father. They are under control by Zieglind." Greta comforted his father.

    "All of these?" Her mother asked. "But... There''s so much here."

    "Yep. He''s amazing isn''t he?"

    "You all must be hungry. Ortov, cook these for me." I pulled out food from my inventory. "Serve everyone some food. Call back Grien and his group too. Tell him to take a break. And for you all, I need to go alone somewhere. I''ll be back in 30 minutes."

    "Thank you my lord. May your journey be safe."

    "You sure?" Precia asked.

    "Yeah. Just some shopping."

    I left them all to eat peacefully and went back to Itz. I went in to the shop I previously sold some food.

    "Yo."

    "Welcome."

    "Can we go outside? This might be a lot."

    "Let''s just come to the back."

    We went to the back and I laid all of the flesh of goblins ogre and lizardmen.

    "This is all of it."

    "Are those ogre flesh? Wow! Skinning an ogre is insanely difficult. How did you get them?"

    "Secret."

    "Heh. And that''s a lot of lizardmen flesh. How much do you want for all?"

    "30000 gold."

    "What... You must be joking right? Most I can do is 1500 gold."

    I didn''t know the price so I made an insane amount.

    "How about 2100 gold?"

    "1800 gold?"

    "2050?"

    "Hmm..."

    "2000 gold. Final deal." I reached out my hand for a handshake.

    "Okay deal. You are one hell of a guy to make me accept that." He shook my hand.

    Might be of my charisma passive.

    Since I got an additional 800 gold from the idiotic raiders that invaded us and this 2000 gold, I have 3900 gold left in my pocket.

    I went back to my village and see them all still eating. Grien returned with Gaia with a cage on his back.

    "Oh... Nice haul Grien."

    "Ah. Greetings my lord. These are the only goblins we found. Its 22 goblin builders and 5 cartographers. And also. We might be rude to ask but... Can you please tame these wolves for us?" Several wolves were standing behind them enough for them all.

    "Haha. Don''t worry about it. But this cartographer must be nice. Okay. Enslavement."

    Wolves >> Guard Wolves

    Goblin Builders >> Goblin Craftsman

    Goblin Cartographers >> Goblin Deciphers

    Goblin Deciphers? Maybe if I find a valuable artifact that I can''t read. I''ll give it to them.

    "Pass the ownership of Guard Wolves to Grien''s group."

    [Ownership passed.]

    "Goblin Craftsmen, join Ortov''s group. And for you Deciphers... Join Ortov''s group for now. Draw maps in this area. Ortov build a seperate house for these Deciphers complete on what they ask for."

    "Got it." Ortov hurriedly commanded his team to start building.

    "You, I''ll name you... Lim."

    "Thank you lord."

    "Do you know any locations here that has good items?"

    "Well there''s an artifact near our forest. There are about 13 of them. Its a lot yes but the levels required are insanely high."

    "What''s the lowest and the highest?"

    "The lowest would be Level 40 minimum and the highest is Level 90."

    "Oh wow. Okay. I''m going to make some preparations first then I''ll think about if I want to go there."

    I walked up in the middle of our village and casted, "Healing Totem!" A small totem erupted from the ground. "I just need to feed this mana right?" I put my hand near the totem and redirected the mana towards it.

    [Tier 2 Acquired]

    Its just like Fredo''s totem size. Well it seems it will live indefinitely as long as it has mana in it.

    I walked up to each corner of the village and planted two towers each. "Lightning and Fire Totem!" I then redirected my mana towards it and they both reached Tier 2.

    "Set the activation for totems to be confirmed by me, Ortov and Grien."

    [Tier 2 Acquired for all Totems]

    [Lightning and Fire Totems activation can now be activated by Zieglind, Ortov and Grien.]

    "Uhh... Tomorrow I''ll be gone for a while. Precia, Zeta, Greta and Rize, protect this village and help Grien''s team to level up."

    "Are you sure about this?" They asked.

    "Yep. Just for a day."

 Chapter 26 - Artifact Dungeons

    A new day rose and a journey begins. I asked Lam where the locations of the dungeons he asked. He gave me a warning.

    "Lord, even though artifact dungeons are short, there will always be a monster stronger than any of the enemies inside. We don''t know any of the artifacts inside but we do know there are artifacts based on the magical reading we do on the dungeons."

    Is what they said.

    I head over to the first dungeon which the minimum level required is about level 40.

    The entrance of the first dungeon was small but I could feel the threat of the monsters inside.

    I went in the monsters that greeted me... Were skeletons.

    *rattle* *rattle*

    "Damn you all are a lot. Poison Mist."

    [Skeletons are immune to poison]

    "Well. That''s unfair. Time to smash then." I pulled out the hammer and I can finally lift it. "Huryah!" With the swing of my hammer the skeletons were blown away in one hit. I didn''t feel any strain in my body nor any pain. Its finally a usable weapon.

    "Okay. NOW. That''s unfair." The skeletons rebuilt itself from the bones near them. They literally ressurected. And it seems blunt damage won''t do good.

    I pulled out the twin curved swords from my inventory and began slashing every bone I could see.

    *rattle* *rattle*

    "Ah. This is gonna be a long one."

    *Slash* *crack* *rattle* *hiss* the battle was long and tedious. Most of my time was breaking the bones regenerating the skeletons.

    The end was near. With the last skeleton standing, I slashed all of its bones to the point you wouldn''t even know its bones.

    "Finally." I sat down in the ground calming my breathing. "That was so long. *pant* I can''t even get any single EXP every time they revived. That was a waste of time and effort." I stood up and regained my stamina. "Now what''s behind this door?"

    I pushed the door and a black aura passed through the door.

    "HUmAn... LEavE! ThIs ArTifaCT doESn''t bELONG tO yOu! ARgH!" His overwhelming presence engulfed the room in a dark black aura.

    He was massive. He has flesh but its overed in the corpses of the skeletons. His face is peeking out through the skeletons surrounding his massive body. He is covered in a black aura. It looks like my Dark Armor before.

    "Sorry but I need it."

    "YoU. HuMAn. JUst liKe eVeRy liVINg beIng iN thIs pLanET. GREED. GREED. GREED. GREED. GREED. GREED. GREED. YoU AlL aRE thE EMboDiMeNT oF GREED. AGHHH!!!! FiNE tHEn. If YoU sHaLL seEK DeAth, sTeP fOrWard."

    I took a step forward.

    "I sEe. THaT iS wHat YoU chOse. La Da Fa Trey Zi Ta."

    "What is this?" A horde of skeletons spawned below me and took a hold of my feet. They are dragging me down to the ground.

    "PrEPare tO bE dRagGed iN ABYSS!"

    "Sorry about that. But I am abyss itself. Unholy Armor!" A bright light shone upon my body.

    "HOlY ElEmeNT!"

    Then the light turned dark. My unholy armor is half light and half black.

    "HoW cAN iT bE? DArK aNd HoLY, MERGED! ThE iNsolence! Po Re Za Da Ma!"

    "What are you saying?!" When he said those last words, a horde of skeletons appeared again but not on my feet. They were like the skeletons I fought before. It seems it was summoned by this... Giant skeleton.

    I used my twin curved swords and attacked the skeletons. They still revive just like before.

    "Za Da Resh Lo Pat"

    "Now what is it this time?!"

    A red aura glowed from his summoned skeletons. They were faster and stronger.

    I continued slashing and slashing and slashing until the skeletons can''t revive anymore. It seems he can''t spam that summoning spell or it has a long cooldown to it.

    "HnGH! Za Fa Rah Ma Ga!" A giant red magical circle formed above his head and then down to his body. The giant enemy grew smaller and smaller. And then the skeletons surrounding his body exploded in different directions. From his humungous stature of a monster, he turned into a human like form. His skin is brown and the dark aura like my dark armor is surrounding his body. He has two horns on his head and he was laughing maniacally. "Finally. HAHAHA. After sucking all the magic in the vicinity of this forest. I can now regain this form." He raised his hand and swiped it from left to right. When he did that, the area where he moved his hand were left in rubbles and destroyed.

    "Sprint, Berserker, Rage." With my curved swords, I rushed at him and with my full force I slashed.

    He dodged it easily and moved behind me.

    With one chop of his hand I was sent flying through the room on the other side.

    "*Cough* *cough* Heal, Great Heal. One more time! Poison Mist!"

    "Child''s play." He waved his hand the poison mist was swept away by the wind.

    I continued running circles to him. Attacking once, run away, run in circles, attack again. This tactic was safe but my stamina can''t last forever.

    "You bore me." He slapped his hands on my armor and I got blown away by his power.

    I can feel it. My consciousness disconnecting from my body. I''m starting to move but not thinking about it. The rage skill is taking over.

    "Oh? These movements. I see. You abandoned your sanity in exhange for power." He continued speaking even though I was launching a barrage of attacks. "You humans are truly... GREEDY AREN''T YOU?"

    He punched me in the guts and I was launched to the ceiling breaking the ceiling and the terrain above it. But... I can''t feel it anymore.

    The rage finally entered its final stage. I can''t see anything nor hear anything. I''m falling from a deep, dark abyss that goes nowhere.

 Chapter 27 - Afal, The Undead Prince

    "AGHHHHHH!"

    "Disappointing. You''ve succumbed to power."

    With my sanity lost, I attacked him in random patterns. I grazed him with my curved swords.

    "You... Mere beast... Lay your hands on me?! Black Blade!"

    His hand was surrounded in a dark blade. He rushed at me and with one quick step of his, he flew right infront of me.

    With all of his might, he swung his blade and I barely deflected it.

    "RAGHHHH!" I then countered with my right curved sword a thrust to his body and my left sword an overhead swing. It made a cut but not so deep.

    "Tsk."

    We then exchanged blows one by one.

    *cling* *clang*

    The sounds of our blades clashing were heard ringing through the room.

    While we were exchanging blows, I felt something inside of me. My consciousness delving and diving deeper and deeper.

    "Ah... I lost my sanity huh. Tsk. This early in the game and I already lost control." No one could hear me nor see me inside here. And then when I said those words, a bright light emerged from the depths of the sea I''m falling. "What... Is that? Wait... Is this the activationg required for the hidden skill?" I swam faster to the light. I grabbed it with one of my hands.

    Back to the reality, an explosion formed within me that made the enemy infront of me retreat.

    "Finally. I got control of this stupid skill."

    [Gained skill, Insanity Immunity. Cannot turn insane. Will always keep a cool head.]

    It was a one in a million bet that I could get a hidden skill. But it was worth it. I could get a power range on the artifact dungeons here. I still can''t go to other dungeons and this was the lowest level requirement one.

    My body was in a bad state. Despite using the unholy armor, I sustained a lot of injuries. Seems like becoming insane only focuses on attacking. He got good hits on me.

    "What''s your name?" I asked.

    "Does it even matter?"

    "Yep."

    "I''m Afal, The Undead Prince I''m the one protecting this throne and artifact."

    "Why are you protecting an empty throne?"

    "He''ll come back. My father will come back."

    "Who''s your father?"

    "I... Cannot say that."

    "I just need the artifact."

    "Enough! You don''t know the curse it holds. My father is the only one capable of using it. I can''t let it get into anyone''s hands!" Afal rushed towards me but I blocked it with a quickswap to my greatshield.

    I just need to endure. An opening will surely show!

    *clang!*

    With every strike of Afal, I get pushed back even with my shield.

    *clang!*

    "Here, here! Taste my blade!"

    *clang*

    Endure.

    *clang!* *clang!*

    A little bit more!

    *clang!*

    "This is getting annoying. Abyssal Enhancement, Black Blade!" Afal''s both hands has now the same sword enhanced with his skill. "This is the end!" With Afal''s final attack, he swung his sword that broke my greatshield in half but it was merely a decoy.

    I jumped in the air and swapped to my curved swords. "BREAKER! Take everything! My armor, my weapons in my inventory!"

    *crack*

    My armor, reduced to ashes and my weapons in my inventory were gone.

    It was all for this one swing of +13000 strength. A glass cannon attack.

    "TAKE THIS, AFAL!"

    With both swings of my curved swords, Afal''s body was covered in deep cuts. The wall behind him was broken and the terrain behind it showed and all the trees were cut down with a few swings of my weapon.

    "Ugya!" Afal''s body was blown away to the outside of the dungeon.

    "Last Stand!" I became immune for a few seconds. I used this because I can''t handle the sharpness of my curved swords. It became too strong that every swing of it damages me. "*cough* *cough* finally. Its done. Heal, Great Heal!" Within a few minutes, I regained my health to maximum. The Breaker buff ran out and the stats of my curved sword returned back to normal. "Good work curved swords. You shall be named, Gyries."

    I stood up and went ahead and walked to the coffin and pushed its top. There it was, the artifact.

    It was held by a dead corpse, I''m guessing it was a female because of its greyish long hair. She was holding tight to the katana.

    "A Katana again? Seriously?" I grabbed it took it away from the corpse and got a hold of the katana.

    The katana''s hilt transformed into a monster and began taking over my hand.

    "Blood..."

    "What?" I heard something but I couldn''t pinpoint the location of the one talking.

    "Give us blood!" The katana controlled my hand and raised it swinging it everywhere. "FEED US!"

    [Insanity Immunity activated]

    "Ah. Good thing I got this passive skill. It seems to turn me berserk or something." I put it in my inventory and it got immediately named inside of it. "Bloodlust? Nice name. Fits the katana."

    I went outside the dungeon and found my levels didn''t change. "He''s still alive? Nice. I could do ''that''"

    I looked around for his body and finally found him. He was unconscious.

    "I''m just hoping this works. Enslavement."

    A mark appeared on my arm and his arm. It resonated at it throbs with pain.

    "What... Is this?" Even though Afal was unconscious, I heard his voice.

    [This is a soul contract. Bosses from artifact dungeons cannot be simply tamed or enslaved except for a soul contract.]

    "Afal, I want you to serve me."

    "For what?"

    "I can help you to find your father."

    "Okay then."

    "Seriously?" I was shocked on how easy it is.

    "You''re strong. You beat me and I can see you can handle the mind control of the artifact."

    [Soul Contract complete. Afal now serves Zieglind]

    Afal woke up.

    "Let''s go back to my village."

 Chapter 28 - Cursed Arts

    Me and Afal went back to the village. They all saw me without armor and weapons and all beaten up while Afal stood next to me. They knew I was tired and held on to questioning me and laid me to rest in the cabin.

    "Sleep for now." Precia closed my eyes.

    Zeta then exclaimed, "Explain yourself to us later!"

    While the others were agreeing.

    I fell into a deep sleep.

    I then woke up... Well. I''m not really awake. But... I could see the katana artifact here in my dream.

    "Feed us." "Nourish us." "Blood." "Everything." "Give us EVERYTHING!" The voices resonated inside from the Bloodlust katana. It seems it was a curse left by the father of Afal.

    I then woke up in the real world hearing loud noises.

    "Barrier! Get out of here! Now!" Zeta commanded everyone to retreat.

    I saw Bloodlust swinging around itself. "Why is it out of my inventory?" I asked myself. It escaped because it was simply hungry? I then notice Afal in the corner silently sleeping. It seems even though his father was the owner of the sword he can''t sense it going berserk.

    I ran towards the sword and grabbed it. The hilt of the sword turned again into a flesh eating monster. "Feed us!" The blade shouted in agony.

    It seems I can''t stop it by any means. "Ah crap. I don''t want to this but..."

    I raised my sword, flipped it to face me and thrusted it through my stomach.

    "Have you gone insane Zieglind!" Greta worriedly shouted.

    I then quickly pulled it out. I could see where the blade pierced and it healed instantly. The blade was now covered with floating blood aura. And when I swung it, a projectile of blood emitted from the sword cutting through the house like butter.

    "Zeta! Heal Zieglind!" Rize asked.

    "Mhm!" Zeta began chanting a heal spell on me. "Huh? He''s already at full health."

    "What?" All of them exclaimed.

    "Hey Afal. Explain what this sword does."

    I kicked Afal and he finally woke up. "Hmm? Wait. *Yawn*"

    "You know you''re pretty ballsy when someone here could''ve died."

    "Is that the Bloodlust? I guess I can''t help it."

    I asked everyone to leave us for a while. They all understood and went outside.

    Afal sat down in a comfortable position and began explaining. "Bloodlust is a one of a kind artifact. Its a blessing and a curse in itself. I only know few of its moves but I can''t handle the insanity curse of that sword. First of all, it feeds through blood. Everytime a blood is splatgered through that blade, it gets eaten immediately by the blade. And if a certain amount of blood was accumulated, you could use the Cursed Arts for that blade."

    "Cursed arts?" I asked.

    "Remember what I did before?"

    "I forgot."

    "Guegh. I''m just going to show an example. La Da Fa Trey Zi Ta."

    A black portal opened up from the ground beside me and a bunch of skeleton emerged from it and began grabbing something.

    "This is a cursed art. This is my skill Abyssal Drag. Its an incantation but like your friend Zeta, its different for them. Zeta''s healing skill is a continuous incantation. He began reciting words that combine with each other. With cursed arts, a simple set of words can make a new magic. But the consequences are heavy."

    "What are the consequences?"

    "Cursed arts may go wrong and the effect will backfire on you. Think of it as this. You cast a fireball spell, you mixed up the words so the fireball is now redirected back at you TWICE the damage. Now going back to the Bloodlust, you can feed it blood using your body. Just like what you did before. And Bloodlust will immediately heal it. But it takes away your sanity everytime you use it."

    "I have immunity to it so don''t worry."

    "So did my father... Anyway, learning curse arts is easy. Just remember the words and the way how you say it will change the way you cast the spell. Its a Cursed Word Art. Now the Bloodlust has several cursed arts. But I only knoe two from watching my father use it. Blades are different from word arts. They are named Cursed Blade Arts. You need to remember every part of your body on how they move and the positioning of your limbs. One wrong aspect of this art can damage your body to the point its unrepairable. Cursed Arts are something not to dabble with. But I can teach you some of it."

    "Well. I need it. So nowhere to run nor make excuses."

    "Excellent. Tell me when you''re ready and I''ll teach you everything I know."

    I put Bloodlust in my inventory and noticed something. Devoratrix is still in my inventory. Despite my rapier, greatshield, dagger, hammer and my armor all gone for that single swing, Devoratrix survived for some reason. Oh well.

    Afal and I went outside where everyone was waiting.

    I was bombarded by questions from all of them and explained everything. From what the artifacts are, how I met Afal and what happened to my weapons and armor.

    I wish I can give this Bloodlust to one of them but they can''t handle the curse so I''m going to use this for now.

    Tomorrow is where I start training for the incantations.

 Chapter 29 - Learning

    I asked Afal to teach me the cursed arts. It was painful as hell seeing I need to stab myself every single time.

    "Hey Afal, do I really need to use my blood everytime I need to use this?"

    "No. You could use the blood of your slaves."

    "Tsk. You know I won''t do that."

    [900,000 players left. Congratulations on surviving this far. For the reward, here''s a trinket. Once you grab it, its stats will change and will be bonded to you.]

    A menu suddenly popped up infront of me. It seems a lot players were eliminated really fast. I accepted the reward and got the trinket.

    [Necklace, useless item. Does not give any buffs or stats. No one knows what''s the use of it.]

    "Then what''s the use of this!"

    "Hmm? You asked me to train you. Want to back down?"

    "Ah. No. I was thinking of something else." I put the necklace in my inventory. "Let''s continue."

    Hours have passed, days then a week.

    After a week, I finally completed one cursed art for my Bloodlust.

    I mostly failed on manipulating the skill. It so taxing on my body and the skill.

    I use the Bloodlust to take some blood from me. With the Bloodlust imbued with the blood, if I hit the enemy with this blade, I can use the first cursed art. Karmic Pain. I can open, worsen or even heal wounds once struck by the Bloodlust imbued with blood.

    Karmic Pain had a long chant. Pa Ma Na Da Ba. I don''t know what that means but Afal simply said cursed arts came from a language lost long ago and abandoned since it was far too dangerous for anyone to even say these simple words.

    "Congratulations my lord." Afal clapped in awe.

    "You can do this better than me."

    "No. I can''t even handle the curse of the Bloodlust. I''m surprised you can handle it fairly easily."

    "Well... I have my own strengths and you have yours." Insanity Immunity is helping me a lot. Even though I need to stab myself a couple of times to reuse Bloodlust, I can remain calm. If this was me in my previous life, I would''ve fainted when I grabbed this sword.

    I went ahead and rested for a couple of days.

    I went to Itz again to buy some armor and weapons. Ruz and Ruf were pretty angry at me for breaking all of their work. I ordered a rapier, twin daggers, greatshield, mage staff and a simple sword. I also made Ruz to repair Devoratrix and Gyries. I told Ruz to make the greatshield so heavy even I, can''t lift it. The greatshield I had before was pretty weak in terms of defense. So this time, I asked him to make a greatshield that is heavy and can stick to the ground. It costed me an extra gold but it was worth it.

    I then came to Ruf''s workshop and ordered a new armor. I gave him the unstable metal and a smile grew on his face.

    "You''re in for a treat kiddo. This is a nice metal." Ruf said.

    I didn''t really took note on what he said but I bet if those two are making at what they''re best at, I''m sure its top quality.

    The overall cost was 200 gold. The price skyrocketed when the famine was over in Itz.

    I have 3700 gold left.

    I went back to the slaver and looked around some more.

    "Are those... Children?" I looked at the back of the store and found several children hugging their mothers. "Where are their fathers?"

    "Well since slaves are hard to encounter, some people like to raid villages and most of the time its men who raise up to fight." The slaver said. "And they''re at the back since no one will buy these good for nothings." He then began to kick the cages and then all of them flinched when one of the cages were hit.

    I don''t have enough money to spend on these children. They are in a staggering amount. I just hope they can endure for some time. One day, maybe one day. But not for now.

    I clenched my fists and asked the slaver to show me some of his best.

    "Yes, yes. These are some new shipments."

    "Do you have some slaves that are into magic or just into combat?"

    "Ah yes. Hey guards! Bring that one, that one, and that one over here." He said as he pointed on the different cages.

    The guards carried the cages and put them infront of us.

    "This is some of the slaves intelligent in magic as my provider has said. Its this dark elf proficient in dark magic and close combat, this beastman is great at offensive magic and this human is good at healing. And don''t worry sir. Just like the three you purchased before they are..."

    "They are what?" I asked.

    But he just gave me a wink.

    "I told you I don''t need to know that. Haaa... I''ll take the dark elf."

    The slaver took out his key and began unchaining the cage and the dark elf.

    The dark elf as expected, has a dark skin. Her hair was short just around her neck and her hair glowed in blonde. The thing she''s wearing are just ragged clothes.

    "Go say hi to your master." The slaver commanded.

    "Tsk." The dark elf clicked her tounge.

    The slaver grew angry and tried to hit her but I prevented it.

    "No need for that. What''s your name?"

    "Dark elves lose their name once they''ve been turned into a slave." The dark elf clenched her fists and looked down.

    Dark elves seems to have a large pride. So I need to be careful to choose my words carefully.

    "You seem to be a great warrior and a mage."

    "I''m a battlemage."

    "You shut up when your master is talki-" The slaver butted in.

    "Now, now. What did I say about my slaves?" I emitted a killing aura on the slaver.

    He immediately apologized and let me speak to her.

    "I''ll name you Yefa. Yefa Reysh. Welcome to the family."

    She shrugged it off and said, "Thanks."

    I paid the slaver 200 gold. It seems she was a pretty reliable combatant. When I left the black market, a menu popped up infront of me.

    [A player has reached Level 100. All players receive a bonus 20% EXP gain except for the player that reached Level 100]

    "What...?"

 Chapter 30 - Simple Upgrades

    A level 100? Its only been a few weeks and someone already accumulated that amount of levels.

    "Crap."

    "Is something wrong?" Yefa asked.

    "Nothing. What types of weapons do you use?"

    "I can cast spells even without a staff. I''m a monk battlemage."

    "So... What weapon?"

    "Gauntlets."

    She''s a brawler. Brawlers use their fists most of the time to inflict huge amounts of damage. But I don''t understand how she can cast mage spells while being a brawler.

    I held the questions for now and got her to Ruz and Ruf. Typical routine, buy weapons and armor.

    We went out of Itz and asked her to demonstrate some of her skills.

    "Oh. Okay then. Magic Spear!" A large blue spear emerged from her hands. She threw it like a normal spear or javelin and it pierced the ground and exploded inside of it. The stones and dirt inside of it exploded in different directions.

    "How can you use spells without a staff?"

    "Elves and Dark Elves are different entities yet people still confuse each other with one another."

    "Uh huh." I didn''t get any of that but I get the gist of it.

    "Elves focus on ranged weapons. Such as bows and others. They don''t usually pick up melee but they are slightly proficient in that area too. Elves are great at healing and supporting. Dark Elves on the other hand can do the same as Elves but different. When we reach a certain age, we can choose what to be. A warrior, hunter, mage or nothing. Some call it the abyss but I don''t know why. I chose to be a mage and I got a scroll containing different spells and when I opened it I knew how to use them."

    "Then how do you use spells without staffs?"

    "There are different kinds of spells. I can''t use Magician''s Spells. I use Contact Spells. I forgot the other spell names but you get the gist."

    Yefa continued to explain to me the difference between the two kinds.

    Magician''s Spells focus solely on chanting spells. They are destructive and helpful in a way

    Contact Spells is spells that can be casted without a staff or something that is need for a Magician''s Spells.

    These kinds cannot exist and be used together. If I choose to use Contact Spells, then I can only use Contact Spells.

    I tried to ask her about the Cursed Arts but it''ll be too dangerous since me and Afal are the only ones that know this in my circle of allies. I don''t know if it is allowed to be talked about.

    "Can you teach me some?"

    "I wish I could but Contact Spells aren''t to be passed by mouth or technique. As I said before, scrolls are the only known way for it to be used."

    I went back to the village. Everyone greeted her with open arms and welcomed her.

    I grabbed some food from my inventory and gave it to Ortov and asked his henchmen to cook it.

    The village is nearly completed. Ortov has finally made a house for everyone. I have more plans for this village.

    Ortov escorted Yefa to her own house. She smiled for the first time around me. It seems she''s happy about her new life.

    I asked Afal for a private talk and asked him about the Cursed Arts and Contact Spells.

    "Cursed Arts are nowhere hindering your progress of learning other spells. Don''t worry about it." Afal said.

    The night falls and the feast ended.

    The morning finally came and I need Ortov to do something for me.

    I first ordered Grien, his team and Gaia to hunt and gather resources. They went on their way to tbe forest. They have been leveling diligently. They are all level 13 by now. Higher than Rize for some reason. Gaia is still the same his level is not rising. Maybe its because the enemies are weak.

    I asked Grien to kill every goblin in the vicinity and capture everything that isn''t a goblin. I have something in mind.

    I then asked Ortov for three structures to be built.

    "Ortov. We need to build walls. Preferably stone walls."

    Walls are important for now. When the village was attacked by Tark, the village was helpless against raids like that.

    I''ll ask Ruz to make some weapons for the walls next time.

    "We also need a farm and somewhere to stock all of these food, materials Grien hauled in and some cages for the animals."

    If my village grows into a kingdom, I''ll make some of the merchants in Itz do some trading.

    What should I trade for? I''ll think about that later. I should ask the Deciphers for these kind of things.

    "And finally, a training ground."

    I''ll make Afal a trainer here. He''s strong and can protect the village.

    "Will do my lord." Ortov answered

    "Hey! Lord Zieglind!" A decipher was waving his hand in the distance.

    I went inside the decipher''s house and found a bunch of them studying some books.

    "How did you get those?"

    "Uhh... Leftovers from our previous camp." One of them answered.

    "Lord, we have found the contents of the dungeon near our forest. Its a forest ranging from Level 40-50. One of the adventurers confirmed that the artifact laying there is an amulet artifact." Lam intervened.

    "Do you know this amulet?"

    "Yes. It was said that the amulet had an eye on it and had a lot of spikes in the amulet. I''m guessing its the Blood Amulet."

    "Blood Amulet?"

    "Yes. Look at this." Lam showed me a couple of pictures showing the Blood Amulet. "This is the Blood Amulet. When worn, the amulet will dig in through the flesh of the wearer when the thorns and spikes extend making the user insane but it grants buffs that are rumored to be really good."

    "Hmm..."

    "I know that you can handle mind control debuffs my lord. I saw you holding the Bloodlust one time. Its an amazing artifact."

    "So you even know about that huh. Wait. How did you even get this information."

    "Uh..." Lam''s face started sweating.

    "Did you go inside of Itz?"

    "Maybe... Not? Maybe... Yes."

    "Ugh you idiots. You should be grateful no one saw you."

    "We actually were seen. I don''t know why but this humanoid form when you turned us into slaves seems to fool a lot of people."

    "Well just tell me next time when you''re gonna go. I''ll tell Rize to escort you there."

    "Thank you my lord." Lam bowed.

    I left the house and gathered the Reysh family in the house except Afal and Yefa. They don''t have equipments yet and someone needs to stay here.

    "Okay. We''re gathered here today for tomorrow we''ll raid a dungeon. An artifact dungeon."

 Chapter 31 - Giants

    I don''t have any armor so going to this dungeon might be suicidal. I need to get stronger. Someone already passed the 100 level mark. I need to gather all the things I could get.

    My suit is just some ragged clothes that Ortov and his team made. It was pretty comfortable but I doubt it''ll do much in terms of defense. I''ll just have to use my dark armor.

    The time finally came to go to the artifact dungeon. I left Yefa and Afal for now.

    We went southeast of the location Lam told me. While we were walking towards there, a bunch of random monsters emerged from the dungeon. It looks like... They were running?

    Goblins, lizardmen and ogre that ranges from different classes. There are about hundreds of them swarming out.

    "Get ready!" I commanded.

    "Yes!" Everyone else stood their positions.

    I took out Bloodlust to test the damage of this thing. Its already acting up making me insane but the immunity keeps me sane.

    Rize caster the rain of arrows. Flurry of her attacks came running down piercing through the flesh and the lives of everyone unfortunate enough to be hit by her.

    [Rize leveled up to Level 20.]

    It seems Rize is leveling up pretty fast. That EXP boost must be applicable globally monsters, npc or players.

    Greta took out her claws and changed into beast form. With her sway of her hand, a flesh will be torn out in everyone thag gets in her way.

    Zeta continued casting buffs. Healing, speed boosts damage boosts and more. He was truly the best support I can find.

    Precia danced around with her katana. She was truly a beauty using that weapon. With grace and beauty, she rushed to the enemies wrecking havoc.

    It was over in an instant. I couldn''t even do anything. My team is growing stronger every battle.

    [Greta leveled up to Level 38]

    [Zeta leveled up to Level 32]

    [Precia leveled up to level 35]

    "Well done everyone. I''m glad each and everyone of you is getting stronger."

    They all nodded in agreement.

    We went in to the entrance of the artifact dungeon. The entrance was bigger than anything I''ve ever seen.

    We all went in and smelled the disgusting scent of flesh.

    "Ugh..." Zeta groaned in disgust.

    "What is this?" Precia asked.

    Greta kneeled down.

    "Are you okay?" I asked.

    "I''m sorry but beastwomen like us has sensitive smell. This is just too much." Greta coughed and coughed.

    "Leave the dungeon for now. We can handle this."

    "But-"

    "No buts. Its better than having you die here. Go rest outside."

    Greta was hesitant at first but she finally went outside to take a breather. Its just us four taking on this dungeon.

    We went deeper into the dungeon and the smell just got worse. The smell was coming from the decayed corpses of goblins and lizardmen. It seems that the cages were open and that maybe is the reason why all of them were running earlier. The cages don''t even have decent locks in it. Just ropes.

    Zeta tried to cover his nose and mouth. "Ugh. This horrid smell. Greta can''t handle this. I''m thankful Zieglind that you let her rest."

    "Wait." Precia suddenly stopped us in our tracks. "I hear something."

    I focused my hearing and also heard something. It was the sound of snoring?

    We all walked slowly and go to the direction where the snoring goes. There we found it. A giant.

    "A gia-" Precia covered her mouth to prevent speaking.

    We were all in awe how big the giant was. I can''t even think how the hell they fit in this dungeon.

    We continued to go on further to gather information. We go deeper and saw some giants. I then felt a tug on my clothes.

    "What''s the matter?" I asked while continuing forward.

    "Huh?" The two of them were confused.

    I turned around and saw a small person.

    Zeta and Precia immediately pulled out their weapons and slashed the unknown entity.

    "What was that?" I asked Zeta.

    "That was a baby cyclops. It has only one eye."

    I looked over to it and found out it does have only one eye.

    The baby cyclops then shouted a large deafening sound.

    "Barrier!" Zeta casted on me. "Barrier!" Zeta casted on Precia.

    Despite his efforts, Zeta heard too much of the baby cyclops'' loud shriek. His ears were bleeding. But that isn''t the only problem. The giants have heard the noise and began waking up.

    "Heal, Great Heal! Crap. Why didn''t you protect yourself first!"

    Zeta let out a smirk and lost consciousness.

    "Precia, take Zeta out of this dungeon. After that, come back here."

    "You better be safe when I come back!" Precia grabbed Zeta and began running towards the exit.

    The giants noticed where the noise is coming from and came walking up to my direction.

    I took a peek at the giants and they were the same. They were also cyclops.

    The cyclops began sniffing out something.

    "Hmm... Blood... Child... Me?" Cyclops were particularly dumb in the area of speech. "Must... Get... These... Out..." The cyclops grabbed his wooden club and smashed the ground next to me.

    I covered my mouth from speaking too much.

    The stones near the ground were left in rubbles. The cyclops ransacked the rubbles and found the baby cyclops. He picked it up and looked at it.

    "Baby... BABY!!!!!" The other cyclops was curious of his shouting and every one of them began walking his way. "Who... Did... This!!!"

    3 other cyclops looked at the corpse of the baby cyclops and began crying. It was a weird sight seeing giant enemies cry.

    "Must... PAY!" The other cyclops roared in agreement. They all began sniffing out different parts of the dungeon.

    I moved from places to places trying to avoid their sense of smell. Despite them being dumb, they have great senses.

    "Hmm?" The cyclops without warning, grabbed his club and began smashing everywhere. The stones, the cages and all the other stuff were destroyed and left in rubbles. And of course, my cover was also destroyed.

    "Human?" The cyclops that destroyed everything found me.

    "Human?!" "Human?!" "Human?!" The other three heard his voice and began rushing towards him.

    "You... The... One... Killed... This?" He began pointing at the dead baby cyclops.

    "Uhh... No." Well it was half right. Precia and Zeta are the ones that killed it anyway.

    "Liar!! Blood... You... Smell!" The cyclops grew angrier and began waving his club destroying everything. And here I am barely dodging the large attacks he was giving.

    "This might be tough."

 Chapter 32 - Arama

    The cyclops were enraged and they continued to swing their giant clubs destroying everything.

    I''m barely dodging each attack using sprint. Dark Armor consumes too much mana and I can''t use Bloodlust since I need to get prepared first.

    "Zieglind!" Someone in the distance shouted. I looked where the voice was coming from and I saw Precia and Greta..

    "Greta?! What are you doing here?"

    "Zeta is okay! I can handle the smell for now." Greta then transformed into beast form.

    It seems Greta doesn''t want to be a dead weight so I didn''t really say anything else.

    "Buy me some time!"

    The two nodded in agreement and began to lure the cyclops in another direction.

    I pulled out Bloodlust. I used it to pierce my own abdomen and pulled it out. The Bloodlust immediately healed my insides. "Damn. This is really exhausting even though I am getting healed." The Bloodlust was shrouded in my own blood.

    I pulled an overhead stance and slashed the air infront of me. The blood in my weapon formed a crescent figure and launched itself hitting the arm of the cyclops.

    "AHHHH! Hurt! It hurts!" The cyclops struck was screaming in pain.

    "{Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!"

    The wound left by my blade on the cyclops grew larger and larger. Until the arm of the cyclops fell off of him.

    "AGHHHHH!" The cyclops grabbed his fallen arm and tried to reattach it to no avail. It has no intelligence at all. They are just strong.

    "Look! Human? Strong!" The other cyclops were scared. "Must. Kill first!" The other cyclops were in agreement and rushed over to me.

    One of the cyclops didn''t notice that Greta was climbing on his back. Greta climbed to the nape of the cyclops. With her claws she ravaged the nape of the cyclops. With every attack wounding the cyclops'' nape deeper and deeper until she hit the cord that connects the cyclops'' brain if there were any. "Done here!"

    Precia was also doing the same thing. She raised her katana and pierced the nape of the other cyclops easily.

    The last cyclops were so scared. He started running deeper into the dungeon.

    We sheathed all of our weapons.

    "We''ll go back for now. Zeta is injured. We''ll get the artifact later."

    Greta and Precia understood and we all went our way.

    Just as we were about to leave, a loud thundering noise.

    Greta knew the monster that is coming. She recognizes the smell. "Seems like we can''t leave."

    The cyclops that was running before came back. "HEHE! You dead!"

    "Shut up."

    A giant hand smashed the head of the cyclops that ran before.

    "Damn. Greta, do what you did before. Same for you too Precia."

    They began sneaking behind the giant cyclops. But the cyclops noticed this.

    "Annoying. You think you can kill me? The King of Giants, Arama?" The cyclops stomped his feet to the ground creating a huge shockwave. Greta and Precia were blown away.

    "We got to this the normal way huh. Precia, Greta, aim for the foot of Arama."

    They began running towards Arama.

    I walked up to the dead cyclops and got their blood to feed the Bloodlust.

    "Isn''t that Parela''s plaything? The Bloodlust?" It seems Arama knows this weapon but I ignored it for now.

    Greta and Precia continued hacking the feet of Arama. He has an incredibly thick skin. They are barely grazing him.

    "I told you to stop that!" Arama began stomping the ground rapidly. The shockwaves grew stronger every stomp blowing us away.

    "Greta, boost me!"

    "Got it!" Greta held out her hand and I stepped on it. With all her might, she threw me in the air. I came face to face with Arama.

    "Hello there. Poison Mist!" The poison from me was redirected to Arama.

    [Arama is resistant to poison. Damage will be greatly reduced.]

    Arama coughed loudly due to the poison. That cough was enough to blow me away from the air.

    "Urk!" I hit the ground due to the excessive force Arama exhaled from his mouth.

    I then used my Bloodlust again in an overhead stance and slashed the air infront of me. The blood in my blade left and formed a crescent figure and it launched itself to Arama''s body.

    "Agh!" Arama felt pain from the blow. The cut was deep but far from his organs.

    "That''s not all! {Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!"

    The wound on Arama''s body grew larger and larger until it showed his insides.

    "You damn insects!" Arama raised his fist and smashed the ground. Hundreds of rubbles came flying around in an incredibly fast speed. Grazing me with wounds. "Force!" Arama raised his hand in an open palm and a giant shockwave emitted from his palm.

    "Dark Armor!" I casted but nothing happened.

    The shockwave from his skill tore my clothes and knocked me back a long distance. I coughed up blood when I hit the wall behind me.

    "Crap. I forgot. Its Unholy Armor now. I have so many damn skills I forgot the names."

    "Zieglind!" Greta tried to run towards but I stopped her.

    "Don''t! Continue hacking away his feet!"

    Greta and Precia kept attacking Arama''s feet.

    I casted Karmic Pain on myself to heal my wounds. It isn''t enough though. I needed more blood. I walked up to some of the dead cyclops aand gathered their blood and fed it to Bloodlust.

    I casted Karmic Pain once again on myself. Closing all the wounds in my body and healing me.

    A loud thud was heard and an earthquake followed.

    "AGH!" Arama fell down on his knees. It seems they finally got through his thick skin. "Goddamned insects! Force!" He raised his palm again and targeted Precia. "RETRACT!" Precia was suddenly pulled into the palm of Arama.

    Greta was standing there in shock and confused on what just happened.

    "GRETA!" I shouted to make Greta regain her composure.

    "Ah!" Greta grabbed Precia''s feet and began pulling her. "AGHHHH!"

    "Useless. My force cannot be beaten by mere strength. I control gravity itself." The power of Arama grew stronger. So much that it even pulled Greta in.

    Arama pulled them both and they were in his palms. He closed his hand in a fist form. "Kekeke. Seems a good day to crush some insects!"

 Chapter 33 - Blood Amulet

    "Hehe. If I do this..." Arama clenched his fist tighter slowly crushing Greta and Precia.

    "AGHH!" Precia and Greta groaned in pain.

    "{Karmic Pain} Pa-"

    "Try to finish that sentence. I''ll crush these two women here." Arama threatened me. "Not that it''ll change anything. I''ll end this!" Arama tried to clench his fist tighter but something held him back. Arama coughed up blood everywhere. "What''s this...?" Arama looked at his bloody hands.

    "You might be resistant to poison, but you''re not immune."

    "Poison? Goddamned inse- *cough* *cough*" Arama''s condition worsened. His chest was severely wounded by my weapon, he''s coughing up blood and his feet were wounded badly. Everytime he coughs, an absurd amount of blood pushes out of him. Due to the pain, Arama loosened his grip dropping Precia and Greta to the ground. But the two are not responding. Maybe they''re unconscious.

    "{Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!"

    Arama''s feet and chest, the wound grew larger and larger. Inflicting more damage and pain.

    "Dammit! This will not end here! Force! Retract!"

    "This madman... He used his force yo keep the blood going out of his body preventing him from losing consciousness!"

    "FORCE! EXPLODE!" Arama''s palm made shockwaves destroying everything in its path. I''m barely dodging it because of the humungous size of his force. Its also barely visible. Its just like airwaves.

    "Force, Retract!" Arama targeted the rock behind me pulling it towards him. I didn''t notice it at first but the rock he pulled hit me from behind.

    While dodging in different directions, I''m collecting blood from the cyclops'' dead bodies. Bloodlust is taking im everything slowly but its getting stronger every moment.

    With each of Arama''s force, the absurd amount of firepower he holds is astonishingly damaging.

    "Sprint!" With the repeated use of sprint, I''m getting the hang of his attacks. Its slow but destructive but its also near invisible state.

    Running around dodging his attacks felt like eternity but it was worth it. I finally got the necessary blood needed.

    I stopped in my tracks and readied my blade.

    "Giving up now human?"

    "No. This''ll be the end for you." I positioned my blade in an overhead stance.

    "Tsk. The arrogance. Force, Retract!"

    I was being pulled by the insane power of his force but I held my ground.

    "This is everything I have. Rage, Abyssal Enhancement, Berserker." With the last of my strength, I swung my blade. "..." I should give it a name I thought to myself. "Crescendo!"

    [Gained skill Crescendo]

    The blood from my Bloodlust formed a crescent shape but not like before. It was gigantic. About the same size as the cyclops. But this time its forming very slowly.

    "That is! Tsk! FORCE, EXPLODE!" Arama gathered all his strength in his arms. He began striking the air with great force and flurry of attacks trying to stop the forming of my skill. "AGHHH! I will not be defeated the second time!"

    The Crescendo finally finished its casting. "Goodbye Arama!" The Crescendo launched itself straight to Arama. Despite his efforts unleashing a flurry of force, he can''t stop it in anyway. The crescendo was gigantic. It cannot be blocked by him nor be dodged.

    "No... NO!!" The skill finally hit Arama. His body was slashed in half. His body then disappeared like dust in the wind.

    [You leveled up to Level 40]

    "Finally that''s finished. And wait, his corpse is gone. Dammit! The force skill seems good too." I sat down and took a rest for several minutes.

    I stood up and walked up near the tomb. There it was, the amulet sitting atop the case. I grabbed it out of the case. "Blood Amulet huh?" I wore the amulet. "AGH!" The amulet dug into my neck. "AGHHHH! Its sucking up blood?" I could feel the strength leave out of my body. The sucking finally finished and the amulet retracted its spikes. The amulet glowed in red.

    [+2 Set Bonus, you are now immune to blood intoxication.]

    "Blood intoxication? What the hell is that?"

    [Immune to substances that change the structure or change in your blood. Such as poison or being drunk.]

    "Anyway, this amulet is good. +400 strength and can increase by +50 per level. +2400 strength huh? Oh yeah I forgot about my points in my status. System, just put everything in Stamina."

    [+330 points invested in Stamina]

    The artifact dungeon raid was finally over. I grabbed the unconscious Precia and Greta and got out of there. When I finally went outside the dungeon, I saw Zeta casting a healing spell on his ears.

    "Hey Zeta."

    "Oh Zieglind. Wait are you okay? You''re bleeding everywhere? And what about Precia and Greta?" Zeta grew worried every second.

    "These two are just unconscious. I''m okay. Let''s go back for now."

    We all went back to my village. Everyone was worried of our condition. I took a quick bath on Ortov''s new built bath. I didn''t order them to do that but I don''t know why they did that. Anyways, I forgot that I haven''t showered since I got here. I must''ve been stinking really bad.

    I finished up my bath and wore some clothes Ortov and his group sewed for me. I asked Afal for a private chat.

    "Good work my Lord." Afal showered me in praises.

    "Stop it. Anyway, I got some news for you."

    "News? What is it?"

    "Is your father''s name Parela?"

    Afal''s eyes grew wider. "Agh." Afal held his head. It seems he''s having a headache. "Parela... Where have I heard that name before? Agh..." Afal''s headache got worse and worse when he tried to remember that name.

    It seems that even though he''s searching for his father he completely forgot everything about him.

    "Why do you want to find your father anyway?"

    "Its because... Agh!? I don''t know but I know I have to."

    I held off on questioning him more.

    "Okay, at least we have now a vital piece of information. For now, let''s get some rest."

 Chapter 34 - Objectives

    Its been a day since the battle with Arama. The village is progressing pretty fast. Grien and his team caught some interesting animals and some monsters.

    The farm was finished by Ortov and they made a cage for all these animals. There were about 24 animals Grien caught. Some pigs, chickens and other animals that I don''t know that only exist in this world.

    Now, we don''t have a current goal. I''m thinking of making ourselves an ally of Itz. I don''t want to be held by any kingdom right now so we''ll be an independent one.

    If there will be ever a war we need mounts. I went to Lam''s house and asked him where to get and buy mounts.

    "Hmm... There are horses in Itz but they don''t sell them nor trade. They breed the mounts. But they do buy from neighboring kingdoms. These are some near kingdoms that you can buy mounts for." Lam pointed on his mount the different kingdoms. "What mounts do you need my lord?"

    "Are there... Any flying mounts and also some durable land mounts."

    "There are flying mounts. Dragons and wyverns are hard to tame but there is some. Most flying mounts are just for transport. Such as mystical carriages. But for combat flying mounts, except for dragons and wyverns there are some horses that can fly but they are just as durable as a normal horse. Here''s the kingdom that has some flying horses." Lam pointed on the three neighboring kingdoms.

    "Land based?"

    "For the land based mounts... I don''t recommend horses since they can be dealt with easily. I think you''ll like the armored centaurs my lord. Centaurs are half human and half horse. Easier to command too but I think it''ll be difficult to recruit them."

    "Why?"

    "Centaurs are like the humans. They have a kingdom and are independent. So it''ll be like hiring an adventurer."

    "Hmm... Anything more?"

    "Durable and slow are some armored spiders. They can climb walls too."

    "Erk. I''m not really good at spiders so I have to pass that." Spiders are good since they can climb walls but not for now.

    "Some lions are fast. They are durable too."

    "Hmm... That seems good. Where are they located to be sold?"

    "Here and here." Lam pointed again at his map.

    "Okay. Since Galare and Hajey are close with each other, I''m going to get the flying horses there and the armored lions. Lam, order one of yours to tell the Reyshs that we''ll depart tomorrow. I''ll go to Itz for now."

    "Will do my lord."

    I went outside and the morning is still young. I went to Itz and asked for an audience with the king.

    They were hesitant at first but the king saw me and told them its okay.

    I was brought to his chambers again.

    "Welcome adventurer Zieglind. What brings you here." King Itz greeted me while his maids were pouring tea on our cups.

    "I''ll get straight to the point. I want to build my own kingdom."

    When the maid heard this, she nearly spilled the tea on the floor. "Urk!"

    "Hmm... You do know what you''re saying right? Are you making the kingdom of Itz your enemy?" The guards near the king held their weapons readying for the upcoming battle.

    "No no. I don''t want to be hostile on this kingdom. I actually want to establish a good relationship here."

    "And what good does you making a kingdom will do?" The king''s eyes grew fiercer. He really is a great king.

    "I just wanted to provide a safe haven for everyone in my village."

    "Village?"

    "Yeah. Have you seen our village near here?"

    "So it was yours? I''m impressed. I was actually about to send some troops there since there''s so much evolved goblins there according to the reports. And also some high level totems. Anyway, Itz is already a safe haven itself no need to create your own."

    I thought to myself that I have to tell him. If I become allies with Itz, all of Itz allies will be also sticking with me. "Have you ever heard of the term, player?"

    "Yes. It was a famous tale my teachers taught me back when I was in school. It was told that it happened a thousand years ago. A world war happened destroying half of the world but was restored after all the battle. There were so called ''players'' that the gods put on our realm to choose the next god. But I don''t know where you''re going with this."

    I see. This same concept was also done a thousand years from this world''s time.

    "For the past month, has anything ever changed out of the ordinary?"

    "Now that I think about it, the rate of monsters appearing has tripled. It has become a pain to send troops all over the place to take them all out. Dungeons are suddenly appearing in high levels."

    So when the players were transferred in this world, the rate of monsters appearing increased so that we could level up faster and better.

    "Then what if I told you that all of these were done by the gods?"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Think about king. The increased rate of monsters spawning, high leveled dungeons."

    "You''re not saying..."

    "Yes. The history is repeating itself."

    "Impossible!" The king smashed his fist on the table. "What proof do you have?!"

    "I''m a player."

    "Enough with the jokes! Its just a stupid tale told by everyone! There is no such things as players!"

    "Then how can you explain the message of someone reaching Level 100!"

    "That is..."

    "It has never been done before right? If there was a level 100 in this world before the players were summoned, that message would not have appeared in everyone''s menu."

    "Impossible. The great war in the tales... Happening?!"

    "I''ll give you some time alone king. More and more people will show up. Stronger than monsters for they are beasts themselves."

 Chapter 35 - Waiting for the Response

    I left the king alone in his chambers to give him some time to think.

    I went to Ruz and Ruf''s respective shops and got the items I need. I picked up Afal''s armor. It was a black armor outlined in red. It looks like my armor before but slightly different. Yefa''s armor was solely focused on defense. It had a thick layer of metal inside. It was so durable perfect for brawlers that has a short range. I then picked up her weapon. The gauntlet was massive. Its half as big as my Devoratrix. I wonder if she can wield this. Finally I got everything I ordered. My greatshield was insanely heavy.

    "That''s what you asked for. No refunds. I put the unstable ingot there. Try hitting it with this greatsword." Ruz seemed confident in his work.

    I grabbed the greatsword from him which was Devoratrix. It had a better edge and a better handle. It didn''t change much but I feel its better. I swung Devoratrix to the greatshield. And when I was about to make contact, *boom!* A large explosion erupted from the shield that I was blown away outside from his shop.

    "Eek!" The other people outside saw the explosion and ran away.

    Ruz grabbed my hand and helped me stand up. "Heh. Its nice ain''t it?"

    "You bet. That''s amazing." I took everything, the other weapons and my new armor. It was the same as before but with a little bit of tweaks here and there. I then bid farewell to Ruz.

    I then went to the market in Itz where they sell some livestock. I bought some wild boars and chicken. I put them in my bottomless box. Finally it had something to be useful for.

    I went back to the village. I gave Afal and Yefa their armor.

    "Thanks my lord." Both of them replied.

    "No problem."

    I asked Afal what his preferred weapon is.

    "I could just create a sword with my Dark Blade anytime. But it consumes mana per second. I guess... A rapier? My father used it before."

    "I see." He remembers what his father did but not who he is huh. "Take this." I gave him the rapier Ruz made for me.

    "Thank you."

    "No problem. I want you to train Grien''s team."

    "I will fulfill it my lord."

    After that, I went to Grien and asked him to show me where the monsters.

    "Ah yes." He showed me the room full of cages. Monsters they caught were low level. "Is there something wrong?"

    "No, no. Hmm..." I took a look at all the monsters. 10 Orcs and 8 Giant Beetles. I decided to enslave them all. "For the time being, the beetles will be your mounts for now."

    I then went to Lam''s place.

    "Lam."

    "Welcome to our humble abode my lord. What do you need?"

    "Do you know anyone that can craft armor for mounts?"

    "Ah yes. There''s only one kingdom near here that crafts armor. Its in Guyam."

    "Guyam?"

    "Yes. Its here." Lam then pointed at his map. "Near the locations of Galare and Hajey. All of the kingdoms near it buys the armor of their mounts here. There are more scattered around the world but this is the nearest and one of the best craftsman there is in terms of making mounts."

    "I see. Do mounts need weapons?"

    "There is no need for that except for centaurs. Centaurs are the only ones capable of using a weapon and a mount."

    "Thanks for the help Lam."

    The day progressed slowly. Ortov and his team is building and cooking for everyone every single day. Afal is guiding Gaia, Grien and his team to hunt for more food and livestock in the forest. I''m just waiting for the reply of the king then I can make a move.

    Another day passed and the same thing continues. This time, I ordered Yefa to join the hunt in the forest. She haven''t got any fight since I bought her in the black market.

    Greta, Rize, Zeta and Precia, I told them to search for nearby villages. If there were any trouble I told them to disengage and retreat. Don''t ever go into combat. I put Greta and Zeta in the same group since Zeta is a support. Rize and Precia were solo in searching for villages. They quickly gathered and wore all of their items and went on their way.

    For me, I looked around for some low level dungeons. I found one which was for level 5-10 only. I needed to test something out.

    I quickly ran to the end of the dungeon and killed the giant goblin in the end in one shot. I killed everything I see when I ran back to the entrance. I didn''t get a single EXP since it was just a low level dungeon.

    After that, I used the gate key I got when I was leveling up. A rift opened up and I was sucked in to it. The layout of the dungeon was the same and so are the monsters. But the difficulty increased. The recommended level of this dungeon was about level 20 and above. It doubled the level of all the goblins in there. But it didn''t pose much of a threat and I eliminated everything in there in one shot. After everything was finished, a rift opened up behind me and I was sucked in. I was brought back to the entrance of the dungeon. I walked in the dungeon but it was the same when I first cleared it. Nothing was there. It seems this gate key is a way to level up easily. I wouldn''t use it too much though. The level jumps insanely high.

    I went back to the village and waited for a day, and then a week passes by. Rize, Greta, Zeta and Precia finally came back. Just as they were to do their reports, a group of humans came by to our village.

    "Zieglind Reysh! Come out! The king of Itz wants to see you!"

    "So I can finally hear his reply huh?"

 Chapter 36 - Vassal of a Kingdom

    The group of humans that entered our territory were part of the Itz kingdom. It seems the king has finally have an answer.

    I told the people that were sent out to find other villages to report it to me next time.

    The group of humans escorted me back to Itz.

    When we got there, they only escorted me to the entrance of the castle and I was the only one let in. I guess for security reasons. I then proceeded to the chambers of the king.

    "Ah welcome Zieglind. Take a seat." The king then pointed at the chair infront of him.

    "Thank you."

    "I''ve been thinking and dwelling on the things you said before. I believe you in a way but... I still need more proof."

    "I see... Then I shall explain everything and how I got here." I then began to explain how I met the god of death, how there''s a different world than this, and how the battle royale works. The king counteracted with theories on how I got here and why this is happening. It seems he is still in denial on what''s about to happen. I can''t blame him. Once the battle royale gets worse, I''m sure this will lead into the worst world war ever. Everything people made will be gone as soon as large amounts of players gather.

    "It really is happening huh..." The king finally realizes and accepts the truth. "I see why you want to build your own kingdom but, are you sure you want to be allied with us?"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Itz is one of the smallest kingdoms out there."

    I wanted to ask him more about thsi but Lam might be more better in this than him.

    "I don''t really mind. Once the war starts, everything can change. Its better to have any kingdom as an ally than no one."

    "I see... But I can''t make you a kingdom yet. I can appoint you as a vassal of mine for now. There are some trials and quests to become a king."

    "It can''t be helped. For now, I''ll accept the position of a vassal."

    "Then it shall be done. Contract!" A giant piece of pen and paper appeared out of nowhere. "By signing this, you promise to be loyal and faithful to the kingdom of Itz until you can make your own and then you can be independent."

    I took the pen and wrote my name on the paper. "I accept." The paper then bursted into flames signalling that it has been done.

    "Lord Zieglind is the right name for you now eh?" The king jokingly said.

    "Haha. No need for that my king."

    "For your first task as a vassal Lord Zieglind, I ask of you to take down some of the raiders near Hajey."

    "It will be done. I''ll be taking my leave now."

    I went back to my village and told everyone the good news. Everyone was happy and satisfied. They started a feast with the haul of Grien and his team. The day slowly passes and I finally announced the quest the king gave me.

    "For our first battle as vassals of the king, we are tasked to kill the raiders near Hajey but, Group Assault, you are the only one that must complete this quest. I need to buy some mounts in Hajey so you shall be the one suited for this task. I know you''ve been leveling up like crazy and having Afal as your teacher. I''m sure you can do this."

    "We will definitely not let you down my lord! We thank you for your kindness!" Group Assault said in unison.

    "Let''s depart tomorrow. I hope everyone is ready."

    "Yes!" Everyone cheered loudly.

    The evening came and they were still having a feast. I left them all alone to have some fun. I went to Lam and asked him about Itz.

    "Itz has four neighboring kingdoms that are on pretty good terms. Hajey, Galare, Polk and Guyam. Most of the kingdoms in the world are either neutral or enemies."

    "How many kingdoms are there exactly?"

    "About 93. But that can change if some kings and queens decides to capture other kingdoms. Its just a battle of authority."

    "Okay, enough with the kingdoms for now. What are the strongest races?"

    "That can be subjective and different from any people depending on their opinion. But if I may do speak my mind, it would be the elder dragons and demons."

    "How can you say those are the strongest?"

    "Elder dragons has the most powerful spells that can''t be learned unless by being taught by a dragon or getting a scroll of some kind. Demons on the other hand can''t be easily tamed. They have a wide variety of sub races such as shades. Demons and Undead are sometimes mistaken for each other but demons are just a higher level than undead in any way."

    "Thank you Lam for this insightful discussion."

    I need to look out for these races when I find a black market or a slave market. Afal was plenty strong and I barely won. And there''s already a person after three months in this world already be level 100. That''s just insane. I guess he or she is killing a lot of players.

    I need to get ready before meeting another player.

    The day passes and night finally struck. We all went to our houses and got a good night''s sleep.

    The day came and Grien and his team were lined up outside eager to fight.

    "Group Assault, we''re awaiting your orders my lord!" Everyone of them chanted.

    I gathered everyone and then told Rize to stay in the village to protect Ortov. I also told Zeta to stay since he''s still recovering from the damage he took. Its just, Me, Precia, Greta, Afal, Yefa and Group Assault on this quest.

    "Okay. Let''s do this! Our first quest as vassals of the kingdom of Itz!"

 Chapter 37 - Grien Versus Raiders

    We all went to Hajey and began to scout the areas. From morning to night, we all felt someone was watching us when we were all patrolling the area.

    The first day we didn''t met any raiders the king mentioned. We all just slept in the forest near Hajey since we aren''t officially recognized here and we''re way too many to get a room at an inn. This is more of an undercover mission.

    Grien and his team stayed up all night trying to look for the raiders. Others went to sleep.

    Second day finally came and we all went scouting again. I told Grien that they should scout near Hajey and the others will join me to scout the forest.

    When we got to the forest, we all split up in different directions. After an hour of searching, Yefa found something.

    "Zieglind, there''s an encampment deep in the forest."

    "Humans?"

    "No but some goblins and ogre are there."

    "You think you can take them on?"

    "Yes."

    "Hmm... Just shout if you need helpm I''m going deeper in the forest to inspect more. Eradicate them all."

    "Will do." Yefa then quickly left and head to the direction she went before.

    I went deeper and deeper into the forest. The air was getting thin, there''s fog everywhere and my heavy is getting heavier.

    "Tsk. I need to stop here for now."

    It seems there''s something hidden here. The area around here is thick and tough to maneuver. I need something to clear this area.

    I stopped going farther in the forest and went back to where we all were in the first place. They were all there.

    "Found something?" I asked them all.

    "Unfortunately, no." Is what they all said.

    "*Sigh* This job is boring." I complained.

    We all waited for about two more hours. A member of Grien''s team came running towards us.

    "Lord! We found the raiders!"

    "Finally. Where are they at?"

    "In the village of Cuag. North east of Hajey."

    "Everyone, let''s go. We''ll follow you."

    The goblin was running at full speed. It seems it was a goblin assassin. Props to Grien to know to send a fast messenger.

    After 3 minutes, we finally got to Cuag. The village was small and most of its land are just farms.

    Grien and his team were already engaging with the enemy.

    "Goblin, go help Grien. Others, we''ll watch for now."

    Goblin Protectors chanted, "Resist" on their shield and bodies. They might''ve got that from leveling up everyday and hunting. They raised their shields and began rushing to the raiders.

    One of the raiders trying to scare the monsters away by swinging his sword. "Goddamned monsters. Why are they near a village."

    A bald headed man filled with tatoos commanded his men to certain formations. It seems he''s quick to know the situation. I think he''s the leader. "Let''s just quickly kill them all. The village hasn''t noticed us yet."

    Grien began channeling a spell. The other mages copied him.

    The leader saw Grien and the mages channeling something. "Target the magicians first!"

    The goblin protectors came rushing to them pushing them back with their shields.

    "Damn goblins." One man raised his sword and tried to kill one of the goblin protectors by going over his shield and striking their head down. But to no avail, the goblin''s body was tough as a steel and the man''s sword couldn''t pierce through the skin of the goblin. "What?!"

    "ROOT!" Grien and the mages finished channeling. Plants emerged from the ground and the plants grabbed the feet of all the raiders and began to lock itself in place.

    All of them tried to wiggle their way out of the spell. The leader in particular tried to cut and hack it but no damage was done. "What''s with this spell? Tsk. Mages, remove this!"

    "Yes!" The mages in the raider squad began channeling. But the goblin assassins rose from the ground... No, it seems they emerged from the shadows. In an instant, they got behind the mages. And in one quick thrust, 5 mages were killed in an instant.

    Grien and his mages'' root ran out of time and dispelled. "Focus on attack based spells now!" Grien with his quick thinking ordered the mages to focus on using offensive spells. They all began casting spells.

    "Firebolt!" "Ice Shard!" "Lightning!"

    With each and every cast, they are perfectly aimed but the raiders are barely dodging them.

    The goblin protectors recasted their Resist spell and began charging to the raiders.

    "Protectors! Group up to four and you know what to do!" Grien commanded them.

    The protectors instantly grouped up to two groups. Five each. They began to charge again. Four of the protectors would corner the raiders by using their shields and surrounding and restricting their movement. The one goblin left is to deal the final blow while the raiders are cornered.

    This continued until the raiders were only 9 left.

    "Retreat! Run for your lives!" The leader rushed to his horse.

    But Grien knew this and began chanting. "No you won''t, Root!" The plants again emerged from the ground and grabbed the feet of all the raiders and it tripped everyone. The spell was instantly gone after it stuck at the feet of the raiders. It seems the root is longer the longer the casting time.

    With a few offensive spells of Grien and the mages and the quickness of the goblin assassins, they were all eliminated in an instant.

 Chapter 38 - Yefas Strength

    "Good job Grien."

    "Ah, my lord. You were watching? Thank you very much."

    "Since this is your first win, take everything they have except for the gold. I''m thinking of buying something."

    "I see. Thank you my lord. Everyone, loot everything!"

    Grien''s first win was amazing. I thought I would need to intervene but it seems they can stand up to theirselves. I didn''t even release Gaia.

    They all picked up different weapons and armors. When they wore it the armor instantly fitted in the shape of their bodies.

    "Hmm? What armor is that?"

    "Ah my lord. This is a bind item. It automatically bonds with the user that got it. You can''t sell it nor trade it unless you''re dead or haven''t used the item for a year." Grien explained.

    They continued to scavenge some weapons and Grien''s new staff looks interesting.

    The staff was weirdly shaped. It was a dagger but it can turn into a staff. I guess the mages that have this couldn''t use it because of the quickness of the goblin assassins.

    The gold I got was about 1200. They must''ve raided a lot to get this much gold just from a village.

    I''ve got 4200 of gold left.

    "Okay. Let''s all rendezvous at Hajey. I''m going to find Yefa."

    "Yes!"

    Everyone but me went to Hajey.

    I go back to the woods to find Yefa. She was pretty deep in the woods. After 2 minutes of searching, I heard explosions in the distance. "So there huh? Sprint!" I used sprint to get to Yefa''s location faster.

    After 3 minutes, I finally got to the encampment she was saying before. It was the largest encampment I''ve ever seen. So much ogres and goblins.

    But despite that, Yefa''s strength is unmatchable here. With one strike of her gauntlets, the bodies of her enemies explode in contact.

    "Magic Spear!" A blue crystallization of spear appeared from her hand. Growing larger in size. With her brute strength, she threw it full force straight to the ground. *BOOM!* A large sound emanated from the ground. The explosion grew larger in size like a shockwave going in every direction. Everything it passes through are reduced to ashes.

    "Wait. Oh no." I noticed there are two houses. If what I''m thinking is right, those are slave houses from goblins. "Sprint!" I rushed to one house and got my greatshield in my inventory. I planted it firmly to the ground. This house is now safe. "Damn. What can I do for the other..." I then noticed a dead goblin sage on the ground. "SPRINT!" I rushed to the dead goblin and, "Please let there be one, Devour, Barrier!"

    [Gained skill Barrier.]

    "Nice! Sprint!" I rushed to the other house. "BARRIER!" A golden circle enveloped me and the house. While the Magic Spear''s explosion is nearing the house, I clenched my teeth for the upcoming calamity.

    The explosion reached me and the shield. "Urk!" The explosion was powerful. My barrier is still at level one and I''m barely hanging on. And I noticed the other shield planted in the different house is nearly being destroyed. "Crap. I hope this works. Abyssal Enhancement!" I casted Abyssal Enhancement while I''m casting barrier. Think of it like this, drawing a circle on the right hand while trying to draw a square on the left hand. Its complicated as hell for me.

    [Unlocked hidden skill. Double Casting, can now use two skills simultaneously. Drains 1.5x more mana.]

    The explosion finally ended and I somehow protected the two houses. "Damn Yefa. You''re really strong you know that?"

    I looked around and everything was left in ashes except for the two houses.

    "Zieglind?! What are you doing here? And, are you okay?"

    "I was searching for you. And don''t mind me."

    "Were you caught up in the blast?"

    "Yeah. You need to keep your power in check."

    "Sorry about that. I got a passive skill that can''t really be removed."

    "What is it?"

    "Uhh... I won''t tell you now... Anyway, these are the two houses left huh? Magi-"

    "No no, don''t! I protected this from your explosion you idiot." I punched her on the head.

    "Oww... But why though?"

    "Open it and see for yourself."

    Yefa slowly opened the houses. Her eyes grew wider from the scene she saw.

    "What... Is this?"

    "You''re master was pretty caring when you were still not involved with me. But the goblins on the other hand, well... This is what they do to their slaves."

    Yefa took a look at the women inside. Wounded, broken, missing limbs, crying and people dead. She couldn''t held back her tears.

    I didn''t say anything and just went inside. I untied everyone and healed everyone who was fortunate enough to be alive. "Hi, I''m Zieglind. Want to live with me?"

    "Who... Are... You?" The woman were speaking very slowly. She''s clearly broken.

    Despite the feelings inside of me, I tried to put a smile in front of them. "Its gonna be okay." I patted their heads. "Its all over now."

    "Over...?" One of the women asked.

    "Yeah. Its gonna be okay."

    "Over? Waahh!" They all cried like a baby, bawling over the fact that their abuse is finally over.

    I looked over to Yefa and it seems she calmed down.

    I did the same thing to the other house. There were about 15 women in total that I could save. The others were just... Impossible to save.

    "Yefa, guide them to Hajey. Tell Grien and the Reyshs that I''ll be back in a day. Also, these women, hand them over to Precia. They might be scared of Grien. Use this gold to sleep at an inn or buy food." I handed over a hundred gold. 4100 gold left.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I discovered something in the forest."

    "After I lead them back to Hajey, can i join you?" I could see Yefa''s eyes show curiosity and courage.

    "Haa... It can''t be helped. I''ll wait for you here."

 Chapter 39 - Two Faced Beauty

    After half an hour, I could hear Yefa running towards me at full speed.

    "Sorry about that. I made you wait too long."

    "No, I don''t mind. Let''s go."

    We began running at full speed. Even when I''m using Sprint, Yefa catches up to me in an instant using her skill Blink. I don''t know what it does but I guess its just a short ranged teleportation. After an hour of running deeper and deeper into the forest, we both feel the heavy atmosphere. The gravity suddenly became heavier, the air was thinner, and we became sluggish to move.

    "I hope this works. Barrier!"

    A golden round ball enveloped our bodies. The gravity, the air and our movements returned back to normal. As if this barrier is completely a different space itself.

    "Thank you."

    "Don''t mind it. Let''s go."

    We began running at full speed and I recasted Barrier every 5 minutes. Everytime the barrier runs out, we could feel the intense gravity grow heavier and the air running out. I was hesitant to go deeper but we''ve come too far to back out now.

    After running for 30 minutes, we saw a glimmer of light at the end. Me and Yefa looked at each other and nod in agreement. We ran towards the light.

    When we finally got through that, I couldn''t believe what I saw.

    "Wow..." We were both in awe. I mean who wouldn''t?

    The land inside the light was vast. Surrounded by trees. The trees from the forest were different from the forest here. It was bright, green and bears bountiful fruits. The plants were colorful. Even though they weren''t moving, I feel like I could hear them singing.

    A humble abode stood in the middle of the land. The house were surrounded in vines. Despite it being a nuisance, the vines adds the beauty and grace of the house. It was surrounded by animals.

    A young woman is sitting in a white chair drinking tea. Her white silky hair was beautiful to see.

    "Oh?" The woman speaks. "Welcome. Its been a while since there''s been someone here other than me and my friends here." She patted the head of the animals gathering around her.

    "Beautiful..." Yefa was completely in love with the woman sitting before us.

    The woman giggled. "Thank you for the compliment. Why do you seek this place?"

    I began to speak, "We were curious to what was deep inside the forest."

    "I see... And oh? Is there something wrong with your friend?" She pointed at Yefa.

    Yefa was completely smitten. She walk towards her and raised her hand as if she''s reaching towards her.

    "Ah, my apologies." I tried to grab Yefa but the woman stopped me.

    "No, no. Its fine. Come here child." The woman grabbed Yefa''s hand and embraced her.

    "Ah... Bliss..." Yefa rested her head at the chest of the woman. She was like a baby yearning for her mother''s embrace.

    "There, there." The woman began to caress her hair. "Let''s put you to sleep."

    "Sorry about this." I apologized.

    "Don''t worry about it. After all, I''ll put her to sleep." After she said those words, her whole body clicked. Like a machine reorganizing itself. The body of the woman transformed. Her insides were twitching and kind of exploding, bulging through the skin like its wanting to get out. "ETERNALLY."

    Her once beautiful face took a turn for the worse. Her hair turned ugly but still retained its silky white hair. Her eyes were twitching all over the place. Her mouth grew larger and she was salivating at the sight of Yefa.

    Her hands that were before so small now was larger than Yefa''s head. She grabbed her and opened her mouth.

    "Damn. I should''ve expected this. Sprint!" I rushed towards the woman... No, the monster trying to prevent her to eat Yefa. I equipped Bloodlust and pierced her mouth and it went through the other side of her mouth.

    "AUGH! What is this...? Are you not affected by my magic?" The monster writhed in pain. "Damn it..." The monster poked Yefa''s cheek.

    "Hu- huh?" Yefa woke up.

    "My child, help me. Your companion is attacking me!"

    "As if that would work you''re still in your mons-"

    Yefa cut me off before I could speak. "Zieglind? What are you doing to her?"

    "Eh...?!"

    "You know we''re just visitors here right?"

    "Yefa, snap out of it! This damn monster. Sprint!" I rushed again at the monster and tried to lunge my sword at it.

    But before I could reach her, Yefa blocked it using her gauntlets. "Zieglind what are you doing!"

    "Tsk. Can''t you see tha-"

    "Agh, agh! This is taking so long. I don''t need to hear that yada yada nonsense. Mind Break!" The monster casted something.

    "Eh?" Yefa suddenly lost control. Her body fell to the ground as if a broken doll.

    "Kill him." The monster pointed at me.

    Yefa stood up. "Yes... Mas...ter..."

    "Yefa?"

    "Blink." Yefa suddenly blinked to my location. She swung her giant gauntlets. I dodged it barely using sprint. "Magic Spear." A spear formed on Yefa''s hands.

    "Damn it. Sprint!" I began running in random directions.

    Yefa threw the spear at me and I dodged. But I didn''t know that it was a faint.

    "Blink." Yefa suddenly appeared infront of me.

    "Wha-" Before I could speak, Yefa thrusted the magic spear in my stomach. "AUGH!"

    Before it exploded, "Blink." Yefa ran away in a different direction.

    After a couple seconds, the magic spear thrusted in me exploded. "ARGH!" It wasn''t that powerful but it made a hole in my armor and my body.

    "Good thing she was on my side." The monster grinned as if it was winning.

    "Damn it." I pulled out Bloodlust from my inventory and began chanting Karmic Pain. The hole on my stomach were slowly closing. But I need to hold on or the regeneration will be disrupted. "How can Yefa be captured as a slave if she''s this damn strong." Before I could think of those thoughts, Yefa is getting ready to enter combat again.

    "Blink." Yefa appeared infront of me again in an instant.

 Chapter 40 - Mind Games

    "Damn it. She''s so damn fast. Does her blink even have a cooldown?"

    The monster laughed maniacally. "Kekeke. I may not have battle potential but the puppets I control break their limits. Right now you''re seeing the full potential of her! Finish it now!"

    "Blink." Yefa spammed blink until she got near me.

    "Damn it. If it comes to this, I''ll target the puppeteer!" I rushed to wards the monster using sprint.

    "Protect me!"

    "Blink." Yefa got between us. "Magi-" before she could mouth those words, we both fell to the ground as if someone was dragging us down.

    We didn''t notice but, the barrier I casted ran out of time.

    "Oh, you can be affected by my spells. I wonder why it didn''t work first time. Anyway, this is easier to kill you." The monster grabbed the air, her hands suddenly dissipated. A portal opened up and she brought out a bow. It was not an ordinary one. It was a giant bow as big as her monstrous body.

    "Crystal Arrow." A blue arrow formed and rested itself onto the bow. The monster pulled the string back getting ready. "This is the end." She released the string along with the arrow.

    Before it could hit me, I casted barrier only for myself and used sprint to get away quickly.

    "What?!" The monster was confused. "I thought you were affected by my magic in this forest? Hrng... Tsk. Stand up doll." Yefa tried to stand up but no matter what she does, she can''t muster the strength to stand up. Her skill might not improve the physical abilities of her mind controlled puppets but only their skills. "Damn child. It seems I need to it myself."

    Anyway, its better than nothing. I don''t want to fight Yefa in that state. She''s practically unstoppable. At least I now know she can be very valuable as an ally.

    "Crystal Arrow, Multiply!" The arrows of the monster suddenly glowed. It didn''t add more arrows but I know that spell is dangerous.

    "SPRINT!" I began running in different directions to try to avoid the arrow she''s about to fire.

    "You can''t escape this." She redirected the her bow and arrow in the air and shot it. The arrow lost its glow and suddenly exploded mid air. The arrows multiplied and hailed down to the ground.

    I didn''t notice but Yefa was behind me still down from the heavy gravity of the area. "Damn it." I pulled out the greatshield from my inventory amd planted it infront of us. "Barrier, Abyssal Enhancement!" I put barrier and enhancement both into the greatshield. The arrows and the shield collided. Small explosions formed and the shield is barely defending against the barrage of arrows.

    While the arrows were falling at us, the monster ran towards us.

    "What?! Damn it. I have my hands full of the arrows." I pulled out Bloodlust and waited for her to get near us.

    "Invisibility." The monster suddenly disappeared in front of me.

    "That''s just perfect. You can''t move if you''re invisible." I swung Bloodlust towards her but I felt nothing. As if I''m swinging through air.

    "My Invisibility is unique you see. Not that puny shroud skill lower life forms use." I could hear her but I could not see her. I then heard a blade leaving its sheath. "Here I come... Hehe..."

    "Damn it. She''s too strong. If I run now I''ll have to abandon Yefa." Before I could think of what to do, a wound opened behind me. "AGH!" She broke through my barrier in one hit and wounded me. A drip of blood flows through my back. "Barrier! {Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!" The wound on my back is slowly closing.

    The monster reappeared, "Oh? Cursed Arts... And what a wonderful voice. I wonder how many hits you can take." She vanished again in an instant.

    "I... I can''t win this." I knew that I had no chance of defeating her. I can escape definitely but Yefa... "Tsk. I''ll have to risk it. Sprint!" I began running to the animals that surrounded the monster earlier.

    "What are you thinking?" The monster reappeared.

    "A way to escape." I grabbed the head of one of the animal and then, "Telepathy, every skill I have!" There are a lot of errors that popped in my screen because some skills couldn''t be passed. But the pig I''m holding suddenly moved around trying to escape, its tears coming out from its eyes and doing everything it can to leave my grasp. After all the skills were transferred, with a thrust of my Bloodlust, it imbued the blood to my weapon and killed the animal in one hit.

    "Are you imbuing your anger to my animals? Heh."

    "No, this will be my way to escape here."

    "Escape? As if you can. Invisibility." She vanished again in the darkness.

    I began using sprint and transferring all of my skills to all the animals I could find using Telepathy and killing them in one shot using Bloodlust.

    "Take this!" The monster suddenly thrusted its weapon to me and instantly broke my barrier in one hit. It stabbed through my shoulder.

    "ARGH!"

    "I don''t know what you''re doing but this ends now." She raised her dagger.

    "No it won''t!" I grabbed her head and, "TELEPATHY! Every skill I could transfer, do it!"

    [Transferred Heal, Great Heal, Enslavement, Breaker, Strength Boost and Berserker]

    [Telepathy leveled up to Level 2, can now talk with 20 or more people in one connection, can now transfer unique skills.]

    "ARGH! WHAT IS THIS?! Hundreds... No, thousands of information are flowing through my mind! ARGHH!" She loosened her grip at me and I escaped her grasp.

    I began running towards Yefa. I grabbed my greatshield and put it in my inventory.

    Finally, I grabbed Yefa''s head, "Telepathy, Insanity Immunity!"

 Chapter 41 - Aftermath

    "Hnrg... What''s happening...?" Yefa scratched her head. "Ugh... Who''s sitting on top of me? Its so heavy..."

    "Barrier! Stand up Yefa, let''s go!"

    "I won''t let you!" The monster grabbed its bow and began aiming at us.

    "Let''s go!" I shouted at Yefa.

    "Uh.. okay." She stood up and was still feeling weak. Despite her being inside the barrier, she''s still feeling groggy.

    I grabbed Yefa''s hand, "Use blink, now!"

    "Uh... Blink!"

    The monster shot its arrow but we barely managed to dodged it. "Tsk." It didn''t move from its spot when we blinked to run away. It seems she can''t escape the forest.

    But we still need to be wary. "Just keep using your blink. Let''s go, let''s leave the forest."

    "I can''t use blink for another 5 minutes."

    "Just... Try it."

    "Sure... Blink!" We instantly travelled a hundred meters from where we were. "What...?" She was confused.

    "Don''t you remember anything?"

    "No... But I got this new skill called Insanity Immunity."

    "Yeah that''s mine. I''ll explain it to you later. Spam your skill and let''s leave this place."

    Through our escape in the forest, I was guided by Yefa while I''m holding her hand. She''s using blink to get through the woods easily.

    But I was still contemplating on that monster. She broke my barrier in one hit which is impressive. And its broken invisibility skill...

    She also said that I was affected by her magic which is the gravity of this whole forest. Does that mean that this whole forest is the amount of how large its magic is? Then that means if it absorbed all of its scattered magic it can kill us easily.

    Its scary to think about it but... That monster was merely playing with us there. That was not its full power and to think that I gave it several skills.

    After thinking about it for a long time, I didn''t notice that we are finally back at the entrance of the woods.

    "Zie...nd, Zieglind!"

    I was startled at her voice. I was so focused I couldn''t hear her the first time. "Ah! Sorry. I was just thinking of something."

    "We''re here. Can your hands uh...?"

    "Oh yeah, I''m sorry."

    "Anyway, what happened back there?"

    "What''s the last thing you remember?"

    "We met a beautiful girl. Oh yeah where is she now?"

    "I see. I''ll explain everything."

    I began explaining to her what happened in that forest. Who was the girl we met, what happened to her, how I passed my skill to her, how the monster brainwashed her and my theory about the strength of that monster we saw.

    "Oh... I''m sorry about that. You should''ve abandoned me instead of giving it skills!"

    "No, I don''t mind it. We''ll have a chance to kill it someday. But for now, we''ll have to stay away from that monster."

    "I see..." Yefa''s eyes shows regret. It seems she''s still bothered on how she was saved since I made the enemy stronger.

    "Anyway, it seems the monster''s power is still active in you."

    "Is that why I can use blink several times?"

    "Yes. Hmm... Try using your spear."

    "I''ll try." Yefa stood up and began chanting her spear. It was huge. Bigger than the magic spear she showed at the goblin encampment. It had a hint of blue and a darker shade of blue. "What is this...?"

    "I knew it. Right now Yefa, your skills are at peak. That means all of them are maxed out. You''re stronger than me now you know?"

    "What do you mean? Impossible. A servant couldn''t be stro-"

    I unequipped my armor and raised my clothes and showed her the still healing hole she made in my stomach. "You pack a mean punch you know that?"

    "Is that...?"

    "Yes. Its your magic spear."

    "I... I''m sorry. Even though you saved me and gave me a place to call my own..." Tears welled up from her eyes.

    I tried to reach out to her but I couldn''t. We''re both at fault... No... Its my fault. My curiosity got the best of me. I made the enemy stronger, I hurt myself, I made Yefa betray me, brainwashed and be used infront of me. I''m a failure as a master.

    "I-... Let''s go to Hajey now. Others might be worried." I''m a coward for not reassuring her.

    She gave a small nod.

    We went back to Hajey and went to the nearest inn. We were greeted by everyone. Precia, Greta, Afal, Grien and his team and the women we saved.

    The women we saved were still pretty wary in their prescence but when they saw me they sighed in relief.

    "Umm... What happens to us now?" One of the women asked.

    "It depends."

    They all looked at each other in confusion. "Depends?"

    "I could leave you all here with some gold and live here in Hajey or you could go with us. I''ll promise you all in my name that I''ll protect you."

    "If... If it means we can serve you we''ll be happy to be with you!" They all nodded in agreement. "We''ll do the best we can so just... Please don''t abandon us."

    "I see, we''ll all depart tomorrow back to the village. Get a good night''s sleep. And Precia, pay the inn for everything. I gave you money right?"

    "Yes, we used 30 gold for food including these women here. There''s 70 gold left."

    "Okay, pay everything to the innkeeper."

    After all that, we all went to our respective rooms. I requested for a single room.

    After I got to my room, I could feel the blood dripping from my stomach. Even the Karmic Pain can''t heal this wound. "Heal, Great Heal." A green aura emitted from my stomach and began healing the wound directly. But it still wasn''t enough. "{Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba." The wound started closing again. Due to my blood loss, I passed out

 Chapter 42 - Bloodlust

    "Is this him?" "You''ve got to be kidding me." "I agree, how can he use us?!" "A puny level 40?" "I miss the old master." "This kid ain''t even feeding us everyday." I could hear thousands of voice surrounding me.

    I woke up in a cold dark place. No people, no plants, ground or anything at all. Its nothingness and I''m falling in it. "What...?"

    "Hey kid." As soon as one of the voices spoke, others copied what he said and an infinite number of echoes was heard throughout the nothingness.

    "Who are you? Show yourself!"

    "Tsk. How annoying. Everyone!" As soon as I heard those words, thousands of souls clumped up together forming a gigantic shadow figure. "Damn kid. How can you use us?"

    "What do you mean? I don''t know who you are."

    "We''re your sword. Well our previous master called us Bloodlust so that''s our name."

    "What?!"

    "I got to give it to you kid. Using your own body as a medium for the blood. So much guts. But I don''t trust you. How the hell did you get us and you still haven''t answered my question on how you can use us."

    "I got it from a dungeon."

    "Are you kidding me...? Us? IN A DUNGEON?!" The Bloodlust suddenly shouted and all the souls that combined also shrieked. "Blasphemy... BLASPHEMY!"

    "I''m not lying."

    "Prove it!"

    "The one who guarded your sword was Afal. Son of Parela."

    "You know my master? Tsk. It seems there''s no other choice. I believe you. But that damn master... Putting us in a dungeon."

    "Anyway, what am I doing here. Is this a dream or am I truly communicating with you?"

    "You''ve been wounded severely. We''re trying to save you."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Since you can use us, we acknowledge you as our master. If you die, we cannot be used. A sword''s duty is to serve its master. We''re doing everything to prevent you dying. Let''s just say that... We''re fusing with you."

    "Huh?!"

    "You''ve suffered too much and lost too much blood. We''re still digesting the giants you killed before so we can''t use your blood."

    "So what does that mean?"

    "One day, we will become one. You have already absorbed 38% of us."

    "Then will I los-"

    "It seems we can''t talk anymore. They''re waking you up."

    "Huh? Wh-"

    After our talk was disconnected, I woke up in the inn. I was literally in a pool of blood but my stomach was completely fine. There''s no more wound nor hole in any parts of my body.

    All of them were standing in my room looking worried.

    "Zieglind, are you okay?!" Yefa pushing my body back and forth trying to wake me up.

    "Huh..? Yeah I''m fine. *Yawn* Oh crap. There''s a lot of blood here. Who''s this from?"

    Yefa, Greta and Precia suddenly hugged me.

    "I''m glad you''re okay." They all said in unison then a silent sob.

    "Huh? What happened?"

    "We heard you screaming in the night. I sent a goblin assassin to our village to bring Zeta here to heal you. But I guess you''re pretty fine." Afal said while he was leaning on the door at the corner.

    "I see. Sorry for worrying you." I patted the three of them hugging me. "I had a talk with my sword, Bloodlust."

    "Huh?!"

    "Yeah. It seems that after Yefa''s Magic Spear hit me, it inflicted so much damage the Bloodlust acted on its own. I absorbed 38% of the sword according to them."

    "What do you mean? Show me the sword!"

    I pulled out Bloodlust from my inventory. The blade didn''t change in shape nor any form but the appearance of it did. It became somewhat translucent. "It seems I ate a good portion of the sword."

    "It looks like it. I don''t really care anyway since its your now but take care of it. My father was the previous owner of that. And also, Yefa, explain to me later why you attacked master okay?" Afal glared at her like she''s a bug.

    Yefa felt his pressure. "Eek."

    "Anyway, sorry for delaying our journey. Let''s go back." I moved away from their hugs and stood up. "Get ready. Tell the women also. Don''t force them if they don''t want to come."

    "Yes." They all said in agreement. They then all left the room.

    Since Zeta is on his way here, its just a wasted trip. I''m going to try something. "Telepathy, link me to Ortov." A current flowed through my mind as if signalling me that the connection was established. "Ortov."

    "My lord?!" I could hear Ortov''s voice clearly.

    "I''m using Telepathy. Anyway, is Zeta there?"

    "Yes, he''s getting ready to depart."

    "Tell him to not go. I''m already fine. It was just a misunderstanding. I''m going to keep the Telepathy open. Just say a word and we''ll rush towards there if there''s a problem."

    "I got it my lord."

    "And also, Ortov. Can you quickly make a house?"

    "I''ve actually maxed my building skills so it''ll be faster."

    "Oh... How long will it take to build a house?"

    "If its just me it would take a day. If I got the other builders with me, we can do it in 8 hours."

    "I see... Well please tell Lam and your group that I''ll be having 15 women that I''ll be bringing back. I want their houses near my house. They are still pretty unaccustomed to Grien and his team. Let''s just say that they''ve been captured before by goblins."

    "I see. That''s very unfortunate. But I will follow your orders my lord."

    "And tell every goblin there, "If you all do something unacceptable to those women, I''ll personally handle your judgement."

    I could hear Ortov''s gulp through the Telepathy. "I will relay that my lord."

    "Good. Continue building. We''ll now depart."

    I left Ortov to his duties.

    I brought out Bloodlust and it begam to suck up the blood scattered in the room.

    "For a first mission, this is pretty hectic."

 Chapter 43: Future Plans

    We traveled a day to go back to my village. We were greeted by Rize and Zeta was still worried about what happened. I reassured him on that subject.

    Ortov seems to be building the houses I told him. Three houses are already completed.

    I told everyone to go get some rest. It seems that the women are still scared of the goblins. Well, 90% of my population except them are goblins. I just escorted them to my house and told Greta, Zeta and Precia to take care of them.

    Grien and his team resumed their daily duties even though I told them to rest.

    After everything was in order, I traveled to Itz to report what happened to the king.

    The guards in Itz seemed to know me. When I entered, I was greeted and bowed to by the guards there. But the civilians still don''t know me.

    After a bit of walking, I arrived at the king''s castle. I was guided to the king''s chambers.

    "Welcome Zieglind. Take a seat." The king greeted me.

    "Will do." I sat across him. "We completed the job."

    "I know. The messenger in Hajey told me. You were a day late, what happened?"

    "It got that fast...? Anyway, we were late because I tried to go into the forest near Hajey."

    "I''m surprised you''re still alive." The king said jokingly.

    "I know, we were nearly killed there. Have you ever gotten to the deepest part of the forest?"

    "I sent some troops there but sadly, they didn''t come back. There was one survivor that said that the deeper you go through, the harder it is to move forward. And there''s a lot of monsters there."

    "I also felt it too." It seems they don''t know the strong monster in that forest. I better not tell anything for now. "Anyway, what do I get?"

    "Straight to the point? I have another quest for you."

    "What is it?"

    "Scout the kingdom of Cagyer."

    "Cagyer?"

    "Its far from here. Just go there and register as an adventurer. Just monitor the events happening there."

    "And why?"

    "I plan to invade it someday."

    "Interesting. Where is it on the map?"

    "Here." The king stood up and pointed at the location of Cagyer in his world map.

    "Oh that''s pretty fa-... That''s Cagyer...?" Cagyer was huge, its like if Itz was twice as big.

    "Yes. If there''s an easier target we could go there but there''s sadly none. I would invade Polk first but the other neighboring kingdom would intervene. Cagyer is an independent kingdom and their allies are on the other side of the world."

    "Polk...? Isn''t that your ally?"

    "Yes but I''ve heard in some reports that they''ve been cooperating with Cagyer."

    "So you''re using this to know if they''re loyal or not huh?"

    "That''s the plan. Anyway, here''s the reward for the raiders in Hajey. Bring it in!" Two guards entered the room and laid something on the table infront of us. "300 gold."

    That''s pretty cheap but since I didn''t do anything in the mission I''ll accept it. They were pretty weak anyway and I didn''t get anything. "Thanks."

    4400 gold left.

    "I''ll need you to depart a week from now. I''ll only allow you to bring two people in this mission."

    "Two huh... I got it. I''ll take my leave now."

    "I''ll summon you when the time arrives."

    I left the castle and went to black market under Itz again. I''m gonna leave the women for a long time so they need some company.

    "Yo."

    "Zieglind! Or should I say Lord Zieglind?" The slaver greeted me.

    "Wow you even know that. Anyway, got something new?"

    "Yes, what do you need?"

    "How do you restock so fast."

    "That''s a trade secret."

    "*sigh* Anyway, got some kids?"

    "Oh my I didn''t know Lord Zieglind is into th-"

    "No I''m not. And that''s disgusting. I just need some to make my place livelier."

    "I see. There''s some in the back. I recommend elves and beastman and woman."

    We walked to the back of the store and I found hundreds of cages locked up. There''s too much. If I could I''ll buy every single one of them but sadly its impossible. One day, I''ll rescue everyone here.

    "I''ll get 15. Its up to you on who you pick."

    "Great. I''ll get them all ready."

    "And, don''t hurt them."

    "I know, I know."

    I waited for a while until the slaver came back.

    "Is that them?"

    "Yes. 7 elves, 8 beastwoman. We''re out of stock with the beastmen. I''m sorry about that."

    "Its fine. How much?"

    "700."

    "700- you''ve got to be kidding me. 300 I''ll do it."

    "Give me a break dear customer, I''ll do 600."

    "I''ve been coming back here regularly, do 400."

    "I''ll do 500."

    "400."

    "450?"

    "400."

    "You''re a tough nut to crack you know that? Okay okay I''ll do 400."

    I handed him 400 gold. I have 4000 gold left.

    "Good. I''ll be back. I''m going to buy something."

    "I''ll take care of them."

    "I don''t trust you one bit. *sigh* Barrier!" I put a barrier on all of the kids.

    "That''s cruel."

    I went out for a bit and bought some clothes for all of the kids and for the women in the village. It was 50 gold for everything. I bought a lot of clothes.

    I have 3950 gold left.

    I went back to the black market, dispelled the barrier and made them all wear the clothes I bought them.

    "Is everyone doing fine?"

    The kids just nodded in agreement.

    "Oh yeah I need to give you all a name. Hmm..."

    I gave them all names. I named the elves first. For the youngest elf, I gave her Mare, the one with the long ears, Mira, the one who looked confident, Mir, and the elf who looked pretty was named Jasmin, the one who looked cute, Jam, the one who looked strong, Ike and the one who looked the oldest I named her Yuri. Are elves only woman or something? I haven''t seen a male elf.

    Anyway, I also named the beastwomen. The youngest, Hare, the one who looked scared, Nura, the one who looked fierce, Mila, the one who looked shy, Rea, the cute one, Zoa, the one who looked pretty, Ura, the one who looked intelligent, Brie and the oldest was named Nea.

    "Do you like your names?"

    They all nodded and said in unison, "Yeah, thank you Papa!"

    "Pa-"

 Chapter 44: Introductions

    I tried to ignore what these kids just said. I guess they feel grateful they''ve been released.

    I guided them back to my village and they are scared of the goblins as expected. I need to break the barrier between monsters and people huh. For the time being I''ll be making them to stay away from the goblins for now.

    I went to the house the women were staying at.

    "Hi everyone."

    "Greetings my lord." They all spoke in unison while bowing.

    "My lo- what?"

    "Do you prefer us to call you in other terms?" One of the women spoke up.

    "No, no. Just call me anything you want. Anyway, I''ll be gone for a while."

    "Is there something wrong? Do you not like our prescence here?"

    "Its not like that. I''m going on a mission. The king of Itz asked me something of importance."

    "Then... Bring us with you! We''ll help you in any way we can."

    "Sorry but you can''t. But I do have a request for all of you."

    They all looked at each other in confusion. "Wh- What is it my lord? We will do anything we can to help."

    "Since I know that you''ll be lonely when I''m gone, I''ll need you to teach these kids for some time."

    "Kids?"

    It seems they haven''t entered the house yet. "Come in everyone." The kids entered the house worried one by one.

    "Papa?" Rea spoke.

    "..." The women looked at me dumbfounded.

    "Yeah we need to work on that. They''re not my kids. Anyway, I need you to guide them to the right direction while I''m gone."

    Jam tugged my hands. "Are you going to leave?"

    I kneeled down and patted her head. "Yeah I''m sorry. I need to do something. These women will all take care of you."

    "Be careful." Despite her age, Mila acted mature.

    "Mhm." The others said in agreement.

    I stood up and looked at the way of the women. "Oh I forgot, I haven''t asked your names."

    They grabbed their shoulders and bit their lips. It seems they don''t want to remember anything that happened to them. They look like they all want to restart a life.

    "I... I''m-"

    "I''ll just name you all." I cut off one of them. It seems they don''t want it to be brought up.

    "Thank you."

    The youngest was named, Jari, the confident one, Mae, the shy, Parla, the silent one was named Rozy, the one who looked strong and independent, Pam, the one who looked pretty, Ava, the cutie, Charlotte, the one who looks caring, Amelia, the one with the short hair, Harper, the carefree, Ilia, the one with the long hair, Aria, the one who always smiles, Mena, the one who looks uptight, Nora, and Ziley the oldest one.

    "Thank you for bestowing us names." Ziley said.

    "Mhm. I''ll leave in a week. I don''t know how long I''ll be gone so tomorrow, I''ll spend every day I have here. You all must still be confused or lost."

    They all wanted to say something but it seems their emotions was overflowing. I''m glad I met them all and had the chance to save them.

    "I''ll be going for now. I''ll be back by midnight. Get comfortable with each other."

    They all bowed including the kids.

    I left the house and gathered Yefa and Precia.

    "What do you need?" Yefa asked.

    "A week from now, we''ll be going on a mission."

    "Mission?" Precia asked.

    I filled them all in on the details. On the objectives, current plans and the future plans.

    Yefa was still hesitating to answer so she asked a question. "Are we the only ones that''ll join you?"

    "Yes. This is just a spy mission. We only need to roam around for a couple of days or something. We''ll just observe the place."

    Precia butted in, "What do we do when we get there?"

    "We''ll split up. Anyway, do you have movement boosts Precia?"

    "No, I don''t think so."

    I grabbed her head, "Telepathy, Sprint!"

    "Waa... A lot of... Information..."

    Yefa raised her hand and asked, "How about our communication?"

    "I''ll keep in touch with Telepathy. The range is practically infinite as long as I know who I''m linking with. Anyway, that''s all for now. Can you both follow me? It seems that I forgot that we were supposed to buy some mounts in Hajey."

    "Oh yeah I forgot about that."

    "Yeah... Can you use your blink?"

    "Fine, fine. Is Precia still processing the information? She''s basically a stone there."

    "She''s fine. Wait a few minutes and let''s go."

    After a few minutes, Precia regained her senses.

    We three went ahead and rushed to Hajey to get some mounts. It completely left my mind. I was too preoccupied with what happened in the forest.

    We grabbed on to Yefa and let her use blink to get to Hajey faster. It was a 4 second cooldown with a range of 50 meters and that is pretty fast. We take turns running then blinking. We got to Hajey about 4 hours of repeating the same process. It was pretty far.

    After we got there, we sat on the grass and tried to catch our breath. We were running non stop using Sprint and Yefa''s Blink.

    "Let''s go shopping."

 Chapter 45: Gearing Up

    We went around and asked different people in Hajey on where we could get some mounts. It seems this place was a great source of mounts. Five shops were recommend to me. I''ll check them all out.

    The first shop was pretty run down. The shop was in shambles, cobwebs everywhere. But their mounts are pretty amazing. They got horses, elephants and gryphons. I''ll need to check other shops to buy something first.

    The second shop was a pretty average one. They got horses, elephants, giant beetles. And other more. It seems this shop focuses on ground mounts more. They don''t have any flying mounts.

    The third shop was underground of Hajey. Its the same as the first shop. Same mounts and same prices. Nothing interesting.

    The fourth shop was pretty well known in this kingdom. I actually need to pay a fee to get in. I was let in free. Maybe its because they knew that I helped eradicate some raiders here. Anyway, they have a lot of mounts. Ground mounts and flying mounts here are equal in stock. They have a dragon but I have to think before I get that. Its pretty expensive. The only problem in this shop is the prices are bloated. The first shop and third shop have their prices the same but this shop''s prices are almost twice as them. I guess it might have to do with the reputation.

    The fifth shop was the same as the fourth shop. Over bloated prices yet have good stock of mounts. It seems these two shops have a rivalry seeing their places are near each other.

    I picked out the mounts I''m thinking of getting.

    For the flying units,

    Gryphon - 500 Gold (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th Shops)

    Dragon - 10000 Gold (4th Shop)

    For the ground units,

    Elephants - 100 Gold (All Shops)

    Horses - 20 Gold (All Shops)

    Wolves - 10 Gold (All Shops)

    Dragons are expensive. It seems its impossible to get that for now. Gryphons are pretty cheap considering its a flying mount. Wolves are useless as mounts.

    After contemplating for a while, I decided to get three Gryphons. I bought them and the fourth shop since they have an armor for them. It''s still very expensive. I didn''t expect it this much. I had to pay an extra 150 gold for the Gryphon''s armor. If I could get a source of income somewhere this would be easier.

    The night came. Yefa, Precia and I tried to use our Gryphons. It was pretty rocky at first getting to the use of flight. The sudden leap of the Gryphon flying through the clouds was insanely fast.

    "Wooo!" Everyone of us yelled at the same time.

    We all looked at each other and laughed under the starry skies.

    We got back to the village in less than 2 hours. We didn''t have to deal with forest, trees and obstacles so obviously we were twice as fast.

    The village were in awe when they saw the gryphons. I let Ortov''s team to take care of the Gryphons. Maybe someday I can get some monsters to do this. Ortov''s team are multitasking with cooking, building and feeding the livestocks.

    I got some rest and so did everyone.

    The day came and I upheld my promise with the kids.

    I spent the rest of my free time getting close with them.

    First day was pretty hectic. No one wanted to communicate with each other. I don''t blame them. I only met them for a day or three? I forgot. But it was a very short time. We were pretty silent the first day but Amelia stood up and spoke. She was pretty caring and wanted to get closer with everyone.

    We were all introducing ourselves with each other. We only talked for an hour but its a progress nonetheless.

    Second day and third day, we now warmed up to each other. Jari and Amelia were pretty close to the kids. It seems their childish and caring attitude.

    Fourth Day, Mae, Ava and Nora were the ones that are teaching the kids in life. Most of the time they are playing good cop bad cop. Ava being the good cop and Nora being the bad cop. It was fun seeing them both argue with each other when Mae is just sitting there doing nothing.

    Fifth day, Pam and Ziley. They took on the role of training the kids to fight. I didn''t really like that they have to fight so I told them. But they all wanted to anyway. I just let them be. It seems they want to protect this life they now have.

    Sixth day were just us all playing around. The other women just played around with everyone. It was a break for all of us.

    This life is something thay I''m grateful that I have. In my previous life, I can''t get this life. This is why I fight. I now have something to protect and someone to care for. I can''t believe I''m saying this but, I''m glad I accepted the god''s summoning.

    The seventh day arrived and a group of humans again came to the village.

    The leader spoke up, "Lord Zieglind, the king of Itz requests your audience!"

    "Are you leaving?" Parka asked me.

    "Mhm. Take care. If you need something ask Rize and Greta. I''ll be gone for a while."

    "I... Understand." She had a sad smile but its her way of showing she''s strong.

    "Yefa, Precia. Let''s go."

    They both geared up and brought all the gryphons with them.

    "We''re ready!"

 Chapter 46: Quest, Start!

    We didn''t meet with the king but we were merely guided at the entrance of Itz. A random guy was there sitting. It looks like he was looking for someone.

    "Hi!"

    "Lord Zieglind?" He stood up and shook hands with me.

    "Yes. Its me. I was brought here. Is it starting?"

    "Yes. Are these your companions?"

    "Ah yes. This is Yefa and Precia."

    "I see. Anyway here''s the document." He handed me an envelope.

    I opened the contents and it seems to be a list of some kind. "What is this?"

    "What you need to learn."

    "Are... Are you serious? There are like... 1, 2... 30 damn things here."

    "Yes unfortunately. But you will be rewarded handsomely."

    So there were 30 things we need to know.

    Current Ruler

    Members of the Government

    Royalties

    Royalties that are Inactive

    What Kingdoms are Involved

    Enemy Kingdoms

    Internal Conflicts

    External Conflicts

    Treasury

    Stores

    High Ranking Merchants

    List of Adventurers

    Adventurer Race Ratio

    Quests Listed

    High Level Adventurers

    Army Count

    Army Plans

    Army List

    Army Race Ratio

    Population

    Population Strength

    Population Race Ratio

    Villages

    Village Population

    Village Race Ratio

    Dungeons

    Level Threshold of Dungeons

    Common Monsters

    Artifact Dungeons

    Level Threshold of Artifact Dungeons

    "You''ve got to be kidding right? This is like I''m invading a kingdom with thousands of units versus us three. This is basically a suicide mission. How the hell do you think we''re gonna get all of these information?" I was angry about the situation. I thought this was going to be a simple scouting mission. "What the hell are these objectives anyway? Current Ruler? Are you kidding me? You don''t know the king or queen of Cagyer?"

    "I told you, you''ll be rewarded handsomely for your help. Its better than anything you''ve ever imagined."

    "Dammit. Your king is either a damn freak or an idiot. You basically have zero knowledge in this kingdom. And you want to lure Polk in this?"

    "Yes." The messenger said calmly. "The king has high hopes on you. He said that you are one of ''them'' he emphasized that. He has placed his trust in you."

    "Tsk. The reward better be damn worth it." I was placed in a situation where I can''t say no. We''re basically powerless right now. I have an army of 20 Goblins and including us, we''re all 27. If I refuse, the king might treat me as an outlaw and my village might be attacked too. We''re completely powerless at that for now. My reputation will decline too. That crafty old man.

    I tried to calm myself by replaying the memories I spent with the children and women in the village. "*sigh* Sorry I won''t be back for a while." I thought to myself.

    "Are you okay Zieglind?" Yefa asked.

    "Yeah... Sorry you two. I dragged you in an unreasonable quest."

    "We don''t mind." Precia reassured me.

    Yefa gave a small nod.

    "I see. I''m glad you''re here with me. Let''s go to Cagyer."

    We three rode the Gryphon and began flying to Cagyer. It took us a couple of trips to get there. We were resting every hour now and then. After a while, we arrived at Cagyer after a 12 hour journey. I gave Yefa and Precia some tattered robes just to hide our identities if we''re known here.

    "Halt!" A couple of guards went infront of us and blocked our path. "What business do you have in the kingdom of Cagyer?"

    "We''re trying to become adventurers."

    "We just need to go through the guild." Yefa seems composed and cool. I''ll let her handle the conversation.

    "Do you have verifications?"

    "I''m afraid not. We just came from a small village far from here. We traveled a long time to get here. I hope that we won''t be rejected as soon as we arrived."

    "Nice, Yefa!" I thought to myself.

    "I''ll let you in. Don''t cause any trouble." The guard turned around and ordered his soldiers. "Pave the way!"

    Just by looking at this scene, I can get the gist of Cagyer. A strict and war hungry people. It is a secure place but who knows what''s going on in the inside.

    We were let inside and hoo boy. Just by the sight of the entrance, this kingdom is insanely huge. The walls surrounding it was about 10 meters, made from stone and a wooden platform above. Several cannons and weaponry above it. I guess its true. Guns do exist in this world. The skill that Rize has that produces infinite arrows but cannot be buffed doesn''t specify that it only produces arrows. That is a valuable information for me. Now that I know that, totems aren''t the only defense I have. I need someone or somewhere to make it.

    Most guards here uses guns and spears. I wonder why. Anyway, I can see the problem Itz is going to have. The area here is very, VERY populated. I need to know what I''m going to do first.

    I guess getting the adventurer objectives first might be easy. Then after that I''m going to look for stores.

    It seems my stay here will be long...

    Way too long.

 Chapter 47: Merged

    We three split up. I ordered Yefa to scout all of the shops she could find. I gave her 50 gold incase she buys anything.

    I told Precia to find an inn close to the guild so I also gave her 50 gold. I have 2250 gold left.

    I went ahead and looked around for a clothing shop. My armor looks too strong in the eyes of others so are Yefa''s and Precia''s.

    I found this shop called, Cool Clothes Co. What the hell is with that naming. I got it in the shop and I was greeted by an energetic old man.

    "Ohhh! Welcome young man. Looking for some clothes?"

    "Yeah."

    I browsed around the shop. I didn''t know what clothes fit on the two. I first contacted Yefa using Telepathy.

    "Yefa."

    "Huh?!" It seems she''s startled.

    "I''m communicating with you using Telepathy. What size are you?"

    "Size.... For what?"

    "Clothes. We need to be vigilant. Walking around in broad daylight in our armor isn''t good. We''ll attract too much trouble."

    "I''m a medium."

    "Okay. How''s the shops here?"

    "I listed 23 shops since I left. This is a really large kingdom."

    "I see. Keep doing what you''re doing. I''ll cancel the spell now." After this, I contacted Precia and asked for her size. It seems she''s the same as Yefa''s.

    "Sir." The owner asked me. "Are you done browsing?"

    It seems that I''ve been in Telepathy for a while. It looks like I''m just standing there. "Ah yes. My apologies. I''ll get this all."

    "That will be 30 gold." I handed to him 30 gold. I have 2220 gold left.

    "Thank you." I then left the shop. I contacted Precia again. "Precia, found an inn?"

    "Yes. I also now know the whereabouts of the guild."

    "How much a night?"

    "10 gold for a single bedroom and 15 for a double bedroom."

    "I see. I''ll go there now." I walked around Cagyer with Precia''s instructions. I got lost a lot of times. After a lot of time wasted, I finally got to the inn Precia told me. It was really fancy.

    I walked through the front door and I was greeted by maids. The inn was big and fancy. I saw a lot of adventurers eating on their tables that looked good too.

    "Heyyy!" I saw Precia waving near the counter. "Let''s go get a room!"

    I walked up to the counter and asked for a room.

    "What room would you need?" The innkeeper said.

    "We''ll get one double bedroom and a one bedroom."

    "Ah." It seems Precia is disappointed at something. I just chose to ignore it.

    "That will be 30 gold."

    "Precia, the money."

    Precia gave the innkeeper the money.

    We waited in the lounge for Yefa. It seems she''s still searching for shops. I contacted Yefa again using Telepathy.

    "Yefa."

    "Yes?"

    "How''s the search going?"

    "Going pretty slow. I can''t use blink too many people. I''m moving at a slow pace."

    "I see. How many have you listed down?"

    "I''ve got 138 shops in the list."

    "138? That''s a lot. Anyway, come to the inn where me and Precia are staying."

    "But the search?"

    "Continue it next time. Tomorrow we''ll need to register at the guild."

    "I''ll go there now."

    I gave Yefa the instructions to the inn. She got here safely. We all went to our rooms. Of course I''m in the single bedroom.

    It was a long day. We journeyed a long time to get here. Its finally night time.

    I sat down and brought out Bloodlust from my inventory.

    "Hey."

    "Mas... ter!!"

    "It seems we can''t communicate here well. Contact me in my dreams."

    I went to sleep. I felt the same sensation when I first got in touch with the Bloodlust. The abyss and the endless hole I''m falling. But what I couldn''t forget is the appearance of Bloodlust itself. The amalgamation of souls devoured by the weapon.

    "Master, welcome to our domain. Why did you call us?"

    "You didn''t answer my question before. What happens when I absorb all of you?"

    "We''ll only answer that question if you''re ready to absorb us."

    "Then tell me first what''s going to happen if I absorb you all."

    "Denied."

    "You damn... *sigh* Then I''ll ask a different question, will I get stronger if I absorb you."

    "Yes."

    "It seems I have no choice. I have to know this weapon more for me and Afal. Fine, I''ll absorb you."

    "Do you accept to be one with the Bloodlust now and forever?"

    "What is this a marriage contract?"

    "..." The Bloodlust souls looked at me dumbfounded.

    "Nevermind. Yes, I accept."

    "We also accept. An Artifact Merging shall be made."

    The Bloodlust shall be gone

    For they shall be one

    The thousands of souls within

    Shall now begin

    Merging with the one true lord

    Forged as a sword,

    Will now be one to form

    Zieglind, The Bloodstorm

    [The Artifact Merging is now complete.]

    [Gained skill Blood Manipulation can now manipulate blood from long distances.]

    [Gained skill Bloodlust, can now summon Bloodlust from any part of your body. Same attribute and status boost as the original one. Bloodlust bonus status doesn''t stack. Maximum Bloodlust summoning: 2.]

    [Gained skill Bloodstorm, can infuse blood with any type of element as long as there is a medium.]

    [Gained skill Blood Weapon, can turn blood into a solid weapon. Its strength is equal to the user. Weapons made from this doesn''t give status boost. Can create ammo.]

    [Gained skill Karmic Pain, turns Karmic Pain into a passive skill. Heals your body gradually overtime. Karmic Pain doesn''t work on enemies if is not casted manually.]

    [Gained hidden skill Bringer of Death. Souls will be passively stored in your body. Every soul you have gives you +1 strength. This strength boost gradually goes down the higher your soul count is. Current soul count: 364821. As of now your strength boost is +0.02. Current strength boost: 7296]

    [Gained hidden skill Blood Rampage. Replaced skill Berserker. Increases damage everytime you see and smell blood, increases damage. Loses all sanity if you get too drunk on the smell of blood.]

    [Gained hidden skill 9#;_0$;#)$;)#;#) naldn!#9[?}?[�?�??��?��?~?''?|��[?}? x $(01(9$!#)! ]>>{???[��?<>

    [Gained hidden skill ???, ?#-)_;92-292-?)";)}�??��?''?��?]%?''=|??''?~[��[}??%[��}{����[�??''��???>���??��?����?���. Upgrades as long as the user levels up.]

    [Bloodlust weapon is broken.]

 Chapter 48: New Form

    I woke up in the middle of the night. I could see the flood of menus in my face. I could feel my throb very fast like its about to explode.

    "This... Is a lot of skills. I guess my heart is beating so fast because we''re slowly becoming one. I need to tell Afal this."

    I was about to contact Afal with my telepathy when my door suddenly opened.

    "Show... show yourself!" I see Yefa kicked the door down. She had a trembling voice.

    Precia had her weapon drawn.

    "Zieg... Lind?" They both asked me.

    "Yeah? Is there a problem?"

    "Your... Your appearance..." Precia pointed at me.

    "Do you not see... yourself? Hmm... Ice Wall!" Yefa casted a spell and ice erupted from the floor.

    "Is... This me?" My appearance reflected on the ice.

    I didn''t even recognize myself. My brown pupil turned to black. My sclera turned to red.

    I looked at my hand and it was shrouded in black and red. It only reached until my own shoulder.

    What''s interesting is that the changes in my body only affected my right side. My left eye was the same as always and my left hand wasn''t shrouded in black and red.

    Yefa looked like she wanted to ask more questions but she held back. "Anyway Zieglind, can you do something about your aura? Its leaking a lot of killing intent. Some people might notice."

    "Ah my bad." It seems the souls living inside of the Bloodlust are acting up. "Anyway, how do you turn this off..."

    "Just say it." A sudden voice suddenly spoke in my head.

    "Wha- where are you?"

    "Are you okay?" Precia looked worried.

    "Yeah." I focused my mind to try to talk to the souls inside of me. "How do I turn back to normal?"

    "Just say, Dispel Form."

    "Okay." I disconnected from our conversation and, "Dispel Form!" K reverted back instantly to normal.

    [Gained skill ??? (#0"!)#!#/)2[^??[}��?%>��}��??�?|?�?�?�� oa [???=��|��''����{[?}[?}%]��}��?{ ]

    It seems this skill is unknown too. I have about three unknown skills. I''m curious on what those three are.

    "Your aura is gone... Anyway, what happened? I can feel that you''re stronger now than before. Double? No... Triple?" Precia asked.

    "I absorbed Bloodlust. Anyway, get back to your room now. I need to contact Afal."

    I let them go back to their room. It seems they both have a lot of questions to ask.

    I sat down on the bed and used Telepathy to connect with Afal.

    "Afal, are you awake?"

    "Master. Do you need something?"

    "Oh. You''re awake. Anyway I just wanted to tell you, I absorbed the Bloodlust."

    "Absorb? Do you mean... You''ve become one?"

    "Yes."

    "Then... Have you got any information about my father?"

    "I''ve got a theory."

    "I''ll need to know it whatever it is."

    "Okay. So when I absorbed the weapon, I could feel the thousands of souls imbued in this weapon. Right now they are all inside of me. I can talk to them now whenever but I doubt they know anything about your father."

    "I see..."

    "Anyway, when the absorption was complete, I turned into something that I don''t know."

    "Do you have a different eye and and an armor?!"

    "So you know about that form. But sadly, the only changes I got was my eyes changing and a shroud of red and black in my arm I think this is the armor you''re talking about. My left side of the body wasn''t affected by this at all."

    "If you absorbed Bloodlust and its not fully complete then that means...?"

    "That means that there are two copies of the original Bloodlust. If I absorbed it and its incomplete that''s the most reasonable thing. The Bloodlust''s power is split in half."

    "That means my father is still out there somewhere..."

    "Yes. But since I absorbed the Bloodlust, I don''t know if I''ll be considered an ally or enemy of your father."

    "That''s... True. I don''t know him either. But I do remember his overwhelming strength."

    "I currently have some skills that is still unknown. Do you know anything about this?"

    "I''m afraid not. The only thing I remember is the black and red armor that covered my father."

    "That''s fine. Anyway Afal, I need you to run the village while I''m gone."

    "Why?"

    "This mission... Will take some time to complete. Tell that to the kids also. And try to make a normal face. Your face is so damn scary."

    "I apologize for that."

    "I''ll be sleeping now." I disconnected the Telepathy. I slept like a log.

    Morning came an I visited the two in their room.

    "Here." I threw the clothes I bought for them. "These are just some casual clothes. Put your armor in your inventory. And... Yefa about your gauntlets put them in your inventory too."

    "Its a weapon!"

    "I know but its too intimidating. We''re here to scout."

    "Fine. *sigh*"

    I went back to my room and wore my clothes. It was just a T-Shirt and pants. Nothing interesting.

    I went back to their room and knocked on their door. "Are you done?"

    "Yeah we''re done!" I heard Precia through the door.

    I went in and saw them both.

    I bought Precia a casual frilly one piece dress. She looked cute spinning around in that. It seems she likes it.

    The clothes I bought for Precia were a tomboyish style clothes. It fit her personality and body structure.

    "Okay, let''s first go to the guild. I''ll be taking quests myself. I need to try this new power. Yefa, continue listing all the shops here. Precia, go scout the vicinity of Cagyer. Try to look for some dungeons. Just normal dungeons. Let''s go!"

 Chapter 49: Testing Out

    We went to the guild and registered. It wasn''t really interesting. I ended up paying them 15 gold for the sign up. I think its more expensive here than in Itz. I have 2205 gold left.

    They gave us guild badges as proof that we''re joined in the guild.

    I told them to go do what they need to do. We all split up after registering.

    I took a look at the quest board to look for something easy.

    "Hmm... Hunting 30 spiders. Proof needed is one leg." I was about to take this quest when something piqued my interest. "Kill Arachne. It has even a warning. Recommended for level 40? Hmm... I guess I can take this too." I went up to the man at the front desk. "Can I take two quests?"

    "Yes, that is absolutely fine. If your quest isn''t done within a week your quest will be marked as abandoned. You can''t take the same quest for another month again." The man said.

    "I see. I want these quest. Hunting 30 spiders and killing this Arachne."

    "Do you have any companions going with you?"

    "Uh. Yeah." I don''t really want to be known as strong here. Keeping it low profile is good enough. "Their names are Yefa and Precia."

    "This quest has a deadline a week from now. Both quests needs leg as a sign of proof."

    "Aren''t spiders have six or eight legs or something? How can you know that I won''t be delivering the same legs of the same spider?"

    "No need to know the details. We have magicians here that can exactly know the origins of the part of the monster killed."

    "I see. I''ll be going now then."

    I left Cagyer and scouted its area. It said in the quest details that its a dungeon.

    I finally found it after an hour. I went in the hole. "Damn this is really dark." I went deeper in the cave. After a couple of minutes, I heard a hiss. I still can''t see anything.

    "Damn it. Where is it? Bloodlust!" The sword emerged from my hand.

    The unknown monste suddenly attacked me. It grazed my shoulder. "Tsk. I''m happy no one is here." I flailed my sword like a little kid. The monster surrounding is being very careful. "Oh I''m an idiot. I forgot I had this skill. Fire Totem!" The totem emerged from the ground and illuminated the area around me. The monster was in fact, a spider. "Gotcha." I threw the Bloodlust with all my might. It pierced its body and it killed the spider. "Woah. My strength is off the charts. If this is a spider then that means... Skill Devourer!"

    [Webbing]

    Spawns webs from any part of the body. Highly flammable. Its as tough as chains.

    [Spider''s Eye]

    The eye of the one holding this skill will now be able to see in the dark.

    "Yeah I''ll get everything."

    [Gained skill Webbing]

    [Gained skill Spider''s Eye]

    "Woah... I feel dizzy. I need some time to get used to this new eye." I grabbed its legs and snatched it off of it.

    After that, I went even deeper into the cave. I could see clearly as day. It wasn''t that difficult killing spiders. They can be killed very easily.

    After an hour of scavenging and heading deeper, I got about 30 legs of the spiders.

    "That''s done. I guess Arachne is next."

    As I went deeper, I could see the eggs in the walls of the dungeon. It was pretty eerie.

    Due to the fact these were eggs, I don''t take any chances. I used Fire Totem to eliminate all the eggs I could see.

    When killing all the eggs was done, I found myself standing on a huge empty room.

    "Ah my babies... Welco-... Who are you?" A spider? Was hanging on the ceiling of the dungeon. It had eight legs and a spider body but it was different than any spiders. It had half a male human''s body on top of it. And its the one talking.

    "Are you an Arachne?"

    "I won''t repeat this again. Who. Are. You?"

    "I guess that''s a yes."

    "Damn you! If I see that my children are dead I''m gonna eat you alive!" He cut his web on the ceiling and landed upright on the ground. He began running but not towards me. He ran past me to check something. "No... My eggs. My babies... NOOOOO!" He bagn sobbing uncontrollably.

    "Honey, what''s wrong?" A female voice could be heard deeper in the dungeon.

    "Your husband is crying over there."

    She emerged from the darkness. She was the same as the male Arachne. "Who are you? Ah. Honey what''s... wrong..?" She finally noticed the problem. "No... No!"

    "My children. My only source of happiness. I''m gonna end you. You''ll be my guinea pig. Right?" The male Arachne finally snapped. "Honey, for our kids... Let''s do this together."

    "Yeah..." She too seems to have lost control. They both were enraged by what''s happening. "For our kids."

 Chapter 50: Synergy of Love

    The male Arachne rushed to me and flailed his legs around as weapons. "Why... Why did you do that!?" He continued attacking even though he was overwhelmed with sadness. "We were peaceful here... We did our best to hide our location... Tried to get out of all of your way! Why... WHY?!"

    I continued dodging his half assed attacks. "For money." I coldly replied.

    "Money... You damned people. You are more monsters than us!" The female Arachne shouted in anger. "Honey, use me. I don''t care anymore."

    "Are you sure? I can''t protect you while you use that form?"

    "I don''t care."

    They both looked at each other in agreement.

    After they nodded, the woman walked over to him. A sudden light enveloped the whole dungeon. I could see the silhouette of the woman suddenly shift in... a weapon?

    The male Arachne grabbed her silhouette hand while we were all still blinded by the light. After he grabbed her, the light dissipated into thin air. His empty hands were now equipped with a weapon.

    Not a weapon. Its like they both became one. A large hand cannon was attached to his arm.

    "The woman became a weapon?!" I was beyond shocked.

    "This is our resolve to kill you!" He raised his hand cannon and aimed it at me. Without a warning, a projectile was shot from the cannon. A small ball of web. It was really fast but when it came contact with the ground, it exploded.

    "Urk!" I didn''t have time to shield myself with anything. I blocked it with just my skin. "Dammit. But cannons are useless when nearby! Sprint!" I rushed to the male Aracjne and got under him.

    "No you won''t!" His handcannon suddenly changed into a simple handgun.

    "A handg-"

    With his quick reflexes, he pulled the trigger instantly and shot me on my head.

    "Goodjob honey." He carrassed the gun in his hand.

    "Dammit." I stood up trying to bear the pain.

    "Oh you''re still alive? That''s fine. More pain for you."

    I could feel the wound in my head losing pain. It seems the automatic heal on myself is working. But its very slow. The ammo he shot in my head popped out an dropped to the ground.

    "A web? How can that be so destructive?"

    "Tsk." It seems they were thinking of their next move.

    I can''t get near, nor too far either. That handcannon was dangerous. I guess I can use that skill. "Blood Weapon, bow!"

    The blood in the vicinity suddenly floated in the air.

    "What''s this? It doesn''t matter!" He raised his handgun and began shooting my way.

    But I expected this and took out the greatshield in my inventory and planted it in the ground. Despite my shield''s insane defense, he is slowly breaking it with his bullets.

    The blood floating in the air suddenly redirected its path to my hand. A swirl of blood formed and they all coagulated. In the form of a bow.

    "Damn it! What are you doing there? Honey, transform into a cannon!" A sudden noise was heard like a gear changing in their direction. I was still behind my greatshield.

    "Crap they''re gonna blast this. How do I get arrows?! I guess. Blood Weapon, Arrows!" Just like the forming of the bow, the arrows that looked like coagulated blood formed in my hand. Its like it was crafted by a master blacksmith. The quality was that good.

    *BOOM!*

    The greatshield planted in the ground was now destroyed by a single blast of their cannon.

    "Damn. That shield withstood Yefa''s soul spear... What''s with that weapon..."

    "Tsk!" He began shooting his handcannon again. I was dodging barely because the explosions were too big for this small room. "Running away?!"

    "No, I''m just waiting for this moment." I draw my bow back and shot the arrow.

    The handcannon in his hand suddenly turned into a shield. He was pushed back a few inches. "No... Honey are you okay? Hmm... Yes... It''ll be fine. Just hold on for a bit."

    It seems they can talk even if her wife is in that form. I can''t hear it though.

    "Sprint!" I began running to different locations in the room finding a great spot to counter attack.

    "No you won''t! Let''s end this now!" He began running towards me at full speed. He raised his shield at the air and grabbed it with both hands.

    "This type of form... Sword?!" I dodged to the left.

    The shield changed into a sword and he swung it vertically. Good thing I knew what that is.

    He ran towards me again, he swung to the side.

    "Bloodlust!" I tried to block the his swing on the right side by summoning Bloodlust but it seems he had other plans.

    The sword quickly changed into a handgun and he began shooting at me.

    "Urk!" I was blown away a few meters and my stomach was filled with holes. "Even with thi-"

    I could hear the click of gears changing. It seems they''re changing the form of the handgun again.

    "You can''t stop our love for our children and each other. Die." The handgun transformed into the handcannon. And with one quick pull of trigger, it was a direct hit to my body.

    ...

    I awaken a dark place again. Its as if I''m falling in an abyss. "Am I... Dead?"

    "U....s..." A silent voice resonated within me.

    "What? What''s happening?"

    "Use us...!"

    "Are you Bloodlust?"

    "Yes... The conn...ion... i. get..in..g wors... Wake... Up... USE US!"

    A sudden throb erupted from my chest. It was no any other. It started beating like crazy.

    "Good job honey. He''s dead. You can come back no-..." I could hear the voice of the male Arachne. It seems I came back to the land of the living. I''m not dead yet. "M- m- m... Monster!" It seems he was scared of something. I wonder what it is.

    But I don''t mind. I could feel myself brimming with power.

    [Skill unlocked]

    Skill unlocked? Did I get one of the unknown skills?

    [Gained skill True Bloodstorm, the skill that can be only used by true descendants or harborer of the weapon Bloodlust. The effects are, ???��[��become��?''?''?~?%??[%?��]��?��[?��????^????��|?�?� a (_!")$093 #)!$92!�?[�?�[?} monster {��[��?����??[??}�?]

 Chapter 51: The Corruption

    "Get away... Get away from us!" The male arachne began screaming and slowly backing away. He raised the handcannon at me again and began shooting. "Die, die, die! *pant* that should be en-"

    I shrugged off his bullets like it was dirt on my body. I wasn''t wearing any armor but I didn''t feel a single thing. The only one that it hurt was my casual clothes. "That''s it?"

    I could feel something was wrong with me. Why was I filled with rage and what''s with my cold replies? And this unusual surge of power... Its different than the usual.

    "No...! Get out! We forgive you okay..? Please... Please... Please leave us alone!!!" The male arachne suddenly bursted into tears. He ran to the corner and curled up and his back against the wall.

    "Come forth, Bloodlust." The weapon emerged from my hands. I raised Bloodlust and swung at him.

    "No!" The weapon in the male arachne''s hand changed back into the female arachne.

    She took on the full strength of my swing. Her body was wounded from her chest down to her legs. That was just a swing from my new power.

    "Honey... No!" The male arachne rushed to her aid.

    But then...

    "Zieglind... Is that... You?" A familiar voice was heard behind me. I looked back and it was none other than Precia with Yefa.

    "Precia, Yefa? What are you doing here?"

    "Eek!" They both backed up when I tried to get closer.

    "What''s wrong?" I asked. "Why are you ba-... What''s this? What''s this on my body?"

    "Yefa." Precia then looked at Yefa.

    "I know. Ice Wall!" Yefa casted Ice Wall to reflect my appearance.

    "This... This is me?"

    I was coated in black and red armor that I know I don''t have. I could feel my power brimming from it. Its insane defense that shrugged the cannon blast. This armor was spiky in the shoulder, elbow and knee sections. It was outlined in black while the whole color of the armor is red.

    I could barely see my eyes because of the armor protecting it but I can faintly see that my eyes were now both covered in black and red.

    A pair of red wings emerged from my back. I don''t know if its cosmetics or not but I could feel like I could fly and do anything I want. I''m overflowing with too much power.

    "Master... Accept this power... ACCEPT IT!" The thousands of souls inside me began shouting the same thing. Filled with anger, sadness and overflowing emotions from everyone in there.

    "Accept...?" I began muttering to myself. "Like hell... I... Will..."

    "Damn you... You''ll be eaten like us. YOU''LL BE EATEN. YOU''LL BE EATEN BY US!"

    "ARGH!" My armor grew spikes and it slowly began digging deep into my skin.

    "Feel it master. Become truly... TRULY ONE WITH US!"

    "What''s happening Precia?" Yefa began panicking.

    "I don''t know?!" She too seemed to be panicking too.

    "Hehe. This is a great moment. Honey, just one more thing to do... You can rest easy after that." The male arachne began plotting something. The woman laying agreed and transformed into the handcannon back to the man''s hands. "I don''t know what''s happening but this is great!" He raised his handcannon at me and began shooting rapidly. "HAHAHA! DIE!"

    I was receiving the blasts head on. The spikes inside of the armor began digging even deeper to my body. Thid made them even hungrier more. With my body not in control, my hand began moving on its own. "GET OUT YOU FOUR!"

    "You''re too late master."

    The souls then controlled my hand to raise it. With a heavy swing of the Bloodlust, it created enough force to cut both the female and male arachne in half.

    "Why... Why do we have to bear this fate... We only... Wanted... Our... Kids..." The male raise his hand and tried reaching for the broken weapon that was once his wife. "Honey... Help me please... please... Wake up and help me..." With that as his last words, he dropped dead without receiving a reply from his dead wife.

    "DAMN YOU!" I tried to force myself to move from inside the armor.

    "HAHAHA! This is fun. You are a good vessel master."

    "I''ll make you pay for this. You damned insolent souls. You freaking dare betray me?!" It seems I have no choice. I have to bet everything here. "LAST STAND!" I become invulnerable for a short time. I began to dig deeper into the armor but I don''t care. I''m invulnerable. I tried to reach to my other arm with my right hand to try and to forcefully take it off. But to no avail, I couldn''t do it. "Damn it... Ah! This is everything I''ve got... BREAKER! Everything in my inventory, TAKE IT ALL! Give me the strength to break free!"

    I could feel the surge of power flow through my body.

    [All of items in inventory are broken. Irreparable.]

    "ARGHHHH!" I began pulling the armor away from my body.

    "Impossible! You''re breaking the Blood Armor with sheer strength!?"

    Bit by bit, with all of my strength, everything I have, was all for this moment. As I took off the helmet as the last piece connected to my body, I sighed with relief.

    All the armor that I took off reverted back to normal blood. The whole room was filled with blood.

    "No.... NOOOO!" I could hear all the souls shouting inside of me filled with anger. After the armor was released from my body, I couldn''t hear them anymore. They might still be in me somewhere but I''m glad it''s all over now.

    "That''s over..." I collapsed at the lost of blood and I was too weak to stay conscious.

    "Zi...nd!" I could hear a faint voice from the distance. I''m guessing its Yefa and Precia. They''ve been watching me in that pitiful form.

    I need to set an example as their master. And this one isn''t it.

 Chapter 52: Rewards

    I opened my eyes to see that I''m staring directly at the ceiling. "Is... Is it over?"

    "Yes." I heard Precia''s voice. It seems I was resting on her lap.

    I stood up and stretched a little bit. "Good. Sorry for letting you see me in that state." I looked at my inventory to see all the items are destroyed. Devoratrix, the swords, the shield. Everything was irreparable. "Ah damn it. I didn''t get anything off of the arachne except this leg. What a wasted trip. Oh... Nevermind. It seems I leveled up quite a bit." I looked at my level and it said level 53. I jumped up above so many levels.

    [Do you want to get level 42, 45, 48, 51 rewards?]

    "I''ll get it."

    [Level 42 reward, pouch of gold. Contains 1000 gold.]

    This is a big help. 3205 gold left.

    [Level 45 reward, Skill Scroll. Language used is Dragonea. Contents are unknown. Needs a specific skill to read the contents.]

    [Level 48 reward, Skill Scroll. Language is used is English. Contents are for the skill Light''s Embrace. Warning, this is the same as passing the skill with telepathy. Consuming too much skill scrolls can damage the brain.]

    [Level 51 reward, Flesh Eater ring. If worn, it will be bonded with the user. Cannot be traded nor sold nor be given to anyone. Wear to know the effects.]

    I first opened the level 48 reward. "Woah..." I could feel the information being passed to me. After a couple of seconds, I felt like I could do it with no problem. "Light''s Embrace!" A bright light spawned in my hand and began flying. My wounds were slowly healing with this skill combined with the Karmic Pain passive.

    I then opened the unknown skill scroll.

    [Skill Scroll opened. Contents analyzed due to the skill Universal Language. Translating Dragonea language to English...]

    [Translation successful.]

    [Gained skill Draconic Arms. Shroud both of your arms with dragon armor. Intensely boosts strength. Offers a high defense]

    And finally, I wore the flesh eater ring. "ARGH!"

    "Zieglind!" Yefa and Precia both shouted in worry. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah... Ugh. I guess."

    [Flesh Eater ring, devours flesh. Feed this ring any meat and its effect will always be turned on. Effect, sucks blood in a large area. Stored in this ring. If not fed, all the stored blood will flow into the user''s body.]

    [3 out of 10 items worn in the same set. This passive skill will continue to be in effect as long as these three items are worn. Blood attacks will now deal 100% more damage.]

    "Okay let''s go."

    "Y- yes." It seems they were still hesitating about something.

    "Is something wrong?"

    They both clenched their fists as if they wanted to say something. They both mustered up their courage to speak. Yefa was first.

    "We''re just feeling guilty that... We didn''t do anything this time..."

    "Y- yeah!" Precia joined in. "We were scared on your new form... It was too intense for us."

    "Ah. I don''t really mind it. For a second there I was scared of myself too. I''ll definitely learn how to control my powers next time. Anyway, how did you find me?"

    "We felt your aura." Precia said.

    "You too Yefa? It reached until Cagyer?"

    "Yeah. Cagyer is in a state of panic. I knew it was yours because its the same as you emitted that night back in the inn."

    "Haaa... Damn. Its going to be annoying to walk around Cagyer now. Anyway, let''s go."

    As we all walked outside of the dungeon, I paid my respects to the arachnes that I unjustly killed. "I''m sorry." As I muttered those words to myself. It seems my personality is slowly changing when I entered this world.

    Back in my previous life, I''d puke or feel unease when I see blood or anything. But it seems killing anything doesn''t faze me anymore.

    That might be a problem in the future.

    I let all my thoughts to be set aside for now. We went back to Cagyer at what Yefa said to be true.

    The whole kingdom is in panic. Several guards were scattered everywhere. I could even hear the people saying, "The end is nigh!"

    Seeing as how people react, I better keep this under control. I don''t want to be berserk like that again.

    We went back to the inn and discussed what we have done.

    Yefa seems to have completed checking all the shops. I guess that''s done. There''s about 212 shops in Cagyer. It really is a large kingdom.

    Precia is also done with her search for normal dungeons. It was only pretty few. She also said she scouted the villages around. It seems she knew everything about them.

    I praised her about this. That''s about 6 quests done in a single day. That''s a great progress.

    The night came where we finally finished discussing what we''re going to do tomorrow.

    We all went back to our respective rooms.

    I sat down and called Afal about the current situation. He was pretty worried but I told him I''ll just tell him everything after this is done. He didn''t want to push the details farther.

    I contacted the women and the children and asked what they''re doing. It seems they''ve been blending in the village. They''ve warmed up quite a bit with the goblins but not enough to be with them for a while.

    The kids are doing great too. It seems they''re all talented in their own ways. The women were pretty surprised whenever they do something unique and genius.

    Rize, Greta and Zeta seems to be keeping them in company while we''re gone.

    It wasn''t a waste to save them all. I''m actually glad I did it.

    I just need something to earn my prestige and I''ll have my own kingdom. A better place for them and for everyone.

    I''ll be taking this Battle Royale head on. I''ll win in the end. For myself and for them.

 Chapter 53: Two Months

    I turned in the legs to the guild. It seems We''ve been promoted to silver badge rank. It doesn''t really matter.

    The rewards were just pretty small. 200 for the spiders and 300 for the two Arachnes. They gave me an extra since I killed two and the quest only listed one. 3705 gold left.

    We spent two months on this kingdom. It costed 500 gold for the lodging and the food we needed for the two months we lived here.

    It also costed me 400 gold since I bought some necessary skills for the quest.

    2305 gold left.

    I bought Perfect Imagery.

    [Perfect Imagery, adds a storage in the user''s mind. If the user activates this skill, what he sees will be imprinted on the storage in the mind. This can be deleted at any time. Will stay there forever unless deleted.]

    I also bought Imagery Intensify.

    [Imagery Intensify, while using this skill, the imagination of the user will be greatly enhanced. For example, if the user thinks of a tiger, the user can know the texture, appearance and the sounds surrounding it as long as the user''s imagination is perfect.]

    This is a good combination with Perfect Imagery. I spent 3 days using Perfect Imagery on the whole kingdom of Cagyer. I can now make a three dimensional model of it on my mind with no mistakes using Imagery Intensify.

    And the final skill I bought is puppeteer.

    [Puppeteer, able to control inanimate objects. You''ll get the object''s sight.]

    Just an easier way to use Perfect Imagery.

    Moving onto the quest, some of the quests listed on the list were pretty easy.

    We spent a month getting all the information for villages, dungeons, artifact dungeons, adventurers and their army.

    The most difficult thing to know the details are the artifact dungeons. We spent a lot of days just for that particular quest.

    I just used Perfect Imagery to get the data on the army count and size and same for the adventurers. Its pretty easy sneaking around when you have Yefa with a low cooldown on blink.

    I didn''t get to get some levels because the two months we spent here was just information gathering.

    The only thing left in the quest list are the government related quests and their conflicts. We scavenged for any information but to no avail we couldn''t find anything.

    In that two months, I didn''t see any nobles, high ranking officials and not even the king or queen of Cagyer. Something is definitely up.

    We regrouped back to the inn. I let Precia and Yefa rest for some time.

    I sat down on the bed and contacted the king of Itz.

    "Hey."

    "Oh? This is the first time you''ve contacted me in two months lord Zieglind." I could hear him over the telepathy. It seems it works. "Bold of you to use this skill on me instead of sending a messenger."

    "It doesn''t matter. We''ve got 80% of the quest done. We need to go back now. There''s already a level 100 roaming around. I''m still stuck on level 53. I can''t hunt with these insane quests you gave me."

    "80%? Good job. Good job indeed. What are the objectives you didn''t get?"

    "Government related objectives."

    "You left out the most important objectives?"

    "What can we do? The two months we''ve been here we haven''t heard anyone talking about them nor have met them. They''re completely anonymous."

    "*sigh* A week."

    "What?"

    "A week. I''ll send some people from Polk. They''ll arrive after three days. They''ll bait out the government. Get what you need from their castle and come back to Itz. Follow the people from Polk. Monitor their moves."

    "And then what?"

    "If they show even a hint of suspicion, report it to me. After you complete the list of objectives, I''ll tell you what to do next."

    "What do I get from this?"

    "I''ll tell you after."

    "No. I want to know it now. We''ve spent an incredible amount of time here."

    "I''ll tell you after."

    It seems he really doesn''t want to say. "Tsk. This better be damn worth it." I disconnected the Telepathy after that.

    I called Yefa and Precia to my room. I discussed to them what will hapen 3 days from now.

    "What will we do if they arrive here?" Precia asked.

    "If we see a government official, we just have to risk it all and infiltrate the castle. Yefa, we''ll use your blink. I don''t know what the layout of the castle is, but I can make an image on what I think it is. Imagery Intensify!"

    I recall the structure of the castle in Cagyer using Imagery Intensify and Perfect Imagery.

    Three locations piqued my interest. "On the left and right side of the castle there were two towers."

    "Uhm... What are you doing?" Yefa asked.

    It seems I do weird movements when I use this skill. Well the three dimensional model in my head seems so real. I feel like I''m really there.

    "I''m thinking. Anyway, these two towers mean three things, a storage for food, a jail dungeon, or a watchtower for intruders. Hmm... After we get in the castle, Precia you investigate these two towers. I''ll maintain our communication with Telepathy."

    "Okay." She replied.

    "Yefa, you go underground. If there''s none, you head straight to the top of the castle. Also Precia, regroup with Yefa if you don''t find anything. I''ll be heading straight to the top. That''s where most of the information are hidden."

    They both seem to understand the situation. I let them go back to their room and rest.

    I contacted Afal again to know the situation on the village. It seems its getting pretty large now. Grien is already level 34. He''s getting stronger gradually.

    I just checked up if anything was wrong and he reassured me that nothing was really happening when I''m gone.

    That''s a relief in itself.

    I told him to get ready in a week since the quest is nearly done.

    I disconnected the Telepathy and head back to bed.

    When I was about to get to sleep, I noticed something. A menu popped up on my screen.

    "Damn it."

    [A player has reached Level 200. EXP gain of everyone will now be 50% more.]

 Chapter 54: Executing the Plan

    After the 3 days the king promised, the people from Polk finally arrived.

    We were sitting on the top of the roof of the inn. Its one of the highest vantage point of the whole kingdom of Cagyer. We saw the people from Polk walk through the gates. It seems that they were welcomed and had good reputation with the people here. Just about as we were to follow them, Yefa pointed out something.

    "Zieglind... Isn''t that...?"

    I looked to where she was pointing and to my surprise, I saw Greta and Zeta following them. "What?! Why are they here? Damn. Yefa, use blink to go to my room. I need to contact the king."

    "Yes." Yefa grabbed my hand and in an instant, we blinked back to my room.

    "Go and follow them for now. And if Zeta or Greta comes near you act as if you know nothing. Tell this to Precia too."

    "Will do." Yefa blinked again back to the roof.

    "Haa... Damn, what''s happening now?" I began contacting the king. The line connected. "Why is Greta and Zeta here?!"

    "Lord Zieglind... I told you to be formal and use messengers..."

    "I don''t care about that. Why are they here?"

    The king made an exasperated sigh. "They''re distractions and your way of learning their plans."

    "How?"

    "Use Telepathy on one of them and make them repeat what they''re saying."

    "*sigh* That seems plausible. Anyway, I''m going to go now. I''ll contact you if we''re inside later."

    I disconnected the line and connected to Zeta. "Zeta, what happened?"

    "Huh?!" Zeta screamed on the other end.

    "Shh! Don''t be loud. You''ll be discovered. Anyway, why are you here?"

    "Ah yes. The king sent some troops to our village and asked for escort. We declined at first but they said you were in on it. So we just decided to help."

    "Haa... You idiots. Well, thank you. Tell that to Greta later. Tell me if you see any government related people you see or any high ranking officials. I''m going to keep the connection intact."

    "Yes!"

    "Is the village fine?"

    "Yes, there are some troops from Itz. Rize and Afal are guarding the place as we speak."

    "Good. Anyway, I''ll follow you now. Just repeat what they say in your head."

    For a couple of hours, we spent following the people from Polk. There were some strong looking guards that were following them. They''ve gone into several shops and none of ehat they''re talking about isn''t really all that important.

    Night finally came and Zeta seemed to have picked up a conversation worth mentioning. It seems 20 minutes from now, they''ll be meeting in an underground place.

    "I see... Just lay low and act as a bodyguard. I''ll tell you what to do next." I told Zeta over the telepathy.

    I gave signals to Yefa and Precia. We''re now infiltrating the castle. We waited for 20 minutes outside the castle and after the two months we were here, we finally saw someone come out of the gates. It was about 8 people that came out. But something heavily bothered me. They had the same floating arrow on their head just like Tark. "They''re players?!" It seems I caught the attention of Yefa and Precia.

    "What''s wrong Zieglind?" Precia asked.

    "Damn it. I knew this isn''t normal. They''re players."

    "Players?" Yefa asked.

    "I''ll tell you everything after this. We just need to focus on the mission for now."

    After they left, I didn''t feel any power pressure for them. They are either low leveled or just hiding it intentionally. Ignoring that for now, we blinked to the other side of the wall.

    "Okay, commence mission. I''ll be keeping in touch with Telepathy." I connected us all.

    We all split and went our ways. "Sprint!" I began running through the front door of the castle. I went in and it seems nobody is here.

    I began running to the top of the castle and there were no people nor guards at any room. "Yefa, have you found anything?"

    "Yes." Yefa spoke through the Telepathy. "There is a jail here filled with slaves. What should I do?"

    "Nothing... For now. Just go find something useful..." I can''t help but feel guilty. It is true that they''ll just be dead weights and it''ll increase our chance of being caught. "Precia, you?"

    "The other tower is a storage for grains and food."

    "Ah darn it. I should''ve given you the bottomless box. Wait."

    I began running downstairs at the entrance.

    "I left the bottomless box at the entrance of the castle. Pick it up and grab every food or edible things you see. Anyway, continue what you''re doing. I''ll be going at the top now."

    I ran back up to the top. I found a large door perfect for a large room. I opened the door only to find a large table and several chairs. "What... Is this?" All of the people sitting on the chairs are all dead. "Tsk. No time." I began looking at every paper they held and used Perfect Imagery to capture these things.

    Everything here was detailed. I can see everything here. From the conflicts, data on population, adventurers and so much more.

    After a short while, I was done copying everything.

    I went out the room and explored more of the upper floors. The hallways were decorated in armors and several weapons. They had really good stats too but it would be too risky to get anything here. I''ll get discovered if someone uses this or I use this outside of this kingdom. I went to the top of the castle and I found the King''s or Queen''s chamber. A single throne sat in the middle of it and a dead man wearing a crown sat on top of it.

    "Oh? Welcome. How does a stray lamb got here?" A man''s voice was heard behind my back. I turned around and saw a man wearing a full white armor. But the thing that bothered me the most is the icon is hovering above his head.

    "Who are you?" I asked.

    "That icon... I see... You''re a player too? Oh, sorry for the sight. That king is an idiot. He was going on about how he want to hide his identity so that no one will target him."

    "That''s the king?" The dead man sitting on the throne was the king.

    "Yes! He''s an idiot. You agree with me right? This, this is a blessing from god. And it is just right to worship him."

    "What are you saying?"

    "I''m taking over the world by killing the kings and queens one by one and spreading the love of my religion."

    "You''re a madman."

    "No! That statement is severely incorrect. The love of god shall reach the whole cosmos of our universe. If one shall disagree such as you, death is the only salvation for you!"

    "Come, Bloodlust!"

    "Hoo...? That is the power of the demons. The unsightly color of red and black. Disgusting."

    I rushed at him using sprint and swung my blade at him. But it just passes through his body.

    "Haha... I know you were here the whole time... I planned everything from the start. My next target is Itz. You better get ready... Player."

    His body turned into fog and scattered throughout the whole castle. "That''s a fake? Wait... No! This castle was just a decoy! Damn it!" I contacted Zeta and Greta using Telepathy. "Get out of there, now!" But no voice could be heard on the other side.

 Chapter 55: The Sewers

    "Yefa, Precia, go look for Zeta and Greta. This castle is a decoy!" I then began contacting the king of Itz. "Hey, we got the files! We need help here!''

    "We''re under attack... By Polk." A heavy voice was heard from the king''s words. "We''ve been had. They knew that we were becoming suspicious of them."

    "Now there''s a war? What the hell is happening?"

    "Your words were true Zieglind. The one who''s leading the attack on us is one of the descendants from gods. A player he calls himself."

    "It''ll be impossible to beat them on your own! I''ll do something." I disconnected the line from the king and me and began contacting Afal. "Afal, what''s the situation there?"

    "My lord!? I''m sorry but... We''re hiding. A bunch of humans and some monsters walked through our village. I''m sorry to say but... The our home is destroyed."

    "What about the totems? Did it protect you?"

    "No? We ran towards the forest because we felt someone was strong in the pack. The totems attacked everythingn they saw and they repelled the attackers well. They''re nearly broken but they did kill a lot of enemies."

    "A strong person huh..." Must be a player. "How about the non-combat goblins and the women and children?"

    "They''re fine. No casualties have been set."

    "That''s good for now. Afal, how much of your power is restricted?"

    "I dropped some levels when I lost to you but its not that much of a problem."

    "I see... Can you go to Itz and help them?"

    "Yes, but what about them?"

    "Tell Grien, his team and Rize to protect the women and children. I''ll contact them later."

    "Zieglind, we found it the location!" I heard Precia''s voice in my mind.

    "Afal, I''ll be going now. Send me messages through the Telepathy. I''ll let it be left open." I then redirected my attention to Precia. "Location?"

    "The sewers."

    "Seriously...?"

    "Uhm... Yes?"

    "Nevermind, I''m going there. Sprint!" I began running full speed looking for Yefa and Precia. *boom* A loud burst of sound was heard north of where I was going. "There huh?" I arrived at the scene after a couple of seconds and there I found a mountain of corpses. "Urk. This smell. Disgusting!" I covered my nose. "Zeta, Greta!" I called to their names but to no avail they didn''t respond. "It seems I really need to go in the sewers." I hopped in the hole from where the explosion came from. The disgusting smell still lingered in the whole sewers.

    While I was going wherever I can, I heard a blade being sharpen. It sent tingles to my spine. But in a split second, I heard it closer and closer. I turned around and I saw him. A man was walking on all fours. "Hi!" A creepy smile formed on his face and when I blinked, he was in my face. An X wound formed on my face. I was dumbfounded on what just happened.

    The wounds slowly closed in on my face. The blood that dripped off of my face was the medium used for my Bloodlust. "Come, Bloodlust!" I double wielded the Bloodlust.

    "Kekeke. That''s a nice weapon. Although, it can''t be compared with these babies." His scythe blades were attached to his arms. He uses it like a Tonfa. "Holy Imperial Enhancement." A bright yellow light emitted from his scythes. I guess its the same as my Abyssal Enhancement.

    "Despite having pretty spells you look disgusting."

    "You''ve got balls to say that."

    "Guess I have one and you don''t."

    "THAT''S IT!" He rushed at me full speed and swung both of his scythes.

    "Oh... That icon above your head... A player?"

    "So you can see this too huh? That doesn''t matter. Everything is for him!" Slash, slash, slash! He was confident in his skills and began attacking randomly.

    "Despite you being a player you''re pretty weak huh?"

    I could feel his anger rising even more. "Transform!" His scythes now retracted back to his skin.

    "What are you playing at?"

    "Kekeke... Invisiblity..." He vanished in the shadows again. I could hear his subtle footsteps but my senses can''t pick up too much. After a couple of seconds, he hugged me from behind. "Transform!"

    "AGH!" Hundreds of his scythes went through my body. "Damn you... You can release that weapon everywhere from your body huh? AGH!" I began coughing up blood.

    "Keke. You''ve got tough skin. You''re not wearing any armor and yet you played the role of a hero to know what''s going here."

    "That''s go...od... You''ve taught me... Something..." I retracted back the Bloodlust inside me. "Come... Bloodlust!" The weapon emerged from my back.

    "UGAH!" He jumped off of me. "You can do it too? Or you used a copy skill? It doesn''t matter!" He rushed towards me again

    But this time, I''ll be the one attacking. I brought out two Bloodlust to dual wield it. "Ha!" Thrust, swing, spin, thrust! A combination of flurry of attacks kept him under pressure.

    "Damn you!" He began attacking again but this time he used his skill ''transform'' to his advantage. Changing the locations of his scythe.

    "Tricky guy! I''ll try this new skill. Dragonic Arms!" My arm was shrouded in the scales of dragon. I could feel the power pulsing from it.

    He rushed at me again. He feinted an overhead attack then changed the location of his scythe to his elbow. He swung his elbow up but I blocked it by grabbing the scythe. I didn''t feel any pain when the dragon armor is protecting my arms. "Hehe."

    "What?" He struggled to break free. "Damn it. Transform!" He tried to relocate his scythe.

    "Not this time." I squished his scythe like a plaything and it was destroyed.

    "ARGH!" Blood came running down through his elbow.

    "Why are you bleeding isn''t that just a wea... Oh I see. That was a bone huh?"

    He flinched when I knew what was going on. With only one scythe left, he charged in blindly.

    I pulled Bloodlust back to me and entered a boxing stance. Dodging his quick scythe attacks, I countered with a right straight right to his face.

    "AGH!" He was knocked out on one hit.

    "Heh. This dragonic arms pack a punch. No, literally. I don''t want to be followed so... Goodbye." I used a karate chop on his body and in one full swing, his body was cut in half. Blood was flowing everywhere. "Urk." I could feel the vomit in my mouth wanting to release itself. "It seems I''m losing my humanity every single time I use a skill related to blood. I didn''t even hesitate killing him. Something has definitely changed."

    I bowed my head at his dead body and began to explore the sewers more.

 Chapter 56: The Cold Hard Truth

    After exploring more, I found a huge door in the sewers. It was too big to be a storage or any use for the sewers at all. I kicked the door down. "What... the hell happened here..?" Dead... Dead bodies everywhere.

    The horror and dread took over my whole body.

    "Zieglind..." A female voice was heard in the corner of the room.

    I looked over to the side and found Yefa reaching for something. I ran over to her and held her hand. "What''s going on Yefa? Where are the others."

    "..." She simply pointed at the mountain of bodies laying beside her.

    "Hey..." I checked her pulse its getting slower. "Hey, hey! Damn it. Heal, Great Heal!" But nothing happened. "What...? My skills are not touching the wounds in her body!? {Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!" Nothing. It did nothing. "Why...? WHY. WHY! WHY?!"

    "How does it feel?" A voice of a man was heard behind me. I turned around saw a man hiding behind his cloaked body and was wearing a mask. He''s also a player.

    "Are... Are you the one that did this?"

    "What are you... Ah that. Yes, yes. Pitiful sight isn''t it. For all of them and so are you. Clinging onto weakness, feelings."

    "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

    "Ah are you sure you should converse to me more? Looks like your plaything is broken."

    Yefa''s hand grabbed mine tighter. Tears ran down from her eyes. After a couple of seconds, the grip from my hand loosened. "No... NO! She''s... Dead." Her cold body laid beside me. She''s gone... She''s gone... These words resonated in my head swirling around like a whirlpool of words. Its taking over my body.

    "You''re breaking I see."

    "What the hell... Did you do to me?"

    "It isn''t me. Its you. You''re emotiond are going out of control. I wonder what you saw in your eyes?"

    "AGH!" I feel like my head is splitting apart.

    "Master... Use us... AGAIN!" The souls of the Bloodlust was heard in my head talking again.

    "But..."

    "Your damn comrade just died Master! Use us... Revenge. REVENGE. REVENGE. REVENGE. REVENGE!"

    "No... No!"

    "I must put an end to this farce." The man casted a spell. "Spirit Eyes!"

    I could feel another soul look at mine. Was it him?

    "AGH! What... What the hell was that? Your soul... Looked back. You''re the same as HIM! I can''t let you go now! Mind Break!" He grabbed the air as if something was there. He gripped it tighter and tighter and everytime he did that, the pain in my head kept resonating again and again.

    "Foolish... Master... You''re foolish! Use us! Do you want to feel useless again? How you saw those two innocent arachnes died because you couldn''t protect them?" The Bloodlust souls were raging inside of me.

    "It... Was your own damn fault!"

    "We know! That''s why we''re never going to let you feel that way again. Accept us... Take revenge for your comrades!"

    "I... I accept!" A sudden burst of energy came through from my body. It blew away all of the furnitures and the dead bodies near me.

    "D- demon! Demonspawn!"

    "This feeling... Is the same as before." I looked at myself again. Its the same complete armor, my wings grew behind my back. The overflowing power. I love it.

    [Skill is now completely unlocked. Armor of the Bloodfallen. Makes a part of the armor. Part of the armor will continue to expand depending on the user''s capabilities. The system will automatically sort it out for you. Attracts high level enemies but low level enemies will run away from you. If you enter combat with low level enemies, their fighting capabilities will have a -20% effect on all their skills and status. Has 3 different sub-skills.

    |Absorbant Body|

    Once you reached a damage received limit, you can release shockwaves of energy received from this armor. Damage received will be reset to zero after activation.

    Absorbant Body works with the other two skills. This skill can be held for 24 hours.

    |The Wings of the One True Lord|

    Able to fly freely. Speed while flying can be improved by any speed boosting skills whether its for ground speed boost or air speed boost. Once Absorbant Body reached its limit, you can activate The Wings of the One True Lord again to release a hail of blood shards from your wings. This skill can be activated even if the armor isn''t activated.

    |Domain of the Bloodfallen|

    WARNING: ONCE ACTIVATED, NO ONE CAN LEAVE UNLESS YOU ARE THE LAST MAN STANDING! (Exceptions can be made if there are some situations that can''t be explained or have a definitive ending.) Creates an inescapable arena. While inside of this arena, all of your status is 5% stronger. Every 20 seconds that passes in the arena will add another +5% ability boost. Maximum boost: 300%.

    "Bloodfallen... Not Bloodstorm?"

    "Demon! Stay the hell away from me!"

    "Pay... For your sins."

    "You''re a menace to him... I''ll put you down! 3 Layer Barrier!" Three golden circles enveloped his body. "This is the ultimate tactic! Perfect defense... And this... This is the perfect offense! Hi La Ma Ki Ru Ma Pa Ga Ha La Mu Ri Ha Na Ju Ma Ka Ba! ANKH OF THE GODDESSES!" A giant ankh appeared in the sky illuminating the cold, dark night here in Cagyer.

    I looked up at the sky to see it being so massive. But after a couple of seconds forming, it shrunk down coming closer and closer to me.

    "UGUAH!" The man coughed up blood everywhere and his left hand was missing. I didn''t even do anything to him yet. "This sacrifice... For the Ankh of the Goddesses... Its worth it. You''re too dangerous for him! Die demonspawn! SMITE THIS DEMON!"

    A bright light came down upon me. "This... Is the power of the Ankh?" It dealt a combination of burn and coldness.

    "HAHAHA! This is it! Die!"

    "Stupid."

    "Eh?"

    I grabbed the Ankh he was so proud about and shattered it to pieces using only my hand. "There."

    "The Ankh of the Goddesses... Destroyed... By hand? Impossible. No. No. No. This is impossible. This is an illusion, a mere dream!"

    "Pay for killing my comrades. Yefa, Grecia, Zeta and Precia. This... This is for you." I punched his barrier and broke it apart in one hit. "That''s one layer." Again. "That''s two." And again. "That''s the last one."

    "Spare... Spare me!"

    I grabbed his head and lifted him off the ground. "DIE." I squeezed his head using just my hand.

    "AGH!" And in just one tight squeeze, he''s dead.

    [Leveled up to level 60. Level stolen from the two enemies you killed earlier will now be toned down. The first player kill you killed will transfer some of his levels to you as a sign of killing the first ever player you meet. Level stealing from killing players will now be distributed at random.]

    [You''ve achieved Level 60. Status points will now be increased to 30 per level. This variable is not fixed and will continue to change depending on how you leveled up.]

    [Do you want to get Level 60 rewards?]

    "No." I dropped down to my knees. "Yefa... Precia... Greta... Zeta... I''m sorry. I''m so sorry." The rain fell down camouflaging my own tears. "This revenge is not yet over. Not yet... There''s still that person alive."

 Chapter 57: Taste of Death

    "Zieglind! Where are you!?"

    "This... Voice... It can''t be! No. No. Impossible. I saw them die! Precia?"

    "Zieglind? Are you there? Is the telepathy still connected?"

    "Who are you?! Stop with this. Stop doing this to me!"

    "Woah. You''re still there. What happened? We''re in the hidden basement we saw while we were running in the sewers. We saw a giant door but we didn''t enter yet since you''re not here yet."

    "Shut up! Stop playing with me... Stop playing with my damn emotions!"

    "Quiet mister." A male voice resonated again in my mind.

    "This voice... How... How are you still alive? You''re supposed to be dead!"

    "Oh. Is that what happened?"

    "You bastard!" I ran up to him and grabbed his neck.

    "Go on. Do it."

    I grabbed his neck even tighter. "You bastard!"

    But he vanished into thin air.

    "Haha. HAHAHA! Pitiful. Your sight that is. Look at yourself."

    "What... Is happening?" I looked at myself and saw that the armor I had was gone. I was standing there, wearing the same clothes.

    "Zieglind! Where are you?!" I heard Precia''s voice again.

    "No... No... Stop! STOP THIS!" I feel like my head was breaking apart. The pain is too much. "You''re dead. You''re all dead... What... What''s happening? ARGH!" I closed my eyes trying to neglect the situation. I can''t believe anything.

    "Look Zieglind. Where are you?"

    I opened back my eyes and I''m back. "I''m back... At the village?" I then saw men raiding my own village.

    Grien trying to hold them off with his skills but its not enough.

    "I''m coming! Come, Bloodlust!" But nothing appeared. "Huh...? Bloodlust, appear!" Nothing. Nothing worked. "Damn it appear! I''ll do anything so... Appear! PLEASE!" Despite my pleading, the weapon didn''t appear.

    The men killed Grien and his team one by one.

    "DAMN IT! NO! NO! NO!" I ran towards Grien and tried to use every healing skill I got. "Why? Why! WHY! Is nothing working? Why can''t I reach you!?"

    Grien grabbed my hand. His was cold and he was coughing up blood. "You left us here... You damn... Traitor..."

    "No Grien! I didn''t mean for this to happen!"

    "Li...ar! You left us here to die. So you could complete whatever the king ordered you to do!"

    "No it isn''t like that!" Tears ran down from my eyes.

    "Then what is!?" Grien coughed up even more blood. "You''re no damn lord. You made us as distractions for the king. I curse you... Zi...nd..." His strength was gone and his cold body laid beside me.

    "What do you feel Zieglind? Seeing all of your comrades die." The man reappeared again.

    "Damn you! I''LL K-"

    "Hold that thought! Look at that. Your house? Good taste. Good taste indeed."

    I turned around and saw the men go into the house. "Wait... Not there... Please... Not there!" That house is where the women and children were living in. "PLEASE NO!"

    "Good women... And children also." I heard the men talking inside of the house.

    I immediately ran to get inside. "STOP! DON''T!"

    "Huh? Who are you?" One of the men started talking.

    "Sprint!" I ran towards them and tried to land a hit. "Damn it... Dragonic Arms! Abyssal Enhancement!" But nothing worked. They won''t activate. "Why... What''s going on! System! Activate my skills!"

    [Error.]

    "No..." That single menu that popped up made me lose all hope.

    "Get out of here brat." One of the men walked up to me. "Die!" Using his sword, he stabbed me in the chest.

    "ARGH!" I could feel the pain throbbing. It pierced through my ribs, my heart and destroyed my spine.

    "Annoying piece of crap." The man then looked around and had a creepy smile on the women. "Tasty... Little... Things... Men, do it."

    The men unsheathed their swords and began to kill everyone. Blood was laying everywhere. Their bodies was colder than the frozen winter. Why did this happen? Is it because of me? Is it because of my judgements?

    Even though I want to cry, tears don''t fall down on my eyes. I''m slowly losing strength. The world around me turned dark. So this... This is death.

    I heard the man again. "Embrace the darkness... Let it feed on you. Believe it Zieglind. Believe that you''re truly... DEAD."

    "Zieglind!" I could hear hee voice again... Precia''s voice.

    I''m hallucinating again. Maybe this is death. I want to see and hear things I want to see and hear.

    "Zieglind! HEY!" Her voice... Again. I heard it again. "Where the h-... Hey... Zieglind... Wake up!"

    Is death just toying with me? I feel like I''m already dead but I feel like I''m alive at the same time... It''s very weird.

    "Hey... Wake up! Is he on a trance? Did you do this to him?"

    "Damn it... I can''t do this skill to two people..." The man then ran away.

    "Sprint!" Precia tried to catch up to him and she did it successfully. "What are you doing?"

    "Damn it... So close... Dispel!"

    I woke up in the same room earlier. Precia still had the man captured. But something was wrong. "There''s no dead bodies... Precia... Is that you?"

    "What are you saying? Of course its me."

    I looked at my body and saw the armor still equipped. The two Bloodlust were both in my hands and my hands is in form of a dragon. There''s no wound, not even a drip of blood on my body. "What''s going on?"

    "Mind Prison!" The man casted a spell on Precia. Precia''s grip loosened and the man escaped from her grasp.

    "UGUAH!" Precia writhed in pain.

    "You won''t escape. Sprint!" With just a second of movement I caught up to him.

    "Damn... A few seconds and you would''ve believed you were dead. That damn wench interfered." I grabbed the man''s mouth and slammed him onto the ground.

    "You bastard... That was all an illusion?"

    "..."

    "Speak!" I slammed his head onto the ground again. "Tell me... Are they safe?!"

    "E...r...th..ng i...s f...or.... Him..."

    "IF YOU EVER DONE ANYTHING TO THEM. I''LL KILL ALL OF YOU MYSELF!" I slammed his head onto the ground again, and again and again and again and again and again until none of his face was left.

    With my final blow, I used up all my strength to slice all of his body with the Bloodlust.

    [Skill Devourer not applicable.]

    Its over. I was done. Tears ran down from my eyes.

    "Zieglind..."

    "Its over right...?"

    "Yes... Its over." Precia then sat down with me and hugged me. Her warm body in this cold rainy weather kept me sane.

    "You''re real right? Everyone''s okay right?"

    "Yes..." Precia caressed my hair as I was lying my head on her shoulders.

    *sniff* *sniff* "That''s good..." The armor I was wearing dissipated into thin air. My strength was gone and I gave in to the tiredness. I slept while I was resting on Precia''s shoulders.

 Chapter 58: Mirror World

    I woke up laying on Precia''s shoulder. "How long was I out?"

    "About an hour. You need rest. Continue sleeping."

    "I need to find out who that guy was that I found in the castle." I stood up and cleaned my rugged clothes.

    "..." Precia was sitting there silent.

    "So you saw...?"

    "Yes. Only for a moment. I can only... Imagine... What he forced you to see and hear." Her whole body was trembling.

    She''s talking about the illusion that man gave her.

    "Don''t worry about it. Whatever you saw."

    "You''re real right?"

    "You? Are you real?"

    "Yes..."

    "Then so am I." I reached out my hand to her. "Stand up. We need to get going."

    "Yes!"

    We go on ahead in the place Precia and Yefa found. I contacted Greta and Zeta but no replies were heard. I''m starting to get worried.

    We entered the room Precia lead us to. "Is it here?"

    "Yes. But where is Yefa? I told her that she''d wait here."

    "I''ll try contacting her with Telepathy." After a few tries, I couldn''t hear her voice. "Darn. As the same with the two, I can''t contact her also. Let''s just go in."

    We stepped into the room and in a flash, a giant magical circle appeared. "Wha-" the magical circles latch on to our bodies. And as we open our eyes, we were transported somewhere that we weren''t familiar with.

    It was a white, cold, empty room. In the distance, we could hear metals clashing with each other.

    "Let''s go there!"

    "Mhm!"

    We both used Sprint and began running towards the location where the noise was heard.

    "Yefa!?" I could see Yefa in the distance battling with someone.

    "Zieglind!" Yefa punched the man with her gauntlets and it knocked him back a few meters. Yefa then instantly used blink towards us. "Greta and Zeta are there." Yefa pointed at the two bloodied bodies laying on the side.

    I rushed to their aid and used every healing spell I have. Zeta managed to open his eyes and stay conscious. "Hey, you alright?"

    "Yeah... Is that you Zieglind?" Zeta then coughed up blood.

    "Be careful! And yes. Its me."

    "Is... Greta okay?"

    "She''s still unconscious but still alive."

    "That''s plenty enough to have a reason to live."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Nothing, nothing." Zeta then stood up and walked slowly to Greta''s aid. "Maybe you''ll understand someday." He then began healing her unconscious body. "You take care of him."

    "Yes." I looked at the way of the man. He didn''t have any weapons and was only using his bare hands. "He was clashing with Yefa with bare hands?"

    He was the same man I saw in the castle. Wearing full white armor and his long blonde hair was glowing beautifully in this room.

    "Are you next?" The man asked.

    "I''m Zieglind. Zieglind Reysh. What''s yours?"

    "I''m Hera. The one true god."

    "Bold statement."

    "Igno-"

    "For a dead man."

    "You truly seek death stray lamb. Come, you shall be judged by this god."

    "Armor of the Bloodfallen!" I tried this skill for the first time when I''m sane. "It failed... Huh." The only armored part of my body is the bottom part. My waist down to my foot. My upper body is completely open. Despite it being incomplete, I could feel my bottom body being pierced with spikes.

    "Master... You''re really desperate huh? No matter what you do, no matter what your intentions are... WE''LL DEVOUR YOU." The souls of the Bloodlust started attacking my bottom part of the body.

    "You fool... I could feel demonic power from that armor. You dare show that to me?"

    I endured the pain but I''m slowly losing blood but the Karmic Pain passive is slowly healing me. "Co...me, Bloodlust!"

    "Mirror Multiplication!" Tens or hundreds of mirrors spawned around the whole room. Different sizes and different types of mirrors.

    "What the hell is this?"

    Hera pointed his finger on one of the mirrors. "Light Buckshot!" A small light appeared on his arm and then suddenly split into multiple pieces. When the light touched one of the mirrors, it instantly travelled to another mirror and into another until it didn''t have any mirror to go to.

    "AGH!" I was hit by one of the flying light that was jumping through mirrors and mirrors. Despite them being called light, they aren''t that difficult to dodge but they are still fast. "Those things hurt."

    "Mirror Cloning!" Hera looked at one of the windows and then another one of him spawned.

    "What?!"

    There are now two Hera standing infront of me. "Light Buckshot!" In unison, they fired off both of their skills.

    The bullets they shot has now been faster and had more random trajectories. Its difficult to keep up.

    "AGH!" It might be a chip of damage but my health will whittle down while he does this. "I just need to bear with it! Sprint!" I began running full charge at him and taking the damage of the bullet lights. My lower body is practically immune to his light attacks but in my upper body it hurts so bad.

    "Useless. Mirror World!" The room we were standing on suddenly changed. Before it was a rectangular room but now, its a sphere. We were all falling down to the bottom part of the sphere. "Mirror Transfer!" Hera vanished and his clone stayed in the middle.

    I attacked it but it just vanished like a fog.

    "Mirror World, Change!" The spherical place we were standing on changed into a big spherical mirror.

    "What?!"

    "You know what this means right? If everything here is a mirror that means..."

    "The light bullets you use will be bouncing infinitely..."

    "Bingo! You''re just a stray lamb in my world. You should either die or serve me forever. I''m your god! Mirror World, Unify!"

    Hera''s body was like mist. It instantly disappeared. And after a few seconds, I could see his face appear on the room we were standing on.

    "This... This is MY WORLD. I could do anything I want here in my Mirror World. You can''t kill me if I don''t have a physical form. But I surely can kill you..."

    "Damn..." What do I do?

 Chapter 59: New World

    "AGH!" The bullets aren''t that fast but its multiplying at an insane rate. My health is getting chipped every second. "Barrier!" I put barrier on all of us. "You three, stay back. Recover for now! No arguments. Just... Go!"

    The three of them left and went to the opposite side from we were fighting.

    "A bold sacrifice. Well they won''t get too far since my world is just a small spherical one." Hera continued to blast his light buckshots.

    "Tsk. Blood Weapon, Hammer!" My own blood used as medium, a giant hammer formed in my hand. I began smashing the mirrors one by one.

    "Futile! Mirror Multiplication!" All the mirrors I just destroyed was instantly recovered by his one skill.

    "Isn''t this just unfair?" I said as I was panting and running out of breath.

    "This is my own world! And soon Pandir shall be mine too."

    "I didn''t want to use this but... I don''t know if this would work."

    "What are you talking about? A bluff?"

    "I''ll create my own world too. Our own battlefield. DOMAIN OF THE BLOODFALLEN!"

    [The combatant Zieglind Reysh has activated a force duel. Who are the other combatants?]

    "Me and Hera."

    "What is this menu? A forced duel? What''s going on!"

    [A duel between Zieglind Reysh and Hera Mihakala will now be conducted. No one can use escape spells, communication spells (unless if you''re connecting with someone in the arena) and teleportation spells unless one survives until the end.]

    The whole mirror world of Hare started cracking. "It worked."

    "What''s going on?! Why is my world being destroyed?!"

    Every mirror in this world suddenly shattered to pieces. The cold white room suddenly changed and everything broke.

    [NPCs Yefa Reysh, Greta Reysh and Zeta Reysh aren''t allowed to enter the arena. They will be returned to Pandir.]

    Both of us were transported in a spacial plane wherein darkness stretched out to infinity. It was us sitting inside of a caged platform floating out of nowhere. The cage had spikes in it and was covered in black and red spikes. All the skulls and the different bones from human to non-humans were seen scattered around the whole place. "So this... This is my domain."

    "Where the hell is this!? What did you do?!"

    "You can''t use your mirror world here. Now I can fight for real."

    "Nonsense! Mirror World, Reopen!" But nothing happened.

    "You''re in my domain. You can''t escape."

    "I''ll get rid of you and escape this place! Mirror Multiplication, Light Buckshot, Mirror Cloning, Mist Body!" With his several quick incantations of the spells, he activated different spells and used everything to its full advantage. I dodged most of the light buckshot but he''s still spamming it.

    "You''ll be my guinea pig. Blood Weapon Change, Twin Daggers." I retreated back my Bloodlust back to my inventory and transformed my hammer to a twin daggers. If I recall the details of this spell, it says that I just need a medium and this blood weapon can be infused with elements. I have to try that out. "Lightning Totem, Fire Totem!" The two totems emerged from the ground. They are only tier one but I only need their elements. "Let''s try this." I put one of the daggers at the lightning totem and the other one at the fire totem. "It worked."

    The daggers glowed beautifully. The dagger imbued with flame was like a scarlet flame. It looks like red with a hint of pink. The other dagger imbued with lightning was raging. The lightning current is acting violently like its looking for its prey.

    "You''re truly a demonspawn. Using blood as power... You''re disgusting. Light Buckshot!"

    "Sprint!" Now that he doesn''t have the advantage in Mirror World, I can now dodged the bullets coming my way.

    Despite Hera being invisible, the totems kept shooting everywhere. Does that mean it can see even invisible units? That''s a great knowledge to have.

    "Tsk. I don''t want to use this... I need to end you quickly. Everyone is waiting for me at Itz."

    "?!" Oh no. Afal and the others might be in danger. "What the hell are you doing targeting Itz?"

    "Its small... Its easy... And its a good place to start... But enough chit chat." Hera took something out of his pocket. A floating wisp of some kind caged in a bottle. "Kill him Val." The bottle broke and a dark aura surrounded the whole arena.

    "What did you just release?"

    "Every god must have one right?"

    "What do you mean must have one?!"

    "A counterpart. A god of death."

    "You''re just a self proclaimed god!"

    "That may be true. But after this battle royale, I''m going to be one."

    "Damn it." The shroud of darkness suddenly started going into one direction gathering itself.

    *Boom* A sudden explosion erupted from the middle.

    [Val The Death Bringer has now been forcefully added as a combatant.]

    [Its been 8 minutes since you''ve been here in your domain. +120% all stats]

    Val, she was wearing a ragged cloak. Destroyed, can barely even be called as a clothing. She uses a scythe, an incredibly long one. "Is that the one you need dead?"

    "Yes! Kill him! I can''t use all of my powers here!"

    "..." Val just stood there for a couple of seconds. "Understood. Commencing mission." Without hesitation, she instantly got near me. She swung her blade but I blocked it with both of my daggers.

    I attacked with my lightning dagger and she was paralyzed for a few seconds. But she instantly got back up and retreated.

    "Death Grab." A large hand enveloped my body and grip it so tight I could feel my body being crushed. She pulled me near her. She raised her scythe as if she was winning.

    But I had other plans. "Blood Weapon Change, greatswords!" The two daggers grew larger in size and it broke the death grab she used. I stepped back and observed what she''s going to do next.

    "Clouded Darkness."

    All of my surroundings suddenly turned black. "I... I can''t see anything."

 Chapter 60: Val the Death Reaper

    "What''s going on?!" I couldn''t see anything. Everything is just darkness.

    "Do it Val!" Hera commanded to his ''puppet''.

    "Understood." Val sliced her scythe through the air.

    I couldn''t see anything but I could hear the metal cutting through air. I ducked out of desperation and barely, I could hear it go over my head. "Damn it. Everything is dark..."

    "Lucky dodge!" Hera said in the sidelines. "I''ll join in the fun. Light Buckshot!"

    His light buckshot is weak but the bounces on the mirror makes it a loop that damages me.

    [10 minutes has passed. Arena changing...]

    [Hazardous Blizzard arena randomly selected.]

    The ground beneath us broke like a glass and so is the area around us. The infinite darkness that swallowed the whole field changed into mountains.

    The biome changed and the blizzard had insane wind speeds combined with the cold that will definitely inflict frostbite on us.

    "What''s happening!? Come back Val!" Hera ordered his puppet and Val covered Hera''s body with her cloak.

    Val''s blind skill finally ran out. I can now see with my eyes. But I can barely open it. "This... Hurts..." The insane cold blowing from the east is so strong that by just entering this arena and we''ve been only here for a minute, we could see the ice forming on our shoulders and body.

    My flaming daggers changed both changed into color blue. Signalling that the elements of my weapon changed into cold. I could still see the hint of lightning and fire stored inside of the blade but its only a flicker.

    "Val, don''t mind me. Just go! I was taken aback on how the area here changed. I have a bit of frost resistance but it still hurts."

    "Understood." Val left Hera and began rushing towards me swinging her scythe.

    "Dragonic Arms!" I casted this spell to bring more strength into each of my blows. I deflected her scythe easily with one swing of my dagger. I then took advantage of her vulnerable state and pierced her shoulder with the other dagger.

    "Hmm..." Val stood there not doing anything. She didn''t scream nor anything. It seems that she''s paralyzed by the lightning that hit her body. The wound that left on her shoulder had a freeze burn.

    "Blood Weapon Change, Greatswords!" I combined both the daggers and formed this massive sword. As soon as I swung the blade, I stopped it midair. "Wha..."

    Val got out of her paralyzed state and instantly retreated back.

    "You bastard... She''s brainwashed isn''t she?"

    "That''s impressive... How can you tell?" Hera bragged as if he''d done something incredible.

    "Her eyes... Its so empty. Was it that other lackey you had that did this?"

    "You better have killed her... You''re too soft. Too soft. Val, use that!"

    "Understood. True Reaper Form, Gazer."

    [Warning: High magical power detected. It is wise to retreat. Enemy is 50+ levels above you.]

    "A WARNING?!" I never got a warning. Never with the serpent, never with the fight with Afal, never with the Arachne, never with anyone. This... This is an another form of danger. And her level raised since this warning didn''t activate before she was summoned.

    "Gazer Materials, Synthesizing. Chosen weapon, Scythe. Chosen armor, Gazer Armor. Steps complete. Materialization is now commencing." Val spoke in a robotic manner but every word that she spoke, I felt the tremors ran through the insane blizzard that surrounded us.

    "Materialization... Complete."

    "HAHAHA! Gaze upon my archenemy, the counterpart of a good god. Feel her wrath. DO IT VAL!"

    Val''s whole appearance was mesmerizing. Her blue and black armor glowed and paired perfectly with the cold blizzard flowing through the whole arena. Her eyes flickered in blue and her whole aura was just intimidating.

    Her scythe glowed in blue and I could feel the souls trapped there as I have in my Bloodlust. She have a stronger source of souls than me I reckon.

    "Soul Enrapture."

    Without even knowing it, I could feel a large wound forming in my chest. "Wha-" I was then blown away by the insane force it emitted.

    "Soul Homage." Her scythe was then covered in blue aura. I could see the faint faced and I could also hear the loud voices of the souls seeking help.

    I could feel my arms being pricked by something. I looked over and saw the armor forming. It overlayed on the draconic arms. Just a little bit more and I can use this armor to the fullest. "Rage, Strength Boost, Unholy Armor!"

    [Unholy Armored leveled up to Level 2. Unholy Armor now lasts 5 minutes.]

    [Unholy Armor has armors overlaying. Only chestpiece is allowed.]

    "Heal, Great Heal!" I then healed myself up with some skills. It didn''t heal that much but it helped close the wound for a while. "Blood Weapon Change, twin daggers! Webbing, Lightning Totem!" I changed both the elements to webbing and lightning totem. I don''t know if webs are an element but it seems I just need a medium and it would implement it into the the blood something.

    I rushed in into Val and hit her with the lightning dagger first.

    "Hng." With a small grunt, she''s paralyzed.

    I then attacked her next with the webbing. The web in my dagger suddenly grew in size and the web coiled around her body.

    "Argh!" Val struggled to get out.

    "I won''t stand for this! Light buckshot!" Hera interfered and used his skill to push me away from Val. But to no avail, I didn''t receive amy damage from him.

    Now I''m wondering why the hell he''s the leader since he''s weaker than his lackeys.

    "Blood Weapon Change, Longsword!" With all my might, I thrusted my sword right in her chest.

    But in that short span of moment... That minisecond...

    "Soul Blast." A negative energy formed in the outside part of her body protecting her. A black circle emitted and then... "Eradicate."

    A huge shockwave exploded in her body. The black explosion disintegrated my blood weapon. "No! LAST STAND!"

 Chapter 61: Stroke of Luck

    I managed to block her attack using last stand. Its gonna cost me heavily since this skill has a really long cooldown.

    The blue outline of her armor suddenly turned red when she activated that skill. I wonder why.

    "Blood Weapon, Sword and Shield." I needed to defend myself of her attacks. My armor is slowly crawling up to my chest and the dark armor is dissipating too. It seems it''s slowly forming. I need to know the activation of this skill and how it triggers.

    Val raised her hand to the air and casted a spell. "Soul Forming Mass." A large black collection of souls formed.

    "No time. Sprint!" I rushed towards her while she was still casting that skill.

    She swung her scythe and I quickly blocked it with my shield. Despite her using it one handed, she still kept up with all of my attacks.

    She lowered her hand as if scratching the air and the black soul ball that she formed followed.

    I ran with everything I got and managed to dodge her massive skill.

    "You won''t get away." As she had said that, the skill she casted suddenly formed a series of waves as if sucking me in to the middle.

    "Black hole? Not really as powerful as a black hole but it''s sucking me in to the middle with extreme force." I tried to walk forwards but moving while being sucked in is very difficult and restrictive.

    [Achieved the maximum strength boost. +300%]

    "What is that going to help me in this situation?!" As I said those words, I could feel the armor rising up to my head. "Its... Its forming? I just need large amounts of strength?" As the headgear of my armor was about to form, a sudden burst of air formed and cancelled out the skill Val casted.

    "Impossible." Val muttered to herself.

    I could feel every inch of my body screaming in pain but for some reason, I can handle the spikes digging into me.

    [Unique skill, Pain Tolerance, if 80% of your body is wounded, you won''t feel any pain.]

    That just means I''m losing blood very quick. This goddamn Bloodlust is still trying to devour me even in this situation.

    I jumped into the air and I actually hovered... As if I was..."Flying?" The wings behind my back formed with the armor. I can now fly freely. "Okay Val, round two." I retracted back both of my blood weapons. "Come, Bloodlust." And swapped it into this.

    "Soul Arrows." A barrage of arrows rained down on the arena but the harsh winds of the blizzard arena lessened the momentum of the falling arrows but made them lose in a way that their falling patterns are random. Dodging them is hard but using this newly formed armor and Pain Tolerance, I couldn''t take any damage and feel a thing.

    "My turn!" Using my own blood as a medium, I formed a crescent blood pool and sliced it to Val. "Crescendo!"

    A large vertical wound opened in her body.

    "{Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!" I opened up her wounds to deal even further damage.

    "Futile." Val''s wounded part of her body suddenly stopped opening even further.

    "Tsk. That''s enough damage anyway."

    "Soul Stream." I could feel a large amount of energy forming into her hands.

    "I need to get out of here quick!" I ran in circles until she fired that skill. I don''t know what that is but the energy is getting higher and higher every second.

    "Hyaa!" She aimed the skill at me and a burst of straight energy headed my way.

    "No time to dodge..." I blocked it using my own armor. "I can''t feel anything but I think my ribs are breaking." I was blown away a couple of meters with that insane skill and it was a highly concentrated blast.

    [Arena changing...]

    [Volcanic Ravine... arena randomly selected.]

    The arena suddenly changed and the terrain that spawned behind me was a wall. I landed on it and broke the wall behind me and it spurted out heaps of lava. "Damn it..."

    "Do it Val! Just a little bit more and we can get out of this hellish place!" Hera commanded her.

    "This is a good arena... I don''t know what''s going to happen on my body after this fight... But I got to focus on what I''m going to do now." Looking at the arena, it''s just high ravines and cracked grounds of lava. "Hmm... Bottomless box." I scooped up heaps of lava and put everything in the box. It''ll be stored there forever and its an infinite storage.

    "What are you doing? Stop wasting our time! Val, kill him already!"

    "Understood." With Hera''s commands, Val twirled her scythe and ran up to me again.

    "Blood Weapon Rapier." I forged this weapon and dipped it into the bottomless box. As soon as I pulled it out, the rapier was glowing in red magma. "It worked! HAHA! This''ll be a perfect place to store things to imbue my weapon with things."

    Val swung her scythe at me but I blocked it with my dragonic arms covered in the armor and counter attacked with my rapier.

    "Ah." Val was wearing a shocked expression. My rapier pierced through her armor and melted a small part of it until it pierced on the other side.

    I backed up and flew into the air. "Blood Weapon Dagger." I dipped it into my bottomless box and it was also imbued with magma.

    Val followed me into the air. "Soul Stream." This time, she didn''t hold the skill long enough but I''ve been caught of guard and had been hit by the skill. It left a burn mark on my armor and I don''t know if I took any damage but I persevered and got close to her.

    "Blood Shards!" I used the skill Absorbant Body on my wings since I got hit by a lot and the threshold was at maximum. My wings released small particles of blood shards aimed at Val. It left small wound but enough to force her to block with her bare armor and weapon.

    While my skill is shooting at her, I rushed up to her and pierced my rapier into her chest. It melted a part of her armor until it went through the other side.

    "This is the end."

    I put my dagger in my hand in a reverse grip and stabbed her in the chest with it. It melted her armor and pierced through her body.

    Her eyes ran out of light. I retracted back my weapons and watched her fall to the ground.

    "Val!" Hera ran up to her.

 Chapter 62: Demon and an Angel

    "Val! Wake up!" Hera shook her body trying to wake her up.

    [Val is now dead.]

    "That''s done. You''re the only one left."

    "Damn it..."

    I went up to him and readied my weapon.

    "Not yet! Light Buckshot!" Hera shot his skill towards me again.

    I backed off and dodged backwards. "You can''t win. You''re skills are useless when I''m wearing this." I can''t also feel a thing with his attacks and I can just force my way through his attacks.

    "I didn''t want to do this but... You were worthy for me to use this." Hera opened his hand and pierced through Val''s dead body.

    "What are you doing?! She''s already dead!"

    Hera delved even deeper into her chest. "Hahaha... Good thing this isn''t broken..." Hera took out his hand off of her body and took out something. "Zieglind Reysh, look! This is our... No, my own power!" He crushed the crystal like object he was holding that he pulled out of Val. The crystal glowed beautifully and it flew into the air. "Give it to me... GIVE EVERYTHING TO ME!" The crystal like object pierced itself onto Hera''s chest and stuck there. It formed several branches of veins connecting to each limb of Hera.

    "What..." I was just flummoxed on what I''m seeing.

    Val''s body was being sucked into Hera. "Kekeke. This is what a god looks like!"

    A yellow ray of light surrounded his body. His armor was white and was shining. A glorious white wings emerged from his back.

    [Arena changing...]

    [Holy Palace arena randomly selected.]

    A cold wind blew our way. The place that was selected was indoors. It was a fitting place for Hera.

    "Zieglind Reysh, nice place you''ve got here. This is our final showdown! A befitting arena for our battle!" Hera flew into the air and his radiant aura filled the whole arena.

    I also flew into the air and excreted all of my aura.

    The dark and light aura that we emitted was clashing with each other.

    "Demon and an Angel. Its clich�� isn''t it? But every book I''ve ever read... Angel always stays on top."

    "I guess I''m here to change that."

    "Heh. Pathetic demon. Radiance!" Hera emitted intense heat that covered the room.

    I couldn''t feel it but I felt sweat falling down on every part of my body.

    "Mirror Multiplication, Laser Buckshot!" A more intense concentrated buckshots shot throughout the whole arena bouncing in his mirrors.

    It''s powerful enough to burn my armor. It only left some burn marks but with enough of those attacks, it''ll pierce through mine.

    I need something to stop his movements. "Lightning Totem!" I spawned in two lightning totem. I put my hand on both of them and leveled them up both to tier two. They''ll be helping me in offense. I then imbued my rapier with the lightning element. "Hmm..." As I recall, Bloodstorm imbues any blood with anything. Elements or whatnot. I''ve got to try something.

    "Mirror Cloning!" Hera split himself into multiple copies of him.

    Since my body is already covered in blood with the spikes trying to eat me from the inside, I went up and electrocuted myself from the lightning totems.

    "You''re finally ending it yourself? How pathetic. Be killed by me and you shall be cleansed."

    "No, not that. I''ve just found a way to upgrade myself."

    My body was already breaking from the inside. Without Pain Tolerance skill, I would''ve given up already or be dead by then.

    The electricity running through me erupted into an explosion of adrenaline and heightened senses.

    "I never thought I''d see blood and electricity together working harmoniously."

    [Unique skill, Lightning Body, gains the power of the lightning. Must be discovered to know the power.]

    [Unique skill, Element Resistant, gains 50% damage reduction when 80% of your body is covered in a type of element. Ex: Fire, Lightning.]

    My armor and my whole body was covered in lightning. When I descended back to the ground, the lightning was melting off the ground beneath me.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "This." With one step off of the ground, I appeared infront of Hera in an instant.

    I gained the speed of lightning.

    "Wha-" Hera was caught off guard.

    I then grabbed his neck.

    "ARGH! AGHHHH!" Hera writhed in pain.

    "Is the lightning that strong?" I then stabbed his chest with my rapier infused with lightning. He was paralyzed for a moment.

    "Hng..." Hera couldn''t move a single part of his body.

    "Blood Weapon Change, Gauntlets." I dispersed both my rapier and dagger and swapped it into giant gauntlets. With my right fist, I smashed it onto his face sending him flying back.

    "Truly a demon." Hera wiped the blood off of his mouth. He flew back into the air. "Judgement!"

    A sudden surge of heavy gravity pulled my body down. Even standing up was a burden.

    Hera arrogantly flied towards me. "Payback. Laser Buckshot!" Hera placed his hands right in my stomach and activated his skill.

    I was blown away a couple of meters and my armor took a lot of damage.

    Hera''s clones flew in the air and began casting all together. "Ray of Light!"

    A concentrated beam of energy was directed towards me and all of them were using the same skill. I don''t know if everything is as strong as everyone or if only the host is the only strong one. But I couldn''t take any risks. My body is already falling apart with the spines digging into my body, the lightning flowing through it and the damage I took from Val''s fight.

    I used all of my speed to run away from their attacks.

    "Judgement!" Couple of Hera''s clones casted the gravity skill towards me again. I couldn''t escape. "Binding Light!"

    Ropes formed in light twirled around my body restricting my movements. "Hng..." I wiggled around but to no avail, I couldn''t escape. "Damn it." The ropes made from him was burning off my armor and the gravity skill he has is preventing me from doing anything."

    Hera moved towards me again. "Ray of Light."

 Chapter 63: One More Round

    A concentrated energy beam of light struck my head. It burnt a heavy part of my headgear and exposed my head. I wiggled around and escaped his binding spell.

    I flew back into the air and used Crescendo over and over. But each and every one of them gets intercepted by his bouncing laser buckshots.

    [Unique skill, Crescendo Barrage, unleash 5 ''Crescendo'' in an instant. Direction can change mid attack.]

    "Holy Blade!" A massive sword formed at his hand. Almost double his size yet he''s able to wield it with no weight restrictions. "Purifier!" The blade of his glowed yellow and emitted a strong source of power.

    "Up and close huh? Let''s go! Blood Weapon Change, Sword and Shield!" I ran up to him and swung my sword in different directions. Overhead, sideways, but he blocked it instantly with quick casts of light buckshot and it sent my hand writhing and trembling.

    While my hand was recovering from the blow, he thrusted his holy blade to my chest but it made just a tiny hole that didn''t pierce.

    I bashed my shield at him and it disrupted his stance, I then counter attacked with my sword in slightly slanted slice.

    He managed to step back a few inches by using the recoil of his laser buckshot by firing it to the ground so my attack barely nicked his armor.

    "Ray of Light!" A small concentrated beam with no additional casting time was fired but I easily blocked it with the shield since it didn''t gather enough mana. I redirected its direction to my left by angling my shield to the left.

    I rushed in while he was still firing his beam and as the same as ever, I bashed his body so it disrupted his form and cancelled his casting for the ray of light and then turned my sword into a huge gauntlet and knocked him into the air.

    "Grit your teeth." I changed my gauntlet to a dagger and imbued it with lightning from my new form. He was suspended in the air and I attacked him and it paralyzed him completely in the air.

    "Argh!" Hera grunted in pain.

    I grabbed his neck and stabbed him in the chest with the dagger. Then I slammed him down back at the ground with a quick change to my gauntlet.

    He coughed up a lot of blood but the paralyze effect isn''t over yet.

    I retracted both of my weapons to change into Bloodlust. "Crescendo... Barrage!"

    Five quick simultaneous casts of Crescendo formed and launched itslef onto Hera''s body in the ground.

    *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* All of them successfully initiated contact with Hera and left a hole in his armor. His bare chest was showing from it.

    I then was blown away from an attack from nowhere. It left a burn mark from my armor. "Laser Buckshot? Your clones huh?"

    "This... This is not the end! Judgement!" Hera casted while he was laying on the ground. Hera''s clones quickly casted a bunch of spells and it was binding, gravity, attack skills and heals for Hera. "Heavenly Body!"

    Hera''s form changed again.

    "What''s this? A freaking JRPG?"

    "Stop your babbling. You''ve committed enough treasons to earn your death this early."

    "Damn it... My body..." It can''t hold on anymore. I know it myself. Electrocuting myself, the armor devouring me, the damage I sustained and every pain imaginable. I''ve got to push myself more. "MORE!"

    "That''s it demon... Begone!" Hera''s armor glowed brightly. It was so blinding.

    His armor regenerated but nothing from his outside appearance changed at all. But I could feel he''s even stronger than ever. "It flows in my veins... The powers of a god!"

    "You''re just self proclaimed."

    "Hng... Shut up! Judgement!"

    "AGH!" Twice as heavy as before, his skill was a heavier gravity than before.

    "Ray of Light... Buckshot!"

    "You''ve got a thing for shotguns or something?"

    "Funny. Feel my wrath!"

    "Sh-" His beam bounced from the mirrors he set up earlier. Its 10 times more powerful than his laser buckshot. I couldn''t dodge it since I''m stuck in his gravity spell. I took on the blast full on and it left nasty large holes on my armor.

    My electric covered body inside was showing.

    The judgement spell ran out of time and I began running his direction. With just a second, I was infront of his face.

    "Holy Shockwaves!" A yellow light covered his body then it instantly turned massive and knocked me away.

    "Damn it." I stood up and began running in different directions. Unleashing Crescendo in different directions.

    He took it all and his armor was slowly being damaged by running around in circles using the speed of lightning and spamming Crescendo using my own blood as the source.

    "ENOUGH! BINDING LIGHT!"

    The rope-like lights emerged from the ground and wrapped my body. I broke free by spawning in lightning totem and electrocuting myself even more storing more energy in my body.

    "I''ll put an end to this farce." Hera began casting a cursed arts. "Zi Fa Ha Ba Lu Mo No Ba Ha Hu Te Ry Ha Ge Ma Na Hu Pa Zi Ka Pa Nu Du Ga La Ra Ha Me Ga Ul Le Ma Nu Pa. Corrupted Power! AGH!" A sudden pulse of shockwave was felt from Hera''s direction. "There it is... I''ve been waiting for this..." Several seismic shock waves was felt pulsing from him.

    His face changed.

    "Haha... How ironic."

    "..." He stood there silent while he looked at himself in the mirror.

    "Despite being holy and everything... You''re dependent on it am I right?"

    "This... This power is necessary... For... Your sentence..."

    "Don''t kid yourself. Look at your face." Hera grew black horns.

    "You enjoy that form." He was wearing a nasty smile.

    "You''ve turn one Hera." His right, white, magnificent wings turned into dark red.

    "You''re the same as me." His eyes turned black and red and several veiny things appeared on his face.

    "We''re both demons."

 Chapter 64: The Comeback

    "Shut up... Shut up, shut up!" Hera''s sanity slowly began to deteriorate. "This, this is my will. The will of god! Demon or not, I''ll use it to achieve my goal!"

    "Ironic and hypocritic. What more could you want?"

    "Hngr... Soul Homage!" His holy sword slightly turned darker by the second.

    "That skill... That''s Val''s!?"

    "Soul Arrows!" His arrows bounced in the mirror just like his laser buckshots.

    Hera''s skills have a huge skill set. He''s got Val''s, his new skills and the skills he got from that new armor. Too dangerous.

    "This is insane!" I began moving in random directions. Despite me having the speed of lightning, I don''t have the reaction speed to use this speed to the fullest.

    "Soul Stream! Soul Arrows! Despair even more!" A barrage of skills bounces through his mirrors in a random pattern. "More... MORE! Mirror Multiplication!"

    "Damn. Crescendo Barrage!" I began deflecting the attacks coming from different directions. Run using the speed of lightning, attack with the crescendo barrage.

    "Judgement! Binding Light!" I was pinned down and I can''t escape. His soul stream reached me and the barrage of his soul arrows reached me too.

    "Damn it." I felt my back being pierced by each blow one by one. It actually managed to get through my armor.

    "Feel the pain. Soul Enrapture!"

    The wounds on my back opened up even more and wounded itself even more.

    If my pain tolerance stopped working, I''ll be dead by now. I''m seriously scared on what''s going to happen after everything here is done. "Get... OUT! Lightning Totem!" Sending more electric currents in my body, I broke free of of the binding spell. "Heal, Great Heal!" My Karmic Pain is barely working. My body is slowly being destroyed.

    "Ray of Light! Soul Stream!" He activated the light skill on his left and the soul stream on the right. "Now, MERGE!" He combined both of the powers of the beam and merged it into one.

    I can''t escape nor block... The size of it covers the whole arena. "Think... What to do?!"

    "Die, demon!"

    "LAST STAND!" I''ve become immune for 30 seconds. I could feel my whole body work perfectly in sync. I''ve never felt better before.

    The blast lasted for three seconds. "That''s... Everything... AGH!" Hera''s body became even more darker and corrupted. The light he has is slowly fading.

    "Not yet!" I showed myself to him unscratched.

    "Bastard..."

    "25 seconds... That''s all it''ll take to kill you. I''ll beat your strongest with my strongest!"

    "J..." Hera was too exhausted using two huge spells.

    "BLOOD FRENZY!"

    24...

    [Scanning blood particles in the vicinity...]

    [Scanned.]

    [+200% strength]

    23...

    I ran up to him in an instant. I changed my weapon to a gauntlet and knocked him up into the air.

    22...

    I fly to his position and changed my gauntlet to a double blade.

    21...20...19...

    I unleashed multiple attacks of my twinblades. The other one imbued with lightning and the other one imbued with fire.

    Middle, side, X-Form, thrust, shoulder, and an upward slice to keep him in the air followed by a quick change into daggers.

    "ARGHHHHH!!!" Hera''s body slowly filled with holes.

    18...17...

    "Webbing!" I immediately roped him up with the webs and attacked with both of my daggers imbued with lightning and fire.

    "Judgeme-!" Hera was cut off in his casting.

    Using lightning, I paralyzed him completely. I spawned in lightning and fire totems and unleashed its power to keep him floating into the air.

    16...15...14...

    I grabbed his neck and it sent several shock blasts of my lightning to his body.

    "NOOO!"

    I used the stored energy when I was being hit by him and unleashed everything. "Blood Shards!"

    It pierced through his armor.

    13...12...11...10...

    I then changed into gauntlets twice the size as before. Using gravity and my own strength as a weapon, I slammed it down on Hera''s body down to the ground.

    While I was still in the air, "Crescendo Barrage!"

    One, two, three, four, five! Five blasts of crescendo hit his bare body.

    9...8...7...6...5...4...

    "For the finale... Goodbye... Hera..." I retracted both of my blood weapons and brought out my Bloodlust. "Blood Manipulation!" I gathered all the blood around all of us into a single ball sitting atop on the top of my blade.

    "Curse you demon... CURSE YOU!"

    Using flame as the medium, I imbued this ball of blood with flames. "TAKE THIS HERA!" My own strength, combined with every strength boost I''ve got here, I launched the ball of blood at full speed.

    "NOOOOOOOO!!!" When Hera''s body entered contact with the ball of blood, it exploded so powerful it made tremors in my own arena and several shockwaves of winds flying everywhere.

    [Hera is dead.]

    [Battle to the Death Won by Zieglind Reysh]

    [Domain of the Bloodfallen has been leveled to maximum. You can now choose the arena and the location yourself. If not, the arena will automatically change every 30 minutes.]

    [+40 levels]

    [You''ve achieved level 100]

    [Congratulations on leveling up this far.]

    [There are 12 rewards waiting. Do you want to claim them now?]

    [Original skill created, Revenge of the Lord, this skill can only be used if 80% of the used blood was from the user itself. Creates a large ball of blood. Once it makes contact with a solid object or an ethereal object, it''ll damage even if the target is ethereal. Its effects will differ depending on the element imbued.

    Normal: A fast ball of blood moving at high speeds. Can easily penetrate armors and objects.

    Fire: Creates a ball of blood moving at extreme speeds. When it makes contact, it explodes and sends out fire in random directions. These can damage and add a debuff on the enemies that''ll make them twice as vulnerable to flames.

    These skills can changed if more element was imbued with the skill.]

    [No mana left. Pain Tolerance will be disabled.]

    "That''s... Over..."

    3...

    I dropped myself to the ground.

    2...

    "This will hurt... *sigh*" The pain I accumulated will return.

    1...

    "AGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

 Chapter 65: After the Battle

    [Arena will now close. Participant and host, Zieglind Reysh, will now be transported back to Pandir.]

    "Everything... Damn it... DAMN IT!" Everything is broken. Each time I move in pain, all the bones hit each other piercing my inner muscles. My passive is slowly healing my body but it''s not enough. My insides are either toasted by the lightning or my bones are giving up because of the armor trying to eat me.

    I began healing myself with heals. It couldn''t keep up with the damage. It could heal my outside wounds but not so much on the inside.

    "..." I passed out.

    Few hours later, I woke up inside of a house. I didn''t recognize it but it looks so fancy. I got out of bed and stood up. I couldn''t feel any pain. I checked my status and my mana is back at full. "Level 100? I finally reached it. But... No message as the first one saying that someone reached level 100? Hmm... This might be trouble." It means that there is an unknown number of players over level 100 since that message only appears once.

    "Zieglind?" I could hear a female voice in the corner carrying a bucket of water and some towels.

    "Hey there Precia." It was none other than her.

    She immediately ran up to me and hugged me full force. "Hey, I''m still wounded." That was just a playful joke but I hugged her back.

    "Hey there!" Zeta greeted me in the corner.

    All of them also greeted me. They were all in the same room. Yefa, Precia, Zeta and Greta.

    "I''m guessing the one who healed me is Zeta?"

    "You betcha. You drained every mana I had."

    I let go of Precia and asked them what happened after I collapsed.

    "Well," Yefa was the one who explained everything. "You were suddenly gone for about two hours then you reappeared with that man''s dead body. We heard you screaming so we found you very easily."

    "And that''s where I came in." Zeta spoke. "I patched you up. You were lucky to even scream. What the hell happened when you two were gone? All of your bones were broken and all of your muscles torn and there are a lot of burn marks all over."

    "Thanks Zeta. My body feels the same as before. I don''t feel any pain or weirdness. You did a good job."

    "Thanks, hehe."

    "Anyway, where are we?"

    "We''re in one of the houses in Cagyer. The people here are in panic. There have been people terrorizing the place. We''ve laid low for a while. You''ve been out for 4 hours."

    "Let''s finish up here and we''ll rush to Itz. Where''s Hera''s body?"

    "Here." Greta entered the room and was carrying his body. "We saw you do something to other dead bodies so we thought it was important to get them."

    "You''ve done a great job." I went up to his dead body. "Devour." Tons of skills appeared. "Woah. Tons of these are useless. I spent 10 minutes just sorting out all of the skills he had. The ones I didn''t pick out was mostly focused on mind manipulation which I have no intention of using even if me against the world. I don''t want to rule over fake loyalty.

    [Absorbed 321,181 souls.]

    [All soul related skills will consume souls.]

    [Gained skill, Laser Buckshot, fires a fast small beam. Good for penetrating armor.]

    [Gained skill, True Reaper Form, Gazer, wear the armor of one of the legendary death reapers. Has three sub skills.

    |True Death Reaper|

    Can summon soul scythes and control them with psychic abilities. You can''t equip other weapons while the Gazer armor is activated.

    |Reaper|

    Gain 10x souls when killing an enemy. Drain 50% less souls when using a skill. +30% damage when using soul related skills.

    |Gazer of the Abyss|

    Upon the destruction of the armor, a new armor will be forged adapting to the current situation.

    When in Gazer form, you''ll be able to fly.]

    [Gained skill Soul Drag, create a small black hole to suck in everything nearby. Reduces weapon durability by 1% per second. Skill lasts for 3 seconds. Can be cancelled during casting.]

    [Gained skill, Brightest Dark, has both the elements of light and dark, fires a strong beam in one direction. Cannot be cancelled. Lasts for 3 seconds. Removes enemy buffs.]

    [Abyssal Enhancement will now be replaced with Soul Homage.]

    [Gained skill Soul Homage, imbues object with dark power. Increases damage. +20% more damage if the weapon is a soul weapon.]

    [Gained skill, Judgement, applies a slowness debuff for 10 seconds and restrict the enemy''s movement with heavy pressure.]

    [Skill adjusting to abyss class...]

    [Radiance is renamed to Hell Flame.]

    [Gained skill, Hell Flame, for one minute, grants fire immunity and emit heat. Everytime you walk or run, a burning trail will be left behind that''ll last for 10 seconds. Allies that are in your party will be also immune to this effect but if they turn hostile to you, they''ll be affected.]

    [Skill recalibrating...]

    [Corruption will now change from Cursed Art to a normal skill.]

    [Gained skill, Corruption, turn into a mindless beast for 1 hour. +200% strength.]

    [Gained skill, Soul Blast, sends a powerful shockwave in a 10 meter radius. Everything it touches burns and freezes.]

    [Gained skill, Binding Light, restrict the enemy''s movements.]

    [Soul Arrow, summons a soul concentrated arrow that can be fire either by a bow or by throwing.]

    [Soul Rain, summons a horde of arrows falling down the sky. Has two sub-skills.

    |Piercer Mode|

    Combines all arrows into one powerful arrow. Once the arrow is thrown or released from a bow, it''ll split apart and multiply in large amounts. +50% damage against armored units or buildings.

    |Homing Mode|

    A fast horde of arrows following a single enemy. +100% speed when following enemy.

    Soul Rain has a +10% damage boost when using a bow.]

    [Gained skill, Aura, emit a powerful killing intent. Lowers enemy''s stats and power by 10%, can go up to 30% depending on your current strength and level. Has a chance to paralyze enemy.]

    "Okay, let''s go. It''s time to finish everything here."

 Chapter 66: Controlling the Power

    "System, check the levels of the players."

    [Player levels cannot be discovered unless with a skill.]

    "Damn. Let''s go." We went and split in groups. Myself only, Zeta and Greta and finally Yefa and Precia. We scouted and looked for any players. They say that they can also see the floating arrow on their head.

    We spent 30 minutes scouting and we found 30 players in the vicinity.

    "Hmm... You four take two I''ll take the other three groups.. They walk in fives so take one at a time."

    "You sure you can take them?" Zeta asked.

    "Definitely. I''ll keep contact with telepathy. Just say something if you''re in trouble. I''ll be there in a flash.

    We then went ahead and went our ways.

    I went up to the roofs of the buildings and scouted for groups. I found one. "Time to make an entrance. Let''s try this new armor. Gazer Form!"

    The armor instantly appeared on my body. It''s the same appearance as Val''s.

    I held out my hand and the scythe appeared out of nowhere.

    "Woah. That''s cool." I tried to spawn in Bloodlust but it just dissipated. So it''s true that I can only use this scythe. "System, scythe information?"

    [Soul Scythe, +1000 strength, +200 stamina and +3 range. If an enemy was killed by this weapon, you''ll get 5% of their status permanently.]

    My eyes widened. That is an insane weapon but the drawback is less versatility. And what the hell is range? I had many questions but I need to get back in Itz fast.

    I jumped off the roof and landed on one of the player''s heads. I immediately swiped it with my scythe. It was a clean cut.

    The soul of the dead player flew around and back to my body. It seems the 5% status boost is working.

    "Easy kill... Low levels?"

    "Who are you?!" One of them spoke.

    "Look at this." I pointed on the top of my head.

    "An icon?" They backed off. "A player... This is great. A chance to level up. Let''s go boys!"

    "Lightning Body." I just ran up to them and in an instant, I was behind their backs and their heads were flying all over

    I used skill devourer on their bodies but it''s all useless.

    "Dispel Forms!" My gazer form and the lightning body dissipated and so does the scythe. "Ow... That stings. I didn''t feel any pain when I activated my lightning body. Might be because of the Pain Resistance skill and the Element Resistant skill. But when I dispelled the forms, I felt pain... Hmm... It does only work when your body is covered in pain huh."

    The souls of the dead players vanished into me upgrading my status even more.

    I contacted everyone with the telepathy. "Everyone, let''s wrap it up. They''re just low level people."

    I then wore my Gazer armor again and activated lightning body. "I''ll just let them handle the players. I need to practice this skill."

    Using Lightning Body and moving at full speed is the most difficult thing to control. I don''t have the instincts and the reaction time to be on par with the speed of lightning.

    I went ahead and used full power in my feet and ran full speed. In just a couple of seconds, I bumped into 12 buildings and I lost my momentum and fell down on the last one. "If I limit the speed maybe..."

    I tried to run not so fast this time. First, I ran like my normal speed then up the speed from there. Maximum speed that I could accomplish without falling down and I can actually process the speed around me was about half the speed of sound. About... As I remember 500km/h or something? But it''s enough to use this to my advantage.

    "Zieglind, we have trouble here." I could hear Yefa on the other side.

    "Got it, where are you?"

    "Near the armorsmith shop."

    "Any landmarks?"

    "The giant obelisk?"

    "Perfect Imagery, Storage!" I searched in the back of my mind to look for the place Yefa was saying. "Got it. I''ll be on the way."

    In a couple of seconds, I got to where they all were.

    "Uhh Zieglind... There''s another one that appeared." Yefa talked to me in telepathy.

    "No, that''s me." I took off the headgear that was covering my face.

    "Another one?" One of the enemies asked.

    "Sorry, you''ll be my guinea pigs." With a quick attack, I swiped their heads off in a one clean cut. "JEEZ! That was insane." I actually aimed for the person infront of me but the range of my weapon reached until the one in the back.

    "You''ve gotten stronger, again." Zeta currently healing himself with his skill.

    "Well yeah kinda." I walked up in each of the dead bodies and used skill devourer. "Nice. I''ll get these three skills."

    [Gained skill, Teleport, you''ll be able to teleport to any distance and any place in the world. If a person is in contact with you, touching, attacking, etc. they''ll be brought along. Two people only allowed. If three or more are in contact, the one closest to you will be brought along.]

    [Gained skill, Mass Teleport, opens a large portal under you. Teleports all people in the portal in any distance and any place in the world. The number of people that can be brought along is limitless as long as they can fit in the portal. Their part of the body MUST be in contact with the portal. Carrying a living being and nothing of their body is touching the portal cannot be transported. This skill will be casted for 8 whole seconds and the size can be adjusted depending on the caster. 1 day cooldown.]

    [Levitating Board, summons a levitating board. Useful for carrying luggage.]

    "Okay, everyone ready?"

    "Yep!" Everyone said in unison.

    "Let''s go help Afal and Rize. Everyone, get near me." I began chanting the words that were flowing in my mind that was needed for the spell. After eight seconds the portal formed. "MASS TELEPORT!"

 Chapter 67: The First War

    We insantly got to Itz. We teleported in the middle of the battle. Everyone stopped moving. "Uh... Hi."

    "ATTACK!" One of the warriors said.

    "Oh damn. Everyone, get out, regroup with Afal!" We all split up and looked for Afal. It didn''t take long since I remember his old form. "Holy..."

    It was Afal''s old form. A black robe that was kinda alive covered in heaps of skeletons. A living dead organism. "ZiEgLInd. HOw dID yoU gEt hErE?"

    "No time for questions. Where''s the king?"

    "He''S wiTH tHe eLIte TrOOps oVeR theRe." Afal pointed at them.

    "Okay, got it. Go delay the movements. We''ll be joining shortly." I then went ahead and used my skill Sprint to get to them.

    "Zieglind, how''s the situation in Cagyer?!"

    "You still have time to discuss that in the middle of an ongoing battle?"

    "Just, tell me! If you don''t then their forces here will just multiply! Cagyer is a kingdom with large units!"

    "I know all the documents." I grabbed the king''s head.

    "What are you doing?! Get off your hands off the king!" One of the guards tried to take off my arm. "King, get away!" He tried to attack my arm.

    "Dragonic Arms." I blocked his attack and shoved him away. "Imagery Intensify, Telepathy!" I redirected all the knowledge I had back to the king.

    "Hnrg... You piece of..." The guard stood up.

    "Stand down. He just passed me the information. I see. Hmm... Let''s focus on eliminating everything here then regroup back to Itz and get ready for the battle. Their troops and neighboring kingdoms are in good terms with Cagyer. We''ll be caught in a pincer attack."

    "I see. I''ll join the fight."

    "Much appreciated."

    "Gazer Form! Lightning Body!" I change myself into my current armor and skill that I can barely control. Using Armor of the Bloodfallen takes so much out of me and after everything, I''ll be in the worst state. I brought out the scythe and got ready for the battle. "I''ll be going now."

    With just quick steps, I instantly moved in the middle of their army. "Gaia, I summon you!" I spawned Gaia in the air and let him fall down on the troops.

    "AHHH!" All the soldiers were in panic when they saw Gaia and ran away but most of them didn''t survive the fall of Gaia.

    I contacted all of them using Telepathy. "Afal, Zeta, Greta, Precia, Rize and Yefa, I grant all of you to let loose. This is our first war! Let''s get ourselves a victory!"

    "YES!" Everyone replied back.

    "Let''s go everyone!" I used the speed of lightning, well, in this case half the speed of sound to maneuver myself to get to the highest troop count and get behind them.

    I found troops moving in clumped and there were so many of them. I went ahead and used my Teleport to get in the middle of them.

    "Wha-" All of them were caught off-guard.

    I raised my hand up in the sky, "SOUL DRAG!" A small dark hole formed in the top of my hands.

    All of them were instantly sucked in the middle. They were all clumped in together. I stopped casting and, "JUDGEMENT!" All of them dropped unto the ground and they were stuck there piled up like a mountain. "SOUL RAIN, PIERCER MODE!" They were sitting ducks ready to be easily killed. The arrows easily pierced through their bodies until it pierced to the other side.

    [You leveled up to Level 101.]

    I fly into the air to get a better vantage point then observed what the others were doing.

    Afal was there in his giant form teaming up with Gaia smashing troops and creating seismic shockwaves that pushes them everytime his fists touches the ground. "Haaaa..." Afal looked likd he inhaled a lot of air. And in an instant, a large roar was heard. "HAAAAA!!!" All the soldiers near him fell unconscious.

    Rize seemed to have leveled up. A lot. She was dealing instakills to anyone that touches her arrows.

    "System, what level is Rize?"

    [Rize Reysh, Level 58]

    "WHAT?! That''s insanely fast. I guess the bonus EXP that the system gave us helped a lot."

    Rize was out there firing arrows everywhere. She had the same skill as me but not actually the same. She shoots her bow upwards and the arrows that fell down multiply in numbers hitting countless troops one by one. And her homing arrows always caught up to any enemies unfortunate enough to be followed by it.

    Zeta and Greta are working in unison. Greta used her beast form and clawed away on anyone that she sees. "AHWOOH!" A large battlecry was heard from her like a wolf.

    Zeta is supporting her by healing her and giving buffs. He''s working with her in perfect synergy by using crowd control skills on anyone that nearly gets to Greta. They protect each other.

    Yefa is using her blink to her advantage and getting away to spam her Magic Spears. It creates a huge explosion but those troops are blocking them with barrier spells. Yefa changed into the melee form and wore both of her gauntlets to wreck havoc in the battle.

    Precia was in the rear of the enemies taking out any mages she could see. These mages buffs and heals their soldiers making it an unlimited supply of soldiers. Good for her that she chose the key to winning their battle.

    I also saw a familiar face in the distance. "Wait... Isn''t that..." I took a closer look. "Grien?! What?! That idiot! The women and children back in the village are defenseless!"

    I fly over to them. "Eh?" In an instant, I was right up in their faces. "Oh damn. The speed of lightning works even when flying."

    "Who are you?!" Grien readied his staff.

    "It''s me." I took off the headgear of my armor.

    "What are you doing here? The women and children in the village are basically asking for these soldiers to kill them!"

    "We''ve evacuated them in the king''s castle. The king insisted that we fight."

    "As long as they''re safe. Just don''t be reckless. Great Heal!"

    "Thank you my lord."

    I flew back up into the air and looked at the status of the battle. "Everyone, I repeat, everyone! Finish up things quickly!"

    I connected the Reysh''s and the king of Itz to my telepathy. "They''re here! The soldiers from Cagyer. And their numbers aren''t really good... We''re at a complete military disadvantage!"

 Chapter 68: Torched Body

    "Oh no..." I could see a couple of mages casting spells and collaborating with each other. "I don''t feel so good about this. Everyone, retreat! We need to regroup!"

    "Impossible!" The king spoke on the other side. "Gathering our two allied kingdoms will be difficult. It''ll take them a week to get here!"

    "At least try it! Send a messenger now!" The mages in the distance are forming several layers of magical circles in the air while their main soldiers, melee and ranged are moving towards us at quick speeds. "GAIA! Come to the front!"

    Gaia roared loudly and slowly walked to the front.

    "Barrier!" I put a defensive skill on Gaia. "Gaia, enter a defensive stance!"

    The mages started firing their skills. A barrage of fire, lightning, earth elements came our way but Gaia is taking every damage. He still have a lot of HP left.

    "Gaia, stay there! And everyone, finish everything here. I''ll be charging in!"

    "Wai-"

    I cut the Telepathy off and I couldn''t even know who said that. "Control... Control..." I flew to the location of the army marching towards Itz using the maximum speed I can manage.

    "Argh!" I was hit by a spell. "Where is it coming from?" Again and again. "I''ll just take it all!" I then charged in to them even though they are spamming heavy hitting spells.

    "He''s fast!" One of the mages said. "Use binding spells!"

    "Binding Light, Slowness, Lightning Stun, Sleep, Poison, Durability Decrease, Disarm, Blind, Holy Ray, Flight Cancel!" All the mage''s spells all directed at me limiting my movements and attacks.

    "Now, offensive spells!" What I assume is the leader said to his people.

    "Fireball, Thunderbolt, Smite, Water Surge, Homing Arrows, Magic Javelin, Lava Surge, Spike Pierce, Floating Sword, Light Pierce!"

    "LAST... STAND!" Since my HP is below 60%, I can only be immune for 20 seconds. Bit it''s enough to dispel their binding and crowd control spells and deflect all of their offensive spells. "You''ll all be my source of strength." I then emitted strong force of bloodlust and evil aura from my newly acquired skill. All of them backed off out of fear.

    "Soul Homage!" I buffed my scythe. "Judgement!" All of the mages were smashed into the ground. They couldn''t speak nor move. "Soul Drag!" All of them suddenly were sucked into the miniature black hole. And after three seconds of casting that ability, all of them were grouped up in a mountain of bodies. And as for my final attack, "HELL FLAME!"

    All the mages couldn''t speak nor move. They were just burnt alive without saying anything. "Smells like burnt barbeque."

    "I''m immune to heat right? Hmm... Flesh Eater Ring!" I absorbed all their blood then released it all again to douse my body with blood. "Fire Totem!" I then attacked myself with it."

    [Gazer Form dispelled.]

    [Unique skill, Torched Body, surround yourself with fire, able to use 10 unique skills but you can''t use any other skills other than these 10. You also cannot use any other weapons and armor other than the Torched Body skills.

    |Fire Whip|

    Summons a flaming whip. When the whip hits the ground, it creates a very small explosion. When the whip hits nothing, the tip of the whip can emit small fireballs.

    |Torched Body Armor|

    Flames emitting in your body cannot be put out by any means. This armor has a +500 strength, +500 endurance and +200 speed. WARNING: This armor surrounding your body will burn you and damage you.

    |Phase|

    Become a gaseous body for an instant and be able to phase through one attack every 30 seconds. This timer will reset if you damage your enemy. -0.5 seconds of time if you get hit by the enemy.

    |Conjure Fire Monarchs|

    Summons two Fire Monarchs that will aid you in battle.

    |Lava Surge|

    Make a miniature tsunami of lava that''ll do increased damage on the armor of the enemies. Applies slowness and burning debuffs.

    |Burn|

    Shoots a ball of flame then after contact, it explodes

    |Fumes|

    Spawns in a cloud of gas fumes that is highly flammable and prone to explosion.

    |Flame Pillar|

    A small circle of heat forms under the ground then a tall flame pillar will emerge knocking enemies up to the air.

    |Rapid Chaos Flames|

    Summons a large amount of flames in the hands of the caster and when thrown, it has a small explosion that combusts but enough to knock an enemy a couple of inches.

    |Fists of Fury|

    Creates two huge floating fists near your body that''s an extension to your hands. Whenever your hands move, the huge floating flaming hand will also move. This skill is as tough as the Torched Body Armor. This is a passive ability. Cannot be turned off.

    Torched Body allows you to fly.]

    "It''s powerful but... I can''t use any weapon and armor other than these skills. An-..." I felt a burning sensation in my whole body flowing. "AGH! DISPEL FORM!" The flames dissipated from my body. I fell down to the ground next to the dead bodies. "That is really damaging... And I can only use it for one minute using Hell Flames... It''s a new powerup and I think it''s kinda worth it." I looked around and the blood that enveloped my body was burned with the Torched Body skill. "Maybe there''s a time where I can use this item even more. Flesh Eater Ring!" The ring ate up all the blood that was in the vicinity.

    "Gazer Form!" I then flew into the air and looked at the status of the battlefield. "Our units aren''t holding on very much. We''re pretty outnumbered." And I flew back to back to search the whole area if there''s anymore troops incoming. Their magician troops are basically gone. But the sheer number of their melee and archer troops are insanely high and is double our current troops.

    "Are you kidding me." I look at the distance and saw 50 people that had the same thing as I have. "The arrowheads... They''re players. This is going to get even more difficult."

 Chapter 69: Winning

    It''s already midnight. The black sky eminated brightly with the moon shining light to the ground.

    "Come out Wisp." A bright light emerged and Wisp came out of my inventory. It healed me completely in a matter of seconds. "Go around the battlefield and heal everyone. Prioritize the king, Yefa, Precia, Zeta, Greta, Rize and Afal. I don''t need heals." I''m not really worried since Wisp cannot die.

    "Time to work." I flew to the player''s location and landed in front of them.

    They unsheathed all of their weapons. I looked around and they''re equally split to ranged and melee. "Mass Cast: Barrier, Strength Boost, Heavenly Body, Over Tenacity." Some of their mages casted. I counted about 10 of them.

    Several colors glowed all of their bodies readying for the upcoming fight.

    "Soul Drag!" A small black hole formed in the middle of the pack.

    "Magic Jamming." One of the mages casted a skill. The black hole broke like a mirror shattering and its gravitational pull suddenly vanished.

    "WHAT?" Anti-magic. It''s going to be dangerous. "Tsk. Laser Buckshot!" They completely blocked it with the barrier surrounding their body but the barrier broke.

    I flew into the air and tried to cast laser buckshot once again but the mages interrupted it.

    All of the mages held hands and began casting another spell. "Area Cast, Ground Zero."

    "Ugh." I then fell to the ground. I tried to fly but I just jumped. I can''t fly and they have anti-magic. This is going great.

    The melee players started charging in. They sent two people. If they add any more, they''ll be interrupting with each other since they''ll only be fighting me.

    "Unseen Blade!" One of the player made his sword invisible. He thrusted his sword at me and he got me in the shoulder.

    It''s strong enough to penetrate the Gazer armor and I can''t know the true range of the weapon. I backed off and used, "Soul Arrow!" I threw it onto them and it exploded on contact. I then followed up with, "Soul Rain, Piercer Mode!" I threw the arrow again once again to them.

    "Free Form Barrier!" A square barrier formed and barely blocked my skill. It blocked a large amount of it but some still got through.

    They then followed up with a barrage of skills. "Slow, Poison Mist, Fear, Burn!"

    [You''re immune to the skill Poison Mist since you have the same skill.]

    [You''re immune to the skill Fear since you have the skill Insanity Immunity.]

    "I''m slowed." I can''t even lift up my legs to move. I can barely feel it. "Lightning Body!" A small sting of pain went through until the Pain Tolerance took over. "Soul Drag!"

    This time, they didn''t cancel the skill and the gravitational pull gathered them in one place.

    I tried to kill them all in one sweep using my scythe.

    "Mass Cast, Barrier!"

    But it was deflected by a quick cast of barrier that shielded all of them.

    "Hell Flame!" All of their barrier suddenly exploded when I emitted burning flames all over. "TORCHED BODY!" I turned ethereal and my Gazer armor and scythe dissipated into the air. One minute, I can use this fully for one minute.

    "Torch Body Armor, Conjure Fire Monarchs!" The fire enveloped my body.

    Two... what I assume a male and a female emerged from the ground emitting strong heat that it melted the ground they were standing on. They began throwing Fireballs and different kinds of fire spells forcing melee players to block with their shields and force mages to cast their protective spells on them.

    "Mass Cast, Fire Resistance!" A glowing red aura was seen from their bodies when the mages casted that spell.

    "You mages are annoying! Flame Pillar!"

    "What?" The mages looked around but nothing happened. "What a bluff! Ma-" A tall fire pillar emerged and knocked them all into the air.

    "Fumes!" A gas mist formed enveloping everyone in the area. "BURN!" A small fire ball I shot went towards all of the mages and it exploded along with the fumes I casted. It blew everyone away and kept the mages in the air. "RAPID CHAOS FLAMES!" A shotgun like blast of fires kept exploding and kept juggling the mages in the air. "FISTS OF FURY!" Two giant fire fists formed and it moved whenever I move. I intertwined my fists and so did the fists of fury and I smashed the mages to the ground and BOOM! A large explosion followed by a gust of wind.

    I look over to my hands and it''s burning very fast. "Last spell, Lava Surge!"

    A small wave formed then it suddenly grew larger and larger until it devoured everything in its path. Melting both the ground and the bodies into an unidentifiable clump of bodies.

    [You leveled up to level 154.]

    [There''s 25 rewards waiting. Do you want to claim them all?]

    "Not now. Dispel Form!" The flames disappeared and I was left with a hurt and burnt body. "Ow... This hurts. I mean, I could use Torched Body whenever I want but my body after that will just be a burnt barbeque." I looked over to the dead bodies and I can''t even cast skill devourer at them. "What a waste. That mass cast skill looks very, very useful and their debuff skills and I couldn''t get any stacks for my scythe for bonus status." I just left it all behind and went ahead and joined the fight with everyone.

    Three hours went by and we were all fighting a losing one. We were outnumbered, exhausted and near depleted mana.

    But we managed to pull through and endure the three hours of an exhausting battle.

    We managed to win an outnumbered battle.

    A soldier raised his hand and shouted, "GLORY TO ITZ!" All of the soldiers shouted a large battlecry and we all joined.

    We won the first war. And this is just the first one until I can win this battle royale.

 Chapter 70: Kings Plans

    The sun rose and its blazing rays hit our exhausted bodies sending a bolt energy to keep us all barely awake.

    "MARCH!" One of the commanders of the battle ordered the whole army of Itz back to their kingdom.

    They all walked in perfectly straight lines and each time they took their step, a small tremor was felt. Despite us winning an outnumbered battle, we were still left with a lot of troops.

    I ordered my team to return to the village. I put Wisp and Gaia in their care in case anything happens. Despite them wanting to voice their opinion, they held it back as it''s obvious in their faces.

    I walked up to the exhausted king, "Hey." Despite us barely standing up, there''s still a lot left to talk about.

    "I know." The king then nodded in agreement.

    I grabbed his shoulder and activated Teleport and in an instant, we were at his chambers at his castle. We both sat down at the couch facing each other.

    "Care to explain?"

    "Yes." He was about to question me about the Teleport spell but he held it back. "Our original plan was... seized by Polk to say."

    "I don''t understand."

    "Our main goal was to take apart Cagyer from the inside by leaking the documents you were gathering to the public. You know those documents by memory right?"

    He''s right. Thousands of those documents were just corrupt and very unjust. Discrimination were happening, killing random people, planned assassinations, accidents that could''ve been avoided if their high ranking officials paid more attention and so much more shady things that were happening in the kingdom of Cagyer that involves mind control and torture. It''s all disgusting and I remember it completely. The pictures, the bodies and all the other things that were found.

    A very powerful government hiding this will always keep their respect and their status in the nobility but if these got released... It''s just chaos and rebellion that''s going to happen.

    "And I''m guessing if the rebellion in Cagyer happens you''re going to take the civilians'' side?"

    "Yes. It''ll be easier to declare war with Cagyer that way and we''re under the radar if we do that. Less attention to the neighboring kindoms. But what we didn''t expect is that every document that you gave me were all leaked in just one to two days everytime you gave me the files. And the ones that weren''t leaked were the ones you gave me in the battlefield since it''s passed on by memory and not on papers."

    "I still don''t understand. What''s it got to do with Polk?"

    "We''ve got 10 traitors in our kingdom."

    "What happened to them?"

    "Hanged." The king''s eyes turned blank. "In front of Polk''s gate."

    "Isn''t it better if you just killed them there and there? You just provoked them even more."

    "Yes, that may be true. We delayed their document gathering for about three weeks but we didn''t held it on for too long. They instantly discovered the forgery of the documents by the handwriting. But they couldn''t do anything. If they sent us a warning then... that just exposes that they''re spying on their own allied kingdom."

    "And that''s where the players suddenly appeared."

    "I haven''t seen any player other than you and your floating arrow on your head but I definitely got reports of high leveled people that appeared out of nowhere. Strong enough to eliminate level 30 to 40 creatures. And they were all moving large packs and killing every monster they saw. I''m just guessing here but I think this is what happened, Polk got ahold of this information and used that as a leverage to create a relationship with them. Polk doesn''t have that much high leveled adventurers. Maximum adventurers they had was about level 50 and one level 90. They achieved those level count in a matter of months when you all came here. The EXP boost we''re all benifiting for applies to normal world creatures to. Also known as... Us. And you all are players also known as otherworlders."

    "So they betrayed Cagyer to take hold of their massive army and then overwhelm your kingdom and the others?"

    "That''s basically it. We never got ahold of the king of Cagyer for months. So I assumed someone replaced him but there was no reports or anything."

    "Then?"

    "Then when Polk heard the burning kingdom of Cagyer, they launched their weaponry at us. About... 30% of our kingdom was destroyed in a single blast. And that''s where the war started."

    "Wait, a single blast?!"

    "There was a very powerful mage in their care but we couldn''t find him or her after he or she blasted a hole in our kingdom. He literally called upon a meteor that fell on our kingdom and left. I saw that person with the king of Polk after the skill that person casted then he gave him or her something. We''re still questioning the king of Polk about this item he gave. That monster roaming around the world is a heavy threat."

    "That''s true." I couldn''t even beat Hera on my own. I had to use every skill I had to boost my own strength and I even nearly died. Val''s Soul Blast nearly killed me unless I activated Last Stand and same with Hera and his newly created skill mixing light and dark together. I won by luck and the by using the armor that''s desperately devouring me. "So, what''s the reward this time?"

    "Reward?" The king looked at me confused.

    "Hey, hey, HEY! Don''t tell me won''t get anything! We wasted two months there! I couldn''t hunt any player or level up or get any equipment!"

    "Haha! Calm down, it was just a playful joke."

    "Yeah, a joke that nearly gave me a damn heart attack."

    "Do you have the leadership to lead your own people Zieglind Reysh?"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Yes. Or. No?" The king''s eyes glowed in seriousness.

    "Yes. I can definitely do it."

    "Then that settles it." The king stood up and called in two people. "My secretary and my second in command, spread my word to the far ends of Pandir." Everyone gulped down their ''dry saliva'' awaiting his next words.

    "As king of Itz and the winner of the war between Cagyer and Polk, I shall give the kingdom of Polk to Zieglind Reysh, The Player!"

 Chapter 71: Crimson Order

    "Wait, wait, wait. That''s the reward?" I stood up out of shock and began sweating nervously.

    "Yes, is something the matter?"

    "N-" I held back the largest smile that I could form in front of them. "NO! No, there isn''t!"

    "I see then you may ta-"

    "See you king!" I then activated lightning body and got out of the castle instantly.

    I rushed back to the village and announced the news.

    "Is this real?!" Rize asked.

    "Yes, it is!"

    "Whoooo!" Everyone cheered at the news. We were like little kids that just opened a present. Our excitement couldn''t be contained since our objective was this since from the beginning. We partied all day and Ortov cooked us a lot of food.

    As the night fell, the women and children came back to the village. I forgot to retrieve them from Itz but they were accompanied by some knights. They were pretty angry but when I announced the news they were so happy and celebrated with us.

    It all lasted until the night and we all fell asleep outside while we laid on the grass.

    "It''s... Starting huh. The changing phase of this world."

    Next day, we were all up very early. Changes needed to happen very fast. I ordered Ortov to stay here and make something for me. I ordered Grien to eradicate every camp they could find in the forest and capture every builders they could find and any rare goblins. I let the women and children stay here for the time being and all of us Reysh and Afal but I left Yefa behind. We went to Polk to announce the change.

    We went there and the drawbridge gate opened and all the people were lined up. Knights in the front and the civilians in the back. From children to adults, everyone was there, focused on the new government that will be formed in their kingdom.

    While we were... Welcomed? No it''s not. We were still strangers to them but they know the king of Itz as he was walking down the parade with us. All the people looked depressed and had blank eyes as they throw a bouquet of flowers every 10 meters we walked.

    We finally got to the castle and all the people were standing outside. We walked to the very to of the castle and went on the balcony. The king of Itz stood forward first and announced his thoughts on the matter.

    "Citizens of Polk, I''m Mir Itz II, the current king of Itz. I know that in the past few months, we''ve offended you all in a way that''s unacceptable. Such as the killings of the people that were hanged at the front of your kingdom."

    Every nodded in agreement but no one dared to say anything.

    "We did this because of the current situation that''s happening in the realm of Pandir. Your new king, Zieglind Reysh will explain everything."

    "Wait me?" I asked the king in a silent voice that no one would hear but us.

    The king just pushed me to the front of the balcony and basically forced me to talk.

    This''ll be fine... Just like speaking to my boss... Be cool... I prepared myself and eliminated all public speaking phobia thoughts out of my head.

    "Ahem. I''m Zieglind Reysh. You may or may not believe me but I''m not from this world."

    A large burst of murmur was heard throughout.

    I tried to assert dominance by pointing my hand in an open palm on then and they all went silent in a second.

    "..." I took a second to look around at everyone. "I know that you all must be scared or confused on what''s happening. I am too and so does everyone. It is a normal reaction on what I''m about to say. A World War is coming."

    "What?! Impossible! We lived peacefully all our lives!" Thousands of disagreements and questions were thrown at me. And I then silenced them all again.

    "A couple of hundred of years ago, the rise of players, like me, instigated the rise of the world war. This arrow on my head is a proof of that."

    "Then how can you prove that you''re a player yourself!" One of the citizens asked in the crowd.

    "System, status. Share it to everyone." The user interface of my status enlarged and enough for everyone to see.

    "Level... 154?!" A loud gasp of breath was heard and a lot of murmurs too.

    "To be a great leader, there must be transparency in his or her people. And I''m here to prove that. These are the documents that Polk and Cagyer were hiding from you." I snatched the documents from the king of Itz''s assistant and threw it into the crowd.

    "What are yo-?!" The assistant was stopped by the king.

    "It''s fine."

    "Yes..." They both backed off and let me continue my speech.

    "These... Are the things hidden from you. Thousands of documents as proof of corruption, accidents that were done by the higher ups and so much more."

    "My son!! That''s why my daughter was taken away! My father was involved in this?" Tears fell down from all of their eyes as they held the documents that were hidden from them and just saw how their loved ones was taken away and have been unjustly punished.

    "I aim to create a new government to stand up against all people whose goals are evil and manipulative. I''m no hero but I''m a king. A king that''ll live up to all of your expectations."

    Everyone wiped their tears off of their face and began shouting in unison, "Hail King Zieglind!" Everyone cheered and clapped.

    "Zieglind!" I heard Yefa''s voice below us.

    "Is it here?" I asked.

    "Yes! I''ll go there now. Blink!" Yefa then handed me the item Ortov was making.

    "Everyone! Look at me! We will make history! Fire Totem, burn all the flags!"

    The flames went up and melted the largest flag above us. I jumped to the very top and grabbed the burnt flag and throw it elsewhere.

    "This... Is... OUR OWN KINGDOM!" I planted the item Ortov gave me. It was none other than a flag.

    The flag was colored as a crimson red mixed in with black. The two hands had an arrowhead resting on top of it. That arrows was indeed, the only noticeable things players have.

    "We will be called, Crimson Order! We are all the same, players or not, we all bleed the same color! We are one together. In war, happiness and in times of sadness, I''ll be with you both as a king and both as a living being same as you!"

    Everyone cheered and began chanting the new government that was formed. The Crimson Order''s first kingdom captured, Polk.

 Chapter 72: Crimson Knights

    "Hehe... Hehehe..." I was like a little girl giggling while sitting on the throne.

    "Umm... My King, are you okay?" Precia asked as she was lined up to the side with Afal, Greta, Zeta, Rize and Yefa.

    "Huh? Ah yes. Wait, stop calling me my king that sounds so weird. Anyway, what are you all doing lining up like that? Take a seat or something." Well... As if there''s any in this empty throne room.

    "This is a normal procedure when we''re near the king."

    "Please stop calling me king and treat me like before..."

    "Yes..." They slouched down and got more comfortable but they still stood by my side as if a royal procession.

    "Anyway, let''s go to the strategic room." I left the throne room and we entered the strategic room.

    It was a large room with a round table in the middle surrounded by chairs. It was filled with four main devices.

    First, the one side of the wall was covered with a large world map. I''m actually not satisfied by this. It only shows the kingdoms but not the information about it. It''s practically useless in a way.

    Second, the transparent magical mirror, this can be used as a broadcasting device. A holographic version of myself will be shown if I use it. But I can also use it to view the kingdom and use it to scout the whole kingdom in a bird''s eye view without showing myself. I can''t see the insides but I can zoom in. I can''t hear what is going on in the place this mirror is showing but there''s three disposable scrolls that they gave me.

    It was three same copies of an upgrade for the mirror, Hear no Evil, I''m able to hear the things that''s shown in the mirror for a couple of minutes.

    Third device, 3D Pen, no like... Literally. Its a 3D pen. I can draw even on air and the thing I drew won''t fall but it won''t make a physical copy of it. Just good for briefing and planning when using the map.

    And finally, the table. The table had a small version of the map in the middle and at the middle of the table, there''s a lot of stones that I don''t know inside. Like... A lot. Apparently, this is our treasury. It ranges from purple to red to different stones. This is used since our money couldn''t handle the banks and we don''t have a secure place to hide it. The only way to open this box is by sending mana into the box. They can be destroyed but none has ever done that as people told me.

    "Everyone sit down." Everyone took their chairs and sat down while I walked in front of the giant map behind me.

    "Ahem, as you know, we''ve finally gotten the first of our many goals. To ensure security and I have my absolute trust in you, I''ll be giving you a special position. Come, Bloodlust." The weapon spawned in front of me.

    "Uhh... Let''s do this how I met you all in order. Rize, kneel."

    "Eh..? I didn''t know you were into that." Rize disgustingly looked at me.

    "Agreed. I can''t believe it." Zeta said jokingly.

    Afal, Yefa, Precia and Greta all nodded in agreement.

    "Huh...? Wait no, not that! Just... do it!"

    "Yes, yes." Rize kneeled in front of me.

    "As King of Polk and the leader of the Crimson Order, I grant you a title of nobility, the highest among the title of a warrior, the elite force of the Crimson Order, you shall be... A Crimson Knight." I said this as I tapped her shoulders left and right as a sign of respect and giving knighthood to Rize. An accolade ceremony to be exact.

    "Thank you very much." Rize stood up and hugged me.

    I did the same with the others. They were all the elite force and part of my family, the Crimson Knights.

    "Just a couple months ago, you were all just a mere goblin, a slave and an artifact protector. I may be your master and your current king but I do know myself that... I won''t be here without you all."

    Rize then waved her head like she''s disagreeing, "Mhm, no, you also helped us be in this situation."

    "It''s the same for us." Yefa spoke.

    Precia then said, "I agree. You gave us light when we were in our darkest."

    "You gave me a reason to live and to protect." Zeta said as he looked at Greta.

    "You proved to me that despite being a beastwoman, we can still be on psr eith higher beings." Greta voiced her opinion.

    "You set me free of the curse I was born from and made a promise to me that you continue to pursue." Afal spoke even though I didn''t expect him to.

    "Thank you everyone, and for the final trial of being a Crimson Knight... I don''t know if you can overcome this. I''m hesitating if I should do it."

    They all placed their hands on my shoulder. "We can, we just need to believe in you and... I''m speaking for everyone here but we do believe in you." Precia stated.

    "I see. Keep in contact with me, don''t take your hands off. In a couple of seconds... I''m going to give you all the first and final trial of being a Crimson Knight." I then focused on my inner mind and find the skill I was looking for. "Telepathy, pass the skill... GAZER FORM!"

    "ARGHHHHH!" Everyone shouted in pain and they all took their hands away from me and grabbed their head.

    They need this. This might be a cruel way of ''powering them up'' but they know themselves that strong people will be coming for us and for our kingdom. They''ve lost a lot of battles when I''m not there. They need protection even when I''m gone.

    After a couple of minutes, their screaming stopped. They all passed out.

 Chapter 73: Caesar Griffin

    I let them all rest in the strategic room. I just left them all there. I know it''s working since the armor is slowly forming on their bodies and I could still hear them breath.

    I went to my office, the throne room was just for show and for formal events, the office is different.

    "Welcome, my King." Caesar Griffin, my secretary and accountant and basically everything that''ll support me as a king.

    "Thank you Caesar." I then sat down on the chair and organized the documents before me. "Can you give me a report on the things that I asked you?"

    "Yes. Our population is about 40,000. This is just our estimate. The population is a 40% male and 50% female and the other 10% are from different species that do not have a gender." Caesar then gave me the document he was holding.

    "Our current troops are an exact amount of 12,462. We have 6,931 swordsman, both sword and shield and sword only users, 231 support mages, focuses on healing, crowd controls and giving boosts to our allies, 1,642 offense mages, focuses on offensive spells, 1,462 archers and crossbow users, 1,567 gunmen, 436 juggernauts and 193 flying units"

    "Only 436 juggernauts?"

    "Yes."

    "It isn''t even enough to go into war." Juggernauts are basically tanks and the core of an army. "Most of them were lost in the war in Itz?"

    "Yes, we lost 7,463 juggernauts in the war between Itz. Do you want me to report the losses too?"

    "No, don''t. Continue the report."

    "Our circle of government are all dead. It''s just you and me."

    "Hmm... I''ll assign Afal to the military as the Warlord... And that''s it for now."

    "I''ll assign him later. Anyway, can I continue the report?"

    "Yes, yes. My apologies."

    "Our current treasury status in gold are about 14,682. I added your current gold in the treasury. The hidden stones and gems in the strategic room are more than that. The Zry Stone costs 10,000 gold and we have 32 of those, Bram Stones costs 1,000 gold each and we have 76 pieces of it and our most expensive stone, Xia Diamond costs 80,000 gold and we have 29 of those."

    "Why do we have these stones exactly?"

    "We can''t protect gold that much. Gold takes up too much space but if we compact the gold into something smaller but has the same value, it can be easily contained. The 14,682 gold in the bank that''s open to the public are a decoy so to speak and an easier way to withdraw money. We convert the stones into gold by selling it to other kingdoms. Converting them is easy since every kingdom will do everything to keep their treasury hidden."

    "I see. Continue."

    "The adventurer guilds will have their budgets increased by 300%."

    "Wait, wait, wait, what?"

    "Yes, it''s an unavoidable problem. The spawn rate of monsters these past few months have been five times compared to last year. Their levels are almost doubled by last year too. Deaths have been increasing but the levels of the adventurers have been increasing and so are the monsters."

    "Try to add 200% up in budget first. We''re out of funds since most of our gold are going to the restoration and paying for everything."

    "I''ll do that. Continuing, we''ll up the minimum wage for laborers from 50 silvers a day to 3 gold a day. The spawnrate of monsters are at an alarming rate and the walls of our kingdom doesn''t cover the farmlands."

    "What''s our tax?"

    "We gather taxes 50 gold per household. If we have an exact 40,000 population and if 3 people were in one household, in theory, we will get about 600,000 gold per tax period every three months."

    "Wow, that''s a lot."

    "But, we expect that to be gone in a matter of days. Keeping up with the payments of our kingdom and the debts we owed to others, we''ll have to manage with what we can get."

    "600 thousand... Gone in a matter of days..."

    "We have gained 57,720 gold this month from getting the taxes from the people."

    "57,720? What? Don''t we have 40,000 in population? That''s weirdly very low."

    "The rest of the remaining taxes we got were divided into three different things. The restoration of the city, payment for the soldiers and laborers and finally, it''ll be converted to our treasury."

    "I don''t understand why we lost a lot of gold in just all of that. How much does a normal house cost?"

    "50,000 gold."

    "Why is it so expensive?"

    "After the great war years ago, everything was burned to ashes and have been destroyed. The gods descended from above and blessed this world with new minerals. Years after that, these minerals were discovered and the leaders of every kingdom changed how they built their kingdom. That''s the tale... But seeing how you''re a level 154 and a player, I believe that the great war really happened. Everything you see here in this kingdom is protected by minerals mined by our miners. It can take up blows from level 20 to level 30 and high level spells. This castle is worth around 900,000 gold. Not including anything here, just the construction of it. It''s the most powerful stone we could find and we covered the castle with it."

    "Our defenses, how is it?"

    "I''m afraid to say but we have very little defense. We have 30 arbalests in the top of the walls and that''s it."

    "What are the defenses we can build?"

    "Arbalests, Cannons, Anti-Air Arrows, Watchtower and Mortars."

    "Focus on defenses. Prioritize making mortars and cannons, put up at least two watchtowers in each entrance and exit on our back gate and front gate."

    "My estimate on the cost will be about 25,000 and getting soldiers to use it will be about 5,000."

    "That''ll do. I''ll be leaving for now."

    "Ah, my King, I forgot to give you this." Caesar then hands me clothes.

    "What''s this?"

    "Robes of the king and the crown. People need to know that you''re leaving."

    "I''ll be quick. I''ll wear that next time."

    "I see. Well then, may I ask where you''re going?"

    "I''m going back to the village. I won''t be long. I need to talk to Ortov." I then stood up and got ready, "Teleport!"

 Chapter 74: Moving Forward

    I appeared right in the middle of the village.

    "My king, welcome." Ortov kneeled as if he was expecting my visit.

    "Ortov, how''s the village going?"

    "We are currently doing the project you assigned to us."

    "Good, good. Where''s Grien?"

    "I''m here!" Grien shouted while he was dragging some goblins.

    "This is great. How many did you get?"

    "About 43 goblin builders. I''m not to bother you my king but hunting has been difficult so I also gathered some normal goblins. About 202 of them."

    Grien has gotten insanely stronger. He can take the encampments all by himself. "I don''t mind. Take me where you put them all."

    We walked to the newly built shed and there''s already a lot of livestocks like pigs and chicken and a lot of farm stuff.

    "Here they are."

    I then used enslavement on all of them. I divided the normal goblins to Grien and Ortov''s group respectively. Now the construction of this village will increase.

    After all that, I went and asked Ortov something. "Ortov, do you know the material that''s used for building."

    "Yes, wood, sto-"

    "No, not that. The expensive material to make the structure more durable."

    "Ah, you must be talking about Greah Stone. It costs 50 gold for each Greah Stone and it can cover..." Ortov picked up the trunk of a tree. "At least this."

    "That''s relatively cheap."

    "We have to layer it about four more times."

    "200 gold per piece of wood?" I can see why it''s expensive.

    "Okay, I want the walls of this village completely done after half a month or so. I''ll be sending you money to buy Greah Stones and to keep the farm and livestocks here healthy."

    "It will be done."

    I then walked around the whole village dispelling all the totems and I replaced them with another.

    I placed four healing totems, one in the middle and every corner of the village. This totems were accompanied with fire and lightning totems. I focused my mana into the totems and it all leveled up to the third tier.

    After a while, I went to the house of the women and children. As I was about to walk into the house, I heard they were all talking so I decided to eavesdrop.

    "What''s going to happen to us?" Parla spoke.

    Ziley answered her question. "Maybe it''s the end. I mean, we were rescued from the goblin camp. Asking for more is just pushing it."

    Jari then agreed with her, "It''s better than being stuck in the encampment. He''s a king now and leads a larger population. Far larger number than us and the kids."

    "I don''t want to leave here." Ava reluctantly denied their statements.

    "I too don''t want to leave but... He has bigger problems than us." Harper emphatized with her.

    "He gave us everything you know?!" Ava counteracted.

    "That''s why we need to let him be. He gave us everything. We can''t ask for more." Amelia then spoke out of turn.

    "He gave us shelter, clothes, a new life and someone to love and to care." Ilia said.

    I then walked in the house as if I don''t know anything. They all went silent.

    "What''s... Going to happen to us?" Ava asked.

    "Damn it Ava, I told you to not bring him up while he''s not here!" Pam spoke out of nowhere. "Don''t mind it Zi-"

    "No, it''s fine. I actually came here about that." I need to think of something quick... Hmm...

    "What do you mean?" Mena asked.

    "About us and what''s going to happen after all of this." Quick think of something...

    "It''s fine Zieglind. We''re going to be fine." Jari spoke.

    That''s it! "I don''t want things to end this way. We''ve spent a lot of time and you''re all basically a family to me. I may not be able to give you a noble life in my kingdom but I can give you an option. The highest possible option I can give to all of you is to become maids at the castle in Polk or I can give you money and let you live wherever you want. I''ll take the kids with me. They can''t live out there while they''re still branded as slaves and are still kids."

    "You''re cruel you know Zieglind." They spoke one by one. "I know right?" "He truly is." "I can''t believe that he gave us a choice like that." "Mhm, agreed."

    "The second option then. Inventory." As soon as I was about to grab the pocket of gold in my inventory they all spoke.

    "You know Zieglind the more we get attached to you the more we don''t want to go right?" "You gave us everything so it''s just right to serve you with everything we have." "I think I''m speaking for everyone when I say we want to stay with you." "No matter what it is, we just want to stay by your side and that''s enough." "You gave us our lives back and made it better by blessing us with these adopted children of yours." Then, they all spoke together. "Thank you Zieglind."

    "Thank you too everyone. If you were not here, I wouldn''t reach this goal. Let''s go? To our new home."

    We then awaken the children up and all held hands. "Mass Teleport!"

    I wish this moment would last forever.

    "Uh... My King, those women and children...?"

    "Caesar, send some funds to my village. There''s a goblin there named Grien or Ortov, give it to them and only them."

    "Yes..."

    "Also, these women elves will be part of the castle. Appoint them as the maids. And for the children, I''m going to decide later. Give them a suitable place to sleep."

    "Yes, will do! I''ll appoint them as maids. Ladies, follow me."

    They all followed Caesar.

    I went back to the strategic room and checked on them. The armor is nearly completed and they''ll be awake... I think.

    It''s already night but they''re still unconscious. "As for the time being, claim all rewards."

 Chapter 75: The One Who Governs Death

    "System, claim the rewards."

    [Skill Devourer upgrade, Scroll Devourer, able to get skills from a scroll by lighting it on fire.]

    [Gained skill, Blood Reconstruction, change the properties of blood to fit your blood type.]

    [Gained skill, Blood Absorption, heal yourself by absorbing nearby blood.]

    [Gained skill, Poison Immunity, become immune to poison. Toxic isn''t included. If you are to consume or to get poison by any means, the poison will glow.]

    [Gained skill, Fire Resistance, has a 50% damage reduction on fire when 80% of your body is covered in flames.]

    [Dragonic Arms changed to Dragonic Claws, the dragonic armor will now reach from shoulders to hands. A sharp claw is at the top of fist."]

    [Gained skill, Cooldown Reset, resets all cooldown but after casting your skills, their cooldown will be increased by 70%.]

    [Gained skill, Battle Sense, increase your five senses and your natural instincts and reflexes.]

    [Gained skill, Air Compressed Shot, shoots a homing bullet that''s nearly invisible and had a great knockback.]

    [Element Master, if you hold 5 or more elements, this skill will activate. This skill can: }�?��?||��?~??0;��??�?~>?�ޡ�/(����������������BA]

    [Gained skill, Weapon Master, able to wield any weapon with ease. Their weight and techniques will be depending on how your technique should be.]

    "I''ll take the others next time."

    [14 rewards left.]

    "Hrng..." They grunt as they regained their conscience.

    It seems they''re waking up.

    "That was rough." Zeta said as he held his head.

    "What''s... Going on?" I asked as I saw the Gazer armor formed on their bodies turned into different color. "Everyone, pull out your weapons." Everyone spawned in their weapons but something was wrong. "Why do you all have different weapons?"

    Afal had a Saber, Greta had Claws, Precia had a sword and shield, Rize had a bow, Zeta had a mage staff, Yefa had Brawler Gauntlets.

    "Gazer form!" I transformed into my own version of Gazer and then spawned in my weapon. "It''s... A scythe. The skill specifically listed that it''s a scythe? And why are your armors colored red? Precia, show me the skill description."

    "Yes. Skill Decription, enlarge, show it to Zieglind."

    "This is..."

    [Gazer Form, creates an armor made from the followers of the True Death Reaper. Has 3 sub-skills.

    |Reaper''s Accomplice, Valkyrie|

    Can summon a sword and shield that was originally from the Death Reaper''s Valkyrie.

    |Valkyrian Smite|

    Deal 20% more damage. Every 1 minute, you''ll be immune to one attack and the attacker will be damaged 80% of the attack they''ve dealt.

    |Resilience of the Valkyrie|

    Upon armor''s destruction, spawn in a new one that will adopt to the battle.

    While in Gazer form, you can fly.]

    I was questioning myself on why the skill description and the effects changed. This never happened before. "This is different... Everyone, tell me what you saw when you were all unconscious."

    "We were all basically together when we were unconscious. We saw the same things." Afal said.

    Yefa agreed with him. "Mhm. We were watching a couple of people looking for someone. We couldn''t touch them or talk to them. As if we were just spectating."

    Greta then continued, "And they were looking for someone. Their leader so to speak."

    "And after they met up with him, a bright light shone upon us." Zeta said. "And then we were brought to an unknown room. Everytime we touched the weapons, a small shock of electricity ran through our whole body. It was a very small shock but it felt so painful. I don''t know if the shock was painful because of our physical body or if the shock was attacking our soul. But when I picked up this staff, it gave me a lot of new skills and I could feel myself growing stronger."

    Precia agreed with him, "I can vouch for that. And after we picked up the weapons that we can, a loud voice was heard ringing. ''FIND THE REAPER!'' It just repeated and repeated until we woke up. But I definitely felt stronger. I think we also leveled up quite a few levels. Let me check. Status." Precia''s eyes grew wider. "Everyone... Look at your status..."

    Everyone then opened their status and their eyes widened.

    "What''s going on?" I asked.

    They all looked at each other and showed me their status.

    "No way... You''re all level 100? And what''s this next to your name?"

    Afal the Deathdancer

    Greta the Soul Hungry Beast

    Yefa the Devastator

    Rize the Heartpiercer

    Precia the Demon Valkyrie

    Zeta the Dark Mage

    And beside their names lies the title...

    ?Death Reaper''s Accomplice?

    And then, a screen popped up infront of me.

    [Gained skill, The One Who Governs Death, if all of the Death Reaper''s accomplice is near you, you''ll gain these bonus passive buffs.

    |Soul Harvest|

    Gains 30% of the dead''s maximum health as your own. This skill covers 30 meters range in a circular area and absorbs everything.

    |Death is a Blessing|

    Gain temporary status boost when absorbing souls. Gains 20% of their status for 1 minute. Add one more minute for the whole stack of status buff when absorbing souls.

    |One With His People|

    When you''re near with one Death Reaper''s Accomplice, about 100 meters, you''ll gain a 50% strength boost. This passive stacks. Clones do not stack, only their main bodies.

    The One Who Governs Death is a skill that will deactivate if you leave your accomplices'' side.]

    "I have so many questions..." I sat down on the chair while contemplating on what''s happening.

    "Now that I think about it, you kinda look like the person we saw when we were unconscious. But what we saw was a female in the same armor as you." Zeta said.

    "Yeah I agree." As soon as Yefa said that, they all looked at me.

    "Val."

    "Who? They all asked."

    "Val may just be still alive. I never experienced the things you said." My domain cannot be escaped unless I win or they win. But it doesn''t say anything about being resurrected. "What you saw are the accomplices'' goal. Death Reaper and Death Reaper''s Accomplice is just a title not a being. So maybe in the future, we''ll meet the original ones."

 Chapter 76: Experimenting

    I was resting in my office then a system popped up in front of me.

    [A player has reached Level 400.

    +100% EXP will be given to everyone.]

    Damn. I need to act fast. They''re racking up levels in an insane rate. I need to gather more soldiers.

    "My king..." Caesar was with me in the room while I was doing the paperwork.

    "Yeah I know... This is bad. Caesar, what do you think of our military status?"

    "If I may be to speak frankly my king, we''re just like cavemen in my opinion."

    "Oh, how is that?"

    "We have a lot of ground units but we don''t have that much juggernauts that can tank damage. I observed the battle before and saw the two gigantic beast you control. Those two aren''t enough."

    "Afal and Gaia? Continue."

    "Despite our moderately strong ground units, wars aren''t that simple. To win a war you must accomplish two things. Kill the leader and gain aerial supremacy. You know yourself that our winged units are useless since their numbers are in the twos or threes."

    "I can agree with that. If we get aerial supremacy the war is basically over. We can drop hoards of spells from mages or drop units to flank and seal their escape route."

    "That is the case."

    "Okay, cancel the recruitment for soldiers. Focus our funds on buying flying mounts and mages that can handle an aerial battle."

    "I''ll do that immediately." Caesar then left the room.

    Finally a break. Being a king is hard in its own way. I changed back to my casual clothes and left the crown and robes on the table in my office. I called the Crimson Knights to test out their newly acquired powers. I then used Mass Teleport to get to the newly discovered Artifact Dungeon.

    This dungeon was discovered by Lam. Apparently when I was gone, Afal taught Lam the shapeshift cursed art. Lam wouldn''t normally be allowed to enter Itz but to get information, he needed to. Now he''s scavenging different kingdoms searching for information. Lam travels alone so I''m pretty worried but no one really suspects of him.

    "We''re here. What''s the level of this dungeon again?" I asked.

    "About Level 80?" Afal then went inside.

    We all went in after him. I don''t really plan to intervene but if things went south, I''ll fight with them.

    We went deeper and deeper but saw nothing and sensed nothing.

    "Afal, has Lam said anything about Artifact Dungeons? I might solo some."

    "Artifact Dungeons are rising in levels way too much. Far from here, an adventurer measured an artifact dungeon and according to him, it was listed as a level 140 dungeon."

    "I can solo that... Maybe... Anyway, what was the highest recorded dungeon?"

    "It''s doesn''t look like a dungeon but we classify it as a dungeon."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Tartarus."

    When Afal said that word, everyone stopped in their tracks and everyone felt chills except for me. I don''t even know what that is.

    "What''s Tartarus?"

    "The most difficult dungeon ever surfaced. No one has gotten past the first floor."

    "Floor?"

    "Tartarus is composed of two dungeons merged into one. Tartarus has two paths. One is the Tower. The tower reached until it surpassed the clouds. Everyone tried bombarding the tower with spells but to no avail, they don''t even leave a scratch."

    "And the other one?"

    "Some others call it The True Tartarus. The other path is below the Tower. The previous adventurer that entered the bottom of the tower in Tartarus described it as an endless maze while the burning flames scorched the whole place. It''s as if the bottom of the Tartarus was a living hell itself."

    "What''s the recorded level for it?"

    "Level 10000."

    "Huh?" Wait, wait wait. I might''ve heard that wrong. Better to ask again. "I''m sorry what?"

    "Level 10000."

    "Ten thousand? T-E-N T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D is that it?"

    "Yes."

    "How the hell something like that appeared when people of this world barely reach level 50 before the players got here?"

    "Tartarus is j-" As soon as Afal was about to talk, a large amount of killing intent was felt. "They''re here."

    "We''re at an advantageous situation. We''re at a huge room with a huge space."

    "And a huge enemy at that." Rize then pointed at the enemy that just appeared.

    A giant hulking dog? No... More like a giant golem walking on four legs. He''s covered in moss and his whole body is a combination of diamond and stone.

    "Sorry everyone, I have to let Gaia fight. He''s stuck on level 35. Come, Gaia!" I pulled Gaia out of my inventory and faced the giant golem.

    "UGUAHHHH!" Both of them roared at each other.

    "Gazer Form!" Afal transformed to his form. The main color, red and the outlined part, the black, really suits him. "Come, Deathdance!" A rapier appeared on his hand and he took ochs stance. Essentially assumed by drawing the weapon up to his shoulders.

    Everyone then followed his lead.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Soul Rend!" Greta''s claws came out and attached to her hand. "BEAST FORM!" Greta''s armor changed and adapted to her new beast form and her claws enlarged to fit her new hands.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Pugilist Gauntlets!" Yefa''s gauntlets appeared and it appears to be twice her size but she can control it with ease. Yefa then focused her mind and her gauntlets became smaller and smaller until it reached her desired size.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Heartpiercer!" Rize''s weapon appeared but before it appeared, it continuously changed to bow, crossbow, darts, musket, pistol and a slingshot. "Uh... How''s this supposed to work? Uhm... Bow?" The weapon formed into a bow and the quiver filled with magic induced arrows appeared on her back.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!" Precia''s longsword emitted a dark aura and her dominion shield had a mysterious power around it.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Corpse Defiler!" Zeta''s staff was... Different. A closed eye rested on top and a pair of wings attached to it. And its overall design was horrific and creepy.

 Chapter 77: Breakthrough

    "I''ll be chilling here. Gazer Form!" I then flew to the top of the room to observe.

    "Oh damn." Zeta''s shock was understandable. When the giant golem entered, all the statues started moving. "Uhm... How many statues did we just passed by?"

    After he said that, the ground rumbled. Tens... Hundreds... Maybe a thousand footsoldier golems were heard marching from both sides. This room was a perfect area for that. This room extends to a kilometer but the pathway to get here was 4 meter wide and 10 meter tall. For all of them to assemble here that would take at least 10-20 minutes to assemble if their numbers are in thousands. This is a good practice for understanding the situation.

    "We''re being flanked on all sides..." Afal readied his weapon as all of their backs were next to each other.

    "UGUAHHH!" Gaia interlocked both of his hands and smashed the giant golem. They both exchanged heavy blows that were slow but very damaging as their attacks took a chunk of their body.

    "We can''t let a familiar get the best of us right?" Yefa then punched both of her fist to each other signalling the start of the battle. "Blink." Yefa instantly appeared on one of the golem and placed her open palm on their chest. "Hmph!" Yefa took a stance and just by slightly pushing her hand, the golem exploded in pieces.

    That was... "Yefa, was that Fajin?" I asked.

    "Yes! How do you know that? I got this from leveling up a bunch and the rewards with it and its power were increased by the gazer armor."

    "Ah... I see. Continue. I''ll just observe here."

    Everyone followed Yefa''s lead and began attacking in unison.

    Greta was like an enraged beast but a strong beast that can compose herself. Her explosive speed by jumping to the ground and attacking while passing by was amazing. She jumps from the floor to uppercut her claws to her enemy while using the momentum of it to bounce from the top of the room back down to double the damage and make her claws more explosive in damage. "{Karmic Pain} Pa Ma Na Da Ba!" The golems that were wounded by her attacks exploded.

    I couldn''t help but feel amazed by how they''ve become. Greta even managed to use Karmic Pain.

    Rize was just badass. I couldn''t believe you can be that awesome using a range weapon. Rize continously changes from weapon to weapon. She use her arrows to lure her enemies into believing her attacks were weak. Arrows are useless againsts golems since they''ll still be standing up unless you completely destroy them.

    Rize changed her weapon to twin pistols then ran sideways while attacking. Her firepower was so explosive that each time her bullets connect it explodes on contact. Rize stopped her tracks and began chanting a spell. "BULLET HELL!" Rize then shot one bullet. When the bullet reached the golem, it exploded into a circle and then new bullets appeared and looked for its prey and then exploded to a circle and new bullets appeared again until it exploded for 10 times.

    "Jeez... That ability is insane..." I murmured while I was observing the battle.

    "Zieglind, do you see the yellow thing from the golems?"

    "Huh? What are you talking about?"

    "Well, when I squint my eyes, I could see a floating yellow object in their head. Let me demonstrate. Change, bow!" Rize then drew her bow back and released it. The bow pierced from the golem''s head to the other side. And when I thought that bow and arrow doesn''t work on golems... She just killed a golem in one hit.

    "Hmm... Afal, can you test my theory? Try to kill two golems. One from a blow to the head and then the other one attack their body."

    "Will do." Afal took the ''ochs'' stance. He stepped back for a few meters and then, something unbelievable happened. I couldn''t even see Afal cast any spell or even move but the golem infront of him suddenly exploded but Afal didn''t move from where he was and was still taking the ochs stance.

    "Eh?" We all looked at him in amazement. No one knew what happened.

    "That''s the killing from the golem from the head done. Nex-"

    "Wait Afal, what the hell just happened?"

    "I used a skill, The Unstable Vibration."

    I didn''t notice it at first but Afal''s right hand is vibrating like crazy but his movement doesn''t make sense.

    "Wait Afal, do that again. I want to see your speed in action." I descended back to the ground. "Lightning Body! Afal, attack some golems." I just need to match his speed or surpass that to see what he was doing. I began running in circles. I was running at half the speed of sound but I feel like I can go even faster. Maybe it''s because of the new skill I got that increased my senses. I began to try to run for more speed and literally, I began to become even faster. I think I can use about 60% of the speed of sound itself. "Woah..."

    I looked at Afal and it seems like he was about to do his move again.

    Afal took a step forward and let his vibrating right hand to run amok. "WHAT?!" I was just shocked. I could barely see Afal''s sword but the golem''s body was being pierced by multiple thrusts and being sliced by his rapier, Deathdance. He''s using the insane vibration on his arm to attack at insanely fast speeds but Afal can control the direction of the sword and make it into a pure speed, pure power attack that renders their movements useless because on what I can barely see, he''s attacking on vital points. The shoulder, joints and throat.

    I stopped at my tracks satisfied on what I just saw.

    "Umm, Zieglind..." Rize tapped me on my shoulder. "You just created a tornado."

    "Ah damn." I just need to run to the opposite direction to cancel the tornado but it seems Zeta has another plan.

    "Dispel!" The tornado were cancelled and behind the rubble and the dust it caused... Was Zeta''s army of golems. "Corpse Defiler.... Now I get it... I''m a necromancer."

    We all couldn''t help but laugh even though we''re all outnumbered and exhausted. We couldn''t believe how we broke our limits in a short period of time.

 Chapter 78: Volcanic Golem

    "Continue everyone! I''ll be observing." I flew back to the top and dispelled the lightning body.

    "Golem army, attack!" Zeta was like a commander sending in his hordes of monster but the real golems, smashed them all in one hit. "Eh?"

    "HAHAHA!" I couldn''t help but laugh at how useless were his golems.

    "Shut up! Let me check what level are these golems..." Zeta played around with his system and found the answer he was looking for. "Level 5?! A complete 70 level downgrade..."

    "Zeta, can you store these soldiers of yours?"

    "Uh... I think so? Return!" All the soldiers he disposed disappeared. "They''re in my inventory."

    "That''s good. Just continue getting more and more soldiers. If we ever got into war, those soldiers of yours will be used as a meatshield."

    "Well at least it''s useful."

    "Zeta watch out!" I didn''t notice until the very last second but a golem was creeping waiting for an opening.

    Zeta turned around and his staff suddenly activated. The closed eye opened and blood dripped from it. The golem that was near him stopped moving and ran away. "Eh? What happened."

    I felt the killing intent the staff released.

    [Fear debuff cancelled by Insanity Immunity.]

    I could see the eye in the staff look at my very soul and a bunch of demons creeping up on it but in a matter of split second, they all dissipated into air as soon as the Insanity Immunity took effect. I couldn''t feel any fear but for the golems, it''s enough to make them run away... others... paralyzed and killed.

    "Yeah Zeta, don''t use that eye anywhere near us."

    "I agree." Yefa said as she was frozen in place. "I thought I''d die but the skill Zieglind passed on me, Insanity Immunity took effect and cancelled the spell."

    "Who dares enter my tomb?!" A loud roaring voice was heard at the end of dungeon.

    Everyone redirected their attention to the upcoming enemy.

    Thuds were heard as the enemy struck the walls repeatedly. His enormous body combined by his massive weight made tremors everytime he walked. He emerged from the dark entrance from where he came from but he was insanely big.

    The entrance he came from was destroyed and was as big as the room we were standing on. He too was enormously large.

    "UGAHHHH!" Gaia roared back at the giant hulking golem infront of us.

    The golem was insanely big. Bigger than the golem Gaia was fighting. Its body was covered in red stone of which I don''t even know what it is and drips of lava.

    "Holy crap... Is he carrying a volcano on his back?!" I was just amazed on the appearance of the golem''s appearance. A volcano monster while having insane strength that eradicates large chunks of stone as if paper in a single swing.

    "Scan! Hmm... Zieglind, he''s level 130." Zeta said as he analyzed the golem.

    "So we basically got the wrong information. They mistook the other giant golem for this one. Continue fighting. I''ll only intervene if something happens."

    "SMASHHHHH!" Gaia spoke as he beat down the other golem he was fighting. Despite his heavy body and him being a golem, he managed to get speed far beyond a normal golem. He punched and smashed the golem before him despite his body missing 30% of parts.

    "Wisp, go heal everyone. Prioritize Gaia." I''m impressed at Gaia. He took a level 85 on his own despite him in the lower 40s.

    [Gaia leveled up to Level 50.]

    "GAIA WINS!" Gaia then roared loudly. He grabbed the dead golem and began merging with it.

    "Wait, what''s happening?" I flew to his side. "Gaia, what''s going on?!"

    "Gaia... STRONG!" He merged with the dead golem and a bright light emerged after he fully merged with the dead golem.

    "How many times have I been impressed this one day?"

    Gaia emerged from the rubble as a new being. His holes in the body regenerated and his whole body has been replaced by normal stone to blue shining diamonds combined with a hint of black stones which I''m guessing are obsidian.

    The armor that I bought for him in Itz is now completely destroyed.

    [Gaia has evolved to Diamond Gaia.]

    "Go, Gaia! Attack that huge volcanic golem!"

    "UGUAHHH!!!" Gaia slowly rushed to him and everytime he took a step a small tremor was felt. Gaia raised his right fist.

    "In... the way..." The giant volcanic golem opened his palm and a burst of flames appeared. And after the flames were gone, a hammer took its place.

    "EH?!" We were all shocked on how that happened. We don''t have a clue.

    "Get... Away..." The volcanic golem swung his giant hammer with one hand and it sent Gaia flying.

    Afal rushes to the volcanic golem and began attacking. "Tough." Afal is doing insane damage but its skin is very tough but he''s drilling into the legs. "That''s one." Even though Afal said it was tough, he still broke through that one leg with ease. He''s now attacking the other leg.

    Yefa jumped into the air and used gauntlets to punch and her explosive power was able to knock him back.

    "Dispel, Lockout!" The weapon on the golem disappeared and using Zeta''s spell, chains appeared on its body restricting it to move or do anything.

    Rize changed into a musket and aimed at its head. "Bullet Hell!" A single click of her gun exploded on the golem''s face and continued homing into the weak golems that were following it and continued multiplying until it exploded ten times.

    Greta''s feet were like spring because as soon as she left the ground, she surpassed the speed of sound leaving it behind. She still can''t control it but the explosive speed she got is enough to attack while evading. She used her explosive feet to thrust her claws into the golem''s chest. "RAVAGE!" Greta became faster. She floated in the air using the armor''s ability and began attacking in insane speeds alternating from her left and right claw.

    "EVERYONE GET OUT!" Rize shouted.

    The cracked lines in the golem''s body glowed in red. "Get out of here... LAVA BURST!" The cracks in his body excreted large amounts of lava and whenever someone touches it, it explodes.

    Everyone near him barely got away but they''ve been hit by the piping hot and explosive lava.

    "Massive Heal!" Zeta casted a healing spell for everyone and so did Wisp. It seems to be enough.

    "This might be trouble." Afal noticed the golem''s destroyed body parts like its chest and feet began regenerating in an absurd rate.

    "This is my domain! UGUAHH!" The volcanic golem roared loudly and the golems that were following him also roared with him.

    Afal then said, "A battlecry that powers up its followers... This is trouble."

 Chapter 79: Soul Contract

    "Everyone, I think we have to hit the chest! I could see something inside of it." Rize said as she stared intently on the golem. "I can''t damage it since its skin is so tough!"

    "Meteorite Burst!"A small stone appeared on top of the golem and then it launched itself to the golem breaking its arms and exploded at the same time. "Grievous Wounds!" Zeta casted a spell and the golem didn''t regenerate.

    Afal took this moment as an advantage and flew to the golem''s chest. He was accompanied by Greta.

    "RAVAGE!" Greta''s claws turned red.

    "THOUSAND SLASHES!" Afal''s turned blue.

    With their rapid succession of attacks and Zeta stopped his regeneration, both of their attacks took toll on his body spewing lava everytime he took a hit.

    Yefa was below the two gathering energy. She took a stance, her left fist forward and right fist near her waist. She inhaled every air around him. Her right fist glowed in red. "OMEGA STRIKE!" Yefa braced herself with the ground and let her fist do the action. She did a normal karate straight punch but that explosive power took the golem''s main body off.

    I''ll never make her angry...

    After the golem''s explosion, a big orb fell from it. So my theory is true... Rize can see the weakness of the enemy.

    "Everyone wait, don''t kill it yet." I flew down and touched the giant orb. "Enslavement!"

    [Soul Contract has started.]

    I left the physical plane and I could see myself outside losing consciousness. But that isn''t important right now. I''m inside the soul of the golem.

    "Must... Get up..." I could hear the faint voice of the golem. I reached out to it.

    "Hey, won''t you join me?"

    "Who are you...? How did you get here?"

    "I''m Zieglind. Tell me, what do you desire?"

    "A rightful master... I''ve been abandoned for a hundred years... I was a familiar of a previous player."

    "Then that''s just perfect. I''m that master you''re looking for."

    "I refuse. Prove yourself through combat. Be gone!" A large gust of wind was felt inside our souls and I was forcefully removed from the soul contract.

    "Darn." I woke up lying on the floor.

    "What just happened?" Afal asked.

    "Everyone, get away, its regenerating!" Rize warned everyone.

    "I''m sorry everyone. I said that I won''t join but I need this golem for something." I then ordered everyone to stand back.

    No one disagreed but instead, they just shrugged it off. "We''ll be cheering for you here. And don''t overkill them. I need to turn them in soldiers." Zeta jokingly said.

    "Yes, yes." I waited for the golem to reconstruct itself. The other small golems that were following him were just in standby.

    After a few seconds, the golem regenerated back to full. Its like nothing happened.

    The golem kneeled down and made a turtle out of itself.

    "Huh?" I was just confused.

    Then the miniature volcano on his back started spewing fireballs.

    "Lightning Body!" I ran up to his back. "Come, Soul Scythe!" I then swiped its neck. But the turtle form the golem took was too durable and too tough for my weapon to cut through. "Dispel Gazer Form." The armor came off and I can finally use any weapon.

    "What do you have in mind?" Afal said as he stood by the sidelines.

    "Just wait. Flesh Eater Ring, release!" Lots of blood came out. "Blood Weapon, Gauntlets! If I can''t slice it, I''ll just have to smash it!" Two heavy gauntlets rested on my fists. "Corruption, Rage, Blood Rampage!"

    [+200% strength and +400% damage.]

    "To add more damage... Dragonic Claws!" My arms changed and transformed into dragon arms.

    [+100% damage and strength.]

    "Weapon Mastery!" My mind was then filled with several information on techniques and what to do when using these gauntlets.

    Before I could process the information, the small golems were getting near me. "Please do stay out of this. Aura." A large malicious and killing intent were directed at the golems. But I noticed Rize, Greta and Preica were affected too. "Ah, sorry." But Zeta and Precia was fine. That staff of his is protecting him and Yefa was immune because of the Insanity Immunity.

    After processing the data Weapon Mastery passed on me, I found the perfect move. I took the traditional karate stance for a straight punch.

    "That''s..." Yefa seemed to know the move. I can''t blame her. This was the same move she did earlier.

    "DORYA!" A perfect straight punch. His body was blown away again but I seemed to damage his core. I need to act fast or he''ll die. "Everyone, protect my body. Just need to do something quick! Also Zeta, can you heal the core?"

    "It''s possible." Zeta then walked over to the orb.

    "I''ll leave that to you. I''ll be going now. Enslavement."

    [Soul Contract has started.]

    "You are worthy..." The golem''s voice was heard.

    "Now is it possible?"

    "Yes. This loyal golem will follow you for eternity my lord."

    "Good, good... Then I''ll give you a name. Hmm... How about..." A blacksmith golem whose powers revolve around lava and volcanoes... "Vulcan! You''ll be named as Vulcan."

    "I thank thee my lord."

    [Soul Contract complete.]

    [Vulcan the Volcanic Golem will revert from Artifact Dungeon boss to a familiar.]

    [Vulcan, has three abilities.

    |Volcanic Body|

    Able to emit intense heat when close to the enemy and this golem''s body will continue to reform. The volcano behind its back can spew fireballs.

    |Forger|

    Able to make weapons and armor in the blink of an eye.

    |Volcanic Ruptures|

    Areas destroyed by this golem will be marked for 1 hour. These marked areas can be activated again to spawn in pools of lava that will explode upon contact of enemies.

    If the golem sustained too much damage, its resurrection time is 1 day.]

    "I knew it. This golem is the best addition to our kingdom."

    "What do you mean by that?" Greta asked.

    "We can save more funds with this golem. He''s a blacksmith."

    "So we can armor our soldiers with ease?"

    "That''s correct."

    "Then we just need mages to imbue the armor with protective magic and we can outfit the whole battalion with magical items." Afal said.

    "This was a very worth it trip. Let''s go back. Mass T-"

    "Wait, what about the artifact?" Rize intervened.

 Chapter 80: Unexpected Declaration

    We all returned to Polk at the castle. I was lectured by Caesar for a while saying how my role as a king is now far more important than anything.

    "Yes, yes... Anyway, back to business. I need you to create a large room for me. Fill it with blacksmith tools and items."

    "Your carefree side is..." Caesar simply gave up. "*sigh* What''s the size needed and where should we put it?"

    "The height should be at least 10 meters and make the area it''ll take at least 20-30 meters."

    "That will take a lot of space in the kingdom. And judging by the room you asked for it''ll cost a lot."

    "Hmm... How about underground?"

    "It''ll be fine but the construction will take a week. Digging such a large hole will take some calculations and such and gathering men for it will be tough."

    "That''s fine."

    "My king, the value of everything has risen. It was a sudden inflation in our economy."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "The value of gold has dropped. A single piece of bread before costs 10 silver but now its about 50 gold."

    "How did that happen?"

    "There have bee-" Caesar was cut off when we heard a large burst of sound.

    A soldier barged in my office. He was exhausted from running maybe but it looks like he had something to say.

    "Is... Something the matter?" I asked.

    "My king, I apologize for the intrusion." He regained his composure and stood straight then did a salute to me by crossing his arms in his chest and tapping it twice. "Five guards died earlier and this scroll was with the arrow that killed one of the guards."

    "Wait, let me check for traps. Seek Trap!" Caesar casted a spell and then the scroll glowed. "What?!"

    "What? What happened?" I asked him.

    "My king, this mark here is the crest of The Three Kings." Caesar pointed on the three swords that was in the circular crest. "It''s safe to open... But I don''t understand why they killed our guards and sent this scroll..." Caesar contemplated for a while then, "Unless..."

    "We''re thinking the same thing." I opened the scroll and it floated in the air. The scroll burned and dissipated into ashes and large text appeared in the air. "I knew it..."

    We all swallowed our dry saliva as the text slowly appeared.

    |

    The Three Kings

    Of

    Varya, Brea and Nrya,

    We declare war on the newly founded,

    Crimson Order

    |

    "I should have seen this coming... Its the perfect time to strike..." I complained openly to Caesar and the knight that was with us.

    "What do you mean by that my king?" The knight asked. "Forgive my curiosity my king."

    "Return to your p-" Caesar ordered him but I cut him off.

    "Its fine... I need to think of something. They picked a good time. But these bastards... Are they igniting a world war this early? There''s been how many wars in the past few months?"

    "There have been 7 my lord. From different kingdoms."

    "And that''s no small war... Its thousands of soldiers being disposed. Damn."

    "If I may be allowed to ask, why is it a good time to attack us now?"

    "We''re basically powerless. We''re still reconstructing, our soldiers are only 12,000. That''s very low compared to others. We''re out of funds and may have to use the stones to sell some. We''re still in recovery after the battle with Itz. We don''t have defenses or anything. This is a losing battle... Delay the response as long as possible."

    Another soldier barged in the room. "Apologies for intruding!" With the same salute the other soldier did earlier. "As our scouts have said, there''s 30,000 soldiers heading this way?!"

    "WHAT?!" I stood up from where I sat angry and confused. "Isn''t this a war crime?! And they killed five of our people to send this message."

    "War crime?" They all looked at me confused.

    "Damn it... There''s no such thing as rules in war? Tsk... Telepathy!" I contacted every member of the Crimson Knights and told them to organize our army. I told Afal to lead everyone. "Caesar, are there rules in war or something?"

    "There''s only one rule... To send a notice to declare war. After the scroll has been opened, war will be allowed. If the scroll has been sent to the kingdom and hasn''t been opened in two or three months, it''ll automatically open."

    "This is bullcrap." There''s no etiquette or anything forbidden in war. This world is truly barbaric. "What''s the status outside?" I asked Afal using Telepathy.

    "What I assume are generals are leading the pack. There''s about 1000 or more flying units. We''re awaiting your comman-" Afal suddenly was cut off.

    "What happened?"

    "It seems they are looking for you. They''re asking for your prescence here."

    "Standby for now. I''ll be there."

    I then left my office and head straight to the strategic room. This is my first time using this item.

    "I''ll leave you here my king. I''ll organize our inner soldiers to protect the civilians."

    "You do that Caesar." Caesar then left the room and I was left alone. I focused my attention on the mirror in front of me. "Magic Mirror, Broadcast!"

    A small vertical oval shaped dark hole appeared. Then for a few seconds, it enlarged until it ate the whole room. It then recreated the terrain of the outside as I was standing on nothing.

    "Are you this kingdom''s king?" A deep voice emerged from the ground. It was a weird fat guy. I''m guessing he''s a noble that had a chance to start a war since we''re in a pinch.

    I could hear the voices of people below me. I was broadcasted here, between the Crimson Knights and their army and the Three King''s army.

    I took out my robes and the crown from my inventory and wore it. "Apologies for the wait. I''m Zieglind Reysh, king of Polk."

 Chapter 81: First War of the Crimson Order

    I looked down on the battlefield. Just looking at it, their army is intimidating. Twice or msybe thrice our numbers.

    "Goodafternoon King Zieglind. To put it bluntly... We''re after your kingdom. Would you just give it up for some needless bloodshed?"

    "I decline." I said as I was broadcasting myself when I''m currently at the strategic room.

    "Hey, hey... You just became a king and created a new alliance. Is the power getting to your head? I repeat. Surrunder or die." The fat noble smirked as if he already won.

    These bastards... Attacking a newly founded kingdom and alliance... pure scum. "You just don''t get it do you? I should be the one saying that to you."

    Veins popped out of his head. "The arrogance..." He tried to calm himself but his veiny head and he''s turning red doesn''t reflect what he was saying. "If war is what you seek, then I shall give it." He turned around to his soldiers. "SOLDIERS, CHARGE!"

    His soldiers roared a large battlecry intimidating Afal''s soldiers.

    I need to get back their morale. "Gazer Armor, Teleport." I left the strategic room and teleported from where I was broadcasting myself. Between Afal and the enemies that''s trying to raid us.

    "Oh, you showed yourself. Trying to bargain your life for this kingdom?"

    "No. This is just me demonstrating my dominance against you. You have another chance noble. Surrender or die."

    "You.. Mages! Focus your spells on the king!"

    "Mind Break, Paralyze, Firebolt, Aqua Stream, Bind, Chain, Life Drain, Lightning Ray, Arrow Pierce, Steal!" Several of their mages casted spells all directed at me. But I have a mage myself.

    "ZETA!" I shouted.

    "Yes! 5-LAYER BARRIER!" Zeta took out his Gazer Armor and staff and casted a high level barrier that I didn''t even know until now. A small barrier first formed outlining my whole body then four circualr layers came out just like normal.

    They broke three barriers of Zeta and the two left simply dissipated because of the short time limit. It isn''t surprising seeing how there''s five layers.

    "Impossible... Hundreds of my mages were stopped by a single one?!" The noble slowly stepped back on his horse but managed to keep his composure.

    "I won''t forgive you." I gathered mana on both of my hands. "BRIGHTEST DARK!" The same move Hera used on me that I was forced to use Last Stand. My current strongest move.

    Firing a giant beam of light and dark energy that consumes mana in an insane rate.

    Wherever I point it, the bodies disintegrate if they receive too much damage and the ground will leave a burning trail.

    "Ah.. crap." I just used Brightest Dark for 6 seconds but I could feel my strength being taken away. It took all of my mana.

    But after I casted the spell, I looked at the place the enemies were previously standing on. They were divided into two and all their mages were toasted.

    "Impossible... No way... Over 6000 mages gone... In an instant." The noble had a funny look in his face. A hint of despair and confusion.

    [Gazer Form will be dispelled. No mana left.]

    "Uh, little help here." I was falling. The Gazer Form allows flight but since its dispelled, the effects are gone.

    "I got you." Precia jumped and its enough to reach my falling body.

    "Isn''t this supposed to be the other way?" I was being carried in a bridal position.

    "Don''t mind the details." Precia softly landed on the ground.

    "Are you... MESSING WITH ME?!" The noble got angrier and angrier. "Hehe. You must be a great mage to kill a lot of my troops... But that must took a toll on you! I''m guessing all your mana or depleting your life force. But that was a useless struggle. My troops still double yours!"

    I left Precia''s arms and walked in front of the army next to Afal. "Hey noble, you''re missing something in the art of war. Numbers doesn''t matter."

    "Flying Units, BOMBARD THEIR ARMY!"

    "Zeta! Hold this out for a couple of seconds!"

    "Mhm!" Zeta then casted a large scale spell. "Cubic Protection!"

    A large rectangular barrier spread until it covered everything.

    "How long can this hold?"

    "Not much. The defensive powers of this is spread out so its pretty thin."

    The air units continued bombarding us with different spells. The barrier is barely holding on.

    "Then better act quick. Who''s the leader of groups here?"

    No one answered but looked at me confused.

    "The hell?" No one has no leader. "This army is so disorganized... Very well. Crimson Knights will take over. Divide yourselves into different groups. This is Rize. Gunners and archers follow her lead. This is Afal, your current warlord."

    "What?" Afal tried to say something but I interrupted him.

    "Ehem. For now. Anyway, those who are using swords or any melee weapons follow him. Greta will manage all the juggernauts. Finally, Zeta, he''ll be the leader of all the mages here. Precia, join Afal''s party for now."

    "Zieglind... I can''t hold on!" Zeta complained as his barrier is slowly getting chipped away.

    "Everyone group yourselves!" Everyone slowly walked to their respective groups. "Aura." A huge wave of Bloodlust was sent their way but I limit it to a certain level to prevent inflicting trauma.

    All of the soldiers felt fear but it can''t be helped. They''re disorganized, no clue, just barbarians whose tactics are just charge in recklessly. They need to learn or we''ll just stay as the weakest kingdom.

    I deactivated my aura and straightened my back. "Faster." A single mutter of my word when they felt intimidation helped them move faster. I looked over to the Crimson Knights. "I''ll be sending orders through Telepathy. I have some mana left so I think it''ll be fine."

    A glass shattering sound was heard when Zeta''s barrier gave out.

    "Telepathy!" I linked all of our minds together. "Afal, you trust me right?"

    "Yes." An unwavering answer.

    "Can you jump into the middle of their army?"

 Chapter 82: Overpowered

    "That''s reckless!" Greta voiced her opinion.

    "Its fine." Afal does have an unwavering will and loyalty towards me. "This much troops isn''t enough to kill me. I still have something to do."

    "Then I entrust this matter to you." I then looked back at the troops. "Follow Afal''s charge after I say so!"

    "Gazer Form! Come, Deathdance!" Afal''s right arm started vibrating the moment he held his sword. "Hmph!" Afal jumped in the air and landed right in the middle of their troops. The enemy was confused.

    "What...?" The noble was just there contemplating on what just happened.

    "If you''re not going to act... Then I shall do so!" Afal thrusted his sword down the ground and the ground began to shake.

    "My lord! Please give us orders!" The enemy soldiers were on standby.

    "A- attack!" A hint of worry and dread filled the noble''s decision. He could see the danger coming.

    "Ground Splitter!" A small crack in the ground formed. Then it got larger and larger... Until a giant ravine spawned in the middle of their army.

    "I knew it." Afal''s vibration was too strong and uncontrollable but he manages to attack with it with complete precision. The only way to contain it is to overpower it with strength. Its basically an earthquake... Wait is it pandirquake here? Ah nevermind the details.

    The soldiers near Afal fell down into the giant ravine. He killed even more than me. "Duel Initiate, lock on... Him." Afal then pointed on the noble in front of the soldiers.

    A giant circular arena appeared and two flagpoles appeared. The Crimson Order flag appeared on Afal''s side and the Three Kings'' flag appeared on the noble''s side.

    A giant message board then appeared on top.

    [Afal vs Brig]

    [Afal LV 100: HP(9803/9803)]

    [Brig LV. 9: HP(709/709)]

    "That''s just like mine..." An inescapable arena unless one loses. This is not the time for that! "Everyone, follow Afal''s lead!" I used Telepathy to send this message to the Crimson Knights.

    Everyone had a large battlecry and followed up.

    "Fire!" Rize''s commands were quick and simple but her soldiers knew what to do. A barrage of archers shot up to the sky and sought its targets making a quick kill.

    "Zeta use crowd control spells." I ordered over Telepathy.

    "Yes!" Zeta then looked over to his mages. "Cancel the casting of barriers. Focus on movement impairing spells!"

    They all then casted different spells that stunned, paralyzed and slowed enemies and Zeta added mage buffs to his mages, "Knowledge Up!" it was twice as effective.

    Precia now the leader of Afal''s team, charged in. Precia jumped in the middle of the pack, "Taunt!" Every soldier near her redirected their direction at her.

    I think it might''ve been better if she went there first. Her taunt ability is perfect for mages... And combined with...

    "Valkyrie''s Last Stand!" I knew it. Her skill was being immune perfect for sacrificing herself then letting the other soldiers kill the enemies far quicker and easier.

    Greta transformed into beast form and joined in. Using her explosive legs, she began to pass by enemies while attacking them. Her moves was far too fast for them to track and her attack power was too strong to be blocked by their weapons.

    I looked over to Afal and the noble, Brig. No one can get near the two.

    "No... No! Help me!" The noble pleaded his life while he was panicking inside. He stood up and ran but he hit a wall. "Eh?" He tried punching it and using his sword to get out of the so called arena but he couldn''t.

    "We''re trying my lord! But this invisible barrier is too tough! We don''t have any mages!" One of the soldiers said. "Urk!" A giant vine enveloped his body. It must be Zeta''s doing.

    "Pay with your life for trampling on my new home." Afal took a stance, holding the hilt by the left hand, then posing the right hand slightly above the the tip the sword while his knees are slightly bent.

    Afal lunged forward. This stance was an explosive thrust of sword. And he just proved that.

    His lunge was faster than the speed I''m using when I''m using Lightning Body.

    He aimed at the noble''s stomach and it definitely hit. A large hole was left after Afal was done in his stomach.

    [Afal won the duel.]

    The flag of the Crimson Ordered enlarged and the Three Kings'' flag was burnt and was in ashes.

    Isn''t that a declaration of war...? Eh who cares. There''s no war crimes or rules. It''s a world perfect for Battle Royale. Do what you want to do.

    Fear overtook the enemy soldiers. Confusion too. I guess if I were in their shoes I would be enraged and confused. They were basically triple our troops and we managed to overpower them.

    "Our general... Is dead... What''s with this newly built kingdom and alliance?!" The enemy soldier''s morale went straight down. They all began fleeing.

    "Let them flee." I ordered everyone to stop.

    The soldiers stopped in their pursuit and began murmuring and voicing their thoughts. "But-" Some soldiers disagreed.

    "If they flee and we attack, its not war. It''s just needless massacre. We''re lucky we didn''t lose a single soldier despite everyone of you here being so disorganized and having no formation whatsoever. You were all saved here because of the elite force, Crimson Knights."

    No one talked back. They really are just barbarians that need discipline and order.

    "I''ll appoint Afal as your general and warlord. Afal, come here."

    Afal looked at the fleeing soldiers then instantly went my way.

    "I''ll be teaching you formations. Make sure to group the soldiers on what weapon they''re using."

    "Yes."

    "Also Afal, new home huh?"

    Afal had a wry smile on his face. Despite him being composed all the time, he had a change just this once. "That was..."

    "It''s an honor, Afal." I tapped his shoulders. "Everyone, let''s head back. There''s much to do."

 Chapter 83: Teaching

    Everyone of us returned to our original posts. Afal took his time to organize all the soldiers and then he called the Crimson Knights and me to the training grounds.

    I looked around and we basically filled 40% of the grounds. That''s 60% more space. We need more recruits.

    I then asked Afal to accompany me to each group.

    Afal was my assistant on forming the formations. A way to make him closer to the soldiers and to teach them defensive and offensive tactics.

    For swordsmen, I basically taught them the one horizontal line formation. They''ll basically be the ones to charge from now on. We don''t have that many juggernauts so they''ll act like one.

    For the ones that uses hammers, sword and shield, I grouped them too with the swordsmen. Their ratio is a 80% swordsmen, 15% hammer users and the rest for the sword and shield.

    While looking at melee soldiers, I was excited to see that our spearmen were developed. We have more spearmen than swordsmen. Which is pretty okay.

    I taught them the triangle formation for offense, the V formation and the three group formation. Which balances out the offensive and defensive formations.

    Triangle formation for breaking through the enemy groups, V formation for the defensive and the three group formation, the one I learned from Napoleon Bonaparte, how to win an outnumbered battle.

    Spearmen are the ones that are always at the front, sometimes behind the swordsmen. They''re always the target of skirmishes.

    The three group formation, basically it forces your enemies to split too. A way to win while being outnumbered.

    If our spearmen was about 3,000 and the enemy forces are about 6,000, two times our force, then the three formation strategy will work.

    Our 3,000 spearmen will split up to three groups, so 1,000 per group. The enemy will be forced to split. Even if they don''t, we have a chance to pin them in one location until the support arrives.

    If they split into three groups, that''ll be 2,000 per group. Us splitting will just be a bait. If they saw us splitting, they will be forced to.

    We''ll let them advance first then quickly regroup into forming the three groups into one group. The other two groups of the enemy will be late in supporting the group. The 6,000 vs 3,000 battle changed to 2,000 vs 3,000. No escape routes, just them battling it out while being cornered like rats.

    If the spearmen deals with the first 2,000 group, they''ll have 4,000 left.

    Just repeat the process. Bait them to split, then pin them from both sides. Victory while being outnumbered.

    The melee units are done. Now for the ranged units.

    I asked the musket group to fire a round for me three times.

    Their explosive powers of their bullets are insane. Like tanks in my previous world but much, much stronger. But less explosion but more penetration.

    But the flaw remains. As expected, muskets are slow. Reload time varies from people to people but the average is 10-20 seconds. Its kind of faster than in my previous world.

    I''ll teach them the volley fire.

    They would be lined up in four or five groups. The first line will fire then instantly move to the back to reload then the second line will move forward and shoot then they go to the back then the third steps in.

    Basically a cycle of infinite bullet firing rapidly.

    I put 10 mages in their group to create a large wall of rock to stand above it to create a higher vantage point.

    For the archers, they''ll be in charge of raining arrows from the sky. They are less accurate, less powerful but has more killing chances.

    I don''t even know how that works. But we have a lot of them.

    I put 10 mages in the archer group. They were 10 rock mages. I''ll leave it to them to cast rock magic to lift them up from the ground and get them to a higher ground. That way their vantage point will be better.

    For the mages, I split them up in three groups. I asked them what their specialties are and I got what I was hoping for.

    The defensive mages will continue to cast buffs and healing. They will not cast any offensive spells. I told them to prioritize casting large spell buffs and heals.

    Offensive mages, they''ll be in charge of casting attack spells. Some of them can use joint magic.

    Joint magic is the magic that can only be activated if two or more people have the same skill and has a lot of casting time.

    Just like what they did to my flying ability last time. That was joint magic.

    Crowd control mages, focuses on impairing the enemy movements. Slow, debuff, entangle, stun, paralyze, all those things.

    I told them to prioritize the front liners. If they manage to at least stun one, that''s one less problem. It''ll be an instant kill if the front liners of ours will be able to deal the killing blow.

    I then spent the rest of the day giving the mages spells. I was hesitant to give these people spells but it is needed. The Three Kings have declared war.

    I gave the soldiers only one spell and they seem to be hurting. I held off on only giving them the Great Heal spell for the defensive mages.

    Sprint for every front liners and melee soldiers. To regroup instantly and to make the three group formation more doable.

    I left them to Afal''s care and went back to the castle to get some rest. It''s insanely taxing to my brain too. I remember the contents and the details of the spell when I''m passing it. But its a sacrifice worth doing. World War is near.

    I''m just happy that I finally got to use my intellect I gathered from my previous world. I finally have a use for myself.

 Chapter 84: Theory

    Two weeks had gone by and there''s no more sieges to my kingdom. I couldn''t raid some dungeons and artifact dungeons at all. I couldn''t leave this place in the constant fear of being sieged by the Three Kings.

    This is trouble. I need to loosen up.

    "System, claim the other 14 rewards."

    [Eye of Hrytha, a staff that can send a flying eye. If the eye hits any solid, the user will be teleported to that area or near that area. Prioritizes user''s safety. 5 minute cooldown.]

    [Stone of Yrua the Element Mage, break this stone to get a skill from one element. The skill is a one time use meaning once casted, it''ll be gone from your skill list until you obtain that or use Stone of Yrua again.]

    [Chemical Earrings, a pair of earrings that will give you resistance to everything. This item once destroyed by the user, lets out a large flood of acid that is highly flammable and can be used as a conductor]

    [Status Point bag. Unleash to get a random amount of status points.]

    [Status Point bag. Unleash to get a random amount of status points.]

    [Status Point bag. Unleash to get a random amount of status points.]

    [Status Point bag. Unleash to get a random amount of status points.]

    [Gained skill, Foresight, for 1 minute, you''ll be able to predict the movements of anyone and anything. 1 day cooldown.]

    [Gained skill, Rock Manipulation, can control rocks to extreme degrees.]

    [Gained skill, Cooldown Reduce, reduce the cooldown of three skills by 90%. Has a 1 hour cooldown.]

    [Gained skill, Battle Hungry, gain bonus strength and damage when the battle lasts longer than 30 minutes.]

    [Gained skill, Challenge, when outnumbered, gain increased strength and damage.]

    [Gained skill, Lifesteal, when hitting enemies and you hit them for the third time, this skill activates. Gain health 60% of the damage dealt.]

    [EXP bag, unleash to get a random amount of EXP.]

    Is it me or the system changes from time to time? This isn''t the same message as before when I was claiming rewards. It used to be like ''Level _ reward'' then accompanied by the reward.

    Maybe the system is not automatically handled but the gods themselves operate them. Or the system just randomly sends out random message as long as the message is clear? I have no idea and I have no time to dwell on this.

    I equipped all the items except for the staff and then I opened the status point bag and the EXP bag. "That''s a hefty amount of status points. Oh yeah I forgot I had status points. System, just put everything randomly."

    [6,378 status points randomly distributed.]

    [Status]

    Getting that random status points that I get after level up is a great addition. I do feel myself stronger than ever. Maybe status points can be useful. I did only focus on leveling up because the rewards I get are insanely good.

    Just as I said that status points are important, the final menu for the reward appeared.

    But as I looked at the last reward, my jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

    [Gained skill, Reborn, reset all of your status and levels back to what your chosen class is. Keep your items and skills. Skills will be reset to level 1. Has three different effects that activate at the same time.

    |New Beginnings|

    Keep 30% of your status after being reborn.

    |Body Reconstruct|

    The system scans your whole lifetime and reconstructs your body enhancing the damaged areas

    |Random Status Points|

    Your status point gain will be fixed on the lowest gain is 200 points and the highest being 10,000

    After being reborn, you''ll be afflicted by the debuff, Reborn Side Effects. Which includes slow, stun and being paralyzed for three days in random activations.]

    "What does it mean? Hmm..."

    When I spent 2 months on the other kingdom, I overheard some of the local adventurers there say something interesting.

    They said that they can''t equip the piece of armor since their level was low. I never, ever got that message. So I tested something out.

    I bought a weapon from Ruz and delivered it to me by Afal discreetly. I can equip it. I tried to give it to other adventurers but they said they can''t equip it. They were levels below the weapon. But I did find a rightful successor of the weapon so I just gave it to them. Maybe that''s the reason why I beat Bladedge.

    I had too much high level gear for my level. Rize can equip the bow Ruz made but it''s low quality compared to mine.

    Hmm... "Come, Bloodlust. System, can I equip this item?"

    [Restrictions apply, Level 200 users only allowed. Unless you''re an abyss class.]

    There must be COUNTLESS sub classes in the other two main class to balance out everything. I''m just scared thinking about that. The level restrictions are gone which is good but the disadvantage I have right now is worse.

    Their status gain and the preset skill they have are just easily getting stronger.

    Abyss class doesn''t have any skills to level up. It''s just random crap.

    But if my theory is correct, the other classes has their skills be a preset. Their chances of getting a skill from leveling up is 100%.

    No one dared to go near the Abyss class since it starts everything at hard mode. I experienced that.

    But ranged and melee classes have the weapons and the appropriate skills to match.

    Tark is a proof of that and so is Hera. If I have to battle others as strong as them, I would definitely be killed.

    I barely got through those fights... But I need to get stronger. I have to know what''s behind that tower. The Tartarus.

    I finally got a reason to live and protect. They will be worried if I''m suddenly gone. I''m not just doing this to gain more power but I''m doing this to protect those who are close to me. I am now a king. And soon, a monarch.

    There''s no choice. I''m going in this blindly.

    "Reborn."

 Chapter 85: Reborn

    A bright light enveloped my body and my body was slowly fading away.

    Fear, confusion, anger and sadness overtook my emotions. I have never felt so scared in my life. This looks like I''m basically committing suicide.

    I couldn''t speak, hear, smell, move or see anything. I''m just floating around in the darkness. But the system I could see.

    [Reborn phase starting. Resetting everything. Keeping 30% status.]

    [Adding the strength gained from the artifact you''re infused with and the bonus strength from your skill that increases with souls inside of you.]

    [Speech stat will be left untouched.]

    [HP stat will be left untouched.]

    [MP stat will be left untouched.]

    [Recalibrating...]

    [Status]

    [Zieglind Reysh has been reborn. His level will now be LV. 1]

    [7 Skills will be reset to level 1.]

    [Skill Devourer is a default skill from your class. Will be left untouched.]

    [Sprint LV. 1]

    [Harvest LV. 1]

    [Heal LV. 1]

    [Great Heal LV. 1]

    [Rage LV. 1]

    [Unholy Armor LV. 1]

    [Telepathy LV.1]

    [Hidden skill revealed, Abyssal Mastery, able to equip anything without the required level.]

    [Your body will be reconstructed. Revisiting memories to ensure best quality of reconstruction...]

    [Memories replayed. Reconstruction will now begin.]

    [All of your body will be changed. Appearance will stay the same.]

    [Applying changes...]

    [Done.]

    [Hardened your body to extreme degrees. The most hardened part is your abdomen and stomach for repeatedly being pierced by you yourself.]

    [Reborn rewards...]

    [Your host, Hades, The God of Death, has chosen the rewards.]

    [Perfect Body]

    [Removing everything inside of your body...]

    [Changing the properties...]

    [Properties being changed will be dependent on your title as the Bloodstorm and the Death Reaper.]

    [All of your organs will be removed.]

    [Using magic as the source of your nutrients.]

    [Thoughts, memories, dreams and all the other things circulating from your brain will be moved to another place in your consciousness.]

    [Pain will be removed.]

    [Limbs that''ll be removed from your body will recover in just 1 day as long as you don''t enter combat. If you do enter in combat, the timer will reset back to 1 day.]

    [No longer human.]

    What have they done to me? What the hell is going on?!

    After a while, I woke up unconscious in my room here in the castle. Two guards were standing in front of the door. As soon as I sat up, they immediately ran away and left the room.

    "System, status." It''s the same as what I saw. I need to confirm it. Am I still the same human or not? "Come, Bloodlust."

    I grit my teeth and sliced a clean cut that severed my fists. I couldn''t feel anything. I looked at the inside but I couldn''t see anything.

    "No bone, no blood vessels, no vein, not even a drip of blood came out? Wha... What''s going on?" A sudden burst of slowness and sluggishness went through the entirety of my body. I couldn''t feel it, but my body is really heavy. I couldn''t raise my arms or speak. This must be the side effects of the Reborn skill.

    "Z...!" I could faintly hear a voice in the distance.

    But before I could see them, I lost consciousness and drifted off in a dark place.

    I shouldn''t have done this. I lost the last thing that I''ve brought in this new world. My humanity.

    I lost my emotions, compassion, empathy. If I was in my previous world, I would be called a psycho. Killing monsters with no hesitation, calculating lives of the people as numbers.

    I didn''t even hesitate using my own blood when I first got the Bloodlust, to go as far to pierce my own stomach, sever my fists. I lost every bit of humanity left in me.

    Is this truly what it means to be a god? I mean, I''m still not one. But I''m very close to be one.

    Removing all emotions and connections to pursue a goal. To get stronger to be better than anyone else.

    "Master." This voice that I could always hear whenever I dream. It''s them. The souls inside of the Bloodlust. "Congratulations. You attained it."

    "Attained what?" I asked them.

    "The true body of the True Bloodstorm."

    "I don''t even know what that means."

    "You were supposed to be a vessel of us, the souls inside of the artifact. We were supposed to be one. But your willpower neglected that. Even though everytime you used the armor, we''ll try devour you each and every second you put it on. But you finally attained it. The perfect body to use our powers to the fullest."

    "I don''t get it." I just replied coldly. I lost everything, my humanity, my emotions and the control over my body. It has been taken away. It''s the only thing that''s left as a sign that I''m still a human. But it''s gone.

    "You don''t have any more bones, veins, organs or anything. Your pain is gone too. The insides of you are pure blood. It''ll never go away or leave your body. It is much stronger than any blood in this world. You are no longer a vessel master. You''re the perfect host to use us. But... There''s still something missing."

    "What''s missing?"

    "The other half of us. They''re much stronger so I suggest to proceed with caution."

    "I''ll find it." I need to get it all back. Or I''ll just continue to be this monstrosity that I am today. But today, I''ll accept this power.

    I''ll use it to overcome my enemies and to protect those who chose to care for me. It''s enough sacrifice for them. I''ll be what they want me to be, a strong man that''ll be able to protect them. I no longer want to see them cry, be hurt or anything that''ll disturb their peace. I know it better than anyone because of the horrible illusion that was placed on me before. I no longer want to see it.

    I''ll forge this world to the right direction, I''ll definitely do it. I''ll get to it, I''ll create, the Era of Peace.

 Chapter 86: The Unexpected

    A day later, I woke up. Everyone was surrounding my... ''body'' well, I don''t even know if I could call it that.

    Everyone was happy that I woke up and they explained what happened after I was out for a day. They said that my fist that become detached that I cut off myself disappeared and when I was asleep, ot regenerated easily.

    They were curious about what happened to me.

    "Zeta, do you have a skill the analyzes?" I asked.

    Zeta was taken aback since he''s the first one I spoke to after I just woke up. "Oh, uh, yeah. What kind of analyze?"

    "Check my status."

    "What for?" He asked but I just stared intently at him. So he eventually gave up questioning and casted the spell. "Status Reveal." After a few seconds, Zeta''s eyes widened.

    So it did reset.

    "That''s what happened."

    "Hmm?" Everyone was just dumbfounded and are curious. They got near Zeta and looked at the screen that popped up in front of him.

    "This is..." Afal grew weary as his sweat ran down his face.

    So did others.

    Zeta was the first one to speak to me. "Why are you Level 1 again?"

    "Things happened but it''ll be fine."

    "Your stats are reduced by 90% or something."

    "60%. Close enough. Anyway, enough about me. Has anything happened when I was asleep?"

    Afal then explained. "Yes. Our scouts said that there have been movements of large groups in the forest. It may just be the Three Kings'' soldier or just beasts."

    "That''s a problem. Are they still surveying the area?"

    "Yes, we should receive a re-"

    Someone then slammed the door open in my room. A single soldier. "There''s trouble, Warlord!" He then looked at me. "Congratulations on your recovery my king."

    "Don''t mind me." I said. "What''s happening?"

    "The large group our spies found in the forest wasn''t soldiers, it was a large group of beasts, and they''re heading our way!"

    Are you kidding me? First a declaration of war now a horde of beasts. I still can''t fight properly. The side effects of the reborn is still in effect. "Argh! I got enough on my plate. Everyone get ready."

    "Gazer Form!" Everyone casted their armor.

    "Gazer Form! Let''s go. Mass Teleport!" I opened up a portal below us and all of us were dragged with it. "Ah." The bed fell down as we were hovering in the air. I forgot, I was in contact with this. What a waste.

    "Zieglind, there''s the beasts." Yefa pointed at the direction.

    "Afal, standby your soldiers near the front gate. We''ll take lead and do tell them to remember the tactics we went over."

    Afal then flew away really fast leaving us here.

    "Golem Wall!" Zeta casted the spell and something emerged from the ground. A wall of... Golems?

    "Zeta, what''s that?"

    "My new skill. It sacrifices some of my undead soldiers to be converted as walls. They can''t move but they can attack."

    "That''s good. Corner them in one place. Let''s observe on why they''re suddenly attacking."

    The beasts which composed of goblins, lizardmen, orcs, wolves and so much more low level monsters were trying to dig through the golem wall.

    "Hmm?" A sudden wave of large magical energy was felt when we were observing the monsters try to break the wall.

    "My lord, everyone is stationed at the front. But... Did you feel that?" Afal came back.

    "Yes. Where did that come from?"

    "I''m out of golems to regenerate the wall. They''re too many and too fast to dig through."

    "Afal, your soldiers."

    "Yes." Afal ran back to them and ordered to take their battle positions.

    "Stone Plateau!" All of the mages assigned to the archer and gunner groups casted a stone elevate spell. A single line of stones went up that''s higher than the walls of my kingdom. It raised the archers and gunners to the top and began to get ready.

    The archers fired upwards and the arrows went raining down on the enemies. It doesn''t ensure a sure kill, but it''s enough to damage a whole area.

    The gunners implemented the volley fire. The front launched a burst of bullet that exploded on contact and they retreated back to the very back to reload while the second line began to fire.

    It seems they''ve learnt well.

    They doesn''t let the beasts get near the soldiers below them. But it''ll be close since they''re being overpowered by numbers.

    And just as I predicted, they entered combat with the soldiers below. The swordsmen took the lead while the spearmen were sticking on the swordsmen''s backs.

    This is my version of a phalanx. The swordsmen in front while the spearmen try to pierce them. If we had more juggernauts, this''ll be more doable and more consistent.

    "Hmm?! Again?" That sudden burst of wave of high magic and bloodlust was felt. And then another surge of wave was felt. "Rize, can you check what''s happening?"

    "Yes." Rize changed her weapon into a gun and looked at its scope. A single magical circle formed near her eye which I''m guessing a spell that magnifies. "Hmm?!"

    "What do you see?"

    "Wha..." Rize was just there paralyzed in what she saw.

    "Rize, what''s going on?!"

    "Zieglind they... they''re not raiding our kingdom... They... They''re running."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Rize simply handed me her weapon and I looked at the scope.

    "That''s the reason why they were running."

    "Wha-" when I looked at it, the ground beneath us is being shaken by the tremors. The beasts below us grew more impatient and began doing anything to just run but the soldiers are preventing them from entering my kingdom.

    Loud shrieks were heard from the monsters below but the one that captivated my eyes was the enemy they were running from.

    A giant turtle carrying monsters on its back. Its tail was long and at the end of it was a crystal in deep color read. Its shell was mossy and color green but I know that''s tough.

    The monsters above the turtle was four monstrosity.

    Four demons.

    They all had horns and black wings. Even though I can barely see it, their eyes was glowing in the color red. They were mounting the giant turtle beneath them.

    The turtle is nearly 1 kilometer near our kingdom. The turtle opened its mouth and a large shriek so defeaning, it put some of my soldiers to sleep.

    "Zieglind... Look at the east..." Greta then pointed at the location.

    I used Rize''s gun and looked at what Greta was being worried about. "What..? WHY ARE THEY ALSO HERE!?"

    A giant army which I''m estimating about 60,000. Those crests. I''m sure of it. "WHY ARE THE THREE KINGS'' ARMY HERE TOO?!"

 Chapter 87: Lured In

    While we were just on standby in the air, we were looking at the situation. The soldiers of ours were defending pretty decent. The archers are targeting the ones in front of the melee soldiers while the gunners are blasting away at the big and intimidating monsters at the back. Reducing their firepower seeing as how in panic they are.

    "Yefa, go taunt the Three Kings'' army. Judging by their position, they wouldn''t be able to see the giant turtle heading our way. Make sure to aggravate them and lead them here." I ordered her.

    "I''ll do that now. Blink!" Yefa then vanished into thin air.

    "Afal, support your soldiers. Rize, go ahead and lure some more monster camps near here. Use your gun to lure them out of their hiding. Greta, you go on and only enter some normal dungeons and immediately go to the very end to lead out the strongest monster."

    "What? We''re already being overpowered by their numbers, and to mention, our enemy''s soldiers are here!" Greta voiced her opinion.

    "Its fine. We''ll be getting 60,000 troops or more soon." I confidently replied.

    " What...?"

    "Let''s just do it Greta, come on, I''m sure Zieglind has something up in his sleeve." Zeta then dragged her.

    "Zeta, Precia, you stay here. I''ll have you help with something."

    Everyone then dispersed into their objectives.

    "What do you need us for?" Precia asked.

    "Zeta, can I take a look at your skills?"

    "Uh yes. System, skill list!" A bunch of menus popped up in front of Zeta.

    "Damn, you''ve got a big list here." I scrolled in his skill list. I knew it. Preset class has a really insane amount of skills. He has more skills than me. About 100 more. Abyss class is highly underpowered. But this isn''t the time for that. I need to focus on the situation before me. "Use these three skills."

    "I can''t do that. One needs to be channeled then the other is just normal casting."

    "Well I have the perfect solution. I hope this works. Telepathy, Double Casting!" The information flooded in my memory then passed on to Zeta. I''m glad it worked. This is the skill I got from defending Yefa''s blast before.

    "I got it. How big do you need it to be?"

    "Enough to fit the giant turtle."

    "I can last for about a minute. That''s way too large for my mana to handle."

    "That''s fine."

    "Okay then." Zeta flew in front of me and began casting the spells I said. "Magic Expansion!" A giant magic circle appeared below the turtle. I couldn''t see it but the bright light it brought was enough to reach the skies. "Spell Vanish!" Zeta''s cast was so fast, the turtle nor the inhabitants above the turtle didn''t notice. The light was gone in an instant. "Slow!" The slow pace of how the turtle moved became even slower.

    "Telepathy, connect me to Yefa." I could feel the connection began. "How''s the situation there? We''re near."

    "What do you need me to do?" Precia asked.

    "Yeah sorry about this, you''ll be having the toughest objective here. Show me your skills."

    "Huh? Uh, okay. System, skill list."

    As I looked at her skills, its less than Zeta''s but far more than mine. But at least I found the skill I was looking for.

    "Yefa, use these two skills then immediately fly up into the air. Most of the long ranged units will be attacking at you so proceed with caution. I''ll signal you where to go and where to activate this. Go prepare, I need to contact Greta and Rize. Telepathy connect me to Greta and Rize." I could feel the connection again. "Okay, both of you, lure the monsters in the forest. In just a few seconds, maybe minutes, you''ll meet the army of Three Kings. Lure them near our gates!"

    "So this was your plan eh?" Zeta said as he was still casting the spell. "Delay the turtle and the demons above it so that the army of the Three Kings will be preoccupied with the monsters."

    "That''s not all. Just wait. My improv skills are getting great."

    "I don''t know if that''s good or not but 30 seconds left and I''ll be completely drained."

    "Stop, use that 50% of mana left of you to use in combat. Judging by its speed before and after you slowed it, you prevented it from going 500 meters more. That''s enough."

    Yefa then spoke in the telepathy. "Where do I lead these soldiers?! The horses are catching up to me! Tsk. Blink!"

    "In the gates of our kingdom. Just lead them there!"

    After waiting a couple of seconds, our support team has arrived. Also known as, the Three Kings'' army.

    "URK?! What''s going on here?!" What I assume is the leader of the group, a man maybe in his 40s or late 50s has had his horse scared and dropped him off. And so did the rest of the army''s horses. They all dropped to soldiers mounted onto them and just ran away.

    And then, Greta and Rize arrived. Bringing in the rest of the horde into the Three Kings'' direction.

    "RETREAT, EVERYONE I REPEAT, R- R- RETREAT!" I could hear the worry and fear while he spoke.

    But I won''t let them retreat. "Zeta!"

    "Got it! Barrier!" A giant wall of barrier was formed. Preventing them from running away.

    "No c- choice! Ch- charge!" Even though their morale was low, they were forced to fight.

    "Barrier, Hundred Lances, Shining Blade, Firebolt, Miniature Tsunami, Wavedash, Sprint, Strength Up, Dodge Chance Up, Stun, Hammer Bash, Protect All!" Different spells casted randomly without organization. But they can maybe win in numbers.

    The monsters looked at the army and redirected their attention at them. Giving up on breaching the gates.

    After a few seconds, they entered battle.

    "Precia now, use that skill!"

    "Mhm!" Precia deactivated her flight skill and fell between in the middle of the two groups. "Taunt!"

    Red eyes was visible from both the monster and the army followed by a large roar. They then charged into Precia but she was quick to fly up in the sky so the two groups collide. They both shouted at each other like beasts and began attacking each other.

    We all regrouped and all of the Crimson Order is back together as we observed the battle below.

    And just as I predicted, the flow of battle is in the palm of my hands. "Its here. The turtle and the demons are here."

    They entered the battle by the turtle lifting its feet and smashing it onto the ground crushing the some of the army and the monsters below it.

 Chapter 88: Asserting Dominance

    The humongous size of the turtle was enough to make the soldiers below quiver in fear.

    Before I made an action, I asked the system about a skill that I have. I smirked since the details was I hoped as it should be.

    I then heard someone in the battlefield. "DON''T FALTER!" A loud voice was heard that reached until my position. It was from a man at the very back of the Three Kings'' Army. "I, Rivald Bruno, one of the Three Kings, shall join in you in battle!"

    "Telepathy, Rivald Bruno." I activated to connect with Rivald Bruno, one of the Three Kings.

    [Telepathy request denied.]

    Oh, I didn''t know that.

    "I knew it." Zeta looked over at the menu that popped up in front of me. "Forceful Spell, Enhance!" A giant light enveloped my body. "It''ll only work once. Try it now."

    I just did what he said and, "Telepathy, Rivald Bruno."

    I could see his head flinch as he held it as if he was in pain.

    "Ugh. This stinging pain..." I could hear Rivald over the Telepathy.

    "Rivald Bruno." Just saying his name, I could hear a silent shriek from his side.

    "Urk?! Wh- who are you?! Show yourself!"

    "Calm down Rivald Bruno. I''m Zieglind Reysh, the current king of Polk and the leader of the Crimson Order."

    "You! How can you talk to me like this?!"

    "I have a proposal. Let''s have a temporary allianc-"

    "I refuse. Heh. You know you''re losing because of your army? What a coward king."

    This struck a nerve even though I didn''t have any anymore. "Hoh, then I''ll leave you these thousand beasts combined with this giant turtle that just smashed more than hundreds of your soldiers."

    "Ugh." He knew he was in a losing match. "How can we know that this turtle and these beast aren''t yours and just using this to win an easy war?"

    "Are you dumb?" I insultingly said. "If we do have these monsters as part of my army your whole kingdom would''ve fallen by now."

    "Then you''re saying these monsters aren''t yours?" He asked menacingly.

    "Yeah."

    "Well, that''s your loss." I then heard a loud bang in the back of their army. It was Rivald who smashed his hammer down the ground to gather the attention of all the soldiers. "MEN! Retreat! This is not our fight! These monsters are sieging Polk!"

    "Hah." I then looked over to Zeta. "Zeta, we need that cube spell again. But just one side."

    "Okay! Cubic Protection, Minimize!" A giant wall of barrier was formed and their army was cut off from the escape route.

    Of course them being so helpless, the monsters could smell their lingering scent of fear. They redirected their attention to them and began rushing at them full speed.

    "We''re forced to fight either way...? Damn it. A mage that can cast a spell this large... Must be a damn sage! MEN! TAKE FORMATION!" I could still hear Rivald over the Telepathy.

    "Tell me, do you want to accept?"

    "Damn it... You gave us no choice. YES! We accept..." Then a loud thud was heard again. "MEN! There has been changes! We''re accepting a temporary alliance with the Crimson Order! Only until we kill all the monsters here, including that giant turtle!"

    I heard some obvious discontent in their army but Rivald just shouted loudly again and shut them all up.

    They backed off and let him do what he wanted.

    "Told you Greta. 60,000 troops in an instant." I proudly say.

    "Heh. You got lucky." She said. "But that was a great setup."

    "Afal, focus your soldiers on only the monsters below. We will take care of the the giant monsters. They''re getting ready too." They''ve been sending non-stop waves of bloodlust and they''re asserting dominance over us. But no one could sense it other than us, the Crimson Knights, not even Rivald of the Three Kings.

    Afal backed off and relayed the message to his soldiers.

    "Let''s act now. We''ll use Rivald''s army as cannon fodder. Now... I''m actually pretty irritated. Someone just took everything from me. I need to blow off some steam. Here''s my response you damn demons. Aura!" I exerted most of my bloodlust into waves as it reached to them.

    The turtle stopped in its tracks.

    The demons loosened up, their shoulder crossed rest was gone and opened their eyes as they felt my response.

    "Everyone, get ready. Zeta, dispel your barrier spell. Conserve mana. Also, accept the request I sent you all."

    Everyone didn''t ask any questions and just accepted the menu that popped up in front of their screens.

    We flew to the top of the turtle and met the four demons face to face. Everyone brought out their weapons and was in a stand off face to face. The four demons were calm and were just standing

    "You''re the one?" One of the male demon asked.

    "What?" I asked.

    "Are you the one that we felt?"

    "Ah yes. That''s me."

    "Hmm. You don''t look that tough to me." He said as he bumped his fists together.

    I tried to hold back my rage. I''m in a very bad mood and I''m being weakened by the Reborn skill and I''m also weakened since I reverted back to level 1.

    "Heh. You look angry. That''s nice. I''m Hryth." Hryth was a red colored demon with two horns on his forehead sticking out. Spikes were seen on his shoulders, elbows and knees. His intimidating aura was felt as his appearance was terrifying to boot. His fingers were just elongated fingers that looked so sharpened. Can be mistaken for claws.

    He then introduced the other three before us. They all had the same appearance except their genders.

    The other male was Yryth, his brother. He just looks like him.

    The other two women was Bry and Orka.

    "I''m Zieglind, these comrades of mine are Rize, Yefa, Zeta, Greta, Afal and Precia."

    "Isn''t that unfair, 7 vs 4?"

    I know that he was just joking around but I couldn''t help but taunt him more. "Then you can choose who you''ll fight. That''s a handicap."

    I could see veins pop off his head. "Oh? Then I choose you as my guinea pig. Bring those three with you." He said as he pointed his fingers at Afal, Greta and Precia.

    "Well that''s that."

    "Ehhh?" Yefa, Rize and Zeta complained.

    "Well we do need someone to protect the kingdom. I''ll leave it to you all to kill this hulking beast of a monster." I said as I tapped the turtle below me.

    "Now that introductions are done, why don''t we get to the main event?" Hryth smirked menacingly. "Now, feast your eyes on our sanctuary. Hell Sanctuary!"

    The place surrounding us changed as the place suddenly deteriorated.

    I couldn''t even hear the complaints of the three as we were suddenly teleported.

    The location we were transported was just like the name suggested. It was hell itself. The lava was everywhere and the steam of everything around us was hot. I couldn''t feel it but I think it is that hot.

    "Haa... I don''t really like these kind of place."

    "Well that''s a shame. You can''t escape this place unless you use a teleport skill or kill us. Well, either way you''ll die here."

    "Is that so? Then let''s test it out."

    "What do you mean?"

    "DOMAIN OF THE BLOODFALLEN!"

 Chapter 89: The Martial Art Queen

    "HELL SANCTUARY!" Hryth casted. Then after that, Zieglind, Afal, Greta and Rize and them too disappeared into thin air.

    "Wha-" I tried to reach out to grab one of them but they were just instantly gone. "What just happened?!"

    Zeta did an exasperated sigh. "I''m sure they''ll be fine Yefa."

    "Bu-"

    "Agreed." Rize intervened. "If Zieglind''s there, then everything will be fine. He protected us before so why not them? And also, we have some things to take care on our end too!"

    I also did an exasperated sigh. "Let''s get to work shall we?" We three looked at each other and nodded in unison. "Come Pugilist Gauntlets!" These two giant weapons of mine were far too heavy for my use but with a single thought of mine... "Shrink." The weapon shrunk to the size I was looking for.

    Rize and Zeta''s weapons were already out.

    "I need to harvest some souls. My mana is running out." Zeta said as he was about to fly out. But I had some questions.

    "Is it a skill?"

    "Ah, yeah. My skills costs so much mana but if I just harvest some souls I could gain maximum mana and gain mana in the process."

    "I see, then we''ll try to break through this turtle."

    Zeta then flew off to the battlefield below wherein the Three Kings, our army and the monsters are fighting.

    Rize flew into the air and readied her Heartpiercer Gun Mode. She looked into the rear sight of her gun, aimed at the back of the turtle and casted different spells. "Armor Breaker, Bullet Hell, Homing Bullets, One-Shot Compressor!" Several glowing lights appeared from her gun. "Booyah!" She happily said as she fired the trigger of her gun.

    That was just one bullet fired but several explosions went off and the bullets that looked like was going off-trail redirected its path and was aimed perfectly at the shell of the turtle.

    "Wouldn''t it be better if you just aimed at its head...?"

    "Ah... I forgot there was that too." We then both laughed at each other.

    We took a look at the damage and we saw that it pierced so deep, we could see the ground. But something was wrong. Its just a shell and there''s no guts inside. I punched the shells but it just easily came off. Despite its appearance, it was quite soft. We both then went in the turtle.

    It was dark, the only light inside was the hole Rize made. We waved our hands to see if we can feel any guts or anything, but there really is not anything inside.

    "Wow I thought there''d be something more. Like the turtle being so tough or something."

    "Yeah I can ge-" As Rize was speaking, I could hear the faint noise of metal being unsheathed. Then, my suspicions were true.

    "DIE!" A demon suddenly appeared into the light ready to plunge down Rize''s neck.

    "Blink!" Before the demon could get down, I blinked in front of him.

    He couldn''t even react, he just looked at me dumbfounded. So with a single powerful punch, I punched him in the stomach. He was sent flying back as his mouth vomited blood and saliva.

    "Thank you Yefa." Rize smiled.

    "I''m back. What''s with this place? It''s so dark." We both heard a familiar voice and as we looked up, we saw Zeta floating in the air.

    "What do we do?" We could hear a slightly soft murmur in the darkness but we couldn''t see it.

    "Zeta, could you?" I asked.

    "Yeah, yeah, Illuminate!" A small wisp was spawned in and it brighten up the whole place inside of the turtle. Then, what we saw was unimaginable.

    The insides of the turtle was facilities, there were houses and such. The shell and the turtle was just a decoy and to create a moving kingdom. But what made us worried is the amount t of demons inside of the shell. There were about thousands of demons raring to go at us.

    We were all in a standoff. No one moved unless one of us moved. The unnerving atmosphere made us all sweat. But the standoff had to finish soon. And that''s what happened. The horde of demons attacked us first.

    "Stance Change, Boxing!" Changing stances grants me a lot of bonus buffs and when I activate some stances, it grants me the information all about it. This stance was made from the northern part of Pandir. Where the most powerful creatures existed who only relied on strength alone. I''m a Dark Elf and when my ceremony came, everyone looked at me like I''m dumb because Dark Elves and Elves usually excels in archery. But I have something different in mind. I want to conquer others through sheer power!

    Demons came at me but I''m not afraid. Because two of my comrades and friends are fighting alongside me protecting my back and sides. I didn''t even look at them because I had the utmost confidence that they''ll protect me and I''ll protect them.

    A demon rushed up to me. He swung his sword but then I used blink to get near his face. Now, he doesn''t have any chance to recover his sword. "Sh, sh, sh!" One, two, three. The practical combo. Two jabs followed by a hook from the dominant hand. But I''m ambidextrous, I can blow full power punches in either hand. The demon was flipped by the right hook while my two jabs tore apart his flesh.

    A giant demon then rushed up to me and swung his giant fists. But I just dodged to the right, "Stance Change, Krav Maga!" I turned my back on the giant demon, grabbed its wrists, then kicked his feet while pulling his wrists. It sent him flying even though the demon was at least 10x my own weight. But I managed to slam him down the ground. "Stance Change, Tai Chi!" Using the powers of the south, I used Fajin, an explosive move which I aimed at his head blowing it away.

    Four small demons then rushed up to me as I killed of the giant. "Stance Change, Taekwondo!" They were fast, but as soon as they jumped, they instantly lose that speed. Using the strength of my feet, I mustered up my strength as I did a roundhouse kick. Blowing the four small demons away and damaging those who were behind him. In a one single swoop.

    "Stance Change, Karate, Exploding Fists!" I buffed my fist weapon and change my stance into karate. Doing the most used and most simplest move of karate, close my fist and bring it to my hips, palm up. Using all of my strength in my right arm, I punched straight ahead. There was no one near me, but using the buff I added, an explosive surge of fire was emitted burning down the demons before me.

    I was done with my side of demons and so was Zeta and Rize. Zeta revived all the demons that he killed and so did Rize''s. Rize''s side was filled with arrows and bullets while Zeta''s was just scorched and iced. Zeta then did the same with my side and revived everyone using his necromancy skill.

    "These damn insects..." A loud voice was heard. Deep and strong.

    "Now, now, let''s all calm down." A female whose tone sounds seductive talked too.

    They both came out of the dark and stood up against us three. Their crushing aura around them was amazing.

    "Are you the one that did this?" Another voice was heard.

    We knew these three demons aren''t the small fries like earlier. Their mere presence alone makes me shiver. I''m sure Zeta and Rize felt it too. We gulped down our dry saliva as we saw their appearance.

 Chapter 90: Overwhelming Power

    Three hulking giant demons stood before us.

    "I''m Brutus. The warlord of this kingdom." Brutus was a man three times as tall as me. His muscles was well built and veins were popping off of it. His red skin complimented the strong appearance he had. He has only one horn while the other one was obviously torn or has been cut.

    "I''m Sylvana. Teehee." Sylvana was obviously a woman, her red skin and demeanor showed seductiveness and attraction. She was beautiful, and that''s coming from me, a woman. Her weapon looked like a whip.

    "I''m Grytua, an Archmage." Crap. They have an archmage. A title only fit for someone who has achieved more than 300 skills. But in a short span of time...? They achieved this much? Ever since Zieglind''s and the so called "players" the level gain was far too easy. But to accumulate that much in a span of months is... worrying. Grytua held a floating book as his weapon and a staff on his right hand. The only thing abnormal about him is his eyes. It looked like his pupils have a red circle around it.

    We three introduced ourselves to them but they didn''t seem interested.

    "Well, Let''s do this our way. Sylvana, Grytua?" Brutus spoke. The three looked at each other and nodded.

    With their unison in casting a single spell, "Hell Sanctuary!"

    As soon as I opened my eyes, the environment around me changed. Lavas, molten rocks, the steams that can burn your skin, I could feel it all. But the Gazer Armor is protecting me. I looked around me and only saw two people. Me and Brutus. The other four was missing. I''m all alone in this ''hell.''

    "Let''s get this party started. Berserker Mode Activate, Grievous Wounds, Reckless!" Three spells of which I didn''t know Brutus casted on himself.

    "Stance Change, Kickboxing, Exploding Fists Minimize." I just need to get hold of his fighting pattern. I weakened the explosion on my Pugilist Gauntlets to lessen the knockback it causes after it explodes.

    "Ground Split!" Brutus did a normal karate chop right down at the ground. But that wasn''t all. The ground split up to where I was. That sheer power split the ground in half revealing the lava below me. I jumped back and he laughed. "At least you didn''t die at the first attack. I congratulate you."

    "Thanks?" I feel annoyed but I''ll just be playing at his pace. "Blink." I teleported right under his face. "Sh, sh, sh" One, two, three, two jabs to his stomach, the exploding fists activated and created small explosions and one uppercut right at the middle of his chest, where to solar plexus is located. Demons are humans in a way too. Just corrupted. It made him lift off the ground just for a millisecond then I backed away. Small cuts were forming in the places where I punched.

    "Not bad. To inflict this much damage even after I got this tough body. You impress me!" He then rushed at me. He swung his right arm so wide, it reached even though I was one and a half meter away from him. It got enough momentum to make a hard hitting punch. I blocked it but my hands were trembling after receiving a hit.

    I can''t win in a battle of strength. "Blink!" I tried the same thing again by getting under his huge body.

    "Fade!" While I was under him, he activated a skill I didn''t know. Just as I was about to do the three hit combo, he instantly stepped back really quickly and counter attacked with his right fist again sending me flying.

    That was like two meters he stepped back how did it reach me? I hit a wall and I vomited some blood after colliding. I stood up and wiped it off my face. "Stance Change, Krav Maga!" Bonus stat points were distributed again to suit my new martial art. "Blink!" I rushed in front of him again.

    Just as I hoped, "Fade!" He stepped back again and launched his insane range of an arm to me. But I dodged it this time. "!?" He was caught off guard.

    As I did before to the demons, I turned around and grabbed his wrists. "I forg-" He then launched his other fist right to me and it sent me flying again. I forgot that we were two meters away so I couldn''t possibly trip his other leg.

    I collided again with the same wall that I was blown away. "System, Stance List." Despite my skill list having so much stances, I don''t even know if any of these will work. I then looked over at the one stance that caught my attention. This stance was considered useless as it was only used since people were helping each other do it. It''s unpractical in real combat. But I''ll definitely lose if I don''t do anything.

    "Are you in a daze or something?" Brutus asked. "Ah damn. Are you dead already? That was just a couple of hits. This is boring."

    "Wait." I stood up. "Give me everything you''ve got."

    His head popped a vein. Demons are really easy to enrage. "You''re really asking for it! Fade!" This time, he didn''t step back but he stepped forward to me. It was instantaneous but I know where his attack will be. "Stance Change, Aikido." I grabbed his wrists and forced his palm to be open. I used his own strength against him. He''s on his knees as I was the one standing. I''m actually overpowering him.

    "HNG?! What?!" He was in complete shock. His hands were being twisted by me, who was once previously outclassed by his strength. He tried to get out but every single time he did, I changed the position of my hands on his hands to keep him grounded. He couldn''t get out.

    "Change Stance, Tai Chi." I opened my palm against his face. With slight push and the use of Fajin, he was blown away tearing his fists. "Change Stance, Karate." Just a precaution if he ever attacked.

    "AGH! YOU BASTARD!" He cried as he held his torn fists. I threw away the fist that was still in my hands and he looked at it pitifully. "Now you''ve done it. I just need to kill you. Inventory!" He then pulled out something. A helmet? A weapon? Gauntlet? or these three combined?

    He wore the helmet that had wires attached to the gauntlets. He forced his torn hand to wear his gauntlet. "I''ll be converting all my mana to physical power. I''LL LET YOU FEEL THE PAIN I FELT! MANA TRANSFUSION!" The wires that were connected to his helmet and gauntlets glowed. It was unbelievable. His gauntlets grew twice its size and he can use it without restrictions. "Block this! Fade!"

    He launched himself against me again. I was about to block it but I could feel the overwhelming pressure coming from that weapon. I parried his punch thrust by using the back of my fist to redirect his right fist from connecting. It redirected straight to the ground and I counter attacked with a straight left punch. He lost his balance and fell over. But when I looked at my side wherein his fist was redirected to, it literally broke the ground and the rocks behind it.

    He stood up and smirked. "Round 2. Shall we?"

 Chapter 91: Hundred Stances

    Aikido is useless now. His gauntlets doesn''t have fingers in it. It just looks like a large metal shaped roundly that was place on his fists. And to think that it converts mana into physical power... But isn''t that a great thing? He can''t use buffs. And he attacks like a madman.

    He was a beast creature with no intelligence but his strength far surpasses mine even with Fajin.

    Without warning, he launched himself onto me. He started with a straight left punch but I dodged it by moving to the right. His range is insanely large so I just backed off. His gauntlets were to thick and too big to feel anything if I attacked him.

    He looked annoyed but he still charged. "Fade!" He instantly got up near to me but it took some time to wind up his attacks so before he could do anything, I used blink to get near his stomach and unleashed three quick strikes.

    Even though the explosions was small, it still was powerful enough to make a small cut in his body. "System, Stance List." Before he could recover, I took a look at my stance list to find a new martial art to use. His strength was too much for me.

    I glanced over for a couple of seconds and Brutus noticed this. "Hey, hey, hey. Are you giving up? COME ON!" He opened his palm as if inviting me in. "Entertain me more!"

    I responded by changing my stance, "Stance Change, Systema!" The art of flowing like water and relaxing. Perfect for parrying and disarming. But I wonder if it would work against him.

    "Fade!" He then interlocked both his fists and smashed it onto the ground. It created ruptures and explosions.

    "!?" The ground beneath me was shaking and a rupture was formed spitting out lava from below. I flew into the air to avoid the jumping lava.

    "Demonic Grab!" He then activated. A ethereal form of fist was formed near my flying body and grabbed me mid air.

    "You had enough mana for a skill?!" I was caught off-guard. I thought he used everything to be converted into strength!?

    "Heh." He then slammed me onto the ground.

    My head was ringing and I could see blood near my eyes. I was about to panic but the bonus passive skill from changing stance to Systema caused my whole body to relax and my mind too. I was about to get up but he jumped in the air, interlocked his fists ready to smash it onto the ground.

    I didn''t stand up but rolled to the left.

    He smashed it onto the ground creating even more ruptures and lava overflowing everywhere.

    I stood up and tried to calm myself. Systema''s moves rely on relaxation and fluidity. "Instincts Enhance!" I then closed my eyes to get ready.

    I couldn''t see him, but I could feel him getting angry.

    Using only my ears and relying on instincts alone, I could hear his foot stomp on the ground. He launched himself! I took a stance and awaited his attack.

    "There!" As expected, he used his right arm to attack me with it. A single straight punch. Relaxing my body, I blinked to get even nearer at him and grabbed his elbow. With enough strength, I twisted his elbow. I then opened my eyes to look at his painful expression.

    "AGH!" He writhed in pain but that''s not enough.

    "Stance Change, Karate!" Using the bonus passive skills and stat points I got from changing stance, with all my strength, I used a Karate Chop on his twisted elbow. Tearing it off and making it useless. And as I was observing his right, I knew it. It was twice as long as his left arm.

    He was about to cry over his right arm but by mustering all of his strength on his left arm, he tried to attack me. But I knew it was coming.

    I parried it by redirecting the flow of his punch down to the ground. "Stance Change, Wing Chun!" I opened my palm and placed it on his chest. He looked at it and was just simply confused. "HA!" I changed my open palm into a fist and blew him away with the one inch punch.

    But that''s not all.

    Wing Chun was a martial art that focuses both on attacking and defending. And it''s also focused on flurry of attacks. "Blink!" I teleported right in front of his body. He was still groggy so this is the best chance. "Explosive Fists, Maximum Output!" Without a care for my body, I neglected the knockback and damage it causes me when the explosion happens. I knew I had to get rid of him right now.

    I got up to his stomach and began punching a flurry of attacks. "ARGH! YOU!!!" He couldn''t do anything. I just braced for impact while the explosions damaged both me and Brutus. He was still standing up taking it all. He tried to counter attack by swinging his left arm but I easily deflected it.

    "HAAAAA!" I continued to attack his stomach while also aiming for his solar plexus. He couldn''t breathe but I didn''t care. He was far too strong to have mercy on.

    "DAMN IT!" He lowered his body and aimed to get a sweep kick to loosen my balance.

    "You''re wrong Brutus. Wing Chun focuses on parry!" His kick was too slow but I know it was powerful. I raised my feet off the ground while balancing on the other. Using the momentum of his sweep kick, I entangled my feet that was off the ground to gradually spin around it tangling in his attack and counter attacking by attacking his legs which caught him off balance.

    "Stance Change, Tai Chi! Blink!" I blinked on top of his head. A single straight punch that was infused with Fajin. Exploded his head.

    I fell over to the side next to his body, exhausted and damaged. "Haaaaa... I''m tired. Very. Tired." As I closed my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

    After a couple of minutes, I woke up. I was back inside of the turtle. I got out of that hellish place.

 Chapter 92: The Battle of the Archmages

    "Hot stuff." I jokingly said. The area around us was just waves of hellfire.

    Grytua simply stood there without saying anything. "Area Cast, Ground Zero."

    "What...? NO WAY! That can only be activated if there''s 3 or more casters with the same skill!" He restricted flight. I can''t cast Dispel. Dispel works when I fully understand the entirety of the spell. I can''t even understand how he casted that without anyone with him. "Fireball!"

    "Dispel." The spell I casted was instantly cancelled. "Are you insulting me? The very basic fire spell?"

    "Just wanted to try." I said but I was shaking from the inside. He dispelled that instantly. I couldn''t even do that even if it was a basic spell.

    "Dragon Lightning." Two shaped like dragons being shaped and imaged by the lightning suddenly appeared behind his back.

    "Dragon Lightning!" I responded with the same spell.

    We both raised our hands as if we were targeting each other. The two dragons behind our backs collided sending out a massive shockwave and cancelling each other.

    "Impressive. We have the same firepower."

    Yeah no. Just by seeing how he easily casted that, he''s still holding back. I need to catch him off-guard. I planted my hand on the ground. "Rock Pillar!"

    "Hmm?" He looked below him and saw the ground rumble he jumped in the air trying to avoid the pillar. But I used Dual Casting.

    "Phoenix Flame!" A phoenix like appearance being illustrated by the fire I casted found its way to Grytua.

    "Five-Layer Barrier!" Grytua instantly casted deflecting the pursuit of my Phoenix Flame. He then tumbled onto the ground. "HOW!?" He seemed agitated.

    "What?"

    "How can you Dual Cast!? That spell was last seen at the Great War that happened hundreds of years ago! HOW DO YOU HAVE THAT?!"

    Yeah, I know. I''m just as curious as him. I got this skill from Zieglind. I don''t know why he had this skill despite him being a melee combatant. He doesn''t even use any magic other than physical enhancement. "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I just casted two different spells at different times." I tried to act dumb.

    "Is that so. THEN YOU''LL JUST BE FORCED TO SHOW IT TO ME!" Grytua then clapped his hands then as he separated them, lightning was traveling in both of his hands. "Lightning Maelstrom!"

    "Water Manipulation, Cellular Change!" A tall water wall was formed and I splashed it onto Grytua.

    "AGH!" He writhed in pain as he was being electrocuted by his own skill. He then dispelled his own skill.

    "I changed the cellular form of water to be more dangerous and more conductive."

    "I''m done playing games!" He opened his book and looked for a certain spell. "Trey Hi Da Ma Lu Tyr Pro Ga Za Ba Na! Come to me, Lightning Body!"

    "That''s..."

    "Feast on my appearance!"

    "That''s just like Zieglind''s... without the Cursed Art..."

    "Are you making me angry? If so, you''re succeeding. I spent years trying to endure the backlash of this power! But now, I''m completely immune to lightning! And this! Without Cursed Art?! You''re definitely bluffing!"

    "Yeah no... I''m not." Zieglind''s skills are way too unorthodox. This demon spent years to obtain this skill but he says that he just appeared in this world.

    "YOU''VE DONE WELL TO ANGER ME!" Swoosh! In an instant that his feet went off the ground, he disappeared right as I was looking at him intently. He then left a trail of lightning whenever he ran by. But there''s more trouble. He casted spells as he ran around. "Lightning Orbs!"

    I know how to dispel that spells since I looked at Zieglind''s spell list but I can''t get ahead of him! I need to protect myself. "Five-Layer Barrier!" I was guarding myself from his barrage of lightning orbs.

    "Dispel!" My five layer barrier was gone without him even attacking it.

    "Rock Deformation!" I ruptured the ground to try to limit his movement..

    "Wrong." He murmured.

    "Huh?!" I looked at the ground and tons of lava erupted nearly burning me off.

    "Lightning Whirlpool!" He stopped and waved his hand then water and lightning appeared both under me sucking me both in and electrocuting my body.

    "Water Manipulation, Cellular Change!" I changed the water''s properties to stop being a conductor. I then jumped up trying to avoid the lightning.

    "Gravity Retract!" He''s trying to pull me down.

    "Dispel!"

    He then ran towards me. He was too fast for my reactions. "Thunder Strike!"

    "That''s- UGAH!" I was blown away a couple of meters. Thunder Strike is a close ranged spell that explodes and electrocutes on contact and the worst part of it all... It silences me for a minute. Meaning I can''t cast any spells. Enough for him to kill me!

    "Lightning Maelstrom!" He clapped his hands and as he seperated it, lightning appeared. He then rushed at me.

    Damn it! I don''t have enough time to protect myself!

    [Corpse Defiler, requirements met.]

    [Debuffs removed.]

    [Petrification skill activated.]

    Grytua''s body is slowly turning into stone. "What''s this...? Petrification!? This is a highly leveled skill used by Death Reapers... That staff... Don''t tell me..." Grytua had a sudden revelation. "THAT''S THE CORPSE DEFILER!" As soon as he said those words, the stone reached his head petrifying his whole body completely.

    I barely won that... No... It''s safe to say I lost. I couldn''t use any skills. Him running around in that insane speed while being able to cast absurd spells... I definitely lost that. But this staff... What was that skill that the system forcefully activated...?

    "AGHHH!"

    "What?!"

    Grytua slowly broke through the petrification.

    "Good thing this skill was still activated. Or I would''ve been done."

    "Lightning Body!?" I have now the chance to dispel it. "Dispel!"

    "No you don''t!" He broke through the petrification and instantly got away.

    "Book of Knowledge, show me what I need!" Grytua then smirked.

    "No you don''t! Dragon Lightning, attack Grytua!"

    "Lightning Body, Enhance!"

    "No way..." As soon as my Dragon Lightning got near to Grytua, he absorbed the spell.

    "Book of Knowledge, enhance my magic!" A giant circle formed behind his back and slowly passed his body then disappeared. "Dragon Lightning!"

    "Dispel!" I tried to but when I took a look inside of the magic, it became even more complicated. It didn''t work. "Five-Layer Barrier!"

    "Dispel!" In an instant! Again! He dispelled my skill in a matter of milliseconds.

    "Damn." I couldn''t block the incoming Dragon Lightning.

 Chapter 93: Apprentices Revenge

    I was blown away and I could feel that some of the flesh inside of me even though protected by my armor was burnt.

    "Nimbus Clouds!" Grytua''s spell casted a large area of clouds that formed above us. "Lightning Dome!" I was trapped inside of his own domain. "Keke. You can''t escape here. I need to get that armor and that staff. You''re a Death Reaper aren''t you? You''re pretty weak for being one. But your equipment... IT''S TOP NOTCH!"

    Uwaa he''s a freak about power. "Identify!"

    [Nimbus Clouds, summons a giant cloud that randomly strikes lightning.]

    [Lightning Dome, increases the damage of lightning or thunder based attacks as long as you''re inside.]

    These skills are insane. He''s immune to lightning while he''s in that form so spawning in water and making it a volatile conductor is just useless and will damage me in the process.

    "Lightning Orb!" Two balls of lightning spawned in his hand that was a perfect fit. He threw it to me. I barely dodge it but the lightning was so unstable inside of this dome it managed to graze me even if I dodged it completely.

    I can''t dispel his spells since I have zero clues about it. Damn! "Fireball, Seismic Wave!" Two simultaneous casts.

    "I knew it! Dual Casting. But you''re naive! Dispel!" He managed to dispel fireball but not fast enough for the Seismic Wave.

    Seismic Wave disrupts the enemy''s balance.

    "Rock Stalagmite!" A rock that was sharp pierced through his back when he slipped and raised him from the ground. "Chaos Flames!"

    "I''m... I''m a demon! Such weak fires does not work! Demonic Transformation!" Wings grew from his back, his eyes lit up and flared a red light, his hands were slowly turning into claws, his back grew a tail and black tattoos formed in his body. But when he transformed, so did his book.

    That book was too familiar. I only noticed it when the color changed that book was...

    "That book... no.. NO! NO! YOU KILLED MY MASTER?!" I knew it well. That book was from my master. The true sage and the most powerful mage that I know. If the book transformed when he was a demon then does that mean... NO! I don''t believe it! "ARGH!!!"

    Grytua jumped and got out from the binds of the stalagmite that pierced his back. "This? This is from that old fart. Pretty damn strong in my human form but when I turned into demon he was nothing. He''s a demon too but I can''t imagine how weak he was."

    "I''ll rip you to shreds." I raised my left hand and casted a spell that he couldn''t even hear. I used my right hand as a distraction for my other spell.

    "Status Update." He casted on me. "You don''t have any mana left and it''s draining very quickly. Is that armor really draining that much?"

    "Chaos Flames!"

    "Naive! Dragon Lightning!"

    The two elements clashed and resulted in a tie both exploding and cancelling each other out.

    "Nimbus, Activate Rapid Fire Mode!" I didn''t know what that meant but after he casted that, the cloud above us started spewing out lightning in random directions. I could barely dodge it. It was a lightning fast attack but I''m sure it drains mana from him too. I spent most of the time trying to dodge his nimbus attacks.

    "Gravity Control, Retract!"

    Grytua counterattacked by letting himself be pulled near me, "Thunder Strike!"

    "I will not be falling for that trick again. Gravity Control, Freeform!" Using the freeform is a difficult move using only one hand. I can control gravity to whatever I want with the risk of it happening to me also.

    I change his course of gravity by making his head shake making him groggy and lose his center of balance.

    I managed to make it work.

    He fell to the ground trying to regain his balance but I already readied my next spell.

    "Orb of Fire!" I spawned in an orb of fire that continually fires fireballs. "Bursting Fireball!" Point blank range. The fireball who''s weak on his own but when it splits into many, turns into a very damaging spell and I applied this buff on Orb of Fire. As expected the orb bursted out a fireball that continually exploded on Grytua''s grounded body.

    "Gravity Control, Repel!" He casted but I won''t let him do that.

    "Dispel!" I cancelled his spell and the orb of fire continued to blast his back.

    He kicked the ground and jumped very high in the air.

    "I forgot... Lightning Body... Damn it!" He vibrated his feet enough to act as a magnet and casted a different lightning spell on the ground. That means he put a positive energy on his foot and a negative or so called repel on the ground and it gave enough power to lift him off. "To use the power of lightning to that degree... You must''ve spent so much time learning everything about it. You''ve mastered it."

    He then landed softly on the ground. "I''m tired of this. I''ll show you my strongest skill." He clapped his hands again and showed an electric current on his hands. "Mjolnir..."

    "WHAT?! A weapon of the god Thor. But... that''s impossible! Water Dome!" I surrounded myself with water.

    "MJOLNIR''S JUDGEMENT!" The lightning in his hands took a form of a giant hammer. Ten times bigger than him.

    "Water Manipulation, Cellular Change!" I changed the cellular level of my water dome.

    By waiting for a bit, the hammer illustrated by the lightning struck my dome and electrical currents were flying everywhere.

    After a few moments, my water dome collapsed and the fog of the nimbus was left...

    "HAHAHA! I did it... I killed a Death Reaper! I don''t need this stupid book anymore. Now... let me see where that Corpse Defiler staff is..."

    "You''re a joke."

    "!?" He was caught off guard by my voice. "How...?! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"

    "I changed the properties of water to not be a conductor. That was your self created skill right? Thor''s lightning would''ve passed through my dome easily since his powers are divine neglecting the laws of our world. You self proclaimed bastard! Using Thor''s name like that... You deserve judgement!"

    "DAMN YOU! LIGHTNING VORTEX!"

    "Water Dome!" The lightning vortex skill hit my dome and protected me from damage. I then dispelled it. "Hey Grytua. Why do you think I''m raising my left all this time?"

    "Huh..?"

    "You really have no clue huh? You haven''t hit me once after you nearly killed me with that Dragon Lightning. Look up."

    "WHAT!?" His eyes widened at his view.

    It was a giant eye looking down at us. While two of its hands were like ripping through space and only peeking with its eye.

    "I have to thank you. Your Nimbus Clouds really helped cover my spell."

    "You''ve been casting that spell all this time?! That''s why when I checked your status your mana was draining so fast. DAMN YOU AND THAT DUAL CASTING SPELL!"

    "THE SCORCHING FLAMES, RAY OF CHAOS!"

    The eye opened his eyes wider and a beam of fire was reached through Grytua down to the very depths of the ground where we were standing on.

    "No... everything I worked for... CURSE YOU ZETAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

    He disintigrated into nothingness.

    [Gazer Armor will be dispelled. No mana left.]

    "Haa... haa... haa..." I was catching my breath. "Damn it... I used the scorching flames ray of chaos." I can''t use it anymore. A one time scroll given to me by my master. Even though it''s a scroll, I still needed a very long time to cast it.

    I looked down and grabbed the book he was holding. "So it is master''s." I couldn''t held my tears back. It just started overflowing. "This mere apprentice of you master... has taken revenge... I''ll pick your legacy back up master."

 Chapter 94: True Leader

    We were all confused. We haven''t seen Zieglind''s skill.

    "Where is this? Where have you taken us?!" Orka, the female demon asked while she was panicking.

    "Hell Sanctuary!" Hryth immediately casted. But nothing happened.

    "You can''t escape my domain." Zieglind asserted dominance. "Change location, Hazardous Blizzard!" The unending black that was stretching into infinity changed into an insanely cold location. Mountains made of ice, snow and a wind that blew freezing air and the ground made with hard cold ice. Even standing here, a normal creature standing here would''ve caught frostbite already.

    Yryth felt Zieglind''s power surging through the whole area. He owns this world and they can''t change it. "You''re dangerous... I''m sorry brother and sisters, but I need your help. He''s too dangerous. We need to work with this one."

    "Are you k-" Hryth wanted to decline Yryth''s suggestion but Yryth simply looked at him menacingly silencing him in the process. "If you say so." He just followed his orders. "Fury Armor!" Four noticeable spots on his body changed. His fists and his feet. It was enveloped in a fire-like armor.

    "Book of Cyazl!" Yryth was a mage.

    "Whip of Domination!" Bry uses a fire whip.

    "Zy Rya Me Phi Ti!" Orka casted a cursed art. "Demonic Rifle!"

    "Come, Soul Scythe." Zieglind''s Reaper weapon. We still haven''t seen it until now. It was a magnificent scythe. An aura enveloped the steel of the scythe and it was pulsing. Zieglind looked at it in awe. It seems this is the first time that he saw it too. Maybe it''s reacting at his power.

    We three looked at each other and let out our weapons.

    "Come, Deathdance!" Afal started.

    Then came Greta, "Come, Soul Rend!"

    Then me, "Come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!"

    Without warning, Zieglind rushed in first. He left us here but it seems he wants to take everyone by himself. We just stood back and decided that if he ever got in trouble we''ll join in.

    Zieglind started the fight, "Lightning Body, Challenge, Battle Sense, Corruption, Soul Homage, Rage, Blood Rampage, Berserker!"

    Yryth''s face turned pale. "Those skills are!?"

    Zieglind didn''t let him talk. He stopped in front of their faces. They couldn''t even see him move. He just teleported in front of them instantly. "Soul Drag!" A small black hole formed and sucked the four in the middle of it. Zieglind took a stance and raised his scythe. Just as he was about to swing it, Yryth intervened.

    "Dispel!" His Soul Drag spell was gone and they were no longer being sucked in. "Repel!" Zieglind was blown away. "You... Those skills you used. Those are the skills from both the Demon race, Warrior Class and Mage Class. There has been no one that can use multiple skills from two classes. I can understand if you''re a demon but your appearance does not reflect that at all."

    "What are you saying brother?" Hryth lowered his weapons and relaxed himself.

    "He''s saying that he''s dangerous. That''s it." Bry reassured his brother.

    "That''s unheard and... how did he get ahold of a demon spell? That spell he casted called ''Corruption'', that was a secret from our clan!" Orka understood the danger of Zieglind.

    "Dispel Gazer Armor."

    "Huh?!" We were all confused. Zieglind dispelled his armor.

    "Armor of the Bloodfallen!" The ground rumbled and red particles appeared from Zieglind''s body. It then exploded and we were surrounded by...

    "Blood?" It was a huge dome. But after the dome disappeared, our jaws dropped after we saw Zieglind''s form.

    "Kyaa! This is the best!" He shouted. He doesn''t say those things... Has he been possessed? But his appearance... It''s haunting.

    A crimson red armor with a hint of black in several places. His knees, shoulders and elbows had spikes coming out. His wings growing our had a metal lining on the top of it and the color of blood was enhancing the overall appearance of the wings. His tail also had spikes and a metal ball on the very tip of it.

    As I remember, he can only use this power partially... I wonder what happened.

    "What...?" The demons were just shocked. They doesn''t know a thing on what Zieglind just did.

    "Get... OUT!" Zieglind shouted. It was a defeaning shout sending waves of wind. We covered our ears but we could still feel it ringing. "Damn those souls are getting powerful to the point it''s possessing me."

    "Fire Shackles!" Bry casted. "We need to kill him now!"

    Her siblings want to decline but they had no choice. It''s either kill or be killed.

    "Fury Blows!" Hryth instantly got in front of Zieglind. Several afterimages of his fist was showing on how fast his punches were. It was connecting but Zieglind didn''t feel anything.

    Zieglind decided to take a move. "Judgement." A loud thud was heard and it was the demons hitting the ground with intense force. Zieglind then broke free of the shackles Bry casted. "Soul Drag." The grounded demons were suddenly being sucked in. "Come, Bloodlust! Hmm... Huh?!" His sword had changed too.

    It turned from a katana to a nodachi. A blade that''s forged in the southern part of Pandir. The only distinguishable difference between the two are the weight and the length. But what Zieglind was holding was different. He was holding two nodachi in an enormously large size. It''s handle in my estimation was 10 inches and the blade itself was 40 inches I think.

    He ignored the change and redirected his attention to the grounded demons. In a single movement he did that I couldn''t even see, the heads of the demons came flying off.

    The area around us collapsed like a mirror breaking and when I opened my eyes, we were back at the top of the turtle and back at Pandir.

    Zieglind dispelled his armor and started to vomit.

    "Zieglind!" We went to him. I tapped his back to reassure him somehow.

    "Sorry... I-" He vomited again. "It''s just the side effects of the skill I used. I''ll be fine." He then stood up. "Now, what to do with these four?"

    We looked at the demons and saw that their heads moved around and went back to their head. "They resurrected!?"

 Chapter 95: Losing It

    "Hmm... They resurrected. No trouble." I readied both my well... what do I call these pair of nodachi? They''re still named Bloodlust since they came out when I called them. Ah no matter. They''re still the same just larger.

    My stance was both of my hands holding the pair of nodachi in a reverse grip. It''s the only stance I remember.

    As soon as I was about to lay judgement on their heads again, they both knelt in a dogeza form. Wait... how do they know this?

    "We submit to the Bloodfallen." The four of them said in unison.

    "Huh?" I didn''t know what to say.

    "Please forgive us for offending you. We didn''t know you were a Royal Demon, the Bloodfallen at that one. The second highest ranking in the world of demons." Yryth stated.

    "Please let us serve you." Bry then followed.

    We''re out of forces so I guess I''ll let them join. "I''ll only accept you four but I won''t accept your minions."

    "Hey Zieglind, should you really?" Precia asked me.

    "They look strong enough. I was just pissed so I let out some steam."

    They all relaxed and sat in a seiza position. By placing their knees on the floor and rest their buttocks on the top of your feet. I''m getting more curious by the second. These are japanese etiquette.

    "May I ask why my lord?" Hryth then asked.

    "As you can probably see, we lead a human army. You four are an exception since I''ll let Afal teach you shapeshift."

    "Hmm..." Afal stood there silently.

    "Afal?" I asked.

    "Ah." He was startled. "Yeah."

    "Something the matter?"

    "I felt father''s presence when you turned into that form... I feel like I''m remembering something."

    This is a private matter for both of us so we should keep it a secret for now. "Tell me the details later. Anyway that''s that. You can accept that offer or fight me again."

    Orka then added something. "My lord, there''s three more demons I want to join you."

    "You talk highly of them. Who are they?"

    "My brother Brutus, my sister Sylvana and my genius brother, Grytua."

    "I''ll decide if they''re worthy enough. Can you bring them here?"

    "Yes. Connection." She casted a spell again that I do not know. "Huh!?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Grytua and Brutus are dead. But they''ll revive soon. Sylvana is coming out now."

    A portal then opened that cracked the space beside us. The one that came out was a female who looked seductive. Nearly showing off her body with barely any covers. And when she came out of the portal, she was grabbing Rize''s head with it.

    "Dragonic Claws. Lightning Body." Rage took over and I rushed in front of her instantly.

    "Wha-" I cut off her throat using the claws on my hand and then grabbed her neck and raised her off the ground. She then let go of Rize''s body and let her fall to the ground.

    "TELL ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULDN''T KILL HER NOW."

    "My lord, please calm down. There must be a misunderstanding." Hryth seemed to be extremely worried.

    I grabbed her neck even more tightly. Her mouth was watering and her eyes were fidgeting everywhere. She was being choked by the 17k points of strength I have and a bonus damage from my draconic claws and being electrocuted by my lightning body. She was nearly passing out. "You won''t pass out on me." I loosened my grip then, "Heal, Great Heal." I healed her cut throat and she regained her strength back. I then tightened it again. "Afal, find Zeta. Heal Rize."

    Afal didn''t question me and just grabbed her out of there and went to find Zeta. Greta and Precia stood there silently. They seemed to be... scared?

    "My lord she''s dying. Please let her go! We apologize on her behalf."

    "It doesn''t matter anyway, she''ll revive again right?"

    They showed their signs of fear and distress. "That''s true but getting a life is about a year to make. We only have a maximum of 5 lives in our lifetime and we can''t exceed that. Please let her go! We didn''t know you before my lord so we just acted on impulse. We didn''t know that these were your comrades too." Hryth, the one who was extremely arrogant before turned submissive in front of me.

    Just as I was about to kill Sylvana I gained conscience on what I was about to do. I let my hand go and dropped her on the ground. I lost control of myself. I turned back and dispelled both of my skills and changed into Gazer Armor. "I''ll accept you all to be part of the Crimson Order. I''m sorry. I... lost control." Without hearing their responses, I flew as fast as I can to the castle and sat down on my bed even though the war outside is still happening.

    I lay down on the bed facing it and contemplated on what just happened. "Skill List." I looked over to the side where the user interface was showing. The skills are different.

    [Armor of The Bloodfallen (40% Complete), Changes your body into a demonic form. Includes tail, horns and such. Other information will be unlocked upon completion. The armor surrounding your body will act as armor same as before.]

    [Item Description]

    [Soul Scythe, can only be summoned through the use of the Gazer Armor. The tip of the scythe will be imbued by blue flames, a much stronger source of flame. If this weapon killed the target, the flames will get a charge. Has 1 sub skill.

    |Revenge|

    Consumes one charge. The flames will be as strong as the level that you killed using the scythe. This buff stacks for an unlimited amount. This buff lasts for 1 hour. The buff will be reset to 1 hour if you kill someone.]

    [Bloodlust, summons two enormous nodachi. Can be combined to merge both the length, strength, weight of the weapon.]

    These must be the prizes the god chose for me when I reborn. Ha! What way to tell me that I''m not human anymore.

    I''m losing control over my body. It''s acting on my own. Even to the point that the souls inside of the Bloodlust can possess me.

 Chapter 96: After the Invasion

    A week has passed and the battle ended between the Three Kings'' 60,000 army and the hordes of beasts and monsters that they were fighting. I held off my own kingdom''s troops and let them take the fight themselves. Hundreds were the only ones that died on our side but the Three Kings'' army was forced to retreat when they lost nearly 70% of their army. There was some demons inside of the turtle that came out and slaughtered everyone they saw. Their thirst for blood was suppressed by ordering Hryth to stop the attack and the uneasy beasts and monsters returned back to their own habitats.

    I then met the three others. Brutus, Sylvana and Grytua. Zeta was so insistent on not letting Grytua join our forces but he gave in at the end. He didn''t want to tell me the details so something must''ve happened at their battle.

    Brutus was still recuperating from his severed hand. They can resurrect but they can''t heal that fast on lost limbs. He seemed to be scared of Yefa for some reason?

    And Sylvana seemed to be... fidgeting wildly when she was near me. To cause such trauma to a demon. I must be one myself.

    I asked Rize for details but it was nothing great. It was just unpleasant and she was uncomfortable to talk about it too.

    Sylvana took the first move and mind controlled Rize. She couldn''t feel anything but she could only watch her body being torn by the whip Sylvana was using. Rize doesn''t have counteracts for mind control. I might give her Insanity Immunity but... I think I''ll hold off on it for now. They''ve receive heavy mental damage from passing the gazer armor.

    As I looked at them seven demons sitting in a seiza position, they seemed to be surprisingly more subservient than before? Well, seeing me in a fit of rage might''ve caused unnecessary fear which I don''t like.

    "For now you seven will accompany these Crimson Knights. I''ll have to do something. If there''s an extra, double team on someone. I don''t know what orders to give so do what you want but as long as they''re there it should be fine."

    "Yes!" They then stood up and got near to the person they were going to follow.

    "I''ll be going now. Aura." I closed my eyes and pinpointed the location of Caesar by spreading my aura throughout the whole kingdom. "Teleport!" As soon as I opened my eyes, I was next to him.

    "My King. The construction is complete. We''re just doing some checkups." He doesn''t seemed to be fazed by me appearing next to him in an instant.

    I didn''t mind it and went ahead and opened the giant door before me revealing the insanely large room fitted with giants of tools such as anvils and hammers.

    "My King, there''s something you might be careful with."

    "Hmm? Why, what''s wrong?"

    "I could feel your aura over here and uhh... You knocked most of our workers unconscious. You used aura then teleported right beside me right?" Caesar wasn''t unfazed. His feet were actually shaking from sheer fear.

    I forgot that aura doesn''t suppress but actually enhance my killing intent. "Oops... the people of this kingdom..."

    "We''ll make up something later... Anyway, what do you want to do with this giant room?"

    "I''ll solve our horrible armory equipments." I opened my inventory and grabbed Vulcan. "Vulcan, come out!"

    "Vulcan!? One of the god of fire!?" Caesar became even more scared.

    Ah. I used a god''s name for a golem. I hope they aren''t too pissed at this. And I also used the name Gaia for my other golem... I faced palm myself out of pure stupidity. I hope I don''t offend them.

    Vulcan came out and his soaring hot lava flowing from his body fell onto the ground. But I made some arrangements before hand. The ground beneath him is a container that can hold lots of lava and at the corners of the room, there''s wind blowing up the lava to redirect all of it to the giant cauldron near the giant anvil.

    This whole underground base cost around a million gold to make. We''ll be in debt for a while but it''ll be worth it.

    "Uwahh... I thought the real god of fire will come out."

    "I forgot that it was a god''s name... Anyway... Vulcan, I''ll give you some tasks to do."

    "Anything for master."

    "Can you forge some weapons and armor? Preferably the size of a human."

    "Yes... I don''t have... sufficient materials..." He seemed to be tired.

    "Caesar, you handle the materials. Just give him whatever he needs to forge equipment."

    Caesar then nodded in agreement and went ahead and ran out of the room to organize the papers and everything needed.

    "Master, what should I do now...?"

    "I''ll give you everything you need. For now, take a rest for some time. I''ll wake you up after so you better rest up a lot."

    "I appreciate it master." Vulcan then lay over the ground and it shook the entire room. His lava that was flowing all over his body stopped and it was releasing hot waves of steam.

    I went back to the castle and sat down in my office. Contemplating on what''s my next move. I guess I need to keep the pressure on The Three Kings. But what could I do? We''re severely outnumbered.

    But for now that''s not the matter. I need some things to talk about Afal.

    And speak of the devil, a knock was heard outside my office.

    "Come in." I ordered.

    The man came in and it was none other than Afal.

    "My lord, I''ll tell you all the details that I remembered."

    "Sit." I said as I pointed on the sit infront of my desk. He complied and sat down.

    "Do you know why the artifact dungeon of where I came from was only level 40?"

    "Now that you say that... I am curious. I checked the level requirement for Bloodlust and it was about level 200. I can equip it since my unique class skill is activated."

    "Because Bloodlust is not the artifact."

    "What do you mean? Did I miss something there?"

    "I am the artifact."

 Chapter 97: Afals True Body

    "Hey, hey, you must''ve hit your head really hard. Can you repeat what you just said?" I couldn''t believe what Afal had just said.

    "I''m... the artifact. System, let Zieglind Reysh see the skill description."

    A large window then popped up in front of me.

    "This is... a huge skill list."

    [Living Weapon, a human artifact made from creating 10 rituals. Has 10 sub-skills.

    |Jinx Magic|

    All damage received will return back to the enemy for 10% the damage. This skill won''t include self-harm abilities.

    |Visage|

    Become invulnerable for an hour but you''ll be encased in a pillar of ice that cannot be destroyed. Can be cancelled anytime. Cooldown is 1 day.

    |Sky Controller|

    Control the weather to whatever you want. This skill has 10 tiers and these tiers will be more damaging, effective and has more range. The level per upgrade of tier are 10/30/50/90/120/140/150/170/190/200. If you''re tier 2 or above, you can change the strength of the weather to lower it.

    |Status Steal|

    After killing an enemy, you can devour it and choose between gaining more HP or Strength.

    |Army Summon|

    Summons a horde of monsters that''s 30% of your current status.

    |Lantern of the Living|

    Summons a handheld lantern that grants light and reveals invisible enemies. Those who are near the light and are considered as allies will be healed by 2% of their missing health per second and those who are considered enemies will be damaged 1% of their missing health per second.

    |Seal|

    Silences an enemy preventing them from using spells for 10 seconds. Cancels their casting.

    |Rebound|

    Cast a 1 second buff to an ally even yourself. This buff will reflect all magic that was heading towards you back to the caster. The magic reflected can not be rebounded again. The spells will be homing.

    |Reflexes Overdrive|

    This is a passive ability that hones your reflexes. You''ll be able to react to things much quicker.

    |Ember|

    Summons a pool of lava beneath you. You''ll not be damaged or your allies. Only enemies.]

    "This is the proof that I''m an artifact."

    "But... isn''t these skills too random? The weather control skill, the return damage and so on? These aren''t a set of skill or anything."

    "My lord, I''ll tell you the whole story. I remembered everything. Why I''m an artifact, and that weapon."

    Afal told me all the details to his story.

    He was not born by a mother nor any methods. He was summoned through ritual. His body was considered perfect for a habitat of demons. And he was born at the middle of the Great War years ago. He lived during the last Battle Royale.

    The reason why the system suddenly messages everyone of this world that level 100 people were appearing wasn''t because it''s the first time. I knew this from the start but I couldn''t believe it.

    The gods were rewriting the memories of every living being on this planet and so is the system''s default messages like the level system. Afal remembered what happened that day. The day wherein everyone''s memories was rewritten.

    "My father was... a player."

    My hairs on my skin tingled as soon as I heard that line.

    "Then why can you remember? The gods have divine powers. Powers that transcends the knowledge of us or anyone except them."

    "Maybe it''s because I was summoned by a player."

    "Now that you mention it... Vulcan... said it too! He said that he had a master that was a player. Maybe that''s the reason why you got a temporary memory loss?"

    "Maybe."

    Afal then continued to tell his story.

    While he was still a year old, he had a body of a man who''s in his late 20s or early teens. His father, a former player conducted several rituals to create the perfect weapon. His father was always talking about the 10 wishes. Which is the reward after winning the Battle Royale.

    The 10 rituals were in different categories. The first three was body strengthening, the next three was physical enhancement and the rest were magical compatibility. Afal is like me, he can use any type of skills.

    The reason why his skills are so random is because those skills were robbed from the sacrifices used for the ritual.

    And then Afal even showed me his other skills.

    "This is...?" I was beyond confused.

    [Living Weapon Tier 2, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 3, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 4, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 5, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 6, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 7, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 8, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 9, ??????]

    [Living Weapon Tier 10, ??????]

    And below the descriptions were all 10 sub-skills that are also unknown.

    "My lord, please kill me." I was shocked on what he just said.

    "What...?" I couldn''t say anything. I was just baffled.

    Afal shed light tears from his eyes. "Look at it..." Afal then dug both of his hands onto his chest.

    "Hey what are y-" He then forcefully opened it. I was beyond horrified. Even the souls of the Bloodlust within me pulsated as soon as Afal showed us his insides.

    "Master this... this is excellent... This! This body is amazing! HAHAHA! Master let us taste his blood! This body is beyond amazing!" The souls inside me roared in glee. But me and Afal did not.

    His open chest enlarged to 3 meters bending his body backwards as his had teeth on the torn part. The insides of his chest had tentacles, tongues, several human hearts, organs from different species, several eyes twitching and it looked like a mouth that was salivating from hunger.

    "My lord... please do it..." When Afal spoke, his mouth didn''t move but his chest did. "This... this is me... I''m the artifact... I''m the living weapon."

    "Master don''t! His body is too precious. I could see human hearts, centaur hearts oh! and even a Death Reaper''s heart! We''re getting hungry master feed us! These are the things that we killed before when we were being used by another person. I didn''t think that it would be used this way! Amazing isn''t it? My previous master?!" Bloodlust just talked and talked but I chose to ignore it.

    I... I cannot ignore this any longer... The last players of this world left this much damage? I need to break it...

    I NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE.

 Chapter 98: Theorizing

    Zieglind was... much more demonic than me. Even though my ugly appearance as both a demon and an abomination, I could still feel his towering presence over me. I was being crushed by his domineering aura of killing intent. I know it wasn''t hurled towards me but he was intimidating. "What do you mean by that my lord?" I asked. My mouth didn''t move but the monster inside my open chest. Well by saying monster... it means my true form.

    "Afal, do you have a clue why all of the players in this world are madly driven by power?" Zieglind then asked me. He suppressed his rage since I couldn''t feel it anymore.

    I didn''t want to scare Zieglind more so I retracted my true form back to my chest and the wound closed. I was back in my... body vessel. "Now that you say that... most of the so-called ''players'' that I encountered in the war when Itz and Polk was fighting, they weren''t protecting their allies. They just rushed in."

    "Those are just idiots. You haven''t seen a true player. Hera was one of the strongest players I''ve ever fought. All players here must''ve met a condition or trait that we all have. I''ve met Tark, Hera and others that I might''ve already forgotten. Tark wanted to pillage and loot every single he want to see. Hera wanted to forge a religion to worship and him as the god. I have always thought of it myself. What man wouldn''t do that?"

    "I don''t understand. What do you mean?"

    "To take over the world."

    "How can that be a requirement to enter?"

    "Have you ever seen gods?"

    "No but I''ve read of them."

    "Then what can you say about them?"

    "Controlling, selfish but others are passive and are neutral. But most of them are..."

    "Yep. Most of them are rulers, judge and masters of the ones that worship them. You might think of gods as domineering or simply a symbol of power and authority. And this is where we come in. I''m guessing this game the gods that they set up are for testing if we can be gods. That''s the end game of this anyway. But here''s the big question..."

    "What question?"

    "How can we break the cycle?"

    My eyes widened at the statement he just said. It was beyond preposterous and absurd. "To deny the gods'' will, you must have the power of a god itself!"

    "I know but... there must be something in this world that will stop it."

    "You think the gods are hiding a mechanism like that, here in Pandir itself? Then anyone could just get it!"

    "I know but what if it''s unreachable?"

    "Unreachable, how? We can fly above the clouds, dig underground holes that are a kilometer wide in just a month and such. We can dig it up or search for it in no time."

    "You''re forgetting something."

    "What could I possibly forg-... Ah..." The realization hit me.

    "Tartarus."

    "It''s plausible..."

    "Right? Then even though thousands of monsters spawn in everyday, where do they come from? Ogres and such doesn''t have any way of reproduction.Goblins have and I discovered that the hard way. But, what about the others? Like the golems in the artifact dungeon we just discovered. Do you really think that some rocks will form and have intelligence?"

    "Are you saying that the Tartarus itself is supplying this world with monsters?"

    "Exactly. Artifact dungeons are being discovered in an insane rate. I''m always asking Lam in our village to report it to me and several of the artifact dungeons are neatly placed in obvious locations. How can these be not discovered before? And such high artifact dungeons should be oozing with killing intent inside or a heavy pressure."

    "So the Tartarus is also making the dungeons? But why?"

    "Let''s go to the strategic room."

    Zieglind then led the way to the strategic room. There it was, a huge world map stuck to the wall. He grabbed the magic pen and started to draw on the map. I sat down on the chair near him while he was standing in front of the world map.

    "This is our current political map isn''t it?"

    "Yes. So as of right now, we have the Three Kings as an enemy, Polk is our current occupied kingdom, Itz and Cagyer are our allies and this is the village wherein where we started. I don''t know what our current relationship with other neighboring kingdoms since I haven''t asked the king of Itz about it yet. Now, Afal, where is the Tartarus?"

    "There." I pointed at the map.

    Zieglind then encircled the location I pointed to. "See? There is no way this is not planned." It was at the very center of the map.

    "So what''s your plan?"

    "I... I don''t know. The level requirement for entering Tartarus according to you is Level 10000. Which is an absurd amount of levels. It can only be activated during a Battle Royale because the EXP gain is through the roof. So what is it that''s inside there?" Zieglind was biting his nails thinking deeply as he looked at the encircled part of Tartarus in the world map. He spent the entirety of 2 days thinking of what could be inside there but to no avail. He didn''t sleep nor eat any food but he just stared at the world map intently. And I was just there sitting.

    "My lord, we should get s-"

    "AFAL!" Zieglind suddenly shouted which caught me off-guard.

    "Y- yes?" I answered meekly. Looks like he had gone insane.

    "Oh, it''s already night?" Zieglind said as he looked at the window beside him. "I must''ve took hours in my mind palace."

    "Hours? It took you two days my lord."

    "Wha-..." He was just shook.

    "Anyway, what''s mind palace if I may ask?"

    "Oh nothing. Just a technique I learned when I was studying in college. Forced to learn it but it''s useful."

    "College?" I was beyond confused.

    "It''s not important. Anyway, I was trying to remember and trying to dig up anything from my past. I memorized a lot of books about history in my previous world and sometimes the stories of gods. I started with my history of my world because this and my previous world are the same. But I did not find anything. Then I tried to remember all the stories of gods. From Greek, Japanese, Roman, Norse and such. Then I remembered the girl who was given a gift."

    "Umm... who?"

    "Pandora."

    "Is she like your acquaintance or something?" I was genuinely confused.

    "No. Let me tell you a story about it. Prometheus was Epimetheus'' brother. Because Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Pandora was introduced to Epimetheus. I don''t know what was going in Zeus'' mind when he did that."

    "Please do be careful in speaking their names like that." We might offend the gods.

    "Anyway, Epimetheus and Pandora got married. Then one day, Pandora received a bridal gift. As soon as curiosity took over her mind, she opened the box. The box was containing sickness, death and many other unspecified evils which were then released into the world. Hence the name, Pandora''s box."

    "So what''s the connection between this and Tartarus?"

    "I''m guessing... Pandora''s Box is left open at Tartarus. Supplying magic and evil in this world and infinitely creating monsters and demons."

 Chapter 99: Under Inspection

    I ordered Afal to not do anything for now. We still have more problems that needs to be addressed before we even get near Tartarus. Our power still isn''t enough.

    I was deeply in thought on what to do next in my office next to Caesar. "What''s the status of the Three Kings?" I asked him.

    They''ve been attacking us with hordes of large army. We need to counteract that somehow.

    "They lost about 30% of their army. This numbers are not exact but an estimate."

    "How about our recruitment status?"

    "We''ve recruited 400 or so troops."

    "That''s low. How about the villages?"

    "We haven''t tried to recruit there yet."

    "Do it."

    "I''ll do that now."

    "How''s the army of Three Kings? Do we have any information about that?"

    "According to some rumors, the Three Kings doesn''t have any flying units. It seems according to my research that they''ve spent most of their funds on just footmen and such. Occasionally hiring adventurers in the guild in their kingdom to join the war. As of now, they''ve raided three other fiefs and castles in the span of 3 months."

    "That''s a problem. Do we have protections to the villages around Polk?"

    "Not that much. From the previous king, their priority has been set to the very lowest. There''s 5 troops per village."

    "5? What''s that gonna do? Shoo some dogs? Go give them at least 20-40 soldiers. Prioritize the small populated villages."

    "I''ll relay the message to Warlord Afal."

    "Hmm... Wait, let me ask for some help I might get the king to send some spare troops over here. Telepathy." I connected myself to King Itz.

    "A formal meeting might be considerate, King Zieglind." It connected to him.

    "You do know what''s happening here right?"

    "I just heard some rumors."

    "From Caesar?"

    "How did you know!?"

    "Hmm?" I was just joking by saying that. But he was actually spying on me. I deepened my voice. "Why?"

    "You''re a threat." He said. I could hear him faltering in his words.

    "Threat to what? Lie and I have the power to overthrow your kingdom. I don''t do it since I don''t want to attract other players'' attention."

    "To the entirety of Pandir. You hold great power that''s uncontrollable. You''re unpredictable too. And according to Caesar, you also recruited demons. DEMONS I SAY!" I''ve never seen or heard King Itz act this way. He must be really fearful of me.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll only do what I think is right and I won''t interfere with you unless it''s needed."

    "How I trust your words? You just appeared in this world then suddenly in a few months you have the power that can destroy and threaten kingdoms. How dangerous will it be if we leave you alone!"

    "That applies not only to me. Remember, I''m not the only player."

    I could hear the click of his tongue. He was annoyed and powerless. "Fine. Let''s go back to the main topic. Why did you call me?"

    I switched back to my normal voice as I replied to him. "We need some troops. The Three Kings'' firepower and troops are out of our league. I can maybe take care of some but I''m afraid some players will go after me."

    "What''s wrong with meeting other players?"

    I can''t tell him that all the players in this world are power hungry of world domination. All of us would kill just for the sake of our goals. This is another chance of our life that we wouldn''t waste. "They''re more powerful or as strong as me. I can''t risk letting myself known for now."

    "I see... Well I can send about 10,000 troops for now. They''ll be there by dawn. Cagyer is in the state of recovery and I''m using some of the soldiers for repairing and guarding. The civilians have been retaliating. Blaming us for the destruction."

    "That should be fine... I guess." That''s... a really low number. I really wanted to say that but I couldn''t do it. We''re both being targeted. Crush us before we prosper huh? That''s a nasty tactic.

    I severed the connection of telepathy and began to think on what to do next. I looked over to my side and I saw Caesar sweating profusely and shaking. I forgot he was listening to my replies to the king.

    I reassured him. "Don''t worry. It''s understandable. Tell King Itz to at least tell me. I wouldn''t mind giving out information. We''re in this together."

    He then hurriedly escaped out of the room.

    "Telepathy." I then connected next to Afal. "Afal, get ready. We''re attacking tomorrow at dawn."

    "This fast?"

    "We can''t let them be the one that''s continually attacking. Get them ready. All of the generals, higher rankings and such, bring them to the strategic room. I''ve got a plan. Also, tell Rize that she''ll come with us. You two are the only ones that I''ll bring along."

    I stood up from my desk and wore the cape and the crown. I then went into the strategic room and waited for them to arrive.

    "My lord, here they are." They entered the room as 20 soldiers went in.

    "Welcome. Now, let''s discuss the plan."

    We spent until night to discuss the plans since most of them were voicing their disagreement with me. I made some modifications according to them but I think it''ll be fine. Afal and Rize are with me after all.

 Chapter 100: Legends Resurfaces

    The dawn of night fell. The horizon of starts shone brightly illuminating the plains, soon to be a battlefield. Such a beautiful night for blood to shed. But it must be done.

    This world has no war crime. No rules. Just... go ahead and kill each other type of world. I''m going to take advantage on everything here.

    Afal tapped my shoulders, "My lord, everything''s ready." The hordes of catapults behind me were ready to fire. Their ammunition was a ball of lead infused with magic.

    "Let''s go." I ordered.

    "FIRE!" Afal shouted. The catapults shot to the insides of their kingdom. It was far too large to be called just a city inside of a kingdom. It was bigger than Cagyer.

    The ball of lead hit to the very insides and explosions were formed.

    "Mama!" "Papa!" "Help! My leg is broken!" "AGHHHH!" "We need a medic here!" "Where are you child!?" "I''m here don''t cry!"

    The voices of civilians begging, crying and looking for help.

    Thousands of civilians were dying. But I couldn''t feel anything. Is this truly right? I may be evil since my entirety has changed. But I do have a goal. I''ll stop the cycle of Battle Royale in this world. I gained too many connections for it to be crumbling again and again. I finally found a place for myself. And I''ll do anything to protect it.

    I hope if the civilians here do have another life, I do hope they can forgive me.

    "My lord, soldiers have come out of their hiding."

    "Their numbers?"w

    "Around 80,000."

    "That''s still too much. Go ahead, tell the mages to activate the trap."

    The entrance to their kingdom in which the soldiers are exiting are full of traps.

    The mages activated their traps. They fell into the hole dug by the mages using magic. Then the second phase of the trap activates, they freeze the soldiers below using a widen magic placed by Zeta. Then finally, lava surge. By me.

    Melting off their corpses including their weapons and armor.

    "That didn''t shave off too much." I complained. "Around a thousand? The hole was too thin huh."

    "What should we do?" Afal asked.

    "Bring out the demons. They''ll take care of this. Also, the Crimson Knights will fight the Three Kings."

    "What will you do?"

    "Observe for now."

    "Invade everything."

    Afal shouted a large warcry. Out of character for him. Feels like he forced it though. I guess it''s to give morale as a warlord.

    "Freeform Rock Formation!" The mages casted. Manipulating the rock beneath the tall cliff we were standing on. The mages created a staircase down the cliff. The soldiers left the catapults and joined the fray.

    They all charged into the gates with their hopes up.

    They got such a leisurely smile even though what they''re committing right now is basically a mass massacre.

    After a while, they breached through the gates of the Three Kings'' kingdom. Fires were lit the moment they stepped in.

    "Now they''re gone. Come out." I said as I looked back to the places they hid. "You three have been reeking killing intent the moment we step near here. Pretty cowardly too if I may say so myself. Sacrificing your own citizens to kill me."

    The Three Kings came out of where they''ve been hiding.

    "Tsk. Brat, you''ve got balls to do that." Said by the old man with the white hair.

    The red haired old man came out next. "After we''re done with you, wiping out your pathetic army will be easy."

    "You''re the one that killed the other decoy for the Three Kings huh? What''s his name again...? I forgot. It doesn''t matter anyway. He was supposed to draw you out but I guess he failed." The black haired old man came out next.

    "Wow. Three old dudes ganging up on me. What a nice story." I said sarcastically.

    "You''re courting death." The white haired man said.

    "Is that so...? Come, see your lifetime cultivation of swordsmanship fall before me."

    "You''re way too arrogant. Let''s go, brothers!"

    The two brothers started with a thrust. I dodged both of those with ease by getting in the middle of them. Then the last one tried to slice my head off but I dodged it by ducking.

    The three of them retreated and began to charge again.

    I dodged all of their attacks with ease with my passive skill that enhances my instincts.

    "Enough!" The white haired king shouted. "I''m ending this. Come my friend... Excalibur! I, Jurel, the eldest and the true Sword King, shall end your life here and now."

    "Fine, elder brother. Come, the Dragon Slayer sword, Gram! I, Gratis shall do the same."

    "Come, the sword of peace, Clarent! I, Nerta shall do the same."

    A wry smile formed on my face.

    "OH... OH... OH!!! This is... THIS IS BEYOND AMAZING! AHAHAHA!" I said excitedly. "Excalibur, held by Arthur in the Arthurian Legends, Clarent, the Sword of Peace used by Arthur before he got Excalibur and Gram the sword that slayed the legendary dragon Fafnir. TELL ME WHERE DID YOU GET THIS!?"

    "How... how do you know the story of our ancestors...!?" Gratis, said while shivering. "This is only known through us three!"

    "This world amazes me every moment! YES! THIS IS AMAZING! Everything from my previous world has found its way here. The weapons, the culture, the legends and everything it holds. I must know everything! HOW DID IT GET HERE!?"

    Dogeza used by the demons and their formality was too Japanese, respectful and cultured. Bloodlust, an artifact that''s shaped like a Katana and now a giant Nodachi. These legends like the Arthurian Legend and Sigurd, the one who killed Fafnir. Pandora''s Box and its curses and so on and so forth. This world is too much for me, a historian maniac. This is like finding a diamond in the pile of crap.

    "You must die... You know too much! Excalibur, show your light!" A blinding light emerged from Jurel''s sword.

    "The light that''s as strong as 30 torches that blinded countless soldiers making them tremble and fall without even getting a fight and how Arthur slaughtered everyone in that battle. This is that sword! IT''S REAL!" I began even more intrigued. "SHOW ME MORE! GAZER ARMOR!"

    "DIE YOU FREAK!" Gratis then thrusted the Gram sword into my stomach.

    "This unparalleled sharpness that managed to pierce through Fafnir''s body to its heart... and you also managed to pierce through my Gazer Armor. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!" I then pulled out the sword and threw it back at him.

    "This bastard... He''s playing with us. TAKE THIS!" Nerta swung his blade at me. I blocked it with my arm but it easily destroyed my gazer armor.

    "The sword that Arthur used. The sword that Mordred used to kill Arthur. This sharpness and flexibility. THIS IS BEYOND AMAZING! I apologize for my rudeness. You three are amazing. I''ll have a tough time. You three might not be the legends, but you hold their weapons. COME! I''LL BE THE LEGEND MYSELF!"

 Chapter 101: AWAKEN!

    "You''re crazy." Said by Jurel. "A madman."

    "Oops, I got too excited." I regained my composure. "Sorry, seeing those swords in action is basically my sanctuary."

    "Tsk. Excalibur, show your light!" The Excalibur shone brightly. Enveloping the whole area in a blinding light.

    "Come, Soul Scythe." My weapon appeared before me. "Lightning Body!"

    I started off by running towards Nerta. I swiped my scythe towards his neck but his quick reflexes managed to block it.

    Jurel''s Excalibur ran put of light and began to attack me from behind.

    I barely controlled it but I managed to pass the speed of sound. I completely disappeared in front of them.

    But Gratis had thought of this. He managed to catch up to my speed appearing behind me.

    As soon as he swung Gram, "Phase!"

    I tried to block the Gram sword but it merely passed through my scythe and he managed to land an attack on me. Breaking the armor itself and piercing through my skin.

    I backed off as soon as he cleanly removed the sword off my shoulder. "Tsk. Heal."

    The three of them began moving in unison.

    Nerta started with a thrust but I dodged it completely. But it was merely a feint. He changed his grasp on the sword and started an upward swing.

    I can see this move. It''ll be easy to dodge. But...

    "Excalibur, show your light!"

    The blinding light it emits managed to blacken my sight. I can''t see where the upward swing is going.

    "TORCHED BODY!" I quickly switched.

    Nerta''s upward swing merely passed through my body.

    [Gazer Armor dispelled.]

    [Soul Scythe dispelled.]

    "Damn it. This demon..." Gratis exclaimed.

    "Fire Whip!" Lightning body is still active. I can control two elements. So other skills are locked while I use Torched Body but elements are fine? I''m getting more information every single fight.

    "Excalibur show your light!"

    Useless. I will never be blinded in this ethereal form.

    Gratis stepped up and rushed up to me.

    I quickly stepped back. But he followed.

    I knew it, this person is fast!

    He swung his sword upwards then to the side. In which I quickly stopped by entangling my fire whip to his sword.

    He''s insanely close to me so the best possible move will be, "Rapid Chaos Flames!" Its a shotgun like blast of fireballs. Deals nothing in far places but if its this close... "Boom."

    "Sh-" Gratis was blown away tens of meters.

    "BROTHER!" Nerta and Jurel shouted.

    I grabbed the Gram sword and looked at it intently. "So this is the Gram sword. This intricate design and the pulsing of this sword... Is Fafnir inside? Or is it his personification of greed that wants to go out?"

    "DAMN YOU!" Jurel rushed to me. "He jumped and got ready for a wide swing."

    "Slow."

    "Zero Slash!"

    "Bur-" Just as I was about to attack first, it seems his move landed first. I looked back and to my surprise, the valley I was standing on is split in half. Good thing my phase skill passive reset on time.

    "King''s Will!" The Excalibur he was holding had a light enveloping it. It grew larger and longer until... It was 10 times taller than me.

    Veins popped out of his biceps as wielding that insanely huge weapon took a toll on his body.

    "ARGHHHHHH!" Jurel swung his gigantic Excalibur sword.

    I sense danger from that sword. "Flame Pillar!" I casted Flame Pillar under the sword and it knocked it off course. But just the wind of that sword managed to cut all the trees behind me. And the clouds above us has also been cut. "What the..."

    Jurel sat down out of exhaustion and began chanting a spe to heal his arm.

    "I''ll hold him off brother!" Nerta stood forward.

    "Don''t be an idiot. Let... Me handle him too." Gram recovered.

    "Out of spite, here." I tossed the Gram sword over to him.

    "You''ll regret this." He picked up the sword and began chanting. "Wake up... Fafnir."

    "Wait... Didn''t Sigurd kill Fafnir?" History here is... Different.

    "Sigurd sealed Fafnir. Despite Fafnir being the greediest dwarf and living being in the whole world, he knew Fafnir would be useful someday... Fafnir.... Awaken from your slumber!"

    The tip of the Gram sword slowly turned into the shape of a face of a dragon. It stretched until it reached the clouds.

    A bright light then shone through the clouds.

    "DAMMIT! SIGURD! SHOW YOURSEFLF! MY TREASURE... EVERYTHING I LIVED TO PROTECT... SIGURD!!!" A loud roar then followed. The light disappeared and so did the clouds. Revealing Fafnir''s true appearance.

    "That''s... FAFNIR!" I was beyond amazed by his appearance.

    "Fafnir... An Elder Dragon." Gram said.

    This is my first time seeing an Elder Dragon.

    Fafnir was beyond amazing. His black scales, his wings that as wide as his own budy, his power that even just being near him makes me tremble with excitement and fear.

    His teeth were large and looked like fangs. His appearance shouts... "I''m here."

    Fafnir descended to the ground sending rubble and trees flying all over.

    "SIGURD, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!" Shouted by Fafnir.

    "Fafnir, I''m Gratis!"

    "Huh? A mere human talks to me? Don''t waste my time you damn insect!"

    "I know where Sigurd is!"

    "TELL ME!" Followed by a large roar.

    "That''s Sigurd!" He pointed at me.

    "You''re Sigurd!? Your appearance had changed. HOW LONG DID YOU IMPRISON ME!?"

    "Let''s cooperate to kill Sigurd!"

    "..." He was hesitating. "Fine. Just this once you damn human. I need to thank you for releasing me somehow."

    Fafnir looked up and began to inhale air to the point that his stomach bloated. He lowered his head right in front of me.

    "ROARING BLAZE!"

    "A flame breath!? TORCHED BODY, DISPEL! LAST STAND!"

    It was a beam of fire. It destroyed the ground, the mountain and trees in front and behind me. The cloud parted due to the shockwave his voice produced.

    This is the power of a true Elder Dragon.

    The power of a legend.

 Chapter 102: Fafnirs Wrath

    "Roaring Cannon!" I took it all using the skill Last Stand. In which I''ll be invulnerable for a couple of seconds. "Pillar Rampage!" Several fire pillars appeared from the ground. But I stood there completely unfazed.

    I was taking all of his attacks and using Perfect Imagery for me to remember its patterns and where it''ll appear.

    [Unique skill, Perfect Recall, able to recall any memories and be able to perform like in the memory.]

    Good skill but I don''t know if it''ll be useful later on.

    "Fang of the Dragon!" his teeth were then engraved into the air until it manifested into a physical form. Far larger than his head. "Dragon''s Chains!"

    "Dual Casting!?" I was beyond amazed. Fafnir is stronger than anything the legends have told. This skills and his attacks are literally more stronger than his legend counterpart. Everytime I answer a question, another question pops up.

    Being chained by the Dragon''s Chains Fafnir casted, I couldn''t move nor cast any spell. The fangs in which it physically manifested got near me and bit of my whole body in half. It wasn''t enough to literally cut my body I sustained too much damage. I was then released from the bindings he casted on me.

    Fafnir stepped back and prepared, "Glide!" Fafnir dived at me in such an intense speed.

    "Lightning Body!" I then ran to the other side. But Fafnir was persistent. He took an insanely sharp turn despite his large body and still managed to follow me. I have no choice but to defend.

    "Flesh Eater Ring, Release! Blood Rampage, Rage, Corruption and finally... DRAGONIC CLAWS!" I prepared for his dive attack.

    Fafnir raised his claws and lunged at me with it. I blocked it with both my claws but it wasn''t enough. Despite me blocking it, I was still being dragged by his non-ending dive.

    "COOLDOWN RESET!"

    [Skill cooldowns reset to 0.]

    "ONE MORE! Flesh Eater Ring, Release! Blood Rampage, Rage and Corruption! Finally... Armor of the Bloodfallen!" I was beginning to overpower his charge. And after a couple of seconds, I completely stopped his pursuit. I let go of his claws, "COME, BLOODLUST!" Two large nodachis appeared both in my hand. "Perfect Recall..." In that instant, I tried to remember all the things I learnt from my university and began scavenging in my memory to find out the best swordsman that ever lived. And the first thing that came to mind...

    "MIYAMOTO MUSASHI!"

    A red and black aura was seen when I used Perfect Recall. It''s flowing in me. The sword style of Miyamoto Musashi, Niten Ichi-ry��. Two Heavens as One. He used a katana and a wakizashi. But using my strength will eliminate the cumbersome and the weight of the weapon. I''ll use your memories, greatest swordsman!

    Lightning Body is still active. "Hundred Slashes!"

    [Gained new skill, Hundred Slashes, perform a quick series of attacks in a matter of seconds. Damage per hit will be reduced to 10% maximum damage.]

    "HAAAAAAAA!" I began hacking away at Fafnir''s feet. Despite his thick scales and resilient body, I managed to cut through a meter deep. But it''s still not enough. I then used Lightning Body to get away from him.

    "Sigurd. What''s with your fighting style? You''re different. To even go as far as to use dragon parts as your body. YOU''RE A HYPOCRITE SIGURD!" Fafnir raised his head again.

    He''s preparing for a breath. I began running away from his sight.

    "NAIVE!" He shouted. "Dragon Stomp!"

    "Wha-" I was beyond shocked. His mere stomp sent quakes throughout the whole area. Followed my a large wind that knocked me out. "The Wings of the One True Lord!" I began to fly away.

    "No you won''t! Dragon''s Chain!"

    "Why am I being binded!? Aren''t I immune to crowd control due to the skill Warrior''s Pride!?"

    [Only works for enemies that are lower leveled than you.]

    You should''ve told me that before I got it System.

    "Blasting Mines!" Small red fireballs were scattered everywhere. The Dragon''s Chain''s duration ran out and I''m free. I moved just a little bit and then... BOOM! The red fireballs exploded.

    "Foresight!" I can now predict the explosions of the fireballs. But I can only use this once for the entire day. I wonder why. I began flying at full speed dodging the explosions flawlessly. And for a couple of seconds, I was right in front of his face.

    "Chaos Unleash!" An explosion was formed when I got near him. Sending me flying and damaged.

    "This will be your grave, SIGURD! DRAGON''S RAY!"

    A fast moving light of ray was coming my way. I didn''t have time to escape. I tried to block it with both my Bloodlust. "TWIN CRESCENDO BARRAGE!" I tried to counter attack by sending in waves of my crescendo skill. But everytime my attack reached his ray, it merely dissipated into nothingness. "DISPEL, BLOODLUST AND ARMOR OF THE BLOODFALLEN! TORCHED BODY!"

    In that split second, I managed to take his full attack and phased through his ray.

    "What!?" Fafnir was beyond shocked.

    "FISTS OF FURY!" Using the gigantic physical manifestation of my hand, I smashed his head with flurries of attacks.

    "Sigurd... DAMN YOU!" He couldn''t cast a spell nor do anything.

    "Fire Whip!" I then entangled my whip into his neck and began dragging it away him. Trying to rip his head off.

    "YOU DARE!? ROARING BLAST!"

    "I phased through his attack. But it''ll take another 30 seconds to be immune again."

    "So be it. DRAGON''S WRATH!" Fafnir easily broke through my fire whip. His scales evolved again. It turned to a completely pitch black. It''s like looking into the abyss.

    Fafnir''s eyes turned red and his energy seeping out is far more stronger than before.

    "My lord!" I could hear Afal''s voice. They were all following him. "The Three King''s are dead. What''s going on here?"

    "Order the troops to retreat! Let''s take over the kingdom after we kill this!" I said.

    "That''s... Fafnir!?" Zeta said.

    "I know. Fafnir was sealed in the Gram sword."

    "Wait, you know this?"

    "Treat me as a walking encyclopedia. I know everything from legends. But... I never heard of him being like this."

    "SIGURD! FEEL MY WRATH!" As soon as he opened his mouth, a ray of beam came out obliterating the clouds and the ground beneath him.

 Chapter 103: Death Reapers

    "My lord, our troops are retreating!" Afal is finally back.

    "I''ll take this fight elsewhere. Domain of the Bloodfallen!" The surrounding around us broke like mirrors and was replaced with a pitch black of darkness that extends to nothingness. "Area select, default." Nothing changed and I didn''t select any area to fight on. The ground, lava and water or any other things that can be found in the surface will be used against us. It would just be better to be in this area. It''s infinite and doesn''t have any terrain.

    Fafnir glowed for the last time. All the light then compressed in his mouth.

    "EVERYONE, GET OUT OF HIS WAY!" I ordered.

    They didn''t hesitate and immediately ran away.

    That light that was compressed on his mouth was a beam of energy. But that''s perfect. It didn''t explode in this empty area since it didn''t touch anything.

    The ground we''re standing on is non-existent. We''re not using skills to fly but we just know that there''s a ground here that we can stand on. And this very ground, it phased through his attack.

    But even though we dodged that, Fafnir simply didn''t give up. His eyes were blinded by a flickering color of red. And his killing intent was oozing throughout the area.

    "EVERYONE, GET READY! Gazer Armor, come Soul Scythe!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Deathdance!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Soul Rend!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Pugilist Gauntlets!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Heartpiercer!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!"

    "Gazer Armor, come, Corpse Defiler!"

    [The One Who Governs Death is active. +300% strength boost.]

    This is a battle of endurance on our side. A single hit of Fafnir will be enough to damage us severely.

    "ZETA, DEFEND FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS!" I then got ready to cast a spell.

    "Yes! Master if you can hear me in valhalla, I''ll use your book to defeat this legend! CAST RANGE INCREASE! MAGIC DEFENSE BOOST! FREE FORM BARRIER! PROTECTION FROM FIRE! PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING! PROTECTION FROM PHYSICAL DAMAGE!"

    A four layered barrier opened up. It glowed from yellow to red, to blue and to green symbolizing the multitude of effects Zeta just put in that defense.

    "ANNOYING INSECTS!" Fafnir is becoming even more impatient. "CHAOTIC FIRE BREATH!" A surge of flames from Fafnir''s mouth came put trying to melt and destroy Zeta''s barrier.

    "I won''t let your chance get away Zeta!" Using lightning body, I quickly zapped around the area in which the barrier is protecting and set up three totems each. Fire, Lightning and Healing totems. The healing stacks but it''s incredibly slow. But for this battle of endurance, I''m willing to bet on this totem to save our asses. After that, I imbued most of my mana to level up the totem to level 3 to increase the regen and the damage they provide.

    "Everyone, I just finished scanning Fafnir! Despite thousands of years have gone by, the wound inflicted by Sigurd is still vulnerable! His heart is his main weakpoint! His second weak point is his head!" Rize shouted relaying important information.

    Great job Rize! But it''s not the time to be reassured right now. Finding the weakness is important but finding ways to attack it is as important too. It''s even more difficult.

    "DUEL!" Afal activated his skill and a message board appeared on top of them. The Crimson Order flag on Afal''s side and no flag on Fafnir''s side.

    [Afal vs Fafnir]

    [Afal LV. 121: HP(11,201/12,102)

    [Fafnir LV. 739: HP (145,958/150,958)

    "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I couldn''t help but voice my shock. This world is so damn mysterious.

    Level 100 message is appearing as an announcement to the whole world yet there are creatures like this which are over level 100. Legends of my previous life in this world. Cultures of my previous life is also here. I need to know what''s causing all of this.

    "Zieglind! Are your preparations done! I''ll run out of mana really quick! I''m using a high tier spell and spells that can be only activated by two or more mages!"

    "Yeah it''s fine Zeta! Let the barrier down now!"

    The multi colored barrier disappeared and Fafnir''s never ending fire of breath got through it. But we managed to dodge it.

    "CHARGE!!!" I then raised my scythe.

    "OHHH!!!" Everyone shouted in unison.

    Precia led the first move. She jumped in the air right in front of Fafnir''s face. "TAUNT!"

    Fafnir grew even angrier. A loud roar was heard and he redirected his attention to Precia.

    We didn''t overlook this chance.

    "Blade Coating: Flames, Overlay Coating: Darkness, Alchemy Combination: Dark Flame!" Afal''s Deathdance looked like just an amalgamation of black flame letting loose.

    Afal went ahead and attacked Fafnir''s knee. "TAKE THIS!" His arms vibrated until it looked like there was nothing but sparks everytime he hit Fafnir''s foot.

    Rize changed her weapon into gun form, "BULLET HELL!" And aimed directly at his head. She shot her bullet and it exploded multiple times. "OVERLOAD, BULLET HELL!" It was a small laser blast but... It packed quite a punch since Fafnir''s head moved when she continued to attack.

    Yefa let loose too. She took Fafnir''s other foot and got ready. "Stance Change, Wing Chun, Explosive Fists Maximum Output!" In a smooth movement of Wing Chun, Yefa let out a flurry of attacks on his feet in an insane speed.

    I need to ask her later where she learned Wing Chun.

    Greta took on her beast form and released her Soul Rend claws. "Beast Hunt, Rage, Metal Macabre!" She then intertwined her fingers. Combining her left and right claws. She placed it lightly on Fafnir''s feet and jumped. She then began spinning. Like drilling into Fafnir''s feet. The reason why she kept spinning is because of the flight skill Gazer armor provides.

    "YOU DAMN INSECTS DARE GET IN MY WAY!? DRAGON''S FORCE!" We were all repelled by the mysterious force. Sending us all flying. It didn''t do any damage.

    "MY TURN!" Zeta tapped his staff loudly on the ground and began chanting. "METEORITE!"

    "You gotta be kidding me Zeta." I was beyond shocked of his spell that he casted. "How did you become a slave if you''re this strong...?"

    Ten large meteors was nearing to fall down on Fafnir. Even one of them is enough to destroy a small village. What about Fafnir!?

 Chapter 104: Tough Battle

    Everyone backed off before the meteors came in contact with Fafnir.

    "Eat this!" Zeta''s meteorites fell down like a heavy rainfall. Everytime it caonnected to Fafnir''s body, a large explosion formed and burnt off some of his scales.

    Zeta''s meteorite barrage stopped and Fafnir''s body is still up. The floating window in the corner of my eye was tracking its health due to Afal''s skill.

    "120 thousand HP left? That did like nothing." Greta complained. "Well, just need to hack it again and again."

    "This... insolence..." Fafnir was weakened but far from being beaten. "Fine. I''ll play your damn games. {Shapeshift} Za Fa Rah Ma Ga!"

    "That''s shapeshift!" Afal immediately knew what the cursed art is.

    A black gust of wind covered Fafnir''s entirety.

    "First time trying this skill. It''s inconvenient. Do creatures like you feel comfort while in this form? I''m just using this to compact my defense." Fafnir then waved his hand clearing out the gust of black wind that was once surrounding him. It revealed his new form.

    "Hey, hey. This is trouble." Rize said. "His insides are hollow, there''s no sign of weakness whatsoever!"

    Precia was sweating and feeling nervous. "He became smaller but that sense of inferiority still strikes within me."

    "I agree." Yefa backed off a little.

    "Dragon Manifestation!" That skill was the same as mine. But it didn''t just changed his hands. His hands were like claws and the rest of his body had scales. His feet looked like a dragon''s feet. His head didn''t change as it barely reached his head seeing how the scales end on his neck. "Come at me, Sigurd!"

    "Everyone, let''s go!" I ordered.

    "Yeah!" Everyone agreed.

    I started off by using, "Torched Body!" The flames eliminated my physical form and turned my body into an ethereal flame. "Fire Whip, Conjure Fire Monarchs!" Two fire monarchs, a male and a female appeared that looked just like me in my torched body form. "FIRE PILLAR!" A pillar of flame appeared below Fafnir.

    "Wha-""

    It knocked Fafnir off the ground and thrown in the air.

    "Rapid Chaos Flames!" I then threw it to Fafnir in which it kept him in the air. This skill has a small knockback but it does keep enemies in the air. I then kept ''comboing'' several skills while he was in the air. "Lava Surge!" A tsunami of lava crashed into Fafnir and he was thrown away a couple of meters.

    "Floating Fireball!" My two Fire Monarchs casted in unison. They strategically placed their skill behind Fafnir''s flying body. The floating fireball fired consecutive normal weak fireballs but Fafnir was simply thrown like a ragdoll.

    "Insolence!" Fafnir grunted and wings came out of his back. He then flew into the air.

    "No you won''t! Ground Zero!"

    Fafnir then fell onto the ground making his wings useless.

    "Zeta... that''s..." I was beyond amazed on the skill he just casted.

    "He''s grounded! Take this chance!"

    Greta then leaped into Fafnir. "Dance of the Killer Macabre!" Greta started off by slashing Fafnir''s body in an X form using her claws. Fafnir didn''t bleed since his defenses were compacted in that human form. But Greta didn''t give up. "HAAAAA!" She then started attacking in an intense speed. It was a beautiful dance despite Greta going in for the kill with intense bloodlust.

    Fafnir kept up with her, defending her flurry of attacks in a continuous battle of stamina. We couldn''t let this chance get slip by.

    Zeta then began casting, "Great Heal, Magic Resistance UP, Attack Damage UP, Speed UP!" He casted multiple spells on all of us.

    With this buff, Afal rushed to Greta''s aid. "Subjugation!" Afal''s sword glowed, it was far brighter than Excalibur''s light. This light managed to stop Fafnir''s defense for a while and Afal took this chance to lunge targeting Fafnir''s chest.

    Just as Greta and Afal''s attacks were about to connect, both of them were suddenly blown away.

    Greta and Afal''s stomach were twisted, like a punch connected in their stomach. But I didn''t see anything.

    Both of their eyes widened as they coughed up blood. They were dumbfounded, they didn''t know what just happened.

    "Heavenly Dragon Armor." Fafnir''s humanoid body changed again. His scales from his dragon form adapted to his body and acted as a full body armor. "You can''t beat me."

    "Dispel!" I dispelled torched body. "Armor of the Bloodfallen!" The spikes of the armor dug into my skin and into my body. "Come, Bloodlusts!" The two nodachi appeared into my hand. I closed my eyes and tried to talk with the souls inside me. "Help me here."

    "Then let us take over." The souls replied.

    "You forcibly took over last time!"

    "We''ll use our thousand year lifetime of sword mastery to beat Fafnir''s son."

    "Wait, this isn''t Fafnir?"

    "Nope. This son of his is stronger than him. Strong enough to inherit his father''s name. Let''s talk about this later. Let us take over!"

    "Fine. If things get rough, I''ll take over."

    I snapped back to reality but I don''t have any control over my body. I''m in a place wherein there''s a window that I can look into. I can see the ''outside world'' while in my body. I''m both unconscious and conscious at the same time. I can only watch what the souls are doing to my body.

    "Hey." Using my body, the souls looked at everyone. "I''m not Zieglind."

    "What are y-" Precia tried to ask something but the souls stopped her.

    "Don''t ask me... servant."

    "Hey!" I tried to warn the souls while inside of my own body.

    "Fine. We just got to beat up this lil dragon huh?"

    The souls tightened their grip on both the nodachi and rushed towards Fafnir. They started with an overhead slash in which Fafnir avoided. "Flesh Eater Ring, Release!" Lots of blood came out of the ring, showering Fafnir''s body with it. "Hell Flame." The blood that was on Fafnir''s body suddenly went up in flames.

    "Flame Eater!" Fafnir devoured the flames.

    "Flesh Eater Ring, Release!" They showered Fafnir again with blood.

    "That won''t work again!"

    "Soul Blast." This time, it was both fire and ice. Freezing Fafnir''s body in a casket of ice.The souls put one of the bloodlust in the inventory and began casting in their hand, "Soul Rain, Piercer mode!" An arrow then manifested on their hand. They gripped it tightly and threw it with all their might on the frozen body of Fafnir. Breaking the ice and piercing through his armor.

 Chapter 105: Series of Unfortunate Events

    "Hey, hey! You''ve got to be kidding me." Both me and the souls were amazed. The smoke that was covering Fafnir''s body disappeared and it revealed himself. Unfazed and undamaged.

    "I''ll take over." I said to the souls.

    "I just took over for a couple of minutes! Let me have fun too slave driver."

    "Wow, you really have the guts to call me that? Anyway, just let me be."

    "Fine."

    As soon as I opened my eyes I was back in my own body. I retrieved both of my Bloodlust nodachi back to my inventory. "Telepathy." I then connected myself to all of them except Fafnir. "Let''s retreat."

    "Hey! We can still do this!" Greta voiced her opinion.

    "No we can''t." Zeta then spoke. "What... I don''t know who took over your body Zieglind but it seems you''re back. You casted several high tier skills that I don''t even have yet and this dragon wasn''t even fazed. We''re just throwing him around with our skills and not doing that much damage."

    "I agree." Afal then suddenly spoke. "We''ve been throwing skills non-stop and his health barely changed. And look at his health, he''s self regenerating. Faster than the output of our damage."

    "Same with me." "Mhm." "I''m afraid we''re far too weak." Yefa, Rize and Precia agreed.

    "Fine, fine! So what do we do?" Greta seemed like she still wanted to fight.

    "Afal, dispel your duel skill first then I''ll dispel mine. I''ll handle the rest."

    "Are you... talking in the middle of a fight!?" Fafnir interrupted our conversation. "The arrogance!" He then rushed towards me, lunging towards me with his claws. I simply dodge it to the side and began to counter attack. "Binding Light!" Fafnir then was chained to the ground.

    "You damn insect..."

    "Now, Afal!"

    "Dispel!" Afal dispelled his duel skill and began running away.

    "Dispel!" I did the same, I dispelled my armor to lighten my body to run faster and dispelled the domain of the bloodfallen skill and we were back in the place we were before.

    "Running away? I won''t let you!" Fafnir grabbed my arm and literally twisted it.

    [Dual Casting will be disabled.]

    I then used my own strength to twist it further to completely amputate it from my body. Fafnir was shocked and lost his balance and fell to the ground.

    I then used lightning body to get in front of Zeta. I grabbed his head, "Telepathy, pass this on, Mass Teleport! Use it! I''m out of mana!"

    "Got it! Mass Teleport!" A large portal then opened below us. It has a small channeling cast time so we need to protect Zeta until he finishes casting.

    I then retrieved one of my Bloodlust from my inventory and summoned Gaia. I started off by rushing towards him and swinging my nodachi. He blocked it with his claws. Then suddenly, Fafnir exploded and he was knocked back a couple of meters.

    I looked back and it was Rize''s bullets that was hitting him. "Leave it to me for the support!"

    "SIGURD!!!" Fafnir was angry. He tried to rush to me again but this time it was Greta who intervened.

    "Hunting!" She became even faster, circling around Fafnir as she began to run then attack consecutively. He couldn''t follow her movements.

    Afal joined in and began unleashing his fastest move.

    Fafnir was having a hard time defending himself because of the speed of both of them. But it''s just useless struggle. As Afal said, his regeneration is faster than our combined damage output.

    "It''s done! Let''s go!" Zeta''s mass teleport has finally finished. We all went to the middle and waited for him to teleport us. "Teleport us to Polk!"

    But in that instant, and that moment, Fafnir accelerated far beyond the speed we were expecting. I managed to catch up to him before his claws reached to Zeta. Blocking with my own body as his claws pierced into my shoulders.

    "No you won''t! Sprint!" Using Sprint and Lightning Body, I didn''t have to worry about controlling my own speed. I just need to be faster than him. I then rammed him outside of the portal. "HAAAAAAA!!!"

    "Zieglind, no!" Everyone shouted.

    "See ya."

    Then they all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    "You sacrificed yourself? HAHAHA! You''re pathetic!" Fafnir then removed his claws on my shoulder.

    "Haaa... damn it. This is frustrating. Armor of the Bloodfallen." I can''t win. It resonated in my head. But at least I need them to be alive. I finally have something to want to achieve and something to protect. I can''t lose that... even if I did lose my life! "Come, Bloodlust!"

    "Dragon''s Breath!"

    "You can still cast dragon skills in that form!?"

    It was a surging wave of fire. It was slow so I could avoid it.

    "I''m tired. It''s time to end this."

    I then rushed over to him. He didn''t move but suddenly, I tripped to the ground. When I looked back, my left leg was gone.

    "Crap. I''m fu-"

    Fafnir then thrusts his claws onto my back. He lifted me off of the ground.

    "Ugly if I do say so myself." He began to cut off my remaining arms and legs.

    So this is how I die?

    The last thing I saw, Fafnir''s claws dug deep into my chest.

 Chapter 106: The Truth

    I opened my eyes and woke up in somewhere unfamiliar. It was freezing cold. It looks like... a cave? I then looked around. I was sitting on a camping bed. My limbs are back and I was covered in bandages. How long was I out and how did I survive? Also... I thought I can''t feel anything. Why is my chest aching like crazy. "Argh..."

    I looked around some more and found food. I immediately gulped it down. I then heard a voice.

    "Oh, you''re up and running?"

    "Gazer Armo-, UGUAH!" I vomited out blood.

    "You''re weak, ahahaha!" The one talking down to me was an old man.

    "What did you do to me... Why the hell do I feel pain...!?"

    "Ah so you''ve undergone reborn huh."

    "Wha-... Come out, Gaia!"

    "Summon Cancelling."

    "I... I can''t get him out. Who the hell are you?"

    "A player!" He said in a gleefully manner.

    "No way. You don''t have that icon."

    "Well to put it in simple terms... I was a previous player."

    "That was over 100 years ago. If that was 100 years ago, you would''ve been brought here at least 20 years old. So you''re saying you''re over that?"

    "The moment you reborn, you''re immortal."

    "I see... Is that want you want me to say? Why did you help me... And... Ah!" I just remembered. "Fafnir''s son!? Where is he!? Damn it!" I stood up and began to run. "Where''s the exit!? He''ll invade Polk and destroy it in no time!" I finally got up and was waiting for me was the vast landscape of clouds. "What...?" And the freezing ice of the mountain I''m standing on. "This mountain is higher than the clouds...?"

    "Calm down. I''ll explain everything."

    "Hell no! Teleport!"

    "Dispel."

    "You..! You countered all of my spells. What do you want?"

    "Come on, let''s have a talk."

    "...Fine."

    We went back to the inside of the cave. This old man light up the woods next to us and created a bonfire. He offered me food but I respectfully decline.

    "So... what now?" I asked.

    "Tell me, what do you think of this Battle Royale?"

    "How do you... I see... you''re telling the truth. But why does it matter?"

    "Come on, humor me."

    "Hmm... That''s a very vague question. But if I give my opinion on it, I would guess it''s both a blessing and a curse."

    "Ho? Continue."

    "A blessing because well... I do want this. This world is something that I want. Something I can be good at. My previous life was just basically a slave with benefits. Go to work, 9-7 every single day just writing and such. That was like being locked. Is that truly freedom?"

    "Hmm..."

    "A curse because... the living beings that are here are alive too and they''re having the worst lives. Afal my friend and the slaves in this world too."

    "I see. Then I was right."

    "About what?"

    "I''m finding a successor."

    "For what?"

    "Hmm... I guess I''ll have to tell you where it all started."

    "Sure, I guess?"

    "There were 10 of us before. And you know, the basic things happened. We battled low level enemies and raised so much levels. All of us got reborn at level 100 and that''s it. So we finally got to our highest level. Our party''s average team is about Level 3,000."

    "That''s insane... How long did it take?"

    "Hahaha! That''s still low compared to the top players at our time. Anyway, we want our questions to be answered. So we seek answers... at Tartarus."

    "What''s with Tartarus anyway? It''s a level 10,000 dungeon."

    "We entered Tartarus and we got to the 50th floor. That''s where we stopped."

    "Hmm? Why?"

    "The levels of the monsters got way too irregular. The gate keeper of the 50th floor was level 15,000. We couldn''t beat it. So we just left. Teleport is not allowed so we ran all the way to the entrance of Tartarus."

    "Those are insane numbers."

    "After witnessing Tartarus, we just wanted to live peacefully. So we sealed our weapons in our inventory and went to a random place wherein no one knew us. I got married with Martha, one of the people that joined me to Tartarus. And lived happily. But then, after living peacefully for years, a demon invaded the place we were living on."

    "..." I couldn''t say anything.

    "That demon was... a player."

    "Huh!?"

    "You''ll be amazed when you hear his level. When I saw it, I just wanted to crawl over and accept my fate."

    "What was it?"

    "..." He looked over me from head to my feet. "No. You must not."

    "So... why are you telling me this?"

    "Inherit my powers Zieglind."

    "What?"

    "I''m tired. I''ve been trying to enter Tartarus ever since but the farthest I got was floor 38."

    "How strong are you...?"

    "I will train you. I just want you to do one thing for me. End the cycle of this world."

    "That''s..."

    "Do you know why I''m still alive as a player? The demon of a player killed me. And that was supposed to be it. But, Martha broke the rules of the game. She resurrected me. Just as the saying goes, an eye for an eye. And that''s what happened with me. She gave her own life for me. The demon knowing I''m not a player just left me there with no intention of killing me twice. I''m done with this life. I want to meet Martha in the afterlife. I do know that I can just kill myself but I can''t let the same fate happen to other people in this world. So I began searching, waiting for a hundred years for a successor. And I choose you."

    "Me?"

    "I''ve been observing multiple players and I can safely say, most I met are cruel. And that fight with Fafnir, I saw your bravery. You knew you will lose against Fafnir but you still decided to get out of the Mass Teleport skill to drag him out."

    "I got to admit, I do want to end the cycle. I already met one whose life is already destroyed by his father. Demonized and made as a puppet filled with multiple organs of different creatures. I know other creatures might not have that fate, but it just shows how cruel this world is."

    "Join me Zieglind. Let''s put an end to this cycle."

    "..." I was hesitant but I knew my answer from the start. "Sure. Let''s see where this takes me. What''s your name old man?"

    "I''m Herold Nemath."

    "Zieglind Reysh."

 Chapter 107: Separation

    "MASS TELEPORT!" Zeta finally finished his casting.

    "No you won''t! Sprint!" That voice...

    I looked back and saw him push Fafnir out of the teleportation spell. But if you do that Zieglind then... "ZIEGLIND, NO!" before I could say anything more, I was teleported right back to Polk. "Zeta, teleport us back!"

    "I don''t have mana left..."

    "Argh!" I began running towards the exit of the castle.

    "Wait no! Barrie-" Before Zeta could finish speaking, a large explosion surrounded the castle blowing everything up.

    I was hazy and my head was spinning. "It... Hurts..." I grabbed my head out of pain. I finally opened my eyes but everything was a blurry mess. I looked over to the right and I saw the terrain be perfectly incapacitated. To the point that we could see Fafnir over a thousand kilometers away. "He did... All of this?"

    I looked around and everything was rubble. The whole kingdom of Polk has... fallen.

    I then remembered that we were all caught up in the blast. "Greta! Rize! Everyone! Where are you!?" I began shouting while clearing out all the debris in our area.

    All I could dig out was the dead bodies of people working in the castle. "AH! The kids Zieglind saved... Where are they!? No... No! Anyone, respond! Please!"

    "Young woman." An old voice was heard. I looked around and saw a tall old man carrying Zieglind in his hands.

    "Zieglind!" I tried to reach over to him but the old man simply backed away.

    "I''ll be taking him."

    "You think you can just say that and get away? Gazer Armor!" As soon as I called out my equipments, blood spurted out from my mouth.

    "You''re exhausted. You took the full attack of Fafnir."

    "It..." I wiped the blood off my face. "It doesn''t matter. I''ll get him back!"

    "That''s... That''s right..!" Zeta got out of the rubble he was buried in. "I absorbed some mana while I was out... Give him back right now old man."

    "Gazer Armor, Hunt!" Greta rised from the rubbles and had her weapond ready.

    "Heart...piercer! Bullet Hell!" Rize fired a barrage of bullets to the old man but the old man simply dodged everything.

    Yefa jumped out of the rubbles and then fired multiple attacks, "Fire Barrage!" But it didn''t matter since the old man simply took everything and wasn''t even damaged.

    "Duel!" Afal jumped to her aid and began to attack with his insane swordplay. But the mysterious man matched his speed and blocked every single one.

    "Useless struggle I tell you."

    "Even... Even so! Our master needs our help! Barrier! And this! Buy me some time!" Zeta raised his hand and began chanting.

    The old man was interested in the way Zeta casted his spells. "Double Casting? Interesting."

    "Bullet Hell!" Rize casted.

    "Supersonic Blade Dance!" Afal buffed himself up.

    "Explosive Fists!" Yefa readied her weapons.

    "Metal Macabre, Rage, Beast Hunt!" Greta buffed herself up.

    I got near him and activated, "TAUNT!"

    "Dispel." All of our spells instantly got dispelled by this old man.

    "Seven spells in an instant!?" We couldn''t help but be amazed.

    "No... That''s... 9 spells." Zeta said while he lowered his hand.

    "Young man... you''re going to use The Scorching Black Flame right? Don''t give up your life that easily." This old man knew about Zeta''s spell.

    "Who are you!?" Zeta asked. "What I casted was an ancient spell, long forgotten. To dispel a spell you need to know everything about the said spell."

    "It doesn''t matter. I''m taking your master."

    "Over my dead body!" We all shouted.

    "Then please sleep for me."

    He disappeared right in front of our eyes. Afal was there, sweating, despite Afal being the fastest in our team, I knew he couldn''t follow the old man''s movement.

    The last thing I saw, was the dust blown away by the old man as he moved.

 Chapter 108: Origin of the Nine-Heavenly Islands

    A few weeks living with this old man and I''m just standing beside him idly. I''m not doing anything and he said to just wait patiently because he''s "preparing" for something. I wasn''t allowed to write a message to anyone. That includes the Crimson Knights. I''m still wondering what they''re doing now.

    "Zieglind!" Shouted by Herold.

    "What?" I asked.

    "Preparations are done. Let''s go." He then placed his hand over my shoulders and the area around me began to change. As soon as I blinked and reopened my eyes, we were in a completely different area.

    "What was that?" I was in awe.

    "Teleportation."

    "I see. Now, where are we?"

    I looked around and it was practically a new world in itself. There''s plants and trees everywhere in which I couldn''t identify any single one of them.

    "We''re at the Nine-Heavenly Islands."

    "What''s with the name?"

    "You want to know? Look that way. Run for about 20 kilometers then come back."

    "Why?"

    "Just do it."

    "Fine. Sprint, Lightning Body." I enhanced myself to further hasten this test of his.

    I began running full speed but as soon as I went 5 kilometers in, I felt something heavy on my back. This place is not the same as earlier. This time everything is covered in fog. I couldn''t even see the ground. Despite my legs getting slower and heavier, I continued to run as instructed.

    10 more kilometers and the pressure is noticeable now. The moment I entered some kind of border, the fog instantly disappeared and the gravity just multiplied. But in this area, there was nothing. I''m standing on nothing as the emptiness of the whole area seemed to stretch forever.

    "I can''t do this anymore. 15 kilometers should be fine." I said to myself. I''m just going to go back and tell him I couldn''t do it. I tried to stand up to run but my legs simply gave up. The pressure was so intense I was literally laying on the non-existent ground. "Gazer Armor!" I tried to fly but couldn''t even move.

    "So this is how far you can go." A familiar voice was heard.

    I looked up and saw him flying effortlessly in this insane gravity. "Herold... What''s with this place? I can''t move."

    "Mass Teleport." Herold relocated me back to the start of the island.

    I tried to catch my breath. I was sweating heavily and can barely move my legs. "This creaking feeling... There''s a bone broken inside of me?!"

    "You can''t feel anything? I see. Some of them broke when you merely entered the first stage. You just kept on going. So I got worried and followed you."

    "I broke some at the first stage...?"

    "This island is not made naturally. I wasn''t here before but it was said that this island was formed due to a battle."

    "What!?"

    "I was shocked too when I knew it. To create something this large, it must be an incredibly devastating fight. Sit, I''ll tell you the whole story."

    We sat together and focused on healing myself by releasing Wisp in my inventory and let myself be healed.

    "So... what happened?"

    "It was said that the battle was legendary. Urgo the Legendary Battlemage against Helery the Omniscient."

    "What''s with the names?"

    "Urgo wrecked havoc in 34 kingdoms. He destroyed 12 of them with a single swing of his blade. He was just a mindless beast who desires blood and wants to be in the heat of battle. Helery was a very powerful mage. It was said that she knew at least 20,000 spells. She was the protector of many kingdoms. The two of them were polar opposites. Helery was calm, cool and collected. Every time she waved her wand, it lifted up the spirits of those who are with her. If she didn''t stop Urgo''s havoc on other kingdoms, the world would''ve been destroyed by now."

    "So why did they fight?"

    "It was time to end Urgo''s rampage according to Helery. At that time, the world laid their eyes on them two as Urgo accepted Helery''s duel invitation."

    "So this place...?"

    "Yes, this place is where the fight started. Demons, Angels, Elves, Dwarves and countless more races came to watch the fight between the two. In the fight between Urgo and Helery, world peace was achieved in that single fight only. No one discriminated anyone, no one hated anyone, no one got disgusted by anyone. They were only there to observe the fight. To see who is the victor. And to see who will rule the world and to change the course of history."

    "Why does it matter who wins?"

    "If Urgo wins, he''ll lead the demons and every evil races out there to take over the world. If Helery wins, the Angels, Druids and every neutral or pacifist races out there will take her side to make the "Perfect" world. No one will die, no one will feel sadness."

    "Both of those are... messed up."

    "I know. Urgo will be taking freedom and Helery will be taking emotions. Because if one of them wins, it''s a 100% sure loss for the other side."

    "So how did the fight go?"

    "100 Archmages were requested to put up a large barrier in this island so that the battle between the two of them can''t be released to the world and that no one outside of their battle to be killed or hurt."

    "A hundred archmages..."

    "Today, it isn''t common. The world right now is far too weak to produce such mages. As you know, the memory wipe is too strong. They don''t have anything to fear so they don''t have a goal to achieve strength. But going back to the fight, everytime Urgo swung his sword, he controlled the waves, the air and gravity. A simple swing of his sword managed to cut down mountains. Helery on the other hand is using all her spell binds to keep Urgo at bay and to cast her most powerful spells. Every time both of them clashes, the ocean waved and crashed everywhere, mountains were torn and trees were blown away."

    "That''s insanely powerful."

    "After a day of fighting continuously, Helery had enough. She converted all of her mana into a single spell. It was called, Mana Transfusion. She blasted all of her mana to Urgo but he did the same. Urgo casted Mana Transfusion. Helery''s face was in awe, how could a mere swordsman have that skill she thought. But swordsman classes have one skill that anyone would be jealous of having. Perfect Copy. It''s the skill that copies from anyone and anything. Urgo threw the Mana Transfusion right to her and boom! Everything exploded. The barrier set up by the hundred Archmages were broken, the sky split and revealed a clear blue sky and any spectators that watched their fight were blown away to the other side of the world. They tried to come back to this place but... This is what happened to it."

    "What happened?"

    "This island is no ordinary island. It''s a concentration of mana. This island absorbed all mana that happened at the battle and the island is gaining consciousness."

    "Why are you telling me this?"

    "It''s because this island experienced the battle between the two legendary people. It has all of its memories packed into this island filled with mana."

    "Wait what?"

    "I''m going to merge Urgo and Helery''s memories, experiences and skills into you." Herold then grabbed my head and began to cast. "Telepathy, pass on Mana Absorption."

    "What are you... ARGH!" Information flooded my brain.

    "You will absorb their mana, and their memories in this Heavenly island."

 Chapter 109: The Diary

    It''s been a week since I gave Zieglind the Mana Absorption skill. I placed him on the first area of the island to absorb some of the mana there. But it seems that he can only be in there in just a couple of hours or his whole body will break down. He can pass through it with ease up to the third area of the island but he''ll not return alive if I put him there immediately.

    "Hey Herold, this is taking way too long. I gain about 10 mana per second while just meditating and absorbing in the first area. I could just kill some monsters and level up and I''ll gain like 400 per level up or something." Zieglind complained.

    He seems to be missing the point so I have to clarify it for him. "Mana isn''t the thing you need. It''s the souls imbued with the mana in this island. You''ve been going at it for a week, I''m pretty sure you''ve seen a glimpse of Urgo and Helery''s memories."

    "I did see one memory. It wasn''t anything special. It was just Urgo living in the wilderness. It didn''t give me any idea on what to practice or do."

    "Every single bit of mana here are just fragments for their souls. So of course there''ll be things that will be useless for you. Just be patient."

    "Anyway, it''s been a while since I was in your care. Can I at least see them or write a message to them?"

    "Who''s them?"

    "You know, the ones that were with me against Fafnir''s son. The Crimson Knights."

    I really don''t want him to have any other distractions. I need to keep those people out of his life for now. "Forget it. Just focus on what you''re needed to do."

    "Hey, hey, they must be worried or they must be thinking I''m dead."

    "You''ll be back anyways. Just continue your training."

    "If you don''t I''m just going to... Teleport!"

    "Dispel."

    "Hey!"

    He''s persistent. "You''ll have your chance."

    "Why won''t you let me meet them?"

    "Your kingdom isn''t in a good state. I don''t know what they''re doing right now but even I don''t know where they are."

    "Wait, Pandir is destroyed?"

    "I''m afraid so. Fafnir''s spell against you managed to wipe out most of your kingdom."

    "Then the people..."

    "That''s why I said it''s not time yet. Just continue on your training."

    "Fine."

    He sat down and began to absorb mana in the island again. I left him there and went on with my duties.

    "Home." With that single spell cast, a small house then appeared before me. It''s a small house but it has been my traveling friend since I got here in this world. I went inside and tried to get onto the desk on the far left corner. I haven''t spawned this house since the last battle royale. I hope Zieglind can make use of this.

    I opened the drawer on the desk and I brought out two books. These are my diary and my group''s research.

    I opened my group''s research book and it''s filled with notes about monsters and where to find them. I''ll give this to Zieglind. But now to the important part... my diary.

    April 18, XXXX

    The first floor of Tartarus, we barely passed it. It was a gigantic dog with three heads. I think it called itself Cerberus. It breathed fire, but it was no ordinary fire. The left head was emitting black flames, the middle red flames and the right is blue flames. It gave us weird statuses. And unfortunately, it killed Johansenn in the process. Though it aches our heart to see my friend die in just the first floor of Tartarus, we absolutely need the item at the top. We''re still to weak to face him.

    April 22, XXXX

    Two of my people died... We''ve been blasting through the levels of the dungeon. It seems that the first level is the only one that was difficult. But when we entered level 10, it just became even more worse. The enemy was a minotaur. We weren''t on guard because minotaurs are considered weak and are fodder for level 80 players. But this one was different. The arena was covered in blood and this minotaur was large for its specie. I used scan on him and I was horrified by the skill he had. "Famine." It''s description states that the minotaur will be forever hungry but in exchange, he''ll grow stronger the more he eats. And the number of things he has eaten, 495,201.

    We barely managed to win that fight. One of our healers died and an archer. We''re doubting ourselves if we can even continue.

    April 25, XXXX

    Most of my members want to leave now. We''re in the 19th level but we haven''t found anything. It''s just filled with enemies. There''s no treasure, there''s no healing spots nor places to take a break. We''ve been going at it for days barely eating. We know that we are all over level 3000, but we felt powerless inside of Tartarus.

    June 1, XXXX

    Everyone... everyone is dead. He killed everyone. We were so close. We were at level 50. We could''ve gotten answers but... that damned monster. My friends, the love of my life. They''re all gone. But I too, died. My love rescued me from death by exchanging hers for mine. I''ve lost my status as a player but I''ll do everything to get revenge on him.

    June 2, XXXX

    I''ve been following him around but he''s cautious. I''ll take my revenge on him at a later date. But that isn''t important. He took something from the 50th level. It looked like a breastplate. I don''t know the properties of that breastplate but I need to get out of here.

    June 3, XXXX

    I finally got out of Tartarus. But it seems that man followed me. He was curious on why a normal person like me entered Tartarus. It seems that he doesn''t know that I was the leader of the group he just killed. Though I was clouded with anger, I tried to hold it in me. He doesn''t know that I revived and got taken off my status as a player. I immediately left the scene.

    Reading all of this, wants to make me go back to time and kill you... Ouroboros. My revenge is near and it''s time to end this cursed game.

 Chapter 110: The Reality

    "Ugh..." I woke up in just the middle of a rubble and my whole body is aching. I look to the sky and it seems like that it''s afternoon. "How long have I been out?" Just by looking around, I recall all the things that happened. I rushed over to their aid and tried to wake them up. "Hey! Hey! Wake up!"

    "Is everyone okay?" Zeta is the first one that woke up.

    Everyone then woke up at the same time.

    "Yeah it seems so." I replied.

    "That old man..."

    "And Zieglind..."

    "I don''t know what''s his goal but rescuing Zieglind is impossible."

    "I won''t accept it!" Rize got angry.

    Zeta clicked his tongue, "It''s impossible. I tell you. We''re not strong enough."

    "He was just lucky. We were all out of mana so we couldn''t manifest most of our skills." Afal tried to reason.

    "As I said, it''s just impossible." Zeta continued his persistence on digging that message onto us.

    "What''s the matter?" I asked.

    "Nothing."

    "Tell us." Everyone then stared onto him.

    "If I tell you it could break us." Zeta was worried about something. But we simply don''t know what he''s talking about.

    Precia got angry and shouted at Zeta, "Do you know the reason we''re all at the Crimson Knights and how we''re still worrying for him even though he''s gone!? We were all once slaves and we can start over a new leaf right now since he''s nowhere to be found. But look around Zeta, no one''s running. We were all gathered here as a family. And no one gets left behind."

    "..." Everyone was just silent.

    Zeta was the one that broke the ice. "Then before I tell it, you''ll have the chance to run away right now. You can start over a new leaf as Precia said."

    We all just stood there with resolve. We gulped down our saliva and waited for Zeta to tell what he discovered.

    "Fine... Fine, Fine!" Zeta scratched the back of his head. "No more going back. I used an identify skill on that old man. His name is Herold Nemath. He''s... He''s level 3457."

    "..." Everyone was silent from the sudden revelation.

    "This is why I didn''t tell you. There''s absolutely no chance."

    "We''re far too weak aren''t we?" Afal sighed.

    "Just by looking at this kingdom that we acquired just days ago suddenly turned into a rubble in a matter of seconds... Our kingdom''s army, the people Zieglind saved and the people of Polk. Just... gone." Precia sat down and just covered her eyes as tears fell out. "It''s cruel isn''t it? How being weak is a crime."

    I shared my thoughts on the matter, "The women and children Zieglind saved, we were just laughing and I was teaching them how to clean and wash the dishes..." I joined Precia on self loathing and cried it all out. "We couldn''t protect anyone. The smile on those children and women as Zieglind gave them a new life were..." I couldn''t speak anymore since just remembering their smiles made my heart ache.

    Rize didn''t speak but just gathered everyone in the middle and gave us a big group hug. "We''re far too weak right? Then... we should all split up. Right Zeta?"

    "..." Zeta looked up to the sky. "Yeah."

    "You knew this was the only way." Rize as if she also knew it.

    "I''m going back to my hometown. I''ll salvage all the things my master left me. I''ll be learning all the spells he left me. But by the time I come back, I''ll be stronger than ever."

    "I''ll do the same." Afal intervened. "My father left 5 artifacts in this world and I''m one of them. I know where they''re all located. It''s time to use them."

    "I''ll be taking Rize with me." Precia joined in. "She uses ranged weapons and us elves excel in that."

    "I... I''m going to the forest to give someone a little taste of their own medicine." Yefa had resolve in whatever she''s going to do.

    "I''m going back to my hometown." I said to everyone. "I have some things to do."

    "Then that''s decided?" Zeta asked everyone. We all nodded in agreement. "Then promise me this, in 2 years, we''ll all meet at Itz. At this same day. Goodbye everyone. See you again."

    Everyone left one by one. We all closed our eyes so that we wouldn''t follow any of us. As it was me and Zeta left in the middle of rubble that was once the kingdom of Polk, I knew that this farewell and the promise we made wasn''t easy for all of us. "Hey Zeta." I called out to him before he goes away for 2 years.

    "What''s up?" He asked.

    "You''ll be back right?"

    "No. It''s not you. We''ll be back."

    "That was a silly question."

    "Yeah it is. Hey Greta, close your eyes." I did as he said.

    A small turmoil of silence was felt. And after a few seconds pass, I opened my eyes and he''s gone. I loudly sighed, "Coward. I guess that''ll have to wait for 2 years."

 Chapter 111: The Search

    10 Days after the separation, I finally found the first dungeon of the 5 artifacts. I have been far too weak. I stood there frozen while he ran to that monster to let us escape. I will never let that happen again. I will retrieve the artifacts.

    I entered the dungeon and I already knew my around it. The entrance is small and difficult to see but when you enter the dungeon you''ll feel that you''re in a different world. The layout is just one big area of grassland but the poison will gradually make you hallucinate.

    All I could see in this beautiful grassland filled with flowers were the dead bodies of unfortunate adventurers that didn''t have any counter to the poison.

    I simply walked straight since the artifact is sitting at the middle of the whole dungeon. To give scouts a false sense of security and bring in more adventurers here.

    I finally arrived at the artifact. "It''s still here. Grasp of the Void." I grabbed the upright severed hand on top of the pedestal. Its appearance is a mixture of black and violet while the mysterious violet essence seems to be moving inside. It doesn''t really look like a hand since the fingers look like bones. It isn''t curved but just spiky over all. It looks like a ghoul''s hand.

    "Time to use this. Gazer Armor. Come, Deathdance." I grabbed my sword on my right arm. I then grit my teeth and cut my left arm cleanly. "Dispel." I removed my armor and sword and attached Grasp of the Void on my left arm."

    [Grasp of the Void]

    [Additional Properties Found]

    [Reap, by using this skill that can only be used while this is equipped, the tips of each of the fingers will extend as sharp claws while the extender are the chains. If an enemy is hit by a chain, they''ll lose 30% speed for 0.3 seconds. This can stack for 3 times. If an enemy is hit by the tip of the finger, the blade, the enemy will receive a debuff called "Bleed" wherein they''ll lose 2% HP in the span of 2 seconds. This consumes 50 mana per second. You can''t use or control Reap if Void''s calling is active.]

    [Void''s Calling, drag nearby enemies to you while dealing gradual damage to those being pulled. Those who are the closest at the middle except you will take 100% more damage. You can''t control or use Void''s Calling if Reap is active.]

    "Who... who are you! How do you know how to use that artifact!" A voice was heard behind me.

    I looked back and it was a teddy bear. But I knew it wasn''t any ordinary teddy bear. With no hesitation, "Reap." The Grasp of the Void''s tip of the fingers suddenly detached, extending to absurd lengths. The chains and the tip of the finger which were the blades, I could control it by using mana.

    I used this newfound power and tried to sneak attack the teddy bear by attacking it with quick succession. The Grasp of the Void attacked one by one as if snakes reaching for their prey. But the teddy bear knew this and jumped back.

    "Hey there mister! I''m just a cute little bear. Why would you do that?" The teddy bear looked at me with puppy eyes.

    "Cut the crap."

    "I see. I''ve had some fun with some adventurers but..." The teddy bear ripped its own skin and revealed its true form, a Troll.

    "A troll? Alone? This is new."

    "Kekeke." His high pitched voice before changed into a more deeper one, inflicting fear to those who hear it. But it''ll not work for me. "This place is simply survival of the fittest. I had to use them as rations since less and less adventurers are heading at this place."

    "Let yourself be my guinea pig."

    "Heh. Young, handsome and has a cheeky mouth. Eating you will be fun."

    "Gazer Armor, come, Deathdance. Duel Initiate, lock on that Troll!" A big window message then appeared revealing our HP level and names. "Let''s do this."

    The troll grabbed a weapon on its back, it was a greatsword and then swung it. I stepped back but it managed to hit me and knocked me back a couple of meters. I didn''t understand what happened but I knew I judged the distance correctly.

    He readied his sword again to swing an overhead.

    He swung it again three times and it hit my body somewhat.

    "Dimensional Swing." The troll menacingly said. "I can reach through everything."

    "Barrier!" With no known information about the enemy, I could only defend myself.

    "Naive." He swung his blade again and the next thing happened surpassed everything I anticipated.

    "Uguah!" I was sliced while I was inside my own barrier.

    "HAHAHA! This is the best! Another food coming in this dungeon thinking he could steal that artifact."

    "I didn''t want to use this but... I have no choice." I didn''t use this form because it was too hideous. Disgusting and downright creepy. But this is not the time to be selfish. For him I''ll become a monster. Far more scarier than anyone will know. "Come, DANCE WITH THE DEVIL!"

    This is not the same form I used against the battle with Zieglind nor at the war. This is my true nature. This is the thing I inherited from my father. I finally remember who my father is. I''m a goddamn hybrid. I''m a demigod.

    My bones creaked the moment I finished my transformation. "Hey troll... What''s with your face? Are you scared? Confused? Tell me. Do I look ugly?"

    He fell down to his knees and dropped his weapon. "W- wait... No... No please... NO!"

    "You all have the same look when you see this true form of mine."

    [Conditions met.]

    [You have regained your memories.]

    [Gained new skill, Eye of Cthulhu, inflict fear on enemies.]

    A simple one sentence skill. But it''s enough. If my form doesn''t scare you. Then how about my father''s?

    I used Grasp of the Void and grabbed the troll.. Before he looked so huge but now I''m carrying him with one hand."Come. Be the stepping stone for me. I will become a monster."

    "No... no!" His whole body was covered by darkness with my humongous size overshadowing him. And as I opened my mouth, he followed into the unending darkness, that is, my stomach.

 Chapter 112: Stronger than Me

    I was being taken by Precia into her homeland. The land of the elves. I was blindfolded by Precia when she brought me here since their location is a heavily guarded secret.

    "We''re here." Precia undid the blindfold on my eyes and revealed two huge trees in the middle of the forrest parallel to each other.

    "This is your hometown?" I asked.

    "Not quite." Precia took a deep breath and began chanting. It was words that I couldn''t understand nor comprehend. But bit by bit, the air around us suddenly changed.

    The leaves of the trees suddenly detached from itself and began gathering into a single sphere. As soon as Precia touched that sphere, it exploded everywhere. It wasn''t dangerous nor harmful. But it revealed something that amazed me.

    "Is that..."

    "Yeah. Welcome to my hometown Rize. Welcome to the land of the elves."

    The moment I stepped into the portal that connected this place and the forest, everything around us changed. We were on top of a cliff overseeing the absurdly large kingdom below us.

    "This is incredible." I couldn''t help but be amazed.

    "Hmm." Precia did not look happy by being back here. She looks... sad? "By the way, anything other than elves and animals aren''t allowed here. Alter Body."

    My ears stretched even farther than before and my previously light greened skin changed into a white and light skin.

    "I look like an elf..."

    "Yeah. Anywhere you go there will be discrimination. Let''s just avoid getting too much attention."

    "Where are we going now?"

    "I have to be somewhere first but you need to meet Arka immediately. Tell them you were sent by Precia Edelstein. And also, your name here is Rize Edelstein. Don''t say his surname for now."

    "Why?"

    "I''ll explain it to you later. Just go to the Elves'' barracks and ask for Arka there. I''ll be going now." Precia then hurriedly left.

    "Thanks for the tour I guess?" I jumped down the cliff and began walking to the direction of the kingdom.

    After a few minutes of walking, I found myself standing in front of the absolutely huge gates guarded by elves.

    I was stopped by several guards. "Halt! State your business."

    I complied with them and told them what I was going to do, "I''m here to meet this person called Arka."

    "Name?"

    "Rize Edelstein."

    "Hng!?" The guards suddenly formed a line parallel next to each other as if welcoming me. "Apologies for the rough treatment milady. I should''ve noticed it from your red eyes. You may go in."

    I don''t understand what''s going on but I guess Precia is pretty famous here. I asked around about where the barracks is and finally got to it after a few minutes.

    The moment I entered the roaring laughs and cheers suddenly turned into silence when I walked to the front desk. "I''m looking for Arka."

    A creaking sound was heard and someone suddenly shouted. "I''m Arka! What do you want?"

    She was a big woman, bulky and muscular. She stands out over the rest.

    I walked up to her, "Someone told me you could help me?"

    "I introduced myself. Wouldn''t it be more respectful to introduce yourself too?"

    "Ah I''m Rize. Rize Edelstein."

    Everyone stood up and dropped the food they were eating and place their hands on their weapons ready to unleash it.

    "Maria, here''s the payment." She slammed down some coins on the table. "I have some business with this child."

    We went at the back of the barracks which was a training ground.

    "So about the thing I said..."

    "Wait. Are you an idiot or just someone that likes to play pranks? Who would reveal their name as Edelstein in this place." She then followed with an exasperated sigh.

    "I was sent here by Precia."

    "Ah." The expression on her face changed. Relieved? "She''s... she''s alive?"

    "Yes?"

    "Hmm... I don''t believe you but there''s a part of me that wants to. What did she sent you here for?"

    "She said I just need to meet you for some reason."

    "I see. Bring out your weapon."

    "Huh?" I was confused. "Uhm what?"

    "Just do it kid. I don''t got time."

    "Uhh... Fine... Gazer Armor! Come, Heartpiercer!"

    "You''re a marksman. Hmm. I''m starting to believe you now bit by bit. Come, Hou Yi''s Bow."

    "Whoa."

    "Rules, if you hit me once, you win, if I hit you once, I win."

    "What''s the reason for fighting me?"

    "I want to check if you''re truly sent by Precia."

    "Fine. Let''s do this."

    After a moment of silence, we both moved back and hid behind covers. "Bow." I changed Heartpiercer to bow first for an equal fight.

    I moved first and shot my first shot behind a pillar on where she''s standing on. She revealed herself and shot back. Both our arrows collided but both of our arrows broke.

    "Want to test me!?" She then began pouring hordes of shots towards my way. I couldn''t interrupt everything. She was way too fast. I could only run.

    If I want to win, I will need to use Heartpiercer to its fullest. "Gun." My heartpiercer turned into a rifle and I shot it with her but her insane speed managed to interrupt the bullet. "It''s a bullet shot by a gun!?"

    "Don''t get too reliant on that old technology. Triple Shot!"

    "Tsk." I changed back to my bow and tried to interrupt her triple shot but my arrows broke and hers kept on flying through the air.

    That''s some insane power... That huge body for the drawback of that bow... it must be incredibly heavy. Wait, does that mean she''s shooting faster than me despite hers being incredibly difficult to pull?

    "Arrow Rain!" one arrow multiplied to another and began falling her way.

    "A mere recreation! This is Arrow Rain!" She casted the same spell but it was far stronger and has much more arrows falling.

    I hid behind one of the pillars, "Argh... Shroud!" I stood still and has become invisible unless I move. I began to think what to do to beat this monster.

    "You see, that won''t work on me."

    "Huh!?"

    I heard her menacing voice. She stood in front of me. I know I''m invisible as long as I''m standing still. But why does she look at me as if she sees me?

    "Hey Rize Edelstein. Run."

    Fear took over my body and I immediately cancelled shroud and leaped back. I knew I had to run. There was something on her eyes that could see me even through invisibility. "Crossbow." More power but less speed. But the power of this crossbow is the same power as her bow. I shot my chances but she interrupted it again with one shot of her bow.

    "Tsk." I began to get even more annoyed. None of my attacks are going through.

    "Let''s up the pace." Arka readied her bow and pulled it to the very end to the point where her muscles flexed. As soon as she released her grip on the bow, I barely managed to dodge it. It pierced through the roof and continued flying on.

    It was no normal shot. That shot far exceeded what I thought was possible. It looked like it was shot by a catapult... no... a ballista!

    But power isn''t needed here. I just need to land one shot. Nothing more, nothing less. "Gun. Bullet Hell!"

    "What''s that skill?" She seemed confused.

    I shot my rifle and she deflected it again with her arrow. It pierced through the bullet and flew far away.

    "It''s useless." She seemed content of her victory.

    "It''s not over yet."

    She looked around and more bullets appeared. "When did yo-" She jumped in the air and the bullets followed her. She shot all of those bullets with her insane speed with the bow. But it split again. "What!?" The numbers of the bullets were twice before. She couldn''t move in the air so she tried to prevent the bullets from hitting her by intercepting the bullets again with her bow. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

    Even I was amazed by how she pulled that bow with insane speed shooting multiple arrows in the blink of an eye. Intercepting everything that went near her.

    But all that speed was to no avail since the bullets split again and began rushing her. and out of that multiple bullets, she intercepted most of them. Only one bullet hitting her.

    "You goddamn cheeky brat..." She was filled with rage. I knew she wouldn''t settle for her losing. She was proud of herself. Too much.

    "It''s going to come to this huh." I readied my Heartpiercer again since this fight is going to be a fight of life and death.

    "*sigh* Fine. You win. I believe you that Precia sent you. Where is she now?"

    I dispelled Gazer Armor and my weapon. It seems she''s calm now. "She said she had somewhere to go."

    "I''m here. Sorry for the wait." That voice was none other than Precia. "Hello Arka."

    "Is... is it really you?" Arka was overwhelmed by feelings I couldn''t tell.

    "Yes. It''s me. I''m back."

    Arka rushed to Precia and held her hand. Tears ran down from her eyes and Precia had a wry smile on her face. Arka kneeled down to her as she held her hand. "I''m glad you''re alive... Welcome back Princess Precia Edelstein."

    I was merely confused at the sight. "Eh?"

 Chapter 113: The Dance of the Crimson

    I''m finally back here at my own home. I need something to do first. I sent Rize away to meet Arka and we separated ways immediately.

    I let Rize first enter the kingdom then I went next. I used sprint to dash through the guards and it seems that they didn''t notice me. I ran and ran to the middle of the kingdom which is the castle. I just ran past through the guards again. The front door was locked so I walked around and opened a hidden trapdoor that led to the basement.

    There were guards there so I had no choice to knock them out at the back of their heads instead of trying to pass through them.

    I looked into one of the doors with the small hole and saw some elves there. Criminals? They don''t look like it. But I don''t have time to be a hero right now.

    I found the stairs leading to the upper floors and continued running towards the very peak of the castle.

    There it was, the throne room. I barged through in by kicking the door down. Wanted to try that at least once. But the person sitting on the throne was, "Uncle."

    My uncle, Gregorio Nury. A complete tyrant. But why is someone like him sitting on the throne?

    The moment he saw me, he had a worried face. "You''re still alive...? Guards!"

    The guards in the throne room rushed to me and pointed their spears at me.

    "Where are my parents? Why are you the one sitting on the throne?"

    "Are you really that dense?"

    "WHERE. ARE THEY?" That extreme rage managed to scare some of the guards to back off a little bit.

    "Scary little princess I dare say. Tell me, how was it? Living like a slave?"

    "You..." I knew from the very start that he was the one that sent me to that place.

    "Wait, how did you get out? Did you kill your owners? Ah that''s a shame. They would''ve given you a better place."

    "My owner gave me a better place than you did."

    "A better place? Ha! Your ignorance know no bounds Precia. Look at our elven kingdom. It''s prospering everywhere. What place is better than this?"

    "You talk as if this place is yours uncle."

    "It is."

    "Wha-"

    "Your parents were REAAAAAAAAAAAALLY cooperative you know?"

    "What the hell are you talking about?"''

    "I don''t know. Guess it." His face then followed with a large grin on his face.

    The sudden realization hit me. This uncle of mine killed my parents. "Ah I see. My plan was to remove your nobility by talking about what you did to me to father. But it seems that isn''t enough. Fine. I''ll make you suffer."

    "It was fun you know? Seeing your parents suffer as I killed them one by one. The ones who were close to them. Including your sister."

    "...I''ll kill you myself. Right now."

    "My dear little princess has bare its fangs on me. Guards, kill her."

    "Thank you uncle. I will not feel a single bit of pity killing you. Thank you for changing me."

    Mother, father. Forgive me for I will commit a sin far greater than anything. I''m no longer that caring little girl. I''ve grown up. Not as a hero. But a villain.

    I gathered up my courage and myself. Right now, I want to grieve as much as possible about the death of my parents. But it seems the present isn''t taking too kindly on me.

    "Gazer Form, come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!"

    The guards were scared but they knew they had no choice. They all attacked at the same time.

    But with my overpowering strength, every time I swung my sword, a head will fly off.

    A smile grew on my uncle''s face. "You''ve grown strong my little princess."

    "I''m not your princess no more."

    "This is not enough to kill you is it? Then I will." He reached for his sword on his side.

    I ran towards him and cut his arm off. "You see, I don''t play fair. Because you didn''t play fair either."

    "Wha.... AGHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pain.

    "You changed me uncle. If you have some way of making them smile before me once again then I''ll let you leave."

    "UAGHHHHH YOU BITCH!"

    "Stop screaming. It''s not the end." I put Dominion on my back and grabbed him by the hair and began to drag him out of the throne.

    A sudden voice of a female was heard outside of the throne room. "Dear, what''s wrong!"

    "Oh. That voice. I remember it incredibly well."

    "DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" He began to shake uncontrollably trying to get out of my grip.

    The unknown woman finally went into my vision as they stood by in front of the throne room''s door with his son.

    His wife, Jill Nury wasn''t a big fan of my family, Edelstein. And his son, Herio Nury was a scholar. A genius. He was always favored and loved by everyone.

    "DEAR!" She fell down on her knees.

    "FATHER!" His son around adulthood, tried to rush to his aid.

    "GET OUT OF HERE YOU TWO!" Uncle tried to warn them off.

    But I had other plans. "I don''t think so. Come here. TAUNT!"

    Uncle''s wife and his son walked towards me unknowingly.

    "Hey... What are you doing!? GET AWAY! RIGHT NOW!" He''s still trying to get out of my grip.

    Influenced by the skill I just used on them wherein they''ll move towards the one who used the skill and attack them, his wife hit me as if a kid flailing around his arms.

    "Oh no uncle, your wife hit me. No hard feelings, this is just me using self defence!"

    "Hey... you... what are you doing... DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!"

    And with one quick thrust, I dug my sword into her shoulders, waking her up from the skill I just used on her.

    "AGHHHHHHH!!!" His wife writhed in pain.

    "Precia! We can talk about this right? I''ll give you everything... just leave my family alone! Okay! I know my mistakes. I''m sorry for killing your parents but they forced me you know! Your dad would''ve kicked me off since he knew about selling elves as slaves. Please! I know I wronged you a lot but forgive me! Precia!" Uncle was crying all over the place.

    "Bla bla bla. Then tell me. How much did my parents plead to you?" I grew angry by his words.

    "Urk."

    "How much did they plead for you even though you were in the wrong for everything? You enjoyed it didn''t you? Then I''ll enjoy this one too."

    "You don''t have to do this Precia! There''s still good in you! The princess I once loved and admired. It''s still in there right?"

    "Uncle... I... I forgive you."

    "Then let''s just forget all of this the-"

    "In another life."

    "WH-"

    "There." I pierced my sword through Herio''s chest waking him up from the skill I casted on him.

    "Ah." Herio looked down and had a sudden realization on what just happened. "Father..."

    "Let''s end this now."

    Amidst that sunny morning with clear skies, it rained inside the castle. It was beautiful in my eyes as the white colored throne room slowly turned into a crimson red.

    I let out an exasperated sigh and tried to take in everything I just did. "Why did it have to activate right now... Maybe this is what I truly wanted deep inside me."

    [Skill Description:]

    [Unruly Gemstone, succumb to your desires.]

    "I''m sorry father, mother. I couldn''t protect anyone. Not even you both. But now I have to keep moving forward. No time to grieve for you two. I found someone who I really need to protect. I will be his knight. I will not lose again mother, father."

    I spent a couple of minutes to grieve for their deaths. I know what I did was wrong and displeasing but I''m no longer that weak princess. Zieglind saved me from that darkness when I was cast away. I''ll do the same.

    I left the bloodied throne room and went to find Rize and Arka. They were fighting so I didn''t intervene. After a couple of minutes, I was shocked to see Rize land a hit at Arka. Arka was pissed but she acknowledged her.

    "*sigh* Fine. You win. I believe you that Precia sent you. Where is she now?"

    Rize dispelled her Gazer form and her weapon. It seems Arka''s calm now. "She said she had somewhere to go."

    I stepped in, "I''m here. Sorry for the wait. Hello Arka."

    "Is... is it really you?" Arka was overwhelmed by feelings. She was waiting for me for a long time.

    "Yes. It''s me. I''m back."

    Arka rushed to me and held my hand. Tears ran down from her eyes and I had a wry smile on my face as she kneeled before me. "I''m glad you''re alive... Welcome back Princess Precia Edelstein."

    "Eh?" Rize had a confused look on her face.

    "Arka, I''m once again asking for your help." I asked Arka.

    "Anything is fine princess but your clothes, they''re all bloodied! Are you okay?" Arka was worried sick.

    "I might''ve changed something incredibly big in our country."

    "Ah." Arka knew what I was talking about. "It''s fine princess. I''ll serve you whatever side you''re on."

    "Setting that aside, you''re the best marksman I know Arka. I''d like for you to train Rize here."

    "She does have potential. I''ll do my best."

    "Also, I''ll be retaking this kingdom. Will you help me?"

    "Yes princess."

    "You''ll call me queen soon."

 Chapter 114: Revenge

    I need to know if I got stronger and will I continue to get stronger. That''s why I''m here. In this forest.

    I went inside and the pressure that once hindered me no longer poses anything to me. I don''t know if I got stronger or I''m just used to the pressure but nonetheless, I''m happy with my growth. But it''s still not enough. If I beat her, then I''ll truly be satisfied.

    I traversed the dark murky forest. It wasn''t like this before. There''s an incredibly foul smell in ''that'' direction. From where she lives.

    I prepared myself for whatever was going to greet me.

    After running for some time, it appears that monsters were guarding the forest. It seems that they''re protecting something. "Gazer Form, Come, Pugilist Gauntlets"

    The monsters were many in numbers but they''re just low leveled ones. It''s just goblins some lizardmen and some orcs. They aren''t moving and we were in a standoff.

    I rushed first and they finally know my intent so they fought back. They tried to overwhelm me with their numbers but it''s nothing special. Each time I swung my fists, they all exploded within one punch.

    I spent the next hour battling it out with these monsters. They were far too many than I expected. But it wasn''t difficult.

    After the battle, I stand atop the maybe hundreds of bodies on the ground. I gained some small EXP and leveled up like five times only.

    "Recover." A skill wherein I can gain some stamina and some health back. After a few moments of rest, I went into the place they were guarding.

    This is the exact same place where Zieglind saves me from that monstrosity. That woman sitting on that chair and drinking tea. It''s a tactic to lower the guards of those whose first time is coming here.

    But I know her well. "We meet again," I said to her.

    She had a look of confusion on her face. "I wonder where? I''ve been living here for a while. Apologies for the barrier. It must''ve been tough getting here. Take a seat. Tell me about your journey."

    "Still keeping up the saint act? I''ve come here for you. Show me your true form."

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "Then maybe you remember my name. Yefa Reysh."

    "..." She put down the cup of tea on her hands to the table. "Ah, I see. To come here of your own volition..." Her body begun to twitch as if reforming everything, her bones, face, and her overall structure. "YOU MUST BE SEEKING DEATH AREN''T YOU?"

    I saw her form before but this one is much stronger than that. I could feel her killing intent oozing out of her.

    "Then I''ll respond with everything I''ve got."

    Looking at her, fear is overtaking my whole body. I''m weak. Far too weak. I could only stand there as I saw ''him'' run and face an adversary that he... no... we could not beat.

    He gave me a life. Then I''ll give him one too, my own.

    To stand by his side, I need to achieve greater heights. Heights that I didn''t know I could achieve. This monster standing before me... you''re going to be a stepping stone for me.

    Two years. I have two years left to train. I don''t care if I surpass him. But as long as I could stand by his side without getting ignored is enough for me. He needs to take responsibility after all. Saving a damsel in distress in the pits of hell without anyone asking and for that, I will be his shield. I will surpass my own limits. Just to stand beside him as he continues to rise at the peak.

    "What are you thinking deeply there Yefa Reysh?" I snapped back to reality by hearing her words.

    "Nothing much," I replied.

    "You''re arrogant for taking your attention away at me."

    "Come at me."

    The monster walked on fours, using her arms and legs for rushing at me. She was too fast for me to react. She has gotten stronger than before.

    She grabbed my head, "Mind Control!"

    A sudden jolt of pain went through my head. I fell to the ground on my knees as I tried to bear the pain.

    "HAHAHA! You''re going for the same trick... again!? How foolish. You should''ve brought your master here with you so that you two could run away again. Well, nothing''s going to change either way. You both would''ve died anyway."

    "Yagh!" I swung my gauntlets at her but she avoided it with ease.

    She had a shocked and an annoyed look on her face. "You can move? Tsk. You and your master have some annoying skills. To be able to bypass my mind control... AGH!!! Fine! I''ll take you on with my own strength."

    "Stance Change, Boxing!" I started off with a few jabs in which she dodged it incredibly well.

    "Annoying." She jumped back and activated a skill,"Thousand Dagger Rain!" Daggers appeared from the sky and started falling down.

    "Blink!" I ran away from it.

    "I don''t think so!" She caught up to me with her speed and rushed at me with her claws. I dodged it barely.

    She then followed up with quick few swipes on her claws that left grazes on my body. It doesn''t hurt and it''s nothing serious but if I accumulate that much damage in our battle combined with her speed, it''s not going to end well with me.

    "Let''s up the pace. Shall we? Drain Wounds." She began to attack with her claws more fiercely than ever and her speed is getting even far more faster.

    "What!?" I was beyond shocked. I continue to dodge by weaving my head and counter attacking with some hooks and straights. It connects at her damaging her for medium damage. But it''s enough if I keep this up.

    But she''s gaining on a lot of advantage on me. I can''t follow some of her movements. Our fight right now is basically trying to find out who is stronger and faster and I''m completely inferior on both against her.

    She''s mixing up her attacks with feints and I''m getting even more confused. But as the fight went on, there was something wrong I noticed on her.

    "Huh? Blink!" I backed off for a second and took a good look at her body again. All the wounds I inflicted were all healed.

    "Drain Wounds. A new skill I picked up. It allows me to heal myself equal to 30% of the damage I deal on enemies. If you beg for your life as you like my feet I''ll kill you without pain. How about it?"

    "Screw you. Then that just means I need to deal more damage than you heal isn''t it?"

    "As if you can do that much damage."

    "Explosive Fists, Berserker. Come, let''s start round two."

    "Tsk. Berserker, Rage, Great Heal."

    I just need to touch her for explosive fists to activate. She doesn''t care about defense. So I can inflict as much damage as I want. But in exchange, I can get caught up in the explosion too. But right now I don''t care. I need to see how far I''ll go. I need to win.

    She ran towards me and used her claws like hands to swipe me off as if a beast hunting on its prey. I continue to dodge but it seems like it''s futile. She''s going faster and faster. Dodging is out of the question. This fight is just going to be... an all out slug-fest.

    "ARGHHHH!" Our fists began to exchange blow for blow and a small explosion, enough to damage us.

    I was damaging her, she was damaging me. Her healing can''t keep up this much damage between us.

    None of us could touch each other''s bodies. Both of us were parrying each other fist for fist. After a few seconds, we both backed off.

    I knew this was going to be our final clash so I had to give it my all. "Stance Change, Aikido."

    She lunged at me with her claws but I dodged it easily to the side and grabbed her arms and slammed her to the ground. "Stance Change, Tai Chi." I punched her with all my might straight on her face.

    It created a massive explosion that burned off the surrounding trees, broke the ground beneath us and left this monster''s body destroyed into nothingness.

    I was overwhelmed with relief and happiness as I lay down on the ground, exhausted and tired. I dispelled everything on myself and tried to compose myself. I finally did it. I couldn''t help but be overjoyed since I beat the monster we ran once from. I can grow much more.

    For two years, I''ll seclude myself for training and getting stronger.

    Just as I was about to rest, a few moments pass and a crack formed in the sky. It thenexploded like a mirror being broken. The curse that this forest was placed with is finally gone and over. It''s going to unlock a lot for the people in kingdoms.

    I guess this will be my home for some time.

    Let''s meet again Zieglind. I''ll be a woman that will be able to be by you.

 Chapter 115: Final Gift

    I went back to my old home, to my master''s. It has been a while since I came back here but it''s just filled with memories that I wished I could go back to.

    I opened the door to the house and the same old view is greeting me. Books everywhere, the desk filled with countless papers. Theories and studies on the art of magic. But something intrigued me, an unopened letter was on the table. My master''s dead so I don''t think he''ll mind if I open this letter.

    Zeta Hynolva Rui, you''ve grown.

    Those two words that he said made me tear up. This letter isn''t for my master''s. It''s from him to me. It''s his final words to me.

    I remember you were just a little boy in that forest.

    Clinging on that magic book like it was your life.

    You were a weird kid.

    Suddenly asking for me to teach you magic.

    But you know what?

    You are singlehandedly the best thing that happened in my life.

    But as time goes on, the student must surpass its master.

    You Zeta must be stronger.

    Complete the magic I was unable to complete.

    Give truth to my theories.

    Be a better mage than I am.

    I''m sorry even in this situation I''m talking about my work.

    But you have to.

    You have to get stronger.

    Not for me and my studies.

    But for yourself.

    Find someone other than me to protect.

    To create bonds with.

    To love, to create friendships.

    Find someone like that and protect them.

    Give them the love I couldn''t give you.

    Get stronger so that you can protect them.

    So that you can protect yourself.

    Right now you might be confused about why I''m saying all of these.

    It''s because I''ve obtained knowledge about someone.

    A being that should not exist.

    Ouroboros.

    I want to tell you who Ouroboros is but it''s too dangerous.

    Right now Zeta I''m giving you a chance.

    A chance for another shot at life.

    I have some treasures in the basement filled with treasures I accumulated all my life.

    Take them all and live someplace far with someone you love.

    Create your own home with a loving family.

    But... if you really want to know who Ouroboros is... then take the key that came with this letter.

    Enter the labyrinth behind Vulcan''s Mountain in the east.

    I see. So this is the final words my master left me. Then so be it. I need to know more. I''ll see this to the end.

    I went on and headed towards my destination. Vulcan''s Mountain. The third highest mountain in the world and according to my master, there''s a labyrinth there.

    But that isn''t what I''m interested in. It''s his death. How could he die just from knowing something from this "Ouroboros." I don''t know who they are or what they are.

    After thinking and walking for a while,I finally arrived at the place. It took me three weeks to get here.

    I walked through the steps engraved on the side of the mountain and began running towards the top. After halfway through, I saw some houses on the side of the mountain. It seems that they just carved it out from the side and made this their territory.

    I was stopped by one of them. "Wait. Where are you going?"

    "To the top," I said.

    "This is our territory. Foreigners like you aren''t allowed here."

    "Okay then." I ignored their message and continue to walk to the top.

    "Hey." The man grabbed my arm and stopped me.

    "Let go. I have to do something."

    "Then if you really want to go you have to pay a fee."

    "Fine. What is it?"

    "Leave some food or weapons here."

    I didn''t want to cause some trouble so I just complied with their demands. "Fine," I opened my inventory and threw some food at them. "Goodbye."

    "Men!" Suddenly all the inhabitants of the village surrounded me.

    "What''s this? I paid the fee. Get out."

    "For you to throw out your food like that... You must be a rich kid huh? Give us everything you''ve got. Hehehe."

    "I don''t want to cause trouble. I''ll just do something at the top then leave."

    "That''s all the people who came here said. Do you think we''re simple? Our tribe''s treasure is there."

    Why did master want me here? But as long as I get answers I''m satisfied. "I don''t care what''s there. But my master left me something there."

    "Your master? Hah! Lying won''t do you good. No one has gone up that mountain other than us. Men, kill him!"

    They all moved towards me with their spears and swords. "Chain Lightning." I only aimed it at their shoulders so that they don''t die. I came here to find something, not commit mass murder.

    But to my surprise, the skill I cast didn''t pierce through their shoulders.

    "Shocked? Heh. We''re not normal cavemen. Even though we don''t have armor, our bodies are much stronger than those you wear."

    "Tsk. Root Bind!" All those near me got entangled and have their movements restricted.

    "Wither!"

    My plants that were stuck on their feet and arms were suddenly destroyed.

    "You have mages too?"

    "Heh. Come on boys!"

    "I don''t have time for this. Gazer Form, come, Corpse Defiler."

    "New staff and armor? Heh. Nothing will change. Just give up everything and we''ll let you go."

    "Then try this. Chain Lightning."

    "That again-"

    That skill I just cast blasted through his shoulders.

    "I told you to just let me go and I''ll be done with it."

    "You... KILL HIM!"

    All of them ran at me at tried to hit me.

    "Shockwave!" A blast of wind blew everyone away when I slammed my staff on the ground.

    They don''t give up and have continued to charge at me. "Rock Pillar!" Several rock formations lifted off the ground. I can''t use lethal spells so knocking them off is the only thing I have to do.

    They were hesitating this time to rush at me so I took the initiative. "Root Bind!"

    The mages behind them are trying to cancel it out by using the Wither spell on me. But, "I don''t think so! Fireball!" A basic spell but it''s enough to blast them away and knock them out.

    "It''s time to end this." While they were rooted in my bind, "Rock Pillar!" Straight to their stomachs enough to knock them out.

    It seems that the fight is over so I dispelled my gazer form.

    I left them all here and went on to the top of the mountain and the thing that greeted me was an insanely huge door. I used the key my master gave me and it opened. It was huge inside. Filled with walls in random order. It really was a labyrinth.

    I entered the room inside and everything suddenly moved. A trick I learned from the books I''ve read is to just stick to the left of the wall and I''ll find the exit.

    And sure enough, after 6 hours of walking slowly as the maze changes every hour, I finally found the exit. It wasn''t difficult, it was just a lengthy process.

    In the next room, I was greeted by a hall full of statues. As soon as I walked up to the very end of the hallway to open the door, the statues began to move and attacked me.

    "Gazer form, come, Corpse Defiler. DRAGON LIGHTNING!"

    Several more challenges await me. From quizzes, theories my master made, and problems that only I could solve. It''s as if... this labyrinth was made for me. Only I could know the answers to these questions and problems.

    I finally arrived at the end. There it was, a floating crystal on top of a pedestal and a letter stuck on the front of the pedestal.

    Before I grabbed the crystal, I opened the letter first.

    I''m afraid that you chose this path Zeta.

    I wished for you to just live quietly somewhere since your strength is enough to live a quiet life.

    But if it''s strength you seek, You''ve come to the right place.

    You have the right to know about Ouroboros.

    But not now. You are still far too weak.

    Even I couldn''t hold up a candle against him.

    So I''m going to give you my greatest creation.

    Though I''m ashamed to admit this was made with countless souls.

    You may spite and hate me for this Zeta.

    But to beat the demon, I must become a demon.

    Grab this floating crystal and say these words.

    I did as he said and grabbed it. "My own life, my own soul. It shall be yours but in exchange give me enough strength for my goal, for I am your master and you''re my servant, I shall give you everything as long as you give me everything."

    A voice then popped in my head. "I have heard your call and I, Yurid shall respond. Forged by thousands of souls, I will help you with your goals, take me master, for both we are whole."

    The crystal broke into pieces and rearrange itself into a human form. It had green hair and has the body of a young adult. She was beautiful.

    After the completion of her transformation, she collapsed and fell into my arms.

    "So this is the final gift my master left me." I was curious about what she is. "Mana Eyes." And to my surprise, her whole body is covered with mana. All of this world has their mana covered in their bones and veins only. But she has her mana covering her whole body. "I see master. You''ve been preparing for this for a while. I''ll complete everything you''ve started master."

 Chapter 116: A New Me

    "Zieglind... You''ve done it. You have actually done it. I thought it would take you a few more years but this whole island... It has all been absorbed by you." Herold was amazed on how fast I absorbed everything in this island.

    "I feel like I''ve grown strong. I''ve inherited those two people''s powers."

    "You absorbed the greatest swordsman and the greatest magician''s skills and techniques. You''re stronger than ever."

    "Yeah. Anyway, how long has it been it felt like I''ve watched a summary of their lives?" I asked.

    "Two years."

    "Two years... But the mana and memories I absorbed in this island... I wonder if it would really help. I thought when you said training I would do some heavy lifting or practice swordfighting."

    "Then, do you want to try?"

    "Are you kidding me? You''re level is absurd."

    "Come on. Don''t you want to see your progress?"

    "You have a point. Fine. Since you asked... Domain of the Bloodfallen. Location, Abyss!"

    The world around us changed and we were both teleported in an unending darkness that looked like it stretched for eternity.

    There''s no floor but it feels like we''re standing on something.

    "That''s a cheap trick. Analyze."

    "What are yo-"

    "Dispel!"

    "Magic Invulnerability!"

    "An anti-dispel skill."

    "This skill isn''t mine..."

    "It''s from the memories you absorbed. With enough knowledge on a skill, anyone can get it. It''s the same principle with scrolls. You can imprint a spell there even if the scroll isn''t anything special."

    "Also, did you just learn how to dispel my domain? This is a unique skill I got."

    "It''s my specialty. I''m not a mage."

    "What does that even mean?"

    "Come Burnbright." Two swords appeared from his hand. "I''m an Anti-mage."

    "You''re getting serious. Then I''ll do the same. Armor of the Bloodfallen. Come, Bloodlust."

    "I''m coming!" Herold rushed at me with his twin blades.

    "Heavenly Guard!" Another skill I inherited from the memories I''ve absorbed. It''s a stronger barrier that surrounds my body and I can control it freely. "I still need some preparations."

    Herold struck the barrier but no scratches were made. "It''s a tough barrier."

    "Just sit and wait. Auto-Heal, Auto-Repair, Lightning Body, Rage, Blood Rampage, Corr-" Before I could finish casting all the buffs, Herold broke my barrier and ran straight at me. "Teleport!" I backed away. "You couldn''t even leave a scratch on it earlier..."

    "You see, skills are made of mana. That''s why skills have a cost. But if I can drain enough mana from your skills, they''ll be easy to destroy. Just like this." Herold instantly got infront of me and a slight tap of his sword on my armor, everything I have on suddenly disappeared. My buffs, armor and weapon.

    "WHAT!?"

    "This are my swords Brightburn. It drains mana everytime I hit something."

    "So that''s why you call yourself an anti mage."

    "First of all, can you heal yourself? Your whole body is filled with holes because of that armor you''re using."

    "Ah yeah. Heal, Great Heal, Cure Wounds."

    "Do you want to continue? I still haven''t seen you use that two things."

    "I don''t know how to control it yet. I can speak to it but I don''t know how to use it yet."

    "Then I''ll be your guinea pig."

    "Fine. Let''s do this. Balor''s Eye... OPEN!" I could feel my right eye change.

    "So who is it that dared to wake me in my eternal sleep?" A voice was heard in the back of my head.

    "It''s me." I replied.

    "You reek of human blood and a mix of demon. A hybrid? What a disgusting state."

    "You can say what you want but I need you to lend me your power."

    "Thousands of species asked me the same thing. Can you handle the power and curse that resides if you accept me?"

    "I have known the dangers when I took you in me. Give me your power."

    "Why do you even want it? Give me a reason and I''ll think about it."

    "I''ll end the cycle of this world. Everything is getting reset every hundreds of years. Their memories, the pain and everything that was felt in the wars that took place here."

    "And how will you do that with my eye?"

    "Absolute power. I plan to go against the most powerful beings. I''m no hero. But I finally found my purpose and calling. In my previous world, I''m nothing. Here, I''m something."

    "Who are these beings you''re going against?"

    "Gods. I''ll end their reign."

    "GODS!? Haha... HAHAHA! INTERESTING! Very much so hybrid! HAHAHA. A human trying to go against their creator. This is amazing. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. FINE! I ACCEPT! I accept. Then my enemies shall be your enemies and your enemies shall be my enemies. I grant you my Eye of Destruction. Go. Let me see how far you can go human. Say these words with me..."

    "SCRIOS!" We both said the same thing and a bright shine of light emitted from my right eye and disappeared. "Herold, it''s activated I think."

    But he didn''t reply. I tapped on his shoulders and punched him to his shoulder but he doesn''t move.

    He dropped his weapons and it disappeared.

    "What''s going on?" I was confused. Then I suddenly remember the name Balor. "I knew it was familiar but this name... It''s from the Irish mythology. Balor the tyrant demon."

    He was cursed with the Eye of Destruction. The eye that brings bad luck, hallucinations and death to those who see it.

    So he was struck by the eye. I need to hide this somehow.

    I tear my clothes and grabbed the piece of cloth and wrapped it around my right eye. I don''t know how to deactivate it so this might be the only solution I have.

    I''m just wishing that this doesn''t pierce through fabric because it''ll be troublesome.

    This power is dangerous to be left alone.

    "Now what to do with you..." Herold was still stuck in the hallucination. "Skill List." I took a look at every skill I have and it seems like I inherited a lot from absorbing the mana and memories.

    I''m amazed by the spells I got. It''s a lot. These skills will help me in the future.

    After searching for a while, I found a skill that can help me with the situation.

    [Cleanse, cures all negative buffs. (Poison, Slow, Mind Control, Stun etc.) This skill can only be used once per day.]

    "Cleanse."

    Herold snapped out of it and fell to the ground. "Wha... What''s happening."

    "You''re back."

    "Zieglind? I... I''m so confused... It feels like it''s been a year since I last met you."

    "What did you see there?"

    "There?"

    "You were in a hallucination. It''s the power of the eye I got."

    "I... I see. No...nevermind that." He had a sad look on his face. "Just some old memories I thought I have forgotten. No... Tried to forget."

    I''m guessing he saw his old friends and wife there.

    "I see."

    "I''m trying to get ahold of myself for now. Just let me take in everything for a while. Let''s talk tomorrow."

    After we got some rest, tomorrow arrived and we were about to talk about what he had in mind.

    "So what now?" I asked.

    "You go and have your own adventure. But I have one condition."

    "Name it. You''ve helped me a lot."

    "When the time arises when you... No... When we need to face our goals, you must come no matter what."

    "Even though I don''t know where to go from here, I''ll respond as fast as possible. We''ll end the cycle of battle royale in this world."

    "That''s all. I want you to get far more stronger Zieglind. We''re strong but not strong enough."

    "Mhm."

    "I''ll go find some helpers on my own. The Holy War will start someday. Let''s prepare for the worst."

    "Got it."

    "On to other news, I''ve had my men track down your group of knights."

    "Oh. What''s the news?"

    "It seems that most of them are spotted at the Itz kingdom."

    "It seems that I found where to go. I''ll go meet up with them."

    "Hmm... Wait. There''s one more request I need actually."

    "What is it?"

    "Aren''t you curious?"

    "About what."

    "Their strength."

    "I am. I know they''ve been doing some training on their own."

    "Then try them."

    "Try them how?"

    "Well I''ve got this idea in my mind though I don''t know if you''ll accept it."

    "Don''t tell me..."

    "Try to fight them as an unknown figure. They''ll go all out on you."

    "I knew it."

    "It''s a little prank."

    "I can do it. I''m raring to fight anything anyways. It''s been two years of me watching a two year documentary about some swordsman and mage''s lives."

    "So it''s decided then."

    "I''ll show them my two year growth. I won''t fail them again."

    "Then let''s go."

    "Let''s go to where it all started. Where I met all of them. I''m going back to Itz."

 Chapter 117: Masked Man

    Two years huh. And I''m back at where we all started. I entered Itz and it seems to have grown.

    It''s richer than before seeing the new shops and the houses have more high-quality materials than before. It''s so beautiful.

    I was just wandering around without knowing where to go. We all agreed to meet here two years ago but we didn''t settle on an exact location.

    After wandering around for quite a while, I first met Zeta in the park of Itz.

    But it seems that he had a companion.

    "Zeta," I called out to him.

    "Oh! Afal! Haven''t seen you in two years!" He greeted me with a big smile on his face.

    "Isn''t that the point so we could train?"

    "Ah."

    "Who''s that accompanying you?"

    "..." Zeta was silent for a second. "Afal... You can see Yurid?" Zeta looked at her and said, "You''re invisible right now aren''t you?"

    That female floating behind her nodded.

    "I apologize if I did something wrong."

    "No, no, it''s nothing. I''m just surprised you can see her. I''m pretty sure she cast an absolute invisibility on herself."

    "I can''t see her clearly. More like a figure of her. I can see mana. But she''s... Different."

    Zeta had a shocked looked on his face. He then turned around at her again and said, "He''s fine. He''s a friend."

    "What did she say?"

    "She thought you were dangerous."

    Before we could continue our conversation, I heard several people yelling as if calling out to us.

    "That''s them," I said as I pointed to their direction.

    "Haha! Precia, Yefa, Rize, Greta!" Zeta waved back to them.

    We all gathered and went into an inn to get some food and drinks.

    We sat down on a circular table and most of them ordered a beer.

    Rize was the one to break the awkward silence, "So, are you going to introduce her Zeta?"

    "Hmm? You too? Fine..." Zeta then did an exasperated sigh. "Dispel." The woman behind Zeta appeared. "This is Yurid. It''s the final gift my master left me."

    "I see," Greta said in a low voice which made Zeta shake for some reason.

    Precia was the next to speak, "So what''s our next plan?"

    "Of course we need to find Zieglind first." Yefa joined in.

    "Hmm... Since we have no clue on where to go from here to find him, how about we head first to our village." Precia suggested.

    "Ah!" Everyone had a sudden realization.

    "I forgot about our village," Zeta said.

    Everyone agreed. Precia was the one to take the lead, "That''s decided then. Let''s g-"

    We suddenly felt a cold breeze of chill. This amount of mana headed our way is only directed at us.

    "Does anyone have any idea who that is?" I asked. No one responded. "I see. Then we''ll have to see."

    We dropped some money on the table and went to head out in the direction of the one who''s inviting us.

    The person who was looking for us was far. We had to go out of the kingdom of Itz to find them. And there they are, inside the forest as if they were waiting for us and to our surprise, it was just one person looking for us.

    They were covered in a shrouded black cape and their face is covered in a mask.

    "Let''s do this." He raised his hand and muttered some words that we couldn''t hear.

    The next thing we knew, we were in another place.

    It was a freezing icy place with a horrible blizzard.

    "Frost Resistance." Zeta cast on all of us. "This will help against the cold."

    "Thanks. Anyway, who are you? What do you want from us?" I asked the masked man.

    "Gazer Form."He has not shown his weapon yet but he equipped only his armor and in an incredibly deep voice. A man? But when he spoke and invoked fear upon us.

    But we know we changed from those two years. This time, we will not lose.

    All of us transformed into Gazer Form and equipped our weapons except for Rize.

    "I see. Then you aren''t here for peace huh? Grasp of the Void!" Using Gazer Armor I can''t equip any other item but these artifacts are not items. They''re a part of me. "Come here. Void''s Calling!" A small black hole formed and began to slowly drag him towards me. "I can not move when I''m using this skill! Do it!"

    "Okay, nice job!" Rize shouted. "Hou Yi''s bow, Blessing of the Marksman, Bullet Hell!"

    "Hunter''s Feast!" Greta began to move even faster and rushed at the masked man."

    "Fire Shackles!" Zeta cast his spell too. It summoned a Phoenix and it screamed a loud screech and began to breathe fire.

    Yefa jumped in the air, "Maximize Weaponry, Explosive Fists, Stance Change, Boxing, Haste!" Her weapons enlarged and with that enlarged weapons came an increased range in which she used to attack the masked man from afar.

    "Unruly Gemstone, Corruption, Rage, Berserker!" Precia activated multiple skills.

    "Precia, there is no need to go that far!" I shouted.

    "Don''t worry, I''m in control!" She then rushed at the enemy and everytime she swung her blade the ground is also getting sliced. That''s how powerful she is.

    The three spells she cast, corruption, rage, and berserker are skills that give bonus strength and damage in exchange for one''s sanity. It seems she''s grown too. Well... every one of us has grown in our own ways.

    But it''s not time to be happy or be relieved. That masked man blocked every single one of our attacks with ease.

    We all backed off. We tried to figure out what happened. We didn''t see anything.

    "Zeta, use your scanning ability. Who is that person?" I asked.

    "G- got it. Status Reveal." Zeta then had an extremely worried face. "He''s using the False Information skill. Everything about him is at the single digits. Level 1, 1 HP, 1 MP."

    "He definitely doesn''t have 1 MP as his maximum. His mana is... More than you Zeta."

    "Then that makes things easier. He''s a mage. He can''t fight back when we''re near him. Let''s pressure him."

    "I see. That''s a plan."

    "Cover me, I''ll cast a large spell. This will take a while."

    "Got it."

    I revved up my arm and it started to vibrate. I''ll pressure them with absolute speed.

    I rushed in and Greta, Precia, and Yefa followed.

    "DUEL!" I cast. And just as Zeta said, he has false information. The board on the top said, my name and my current HP and MP but his only says Z and has 1 HP and MP.

    I dashed at him and began to unleash a barrage of attacks.

    He counter-attacked, "Frozen Field!"

    "No, you won''t!" Zeta shouted. "Dispel!" But nothing happened. "Damn it. Anti-Dispel skill."

    That frozen field he cast froze our feet. It didn''t do any damage to us but it restricted our movements.

    I didn''t want to use this but... "HEY!" I shouted. He looked at me as planned. "Stare into my eyes and feel absolute FEAR!" I activated the Eye of Cthulhu. But he just stood there. "Did... Did it work?"

    Yefa and Greta broke free of the frozen field by Rize shooting the ice off their feet so they both rushed at him.

    But the masked man moved.

    "It didn''t work!?" My eye didn''t work on him. It''s either we both have the same powers or he''s immune to it.

    But he''s done either way since Yefa and Greta rushed at him.

    "Tornado." A sudden large gust of wind blew us away. It broke the binding of the frozen field on me but it seems that getting close will be difficult. He activated another spell. "Summoned Swords." And just as the name suggests six swords spawned behind him floating. As he stretched his arm towards us, the swords followed pursuit and flew our way.

    We dodged it easily but as soon as it hit the ground it disappeared and reappeared behind him. It seems that it''s a continuous spell.

    "I''m done with my spell. Get out!" Zeta shouted.

    We all backed off and watched Zeta cast his spell.

    "GRAND MAGIC: TIME LOCK!" And as if a clock appeared on the masked man''s chest it rang a loud sound and suddenly, the masked man stopped moving. "I just drained 20�G of my mana with that." Zeta plopped onto the ground. "It only works for 20 seconds but in that 20 seconds, he can''t move. Let''s kill him quickly. He''s too dangerous."

    "Yeah. I agree." I voiced my opinion. "I''ll do it."

    I walked to the masked man and raised my sword.

    "Wait." The masked man suddenly spoke. "I give up." Then he raises both of his hands. He took off his cloak and mask and revealed his face.

    "Ah!" Everyone was shocked. "Zieglind!?"

    Zieglind''s normal voice is back, "Everyone has grown huh? Well, I''m glad. I''m back." Followed with a smile.

 Chapter 118: Reviewing Changes

    We celebrated the return of us all in Itz by partying a little bit in the inn. Drinking here and there and eating large amounts of food. We even bought drinks and food for the whole bar. It was an enjoyable activity that we just did. We were all exhausted at the end of the day to the point that we had to sleep at the inn.

    We woke up and prepared ourselves since our first destination is back at the village.

    It was a short trip to the village but�� is this really that village that I helped build? It has gotten so large and everything is so advanced�� I''m amazed on how so many things changed in the last two years.

    We walked through the front gate, it seems that there''s one now seeing there''s a wall surrounding the whole village.

    "Welcome back my lord." Ortov and Grien greeted me as soon as the goblin guards in front of the gate opened it.

    I couldn''t help but smile seeing how much this place has progressed. "It''s been a long time, Ortov, Grien."

    "Yes. We''ve been in contact with this person called Herold and told us he was with you so that''s one of the reasons we didn''t abandon this place."

    "I see. Show us a room wherein we can talk. I want to know what happened in the world in these last two years."

    The two of them guided us to a large house at the very middle of the village. I asked them what it is but it seems that it''s called a town hall.

    We entered the town hall and a large desk greeted us at the very middle with chairs on each side. It looked like a group discussion room in my old world. Grien and Ortov then asked us to sit.

    "Going down to business, what happened in those two years?" I asked.

    Grien was the one to start, "Every kingdom in the whole world has fallen to the players."

    Everyone was silent.

    "I see." The only thing I could say.

    "Since all the kingdoms in the whole world has been overtaken by the players, the inhabitants of this world made a revolutionary army to help kill every player. Some are agreeing to this plan but some are not. They''re too afraid of the powers otherworldly players have."

    "Any other news?"

    "Monster spawn rate increased again in exchange of higher EXP gain. Gifts from leveling up will be disabled according to the message we received."

    I don''t remember seeing that since I was cultivating and absorbing all the mana. But it seems to be a worldwide notice seeing how all of them where all agreeing. "I see. Continue."

    "Tartarus��"

    "Hmm!?" Everyone was shocked including me. That one word made us worried for whatever Grien was going to say next.

    "Tartarus has begun to open its gates."

    "What does that mean?"

    "We sent some of our own goblins here to observe Tartarus since we were ordered by Herold. But just about a year ago, Tartarus began spawning monsters."

    "What kind of monsters?"

    "Right now the monster it released is only one."

    "One???

    "Yes. According to Lam, it was a basilisk."

    "Crap."

    "Why, what''s wrong my lord?"

    "Basilisks are incredibly strong. Their eyes can emit power enough to kill anything. Just seeing it is dangerous enough."

    "It seems that my men were lucky enough to escape before the basilisk appeared."

    "It seems so. Anyway, has the basilisk done anything yet?"

    "Not that we know of. According to the reports we got, the basilisk only attacks if anything get closer to him. Right now the basilisk is sitting on top of a lake and has been passive. But no one has ever come back when some adventurers were sent there from Itz."

    "So it''s passive as of now and we don''t know what it want�� Hmm��"

    "On to other news, the Burliande, it has been overtaken by the undead."

    "Burliande?"

    "The biggest continent in Pandir."

    "Undead�� are they coordinated?"

    "Yes. They are arranged like an army. These information are gathered from rumors and information brokers at Itz so I don''t know the accuracy."

    "It''s fine. Continue."

    "Apparently the Burliande continent is now merged as one kingdom. The undead have taken over it completely. But what some of the people that I got information from said, they''ve been doing trades, moving in packs and been constructing houses and such."

    "They''re incredibly organized�� What kingdoms are they friendly with?"

    "We don''t have information on that. I apologize."

    "It''s fine. But, if they are that organized, then there must be a leader on top of that. Maybe it''s a new type of boss monster or a necromancer player. Either way they''re dangerous. Extremely so. They will continue to overpower everything with numbers."

    "I''m afraid that''s the case."

    "Do you know anyone that tried killing one undead?"

    "Yes but they seem to just regenerate back."

    "I see. So that''s their weakness. They''re too na?ve." Zeta joined in.

    "What do you mean?" I asked him.

    "I can create undead too. Since there''s no dead bodies or anything, here''s just a summoned one, Summon Golem." A large golem enough to reach the top of the room was summoned right next to him. "Fireball." Zeta then blasted his own summon with it. "You see, when a summoned being is damaged, it doesn''t get redirected to you. So you are free to summon more and more as long as you have mana. It''s the same principle with healing them. You can heal them but you have to use mana." The golem suddenly got its parts back. "You just need mana to recover things. Same with undead. So if we keep killing their summons over and over again, they will run out of mana to make them recover to full health."

    "Is it possible to not recover them?"

    "It is possible to halt the heal process. That''s why if we want to overtake them, we need to do it silently. Kill their summoned undead over and over until they run out of mana. And if one runs out of mana while using summoned undead, it''ll all disappear in the blink of an eye."

    "I see. That''s a good idea. But wouldn''t it be reckless? I mean, if they notices the fast rate of their mana going down, thousands of those undead will be heading for our necks."

    "That''s exactly what we want."

    "Hmm�� explain."

    "We just need to drag their MP to be extremely low so that their attention will be ours. Killing thousands of undead will be easy since they''re extremely weak to light magic which I remember Zieglind, you have lots of."

    "Yeah."

    "Controlling thousands of undead won''t be easy so their full attention will be trying to control it. So we can send one of us to assassinate him and everything will come just falling down."

    "That''s a good plan. I can see it succeeding."

    "So, what do we do from here?"

    "Since Polk got destroyed, we need a new home. Let''s take over this Burliande."

    "That''s an incredibly reckless plan."

    "It has always been like that."

    Everyone just smiled and agreed to my plan. We''re finally getting back here. I''m going to do everything I can to get us stronger. To the point that we can challenge Tartarus. We''re still weak. Far too weak. And we''re all going to change that.

    I dismissed everyone and Grien and Ortov led them all to their respective houses. It seems that they''ve prepared for that also.

    I went into the house they''ve prepared for me. It was relatively small but it''s enough for me. I dropped down on the bed and began to think what I''d do from here after we take over Burliande. But I still need something to talk about Herold. "Telepathy. Herold." It seemed to have connected so I was the one to start the conversation. "Herold, the Tartarus opened its gates and spawned in a Basilisk."

    "It already happened? I was sure this happened in my fifth year living here in Pandir. When did it spawn?"

    "A year ago."

    "A YEAR? Oh no. When Tartarus opens its gates, every 3 months, there will be a monster spawning. It''s not just a basilisk, there''ll be more random monsters."

    "Do we need to take immediate action?"

    "No. I''ll just trim some of the monsters there. I can''t possible annihilate all of them as of now. There''s about 12 monsters there as strong as or stronger than the basilisk."

    "We''re going to take over Burliande for now since it''s overrun by undead."

    "I could go with you if you want. I''m a necromancer''s worst nightmare."

    "That mana burn is just so strong isn''t it. But no. You go and head on the twelve monsters the Tartarus spawned in. You don''t have to kill everything. We''ll go there after we take over Burliande."

    "Then that''s a plan. I''m going to prepare something now. Goodbye."

    I then disconnected the telepathy.

    The world is changing for the worse. It''s time to take action.

 Chapter 119: The Raid at Burliande

    We just couldn''t storm there directly in that large continent. We needed to make some preparations first. We flew to the direction of the continent using gazer form to find another kingdom. We needed to gather more information than just blindly rushing in.

    I left the village to Grien and Ortov for them to run. I''m not worried since the totems I placed there two years ago are still there. It has still some mana left inside. Their weapons and armory there have become advanced too.

    ��

    After flying around for a while, we found a kingdom thousands of kilometer away from our village. It''s the village of Hel. It''s swarmed by hybrid of a demon and a human according to Zeta. Their horns are only one and that''s enough to bring shame into the demon species.

    I asked some of the people there on some information but they didn''t want to talk anything or share information to me.

    Afal tapped my shoulder, "I''ll handle this." He walked to the demi humans. "Dispel." Afal made sure we can''t see his face. The demi humans'' face changed instantly. "What do you know about Burliande."

    "It''s�� It''s overrun by the undead." The demi human was shaking in fear.

    "I know that. Any other more?"

    "No��"

    "I''m getting impatient."

    "If I say it I''m gonna get killed�� The undead make trades here."

    "Say it." Afal''s voice suddenly became warped.

    "T- t- there a- are some g- g- general undead there! That are incredibly strong and they''re unkillable!"

    "I see. That''s enough. Leave." Afal watched as the demi human ran away. " Za Fa Rah Ma Ga."

    "Generals huh." I thought about what we''re going to do next. But it seems that Zeta''s companion Yurid, is shaking uncontrollably too. "What''s wrong with Yurid?"

    "She''s saying Afal is dangerous or something." Zeta had a worried look on her face.

    "Sorry you had to see that." Afal apologized.

    "I''ll calm her down. Let''s just do what we''re here to do."

    We agreed and we bought some necessities for later consumption and gathered more information on the Burliande continent. We decided that we have enough information so we will now be heading to that continent now.

    We activated our gazer forms and flew to the air so that we would be undetectable by the undead. After flying for a while, we found the edge of their territory. We flew down and we dispelled our armors and observed the ground. It was colored black and purple. It doesn''t have a smell but when I touched it, it spread on my bare hands.

    "Zieglind, cut off your arm!" Zeta shouted at me.

    "What?" The black colored continue to spread to my whole body and to my face. Then�� it disappeared. "What was that?"

    [Gained skill, Corrupted Body, becomes immune to the undead curse. Cannot be resurrected to be undead.]

    "You don''t feel pain Zieglind right?"

    "Yeah."

    "What you just touched is a corrupting poison, its spread by the undead to mark their territory. If you touch directly with any part of your body, you will feel an extreme amount of pain and it''ll continue to spread on every part of your body. If you managed to withstand the pain, you''ll gain an immunity to it."

    "So that''s why�� but cutting off my arm is a bit extreme don''t you think?"

    "Nope. It''s extremely painful. That''s why we need to wear armor. Fortunately, this doesn''t corrode metals so we''ll be safe as long as we have armor on."

    Everyone activated their gazer forms and brought out their weapons.

    "Let''s search for the undead generals. Let''s split up so this''ll be faster."

    We all agreed and split up.

    "Mana Search." Within a kilometer of radius, I didn''t feel anything or see anything other than us. Undead doesn''t have mana huh. I''ll just blast through and find out where they are.

    After traversing the dark and murky land, all I could see were undead in the thousands. They were swarming with skeletons and zombies. I wanted to test something. I brought out my Soul Scythe and swiped off killing hundreds of them in an instant. And just as I figured, I couldn''t get any souls from them to help me get stronger.

    The hundreds I just killed began to regenerate. So the report about it was true. Next up I''m going to use some spells. "Holy Burst!" I created a small ball of light that slowly pulses out shockwaves filled with light magic. And as soon as it hits an undead, they are obliterated completely. This spell is extremely useful but consumes mana per second so it''s inefficient to just let this out at all times. "Dispel."

    I took a good look at the ground and waited for a while. Nothing happened. Complete destruction of the corpse of the undead will kill them off even if they have great regeneration.

    Another test is the compatibility of elements against them.

    "Fireball! Has no effect on them. They have high resistance against it.

    "Icy Burst!" Ice freezes them as usual. I don''t see any bonus damage or minus damage. Dealing ice damage against them is just the same.

    "Gale Winds!" Wind magic only cuts them and dismember them. No change.

    "Rock Spikes!" Rock magic does the same as wind.

    "Lighting Chain!" Normal damage against undead.

    "Dark Explosion!" Completely immune to darkness. It doesn''t do any damage to them.

    I now have complete control on all elements because of the cultivation. That two years was worth it. But now''s not the time for reminiscing about that. I need to report this to them. "Telepathy. Zeta, Yefa, Afal, Precia, Greta and Rize. They''re completely immune to dark magic. High resistance against fire and incredibly weak against light magic. Other elements doesn''t have any change. Complete obliteration of their corpse will prevent them from regenerating. Got it?"

    "Yeah!" Everyone responded.

    I turned off the telepathy and began to run more and more to find some undead generals. But the more I go deeper stronger undead appeared. They can''t be killed in one shot anymore. These undead aren''t giving me EXP too. I understand why the people here got killed or deserted it completely. Killing these things aren''t easy since they give no rewards even in death.

    They weren''t strong but I''m severely outnumbered. Every time I kill them, they just resurrect with ease. I can''t use mana too much too since I don''t know the strength of the general or the mastermind behind all of these.

    Just as I was overthinking on what I''d do next, I didn''t notice but I got surrounded by thousands of undead. "I''m in an extremely bad situation aren''t I? Time to use the skills I inherited from Urgo." The greatest warrior that lived. I grabbed both the ends of the scythe.

    "Sweeping Death!" I spun my scythe around and it created a dome. I looked at the description of the skill,

    [Sweeping Death, your weapon will increase in size and as you spin, every magic projectile will be destroyed and a giant dome will be formed and you will gain +100 Strength per second. This dome lasts for 20 seconds.]

    "This is cool! Come at me unde-�� Oh�� They died at the spin attack�� even their bodies disappeared and the corrupting poison got blown away too." I wanted to test some more but this is enough.

    I continued on battling with these undead and it looked like I''ve been battling them for a day with no rest. I could just fly and avoid these undead but looking around at this overtaken continent, it''s filled with sadness. All the villages, cities and random structures are destroyed and ran to the ground. And all these undead are reincarnations of the ones that died here. And the reincarnation isn''t a pretty one.

    I''m afraid to know how much damage they''ll do if I just let them go and avoid them. I need to prevent this kind of thing happening on other kingdoms. They''re growing far too strong and will soon outnumber the whole world. It literally is the perfect army. Doesn''t need food, doesn''t need sleep, doesn''t feel pain, and doesn''t disobey. Will only obey at commands.

    Whoever did this is an incredibly genius person for choosing the necromancer class. Or it may even be just a boss monster in this world. I don''t care. But as long as I set these people free of this horrible reincarnation, I''m satisfied. I won''t let these things happen again.

    I contacted everyone again, "Zeta, this is weird." Is the first thing I said.

    "I agree. This is incredibly weird and ominous." Zeta replied.

    "What do you mean?" Rize asked.

    "We''ve been killing undead for three days now and there''s no sign of them stopping the regeneration of these undeads."

    "What does that mean?"

    "It means that we haven''t drained their mana enough to make them notice this. Whoever we''re battling must be a real monster. For them not to take action while thousands of their undead are dying and reviving over and over, it means they are not worried. We need to find them now. Fighting these undead are just going to take forever."

 Chapter 120: Heading into Battle

    We all rendezvoused at the very edge of Burliande where we split up.

    "New plan." I started the discussion. "We''re going to surround this whole continent."

    "Hold up, what?" Yefa interrupted. "This is the biggest continent in this world Zieglind, it''s impossible to surround it with just us."

    "No I''ll just surround it."

    "Now you''re just confusing me even more."

    "I don''t want these undead to be left alone so I''ll just make some rock formations enough to be called a wall to prevent them from escaping. So I''ll be surrounding the whole continent. That''s the first phase of the plan."

    Zeta joined in, "Wait, surrounding this whole continent will take a lot of mana. Summoning rock formations doesn''t consume that much but in this large�� no, extremely large continent it''ll be incredibly difficult. I don''t know how much mana that''ll cost but it''ll be a lot."

    "I can manage�� I think. I''ll never know if I try. Anyway, on our second phase, since killing these undead are proving useless, we''ll search for the head of this place. But if you find an undead general or so they call it, try to kill it. See what happens. If it regenerates, continue heading for the boss. Okay. Move out."

    Everyone ran to their objectives and began looking for the boss of this place.

    "Let''s take a look at everything shall we? Man- oh yeah�� Undeads don''t have mana. Hmm�� Fine. Imagery Intensify." Good thing I saved the information of the world map on my mind using Perfect Imagery back at Polk. Remembering that place still hurts. Everything I vowed to protect died because of me being weak. How laughable. The slaves I rescued just to die within days after. Maybe I shouldn''t have rescued them. "Haha, I''m getting off-track. Let''s see Burliande continent��" It is incredibly huge. But I think I can make it happen. "Rock Manipulation."

    After a minute long silence, the ground began to shake. It wasn''t anything serious, just a shake. I was lifting the ground forming a wall. "Holy crap 5,000 mana per second? THE HELL? I NEED TO BE FASTER!" I need a wall enough to restrict the movements of the undead. I tried to make the walls higher and higher. "IT''S DRAINING WAY TOO MUCH!" After I heightened the walls enough, I stopped. "Twenty three thousand mana left�� THE HELL? I DIDN''T EXPECT THAT HAHA!" I couldn''t help but laugh.

    "But anyway�� this five meter wall should be enough right? Hmm�� Telepathy. Zeta, Yefa, Afal, Precia, Rize, Greta. The wall, did it reach there?"

    Everyone replied with affirmation that the wall reached there.

    "Okay. I''ll head your way now. Let''s find that boss."

    I descended down to the ground, "Lightning Body, Haste!" It was faster to run than fly in this situation. So I ran and ran avoiding and ramming myself through their horde.

    After running for what took like hours or something, I bumped into something hard. I went through it but I couldn''t help but check what it is. I looked back and it was a giant undead. "Woah." I couldn''t help but be amazed. But it seems that I angered it by destroying its legs while I rammed through him.

    "So you''re a general huh? Come at me!"

    "Fireball." The undead general casted.

    "WHA-" I quickly dodged to the side. That caught me off-guard. I thought undead doesn''t have any mana. "How��?" I quickly stopped and tried to think on how they''re doing that. Maybe they''re using the mana of their master as their own mana? But that is way too convenient and incredibly strong�� They have basically infinite range as long as their undead or summons are that far.

    "Lightning Chain." The undead general continued casting low level spells.

    "Dragon Lightning!" A lightning formed in a shape of a dragon found its enemy and dived head first onto the enemy destroying its upper body. But just as I feared, it isn''t enough to kill it completely.

    It regenerated itself back to full nearly instantly. "��" It swung its blade to me.

    "Woah." I dodged it. But the ground where I was once before was destroyed and left a huge crack ten meters after that. "They''re that strong huh. Fine. Let''s make this a test of strength. Come, Soul Scythe."

    He swung his gigantic sword and I did the same with my scythe. Every time we clashed, a huge wave of wind was felt and the ground beneath us began to break. We were equal in strength.

    "Sorry but I don''t have time for you. Soul Scythes." Ten of my soul scythes appeared and was floating in the air. They all spun rapidly and launched themselves on the undead. Tearing its flesh down with the rapid spinning of the scythes.

    "Holy Burst!" Obliterating everything that was once his body. "I just wanted to fight someone but this one is too weak huh." This general might''ve been an adventurer or a high ranking official in this continent. What a shame.

    "Telepathy. Rize, Greta, Afal, Precia, Zeta, Yefa. Did you find it?"

    Precia was the next to speak. "I think so. Should I go in?"

    "No wait for us. Where''s the location?" Precia then sent a detailed instruction on how to get there. After ten minutes of searching where it is we got there.

    "Woah." We couldn''t help but be amazed.

    It was a huge towering castle. Large undead were guarding the outside. Maybe generals. They are also surrounded by hundreds maybe thousands of undead. And we couldn''t help but notice but�� There''s a skeleton dragon and a zombie dragon on top of the castle overseeing us.

    "Let''s make grand entrance shall we." I gathered light and dark from both of my hands and combined them both. "Brightest Dark!" It shot a beam of ray mixing the properties of light and dark magic, literally obliterating anything it touches.

    Sure the undead are immune to dark magic but the power of the light magic mixed inside is enough to kill them all.

    And it sure did kill them all. But the castle was still standing and the dragons above weren''t attacking us. The door of the castle opened as if inviting us in.

    I looked at them all and we all had the same idea. We headed in even if it was a trap. He was a being that could kill us and the whole world if he wanted to. We need to put him to stop.

    As soon as we entered, a magic circle below us activated and unleashed a bright light. The moment when we opened our eyes, we were in a completely different place.

    There they were, ten of them sitting on what seems to be a throne. The nine sitting parallel facing each other while the king sits on the throne on top.

    "DRAGON LIGHTNING!" Zeta instantly casted a spell headed towards the direction of the king.

    "Dragon Lightning!" But it was interrupted and been cancelled when the two spells collided. Zeta''s was stronger but the strength of the two twin mages managed to overpower him by casting the same spell.

    "I see how it is. The reason why your undead won''t stop dying. You''re using the unique skill Sacrificial Gain. The higher the quality of your sacrifice the better rewards. Be it health points or mana points. But to think you''re using living beings other than monsters and animals��" Zeta then pointed at the back of his throne.

    It was filled with corpses of different species, humans, orcs, centaurs basically hundreds of dead bodies just to supply his mana pool so that his summons won''t disappear.

    "Hey kid!" The twins talked in unison. "You have no right to be here. Begone! Win-"

    Greta suddenly transformed into her beast form and jumped to the twin mages. But she got interrupted by another one of her own kind. "A werewolf?" It was just like Greta''s beast form but this one was a different kind. They both walked and looked the same. But this one is a werewolf.

    Another one stood up from their thrones and showed his bow and took a shot at Greta. But it got interrupted by Rize.

    "Hou Yi''s bow��" the accomplice of the enemy suddenly muttered something.

    But Rize was shocked. "How do you know the name of this bow?"

    "��" She was silent for a moment. "Just old memories with someone."

    The king sitting on the throne stood up and began to speak. "Eliminate them all."

    Everyone suddenly was grabbed.

    Rize got paired against the one who attacked Greta.

    Zeta got paired against the twin mages.

    Greta got paired against the werewolf.

    Afal got paired against the two unknown enemies.

    Yefa also got paired with one of the unknown enemy.

    And I got paired with this king and these two unknown hooded figures.

    "One versus three? Isn''t this unfair?" I complained jokingly.

    "You who dared to invade my abode can not get a fair treatment."

    "Oh is that so? Come, Soul Scythe." I rushed at him and slashed him with my scythe. "Die."

    His upper body fell onto the ground. "Two left." Just as I said that, the upper body suddenly disintegrated into blood and the lower body of the king suddenly began to generate the upper body.

    "What��?" I was shocked. I was sure I cut off his upper body.

    He began to laugh menacingly. "I am a king�� no�� a GOD IN THIS WORLD!"

 Chapter 121: The Apprentice VS The Master

    I opened my eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar place. It''s a vast land of grass filled with trees and giant rocks. It seems that I got teleported when I was grabbed. "Where�� am I?" A loud burst of sound was heard and my cheek got grazed by a bullet.

    "Better get your head in the game sweetie." A voice was heard behind the trees in the distance.

    "What''s your name?" I asked.

    "Britta Stret."

    "I see. You''ll regret not killing me Britta."

    I hid behind one of the trees.

    "Hey! I know you''re holding back. Wear the armor your other friends are wearing."

    "Sorry I don''t want to. I want to use this bow."

    "Man you''re persistent aren''t ya?" She peeked out of the trees and shot the tree where I was in.

    I quickly avoided it by jumping onto another tree. "Marksman''s Field!" I could see a mini map of the whole area in the corner of my eyesight.

    What this skill does is it analyzes all moving things. A red dot will appear on the mini map if something moves but it''ll disappear if they stop. The mini map also shows the terrain and the high ground by the lines in it. It also shows where the trees are and the rocks or any possible cover.

    "Hey that''s cheating! Then�� me too! Marksman''s Field!"

    "You have the same skill?"

    "Well we got trained by the same person."

    "I knew it. You know her don''t you? Arka."

    "Man I haven''t heard that name in ages. But to think she gave Hou Yi''s bow to you. What a waste��"

    "Must be her acknowledging me."

    "Huh. You�� You know how to piss a person off don''t you?" Her voice suddenly got deeper and menacing. "Fine. I''ll take that from you. Summon Archers!"

    Five archers rose from the ground and took aim at where Rize was.

    "Summon Archers!" Both of their summoned archers took aim and interrupted each other. "Summon Archers, Summon Gunners! Morale Boost!"

    I summoned five archers and five gunners. Morale Boost is a skill that gives bonus damage and haste to my summoned units. Haste is the bonus attack speed they get.

    "Summon Archers, Summon Gunners! Morale Boost!" She did the same.

    While both of our miniature armies were fighting, we both began to make a move. I pulled back with all my strength and release the arrow on Britta.

    Britta with her gun began to shot the arrow three times while she jumped in the air and managed to destroy the arrow. I quickly twisted my body and I barely avoided the two bullets.

    Britta landed on his two feet and smiled at me. She began running to the side of the forest at full speed. I followed her.

    Just as I set foot inside the forest, my feet got caught in a bear trap. It only restricted my movements. A log then came falling down so I swayed back to avoid it. But at my peripheral vision I saw Britta take aim so I covered my face with my hand.

    But her bullet was too strong as it pierced and made a hole in my hand. Good thing it didn''t hit my face. It hurts a lot but I can''t show it right now.

    Britta then shouted, "This forest�� is my kingdom. Here? You''re an illegal citizen."

    I heard something being armed. I''m still stuck in the bear trap so I shot it with my bow. My hand is hurting so much so I can''t unleash Hou Yi''s Bow''s true power.

    The drawback on the string on this bow depends on the user so it isn''t difficult to use it. Everyone can. But it''s useless if my main hand is weak. I aimed the bow at the sky. "Arrow Rain!" I need it as a distraction.

    I heard several crossbows shot off but the barrage of arrows falling down from the sky managed to interrupt all of it. "Gazer Form, come, Heartpiercer. Gun Mode."

    "You''re revealing your true form right?" I still couldn''t find her.

    This forest is filled with traps. No that isn''t right�� This forest IS a trap. So I''ll need to take care when walking or finding her.

    "Summoned Recall!" The summons earlier got teleported and surrounded me. I took a step forward and I felt my feet step on something.

    Countless knives came flying my way but my summons interrupted all of it.

    Britta emerged from the shadows and brought out her other gun. She then barraged me with her bullets but I interrupted it all with my single gun.

    "What!?" Britta was shocked. "How��? That''s impossible�� I mean�� Even if you have insane reflexes�� ARGH TSK!" Britta hid under the shadows of the forest again.

    I couldn''t move nor would I try to move. I don''t know where the traps are and where she is. She shot her gun again and began running. Every two or three shots she ran.

    It was a run and gun tactic but I''m interrupting everything she threw at me.

    "The hell is going on��?" Britta couldn''t comprehend what was going on.

    "I''m a sitting duck here. So I''ll end this. I didn''t want to use this because this place is filled with traps. But I need to test how much I got stronger."

    "What are you saying?"

    "Maximize Magic!" A skill that increases the range of another skills for a certain time limit. "Cube!" I locked the both of us in a giant barrier. "Law�� Breaker." The most powerful spell I can cast. This is the strongest spell I currently have and I''m going to use it. "Bullet Hell." I aimed at the sky and shot the single bullet at the barrier I casted. It split up into little pieces.

    "Where are you aiming at?"

    "Now�� In this space�� I am absolute! Law Breaker Number One, change properties of bullet to a ball but they still have high durability!"

    "What are you talking about?"

    When one of the bullets hit the trees it bounced of the trees as the bullet split apart creating more bullets.

    "Law Breaker Number Two, everything in this space will move twice as fast except for living beings!"

    "WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!?"

    The bullet hell I casted began infinitely bouncing and moving twice as fast making dodging impossible.

    Think of it as like several balls dropped to the ground but they move as fast as bullets and does damage as the same as bullets. That''s how devastating this combo is.

    "LAW BRE-" I took a look at my status and just that two spells I''m out of everything. Now the next problem is how will I avoided this thing I just created.

    Every time the bullets hit something, a trap activated. Punji sticks, crossbows shooting, hidden trapdoors in the ground, knives, everything was flying around. This is my space. The space where the laws of the world bend to my will.

    Britta is trying to interrupt every bullet but every time she does, the bullet splits into smaller fragments creating more and more bullets flying all around the whole area.

    I was still a sitting duck since I haven''t moved from where I was. Since I know that most of the traps are now used up or triggered, I ran and ran trying to dodge the hell that I just created.

    After a few minutes, Law Breaker reached its time limit. The bullet hell stopped because they got to the point where the friction burned the smallest fragments.

    After the end of the duration on all the spells, everything went silent. I took a look at my mini map and saw something moving at the same place. I ran over there. And what I saw was Britta.

    "That�� that was a good shot haha��" Britta''s body was full of holes and her right arm is so damaged it could tear off anytime.

    I felt sad since this fight was just a one sided fight. It was too cruel for her. I can''t save her.

    "��" I was there sitting silently.

    "So you were trained by Arka hmm? That''s interesting."

    I knew she was dying so I just wanted to have a decent final conversation with her. "Yeah. Were you trained by her too?"

    "No, it''s the opposite. I trained her."

    "I see."

    "For her to give the Hou Yi''s bow to you she must''ve discovered something great in you."

    ???Was this bow�� yours?"

    "Yeah. Then since she gave Hou Yi''s bow to you, I''ll do the same. Take my guns." With the last of her strength, he reached for her guns with her one hand and handed it to me. "They''re names are Zhin and Xiao. Take care of them."

    "I will."

    "I haven''t even shown you their true powers. That skill you released was just brutal. I couldn''t do anything haha."

    "Yeah."

    "Well. I gotta go now. Say hello to Arka for me."

    "I will. Thank you for the gift Britta."

    Britta drew her last breath.

    "I need to use this skill carefully for the future��"

    [Law Breaker, in a large area around you, you can create rules that are normally impossible. The rules deplete your mana depending on how high the order you cast. You can''t make rules that will only benefit you.

    EX: Law Breaker Number One, give me bonus strength and speed.

    All rules made will Law Breaker can only work if everyone in the area gets the same treatment as you.

    EX: Law Breaker Number One, give everyone here bonus strength and speed.]

 Chapter 122: Letting Loose

    "Where am I? Why am I here?" I remember being grabbed by two enemies but as soon as I was about to react, I''m in a different place.

    This place is dark and murky. All I could see with my sight is the same poison on the ground that surrounded the whole continent of Burliande. So I got teleported outside.

    I looked at the two shadow figures in front of me. "Who are y-" They suddenly disappeared and appeared behind my back. "Lightning Body." I avoided them. But it seems that they just appeared behind me to show dominance. They didn''t attack nor do anything. They just stood there.

    "Are you the ones who killed my undead?" One of them asked. The hooded man with the weird staff.

    "Yeah." I replied.

    "I thought my undead were in a war with some bandits or a village. So you''re the reason my mana got depleted many times. Had to use those low quality goods it''s disgusting."

    "I see."

    "Oh I''m sorry. Introductions are in order. I''m East and he''s Pol."

    "Okay."

    "��"

    "��"

    "��"

    "..?"

    "Your name?"

    "Afal."

    "What''s with that awkward long pause��?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Fine. This is such a stupid conversation. Answer my call, Ur the Skeleton Dragon and Yur the Zombie Dragon!" The two dragons we saw atop the castle flew by his side. So he''s the necromancer who spawned these countless undead.

    "Child''s play."

    "What?"

    "Come, Deathdance."

    "Use your fire breath, Ur!"

    Before the dragon could even open his mouth, I appeared in front of it. East got startled and ordered his dragon to fall back. But I didn''t let it have the chance. As I revved up my right hand, I unleashed all the charged up power in it and unleashed a thousand thrusts in a single second. Destroying the Skeleton Dragon''s body.

    "Wha-��" East was shocked. "You''re fast. But my babies are unkillable!" The Skeleton Dragon instantly healed up like it was nothing. "You''re dangerous. I need to kill you fast. Cover me Pol!" East began casting and a large magic circle appeared below him. It then created a beacon of black light that shot up to the sky.

    To kill these undead in one go, I need to kill the caster. I dashed in front of him which caught him off-guard. But just as I swing my sword, I was blocked by this enemy called Pol. He took off his shrouded cowl and rushed at me with his twin daggers.

    He was fast with the blade. He uses flexible combinations that he can change on the fly. A downward slice aimed at my chest as I dodge it by twisting my body slightly, he changes the grip on his dagger to a reverse grip in just milliseconds and dig it into my stomach.

    "Phase." Turning my body into an ethereal for just a split second, I got away from him.

    He doesn''t stop and rushed at me again. A downward slice, it seems that he''s doing it again so I guarded my stomach as I dodged to the side but he immediately followed it up by an upward slice. Good thing it only grazed me a little bit.

    I needed to fight back so I revved up my arm again and unleashed the thousand barrage of thrusts. But by the first strike, he blocked it completely by crossing his daggers in an X form. "What?" I was confused on what just happened. He then kicked me on the stomach and I was sent flying.

    Just as I was to stand up and recover, he raised up both of his hands and flexed his arms.

    I felt chills so I ran away instantly.

    But as he swung it to where I was before, a large deafening sound of boom was heard and a giant X-mark was left on the ground.

    I couldn''t stay on the defensive so I lunged at him. He dodged it quickly. I ran away again then charged at him again with a lunge attack. I repeated this over and over. He was stuck in that position. He couldn''t move away so he could only dodge there at the same spot.

    But as I ran away then charged back at him with a lunge attack, all I could do was graze his body.

    I''m faster than him I know that much. But he knows where I''m attacking so he could avoid it easily.

    "I need to use an artifact against you��" I can''t win if this keeps up. I don''t know what spell that East is casting but this man is absolutely dangerous too. "Dispel." I only dispelled one shape shifted part of my body. It was my chest. It revealed the teeth and mouth of my chest. My true form. Pol was taken aback. I''m used to being treated a monster. So I''ll be one. I grabbed the necklace and chanted these words, "Doppelg?nger." A perfect copy of myself appeared beside me.

    It can use all of my items but if it''s a consumable, it won''t activate. This doppelg?nger can use every skill I have. "Doppelg?nger, use Void''s calling!"

    It nodded at me and said, "Dispel." It dispelled the shapeshift spell on my arm and revealed Grasp of the Void. "Void''s Calling." He said in a monotone voice.

    Pol was being dragged to me slowly. He threw both of his daggers at me. I was confused since he''s throwing his weapons away as a last resort. Maybe out of desperation. But no, chains spawned at the end of the dagger and he grabbed those chains and spun those around grazing my neck with a small wound.

    He now turned his dagger into a chain and flail. He began spinning it around creating a large gust of wind. Even though he was stuck in one place, I still couldn''t get near him.

    Bracing myself, I extended my hand and stopped the spin and momentum of his weapon. The chains then despawned and changed into a spear?

    But just as I was about to attack Pol, the ground quaked and large roars came in all directions. Just as I looked at the distance, thousands of undead were running towards our direction.

    "Barrier! Get out Pol!" East casted and Pol escaped easily of the Void''s Calling. My doppelg?nger stopped casting and just stood there silently. "HAHAHA�� this is the end for you. I thought Pol can kill you but it seems that you''re stronger than both of us. But look around! HUNDRED THOUSANDS OF UNDEAD ARE COMING TO GET YOU! I can only control one thousand to move here so I had to exert more effort you know?"

    "I see. I''m in a pinch aren''t I? I see�� I see." I couldn''t help but laugh. It has been so long since I wanted to use at least one of these artifacts. It was too powerful to be used carelessly. But here? I could let loose.

    "Come my little monsters, devour this one before me!" All the undead ran faster and began roaring loudly.

    "Monsters? I guess you haven''t seen a real one."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Dispel." I have undone every shape shift unto every part of my body. Revealing my true form.

    My arms covered by the Grasp of the Void and Hand of Fury artifacts.

    Both of my feet covered by Rage of the Centaurs.

    My necklace, Doppelg?nger.

    And my chest covered with not an armor, not clothes. But just an artifact of darkness shrouding my whole body. The Sinner''s Corruption.

    All these five artifacts that I found in my two year journey that replaced my arms, feet and body to attain power that I haven''t seen anywhere to serve my lord. It''s worth it. I have become strong enough to stand by him.

    East and Pol dropped down to the ground. Scared. Speechless. They started sweating profusely trying to comprehend what''s happening. But they only could both say, "M- m- m- monster!"

    "I know. Learn absolute fear. Hand of Fury, rain down on my enemies." Hundreds of small balls filled with fire appeared on the sky. "CATACLYSM!"

    One by one the small balls filled with fair came raining down on the ground. "I heard undead has high resistance against fire. Then here''s my suggestion. Survive."

    Every time the fire balls came in contact with anything, the explosion it caused excavated the ground three meters low and the ground quaked every time. Every single one of those could''ve destroyed a whole kingdom.

    After the calamity, silence struck the whole area. Every undead, East and Pol, none of their bodies were left. They disappeared along with their weapons, armor and summons.

    "I have achieved power great enough to shake the world. But I''m using it for my lord. But am I strong enough? I seek answers but it seems so far. Tartarus is moving. I''m waiting for it. For the impending doom that is coming. I will have my answers. About my creation and for whatever my lord seeks.

 Chapter 123: Yurid

    I suddenly got teleported when I was grabbed by these two.

    "Hey brother I think he''s confused." One of the twins talked.

    "Brother he''s confused." The other one followed.

    "What should we do?"

    "What SHOULD we do?"

    "Names!"

    "Ah I see. Names!

    "I''m Valre!"

    "I''m Velry!"

    "And together, we''re the Twin Mages!"

    "Twin Mages!"

    They talked weirdly, happy and carefree while replying to each other.

    "I''m Zeta. So, what do you want?" I asked.

    "I mean�� you invaded our home!" Valre replied.

    "Yeah! You invaded!" Velry followed up.

    "So we have to protect it!"

    "Yeah, protect!"

    "So�� please die for us!"

    "Die, die, die!"

    They started to begin their move. Valre was the first to cast a spell. "Poison Mist!" His twin brother Velry then followed up, "Poison Immunity!"

    I have no resistance against poison. "Poison Immu-"

    Velry interrupted, "Silence!"

    I couldn''t speak. It feels as if my throat was tightening up.

    "Poison Immunity! Cleanse!" I could feel myself getting back to normal.

    "Thanks Yurid. I thought I was a goner."

    "If that two years of training we did and you suddenly died here, I would kill myself to get over to where your soul goes and kill you again."

    "That''s scary��"

    "Did you get a random curse to become extremely weak? These twin mages are just third rate mages compared to you. I can''t believe I had to help you."

    "Sorry��"

    "If you''re gonna say sorry then prove it. Jeez��"

    "Hey!" Valre called out to me. "Who are you talking to?"

    Velry then said, "Yeah! Focus on the fight!"

    "Sorry, sorry. Let''s continue."

    They began to run. Velry is in front of me and Valre is behind me. I started to attack before they could cast anything. "Smite!" A beacon of light came striking down the both of them.

    "Barrier!" They casted in unison blocking the spell I just casted.

    "Dragon Lightning!" Velry casted and Valre suddenly followed it up with, "Phoenix Dive!"

    A lightning formed into a shape of a dragon came rushing at me and a burst of flames in a form of a phoenix dived at me. "I''m in trouble aren''t I?" I couldn''t help but laugh. "Dragon Lightning, Phoenix Dive." I casted both of them at the same time and launched my spell against them cancelling it out.

    "Wow! You casted two spells at once! You''re strong!" Valre complimented me.

    "Wow! You''re strong!" Velry followed him up.

    "It''s time to get serious then."

    "Time to get serious!"

    They both jumped in the air, "LIGHTNING FIELD!!!" A giant dome of lightning was then formed.

    "Lightning Resistance." Just enough for me to walk in this field. It''ll hurt but I don''t have a spell that grants me immunity to lightning for a long time so I''ll have to bear with it. They didn''t cast a silence spell or interrupted or basically anything. That''s good for me.

    Valre began casting, "Twin Dragon Lightning!" Velry followed up, "Magic Damage UP! Magic Unbreakable!"

    Dragon lightning but there''s two, a skill that enhances the damage and another buff the makes the magic cannot be interrupted with dispel. Interesting. "Magic Disruptor Field!"

    Both of their buffs and twin dragon lighting spells got destroyed. But the lightning field still stands.

    I''ll be leading the attack now, "Flame Pillar Barrage!" Several flames that rise up the sky and disappearing for a few seconds spawned in random locations around us. They were busy trying to dodge everything that was coming their way. "Terraforming!" A skill that allows the terrain to be moved, destroyed or be added. Used for cities but I''ll use this to split the ground so that their lightning field will continue to expand and use up more mana.

    I split up the ground as it quaked startling the twin mages. They were confused but the area covering the lightning field grew three times bigger so their mana consumption for this field will be three times as well.

    "Hey." A voice suddenly talked to me. "Take a look at your health."

    "Yurid? What''s wrong?" I asked.

    "Take a look at your health."

    I pulled out my status window. "That''s a problem."

    "End this quick. You''re going to die if you keep up this turtle pace."

    It seems that my health is dropping quickly. Due to lightning resistance, I minimized this but it seems that this field is still doing extreme damage against me. And due to that skill too, I couldn''t feel anything that I was slightly being drained out of health. So that''s why they didn''t silence me. I can''t dispel this lightning field too since I don''t know this spell.

    "DRAGON''S UPRISING!" A magic circle appeared below the twin mages.

    "Barri-" They said in unison but my spell activated faster before they could. The magic circle below them released a dragon that shot up to the sky with them.

    It tore of their shrouded cloaks and revealed the burns on their bodies as the aftermath. They grew silent trying to analyze what happened on their bodies.

    I continued with my barrage of attacks. "Scatter Light!" Arrows formed on the sky and came falling down on them. They blocked it with a quick use of barrier. "Fire Pulse!" A surge of fire appeared on my body to prevent them from closing in. It drains mana per second but it keeps enemies away by pulsing fire waves every three seconds or so. I''ll keep it on so that they can''t get close.

    They made their move and unleashed a lot of skills. "Heavenly Flames!" "Dark Explosion!" Both of them casted in succession.

    It light up flames of white that burned everything it touches. The ground got dug even deeper because of both their skills.

    "Dragon Lightning!" I casted.

    "Dragon Lightning!"Valre counter attacked.

    "Magic Damage UP!" Velry buffed his twin brother''s magic further.

    Both our dragons clashed and Valre overpowered mine and destroyed my spell completely. But it wasn''t enough to get near me since my spell exhausted his spell.

    My health points is going down incredibly quickly. I don''t know how to deal with this situation. "Yurid."

    "What?" She replied.

    "Help me."

    "Are you giving up?"

    "Well no. I just don''t know how to deal with this situation. I haven''t been hit by any of their spells but this lightning field is damaging me incredibly quickly. It''s a weird situation to be in."

    "Hmmm�� Fine. I''ll be detaching now."

    Yurid is an entity branded onto my soul. Only I can hear her and see her when she''s attached inside of me but it seems that my comrades can too.

    Yurid detached herself from me and revealed her true form.

    "Who''s�� that?" They asked.

    "So you''re the ones that Zeta''s having trouble with huh? I see. Well you''re just ants in my eyes."

    Valre and Velry got annoyed and casted several skills. Valre started, "Acid Rain!" and Velry defended themselves, "Barrier!"

    "Dispel." Yurid casted on both of them breaking the barrier that would have protected them from the acid rain. "Barrier." Yurid casted on me.

    The Acid Rain fell and hit the skin of Valre and Velry burning it off.

    "ARGHHHH! MY SKIN�� MY FACE!" Both of them got angry.

    "You both make such a ruckus."

    "Why are you not damaged by the acid rain?"

    "Well your skills are weak to even damage my body."

    "Brother." Valre looked at Velry. "We have to do that."

    "That?" Velry was in thought for a second. "Ah that! Let''s do that!"

    They ran around as if waiting for Yurid to attack.

    "These kids running around�� Fine. You want me to attack? Flame Surge!" Flames appeared that surrounded the entire area.

    Velry counter attacked, "Darkness Cloud!" The sky then darkened and shot a black colored rain in which everything it touches melts away.

    "Wind Burst!" Yurid cleared off the sky in the air. She then aimed at Velry. "Dragon Lightning!" It hit Velry and destroyed his body into nothingness.

    "Keke�� HAHAHA! You idiot! That was a diversion tactic!" Behind the clouds that Yurid blew away was both of them casting a spell. "METEOR BURST!" A giant ball of flames headed Yurid''s way. "This is the end!"

    Yurid tried to stop the giant ball of fire to hit the ground so she grabbed the ball of fire with both of her hands.

    "Pushing? HAHA! Useless!" The twins shouted In unison.

    "Pushing? I''m not pushing it. I just don''t want this to hit the ground. I''m actually�� absorbing it."

    "WHAT!?"

    Yurid wasn''t a person, a species or anything. She was just a personification of mana. She''s mana itself. Magic doesn''t work on Yurid.

    The ball of fire was compressed and absorbed by Yurid. "Thanks for the meal. Here''s my payment." Yurid mimicked the spell they did and she generated it even bigger. She then shot it at them obliterating them. Not a single piece of their body nor clothes was left alive.

    The only thing that was there was the aftermath of the battle, two mountains destroyed in the distance.

    "Good job Yurid." I said.

    "Argh I''m tired�� Give me some mana."

    "Fine, come get it." Yurid can''t regain mana by resting or anything so she can only drain it or absorb it. "Do you really have to bite my neck everytime?"

    "Well you humans have their mana on their blood. Don''t blame for it."

    "Fine��"

 Chapter 124: Slugfest

    I stood there on the unknown battlefield. I can''t see anyone and I was unfamiliar with the place. I then heard the sound of metals rubbing on each other.

    In this complete darkness, I was cautious.

    I closed my eyes to focus on sound. And then I heard someone jump. And that was my enemy, a werewolf, lunged at me with their claws. I dodged it by jumping back a little as they pierced through the ground.

    While they were stuck trying to get out of the hole they were in, I quickly lunged at her to take advantage of the situation. But they were faking it. They weren''t stuck, they were just waiting for a chance to throw the dirt at me in which they did. It blocked my vision for a few seconds.

    "UGUAH!" That sudden burst of pain in which my whole body felt was insane. I took a look below and found their claws piercing my stomach. I threw up blood and gastric juices. Seeing how they try to dig even deeper, I grabbed their wrist on the hand that was in my stomach using my left hand and put my hand on their neck.

    I grabbed tightly of it and using her other hand, she''s trying to take off my hand from strangling her. I used my sharp claws to dig into their necks.

    But I couldn''t handle the pain of their claws stuck in my stomach so in that quick second, I lost my strength in which they took the chance to take their hands of my stomach and take away my hand that was strangling them.

    We both quickly backed off from each other. With a werewolf''s great healing and recovering ability, our wounds will just heal in no time.

    "Come, Soul Rend." My claws merged with my Soul Rend weapon. Turning it into a violet colored claws shining out with its oozing aura. I noticed this when I was training two years ago. The more I hunt, the more I kill, the stronger this weapon becomes. I have unlocked ten forms of it. And this form I chose, the purple form, grants me the Bleed Effect.

    [Bleed Effect, when damaging an enemy, they will be inflicted with the Bleed Effect wherein they''ll take continuous damage as long as the wound is open.]

    They were cautious of my claws and it seems that their hands were damaged seeing how their claws from their fingers are bending and dislocated. Well I''m not surprised. They did try to pierce through my Gazer form.

    I rushed up to them and started up with a kick right to their stomach. That caught them off guard as they flew away. I ran on four legs trying to catch up to them and jumped and sat on top of them. I started attacking recklessly while they were on the ground.

    Their thick skin is difficult to pierce through but the hundreds of wounds will soon take effect.

    While I was attacking them, they move their hands on my side and pierced their claws on my leg. It stopped me from attacking. They then smashed the ground and it crumbled so I was taken off guard and lost my balance.

    They had the chance to kick me off so they did.

    In this complete darkness, I''m relying on my mana search. I''m a combat oriented fighter so I can''t keep this spell up for too long. I only learned this so that I can improve my senses. Good thing I did.

    But I can''t see the terrain, the surroundings or even the ground in this complete darkness. "Burning Fists." My claws is imbued with fire. This kind of lighting is fine. I can see better.

    They took action and rushed at me and jumped and spun in the air like a drill with their claws diving into me. I don''t have time to react since it was so unexpected so I just hoped for the best and tried to take it with both of my hands.

    As they spun around and around, they were slowly drilling into my hand. So I redirected them by tilting both of my hands slightly to the right and they followed that path and crashed into the ground.

    My hands are severely damaged�� I''m changing my Soul Rend into Yellow form next. It allows me to get the enhancement of Lifesteal.

    [Lifesteal, when damaging the enemy, you will heal 50% of the damage dealt. Every ten strikes, you''ll heal 200% of the next damaging ability.]

    They blended in the darkness by retreating incredibly far so that I couldn''t see them with the light source I''m providing my claws with.

    They next appeared at the sky with a drop attack. I didn''t notice this fast enough so they wrapped their legs around my head and sat on my shoulders and used both of their hand to snap my neck.

    Yellow form is incredibly useless in this situation. I''m changing into red form. It gives the buff of enraged.

    [Enraged, gain strength depending on your level, +200 per level. When damaging an enemy, you have a 30% chance to inflict 500% damage.]

    I didn''t need the second effect but I need that extra strength. I grabbed their legs and tried to break it away. It was fairly easy with the buffs I gained from changing forms. I lifted them up with ease and they tried to rustle around and move a lot trying to get out but to no avail.

    With all my strength, I smashed them onto the ground with one hand. With that blow, their cloak was removed and they show their true appearance.

    "Wha�� what the hell?" I couldn''t help but be taken aback. This werewolf''s head is two�� One is the appearance of a human and the other is the head of a werewolf. Their claws have the hands of a human and the nails are that of a werewolf. "This�� This is a hybrid�� A HYBRID BETWEEN A WEREWOLF AND A HUMAN!" This abomination was created�� This cannot be forgiven.

    They notice their cloak was gone so they grew angry. "HUAGH! DON''T! DON''T LOOK! UGYAAAAA!"

    "I''ll put you out of your misery. I''m incredibly pissed right now. First it''s because of Zeta and that Yurid and now this abomination someone created."

    They imbued some magic onto themselves. Mostly buffs. They grew larger than me. Twice, as large as me.

    I tested my strength against them. Our claws clashed and a giant spark formed but in exchange, their claws were destroyed.

    I''m stronger.

    They looked at their hands trying to figure out what just happened. But then suddenly their hands twitched and rearranged itself. Their healing capabilities far exceed mine.

    We exchanged blows again. Again and again. I''m getting damaged but so is them. This is a battle of endurance.

    In that middle of that unknown place, no one backed off. We were just exchanging blows. No one was moving their feet or running away.

    We were fearless. In this battle of slugfest where we exchange blows for blows, it tested my limits. And I''m going to break through that.

    I couldn''t get a hit in their body. Every time I try to, they interrupt me with their own claws. It seems their speed got even faster. I need to put in feints to confuse them. I''m changing into violet form. It gives me haste and speed.

    [Accelerate, gains bonus movement speed. If running towards a damaged enemy, gain 100% more speed. Gains bonus attack speed. When attacking a damaged enemy, gain 100% more attack speed.]

    I can''t trade blows with them anymore. Using the bonus haste I got, I added feints between my attacks. But I''m trying my best to not connect with their blows. And as I thought, this confused them and tried to follow my attacks. I''m slowly grazing them bit by bit.

    And as I waited using this method, I found an opening. I used my absolute speed to reach for their chest and immediately switch to Red form.

    And that�� stopped their movements.

    With the bonus strength I got from red form, I pierced through their chest to the other side ripping their heart off.

    They dropped to the ground and so did I. I was exhausted. Extremely so. I let go of the heart that was on my hand and retracted my hand through their chest.

    Their reckless behavior by attacking everywhere was their most fatal mistake that I took advantage off. And that''s the reason I won. And I''m satisfied with that.

    "I didn''t even get their name." But it doesn''t matter. What happened to them is something that''s bothering me. Someone is creating this mutant. I wish that this is just one of them. This is a huge threat. But I don''t have time to think about that now.

    The fight is over. So I''ll have to return.

    Now�� how do I get out of this dark place?

 Chapter 125: Pit of Strength

    I look around and it seems that I was transported in another location. I suddenly got grabbed by someone and then when I opened my eyes, the place I was before suddenly disappeared. The person before me is shrouded, hidden in their cloak.

    They moved and suddenly disappeared. Only to reappear beside me. I lifted up my bare hands and tried to block it but I was sent flying leaving with an aching arm. "Heal." It''s just a bruise but it''s better to be careful.

    They rushed at me but this time I plan to battle it out with them. "Come, Pugilist Gauntlets." And both of my trusted weapons appeared and just as they dived at me with a giant swing, I punched back trying to test both of our strengths.

    We were both immovable by each other. Trying to push using only our fists against each other. A pit of strength.

    They knew nothing will happen if we continued this battle of strength. They jumped back and took off the cloak. "You''re strong. Who are you?" A man was revealed under the cloak.

    "I''m Yefa. Yefa Reysh." I answered.

    "I''m Jun Hufee. Come, let us see who''s stronger."

    Jun ran at me full speed and started off with a right punch. So he''s specialized in boxing. I''ll do the same. "Stance Change, Boxing." I dodged it and counter attacked with a left jab.

    He then reacted to it and dodged. I threw a right hook in which he weaved to dodge and then attacked me with a one-two combination of a left jab and a right straight. It landed right at my body. I braced it and backed off.

    "You do boxing too?" He asked.

    "Well, a little."

    Our match continues. I started off with 1-2-5-2, a combination of Jab, Cross, Left Uppercut and a Cross. It all landed but he chose to block it this time with his arms. I continued the pressure on him by unleashing a barrage of combinations in which he only chooses to block. Trying to break his guard, I tried to land a huge swing of uppercut in which he swayed back to dodge. I continued on and tried to land a right hook in which he ducked extremely low.

    And behind that extremely low duck, was his fist. It rose up and using the strength of his legs, he redirected all that energy to his fist.A giant uppercut in which he jumped as he landed it at my solar plexus.

    I can''t breathe as I''m trying to grasp up air. It was such a powerful blow that I threw up blood. I''m still confused on what happened.

    He dodged my hook, and then he ducked extremely low and jumped up in that position with an uppercut. "Th�� that''s clever." I said to him.

    "Well there''s no rules here. So I can use anything I want." He stated.

    "Yeah I can see that." I stood back up on my feet. "This is just a mixed martial arts fight. I''ll use everything I got."

    "Come!"

    "Stance Change, Taekwondo." I started off with a running drop kick in which he blocked since it came as unexpected. The next move I made was a roundhouse kick in which he was forced to make a shoulder block.

    My kicks are too fast for him to react. I dashed into him while he was guarding his sides and used the C-Shape Punch against him for a strike in his face and body. He dropped his guard so I took this chance and used a front kick. A rising kick that strikes from below his chin and followed up with a combo using an axe kick. Using the momentum of the front kick that rises upwards and the downward kick using the axe kick dropped him down to the ground.

    I was going to end it with another axe kick to the back of his head so I raised my right foot up. But he grabbed my left leg which caught me off-guard and I lost my balance and fell onto the ground and then he sat on top of me.

    With his bloodied body from the barrage of attacks I gave him earlier, he can still move.

    With him sitting on top of me, my hands were pinned down by his knees and it won''t budge. He raised both of his hands and conjoined them and smashed it on my face.

    "UGUAH!" I tried to bear with it but its way too painful. "Body Hardening!" This can only buy me a few seconds. He hit me over and over again but to no avail. He was the only one damaging himself. But his hits were powerful enough to create a large area destroyed on the ground. I wiggled around when he loosened up himself trying to figure out what to do and switched the positions. I was now on top of him.

    "Explosive Fists, Stance Change, Boxing!" I hit him over and over again while he kept his hands up to guard him. I know I''m getting damaged too but he''ll give out his arms soon enough.

    But as minute passes by, he doesn''t budge and my body is also getting damaged. This double edged skill I have has done more damage to me than him.

    "That all?" Behind his guard, a grin formed on his face. "Then it''s my turn. Bounce!" He formed a fist and slammed his elbow onto the ground in which it suddenly bounced up right back at me.

    "Wha-" I was caught off guard so I was sent flying with that punch. That punch was destructive seeing how my arms felt extremely weak.

    His arms suddenly bounced on the hard ground acting like a spring so his punch felt like I took a cannon blast head on but more powerful than that.

    "Rock Pillars!" He casted and and a small arena surrounding us with rocks. Both of us were caged in that area. All we could do was punch and we can''t move anywhere as if our feet were chained to the ground. Taking this challenge head on I started off with a left punch in which he easily dodged.

    He grinned at me again and smashed his elbow on the rocks behind him and it launched his arm to me hitting my body and then retracting back to the wall and launching itself again. This heavy hitting barrage of punches I can''t take.

    I raised up my arms trying to guard this insane move. He launches his fist by using the spring powered arm of his to the wall then when it hits me, it goes back to where it was and launches itself again. This absolute barrage destroyed the wall behind me and my arms leaving me on the ground face up.

    "Bounce. This spell can turn a part of my body or an object to be acting like a spring. If it hits something, it''ll reset and go back to the old position. By using my elbow and fist and the wall as springs, it''ll infinitely bounce back to each other as long as you can stand my punches. HAHAHAHA! My ultimate move. Though it''ll be useless if my power managed to destroy what you''re on." He was having so much fun.

    "��" I''m trying to think of what I''m going to do.

    "And by the way earlier, thanks for beating me up. I have the unique skill Maniac, my damage and speed will go up the lower my health goes. HAHAHA!"

    "Then that must mean you''re low on your health right?" I stood up slowly.

    "I''m at 50%. But how about you? You can''t use your arms. This is the end. I''ll end your suffering for you."

    "Dispel." I took off the Pugilist Gauntlets and my gazer form.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I need absolute power."

    "It''s futile."

    "Then let''s see. Come, Sinner''s Punisher." A black gauntlet appeared on my arms and to my fists. "ARGH!" This gauntlet is something I obtained back at the two year training I had. This was forged by Ruf and Ruz using the body of that monster back at the forest. Its properties are just power. Absolute bonus strength that scales with me as I level up.

    But it''s incredibly painful to wear. It has a mind of its own. If my hands or arms are damaged, it''ll do everything to close that wound. And right now I have a broken bone and it''s trying to replace it.

    "DIEEEEEE!" Jun rushed at me. "Rock Pillars!" Using the same tactic again. He bounced off both his fists to the wall behind him again and unleashed a barrage of attacks. I blocked it all with the Sinner''s Punisher but this damn gauntlet is trying to fix everything inside so it absolutely hurts. I need to end this soon.

    Using only one of my arms, I''m trying to block his barrage of attacks. "Stance Change, Tai Chi!" And with that single blow with my right arm, I pierced through his ultimate move and to his chest blasting his whole body away in one hit.

    I looked at his dead body with a hole in his chest. "That was a tough fight."

 Chapter 126: The Usurper

    With his upper body sliced up to bits, he manages to regain everything in an instant. "That''s annoying," I complained. And these two unidentified people behind him don''t move. Are they waiting for me to inflict serious damage at their master then that''s when they attack me? Or are they really going to stay out of this fight?

    I tried inflicting damage on him with my Soul Scythe but it seems that physical attacks are useless against him. Small cuts, to decapitation, are nothing. "Frozen Field!" A large scale magic that surrounded the whole castle covered in ice. "Ice Manipulation!" I can change the shape of ice freely and this frozen field is the best way for that.

    Without warning, I changed the ice below him as stalagmites that rose up to his stomach. It pierced through his stomach and then his body suddenly turned ethereal and he walked through the stalagmites and got out of that trap.

    He got out of his ethereal form and there''s several holes on his body and he coughed blood. But all that slowly healed up back to full.

    I seem to know what''s going on. "I see. You''re immune to physical attacks but somehow vulnerable to magic?"

    "Hmm. To think you''re a magician too. I thought you were just a muscle head who knows how to swing a farming tool." They replied.

    "Hmph."

    "Since you damaged me, you have the right to know my name. Placi Muriel. I''m a True Vampire!"

    "I''m Zieglind Reysh. I''ll usurp you from your throne."

    "Come and try. It''ll just be a matter of time until I feast on your blood."

    I stepped back and so did he. I started off with another large scale spell. "Holy Pulse!" A small orb floating beside me that sends out shockwaves of light.

    "Light magic? It is my weakness, but that''s incredibly na?ve! Light Magic Resistance!" A buff he casted on himself.

    I''m guessing reducing the damage on light against him.

    "Dispel." I removed my gazer form and Soul Scythe. "Armor of the Bloodfallen!" The armor formed on my body and pierced through my skin like butter. It''s extremely damaging to me so I have to set up some precautions. "Auto-Recover, Increased Recovery, Health Regeneration MAX."

    "What''s with that armor? It seems to be damaging you per second." Placi asked.

    "Nice. You have eyes."

    "Annoying. I''ll drag you to your doom." Suddenly, the air around us changed. "I sacrifice my arm, Blood Release!" His arms suddenly got torn off and floated in the air. It exploded into a large pool of blood which then he controlled I''m guessing by using a psychic ability as he compressed it into a small orb of blood.

    "Blood Reconstruction!" I began to change his orb of blood to fit my blood type.

    "What did you do?" He asked.

    "Nothing."

    "Tsk. Blood Scatter!" The orb in his hand began to shot out lines of blood in all directions.

    "Come, Bloodlust!" Two of my nodachi appeared in my hand. "Sweeping Death!" I spun both of my swords cutting the whole room in half. The whole castle above us were destroyed as it fell outside releasing a large burst of sound and the ground quaked. This skill blocked every magic projectile that''s heading towards or near me destroying it completely. So I cancelled out his spell. And even this skill, doesn''t even damage his body. He''s completely immune to physical attacks. And his arm that was sacrificed also got fully healed.

    But even so, this dome is giving me plenty of buffs.

    "Blood Pool!" A large pool of blood appeared below us to the point that it filled the whole room up to our knees. Humans, orcs and other species emerged as if trying to drag me down the pool.

    "Blood Absorption!" All blood suddenly got absorbed into me denying his spell completely.

    "Hnrg��" He was gritting his teeth out of anger.

    Now for my next test, "Soul Homage!" I buffed up Bloodlust with this skill. It amplifies damage for my weapon. "Binding Light!" Tentacle like magic wrapped around Placi. He was restricted from all movements. I raised both of my swords in the air, I dug deep into the memories of the legendary swordsman Urgo. He mastered every blade skill there so I''m sure out of the countless moves he mastered, there''s something I could use. And sure enough, I did. "Twin Blade Form: Lashes of Eternity!"

    My nodachi glowed up in a black color. I swung my blade in an X form on his chest.

    "ARGHHHHHH!" He writhed in pain.

    It was powerful enough to slash everything behind him to the point that I destroyed the corrupted trees in the distance.

    Placi recovered with ease but something was wrong. The giant X mark on his body wouldn''t go away. "Wha.. WHAT IS THIS!? IT BURNS!!!" I took a look at the skill description,

    [Twin Blade Form: Lashes of Eternity, charge up your blades with dark magic and slash everything in your way in an X form that travels a hundred meters. This can stack with other buffs or debuffs on your blades.

    Another effect of this skill is the burning effect it releases on the wound after you damage an enemy. It also reduces the recovery rate and any other healing effects on the enemy by 80%.]

    "This puny wound is nothing. HEAL DAMN IT!" But nothing happened. Placi was panicking.

    "I''ll end this." I rushed up to him and swung both of my blades like a bat aiming for his neck. But I suddenly got blocked by the two who were just standing by the side idly by.

    That swing destroyed everything on the other side and managed to create a wind strong enough to the point that the trees outside fell down just because of the pressure. But to think that they managed to deflect it with ease��

    They took of their cloaks and revealed themselves. "Master, we can''t stand idly by. You''re in too much trouble." One of them spoke.

    "Tsk��" It seems that Placi has a high sense of pride. "Fine. Thanks Pablo."

    This Pablo man is tall. Like around seven feet. Short blue hair and incredibly intimidating on his deep voice and how his body is chiseled.

    The other man spoke, "Why aren''t you healing master?"

    "I don''t know Juien. This is maybe anti heal skill or something."

    Juien is the complete opposite of Pablo. He''s small like around five feet or something. And it seems that he holds a large staff. I''m guessing he''s a mage.

    "That''s enough talk." I interrupted. I rushed in, "Twin Blade Form: Rising Wind!" I spun around and a giant tornado formed and it lifted them up from the ground. I retracted back the other nodachi I had and only used one. "Summoned Swords!" It summoned 8 several swords around them as they were lifted up in the air. "Flash Area!" I created a small area wherein I''m free to move wherever as if I''m blinking everywhere really fast. It has no cooldown on where I want to move but it only lasts for 10 seconds.

    With Juien''s quick reflexes, he knew what I was going to do. "Absolute Barrier!" He casted on every single one of them.

    I blinked behind Julien and grabbed the sword that was floating mid air and swung it onto his barrier. It was a loud burst of sound that was generated and the barrier he was being protected got a huge crack. I took this opportunity and grabbed another summoned sword and swung it on the barrier destroying it completely. Using the Bloodlust, I performed an overhead swing and slammed him onto the ground.

    Placi and Pablo couldn''t react. It was over in just three seconds. I blinked behind them with the help of Flash Area again. I grabbed the suspended swords mid air and did the same to them, smashed the barriers surrounding them and finishing both of them off with an overhead swing slamming both of them to the ground.

    Placi was fine but the other two died. He''s still recovering so I''m guessing he will not die unless I completely obliterate him. I gathered light and dark magic from both of my hands and aimed it at Placi.

    Placi was aching and trying to recover while he lie in the ground. "Wait, wait! I''ll be your servant. I''ll do whatever you want! Don''t kill me!" Placi pleaded to me.

    "Tell that to the thousands of innocent people you killed. BRIGHTEST DARK!" A large beam of combination of light and dark magic managed to completely obliterate his whole body. But this beam of light was so strong that it managed to create a hundred meter hole when I fired it to the ground.

    So this�� this is the result of the two year training I did. Well it''s not really a training but I really did improve. I''m happy with this. But is this enough for Tartarus? I''ll find out when it''s time to raid it.

 Chapter 127: New Starting Point

    I looked up at the sky and tried to take in everything. "I''m back and so is the Crimson Order." I looked around and saw that this castle was cut in half by my swing and rubbles were everywhere.

    I looked outside and all I could say was, "Holy crap��" Afal was there standing and around him is a giant hole. That''s the aftermath of the fight? "Afal!" I called out to him.

    "My lord." He jumped literally hundreds of meters away and managed to jump to where I was. He then kneeled.

    He''s the loyal type but this�� hmm�� I guess it''s fine. "Stand up." I ordered him to and he did stand up. "How''s the fight?"

    "It''s fine. I just needed to land a decisive blow."

    "I see."

    "��"

    "Ehem. Find the others. I have an announcement to make."

    "I will." Afal then disappeared.

    After waiting for a while, they gathered to where I was. Everyone was beaten up and wounded. "I guess everyone won their battles?" I asked.

    Everyone looked at each other and said, "Yep!"

    "That''s great. These two years aren''t in vain. Now that we regained our kingdom, we now own a continent. Our Crimson Order is back. So, first things first, we need to rebuild everything. This will take a long time so I have some plans."

    Everything in this continent are already corrupted but the poison on the ground disappeared when the one who controlled the undead died. So we don''t have to trouble ourselves on cleaning that.

    Corrupted trees are still trees and cleansing them might work according to Zeta turning them into normal trees.

    To rebuild a whole kingdom in less than a month or maybe even a week, we need manpower. So that''s where Zeta comes in.

    I grouped Zeta as a leader with Afal and Rize to kill everything in this continent. Monsters should start spawning soon. Using Zeta''s Corpse Defiler, he can create countless undead to work for us.

    Expanding on that plan, there''ll be gatherers, builders and crafters. But none of us know how to do all that so Grien and Ortov are here. They''ll teach Zeta all about that.

    Greta and Yefa will be scouting and mapping this whole continent. The map used for this continent before is useless now so I need to know where there are dungeons or where there''s high activity of monsters and trading routes.

    I specifically ordered them to tell Zeta if they found a dungeon.

    Finally, I left Precia in charge of the continent for now. I had somewhere to go.

    I used teleport to get into the king''s chambers. There was no one there so I headed out and went in my way to the throne room. And there he is. The king of Itz sitting on the throne.

    The guards were startled and pointed their weapons at me. They all asked one thing, "How did you get in here?"

    I simply ignored their questions and looked at the king. "Hey."

    "Lord Zieglind�� you''re alive?" The first thing he asked.

    "I guess so." I replied."

    He then followed up with an exasperated sigh. He raised his hand, "Leave. I have something to discuss with this young man."

    The guards were hesitating but it''s the king''s orders so they left. The king then led me into the conference room.

    He first started the conversation, "First, how did you live? That blast was enough to destroy Polk in its entirety."

    I didn''t want to say Herold''s name here. "I don''t know."

    "��" The king was silent but he doesn''t want to question me about that further. "When did you come back?"

    "Like a month ago or two weeks ago? I don''t know. I forgot. But it was very recent."

    "Hmm��" He wasn''t satisfied with my answer. "So, what do you want?"

    "Well I actually don''t know."

    "You��" The king sighed again. "What did you even come here for?"

    "Well I don''t know what I should be doing. There''s this continent I''ve taken over bu-"

    The king then interrupted me. "Wait�� what did you just say?"

    "I took over a continent."

    "Which one?" It seems that the king believes what I''m saying.

    "Burliande."

    "Bur- you''ve got to be kidding Zieglind. Burliande is now in ruins when the undead took over"

    I placed my hand on his shoulders. "Mass Teleport!" And teleported both of us at Burliande. "Familiar with the place?"

    I saw him the land that was once Burliande. The green grass that stretched as far as the eye can see is now just a vast rocky land. No greens, just mud, rocks, and corrupted trees everywhere. It has lost its former glory but I will rebuild a better one than that.

    "I''ve been here at Burliande before and this place where we''re standing on is the kingdom of Huyre. But it''s just rubbles now."

    "You''re a king so help me. I don''t know what to do with this giant place. I was going to overtake a kingdom first but the spread of the undead was too much."

    "I can''t help you directly. I''m still the king of Itz but someone is still controlling us."

    "What does that mean?"

    "Every kingdom in this world has been overtaken by players. But to those kingdoms that still have us, the original people in this world, we have players threatening us. Some don''t want to rule a kingdom but they give us orders now and then."

    "Why��?"

    "Why you ask? It''s because we''re too weak. Players have a better advantage than us and we don''t have a plan to overcome it. I can still continue leading my people in Itz but when that player speaks to us, we''ll be in huge trouble. Because even though we''re the people of this world, we''re just in a prison locked with those players."

    "Do you want protection?"

    "No. Their circle is far too big for just your party. This situation is far out of our hands. Our lives are at the mercy of the players out of this world. It''s just the absolute law that will keep happening every century."

    "Maybe not now, but maybe in the future, I''ll change that absolute law."

    "What''s your goal?"

    "Tartarus."

    "HAHAHA! Interesting. I see I see. You''re going to be a great investment. Anything you need, I''ll provide with the resources at Itz. But the population, you''ll have to come up with that yourself."

    "Then�� You know of the underground trading in your kingdom right?"

    "Of course. Even if I wanted to stop them, there''s nothing I could do."

    "Then maybe it''s this time. I will help you raid the underground trading."

    "What do you want there?"

    "Slaves. I''ll take everything."

    The day after tomorrow, I joined the raid at the underground trading at Itz. It was the same as always. The dark atmosphere and the absolutely horrible smell. This is where I first met most of my group members. I wish they were here to unleash all their pent up rage against this place. But I''m here because of business and they''ll just destroy everything.

    The guards busted in first and the mercenaries hired by the slavers there stood up and readied their weapons. They were mercenaries so they''re far stronger than normal guards. But I don''t want useless deaths so I just blocked all their throwing knives and attacks at the guards.

    We continued blasting through the underground trading place. The black markets filled with illegal stuff, cannibal shops, and slave shops. We killed everyone that was the head of those shops.

    Finally, I arrived at the slave shop. "Yo owner." I greeted the guy who introduced me to my members.

    "You�� you bastard! Why are you here!? And with the king''s guards!?" He grew angry.

    "Don''t be angry. I''m just here to deliver justice."

    "Justice? Do you mean massacre?"

    "You kill, cook, and eat people, took slaves in abused them, and had sold thousands of black market items. To me, this looks like justice." He was silent and trying to figure out what to do. I then yelled, EVERYONE!" I got the attention of all the slaves. "Starting from now on you ALL ARE MINE! I don''t care how you live or if you disobey me. But in exchange, I want absolute loyalty. I will set you all free. But you can choose to stay here if you want. So�� what will it be?"

    "Don''t speak!" The owner yelled loudly.

    But the slaves in cages disobeyed their owner and shouted what they all want to say. "KILL! KILL THAT MAN!" Then large shocks of lightning went through their bodies.

    They disobeyed their master so the slave marks on their body shocked them.

    "I see�� so you want this man dead in exchange for loyalty. I see I see. Fine! Since you''re all my people now, I will do this for everyone."

    "No don-" Before he could finish talking, a swift slice of my sword on his neck sent his head flying.

    "Come, everyone. I''ll lead you all to your new home."

 Chapter 128: Creation of Izgoy

    It has been three days after the raid at the underground black market, all I could get was around 1,348. That''s a lot for a slave house but for a kingdom? Yeah I doubt we''ll even form a village.

    At least thirty to forty percent of them are children. Most of them have high aptitude in magic and those who are not can pick up blades. Those who are talentless as slaves are usually killed according to Zeta. So that''s why most of these slaves are great at labor or at combat magic.

    Twenty percent at least? My calculations aren''t accurate but close but either way, those twenty percent are mages. Their halved in support mages who deals on healing and the other half are going to be learning offensive magic. I left Zeta to teach everyone here about that.

    And around thirty percent are just melee users. Spears, swords, flail, those types. They''re going to be our frontline from now on. I left this army to Afal.

    The rest aren''t talented in combat or support so I just made them laborers to help Grien and Ortov in whatever they need. I left the command to them.

    I was standing at the top of the ruined castle where I fought that vampire. Overseeing how quickly everything is moving great. Thousands or maybe millions of kilometers, this continent I own. But kingdoms near us will creep slowly taking ground from my continent. So right now all I have is this small area around us.

    "Everything seems fine." The king of Itz said as he walked towards me.

    "Well I wouldn''t say fine but thanks for the resources and money. We rushed to build some houses for simple sleeping and eating but they aren''t protected by the ores or something like at your kingdom." I replied.

    "The stones blessed by the gods? Well I can''t give you that. I apologize."

    "I know, they''re too expensive."

    "Anyway, what''s your plan for now?"

    "I guess I''ll set up some laws first."

    "That''s a plan. Anyway, this continent won''t be yours. The neighboring kingdoms will take over this easily. What''s your plan?"

    "There''s nothing I can do."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I''ll just overpower them."

    "Brute force? That''s an interesting way. There''s about five kingdoms surrounding you and they''ll be taking territories in your continent day by day."

    "I see."

    "You might be strong but are you strong enough to fend them off? Their armies are way too large for you."

    "I''ll think of a way. Your investment in my continent will do you good."

    "What''s your goal?"

    "I don''t care about conquering the whole world. I just want to clear Tartarus. All of my questions can be answered in that mysterious tower."

    "Tartarus, nothing in our history has claimed that someone or something has cleared it."

    "Then I''ll make history then."

    "Hmm�� I''ll look forward to that.

    "Anyway, how''s the trading routes?"

    "We fixed them as you said. I don''t know what you can trade with us but I''ll keep an open mind since it''s you."

    "Great. Maybe in a few days I''ll send something."

    "I''ll be going back for now."

    "I see. Keep on sending the resources." I grabbed on his shoulders. Since I already activated teleport and mass teleport to get him here, I''ll just, "Cooldown Reset, Mass Teleport!" I teleported him back on his chambers. "Teleport!" Then I went back to where I was.

    "Sound Amplification!" I casted on myself. My voice will now reach everyone. I cleared my throat, "Testing, testing!" And everyone below looked up. It seems that they hear me. "Since our kingdom has formed, I''ll name it." I thought about it for a minute then knew what to name my kingdom. "Izgoy. That''s our new kingdom name. Izgoy translated to English means outcast or exiles. And that''s what you all are. Driven out of your homes, villages or kingdoms only to live life as a slave. But now you are all free. If you want to die I won''t allow it. Because each one of you, I own. And as my first order as a king, live well so that you can be useful to me."

    What I''m saying might be rude or downright cruel but I need to plant into their minds that I''m the one who rescued them out of that hellhole. So their loyalty will continue to increase.

    They all cheered and accepted their current situation.

    "We''ll do everything you my lord!!!" "Blessings to you my lord!" "Thank you for saving us and my children!" Thousands of them cheering for me and rooting for me. It seems that I need to respond.

    "Thank you everyone! Everything you want will be achievable in the foreseeable future. The only thing you all need? Patience. I will bring glory to our kingdom. We might start at the very bottom but we will rise to the very top!"

    Ah damn my speech is so cringe I want to kill myself. But this is how they speak here so there''s that�� But it seems to raise the morale of the people so I just need to keep up this act of mine.

    "So�� for a kingdom to prosper, we need law!"

    Law #1: Acts of treason or anything that will go against our kingdom will receive the highest punishment there is. Death. Examples of treason are leaking information or creating a rebel group to overthrow the kingdom or replace something.

    Law #2: Stealing is not allowed. Our kingdom''s resources are very low. Distribution of food will be enough to feed you all for three times a day. So stealing resources are incredibly forbidden.

    Law #3: If you are called for battles or war, you are to respond. Deserting is not allowed. I will do everything I can to prevent deaths but as everyone knows, in war, there is casualty.

    Law #4: Everything I say is law. If I forbid something, it''s forbidden. If I say something to you like an order, you are to follow.

    These are the laws I implemented. I know there are more laws that I need to implement but these four should be fine. "These laws are something that needs to be followed with everything you can. For now these are all I can think of. Now, everyone, do what you must." I quickly left them all off and went into the destroyed conference room.

    I sat on one of the available chairs since everything is destroyed. This will take priority for rebuilding but materials will take time to arrive here.

    A knock then followed. It was Afal knocking on the wall seeing as how the door is destroyed. "My lord."

    "Afal. Have you found one?"

    "Yes. Show yourself."

    A female then came out of hiding. Around twenties? Shorty green hair and she must be an elf. Seeing how graceful Precia is in her movements, elves are well educated.

    "What''s your name?" I asked.

    "V- Velyn Heria. I- I''m pleased to meet you." She replied.

    "I see. So since you''re here, you''re good at math?"

    "I have some k- knowledge of it."

    "312 plus 312?" I suddenly asked her questions.

    "Uh- ah- eh 624!"

    "934 - 457?"

    "477!"

    "28 multiplied by 7?"

    "196!"

    "100 divided by 10?"

    "10!"

    Everything I asked were just some simple math questions that even an elementary kid can answer. Her answers were firm and quick. She''s great at it too. "I see. Then you''ll be in charge of the finances from now on."

    "Yes, thank you very much!"

    "Since you''re part of the kingdom''s inner circle now, you''ll definitely have some benefits. Do you have some family with you? A husband, brother, sister, or anything?"

    "N��" I couldn''t hear her.

    I asked again, "What?"

    "None."

    "I see. Forgive me for asking."

    "N- no I don''t mind!"

    "Now, let''s move on to business. You saw the treasury right? Afal tested you there."

    "Yes."

    "What''s the current status of our treasury?"

    "We currently have around 300,000 or more gold left. It''s an estimate by the way my lord."

    "That''s fine. Hmm�� Our kingdom for now is small so that treasury might last us for the year."

    "Exactly. There are some gems that can be sold. My guess is around 50,000 to 100,000."

    "Backup money? That''s good to know."

    "There''s also weapons and armors. But most of them are collectibles or just for d��cor. But I''m sure that some people like it and would buy it for high prices. One armor d��cor should amount to at least 400 - 1,000 gold. And a sword should be around 200 �C 1,500 gold. That can be used for backup money too."

    "Great work. What do you think should we do next?"

    "I think we need to make some homes for those you''ve rescued my lord as a priority."

    "Mhm."

    "And after that, we should make shops. As of now, you''re thinking of trading only for monster materials right?"

    "Yeah. Ortov is already hunting as we currently speak."

    "But even though the arrival of the players increased the spawn rate of monsters, they''ll run out in a month or so. So we should focus on generating more money by creating shops and farms."

    "I see. Thanks for your opinion. We''ll do just that."

 Chapter 129: Numbers are Nothing

    A month and I haven''t been contacted by Herold yet. I''m not particularly worried since I know he''s stronger than me but I couldn''t help but worry. But in my side of things, everything seems going to be fine here at Izgoy.

    We completed the homes with the help of Grien, Ortov and the slaves. It''s enough to get protected by natural disasters like rains or quakes but for war? That houses are going to be targets. But it''s enough to give these people houses for now. They all probably miss it.

    There''s now some farms. Recovery magic users here have learned the skill "Soil Fertility," from Zeta. It allows the ground for plants to grow by healing it and cleansing any curses or poison. It only works for the surface that has dirt in it. So stones are a no go.

    What we''re planting right now are wheat. I don''t know a single thing about agriculture but all I know is that Ortov are the ones getting some livestock by hunting and capturing things and the forest and Zeta is the one helping with the farms.

    Moving onto other things, trading seems to be fine. I still laugh whenever I think about the faces of the traders at Itz when they saw the haul we delivered to them. Ten carriages worth of monster meat delivered to them. It wasn''t a bad trade, around 400 gold. But if we only get 400 gold per week that''s going to run out quickly. We need more trading places and routes.

    I know that I''m near waters but I don''t know anything about beyond that. I don''t know if any kingdoms there would be willing to trade with us.

    After thinking about this for a while, I know that I could make a peace treaty with the kingdoms surrounding me. But I''m sure that won''t work well. They know they can take this land with ease.

    The three layered rock wall I made that surrounded this whole continent that took me five days to make are not enough to prevent them from entering. I did give the wall a hardening buff but I don''t know if that helped.

    Other things that needs to be talked about is the government I''m currently making.

    Zeta, Yefa and Precia are the ones training the melee users and the mages. Rize isn''t really needed since we didn''t found anyone that were proficient with the bow or guns. I gave them a large training ground to of course, train. There''s nothing there but they can let loose. Terraforming the place again and again because of their destruction isn''t really troublesome.

    I left Afal and Greta the upholding of security and justice. I left to Greta how the punishments are to be handled while Afal gives her just a second opinion. I''m just pretty scared on how Afal will handle the justice department of things. He can be pretty brutal sometimes. I just don''t want him to make unjust decisions so I left it to Greta.

    Rize is used as a hunter to provide and hunt food for everyone.

    Right now, the citizens are in high spirits. I haven''t placed taxes yet since they don''t have a way of earning money. For them it''s great but for me its hell. Our money generation per month will be extremely low. I don''t want to use the backup funds this early.

    I don''t know how to make them work then pay taxes to me. Ah damn it. I''m HISTORIAN NOT A POLITICIAN!

    I was there sitting in the throne room thinking of what to do next until I heard Afal knocked. "My lord."

    "Yeah?" I asked.

    "The walls you built has a giant hole in them."

    "How many?"

    "Five."

    "Hmm�� have you seen anything going in or out those holes?"

    "Yes. There''s one. Male, tall, long black hair up to his waist."

    A large burst of sound was heard. It was incredibly unexpected so I don''t know what to do in this situation.

    "Afal, check the holes. See if anything happens." I ordered him and he followed. He flew outside using his gazer form and began to scout.

    After a few moments, Afal came back. "My lord, there are armies coming."

    "They''re thinking just because we have a small kingdom for now they can do anything they want huh? Fine. I''m going to destroy everything that opposes us. Gazer Form!" I transformed into Gazer form just in case. But I made sure I show my face by taking off the helmet.

    I went outside and saw the five armies going into our kingdom using the holes they made to get here.

    Their numbers are incredibly large. Around 60,000 per army. So in total there''s 300,000 people right here.

    The leaders of each army stopped their troops and went ahead and walked up to me with one companion by their side. I couldn''t help but notice that the five of the leaders are all players seeing how there''s an arrow on their head.

    "Greetings. Are you the owner of this continent?" One of them spoke up first.

    "Yes I am."

    "Hmm�� Okay. I''m Lucious Buryin and these other people are, starting with the black haired guy, Huryt Zury, the mage with glasses is Poria Scaner, the one with the twin blades on this back is Yerfi Aste and that huge guy is Jerak Yule."

    "I''m Zieglind Reysh."

    "Hmm�� I see. Anyway Zieglind, we would like to ask you to surrender this continent for us."

    I''m incredibly pissed off right now. But I don''t want to let it show. Taking over this continent wasn''t exactly easy. "Why? I claimed this continent as my own and I have my own people to lead."

    "Yes, we understand that. So that''s why we''re going to make you and this companion next to you a noble in our kingdoms. And these people you have will be accepted and will be under our protection. This is a win win for everyone don''t you think? You can live the rest of your lives as nobles and these people you have will have a better life with us."

    "I refuse."

    "See? That''s a good decision to ma-�� What?"

    "I refuse."

    The five players looked at each other in disbelief. Lucious speaks once again, "Listen here you vermin. I don''t give a damn about what you think of this place. I gave you a chance to live as a noble and to accept your dirty people into our kingdoms. But you''re going to make this hard for yourselves huh?" They finally show their true colors.

    "Cool. You''ve made your point. Leave."

    "This goddamn�� let''s see what we''re about to do. We''re going to break your knees and arms and the person next to you. Then we''ll turn you around and make you look at the massacre we''re about to commit. We''re going to kill each and every beloved citizen in this kingdom of yours and break everything you all have built and I''m going to kill you slowly and I will enjoy it. You have that choice or you can leave this place and these citizens of yours to me so that you can live another day. What do you have to say?"

    "Afal. Show them how it''s done. Don''t kill them. But for the army? You can let loose."

    Afal walked up to Lucious but Lucious simply smiled. Afal kicked his knee and that was enough to break it.

    "Wha- wh- whaAAaT!?" It seems that he was caught off-guard by Afal''s destructive strength. He fell to the ground in one knee. "KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" But Afal wasn''t done. He stomped on his other knee breaking it and kicked both of his arms. He then turned his body around facing their own army. Following the instructions Lucious himself gave to me.

    The other players were worried so they drew their weapons and rushed at Afal. They all pierced his body but Afal, "Phase." Simply phased through it. "Dispel." Afal revealed his arm. It looked like an arm of a monster. It was like lava was flowing inside of it. The players were terrified. But Afal looked emotionless as usual. "Hand of Fury, rain down on my enemies, Cataclysm!"

    Small fireballs appeared from the sky. Hundreds of it. Then�� it all came falling down on their army. In that five seconds of hell bursting with loud sounds and the screams of the soldiers�� 300,000 suddenly died.

    The players were silent. And so was I. So this is the skill Afal used on that battle. But I was the first to break the silence.

    "Hey Lucious. I''m going to make you a deal. You have to sign this peace treaty." I opened my inventory and gave it to him with the quill and ink. The contents of it is subservience.

    "Peace treaty? THIS IS BASICALLY SLAVERY WITH EXTRA STEPS!"

    "So? Do you have anything to say? My friend here is a bit cruel. Just a bit."

    "You goddamned monster�� fine�� I''ll sign it! Help me here!" All of the players signed the treaty.

    But all I can think of now is that I''m glad I set up Greta to do the justice system. Because this�� this wasn''t a battle��

 Chapter 130: Project:Valhalla

    I don''t want to make an unneeded genocide on the five kingdoms. They signed the contract. It''ll be difficult to breach the content of that contract. It''s a soul bound contract using my skill, "Soul Bound Contract." Which means if any of us disobeys or breaks the things listed in the contract, we''ll die. Player or not. In the first place there''s nothing in that contract that I can break.

    I unlocked some trading routes for each of the kingdoms that once surrounded us. They won''t dare to take a piece of land in my continent as long as they are under the soul bound contract.

    The buildings in this small kingdom of ours has been rebuilt and repaired. The castle that was once in rubbles because of my cut has been finally restored to its former glory.

    I also was the one to terraform the ground. The blast Afal did to those two places were extremely massive. It created an extremely large and deep hole. His destructive power knows no bounds. I don''t know if he''s stronger than me since we haven''t tested it out. But I''m glad he''s my right hand man.

    Later on the day after observing the changes, I found myself sitting at the conference room with Zeta trying to brainstorm on what we should do to protect the land of the continent. The size of our continent is far too large to be covered. Our kingdom covers barely a percent of it. If I had to compare the size of this continent to another continent in earth, it would be Africa. But there''s no islands. Just a large single continent.

    "How about just taking over the other kingdoms surrounding us? We did it with the five kingdoms." Zeta asked me.

    "Those players are dumb and are incredibly weak. I didn''t even need to step in."

    "That''s why. Some players didn''t undergo the training each and every one of us did. I mean if I did get reincarnated in another world, I''ll just get enough strength to live well and just basically live a great and happy li- URK!" Zeta suddenly cut off in his words. "Everything I just said was a big pile of joke aha�� ahahaha! If I haven''t met master that''s what I''d do but I''m extremely grateful for my master creating Yurid so I can become strong. Ahaha�� ahahaha! Isn''t that right Yurid, I''ll become strong! Hahaha��." It seems that Yurid said something to him that made him change his words.

    I let out an exasperated sigh and began to refocus the topic at hand, "I mean taking over this continent is an extremely huge commitment. I didn''t expect that for our return we''ll have this huge thing at our disposal. I was just thinking of overtaking one player''s kingdom then let things go from there. But a continent immediately? It''s extremely difficult��"

    "Hmm�� How about we make this whole continent designed like a dungeon?"

    Two words made me interested in what he''s talking about, continent and dungeon. "Hoo�� Interesting. Care to explain further?"

    "Well the first thing we can do is��" Zeta then told me all the things he had planned for the continent. But two questions popped up inside my head.

    "Wouldn''t that be the same as that...?"

    "We are only doing it for our continent not the whole world."

    "You have a point there. Fine let''s operate Project: Valhalla."

    "Project�� Valhalla?"

    "Every large scale project needs a cool name."

    "Ah��" Zeta just looked at me dumbfounded.

    But everything moved as we had planned.

    Afal, Greta and Rize were the ones to hunt monsters. Their objective were to not damage the bones but for the flesh they could do anything they want. The flesh will be used as trading for the other kingdoms and the bones, everything still needs to be intact so they''ll have to be delivered to Zeta to use.

    The recovery mages started casting spells on the ground for trees to grow. We''ll cover the whole continent with trees. We''ll slowly just chip them away when we need to expand. The only ones that will know the trading routes will be the only people in this kingdom of ours. We won''t allow anyone to get in here other than us.

    Ortov and his team along with the undead Zeta created has been creating pseudo dungeons. Making destroyed fortresses hidden among the artificial forest the mages created. It''s filled with gold and treasure from the treasury of Izgoy. Just to lure some adventurers. But these fortresses and destroyed buildings might be filled with treasure, but they''re heavily guarded by traps. Enough to kill low level adventurers.

    So here''s the full version of the Project: Valhalla. It''s an extremely dangerous and difficult project to maintain. It''s so expensive to the point that I had to pay the mages money for it. They are covering the whole damn continent with trees. Those mages are under my protection now. Well everyone is but these ones will take priority. They''re helping me with a large scale project in the first place.

    The plans with the bones of the monsters is that they''ll be resurrected as an undead. I know we''re basically doing what the previous owners of this continent did but we don''t plan to expand for now. I just need those undead to act as monsters for the forest. Using Zeta''s Corpse Defiler, this will be extremely useful and cost efficient. I don''t need anyone from my kingdom to defend the walls or any of the forests with it.

    I then ordered Precia to change into her Gazer form and lure monsters from everything outside our continent to us. It was an incredibly long and arduous process. Precia had to lure thousands of monsters outside our continent using her skill, "Taunt." It focuses everyone around her to�� focus on her. That''s it. But it isn''t easy to lure everything here. This took two weeks of Precia running around. I need to give her an appropriate reward.

    For the monsters Precia lured, I specifically asked her to lure them to the strongholds. Zeta was there to bind those monsters. Around 200 per strongholds that are scattered around the continent. He threw them inside of the strongholds and put them to sleep.

    They did this combination over and over again until we filled every single stronghold with monsters that are able to co-exist with each other.

    Monsters are extremely dumb. So the moment they wake up, they won''t be going to go back to where they came from. They will try to adapt to the situation and think of what to do. If they see their family and/or friends with them or near them they''ll definitely settle here on this continent without knowing it.

    With them settling here, there''ll be two things that happen. First, they''ll go according to my plan and continue to breed monsters in this forest so their numbers will continue to grow. This will act as a camouflage for my kingdom here. If they get too many to the point that they can harm my kingdom then I''ll just send Afal to do it or Yefa.

    For the trading routes, leaving marks on the forest to guide my people will just be too obvious with people outside. They''ll decipher it within seeing it. So what I had in mind was to make Ortov make underground tunnels only for us to use. I specifically asked at least for four guards to guard these. But they''ll be at the underground too. Two for the entrance and two for the exit. This underground tunnel was extremely large. Enough for carriages to go in and get out.

    They''ll need to do something first for them to be acknowledged and to go in and out of Izgoy. Two knocks at the trapdoor hidden below and the words, "The Outcasts." Only my people know the meaning of the word Izgoy so it''s a nice protection. But that''s only for the exit. For the entrance to our kingdom the next steps are saying the words, "Second Life." Since that''s what everyone in this kingdom feels. We all have been given a second chance at life. And we''re going to live it to the fullest.

    Everything was moving smoothly. I was back in the conference room with Zeta on discussing the progress of Project: Valhalla.

    "I''m amazed Zieglind." He first spoke.

    "Why?" I asked.

    "I mean, I was only thinking of the forest and me using the Corpse Defiler to make thousands of undead to make a pseudo dungeon in our continent. But you actually improved the plan and lure real monsters here so that they''ll continue to breed. And the fake fortresses with monsters filled with traps."

    "I used Telepathy to the monsters to tell them where the traps are located so they''ll be safe in those fake fortresses."

    "That''s amazing."

    "So our next plan should be helping Herold."

    "Ah�� that guy?"

    "You''ve met Herold?"

    "You were captured by him and we tried to take you back but he was too strong for us."

    "Well�� circumstances arise. The hordes of monsters spawning from Tartarus will be too strong and we''ll be overpowered with numbers. Herold as of now is currently battling them. Let''s go to where he is."

 Chapter 131: Facing the Monsters of Tartarus

    "Holy crap�� That''s��. That''s Tartarus!?" I couldn''t help but be amazed.

    About four hours ago, I contacted Herald on instructions on how to get to Tartarus. He replied immediately so it means that he''s fine or he''s still battling the enemies. Tartarus was an extremely far journey but we managed to just run to here in just four hours.

    I left Yefa and Greta back at Izgoy so that someone would keep the civilians there in line.

    But to think Tartarus has this appearance�� It looks like it came from a lovecraftian story.

    Its exterior looked like the insides of a monster. Like the flesh of them. It has also bones of different species, humans, lizardmen, orcs and those heads at the entrance�� dragons? The very bottom of the Tartarus on the surface has these flesh-like things with bones stretch like roots that stuck to the ground.

    And at the very top of the Tartarus rests an eye.

    In the distance, I could hear faint sounds of explosions. I really want to enter Tartarus right now but I still don''t know if I''m qualified for it. But that''s not the objective for now. Its about killing the monsters that came out of Tartarus.

    We ran to the direction where we heard the explosions and saw Herold there fighting against five enemies. I know that the construction of Izgoy took a lot of time but he still hasn''t killed a single one despite his level over the thousands. Well, level doesn''t really matter since we only care about the rewards the system gives us when we level up.

    But those monsters he''s fighting�� Basilisk, Nine Headed Hydra, an incredibly giant Hellhound, Phoenix and an undead Lich!? These are the monsters inside the Tartarus? Right now I''m extremely excited about seeing all these mythological creatures before me but I couldn''t help but get worried since I know everything about them.

    The basilisk is a giant serpent creature. Basilisks can excrete poison that can kill anything. It''s extremely venomous and can kill anything in one strike. It has also an evil eye in which it was said that it can cause instant death the moment you look at it. It''s fast, big and extremely powerful.

    The Nine Headed Hydra is a giant monster which has obviously, nine heads. Their heads are incredibly poisonous too. And the problem is their breath in which they can purposely spread and can kill something in seconds. The other heads have unknown properties. But the thing that I absolutely fear is their great regeneration. If you cut off at least one of their heads, they''ll regrow it back with ease and not just one, but two.

    Hellhounds, they''re supposedly the size of a normal dog but this one seems to be abnormal. As I recall, hellhounds are extremely fast and powerful. They have super strength or something but the best part about them is that they can turn into ghastly apparitions and disappear and they can reappear whenever they want. They''re like assassins but worse.

    The Phoenix�� they''re surrounded by hot flames that can combust anytime they want. And if they die��they can resurrect themselves with ease. They''re not that powerful but their resurrection ability will make them tough to kill.

    Finally, the lich, they''re just mages. But considering they''re in this world, their powers will depend on what the system gives them.

    "Herold!" I called out to him.

    "Zieg- URK!" Herold was then blown away by the attack of the Hellhound.

    I still need to discuss with him what''s happening. "Mass Teleport!" I teleported all of us far enough so that those boss monsters won''t go near us.

    "UGAH!" Herold spat out blood. "Haa�� damn. I''m tired of fighting those things��"

    "How long have you been fighting those things?"

    "A month or something."

    "What?"

    "They''re incredibly easy to kill. I could''ve done it in a couple of hours. But that damned Lich! It looks like he has infinite mana or something."

    "What''s wrong?"

    "That Lich gives mana to the other boss monsters and heals them. And if I try to get near the Lich, the Phoenix will rise up to the sky and dive at me. Nearly tore my arm in the process. That Phoenix is too fast and every one of those monsters are protecting the Lich."

    "Your Anti-Magic sword doesn''t do much?"

    "It does a lot. That Hydra, I tore of its head five times now and since it doesn''t have enough mana, it couldn''t regenerate anymore. But as I said, that Lich keeps giving everything mana. The Hellhounds can phase through everything I throw at them. The Phoenix can revive infinitely. That Basilisk can release poison with no cost. That poison was strong enough to evaporate the lake. The Hydra can infinitely regenerate. This is so frustrating."

    "Are they strong?"

    "Not really. The healing of them is just too much and the mana the Lich is giving them. If we can get rid of the Lich, this''ll be an easy fight."

    "Hmm�� that''s enough information I think�� Zeta, do you have anything to say?"

    "Huh, me?" Zeta looked at me dumbfounded.

    "I have no idea on how to approach this situation. Do you have a suggestion?"

    "Well��" Zeta was hesitant at first but began to speak up. "I suggest we take care of the Phoenix and the Hellhound first. The Phoenix according to Herold, is fast and will immediately take action if they see you going to the Lich. The Hellhound is the fastest among all of them so the Hellhound will be the first to go to the Lich if something happens. If we kill the Phoenix first, there''ll be a small ritual and it''ll take some time on the resurrection. Phoenix will revive around 10-15 seconds as far as I remember."

    "Have you seen a Phoenix before Zeta?"

    "No, its something I read. But Herold, does the time span I just said kind of accurate on the resurrection time of the Phoenix?"

    Herold nodded in response.

    "So that''s that. Let''s go."

    Every one of us stood up and began heading to the direction to where the boss monsters are. "Afal, use that large skill you used yesterday on the army."

    "Yes. Dispel." Afal dispelled the shapeshift spell on his arm and it showed that demonic hand again. "Hand of Fury, rain down on my enemies, CATACLYSM!"

    The sky above us suddenly turned orange because the hundreds of fire balls in the sky that was summoned because of Afal''s skill. Then it all came falling down on the enemies. Each of them exploding and a loud sound was heard over and over again.

    After a few moments, it stopped. We then went ahead and ran at that direction to find out what happened.

    Every monster that was there was severely damaged. But the Lich was not. There''s a giant barrier only around him. The Lich raised his staff and green particles were surrounding the other monsters. It healed them of their wounds to full health like nothing happened. But the Hellhound was nowhere to be seen.

    "Where''s the hellhound?" I asked.

    "It''s dead." Herold replied.

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. I can''t feel the Hellhound. Its not invisible. I can only detect these four enemy. The Hellhound''s mana is completely gone."

    "It got obliterated by Afal''s skill�� Okay. Let''s charge in!"

    Everyone of us changed into our gazer forms.

    Then something unexpected happened. A sword was thrown at the middle between us and the monster. It interrupted our charge and the monsters were also confused.

    The sword''s color was white and there was a red gemstone on the guard of the sword. A bright white beacon that shot up to the sky was then formed. And after the beacon of light disappeared, someone appeared at it.

    He has a white armor, yellow hair and a shield on his left arm. Everything about him radiates the color white. Pure and noble. He then began to speak. "I, Zeraph Nindine shall eradicate the evil before me!" He pulled out the sword that was planted to the ground, held it upright and grabbed it with both of his hands. "Grant me strength Holy Sword, Ascalon! Holy Piercer!" He then let go his other hand on the sword and pointed it at the Basilisk. A beam of light then shot at the end of his sword.

    But that effort was futile seeing how the Lich immediately restored the health of the Basilisk.

    The mysterious man clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Evil will never prevail against justice!"

    "Who are you?" I asked him.

    He looked at my way and had a menacing look at his face. "I am Zeraph Nindine a Hero. There has been report of villages getting raided because of monsters lurking around. I am here to eradicate them."

    "Then can you he-"

    "Shut up demon. And that monster next to you. After I deal with these monsters, I''ll deal with you demons. I will never, ever forgive you evil beings!"

 Chapter 132: The Fates of the Opposites

    "What��?" Suddenly, this ''Hero'' has turned hostile on us.

    "Don''t even try to hide it. I can feel it." Zeraph Nindine, the hero, pointed at me. "That demonic power inside of you. You exchanged your soul to be a servant of evil? How disgusting." He then pointed at Afal next. "And you�� you''re hiding your true form? I know of it. My eye can see through everything. And your form? It''s straight-up displeasing and disgusting."

    Now is not the time to be pissed about his attitude. "Hey, I don''t care what you think of us. But I do know we have the same goal. To kill these monsters coming out of Tartarus."

    "So?"

    "So��? What? Do you know how powerful they are?"

    "They''re not powerful. The Lich is the only thing keeping them alive. I don''t need your help."

    "Hey!" Zeta joined in. "You''re a hero right? I''m a human so can you help us defeat those monsters?"

    "��" Zeraph was silent for a second. "Fine. I''ll protect you. But not the demons and that goblin with you.

    "That''s�� fine." It seems that Zeta also got worried since he discovered Rize''s species in an instant.

    But it''s not the time to be worried about that. Our goal is only these monsters.

    The hellhound is gone so its annoying speed and phase will not be a trouble anymore.

    The Phoenix rose to the sky. And began to dive to us head first. It was fast like a bullet. But we managed to dodge it. But the ground was split when the Phoenix hit it with its beak when it dived to us. That''s incredibly powerful.

    Zeraph began to take his move. He raised his sword and pointed at the sky, "Tears of the Goddess!" A small cloud formed and began to�� rain?

    But this rain wasn''t simple. Its burning the skin of the monsters. And mine. I thought I can''t feel pain. But I can feel the burning sensation this rain is doing to me. And Afal''s expressionless face suddenly turned pale. It seems he''s under a greater pain than I am. Same with Rize.

    "Barrier!" Zeta casted on us. "That''s a holy element. It deals extra damage on demons and monsters. This spell ignores your defenses. And being ''painless'' is a type of defense so that''s the reason why you can feel it."

    "I see. Thanks." I said to Zeta. "But it seems that this spell of his is useless. That Lich is such a big problem."

    The Lich healed them all again with ease.

    The so called hero began to fight the monsters. I ordered my party to stand back for a while and gather information. Rize is the only one that can fight while in range so she''s the backup of Zeraph.

    "Status Reveal!" Zeta had a troubled look on his face. "They''re all at level 1000. Exactly at that number. The Lich currently has around 235,000 Mana. Which is more than yours and mine. But for some reason, that mana pool isn''t going down. Healing these monsters at least would''ve taken 2,000 mana or more. But it didn''t take a single point on it."

    The Lich''s staff began to glow blue.

    "Zeta, observe, I think its about to give mana."

    "Mhm." Zeta waited until the Lich gave mana. "That''s�� Hmm�� How?"

    "What happened?"

    "Its mana pool has gone down from 235,000 to 190,000 but in an instant, the Lich''s mana instantly went back to full. I''m going to check a second time with my other skill. Buff Reveal!"

    "What do you see?"

    "Increased Mana Regeneration, Cooldown Decrease, Infinite Mana, Healing Satiation and Magic Penetration. The first one is explained by its name, the second is putting your skills on lower cooldowns and the third is infinite mana for five minutes. Healing Satiation means that every recovery or healing spell it cast is 50% more effective. Magic Penetration deals increased damage on armor. So the Lich is able to cycle to his infinite mana using Cooldown Decrease. I don''t know these skills since I haven''t learned them. I just know their descriptions using my skill."

    "Okay let''s go. Let''s just focus our firepower on lich. Our secondary target is the Phoenix. But everyone must avoid the Basilisk''s gaze and poison. Got it?"

    "Yeah!" Everyone responded.

    We all rushed in to the enemies.

    Afal and Rize went ahead and targeted the basilisk.

    Herold and Precia targeted the Phoenix.

    Zeta made sure to protect us by giving support. And to hold off the Hydra.

    And I targeted the Lich together with Zephyr even if he didn''t ask me.

    "Holy Pulse!" Both of us casted at the same time. I''m not surprised but he is. But we didn''t let our emotions get in the way of the battle. So we fought side by side.

    The pulses from the balls of light we made managed to do small damage on the Lich. It''s not enough to damage it severely but it''s a great start. It seems that it''s weak to light.

    The sky then darkened. But apparently it''s not the sky, a giant shadow was above us and it was the Phoenix rising to the skies ready to dive at us again.

    Afal rushed in front of it.

    Rize casted, "Giant Net!" And a giant net appeared after she fired the bullet on her gun. The Phoenix dived down to us but Afal dispelled the shapeshift on both of his arms to show his new body parts and tried to stop the Phoenix from diving.

    The giant net Rize casted is preventing the beak of the phoenix from opening so the Phoenix can''t open its mouth. It''s a great backup plan in case the Phoenix can breathe fire.

    I abandon my worries on the Phoenix and focused on the Lich. "Come, Soul Scythe! Soul Homage!" My weapon appeared and I imbued it with magic.

    Then I heard Zeraph talk. "Death Reaper��?"

    My eyes widened on what he just said. It seems he knows the existence of Death Reapers. But I ignored it for now and so did he and refocused ourselves on the Lich.

    I ran up to the Lich and swiped my scythe and I managed to damage its ribs. Zeraph also rushed in and swung his sword on the Lich''s ribs. Both of our attacks managed to form an X on the Lich''s ribs.

    "ARGHHHH!!!" The Lich writhed in pain. And suddenly, I felt intense pressure coming from behind me. Zeraph also felt this as his face suddenly turned pale.

    The eyes of the three monsters, Nine-Headed Hydra, Phoenix and Basilisk suddenly turned red and an aura on their eyes appeared.

    "They''re enraged." Zeraph spoke up.

    "I see. They''re coming!" I braced myself as the Phoenix dived at me once again. But this time, everything behind it was forming small explosions. It seems that it has managed to get past through Afal.

    The basilisk threw our poison everywhere and the Hydra threw poison as well too. It then breathed fire everywhere lighting the poison in flames. The whole area was filled in a pit of flames.

    The basilisk slithered incredibly fast. Too fast for me to react. I didn''t even noticed that I was already wrapped around its body. I was being squashed. Zeraph was about to save me but he got rammed by the Phoenix and has been lit up in flames by the Hydra.

    Herold rushed up to me but all the wounds he dealt were extremely huge but the Lich is healing them continuously.

    Nothing they did worked. I don''t need to hold back anymore.

    And at that time of realization, two beacons of light shot up to the sky at the same time. One was dark and one was light.

    At that moment, something inside me changed�� Bloodlust has evolved. And at that moment I shouted��

    "DEVIL''S ADVOCATE!"

    "ANGEL''S PROTECTION!"

    The monsters, even my party, everything was silent.

    I broke free of the strangling of the basilisk. And as I looked at my armor, nothing really changed in the appearance except for the now color black armor.

    [Armor of the Bloodfallen has evolved. Will now change into Devil''s Advocate. All the other skills of Armor of The Bloodfallen will be inherited into Devil''s Advocate. New skills have been unlocked:

    ||Devil''s Playthings||

    Dark Magic and Soul Magic will have a 300% Damage Increase and 100% Defense Increase. Blood Magic will have a 100% Damage Increase. Fire Magic will have a 200% Damage Increase. Complete Immunity to Dark and Fire Magic.

    ||Domination||

    Increased damage against lower-ranked demons. Increased damage against light and holy skill users.

    ||Suppressed Rage||

    Increased damage depending on the user''s current mental state.

    ||Pure Darkness||

    Every fifth attack, the next damaging skill you attack or will do will be imbued with dark magic and gain the effect of 150% Lifesteal.]

    There we were. Hovering in the air looking at each other. As if in that moment, everything stopped.

    Zeraph and I were locked eye to eye.

    I am the Devil and he''s the Angel.

 Chapter 133: The Forbidden Duo

    There we were. Hovering in the air. We were absolute polar opposites. We know that we just met each other. But something inside us felt like we hated each other.

    Rivals. For eternity.

    He looked at his armor. Zeraph then said, "What happened... This isn''t my usual armor...? It evolved?" He then looked at me. "Is this... Your doing?"

    "I don''t know." I responded. "My armor that I usually wear also changed. It evolved according to the system."

    He hesitated for a moment. "What''s the name of your former armor?"

    "Armor of the Bloodfallen."

    "...!"

    "What''s yours?"

    "Armor of the Risen."

    When he said his previous skill name for his armor, we both knew this meeting was something fate prepared.

    This situation has been written in thousands of stories. A demon and an angel. To battle for eternity.

    We stood there for several seconds trying to figure out what happened. No one dared to make a move. Not even the monsters fron Tartarus.

    The Lich even though its mannerisms are obvious that it''s scared, it took the first move that broke the silence.

    It a giant ice spikes appeared in the air and came raining down. But me and Zeraph dared not to move.

    These monsters from Tartarus are no longer a threat for we know how much power we achieved from pur armor evolving.

    I call out to my weapon. "Come, Bloodlust." The sky darkened and came a black lightning that struck my hand. I didn''t feel anything or have been damaged. But it spawned my two nodachi in both of my hands.

    Something about it was strange. I can feel something wrapping around my arms. Like chains. So to test it out, I let go of my nodachi and it fell right out of my hand. The chains appeared and a certain word appeared in my head so I blurt it out. "Return." Both of my weapons came rushing back to my hand.

    This is a surreal experience. I can feel myself growing more and more powerful with this armor.

    Zeraph looked at me and thought to himself that he wanted to test it out too. He discarded his previous holy sword and shield and called out his new one, "Come, Splitter of Heavens and Devourer of Evil!"

    The dark sky suddenly cleared and a beacon that shot to the sky appeared piercing through his body. As soon as it cleared, he appeared with his weapon, a sword and shield.

    It''s majestic. A holy sword as his weapon. Its bright radiance light shone upon everything in its vicinity blinding everything when it was summoned. But it all cleared out after a few moments.

    We were both confused. This sudden surge of power is an anomaly we can''t comprehend.

    Just by meeting each other, we achieved new heights we didn''t know could be achieved in a single day.

    We snapped back to reality and saw the Tartarus monsters are getting ready to attack despite being scared all this time.

    The phoenix dived at me and the basilisk tried to strangle Zeraph.

    But at the same time, we both swung our swords and cut their bodies in half with a single swing.

    Everyone was shocked even us.

    The Lich was taken aback on what just happened. It then healed the two of them instantly.

    The Lich put a buff on all the monsters seeing how there''s a red aura around them now.

    Every monster rushed at us. "Soul Drag!"

    Every monster was being slowly pulled into the miniature black hole I created.

    I quickly dispelled it, "Lightning Body!" And quickly ran to the middle of them all. "Twin Blade Form: Rising Wind!" I spun around and a giant tornado threw them all off to the sky lifting them all off the ground.

    Zeraph took advantage of this situation and began to act. "Star Connector!" Zeraph suddenly teleported behind the Basilisk and swung his blade cutting the Basilisk in half. He then teleported to the Phoenix and did the same. He continued this until the last one, the Lich. With all of his strength, he swung an overhanded swing on the Lich slamming it on the ground and cutting the terrain in half as a giant ravine formed.

    But the Lich survived all that. The Lich then laughed. "HAHAHA!" This is the first time we''re hearing its voice. "Tartarus, will rule over the world. For our lord, Ouroboros SHALL TAKE EVERYTHING! THIS WORLD, HELL ITSELF AND EVEN THE HEAVENS! OUR CONQUEST WILL NOT END HERE! RISE MY CHILDREN!"

    All of the monsters we defeated suddenly turned to undead. The flesh were torn apart and only their bones were showing. Their eye sockets emitted a green dark aura. But I''m curious on why this Lich didn''t just healed them. My theory is that it seems that their bodies were to destroyed to heal so the Lich just turned it into undead.

    All of them rushed to us again. But this time we''re ending this.

    Pure dark energy flowed in my body. I then redirected it all to my sword. A giant black aura surrounded my sword and my body.

    Zeraph''s body emitted a bright white aura and so did his weapon.

    "MUAHAHAHA! HUMANS, MONSTERS, DEMONS, ANGELS. IN THE END IT DOESN''T MATTER. YOU ARE ALL INFERIOR BEINGS COMPARED TO MY MASTER! I HAVE RECEIVED HIS BLESSING... THEREFORE I AM STRONGER THAN EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD. MY CHILDREN, GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU''VE GOT!"

    "HAHAHA!" I laughed at the atrocity of what the Lich just said. "King, a higher being or one of the Gods up there who brought us here, I don''t care. I will change the rules of this world. You and your master can kiss my ass, you''re all just a stepping stine for my goals!"

    "Big words for a mere human!"

    "Big words for a mere skeleton!"

    "Hng... KILL THEM! LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND!"

    I charged up my weapon to its fullest to the point that Bloodlust suddenly awakened.

    "MASTER! HAHAHA! THIS POWER! IT''S INCREDIBLE! COME, FEED US MORE!" The souls inside started to speak after a two long year of silence. It seems that even Bloodlust has changed and evolved. But that''s not the time for it right now.

    All I need to do is release all these overwhelming power I received.

    I raised both of my swords in the air.

    Zeraph took off his shield and readied and overhead stance. "I AM THE HERO! You evil beings are destined to die by the hands of justice. Feel the wrath of the people who put their trust on me. THE HERO!"

    I let out everything I have. "TWIN SWORD FORM: LASHES OF ETERNITY!"

    And so did Zeraph. "BLADE FORM OF THE HEAVENS: WRATH OF THE ANGELS!"

    And in that moment, everything suddenly stopped. The sounds, the flow of the air the movements of everyone.

    Only I, could move.

    Everything went dark and a shadow, with the shape of a female human, descended from the sky.

    ''It'' touched my face and said, "Free me. Save me... I shall give you the answers you seek. For I... am Pandora."

    "What...?" I tried to ask at least one question but the shadow disappeared and everything resumed.

    The attack I unleashed and Zeraph''s attack travelled through hundreds of meters just to reach the Lich.

    And in that one explosive move, everything around it was destroyed.

    The trees, the grass, the plants... Everything. Everything was gone and a large ravine was formed.

    I jumped down the ravine to find out where the Lich is. Zeraph followed.

    Despite using our strongest move, the Lich''s body was just split in half. Not complete obliteration.

    Zeraph raised his sword but I stopped him.

    "What''s the meaning of this demon?" He asked.

    "Look." I told him.

    "He''ll recover with ease. We need to kill it and every piece of its body. You saw its regenerative abilities."

    "Just... Wait. I can''t sense any magic left out of it."

    The Lich raised its hand as if reaching out to the sky. "My liege I have failed you. Forgive me. I will not be able to stand by you at the peak. But I hope my brothers can. Long live... My liege... Ouroboros." The Lich''s body turned into ashes and drifted in the air into nothingness.

    Zeraph and I let out a huge sigh of relief. He spoke first. "Now then..."

    "Thanks for the help Hero." I told him.

    "Don''t sway me with your words demon."

    "What?"

    "When we both activated our skills, something inside me changed. You felt it too didn''t you?"

    "I mean... Yeah. But it''s a sign that we both got stronger by fighting together."

    "You can interpret it as you wish demon. You will never get me to side with you. That throbbing pain in my heart when you transformed to your true form... I knew at that instant. You... The Demon King has awaken."

    "WHAT!?"

    Zeraph without warning swung his blade with all his strength. I dodged it by jumping to the side.

    "Die Demon King."

 Chapter 134: Newly Found Rival

    "Hey, Zeraph! I think you''re misunderstanding something. Just because I have these powers means I''m evil!" I tried to reason at him while he''s swinging his sword at me.

    "Shut... Up!" Zeraph smashed his sword on the ground and I easily dodged it.

    I jumped back and it seems that his attacks stopped. "What?"

    "I can''t allow you to live. You will inflict terror upon this world I swore to protect."

    "Just because I have this power...?"

    "Its because of our fate that led us to this conclusion. And there''s no questioning fate itself."

    "I see. Then I''ll have to just change it."

    "Change...? How?"

    "By breaking through it!" I suddenly rushed at Zeraph and swung both of my weapons. He quickly reacted and raised his shield which blocked my attack.

    "Changing fate? Just try it! Good will never lose to evil!" He then changed the angle of his shield so both of my weapons slid right off to the ground. He then bashed his shield against me which sent me flying. "CHASE!" Zeraph began to ran in incredible speeds.

    I know I was blown away hundreds of meters but Zeraph grabbed my shoulder mid air and slammed me to the ground.

    I put my hand on the ground, "Soul Drag!" The ground slowly crumble and the miniature black hole I created began to destroy the ground. Zeraph lost balance and grip on me. So I used this chance to take his hand away and kick him right in the stomach.

    Even though that was a powerful kick, he withstood it while standing but a trickle of blood came running down on his mouth.

    He was confused. And then got angry. He threw his shield at me which caught me off guard since I never thought he''d threw it just like that.

    I blocked it by crossing both of my hands to my head but a slight cut on my armor was formed and it pierced through my skin.

    I took off the shield on my arms and threw it to the ground and the cut on my armor began to regenerate.

    But that shield was just a distraction since I didn''t notice it but I could feel his intense killing intent behind me.

    "ABSORBANT BODY!" I casted. My armor released a large shockwave that blew him away. While he was blown away, I charged my weapon with mana.

    He recovered mid air and tried to dive right at me.

    I wanted to interrupt him so I used, "TWIN BLADE FORM: LASHES OF ETERNITY!"

    But Zeraph knew this and began to act. "Forbidden Sword Style:" Zeraph''s blade suddenly disappeared but his grip on the non-existent sword is still firm. "REALITY SLASH!"

    A large ray of light came out of his non-existent sword and...

    "WHAT!?" I couldn''t but be shocked. Both of our moves disappeared into nothingness. Nothing was destroyed or damage. Both of our skills simply vanished into thin air.

    Even Zeraph was shocked. But we set aside our confusion and emotions and resumed the fight.

    I lunged at him with one of my naginata but he parried it with his shield.

    I was extremely confused so I looked back but his shield that I threw to the ground isn''t there anymore.

    I was caught off guard by that parry so in exchange he thrusted his sword right to my chest. But I dispelled my other Bloodlust and used my other arm to deflect this thrust of his.

    Not a full deflection but I managed to minimize the damage by redirecting it to my shoulder.

    His sword pierced through my armor easily. Good thing my bones disappeared when I "reborn" if not I''m afraid I can''t move my shoulder anymore.

    But this goddamn Zeraph twisted his freaking sword nearly tearing my whole shoulder off. Good thing I grabbed the blade. I kicked him off so both him and his sword got away from me.

    I took a look at my shoulder and it''s barely hanging there. It seems that I can move my hands still because of... Something... I guess?

    But I need to take care of it since I feel like it can fall off anytime.

    Good thing the armor regenerated itself so my shoulder is being forced to retain it''s usual form.

    I rushed at Zeraph and threw my right weapon in the air. Zeraph as I expected, followed the sword with his eyes. Not knowing I used it as a distraction to cast with my right hand. "BINDING LIGHT!" And then Zeraph didn''t even notice he was being restricted in his movements.

    "Return!" And my weapon that I threw in the sky came right back at my hand.

    Zeraph tried to stop this by grabbing it mid air but he just now noticed he got restricted by my spell.

    I don''t want to kill him so I just thrusted my sword on his shoulder as a sign of revenge for earlier.

    Blood came out of his shoulder which I was surprised by. It seems that he hasn''t been reborn yet or he''s been reborn but we don''t have the same effects.

    I saw him grit his teeth and he then kicked me afterwards.

    It seems that he can still feel pain seeing how the shoulder I hit seems to be shaking. He''s trying to move it.

    But despite that, he ignored this and let out a huge battlecry. It was so loud I covered my ears.

    I backed away for a second until he was done and went right in again. I started off with a huge overhead swing in which he easily dodged.

    He jumped over me and swung his sword mid air in which my back got a large wound because of it.

    "Soul Drag!" I began pulling him near me. But it seems that he''s waiting for a chance to slice my arm once he gets near it. But since his intentions are so obvious, "JUDGEMENT!" I cancelled out Soul Drag and a heavy pressure was applied to him to the point where he can''t stand up.

    "HERO''S CHARGE!" He suddenly got out of that pinch and began charging at me.

    "Binding Light!" But the chains that cane out of the ground were suddenly destroyed.

    "Soul Drag!" I tried this just to slow him down. But no. He just kept on going and going at me.

    It seems that he''s immune to movement restriction spells. "ARGH! I was holding back because I didn''t want to kill you since you''re strong and will be a good ally. But you dragged this out of me!"

    But it seems that Zeraph doesn''t listen. He just rushed at me and grabbed me by my neck and raised me off the ground. "This... This is the end!"

    "C-..." I tried to cast a skill but his grip tightened on my neck. "CLEANSE!" I casted not on me, but him. Cleanse literally removes every debuff on myself. But when casted on an enemy, it''ll remove all the buffs they have. So I removed his Hero''s Charge spell.

    "What are you trying to do!?" Zeraph dropped his weapon and began to strangle my neck using both of his hands.

    I will pass out if this continues so I quickly tried to think on what spell I should use. "Found it!" I began to cast the spell, "SEAL OF THE FROST DRAGON!"

    A giant ice appeared out of nowhere and froze the entirety of Zeraph. His hand quickly loosened up so I could escape his grasp.

    The ice was small, just enough to seal the whole body. But the ground in a one kilometer radius changed into a slippery cold ground.

    "He would''ve been a great ally." I took a final look at him and went ahead and returned to my party. But then, I heard a crack.

    I looked back and it seems that he''s trying to break free of the seal. And he did.

    I took out both of my weapons to get ready for a second round but it seems that he''s extremely exhausted. I lowered my guard and asked him, "Are we done?"

    He regained his composure and stood up straight. "Done? We''re not done unless you''re dead you evil bein-." His body then faltered on the ground. It seems that he let out everything he had.

    "I''m calling this fight off."

    "Wha... Why!?" He raised his arm and tried to reach for me.

    "We were both exhausted from the fight with the monsters from Tartarus. So this fight is a tie." I''m not kidding. Using Lashes of Eternity twice took a toll on my arm. Breaking the speed of light just by swinging my sword made damages on my arm.

    "..." Zeraph is silent. "I see. Then fine." He stood up. "Farewell Demon King. Let''s continue this battle later."

    "Wait. You could''ve just killed me with your sword when you were strangling me. Why did you drop your weapon?"

    "That was..." Zeraph was deep in thought for a moment. "I was merely... Curious. I don''t know if you''re completely evil yet so I was curious on what you''re going to do. I will observe your actions and if you''re truly evil, this blade will be coming for your neck. And remember, I still haven''t shown you my full power." Zeraph then left and flew to the sky.

    I merely smiled at his words, "So am I."

 Chapter 135: New Allies

    After the fight, I went to the defeated Tartarus monsters and tried to get their skills. But it seems that by being undead I can''t use it on them.

    It''s the same when I fought the vampire and the others back at Burliande.

    It''s a shame because that Lich had some great powers. Infinite Mana, great healing capabilities, increased mana regeneration, stringer defense spells perfect for healing.

    We all went back to Izgoy and I''m looking at the reports Velyn made for me. She''s diligent and there''s reports for everything going on in the kingdom. Farm, training grounds, hunters and so on.

    And looking back on the Lich, it was an incredible foe that kept the monsters alive for so long. The fight that would''ve taken at least five minutes against Herold took much longer and more difficult than expected. I mean the Lich''s healing and defense, were pretty insane. The monsters are weak at their defensive points and they''re all focused on offense. But the Lich completely negated that weakness those monsters have by keeping them alive and we don''t have anyone like that.

    Maybe it''s time to find another comrade?

    Zeta is a mage and yes he does have the skill barrier and some heals. But most of his skill need casting and another skill to defend himself using his dual casting skill.

    He has already a lot on his plate for covering us at the back and healing. He''s a pure offensive mage so it''s difficult for him to act as a support for our team.

    And the Lich is an incredible example of a great support that held the team despite being defeated over and over.

    I took these thoughts over to Zeta to try and ask for a second opinion.

    "I can completely agree with all the points you just listed." Zeta agreed with me.

    "That''s great." I replied.

    "Yeah I can finally be lifted with the support role. I don''t have many defensive spells. But if you''re going to find a support mage, an enchanter should be the best fit for our group."

    "Enchanter?"

    "Basically people who gives buffs to a group. Damage boost, defense, mana regeneration, health regeneration, barrier, durability buffs, health increase and so on and so forth. They can give us a large advantage in battle. But as for the healing part... Not so much. They usually dedicate their lives to learn skills that''ll be focused on combat situations."

    "I see... That is important. How about just a plain old healer?"

    "It''s decent... I guess? I mean, healers only gives barrier and of course, heals the party. But healers are incredibly powerful that they can save you in near death situations. Their healing capabilities can heal you from a sliver of health to full in an instant. Broken bones? Repaired. Dislocates body parts? Repaired. Impaired vision, hearing, missing body parts? That can be easily recovered with their skills. Illnesses, curses and such? Healers are the way to go."

    "Those are incredibly interesting. But I''m going to be dwelling on what to choose... Zeta, what do you think?"

    "If you want my honest opinion, I think we should go for the enchanter. Most of us have healing that can recover us from any situation. Like you, you don''t feel pain and just as I saw your battle with Zeraph you continued to use the arm that Zeraph broke. Greta is a werewolf so she has a passive natural increased regeneration. Healing wounds with ease. I don''t know about the others but I''m sure enchanters are better."

    "Hmm... How about we just get the both of them?"

    "Well that''s a problem in itself too. If we''re going to be fighting a large scale war, the three of us mages will be the main targets and I''m the only offense mage."

    "Now that you talk about it... We... We don''t have a tank right...?"

    "Ah-" It seems that Zeta also realized it. "It seems so..."

    "Without a tank we can''t charge in without getting damaged."

    "Yeah... As of now we only relied on Precia with her skill ''Taunt'' to lure the attention of the monsters to her. But her defensive capabilities aren''t that strong. We need something to protect the mages we''ll bring in. But there''s also an alternative to this dilemma."

    "What is it?"

    "An assassin."

    "Hoo... Interesting. Continue."

    "Well if people got near the mages the tank can use the skill ''Taunt'' and then the offensive mages the tank is defending will blast all of its skills at the taunted enemies. Tanks has a skill that can make them invulnerable for a few seconds so friendly fire isn''t really a problem. It''s the bread and butter combination of a tank protecting the backline. But!"

    "But?"

    "An assassin will simply kill the enemies in a large radius around the mages preventing the enemies from entering their range of attack."

    "I guess that''s an interesting take on it. A tank will be more helpful for utility and such and we''ll be able to take more risky operations using a tank since there''s nothing that will stop it."

    "And if we get an assassin we will upgrade our damage output and we can send this assassin to somewhere to of course, assassinate someone."

    "Hmm... I see, I see. Then we''ll have to act quickly. We''ll get the two mages and an assassin. Just pick out someone here at Izgoy. Find at least 10 of each, send them to Afal and he''ll know what to do since I''ll tell him later."

    Afal nd Zeta followed my orders accordingly and held a small competition. I didn''t took a look at it that much because for the two weeks the competition ran on, I was traversing and scouting the whole continent figuring out the behavior of the monsters Precia brought here. But it seems that my worries weren''t needed.

    I set aside my worries for now and focused on these two new allies before me. Zeta gave me some small information like how they''re just around level 20 and their names.

    "Greetings. I''m Zieglind. I know that the selection came out of nowhere and I''m glad to have you all here today. Introduce yourselves."

    The male that looked like around his twenties first spoke. "I''m Feran Durtha. I''m an enchanter. I''m hoping get along with you my lord. And my beautiful twin sist-"

    "EHEM!" The person Feran pointed at suddenly cleared her throat in an obviously loud sound to gather attention. Feran suddenly flinched and this woman spoke. "I''m Helga Durtha and I''m a healer. For now I can only cleanse low level poisons and such but most of my healing capabilities are pretty great. I hope that I can be of use to you my lord."

    "I see." I nodded at them signalling them that I accept them here. "And you there? What''s your name?" I pointed at my back.

    Feran spoke, "My lord there''s nothing ther-" He was suddenly cut off when the invisible person behind me turned visible and tried to attack my nape by piercing their dagger into it.

    I simply blocked their dagger with one hand and their face suddenly turned pale. I finally saw their face. He tried to leap back but my grip on the dagger prevented that so he abandoned his weapon and leaped back.

    I called out to Zeta and he understood what I wanted to hear. "Poison, Paralyze, Dark Magic and Bleed on the dagger."

    "So... Am I worthy?" I asked the mysterious man.

    He was still cautious but he lowered his guard and put his dagger on his sheathe on his side. "Yes. Apologies for suddenly attacking you. I was doubting if any master can handle my skills. First I swore to lord Afal since I admired his strength. But it seems that you''re stronger than him since he''s under you."

    "I see. What''s your name?"

    "My name is Neco Ryrian. An assassin."

    "Great. Everyone''s here. To join the Crimson Knights you all have only one thing to do. Change your last names to Reysh. It''s a proof that you''re simply not in a group. But a family."

    The twins looked at each other.

    Helga was the first to speak, "I... I mean I don''t mind it. Hmph!"

    Feran''s face suddenly lighted up, "Well if my beloved tsundere sister doesn''t mind it then I also don''t mind it."

    Helga then punched Feran straight to the head. "Who are you calling a tsundere!?"

    I ignored their playful banter and took a glance at Neco. "You?"

    He looked at me and said, "No objections."

    I stood up from where I sat and signed a command to silence them all and they followed. "Good. Since you are all just around level 20, we need to raise that up to at least level 200 or so in the next few months. Tomorrow we''ll set off and do a nonstop hunt to fight monsters."

    It seems that my family will be much louder with the addition of these three.

 Chapter 136: Training

    I don''t know how to level up Helga and Feran so I kind of cheated.

    I beat up countless monsters until their health are low enough to the point where even a child can kill them in one punch.

    I used this tactic over and over again and just send them all to Helga and Feran.

    Feran bowed his head then stood straight up. "Uwaa... I''m sorry my lord you had to do this. We don''t have any fighting capabilities. But I''m sure that our enchantments and healing will be of use to you my lord. Hahaha! Isn''t that right my beloved sister?"

    Helga had a disgusted look on his brother but Feran simpl didn''t mind it and smiled even more. "Tsk." She then looked at me. "Ah yes. I''ll do my best!"

    "I''m sure you will." I reassured them both. "Anyway this is a great skill Feran. It''s extremely useful. I wish I found you sooner."

    Feran laughed and then talked, "I know! Experience Booster, boosts the EXP gain for a certain amount of time. And combined with the buff everyone got since the players came here leveling has become incredibly easy."

    "Anyway, how did you two get in the level 20s or so without any fighting capabilities?"

    "Well there''s a special trait well, a buff to be exact, on support classes like us. We can gain EXP just, by as you know, supporting others. I enchant others with buffs and any other needed things and my sister here heals people."

    "You two seems to be capable. How did you get captured?" They both looked at each other and stared down at the ground. "Ah, I''m sorry. That was insensitive of me."

    "It''s fine my lord. It''s just that someone in our party betrayed us for a couple of gold. Of course to the bandits. We couldn''t do anything since the one that reported is our main offense."

    Helga joined in. "We were left with us two, a tank and an archer. We couldn''t keep up with a group of bandits. Of course we lost as you can tell. And then..." Helga suddenly broke down and tears came out of her eyes. She squat down in the ground to hide her sadness.

    Feran formed a fist and he gripped it tightly. "Those bastards nearly ravaged Helga." I couldn''t help but be silent with their story. "But to our luck, Helga and I had a spare teleport scroll. It''s a must for everyone if anything goes south. We both teleported into a random forest so our tracks will be untraceable. But after a month of hiding, we got discovered at Itz. Those bandits were still tracking us and setting up bounties for getting our information. And that''s where we got the offer of us either both of us become slaves or I''ll be set free as long as I gave Helga to them."

    Feran sat down on the ground and hugged Helga. "But of course, I won''t give my beloved sister to anyone else."

    Helga stopped crying and looked at him. "Feran..." And she then punched him away from her. "You tried to take advantage of the moment to hug me didn''t you!?"

    It seems that the both of them are back up to their usual banter.

    "Well my beloved sister is crying! Come, give your brother a kiss like the old days!" Helga looked at him with an embarrassed angry face. Feran knew her emotions so he stood up and began to run.

    "That was... That was years ago! Come back here and I''ll kill you!"

    I simply laughed their banter and began to speak. The both of them stopped at their playful match and looked at me. "Well it seemd that you both are in high spirits. As long as you''re by my side there won''t be things happening like that. I can guarantee it. I guess to overcome those situations or even forget them, we just have to create new memories. Time may not be able to heal, but it''ll teach us how to live with it."

    Helga spoke up, "Those were some great words my lord. We''ll treasure it. I hope that we can be useful to you." The both of them bowed in respect.

    "Anyway, why are you still calling me something as trivial as, ''my lord'' when you can just call me by my name?"

    "Well we''re slaves. So we have to refer to our masters as that."

    "As far as I remember we''re family when i gave you my surname."

    Both of them let out droplets of tears. And bowed deeply to relay their thanks.

    I let them continue killing the monsters I captured for them and I went ahead and looked for Neco.

    And just as I walked in the forest, I could feel some killing intent. I have to respond back. "Aura." I emitted dark aura which surrounded the whole forest. The birds that were on the trees flew away and the animals ran away.

    I then heard something hit the ground. I went to that direction and found Neco standing up cowering while he''s holding both of his daggers. I lightly tapped his shoulders and he fell to the ground.

    I was the one to speak up. "Neco, how''s your training?"

    It seems that he''s trying to hide his fear. "Uh. Ah- yeah. Uhm. Hmm. Yeah. It''s going fine."

    "You''re the one that Afal talked to me about when we didn''t know each other at the time. The one who made hunting the animals incredibly easy. Paralyzing them and letting the others kill it to give them EXP. Despite how nasty your attitude is, you''re a good guy huh?"

    "..." He was just silent.

    "You''re... You''re interested in fighting me right?"

    "Yes."

    "No hesitations..?"

    "I wanted to fight someone strong all my life. Everyone seems to die in one hit when I fight them."

    "Show me your skill list."

    "Here."

    "Woah." Despite being level 20, he has a lot a skills. Mostly in dealing that absolute one hit damage. Critical Strike that deals 300% more damage, Backstab, deals bonus damage when attacking enemies from behind, Battle Frenzy, increased status when the battle goes on for a long duration. Great for backup in case killing them in one hit was a enough. Absolute Attack, their attack will connect no matter the motions of the attack. As long as the enemy is within their reach, they can''t avoid the attack. And some other more. He doesn''t have much active skills and most are just buffs and or passive skills that give much better damage.

    "What is it?"

    "Fine. I''ll give you a fight. Just one hit. One clean hit and you win. If you win I''ll give you a skill that will help you get even stronger."

    "And if you win?"

    "Nothing."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    "Before I accept, what skill?"

    "This." I changed into my Gazer form and showed him the armor and weapon.

    "Woah..." His eyes widened.

    "Step aside." I raised my scythe and gripped it tightly. "Sweeping Death!" The whole area around us that was once a forest were suddenly turned into a wasteland. "Now are you intereste-" I suddenly blocked the dagger that came flying at me.

    "Switch!" He switched places with the dagger and rushed at me with his other dagger and tried to stab me through the chest.

    "I see. Teleport!" I teleported behind him.

    "You used teleport to just get away from my attack? This will be easy as I thought. I accept this challenge."

    "You cheeky brat. Dispel Gazer form. You already started."

    He picked up his dagger. "Clone." Several copies of him appeared. And they all ran up to me.

    "Judgement." All the clones were all pounded down to the ground as if a heavy pressure was put on them and they all suddenly disappeared. But I could feel something above me. So I looked up and saw Neco do a plunging attack. But i dodged it easily.

    "So you''re a mage..."

    "Well not really."

    "Supersonic!"

    Just as I blinked, Neco suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of me. I moved back and barely dodged it. "Close. You''re fast."

    "Mages can''t react to assassins. This is an unfavorable battle to you my lord."

    "Try again."

    "Tsk." Neco disappeared again.

    "Lightning Body." I caught his dagger between my fingers. He was surprised for a moment but instead of being shocked he stepped back using his speed. But I easily caught up and got behind him.

    "Wha-" Neco ran away inside the forest I guess to get more cover. But I disappeared in his sight and went on abead and met him hundred meters away.

    "I''m faster."

    "You''re a mage..."

    "Well I can be a mage and a swordsman."

    "I see..."

    "Well, better luck next time. Let''s go back and just level up faster."

    "Yeah. Let''s."

    In that short moment wherein I let my guard down, I got hit by his dagger on my shoulder. "Wha-?"

    "I guess that counts right?"

    I couldn''t feel anything when he threw that dagger. No killing intent and even with my increased senses, I didn''t hear the sound of the blade going off on his hand.

    He surpressed his killing intent and managed to move without making a sound.

    "I guess you''ve earned it. Come, I''ll give you the skill."

 Chapter 137: Evolution

    "Telepathy, transfer Gazer form." Just as soon as they felt the skill transferring to them, their bodies suddenly spazzes and they all passed out. I''m now doubting myself if giving them the gazer form since they just leveled up pretty recently.

    But my worries instantly disappeared when they woke up hours later.

    As they all woke up they all looked at me with curiosity and admiration. I had to test out their newly appointed powers.

    "Mass Teleport." I teleported them to the training grounds. Good thing the people here are gone for the time being. "You all received it yeah? Show me."

    The twins looked at each other and nodded. Feran was the first to start, "Gazer Form," and the same armor we all have appeared on his body.

    "Call out your weapon. Let me see."

    "Weapon?"

    "You know its name. You just have to call it."

    "That was real... Not a dream? Then... Come, The Forbidden Chalice!"

    "Wai- WHAT!?"

    "Yeah... I''m shocked too."

    "A CHALICE!? You''re a mage enchanter right?"

    "Yes. I use staff but this is something... Unique and unheard of."

    "Let me see. The gazer form''s skill description."

    "Ah yes."

    [Gazer Form, wear the armor of the legendary enchanter of the death reapers. Has five sub skills,

    ||Enchanter''s Potential||

    Gain some experience and 500% EXP gain when enchanting. This can act as an active skill wherein you can pass this skill to another unit to give them 500% EXP gain for several minutes.

    ||Advantage||

    When fighting an enemy that has higher level than you, your enchants will be 30% more effective.

    ||Absolute Enchant||

    Makes all of your enchantments become undispellable.

    ||Mastery||

    Everyday, when you at least 10 enchantments, the effectiveness of the enchant will increase permanently.

    ||Enchanter''s Finale||

    When your HP reaches 5% or less, you will be encased in an undispeable barrier wherein you''ll be immune to all damage, enchants will be 200% more effective, your body will be repaired to where you can move and speak for a whole minute. After the minute passes, the barrier knocks back enemies away from you.

    You can fly while in gazer form.]

    "This is amazing. Now, let me see the weapon."

    "Sure."

    [The Forbidden Chalice, a weapon that greatly enhances the effectiveness of enchants by 50%. The liquid inside changes,

    ||Nature''s Calling||

    When the water of the chalice turns green, enchantments on healing spells will not only have their effectiveness go up by 50%, but gives a buff that increases their defense by 30% for several minutes.

    ||Corrupted Water||

    When the water of the chalice dark, dark enchantments will give the enchanted 50% increased dark damage for several minutes and immunity to dark magic for one minute.

    ||Blood Chalice||

    If the water on the chalice turns into blood, you can exchange any portion of your mana to use this blood to instantly heal anything on the wounded unit. Can not cure illnesses and curses. Only physical wounds.

    ||Element Randomizer||

    You can imbue this chalice with a certain element and the chalice will be able to unlock new skills for itself.]

    "This is amazing. Make sure to use it well."

    "Thank you for giving us such a great gift."

    "Don''t mind it. Now," I looked at Helga. "Show me yours."

    Helga nodded and chanted her skill, "Gazer Form, come, Life''s Blessing!"

    "Woah. It''s a beautiful book."

    "I was expecting a staff but this book is interesting."

    "Hoo... Let me see the description of the armor first."

    "Yes."

    [Gazer Form, wear the armor of one of the legendary healer of the Death Reapers. Has two sub-skills,

    ||Absolute Healing||

    Your heals will be able to ignore magic immunity.

    ||Blessings for Everyone||

    Any self cast healing spells and or cleanses will bounce onto three random allies near you.

    ||Dual Casting||

    Able to dual cast multiple skills.

    You can fly while in Gazer form.]

    "Mhm. This is perfect for you. Now, the book."

    "Here."

    [Life''s Blessing, a weapon that greatly enhances all skills that heals or cleanses. This book also holds many secrets only the owner would know. Pages will unlock the longer the holder holds on to it.

    ==Page 1==

    ||Unruly Cleanse||

    Cast this on an enemy to remove all the buffs that are active on them.

    ||Heaven Defying Protection||

    It''s a 30 second long buff on a unit. If their health reaches 50% or less, a shield will be created that will fully negate the next damaging attack against them and heal them for 40% of their health.

    ||Touch of the Beloved||

    When you''re near an ally whose life is below 50%, grant them a 50% attack boost, defense boost, speed boost and all healing casted on them will be 100% more effective as long as they''re 10 meters near you.

    ==Page 2==

    ||Protection of the Chanter||

    Grants a unit increased healing received on an ally or themselves by 200%.

    ||Heart''s Embrace||

    Gain a portion of EXP gained of the monster when a unit you casted this one kills that monster.

    ||[�?��?��}�?��}||

    ?�?��??[��?)1;39#;#[email protected];)[??[��?`??4%49438/-38/343*84318138446]

    "This book is amazing. It unlocks skills as you level up more. As of now it has only shown us two pages but these skills are already great and incredibly helpful. Make sure to use it well Helga."

    "Hmph. I''ll knock your socks off when I master this! Be ready!"

    Feran joined in, "I knew it, my sister is incredibly talented!" And he hugged her due to excitement.

    "Get off me you PERVERT!" But Helga smashed his head with her fist.

    "Ahaha..." I couldn''t help but get worried with these two. But I know that they''ll do great in this group. "Anyway, Neco. Show me yours."

    "Didn''t you tell me that I''m the only one getting this?"

    "Think of it as you winning this for everyone."

    "That''s an incredibly stupid answer."

    "The more the merrier?"

    "..." He then followed up with an exasperated sigh.

    "Let me see the armor and weapon."

    "Sure."

    [Gazer Form, wear the legendary armor of the assassin of the Death Reapers. Has four sub skills,

    ||Backstab||

    Attacks aimed at the enemy''s back will have a 100% critical chance where your damage will deal 200% more. This can instantly destroy a barrier and take off one of buff on the enemy.

    ||Shadow Hunter||

    Gain +40% boost on every of your status when it''s night time or if the area is dark.

    ||Cowl of the Superior||

    Gain +100% damage boost when your level is above the enemy.

    ||Assassin''s Last Stand||

    When your life goes down to 5% or less, become immune for one minute, gain infinite mana, and have a 500% increased speed and attack damage.

    You can fly while in Gazer form.]

    "Great ones. Your class is basically doing all the damage you can release in just a matter of seconds."

    "Well that''s the point of it basically. That''s why I can''t see much of my opponent''s skills and how they die most of the time when they initiate a battle with me. But I guess with lord Afal and you here I can finally wish to reach new heights to at least beat you two."

    "You may try. Now, show me the weapon."

    "Come, Executioners."

    [Executioners, a pair of black daggers that only seeks the thrill of the hunt.

    ||First Strike||

    The first 1 minute of the fight, your damage will be increased to 100% but your defense will be lowered by -50%.

    ||Blood Seek||

    You have increased senses. You can activate this skill to find a certain enemy by using a medium of their blood. The range of this skill is infinite.

    ||The Executioner''s Calling||

    When the enemy''s life is at least at 5% or lower, the next attack will inflict an incurable curse that kills them instantly.]

    "I definitely do not want to get hit by that blade."

    "This blade is extremely exquisite. I like it. It''s far better than my own blade. But I''ll still carry this around as a backup. Thanks for the gift my lord."

    "Hmm..."

    I''m still annoyed how he still calls me lord even after I told him to call be casually. But both him and Afal are basically the same so I just let it go. "Let''s go give these things of yours a test. We won''t join in. Helga and Feran, you''re going to support only Neco.

    We''re going to let you just hunt for the rest of the week. I need to see some great results alright?"

    Helga and Feran shouted, "Yeah! Will do!"

    But Neco just stood there, "Sure."

    After the week passed, three cargo worth of food was the amount of food they generated. They''re still weak to the point that forest monsters are able to kill them and hurt them. But the world is changing incredibly fast, continuing to evolve along with the monsters.

    My journey has started but my destination is still too far from my grasp but I''ll do everything... Anything to achieve it. And I hope that these three will be useful and helpful to me in the long run.

 Chapter 138: Need More Results

    "Hmm..." We''re here at the training grounds and Afal is having a fight with the three of them after a week of training. But I''m disappointed on how slow their progress is. Feran is at Level 80 since he has bonus EXP and EXP share when allies kill something while Helga and Neco are at around Level 60. I refocused my attention at the spar.

    I only told Afal to use a stick and use his mana to act as a coating so it won''t be destroyed.

    "Speed Down!" Feran casted on Afal debuffing him.

    "Regeneration!" Helga casted on Neco for continuous healing.

    "Shadow Lurk!" Neco suddenly disappeared.

    Afal was standing there waiting for an attack. And Neco did try by attacking Afal''s back. He only appeared when the attacking motion happened and then he completely disappeared again.

    This happened over and over but Afal deflected all of his attacks.

    "Increase Weapon Range!" Feran casted on Neco and it seems that the blade grew in size but it didn''t become heavy seeing how Neco''s handling that dagger that now looks like a longsword.

    But Neco rushed again and Afal easily blocked it with a stick.

    "Tsk." Neco clicked his tongue and began to cast another skill, "Clone!" And multiple copies of him appeared.

    All of the copies rushed at Afal but Afal struck them all in quick succession with his great speed.

    But in all that distraction, Neco emerged from above.

    Feran noticed this with his great reflexes and began to cast another skill, "Double Damage!"

    Neco''s dagger glowed in red and he plan to perform a drop attack but it was far too slow since Afal dodged it completely.

    "Hmm..." Their combat skills are great. They''re not weak. They''re just facing Afal which he''s the second strongest in this party... I think. But, their growth has been incredibly slow.

    The notes I gathered from observing them are pretty decent.

    Feran is incredibly talented in enchanting skills. He can cast last second skills to further boosten a single finishing attack. He also tries to conserve mana which is incredibly important. Enchanting spells have high mana cost but is extremely important in large scale combat or even a small one. Either way, his enchants are incredibly necessary and the way he uses them are incredibly well thought out and sufficient enough.

    He observes well trying to figure out the elements then he tries to put resistances and defense boost on that. The offensive element he wants to enchant he studies it too to put other buffs on that one. Despite him looking and acting like a doofus in front of his beloved sister, he''s incredibly intelligent.

    Helga. Her last second barriers are incredibly well done. There was this time in the hunt where Neco was nearly pounced by a demon bear in the woods but Helga instantly made a barrier then opened a hole in that barrier intentionally and Neco pierced through the bear''s heart in an instant.

    She has quick reflexes like his brother and a very important member. I saw her healing skills first-hand and she managed to recover limbs with ease. But as the same with the enchanter class, healing like that also consumes a lot of mana. So that''s why she doesn''t heal Neco fully when hunting. Only at crucial times.

    The way she conserves mana is great. She knows herself that by keeping mana she can heal us all, protect us and act as another mana source with her skill to give mana. Despite her hitting his brother everytime it''s possible, she''s incredibly worried about him when he''s damaged.

    Neco, despite his looks is actually incredibly impulsive. He doesn''t say much but he gives it his best to do the job done.

    He''s incredibly and annoyingly predictable. I can understand it due to his class, but it seems that he doesn''t understand.

    The monsters got a hold of his pattern so the last days of the hunt made him incredibly exhausted. And seeing how he fights with Afal, he only cares about two things.

    Attacks from the head and the back. Where his critical multiplier shines. He can apply a huge damage with ease with just one attack but that''s what makes him incredibly predictable.

    He doesn''t know how to fight head on. And once someone invites him to fight like that, he''ll go back to his hiding skills, lurk in the dark and become invisible then find an opportunity to get the enemy''s back and head.

    He''s strong. Despite his level, his damage output is maybe the same as Precia. Which is pretty high considering his level. But he has much to learn.

    "This won''t really work will it?" I interrupted their sparring and everyone looked at me. "Let''s do some actual combat. Rize!" I called out.

    "Yes?" And she responded immediately.

    "Ask Lam if there are some high level Artifact dungeons here and there."

    I moved Lam here at Izgoy same with the other monsters back at the old place. They were hesitant to move at first since they knew the other inhabitants are human and they''ve been living in that vilage for a while. But I managed to convince them all.

    I just don''t want to split two of my settlements. So I just joined them together because I don''t have time to manage.

    But good thing that these other people accepted the goblins easily. Maybe its because they attained a much more human like appearance but I''m glad that they''re managing well despite being different races.

    After a while Rize returned and led us to a nearby artifact dungeon. I only brought the three of the newly joined members, me and Rize. "This dungeon is apparently holding a pretty rare artifact."

    I looked around and I used mana search to find the monsters and it seems that everything in this dungeon is around level 60 or so. It''s going to be difficult for them. But I need to test their limits. "Neco, your job in this party are two things. Protecting Helga and Feran and eliminating the enemy before you. But for now we should focus on the first one. If I see any of Feran or Helga take even a miniscule damage, this dungeon raid will be considered a failure."

    "That''s unfair. This dungeon is around level 50-60."

    "Unfair? Look here Neco, I already spent a lot of time waiting for you three to grow. But it''s taking too long. I have a lot of things to achieve and every second of the day is important. But as of right now you can''t even lay a scratch on Afal. But you know what? You''re strong. But are you strong enough for this team is the question. Find the answer of your weakness in this dungeon raid."

    Neco still had the calm aura around him. He knew that he was lacking. I''m sure this''ll motivate him to reach new heights. "I... Understand."

    "Go. Clear this dungeon."

    The three of them looked at each other and nodded and went ahead and traversed the dungeon.

    "Why are you so hard on the new recruits?" Rize asked.

    "Well... I need something to do. Really quick. I contacted Herold yesterday and it seems that there''s five anomalies happening at the same time at five different locations."

    "Anomalies?"

    "Giant monsters. They terrorized several kingdoms. A giant white thunder bear, giant snake, a basilisk, a giant elder dragon and the thing that I''m afraid... Umibozu."

    "Umibozu?"

    "It has no face. No body. Only a monster in which its whole body is dark. And the two glowing eyes on its face is its eyes. It terrorizes the seas and can create tsunamis with ease. I don''t know much about them since they''re far from what I know but they''re powerful. Extremely so."

    "I see... But why is this happening?"

    "According to Herold, The Doomsday is approaching. And this anomaly is the second wave."

    "Second... Wave?"

    "Remember when we fought the five monsters from Tartarus? That''s the first wave. Herold''s theory was confirmed when these other five giant monsters suddenly spawned out of nowhere. It''s probably Tartarus spawning these. So this day is the second wave. And It''ll keep releasing five giant monsters every now and then according to Herold. This Doomsday is an event to make players come out of hiding."

    "Why?"

    "I... I don''t know. But I do have a theory about why they''re doing this."

    "And that is?"

    "The gods above are growing impatient. There''s no alerts that the player base is going down. Those bastards wants an all out war to happen. Because it''ll destroy this world if every player goes to an all out war. It''s the perfect source of entertainment for those above. That''s why even though I''m a mortal, I''ll change everything. The laws of this world and the universe itself. That''s why my first target is Tartarus. That''s why you all have to get stronger. I need to get stronger. Because even I, get impatient."

 Chapter 139: Finding the Answer

    The three of us delved deep into the dungeon. We met some weak monsters around level 40 but I can kill them with just one shot.

    I''m still dwelling on what Zieglind said earlier. He was desperate and his eyes were scary even if the other one of his is hidden. I felt fear. Absolute fear. It felt like he was disappointed of our growth.

    Which made me curious why he''s incredibly desperate for us to grow even stronger. But it''s not my place to counteract what he wants. But this situation is annoying nonetheless.

    We went even deeper into the dungeon and we finally found some worthy opponents. I guess it''s around level 60 or 50. Seeing how everyone behind it is following this giant monster''s orders.

    I didn''t hesitate and I looked at Feran a d Helga and nodded.

    Feran was the first one to give buffs, "Dark Damage UP, Dull Pain, Strength Boost!" Several flashing lights appeared on my body then disappeared indicating the buffs were given to me successfully.

    Helga did the same, "Regeneration!" Just a small buff to heal me continuously.

    I rushed in and the monster is a ghoul. But this one is a giant one. It has its ribs showing, flesh outside and barely any skin on the outside, its eyes were only white and it seems to be feeding on its own kind. Driven by hunger. And ten other dog ghouls were behind it and some normal sized ghouls.

    "Shadow Dive!" I phased through inside of the rocks below and began to walk through the ground and walls. I could see everything around me. I looked up and tried to find which target I''ll be going first. I picked the ghoul in the very far left.

    I jumped out of the Shadow Dive and sliced the ghoul''s nape which killed it instantly. I reactivated, "Shadow Dive!" And went in the ground again. This skill has a long cooldown but it resets when I kill an enemy.

    [Shadow Dive, phase through solid objects but you can''t go through walls to go to other rooms or exit any place. You can move around anywhere in a selected room. You can reactivate this skill to launch out of the solid object you''re in, this skill will automatically activate if you''re in for 3 minutes. This skill resets when you get a kill 10 seconds after exit.]

    I jumped out of the Shadow Dive again and tried to get another ghoul so I sliced its nape and I thought I succeeded.

    "SKREEEEEEE!!!" But the ghoul was extremely loud when I missed its nape. I followed it up with a stab on the back. Which sealed it completely. I jumped down the ground again but all the ghouls went to the direction of where it died. It seems that my plan to take them down one by one will be difficult.

    I jumped back out again of the Shadow Dive, "Uncontrollable Rage!" An AOE buff that I got from leveling up.

    [Uncontrollable Rage, increase the attack and strength by 100% in a large area in exchange for losing control over one''s body.]

    The ghouls got stronger definitely but they all turned on each other.

    The ghouls devoured each other while the dogs pounced and bit everything that went around them. To my surprise, Uncontrollable Rage is a lot stronger than I thought. When one of the dog ghouls bit one of them, it tore of their arms with ease.

    I waited for some time and the giant monster which I guess is the boss of this dungeon is obviously the one that survived. It''s heavily damaged so this would be an easier fight. And it seems that the buff I planted on them has disappeared.

    I dived into the ground again using Shadow Dive and to battle it out with this giant ghoul. I jumped out and slashed the back of its knees which caused the giant ghoul to slowly outbalance itself and fell on one knee.

    I didn''t overlook this chance and went ahead and went for the other back of the knee by launching myself, "Supersonic!" and gain an immense speed boost in which I did a slice drive by on his back of the knee in which I succeeded.

    The ghoul faltered and dropped from the ground with both of its knees.

    I ran from his giant back up to the nape and tried to slice it but the ghoul suddenly shouted a large cry. "URKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" It called its allies and every ghoul in the dungeon came. Seems like I need to kill this ghoul first to eliminate everything.

    "Barrier!" I heard Helga''s voice. I didn''t even notice but several ghouls jumped at me. The giant ghoul then smashed the barrier along with me. "Urk�� Heal!" But my body recovered its injuries with the help of Helga.

    "Clone!" I multiplied myself into several clones of myself and every clone of mine rushed at the gigantic ghoul.

    "Barrier!" Helga casted again. Several mage ghouls were at the ground casting low level spells at me but I can charge in with the help of Helga.

    "Swap!" I swapped with the position of the clones and appeared behind the ghoul''s neck. But the giant ghoul anticipated this and slapped his own nape with his hand. Good thing I managed to get back but my clones were all obliterated by the mage ghouls. "Shadow Dive!"

    Once again, I tried to jump into its name by phasing through the ground and working my way to the ceiling and dropping there. But the giant ghoul cancelled my pursuit again with the same method as he used.

    The giant ghoul shouted again and released a toxic gas throughout the whole dungeon. It was an incredibly foul smell.

    "Dull Sense of Smell!" Helga casted on all of us to turn off our sense of smell. "Poison Resistance!" This''ll only help for a little bit. The gas the ghoul released is slowly corroding our skin. "Barrier! Great Heal!" Helga did her best to heal and protect all of us. The barrier will last on them for longer so I don''t have to worry about them for now.

    I can focus on the ghoul. "Supersonic!" I ran through up to his back and tried to aim for its nape again. But this ghoul anticipated my every move. Everytime I tried to go to his back, he continued releasing toxic gas and began punching everything crumbling and shaking the whole dungeon.

    "Why!?" I''m extremely confused. Are ghouls intelligent? How could they possibly know every pattern of my attack? How could it deflect everything I threw at them?

    Then I remembered my fight with Afal. The same thing happened. Every time I targeted his back for a critical strike I was blocked with ease. It''s the same with Zieglind. He fought me with nothing and I barely won by striking him with a random attack��

    "That''s it!" My attacks are incredibly telegraphed and easy to read because I only target their backs for a quick one kill strike. I thought that was my job all the time I became an assassin. Take care of things quickly and swiftly.

    But I forgot that I''m in a completely different group now. These monsters and people like Zieglind and Afal, I''ll face enemies stronger or as strong as them.

    All this time I''ve only killed enemies extremely weaker than me. Using the method of one hit kill on the back. But this time, enemies that will be far from my reach will be the enemies I''ll face in this journey. I''m an assassin. And that doesn''t mean I need to kill them in one quick strike.

    I need to bring my enemies down bit by bit.

    "Bound Leap! Supersonic!" A buff on my feet, allowing me to jump extremely high. I jumped way to the ceiling and combined with Supersonic, I''m unstoppable.

    I jumped around the room moving at the speed of sound. The ghoul was confused, looking around. And that time was the time to strike.

    I jumped off the wall and did a drive by on its eyes by slashing it while jumping through the air. I cut off its sight. Now he''ll turn berserk.

    I leaped again now to target both of its arms. I ran to its shoulder and cut off the tendons there. So its arms will now be useless.

    I moved in front of its helpless body just to take in everything Afal and Zieglind has given and taught me. "Your head is too high."

    With the ghoul''s whole body completely useless, its arms and feet and sight are all gone, I went in for the kill.

    For a critical strike on its back, there needs to be a setup. And everything I''ve learned�� "IS FOR THIS!" I sliced its nape off with a clean hit killing it completely.

    "So you found the answer." A voice was suddenly heard and I turned around and it was Zieglind.

    "Wha-" I was speechless.

    "What?"

    "��" I was silent for a moment. "Yes, I found the answer. Thank you for guiding me."

    "Good. Let''s go home."

    You''re a monster Zieglind. For you to sneak up on an assassin and act like it''s nothing. Heh. It seems that I still have a lot to learn.

 Chapter 140: Zieglinds Fear

    "This�� This is a lot larger event than I expected." The moment we got arrived at the scene all I could see were the four kingdoms engulfed in flames. Herold was the only one battling these giant monsters. But the one thing that scared us is that thing.

    Zieglind suddenly panicked. "WHAT? W-��. WHY!? WHY IS THAT THING HERE!? NO, NO, NO! THAT''S IMPOSSIBLE!"

    The crimson knights looked at Zieglind. Precia was the one to ask him. "What''s wrong? Are you okay?"

    This is the first time we see Zieglind completely break down of fear. We don''t know what''s happening. The ground rumbled and the giant snake emerged from the seas. It was incredibly huge.

    "Why is that thing here�� Jormungandr�� the World Serpent��" Our eyes widened. So that giant serpent is Jormungandr.

    "Wait Zieglind, how can you know if that''s Jormungandr? It just might be a giant snake or something."

    "Use mana search."

    "Hmm�� Mana Search." And just as I did what Zieglind said, I couldn''t help but fall in despair. I could only feel the mana of the World Serpent''s head but the body is out of my range. I can''t see its body because the body is out of my range. And my range is about five kilometers. "Haha�� This is absurd�� It is Jormungandr, the World Serpent. It seems the legends were true."

    "The World Serpent who can wrap around its whole body on the planet using its gigantic body. And an arch-enemy of a god, and it''s not just any other god. The God of Thunder, Thor. To think that the giant snake Herald said to me was Jormungandr. Heh. This is an incredibly sick joke."

    "But why is such a being in this world�� I never thought that the legends were true."

    "I know just by looking at Jormungandr, this fight is impossible. As of now, we can never kill the World Serpent. We already lost without even fighting. I don''t know if Jormungandr came from Tartarus but right now we need to kill the other four." Zieglind look at us all. "Zeta come with me. We''re preventing Jormungandr from advancing. Helga, Neco and Feran. You three have experience fighting alongside each other. I''m sorry that your first mission with the whole team has led to this disastrous situation. But I can''t let the three of you go since these monsters will be difficult just for you three, Afal and Greta, go with them. At the east where their attacking the village and the kingdom at the distance, you two will face the thunder bear and the basilisk. Rize, Precia and Yefa, you three will face the elder dragon and�� the Umibozu at the east."

    "Bu-" Precia wanted to voice her opinion on something.

    "No reasoning this time. I believe in you all to eliminate the enemy before you. I promise that we''ll retreat after the defeat of those four. If we just retreat from now, these monsters will continue to terrorize and gain strength as we dilly dally. We won''t fight Jormungandr directly, we''ll only do our best to hold it back." This is the first time we saw Zieglind to be incredibly serious about the situation. We knew in that instant that the situation is dire. We were facing an enemy, far from our grasp.

    But to know how we get here, we must take a step back, about five days earlier.

    We were just back at Izgoy still waiting for the progress of training on Feran, Helga, and Neco. And Zieglind and I were talking about some plans for the upcoming fight.

    Zieglind was recalling the data Herold had given to him. "So according to Herold, the enemies are about the size of a tall building or something. Making them titans in size or something. Nearly 900 meters or so. But something caught my attention when Herold described something. Apparently, this giant serpent''s size is unknown since it seems that it''s resting inside the sea."

    "I mean, aren''t serpents usually large?" I replied.

    "Well, that''s true. I''m hoping that it''s just another basilisk but a really giant one. Or maybe a Python like in the legends."

    "I see."

    "Anyway, as for the situation, we need to split our team into groups."

    "Neco, Helga, and Feran should be in the same group. They already have combat experience and been training with each other the day we have them."

    "Helga and Feran should be in the same group. Neco can adjust. The two of them have trust with each other and I feel like they shouldn''t be separated."

    "Helga and Feran�� That takes up two of our slots immediately. If we divide the team, it should be two for each. But as you said, we need to split them up somehow with three on one team."

    "I can solo. But the others need someone to have a cover for them. Helga and Feran should be with each other. So the best person who can utilize the buffs they give should be�� Greta?"

    "Yeah, she''s great. She''s a pure offense so the both of them erasing the defense weakness of Greta should be compatible."

    "Good. So the three of them should be facing the elder dragon."

    "I believe so."

    "For the Umibozu, I''ll do it. Umibozu is the strongest monster that I know there."

    "I and Neco should be against the basilisk. I can nullify its demonic gaze and poison."

    "And Neco can protect you. That''s also a plus."

    "And for the giant snake or something, Rize and Precia should be the best one."

    "Why?"

    "Well, Rize can support with her bow, and Precia can charge in without worries."

    "That''s a good reason. We''ll use them. And I guess for the only one left, the thunder bear will be left to Afal and Yefa. Their destructive power can subdue anything I''m pretty sure."

    After that lengthy discussion, we even delved deeper into backup plans such as escape routes and sudden formation change if we ever encountered an enemy. Our discussion lasted overnight but it was a great and informative discussion nonetheless.

    We talked about this with the other members and they all agreed with the plan.

    Five days later, we went to the location Herold sent Zieglind and we ran to that location. It was near waters as Zieglind predicted because of the monster Umibozu. There were four kingdoms near that location, Uryia, Murley, Poryu, and Gera. But as soon as we were near the location, all we could see were pillars of flames reaching around a hundred meters. We could feel the raging heat when we weren''t even there yet.

    Zieglind told us to be cautious. So we headed into the forest. It''s the worst possible option to go into the forest while we saw some flames everywhere, but that''s the only entrance we have to where the place is. If we fly using gazer form, I''m afraid that we will just be discovered by the monsters. They''ll be difficult to kill if they group up so we wanted to kill them all individually. So our only choice, the forest.

    When we went in, a giant shake was felt. Tremors throughout the whole forest. Birds were flying out of the trees, countless livestock running out, and thousands of monsters too.

    We all got ready and let out our Gazer form but the monsters didn''t even dare to face us. They all just ran past us and ran away. No matter how we hit the horde with spells, they aren''t even getting to face our direction. They aren''t even avoiding the spells we throw at them.

    One thing I know for certain that this isn''t a gathering of monsters. Its monsters running away from even greater monsters. Zieglind and I understood this immediately so we began to take caution. For thousands of monsters to create a horde and make them all run away, this is going to be trouble. Even if the five monsters there shouldn''t make the forest monsters to be absolutely scared. So we knew this was going to be a difficult mission.

    After running in the forest and letting all the monsters run past us, we finally get to the place we were supposed to be.

    "This�� This is a lot larger event than I expected." The moment we got arrived at the scene all I could see were the four kingdoms engulfed in flames. Herold was the only one battling these giant monsters. But the one thing that scared us is that thing.

    Zieglind suddenly panicked. "WHAT? W-��. WHY!? WHY IS THAT THING HERE!? NO, NO, NO! THAT''S IMPOSSIBLE!"

    The crimson knights looked at Zieglind. Precia was the one to ask him. "What''s wrong? Are you okay?"

    This is the first time we see Zieglind completely break down of fear. We don''t know what''s happening. The ground rumbled and the giant snake emerged from the seas. It was incredibly huge.

    "Why is that thing here�� Jormungandr�� the World Serpent��" Our eyes widened.

 Chapter 141: Dragons Demise

    It seems that we need to hurry up. This battlefield and that monster Jormungandr sent chills down to my spine. Even Zieglind was terrified. But right now we have to focus. Eliminate all enemies in a short time. Because I don''t think that the two of them can hold of Jormungandr.

    "Precia!" Rize snapped me back to reality. "The elder dragon, we can see it from here. But the so-called Umibozu isn''t here. What should we do?"

    "Let''s go! We don''t have time to search for the Umibozu. Our objective is to kill the monsters quickly and retreat. The longer we fight them, the longer Zeta and Zieglind will suffer while holding back the World Serpent.

    We all flew to the scene and this elder dragon''s fire breath managed to even burn the seas with it as the obvious factor being the water on fire.

    "I''ll be staying here. Dispel Gazer Form. Inventory." Rize then pulled out Hou Yi''s bow. "I''ll do my best to support you two."

    "Got it. Precia, let''s go."

    The dragon was flying in the air, breathing fire and releasing chaos everywhere it goes. We can fly too but our fighting skills will be limited while in the air.

    A piercing light came from Rize''s side and it pierced through the elder dragon''s body. The light then shone brightly and slowly wrapped around the dragon''s body like a net. The dragon''s flapping stopped and it soon fell to the ground. This must be Rize''s doing.

    So the only thing we can do is lay out everything on this dragon.

    "Come, Pugilist Gauntlets, SEISMIC SLAM!" Yefa smashed the ground and the ground rumbled and as if the world had split itself creating a rupture on the ground. The dragon fell in it and has been stuck there.

    Me and Yefa looked at each other and nodded. It''s time to blast everything we can at the dragon.

    "Come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!" I jumped at the dragon and tried to slash its neck open. "Urk!" It''s tougher than I''ve expected.

    "Move!" Yefa commanded and I obeyed. "Armor Penetration! Stance Change, Tai Chi!" Yefa then punched the dragon''s neck which slammed it down to the ground causing another quake but all she could do was create a small wound on its neck.

    The dragon was flailing around its wings and moving around its body trying to break free of the seal placed on it and the attacks it was taking.

    I tried to worsen the wound by digging my sword into the wound Yefa opened. The dragon loudly screeched.

    It broke free of the seal and flew again to the air.

    But we were then suddenly encased in a large box that covered us all. I then heard Rize, "Law Breaker Number One, Remove the ability of flight!"

    And as soon as the dragon was about to fly in the air, its wings suddenly didn''t work and it fell down right back at the ground.

    Both I and Yefa signed a thumbs up on Rize. "Nice!"

    The dragon roared loudly that knocked us back away from it. The dragon then rushed at us with its claws smashing and slashing everything that came near it.

    Yefa dodged it easily while I got some minor injuries. It was too fast for its gigantic size and I didn''t expect that.

    The dragon then raised its head as if preparing for something.

    Yefa noticed and knew what this meant, "Run! NOW!"

    The dragon made a gigantic fireball by gathering mana.

    "LAW BREAKER!" Rize acted again, "NUMBER TWO! Fire spells aren''t allowed!" The dragon''s generated fireball suddenly disappeared. "Ugh��" Rize then coughed up blood.

    I looked at Yefa, she nodded and she understood. I left her there to go to Rize. "Are you okay?"

    "Y- yeah�� I didn''t think that that spell would take up all my mana in an instant."

    "All of your�� Rize, you''re only allowed to shoot arrows now. DON''T cast any spells. You know what happens when one runs out of mana and uses a skill don''t you?"

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be of help. This Law Breaker can only last for so long. Use it well. Please."

    "This is already a lot of help. Just use arrows, don''t you dare use a skill. I''ll be going back now." I then flew to Yefa''s location but something was wrong. I couldn''t fly.

    "Law Breaker applies to everyone in this area. You both also can''t use fire skills and fly."

    "I see. Thanks for the information. I''ll be going now. Really." I jumped back down and faced the dragon. "Yefa," I looked at her. "We can''t use flight and fire skills. Rize''s skill applies to everything in this place."

    "Well most of my skills are fire based��" Yefa looked at her fists.

    "It can''t be helped. Dragons are mostly users of fire. This is the best we can get."

    "Got it. Then I''ll use this. Dispel." Yefa dispelled her Gazer form. "Sinner''s Punisher!" A black gauntlet spawned on her hands. She jumped in the air and punched the dragon and it sent it flying. The skin of the dragon on its face suddenly broke like it was armor. And Yefa did this in one punch with this new weapon of hers.

    "That''s amazing��" I couldn''t help but be in awe. "Then I''ll do the same. Dispel." I put out my Gazer form. "Unruly Gemstone!" My eyes turned into crystals. A hilt then appeared as soon as I transformed my eyes. I pulled out the hilt and it revealed a sabre sword and my Unruly Gemstone eye returned back to normal.

    Its hilt covered in beautiful engravings of flowers and the blade itself covered in a beautiful color scarlet. Just like my Unruly Gemstone eye. But it''s not just that. "Retract." The blade itself disappeared and only the hilt remained. "Flail!"

    And a long chain appeared and connected to the hilt. I swung this long chain of flail and it wrapped itself around the dragon''s neck and I began to pull it hard towards us.

    The dragon couldn''t fly, couldn''t move, and couldn''t cast many of its strongest spells. The only thing we have to do is blast it with everything we''ve got!

    "Do it! YEFA!" I began to restrict the neck of the dragon to prevent it from casting spells using my flail.

    "Got it!" Yefa jumped in front of the dragon''s face and punched it again.

    "URK!" Her blow was so powerful that it''s making it difficult for me to make the dragon stay in its place.

    Yefa stood on top of its head and forced it to open its eyes and she punched the bare eyes of the dragon completely blinding it. The dragon was flailing everywhere doing what it can to get out of my bind. Yefa fell off to the ground since she lost her balanced. The dragon then roared incredibly loudly as if crying of pain.

    "RIZE!" I called out to her. She couldn''t do anything with her arrows since she can''t penetrate its skin. "HOLD THIS!"

    "Got it!" Rize rushed to me and held my weapon.

    I jumped on the chain and began to run to the dragon. "Gazer form, come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!" My other sword with Rize won''t disappear since I''m not the one equipped with it. I went ahead and stabbed the other eye but my power wasn''t enough. I couldn''t pierce its eyes even though it''s the softest part of its body.

    I jumped down and just tried to attack its body where the heart is located. "Unruly Gemstone!" I began to search where the heart is. "Yefa! This part!" She came and punched it with all her might and the dragon was barely moving. Even Rize is having trouble taking the shock of Yefa''s punches.

    Yefa broke down the dragon''s ''armor'' but it''s actually its thick skin breaking down so I used this opportunity to pierce through its chest but my power isn''t enough. It won''t dig through it deep enough. I stood back and let Yefa do the finishing touches.

    With all her strength, she punched the sword that was dug into its body and dug it even deeper until it reached its heart. The dragon roared loudly but slowly lost its voice. One final roar and the dragon dropped down at the ground.

    Rize let go of my weapon and the giant box around us disappeared with it.

    [Gained skill, Dragon Slayer, +30% damage against dragons. When you kill a dragon, gain one random skill from that dragon.]

    [Chaotic Blaze, a spell that needs to be casted for a long time, creates a giant fireball that deals damage around you when casting and explodes upon contact.]

    "Hey, Yefa, did you get this skill too? Dragon Slayer?"

    "Yeah I got it too."

    "I also got another sk-"

    The ground rumbled and a large thud was heard. From the seas rose a dark figure. No body and no face. Only a white light that acted as its eyes and mouth. It raised its hand and the seas obeyed it. A tsunami came flying towards us.

 Chapter 142: Girl Power

    I was confused. "Why is that here?"

    Yefa too, "Was it hiding?"

    "I don''t know... But we have to resolve this. Rize doesn''t have any mana left from using those skills. She made the dragon fight incredibly easy but I don''t know about this one. Anyway, let''s take cover!"

    The sudden tsunami that the Umibozu brought took out the flames surrounding our area.

    The tsunami didn''t do any damage to us but I''m worried about Rize. "Rize!" I called out. "Go retreat!"

    "What!? No!" Rize declined.

    "Regain your mana first then come back! It''ll be difficult to fight when you can''t use anything!"

    "No I''ll stay back!"

    "Just go! You''ll be a burden!"

    "Precia!" Yefa pulled me by the shoulder.

    I looked at Yefa, "It''s fine if she hates me. But this is for her own good."

    Rize clasped her hands and her bow. She stood up, "Understood." And began to flee the scene.

    "Now, let''s refocus on the task at hand." I ordered Yefa.

    "...Got it." She replied.

    I dispelled my gazer form and grabbed my sword hilt and transformed it to a flail again. I swung it around then threw it to the Umibozu''s neck and tried to drag it down to the ground by lowering its head and pulling extremely hard.

    It was easy, but a single wave of its hand rocked the waves from the sea and sent us another crashes of waves.

    I had to let go of my grasp on the Umibozu since I was about to drown. Yefa saved me by dragging me up to the surface.

    The monster then clasped both of its hands and smashed the seas with its power. It sent incredibly power full tsunamis in every direction.

    "Yefa, bring us somewhere high!" I asked of her. I can''t fly since I''m not in Gazer form.

    She wrapped her one arm around me and jumped high in the air and tried to look for a high place where the water won''t reach. "There''s none!"

    "Tsk. Let''s charge straight at the monster! It''s useless without the sea not touching us!"

    "Brace for impact!" Yefa launched herself with me to the Umibozu straight at its head. She dropped me to the shoulder of the monster but she continued her pursuit at the monster''s head and punched it.

    I knew it dealt some damage seeing how the monster''s face turned nearly a good full spin.

    I made my move and tried to find the nape of this monster to kill it quickly.

    "Changed into a sword!" And the flail that was once on my weapon retracted back to the hilt and the blade of the sword emerged. I moved around its shoulder and climbed on the body by striking the back with my sword and then jumping up. It seems that the monster doesn''t feel anything.

    I climbed and climbed until I found the nape. I sliced it open with my sword but then, a tall shadow emerged and it terrified me. I looked back and it seemed to be a tall pillar of water. I''m guessing this monster noticed me. But I have to hold on. "Change into a flail!"

    I then wrapped the flail around its neck to brace for the impact of the water pillar smashing onto me. "UGUAH!" I couldn''t breath for a long time. The water kept coming and coming.

    A hand then reached out inside the water. I grabbed it and I was pulled out. It was none other than Yefa.

    "You okay!?" She asked.

    "Yeah I''m fine!"

    "It''s surrounding its back with water. It knows that we can''t breath inside."

    "Let''s go find a ground first!"

    "Got it!"

    But the Umibozu suddenly raised its hand and it was an incredibly gigantic hand, it grabbed us mid air like a fly.

    We were slowly being crushed by the pressure when this monster is tightening its fist.

    But Yefa is holding on by prying the hand open with both of his hands and feet outstretched to keep it open.

    I jumped to its hands and changed my weapon into a sword, I struck the hand and planted it deeper. I grabbed the hilt and began dragging the sword while it was planted.

    It created a large wound going from its hand to its shoulder. It lost its power on the hand that was squeezing Yefa. She escaped easily.

    We took this opportunity since its left hand is useless.

    Yefa flew right to its face and punched it with all her might. But the damage was greatly reduced when the Umibozu put a barrier of water right in its face.

    We can''t kill it in a few shots because of that water barrier.

    Yefa tried again by punching but this time the monster blocked it with its hand. But it underestimated Yefa''s strength so her punched pushed the Umibozu''s hand to its face to deal some minimal damage.

    But we too, were underestimating its strength. It recovered from the blow and grabbed Yefa mid air. It squeezed her tight and slammed her down to the water below.

    "YEFA!" I was so shocked. She got overpowered by strength.

    The Umibozu wouldn''t move its hand and is keeping Yefa drowning down there. I have to do something quick.

    "Dispel!" I made my weapon disappear, "Gazer Form, come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!"

    I flew to its other arm and tried to cut it but the water barrier appeared again.

    I''m not a good fighter versus armored enemies or protective enemies...

    I can''t pierce through it. The water absorbs almost all of the blow.

    I could see the seawater below bubbling. "Damn it!" Yefa''s drowning down there.

    What do I do? I don''t know anything and I''m not string enough to pierce through the Umibozu''s water. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!

    Just as I was to lose hope, an arrow pierced through the Umibozu''s arm and suddenly exploded. Its power was strong enough to make a small hole and weaken the monsters arm.

    I looked at the direction it was fired, "Rize!"

    "I have enough mana for now! But I can cast Law Breaker only one time!"

    "It''s enough!" Thank you Rize. If you didn''t come I would''ve given up. "Hold off the monster for me, Yefa''s down there!"

    "Got it!"

    I dived right in the water and saw Yefa at the very bottom. I reached out to her hand and grabbed it. I put my head to her chest. It seems that she still has a heartbeat.

    I dragged her to up and threw her at the ground where the Umibozu''s water didn''t reach.

    "Wake up!" I shook her body but to no avail. "Sorry!" I then slapped her face and it seems that she suddenly woke up and threw up some water.

    "Urk..." Yefa seems to snap bacm to reality. "Where am I...?"

    "Yefa!" I then hugged her. "I''m glad you''re okay."

    "Precia... Wait!" She pushed me away, "Where''s the monster! Is it still alive? We''re wasting time here!"

    "Yeah it''s still alive. Rize is holding it back for us."

    "Let''s go!"

    "Got it!"

    It seems that I don''t need to worry. She seems to be fine.

    "Rize, cast that spell you casted earlier! Try to hinder its movements or something. We just need to get a hit in. The body of the monster isn''t that tough, but the water barrier is making it difficult to inflict damage."

    "Got it!" She replied.

    "Yefa, let''s go!" Yefa and I then flew to the sky and tried to lure the Umibozu from attacking so that we can inflict a counter hit.

    A small cubed barrier was set up again all around us, "LAW BREAKER, NUMBER ONE!" It seems to be Rize''s doing. "WATER SPELLS ARE FORBIDDEN!"

    The roaring waters below suddenly stopped and the water armor the Umibozu made dropped down. It seems that it worked.

    The monster was confused on why it can''t control the water. It''s this small chance that we can inflict serious damage!

    The Umibozu with its last strength, it tried to slapped us both but I blocked it with Dominion. "GO!"

    "ARGHHHH!!!" Yefa charged to the monster''s face. "This is payback!" With all her strength, she punched the Umibozu''s face.

    It sent shockwaves everywhere to the point that the water below formed large waves.

    But the best thing is that the Umibozu''s face had a large hole in it now.

    Before we could relax ourselves, we had to look at the monster for a few moments to see if it really is dead.

    A glow of light appeared spiraling both the Umibozu and the elder dragon''s body and then, the bodies both disappeared.

    I couldn''t help but be amazed. "Ha... Haha... We did it..." We were all incredibly relived. Almost all of our mana was exhausted in that fight. I looked at the both of them, "Thank you Rize and Yefa. For being here."

    "Heh. That''s what I should say." Yefa replied.

    Rize raised her hand, "Girl power! Hehe!"

    We both joined in, "Girl power!"

 Chapter 143: A Bad Opponent

    "That''s... Troubling." All I could see in the distance is the roaring wave of the poisoned sea.

    Everything was either burning up in flames or being consumed under the pressure of the sea.

    The day that was once a bright sunny day turned dark only in our area.

    The thunder bear began unleashing lightning everywhere and everytime the lightning hits the poisoned water, it spreads like wildfire.

    An incredibly powerful lightning, a poisoned sea and a large conductor below us that will be incredibly dangerous to stand on.

    The combination that I didn''t expect is actually pretty good and dangerous.

    But we don''t have any choice to plan our approach or retreat. Our goal is absolute speed on killing these things. Those two, I bid them goodluck.

    We first went to a higher ground, high enough so that we won''t touch the poisoned seawater or get the monster''s attention.

    Everyone of us changed into our Gazer form.

    "Feran, Helga, would you?" Greta asked of them.

    "We can only put four buffs on all of you, it''ll deplete much of our mana when there''s a lot." Feran replied.

    "Yeah that will be enough."

    Feran nodded, "Lightning Resistance, Poison Resistance, Dull Pain, Strength Boost!"

    Helga was next, "Regeneration!"

    We all jumped down and landed on the rocks that are barely holding on when the current was extremely strong.

    The monsters noticed us, the basilisk was the one that attacked first.

    Just as I thought it was going to spit out poison at us, it dived head first in the water.

    It was circling all around us and I''m trying to follow it. But the thunder bear took this chance and began raining us down with literal lightning.

    The dark cloud above us is striking lightning at certain intervals at an incredibly accurate strikes.

    I jumped first at the thunder bear and rushed ahead, "DUEL!"

    [Afal Reysh vs Uzgooal Buriafel]

    [Afal LV. 489: (HP:21,000/22,340)]

    [Uzgooal LV. 320: (HP: 40,000/40,000)]

    "That''s one chunky health." I jumped at its fur but a sudden shock went through all my body. I let go and was falling at great heights. But suddenly, I felt like I was levitating through the air. I looked at the distance and saw Helga''s book glowing. It seems that she saved me from falling down the poison.

    I was about to signal using my hand to say thanks but it seems that I couldn''t move a single joint in my body.

    Helga lightly put me on the ground where it''s clear. After a few seconds, I can finally move again.

    "Everyone, it seems that this monster has a lightning barrier all around it. It''ll paralyze you for several seconds."

    Neco was panicking, "Then how will we damage that guy? We''re all melee users. And getting near it is the only way we can."

    "Well... Let''s figure it out." I grabbed my necklace, "Doppelganger!"

    A perfect copy of me appeared. I looked at it and it instantly understood what I wanted it to do. It dispelled the shapeshift on its arm and used Void''s Calling.

    The two monsters were then flailing around. They''re being slowly dragged to us.

    "Basilisk first!" I ordered.

    Everyone followed pursuit and we focused our firepower on the basilisk.

    When we got near, the basilisk loudly screeched. It looked up then spew a lot of poison like a volcano.

    Just as I thought we were doomed, we were saved by Helga''s last minute barrier.

    But good thing we blocked it. The rocks below us melted.

    Greta jumped under the basilisk and began hacking the jaw of its mouth. "ORAAAAAAAA!!!" Her strikes were quick and beastly. With her weapon, Soul Rend, she blasted through the skin of the monster with ease.

    She''s not as fast as me, but her destructive powers is far greater than mine.

    Neco followed up and focused on the body of the monster. He began digging his weapon deep in the monster then running down its body slicing it cleanly.

    I jumped on its head and tried to pierce its eye.

    But a sudden flash of light came out from its eyes but then... Nothing happened.

    We were warned before by Zeta on the basilisk, it can spit an incredibly poisonous poison and its eyes is an evil eye, it shows the enemy horrifying things and brings bad luck. Most of the time it causes death due to shock or something.

    "You think this is enough to make me afraid? Hey basilisk, this fear doesn''t work on me. But you know what scares me? Myself. Dispel," I took off the shapeshift on my face, "Eye of Cthulhu."

    The basilisk began to writhe in pain and began spazzing all over the place. It then fell onto the ground.

    "NOW!" I shouted.

    We all leapt onto the head and began unleashing all of our attacks on it.

    In one combination of us all,

    Neco''s combo was,"Supersonic!" He then sliced the eyes and the throat of the basilisk.

    Mine was, "Hell Flame!" My Deathdance got surrounded by dark red flames and everytime I thrust my sword at the basilisk, I''m both melting and burning the skin.

    Greta followed us, "Metal Macabre! Hunter''s Fest!" Greta grew in size, but not that much, but everytime she swiped her claws on the basilisk''s head, it felt more powerful and amazing. Her attacks diced the body of the basilisk.

    After a few moments we completely killed the basilisk. But then...

    A sudden lightning struck us all.

    "ARGH!" The three of us were in complete agony.

    The basilisk then had a dark cloud forming under it and it carried the basilisk back to the thunder bear. It seems that it''s its doing. The lightning that we felt has disappeared.

    Also my Doppelganger''s Void''s Calling seems to have ended.

    But then, the thunder bear gathered lightning on its hand and struck it down on the basilisk.

    "What!?" We were all confused.

    The dead basilisk suddenly recovered all of its wounds.

    "No freaking WAY!" Neco shouted.

    We were all shocked also.

    This thunder bear, resurrected the basilisk.

    Its form now had a lightning barrier all around it. Its eyes were emitting lightning and the sea that was filled with poison were now suddenly and randomly being shot by lightning from the sky.

    "Uh oh..." Greta muttered.

    The thunder bear finally acted. It positioned in all fours. The lightning surrounding its body became even more fierce.

    The thunder bear then rushed at us. But good thing Helga saved us again with a well timed barrier.

    It broke but it deflected one attack. No matter where we had gone when the thunder bear charged, we would''ve been damaged.

    The basilisk then attacked Greta. She was caught off guard because we were focused on the thunder bear.

    It wrapped around Greta and began squeezing her tightly while she was being electrocuted. "ARGHHHH!!!"

    Even though we got buffed by the Lightning Resistance and Dull Pain, the damage of that lightning is pretty strong.

    We rushed to her aid and began attacking the basilisk with all our skills but the lightning barrier that is also on the thunder bear is active on this monster.

    Our attacks are getting reflected since we don''t have enough strength to pierce through it.

    We were helpless. We saw Greta in the grasp of the basilisk and we couldn''t save her there.

    How can we possibly beat these things?

    I looked up only to see the dark sky and the rain falling on us. "D... Dark sky...?" A lightning then struck us all but we dodged it. "Dark sky! That''s it!"

    Neco looked at me. Confused. "What do you mean!? We have to save Greta!"

    "Their source of power comes from the dark sky above us! In other words, that floating black cloud!"

    "Then what do we do!?"

    "We need to clear that sky!"

    "How!?"

    "I can blast it with magic! But let''s help Greta first! Stand back!" Neco stood back. "Dispel!" I dispelled the shapeshift on my other arm showing Hand of Fury.

    I grabbed the basilisk''s body and began to pry it out. "ARGHHH!" I was in extreme pain but a green particle was surrounding me. Helga is continuously healing me with her magic. It''s all up to me to clear that cloud.

    I pulled and pulled away the body of the basilisk and it gave Greta some moving space so she took this opportunity and jumped out.

    I let go of the basilisk and punched it sending it flying.

    But all I did was not ''punching'' it. I only knocked it away. The lightning barrier around it negated all my attack.

    "GRETA! Can you fight!?" I asked.

    "Yeah. I still can!" She replied.

    "Okay! Our goal is to clear the clouds above! I''m guessing that''s their source of power! Their bodies will be fully invulnerable if that keeps up! And it seems that thundercloud can resurrect themselves!"

    "How!?"

    "I''ll blast it with magic, distract the thunder bear and the basilisk for me!"

    "Got it!" Neco and Greta shouted.

 Chapter 144: Fragments of the Past

    "I''ll be charging up my mana. Hold on until then!" Afal then dispelled the illusion casted on his body.

    Me and Neco were shocked at seeing his true form for the first time.

    I was scared. "Afal... You''re..."

    "..." He looked at me. "I''m sorry for my appearance but you have to cooperate with me for now."

    "G- got it."

    The thunder bear slammed the seawater below and splashed the poisonous water, splashing it everywhere and the lightning was striking everywhere.

    We were saved once again by Helga''s barrier as she casted it on all of us.

    We all then received a message from the system, [Water Breathing and Tenacity applied.] I''m guessing this is Feran''s work.

    The thunder bear got on its all fours again and began to charge up. The lightning surrounding its body became even more violent. Its stronger than before, literally melting the rocks that are above the seawater.

    It charged at us and we knew, we couldn''t dodge it. All we could do was block.

    [Immovable applied.]

    Our bodies were suddenly petrified and turned into gold and when the thunder bear charged at us, it suddenly got knocked back and the petrification on our body disappeared. We could move again.

    "Hey, do you hear me!?" I suddenly heard Feran''s voice in my mind.

    "Feran?" I was confused.

    "Oh good you hear me. Zieglind passed me this skill, Telepathy, I remembered the name just now. Anyway, I can cast Immovable every few minutes or so. It makes you immune for one attack only. Good thing I have increased target skill so I could apply it on all of you. Anyway, the charge attack of the bear is completely unavoidable."

    "Got it. What should we do to buy time?"

    "Buy time? Why?"

    "Their source of power is that dark cloud in the sky. We can''t damage it directly if that exists. Afal will blow it away!"

    "Where is he?"

    I was hesitant for a moment. "...There."

    "T- t- that''s Afal!?"

    "Yeah..."

    "I guess we have our own secrets... Got it! We''ll support you from here! I''ll try to contact Zeta to help here. Or the other girls at the other side."

    "Got it!"

    "I''ll be leaving the telepathy on, you''re connected with Afal, me, my sister and Neco."

    I focused on the battle and it seems that the thunder bear is confused. Its charge attack suddenly got stopped by us. It looked at the basilisk then pointed at us. I''m guessing it''s ordering it.

    The basilisk dived in the water and resurfaced. It looked at me directly in the eye and a bright flash almost blinded me.

    I closed my eyes and I didn''t know where I was. Its like I''m in the abyss itself. Darkness stretched out to infinity.

    I then see two shadows in the distance. "...Hey? Can you hear me? May I ask where I am?" I ran to up to them. But they were leaving me. "Hey! Wait! Where am I!?"

    They then entered the house. I opened the door and a memory that I desperately tried to forget came all flowing right back at me.

    The male and female''s bodies laying down in the floor. Bodies ripped open and disemboweled.

    I then heard the cries of a little girl hiding behind the closet. I opened it. Her eyes were dilated. Her body shaking as she wet herself from the absolute terror that she witnessed.

    "ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!" I heard the voice of a male. I looked around and saw a man, incredibly skinny feasting on the male and female''s body like there''s no tomorrow.

    I rushed in to grab his neck but I couldn''t even touch him. I merely phased through him.

    The door creaked and another man entered. "Master." It was Fredo. "We need these beastmen for the slave trades."

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fredo. Can you shut up? I''m feasting here."

    "But master-"

    "I''m not giving you any."

    "...Just please don''t do this next time. We''ll be scolded by lord Ouroboros. We need to gather funds immediately. By killing these two beastmen we already lost around hundreds of gold."

    "Argh... Enough with your nagging. I''ll make it up!"

    "Make it up...?"

    He then stood up and went to the closet and opened it. "Hello there little girl." Followed with an insanely creepy smile on his face.

    She was speechless. Her whole body was trembling.

    "Oh. That''s the chief''s daughter? That will be a good one."

    "Yeah... But I''m still a little bit hungry..."

    "Master!"

    "...Yeah, yeah shut up. I won''t eat her. Seems like she got a little problem down there. Disgusting." He then walked over to the desk on the side and grabbed the notebook on it and opened it. "Your name... It''s a nice one. Given by your parents?"

    "..." She couldn''t speak.

    "I''m asking you a question so answer!" He then slapped the girl. But his slap was too strong so he took off a part of her skin.

    She then began to cry uncontrollably. "UWAH!!!"

    "Goddamnit this is why I hate children. Heal." He recovered the wound he inflicted on the little girl. "I''ll ask again. This name, was it given to you by your parents? The ones laying there in the ground?"

    "...Y-"

    "Y? What? Speak up. I''ll do it again and again until you learn your lesson."

    "...Yes..."

    "She is the chief''s daughter. Greta Gurvein. Take her. A weird old pervert on one of the kingdoms might have a use for her. And those kinds give a lotta money. There I made it up. Make sure to put a good word for me on lord Ouroboros to put me in more missions like these."

    A sudden stab of pain went on my chest. It was excruciating. I was slowly losing air and I''m trying to inhale to grasp some air. All these moments, they''re not simply illusions. "They''re my memories."

    Everything I''ve lost since then came flying back.

    The memories of my parents since I was a kid and how they taught me everything.

    Every single birthday cake my mother made for me.

    My friends and other family members.

    How everyone died in the village.

    How I was captured.

    How I tried to survive in the slave houses.

    How I desperately hurt myself by cutting and trying to kill myself so that no one could pick me or buy me.

    How I tried to forget all these memories all those years.

    "I see. My life was a living hell all these time. Why did this happen to me? Why did all these things happen to me? What did I do?"

    Tears came running out of my eyes. Every single moment of my life came replaying again and again. How those happy memories turned into the worst things.

    "G...a!" I then heard a voice in the distance. "Gre..a! Argh! Cleanse!"

    I snapped back to reality. I was there in the battlefield again. Afal still charging his ski and Neco shaking me trying to call me.

    "Greta! Can you hear me?"

    "...Helga?" I asked.

    "Oh... I was worried for a second. Are you okay? The basilisk must''ve cast an illusion on you. You were out for a good five seconds."

    While I was in there it felt like my life flashed before my eyes. I looked at the basilisk. So this is the enemy that made me remember all those things. I need to kill it.

    "Heh... I don''t even care anymore."

    "Huh? Greta? What do you mean? Are you okay?"

    [Insanity Immunity is disabled.]

    [Gazer form dispelled.]

    [Beast form is evolving.]

    I grew considerably larger. My white fur turned into black. Two spiky gemstones appeared on both of the side of my shoulders. I feel even stringer than before.

    [Beast Form, turns into the beasts of the depths of hell. Has four sub-skills,

    ||Hunter''s Fest||

    Gains increased damage and heal a small amount of health when attacking the enemy. This effect increases when attacking continuously. If you get hit or after an hour of time passes, the damage and healing per hit will reset.

    ||Boosters||

    The gemstones on your shoulders will absorb and amplify an element for you to use on your claws. You will gain 50% damage resistance on the element on your boosters.

    ||Famine||

    Gain increased damage and movement speed against a wounded target by 100%.

    ||Elemental Beast||

    Absorbs one element from your booster and surround your body with it. You will not take damage using it. You can recast this spell to explode the element that you''re currently using.

    Increased jump height, speed and damage.]

    "Greta!" I heard Helga''s voice over the telepathy. But it disappeared and every color around me. All I could see was this basilisk.

    I took one step forward and I noticed I''m already in front of it. I grabbed its body and lightning struck me. But I couldn''t feel anything. Was the barrier of it always this weak?

    I grabbed it with both of my hands and began to rip its body apart.

    I raised it up and followed with a loud battle cry.

 Chapter 145: Holding On

    "Hey Yefa! Are you okay?" I can''t even move closer to her. Her oozing that dark energy is sending shivers down my spine. I''m in absolute fear. But at least one of us needs to stay cool headed to face the enemy before us.

    But Yefa is in another league. She defeated the basilisk with ease, literally ripping its body apart. Damn, are all my teammates monsters or something? Am I the only sane one here?

    The thunder bear took on all fours again and charged at Greta. But she blocked its charge like its nothing. Without the help of Helga too. "Uhh�� Helga, Feran, you see this?" I asked over the telepathy Feran connected at us all. "Is she fine? Seems like she''s out of her mind."

    "Cleanse doesn''t work on her��" Helga spoke. "I don''t know how to dispel or counteract that kind of skill."

    "We''ll leave her like that for now." Feran joined in.

    "What!? She''s in that berserk state, leaving her like that for a long time will make some permanent damage on her or something. And I can''t cure her like that."

    "Let''s just wait for a while sis, it seems that she''s the only one that can pierce through the lightning barrier around them."

    "But�� Fine�� Let''s wait for a while."

    "I''ll be fighting alongside her. Though I don''t know if I can be much of help." I told them.

    "Sure, I''ll be contacting Zeta and Zieglind about this. Hold on tight for some time." Feran reassured me.

    "Got it." And our conversation ends there.

    Greta is going wild getting in a slugfest with the thunder bear. Every time she punched, the bear counter attacked with a punch of its own. Despite the size difference, they''re slugging it out like they''re equals in both strength and speed.

    The thunder bear gathered lightning on its hand and threw it at Greta. She absorbed it all like it was nothing and blasted it back on the bear. But it seems to be immune at lightning too.

    But then I noticed something, when the thunder bear did that move, the lightning barrier surrounding its body suddenly disappeared. The barrier is slowly regenerating thanks to the cloud above.

    I finally found a way to help Greta somehow. I just need to wait for the perfect timing.

    Greta jumped down to the ground and squatted extremely low then her feet acted like a spring as she leapt incredibly high. Using the momentum from the leap, she managed to tear off the left hand of the bear.

    "Woah!" I couldn''t help but be surprised at that explosive attack.

    The lightning barrier around the thunder bear moved again on its left hand and it seems to be growing back at an increasingly worrying rate.

    Just as Greta was about to jump again at the thunder bear, she was suddenly wrapped around by the basilisk and began to be squeezed by it.

    "WHAT!?" I looked back and the basilisk''s body wasn''t there. There was blood, yes, but it seems to have resurrected. Was it because of the cloud above? It seems so. The lightning was again surrounding the basilisk''s body.

    While Greta was being squeezed by the basilisk, she bit on its body and the basilisk loudly screeched. She forcefully pried open her way out and grab its tail then threw it straight to the thunder bear.

    The bear grew angry and shouted a large roar. It smashed the ground lifting us all off to the sky. The trees, the structures, the ground and the poisoned water that is currently flowing with electricity came flying in all directions.

    I couldn''t stand still anymore and just defend Afal charging here, I need to join the fight with Greta and do my best even if it''s little.

    I took advantage of the lightning barrier healing the thunder bear''s arm and flew right to its back. Good thing it didn''t notice me. "Paralyze Infusion!" My blade got infused with a debuff. I struck it down on the thunder bear''s back and slid right down opening up a giant wound on its back combined with a bonus critical damage and a paralyze effect which will stun the thunder bear for ten seconds.

    Greta noticed this and punched its face and dug her claws into the eye of the thunder bear. But the bear broke free of the paralyze in just two seconds and threw us all away at the ground. It seems that it has a high resistance against disables too. Are these monsters the enemies that the Crimson Knights always fight? This is hardcore.

    The left arm of the thunder bear regenerated and so did the wound I inflicted on the back of it within a matter of seconds. The lightning barrier''s back.

    "ARGH!" A sudden jolt of pain was felt throughout my whole body. I tried to endure it to at least move my feet. I ran away as fast as I could. Even with the lightning resistance of Helga, I still take a lot of damage and incredible pain.

    "I''m done!" After I heard that voice, I was filled with relief. It was none other than Afal''s voice. He flew up to the sky and the higher he got, the more he got struck by lightning of the clouds. But he ignored this and flew higher and higher until he disappeared.

    A large wind was generated out of nowhere and the dark sky was being sucked in by Afal. "SINNER''S CORRUPTION!" The lightning on the seawater disappeared and so are the lightning barriers around the basilisk and the thunder bear.

    Afal was there, floating in the sky, he absorbed everything. The aftermath on his body was noticeable.

    His eyes aren''t visible anymore due to the lightning coming out of it, his hair turned white and has become longer. Within my eyes, he looked like a deity, no�� a thunder god.

    He raised his arms as if reaching for something more higher on the sky and as if he was calling for something. Lightning struck his hands and summoned a lance, it was overflowing with violent dark lightning.

    He threw it with all his might on the bear and it easily pierced through its chest completely destroying its heart. He killed that monster in one shot. He then pointed his hand at the basilisk and came hundreds of lightning strikes came raining down killing it completely.

    The fight was over in an instant.

    Afal''s form were suddenly turned off and he fell from the sky. I rushed up to him and caught him as he fell. It seems that he''s unconscious. "Helga! Are you there?" I asked as if the telepathy was on.

    I then heard her voice over, "Yeah we''re still here. Is the fight over?"

    "I think so."

    "Got it we''re coming over!"

    Helga and Feran came our way and began to heal us all and put some pain reducing effects.

    "So�� what about Greta?" Feran asked.

    After the fight, she was just standing there for a couple of minutes. We don''t know if we need to go there to talk to her or something.

    "I''m her- woah�� This battlefield over here is completely in ruins." We heard Zeta''s voice over the telepathy. We then guided him to our direction and he was overfilled with relief. "I''m glad you''re all fine. Where''s Greta?"

    "There." I pointed at her.

    "I''ll be going."

    Zeta flew to her side and tapped at her shoulders. But she doesn''t react. He put his face near Greta''s, I''m guessing to see if she''s still alive. "She''s breathing�� Hey, Greta! Snap out of it!" He called out to her.

    But Greta responded by attacking Zeta out of nowhere.

    "Greta! What are you doing!?" Zeta was just dodging as her attack were simple and telegraphed. Zeta doesn''t want to attack her.

    But she doesn''t speak nor show any signs of a stable mind.

    Zeta took action, "Neco! Take care of my body, I''ll invade her mind."

    I agreed, "G- got it."

    "Soul Invasion!"

    Greta''s attacks suddenly stopped and Zeta''s body suddenly dropped to the ground.

    After a few seconds, he snapped back to reality and had a horrified look on his face. "Neco�� did�� did she look the Basilisk in the eyes?"

    I remember seeing that, "Yes. Is something wrong?"

    "Remember what I said in the briefing?"

    "That we shouldn''t lock eyes with the Basilisk?"

    "Exactly. Basilisk shows your greatest fear and feeds it onto you again and again until you lose your minds. And for Greta''s�� it''s not exactly that normal type of fear like heights or spiders. It''s�� something else."

    "What is it?"

    "I don''t want to talk about it. Invading her mind was already a breach of privacy. Let''s discuss this after we get out of here." Zeta pointed his wand at Greta, "Forced Slumber!"

    Greta dropped down on Zeta''s arms.

    "Zeta, how''s the fight with Jormungandr?"

    "Ah�� I left Zieglind and Herold there. We can escape now. But I''ll be joining with them. Take Greta. Go back to Izgoy IMMEDIATELY. No arguing about this."

    "Got it."

 Chapter 146: A Childish Trick

    "Damn it. This is scary. Even for me." Here I am, facing Jormungandr at its eye level.

    "Hey Zieglind, I''ll be retreating," Herold told me unexpectedly.

    "Wha- why?"

    He then showed me a giant hole in his stomach. "That thunder bear was too powerful for me. The five of them were flanking me so this is what happened. When I knew you were coming, I teleported them all in different locations."

    "Got it. Let''s take later."

    "Sorry about this."

    Herold left immediately.

    Focusing back on the World Serpent, I have heard and read countless stories of Jormungandr in the books back when I was still in college. But I didn''t think that I''d meet this creature here at this world.

    "Leave." A single word muttered by the World Serpent and it sent chills down to my spine.

    "��What?" I timidly asked.

    The world serpent looked at the sky then opened its mouth. A sudden purple smoke came out of its mouth and the whole sky darkened and rained.

    Few simple droplets and my skin is already melting. "Devil''s Advocate!" And it seems that the poison in the air couldn''t pierce through my armor. "Zeta are you okay?"

    Zeta then replied, "Yeah, barrier seems to be strong enough."

    I''ve read this phenomenon somewhere but I can''t seem to remember what it was. If my memory is correct then the next thing would be��

    Jormungandr looked down and spewed out fire burning everything into ashes.

    Jormungandr spoke again, "Once again, I have told you. Leave."

    "No can do." I replied.

    It had grown angry so it spewed a breath of fire at us. We dodged it since it was easily predictable.

    I can just run around and dodge the World Serpent''s attacks all day but I want to test my strength. Against a being who challenged a god. If Jormungandr is just one of the monsters that Tartarus inhabits in that tower, then my goal is farther and farther the more I discover about this world.

    My only option is to move forward and blast everything I see. And that''s what I''m going to do. "Come, Bloodlust!" Black lightning from the sky struck my hand and summoned both of my weapons. "Zeta, let''s go!"

    "Wait!" He stopped me. "Aren''t we just supposed to hold the World Serpent until everyone finishes the fight?"

    "Zeta, we need to try to test our strengths against this monster. Jormungandr is a monster, spawned in by the Tartarus. And that right there, is an evidence, for the monsters we''ll fight inside that tower."

    "Argh fine, let''s just back off if�� something unexpected happens."

    The World Serpent spoke again, "I have lived for millenniums, and mere mortals dare to challenge a being that''s closest to a god? Have I been asleep for too long to the point that I don''t understand jokes!?"

    Jormungandr then struck me with his head like a spear and slammed down to the ground. "UGH!" It raised its head again and dived at me creating a huge hole and bringing me with it.

    We traveled kilometers worth of distance while it rammed me underground and a continuous repeated cycle of it knocking me off the ground and slamming at me. I can only hold on for so long with Zeta''s barrier.

    I was planning to use this if we ever got in a tight situation that we can''t win but I guess I''ll have to, "Teleport!" I went back to Zeta''s side.

    "Had a fun ride?" Zeta asked me.

    "Go get yourself slammed by a monster whose weight must be in the millions or something."

    "You look fine to me."

    "Yeah�� It only dug down large holes in the ground and caves but the damage I received is around five percent of my health points only. It seems that this armor of mine is capable of taking heavy hits. Back me up, I''ll be the one charging."

    "Got it!"

    I rushed up to the back of the head of the confused World Serpent trying to find me. "Twin Blade Form: Giant Slayer!" Both of my blades grew in incredible size while maintaining the same weight. With all my might, I swung it down on the World Serpent''s head but I could only cut a few meters of its back.

    It looked back at me and breathed fire at me.

    I braced myself and blocked the fires using both of my weapons.

    I blocked it completely because of the giant size I cast on it, soon, they returned to their normal form.

    I can''t beat this monster all on my own. "Telepathy," I connected myself to Zeta, "Zeta, help me out here!"

    "Zieglind, I''m gonna go to Afal''s location, there seems to be a problem." He replied.

    "What''s the problem?"

    "Greta seems to have lost her mind or something. Helga said she''s not in control of herself."

    "��" I thought of many things that could''ve happen to her, "Basilisk?"

    "The evil eye? I''m pretty sure that''s the cause too."

    "That''s also my hypothesis."

    "��" I looked at Jormungandr and it seems to be completely pissed at me. "Sure, just go right back. I''ll hold this one off. I can''t beat this by myself."

    I disconnected our call and focused on the World Serpent.

    "You dare take off your attention on me?" The World Serpent then rammed itself again at me slamming me down at the ground.

    "Argh��"

    Jormungandr looked down at me and began to breathe waves of fire at me combined with its poison breath. But somehow, I could stand with the barrage of poison and waves of fire the World Serpent threw at me.

    I took a look at my HP and it''s barely going down. My health regeneration is faster than the damage Jormungandr inflicts at me. I was confused.

    I flew right below its head, "Twin Blade Form: Overflow!" A ten hit combo attack, it starts up with an overhead slash, followed with three alternating left and right attacks, a thrust, a downward slash, and four quick strikes.

    But all that combo was for nothing. I could only inflict small damage on its body.

    The Jormungandr then said, "Pitiful." And slammed me down to the ground with its head.

    I couldn''t understand the logic of its existence, how can I not deal damage to it but the World Serpents attacks are incredibly weak, far too weak. A goblin around level 60 or something deals more damage than Jormungandr.

    This is incredibly fishy. Unless��

    "Mana Search!" I searched the whole area trying to find something. Jormungandr''s body is incredibly large to the point that I can''t see the end of it other than its head and a small part of its body using Mana Search. "Increased Skill Range!" I cast on myself to increase the Mana Search''s range. And after a few seconds, I found what I''m looking for.

    A source of mana incredibly high at the sky. I flew higher and higher until I found it. "You absolute bastard. You scared the crap out of me. So you''re the source of this monstrosity?"

    Its appearance was�� interesting. It was merely an eyeball, wrapped around in dark tentacles around it. "Tsk�� This isn''t good�� Must�� Flee��"

    "No you won''t!" Before the monster could run, I grabbed one of its tentacles and it couldn''t fly any further.

    "You�� human�� understand our language?"

    "What��? Ah-" Must be the Universal Language. But I didn''t think that this Universal Language spell is incredibly helpful. "Is that thing below your doing?"

    "We were about to complete our mission but you have to ruin it�� Lord Ouroboros will not be happy��"

    "Wha- why is his name everywhere!? Who is this Ouroboros?"

    "You don''t need to know."

    "WATCH OUT!" I then heard Zeta''s voice out of nowhere.

    "Wha-" A barrier then was formed all around my whole body.

    "Long live Lord Ouroboros. The ruler of heaven and hell." The monster''s final words as it self-destructed and exploded everywhere.

    I was slammed right back to the ground when I was thousands of meters up in the sky. That blast explosion was incredibly strong. Then I remembered that Zeta protected me, which means he didn''t have time to protect himself. "Zeta! Hey! Do you hear me!? Where are you!?"

    "I''m here��" Zeta was buried under a rubble. He easily moved away the rocks that were burying him and stood up straight. "I''m fine. But you��"

    "I''m fine."

    "I see. What was that��?"

    "It seems to be a servant of this man called Ouroboros. And I think the illusionist who created Jormungandr�� Wait, where is it?"

    We looked around and didn''t see any traces of Jormungandr. It honestly scared me when I saw it for the first time. It was an unbeatable enemy. Good thing it was just an illusion or else we wouldn''t have gotten out of this situation this easy.

    "That''s good that the World Serpent is an illusion but�� Him�� again? Why is he everywhere? Ouroboros��"

    "Do you know him?"

    "Only a few information. But I do know he''s one of the cause of my master''s death."

    "I see. I''m sorry to bring it up."

    "No, it''s fine. Also, we have to go back now. There''s something wrong with Greta."

    "Okay. Let''s go."

 Chapter 147: Gretas Condition

    We went back to Izgoy after the calamity that had struck. This event was spread worldwide. How five monsters destroyed kingdoms in such a short time. No one knew that we were the ones that beat them.

    "My lord, it seems that the fight yesterday spread like wildfire. And you aren''t even included in the news!" Lam complained.

    "Don''t bother it Lam. Any more news?"

    "Oh yeah, I heard you met the World Serpent? Tell me, what did he look like? What did his skin felt?"

    "Uh-"

    "How big was he? Is he really a gigantic monster according to the legend?"

    "Okay, calm down. I''ll entertain your questions. By the way, is the World Serpent a he?"

    "Well, according to the legends, it seems so."

    "Ah I see. Anyway, I''ll answer your questions later. Going back to Greta''s current state, what''s happening?"

    Greta woke up earlier but she had a worried look on his face. And she passed out after she woke up. It worries me a lot.

    Lam has a worried look on his face. "Well. According to some of the books I''ve read, Greta''s current state is�� Hmm�� How should I say this, normal? But very unique."

    "What does that even mean?"

    "Greta is simply traumatized about something. This can be fixed easily by using the skill lord Zeta�� Uh�� what was it again? Soul�� Invasion or something? Lord Zeta can talk to her inside and clear her of her thoughts."

    "So basically therapy with extra steps?"

    "I apologize but I don''t understand."

    "Nevermind. Anyway, what''s this ''unique'' thing you''re talking about?"

    "Well, being traumatized is one thing but she closed off her heart. According to the book I''ve read�� Ah, found it." Lam opened the thick book and opened on a specific page, "Closing one''s heart is a seal cast upon oneself. They disconnect and destroys everything that they deem unneeded in the physical plane of the world because if one doesn''t have the ability to love themselves, how can they let anyone love them?"

    "That''s a beautiful quote."

    "I agree. And this quote portrays what Greta is feeling right now. She''s protecting herself from creating more connections since she''s afraid that the same would happen to the person she''s close to. I don''t what she experience before boss, but this seems to be serious. To the point that Afal''s skill can''t penetrate the defenses she put up to herself."

    "Is there a cure?"

    "Yes. But it''s a little bit difficult to find. Flower of Zaratria."

    "I''ve never heard of that before."

    "The Flower of Zaratria is one of the most important things in this world. Once you dissolve the flower, it can cure any illnesses. But no medicine in the world can cure the mental state of a living being. This flower will be able to penetrate Greta''s mind so Zeta can use his Soul Invasion on her. It''s up to Zeta on how he''ll cure her from inside."

    "Cure her from inside? How?"

    "My apologies but I don''t know. I guess Zeta will be able to talk to her inside and she''ll open herself to him."

    "How severe is her condition?"

    "Incredibly dangerous, I''m afraid to say."

    "What will happen if we just leave her there and let her recover?"

    "She''ll be in a coma. Then after a few years, she''ll die naturally."

    "WHAT!?" I stood up from the shock. "It''s that bad��? How long?"

    "The Flower of Zaratria''s effect on Greta? Around a day or so."

    "No, her going in a state of coma?"

    "Around a week. She''ll be waking up now and then but her in a sleeping state will become longer and longer until she slips in a coma."

    "What the hell�� isn''t this just a normal trauma? How does a normal trauma have this much effect on her to the point where she dies?"

    "It isn''t just any normal trauma. Remember my lord, she has seen the eyes of a basilisk. And basilisks love to give their enemies their worst memories and replay it back again and again on their minds breaking them in the process. Mostly, killing them."

    "God damn it. Where is it? The Flower of Zaratria."

    "First let me ask my lord, are you really going to use this on a mere knight? The Flower of Zaratria can be used for more things such as an all cure elixir or serve as a power up for a weapon that gives bonus benefits such as bonus heal-"

    "Lam." I activated aura unconsciously. My rage inside is burning and I''m letting it all out. I could see Lam sweating and his body trembling. "Greta is my family."

    "I- I understand my lord. I''m sorry for offending you."

    I deactivated aura, "No problem. So going back to my question��"

    "Yes, yes, it''s at the sky island."

    "Sky island?"

    "Yes. And the worst part is that the island is moving in the sky."

    "��You serious?"

    "Yes I''m afraid so."

    "How can we find a freaking sky island?" And to mention this world is far bigger than earth so finding it will be incredibly difficult.

    "There''s currently an auction going on in the kingdom of Bangrui, apparently selling a compass for the sky island."

    "When does the auction start?"

    "Three days from now. The starting bid is around 2,000 gold."

    "No time to wait for that. We''re going to break in Bangrui."

    "My lord that''s dangerous. Bangrui is a large kingdom and breaking in and you''ll make an enemy of their alliance with other kingdoms."

    "I have no choice. This is a race against time. I need to discuss this with Zeta. Immediately."

    "Then it can''t be helped. There are two factories in Bangrui, if a small explosion was formed there, I''m sure the factories itself would explode with it too. They''re heavily guarded but this''ll be the best distraction if you want to make a peaceful heist."

    "That''s great and all but Lam�� can I ask how you''re getting these informations?"

    " Za Fah Ra Ma Ga!" Lam transformed into a human. And an incredibly convincing one at that. "Lord Afal taught me. He knew my worth when I told him several pieces of information he needed. So now I can sneak in kingdoms, read books, gather information from adventurers and such."

    "Shapeshift spell huh? I see. Anyway, thanks for the information Lam. That''ll be our quest for now."

    "Goodbye, my lord. Have a safe trip."

    I left the hut and flew right to the top of the castle to try and find Zeta. I opened my chamber in which where Greta is resting right now and I see Zeta there holding her hand.

    "Zeta." I called out to him. He looks exhausted. "Damn it. I told you to stop doing it." He''s trying to use Soul Invasion since I left earlier? It seems that his mana pool is now completely gone.

    "I- I''m just worried. I don''t know what to do. After the thousands of books I''ve read and no matter how much I try to dig up my memories, nothing. Nothing pops up about her condition." Zeta then grabbed her hand even more tightly. "Out of the all forbidden or allowed knowledge I have, I''m still useless."

    "Zeta, I''m afraid to tell you this."

    "What��?"

    "She only has several days until she slips into a coma and will never wake up."

    Zeta let go of her hand and grabbed my clothes. He had an incredibly pissed off face. "How long?"

    "A week."

    "A we-��" Zeta let go of me dropped down on the floor on his knees. "What the hell happened��"

    "Well she got struck by the power of the basilisk''s eyes."

    "Damn it�� I''m going to lose someone again?"

    "There''s still a way. We need to get the Flower of Zaratria."

    "That flower..? I have thought of it before but it only cures illnesses but not mental states."

    "Yes but with that flower, we can penetrate the defenses she put up on herself so that you can use Soul Invasion and get in there."

    "That can be used like that!?"

    "According to Lam, yes."

    "Then how can we find it?"

    "It''s at the sky island."

    "��This is becoming more hopeless and hopeless by the second."

    "You know of it?"

    "The sky island is nearly impossible to find since it''s always moving."

    "Yes, but we have a chance, there''s an auction at Bangrui. We can find it there. The compass for the sky island."

    "But we only have a week."

    "We''re breaking in. We don''t have time. We don''t have to wait for the auction. We''ll just take it."

    "Let''s go!"

    "Not now. Tomorrow. We have to prepare for things."

    "��I see."

    "Don''t be impatient. We''ll get there."

    "Who are we bringing with us?"

    "Only you and me. There needs to be someone around here to manage Izgoy while I''m gone. I''m going to appoint Precia and Afal as the one who takes care of things around here.??

    "I see. Uh Zieglind."

    "Yeah?"

    "Thanks."

    "We''re family. It''s natural to do these things."

    "Family, huh."

 Chapter 148: Compass Heist

    Well my preparations didn''t took that long since I just lazed around and tried to recover my strength.

    Yefa and Precia were demanding to go with us but I can''t let our kingdom be left with just Afal. I admit he''s capable but Precia and Yefa will give me a better peace of mind.

    That''s why no matter how much they complained, I rejected the idea of them joining us on our journey.

    But going back to the operation, we need to get that flower back

    Remembering Lam''s words about the explosions and distractions, I guess tonight is a pretty decent time to attack.

    I went over to Zeta''s room and knocked on the door. "You up?"

    Zeta opened the door. "I''m awake."

    "Let''s go. I''m done preparing. You do you. I''ll stop by Lam''s workshop. Let''s meet from there.

    "Now?"

    "Don''t want to?"

    "No, no, I''ll be preparing now."

    I left Zeta and went straight to Lam''s workshop. I was greeted then was asked to sit down because apparently Lam has something for me.

    "My lord, put this in your inventory. I hope it''ll be some help." Lam then gave me three items.

    "This piece of paper is empty. What do I use this for?" I told him.

    "Oh, just let the paper draw some mana for you?"

    "Uh... Like this?" Mana flowed through my veins and out the tip of ny fingertips and soon travelled in the paper.

    It then revealed a map of the surrounding area and the entirety of the forest. I was marked with a white arrow while the other living beings are marked with a red.

    "Move your hand."

    "Oh, that''s nice." Everytime I waved my hand at the map, the map itself moved to other locations I desired. But after I let go of me dragging to see things far from the map''s perspective, it reset back to lock on me.

    "This can also lock in a place. Try saying to lock on to Bangrui."

    "Lock on to Bangrui!" A yellow arrow mark then appeared pointing up. I waved my hand to find where that yellow arrow mark is pointing and to my surprise, it''s pointing at exactly Bangrui. It also tells me the distance left to travel there and how long in my current pace. Interesting. "Thanks Lam. What do I do with these two?"

    "The other one is a home compass, wherever you go, this compass will lead you here at Izgoy. The other one is just a bag of health and mana potions. I know you have some regeneration skills or something but it''s better to be safe to have a backup."

    "Thanks. If we ever have any spare funds I can give you some money s go buy whatever you want."

    Lam had a smile but he tried to hide it. "Thank you my lord."

    "I''ll be going now."

    "Safe travels."

    As soon as I left Lam''s workshop, I could hear him shout incredibly loudly due to his excitement.

    I looked back and shook my head. "Hey, hey, I can still hear you."

    "Zieglind, are you ready?" I heard Zeta in the distance.

    I walked over to him, "Yeah. I''m ready. Let''s go to Bangrui first."

    We followed the map and we got there before midnight struck. We went through the front gates and the guards there only searched us for weapons and nothing else.

    We entered the city and began to scatter. He went to where the auction was being held and it''s at the indoor stadium near the middle of the kingdom.

    "Go. I''ll be distracting them. You go steal the compass." I then pushed Zeta away.

    "Wait, what''s the appearance of the compass?" He asked.

    "Uhh... I don''t know. Just get anything that looks like a compass. If there are multiple, we can go back to Lam and let him examine it."

    "Got it. I''ll be going now." Zeta then left the scene.

    Now... what to do. According to Lam, there''s some factories or something. Basically a place where explosions are massive and a great distraction.

    "Torched Body!" Well... I don''t get to play the role of the villain often. Or well... I never played the role of a villain. I guess this is my debut. "Mass Illusion!"

    The entire kingdom is now surrounded by flame pillars. This illusion doesn''t work on enemies level 50 and above so using this is just useless against strong enemies.

    The quick thinking of the guards has put them on high alert. Every single person in the kingdom has begun panicking.

    The guards began searching for me but I just flew in the air. Everyone''s eyes were locked onto me. Hmm... Being a villain isn''t all that bad when you''re seeking attention. But this isn''t exactly what I want. So let''s just get over it.

    "Mana Search!" I took a look at the factory and there doesn''t seem to be anything alive there. Seems to be safe to explode. "Then if everything''s fine... Flame Pillars!" The two factories I specifically targeted exploded and caused a huge explosion and ruckus.

    Three people then jumped up to me and pierced my body. But due to the skill using Torched Body, I turned ethereal for a split second and avoided their attack.

    Their coordination was on point seeing how their three separate attacks registered as one so I could phase through it.

    I took a look at them, two young men and a woman. They have an arrow on their heads. So they''re players.

    "What... Are you?" One of the man asked.

    "A flaming monster." I told him jokingly.

    "A flaming monster... Yet why do you have a player indicator on the top of your head?"

    "Ah-"

    "Tell me your reasons for invading our kingdom."

    "Fumes!" And a combustible gas came out of my mouth and lingered in the air.

    "Poison? It''s useless against us."

    "Who said it was poison?"

    "What?"

    "Burn." A small flame came out of my fingertips and exploded as big as several bombs going off.

    "Combustible... Gas...?" They were damaged from that explosion. They were caught off guard by my attack. So that''s good. I''ll keep up the pressure on them.

    "Fire Whip!" A flaming whip appeared in my hand. I swung it around to keep them away from advancing. I then threw it to one of the men by their neck and pulled him to me.

    "ARGHHH!" He was shouting in pain. The flaming whip is burning his skin and neck slowly. And the others can''t go near me because they know I can just snap this man''s head off.

    But the woman on their team casted a spell, "Repel!"

    I lost my grip on the man and let him fall to the ground and I was suddenly blown away.

    They all then rushed at me in which I countered using, Lava Surge. A giant wave of tsunami but instead of water, it''s lava flowing heading their way.

    "Ah-" I might overdid it. I was about to dispel the spell but the man I dragged to me earlier hid his shortsword and brought out a giant shield and began to block the entirety of the the lava surge.

    That''s a relief since I won''t blow my cover or help them in any way. They''re simply distractions.

    The guards finally reached me and has been surrounding the entire area around me.

    "Surrender yourself demon!" I''m guessing the general of the army shouted to me.

    One of the man I''m fighting told something to them, "Please help the citizens first! We''ll take it from here."

    "Ugh..." The general seems to be dissatisfied or either worried about what would happen if they let the three of them face me. But it seems that he can''t decline against these mysterious players. "I will do as you say my lord." The general turned around and ordered his troops to search for civilians.

    "Now..." The man pointed his sword straight at me. "We don''t have any distractions."

    "Hey! I found it!" That familiar voice... Zeta. It seems that he has found it. I looked back and saw him showing the compass at me by raising it up.

    "So that''s the sky island compass..." I muttered to myself.

    But the man heard it, "So that''s your goal!? Damn it. Hey, you two, pursue that man below! I''ll handle this guy."

    The female and the other male went to pursue Zeta.

    "You''re underestimating me. Fists of Fury!" I clasped my hands together and the Fist of Fury followed and slammed it on to his head sending him straight down at the ground knocking him unconscious.

    I ran up to Zeta and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Let''s go, we found what we need, Mass Teleport!" It takes several seconds before we can teleport completely.

    The woman and the man targeted me but Zeta blocked their pursuit with a single cast of barrier. But the woman simply stabbed the barrier again and pierced through Zeta''s defenses easily.

    But it was too late. The moment we opened our eyes, we were back at Izgoy. With the compass in our hands.

    "Haa... Well. We got the compass. Let''s go to the sky island."

 Chapter 149: The Sky Island

    "So�� We''re back here." I looked around and we got teleported right back at Izgoy. "Zeta, let me see the compass."

    "Here." Zeta then gave me the compass.

    "It''s amazing." The compass had a marking engraved on its back, a single right wing, the case itself is colored white and the arrow inside the compass is glowing in a bright white and exactly pointing to the north. But it''s slowly moving towards the west. "As Lam told me�� The sky island is moving."

    "We need to make haste."

    "I know. Let''s intercept them and head straight to the west for faster traveling."

    "Got it."

    We left Izgoy once again and headed straight onto the sky island. We discovered hundreds of kingdoms and villages along the way and a bunch of monsters terrorizing them. Though we wanted to help so bad, we had a goal and we shouldn''t be distracted by it.

    We flew to the west when we thought it''d be just minutes because of our speed, but it then got longer and longer until we searched for hours, then it turned into hours, and as of now, we''ve been flying to east for two days now.

    We weren''t tired or anything, but both of us were frustrated. We have searched and searched to the point that we passed Izgoy twice. TWICE. We circled around the world headed straight to east and we still couldn''t find it. But the compass is still pointing to west.

    "Is this thing broken?" I asked out of frustration.

    "I don''t know�� Damn it." Zeta looked down.

    "It has been two days since we left�� I contacted Precia and it seems to be right. The time where Greta is awake became increasingly smaller. Day one being her awake for eight hours and this time she was only awake for three hours."

    "I''m so annoyed�� Where the hell is this sky island!? Does it even exist!?"

    He''s losing control, "Zeta, calm down. We''ll find it."

    "Find it? When!? Next week? Next month? Or next year? Or maybe never!" Zeta raised his hand while holding the compass.

    "Hey! WAIT!"

    "DAMN IT!" Zeta then smashed the compass on the ground breaking it into pieces. "Hell�� I can''t even save a single woman."

    "��" Our quest is becoming even more hopeless and hopeless. There was no sign of the sky island. But it seems that there''s still hope. "Hey, Zeta�� look at that."

    "What��?"

    We were both perplexed, the broken pieces of the compass lit up. We didn''t expect this. At all.

    The compass rose into the air and began to reform itself. The broken pieces began to stick together and form a key.

    Then�� a door was suddenly summoned to where we were.

    "This�� is the entrance to the sky island?"

    We were both amazed at the sight of the door.

    "We just have to try." Zeta picked up the key from the broken compass and entered it on the door lock. It clicked. Zeta then turned it completely revealing the wonders beyond that door.

    "Woah." We were both in awe.

    It was just as I imagined, hundreds of houses, thousands of people, walking around on clouds. It seems to be incredibly magical.

    Every people here had wings on their back and it seems to be a natural thing for them. There are fairies everywhere and other magical creatures such as dryads and stuff. This seems to be a peaceful place.

    Snapping back to reality, it seems that the guards were wary of us seeing how their spears were aimed at us. I looked down on where we were and Zeta recognized it, "It''s a summoning platform."

    "I see." That''s all I could say. "What now?"

    "Tell them our reason for coming here."

    "Can they even understand me?"

    "We can understand you humans. My name is Jarvis Huddle commander of the Elite Guardians troop, what''s the purpose of your visit and why aren''t there any notices of your arrival?" One of them suddenly spoke up.

    I was the one to converse with this person, "We are here for the Flower of Zaratria."

    "What�� did you say?" Jarvis suddenly released a lot of killing intent. I''m guessing he''s trying to pressure me.

    "We need it for someone."

    "Hundreds of years ago people come here at the sky island looking for that particular flower. And everytime we gave it to someone, tragedy fell down on the ground beneath us. The Flower of Zaratria is a sacred treasure bound to the sky island, we have now put limitations on those who can receive that flower."

    "Then�� what should we do to get that flower?"

    "Prove your worth."

    "What do we do to prove our worth?"

    "Enter the Land of Judgment and complete all trials. That''s the only way we can give the Flower of Zaratria to you."

    "Is that an event? If so, when?"

    "It is not. You can challenge the Land of Judgment anytime you want."

    "Then, tomorrow. We will challenge that place."

    "Challenging the Land of Judgment without even knowing what it is? Don''t you look down on that place. But you do you. I''ll enjoy seeing you fail. Like the other people who have come here. For now, you''re free to traverse the island. Just be ready for tomorrow."

    "Fine."

    We were let go by the knights and we were free to explore anywhere. Zeta is impatient and he wants to try it now but with my persuasion, he agreed to take it easy for now.

    We walked around the island trying to find a decent inn and we entered this shabby inn called, Heaven''s Bed. I walked up to the counter and ordered some food and drinks. I know that I don''t need it but I still want it.

    After a while, the waitress gave us our food and drink.

    Although Zeta was hesitant to eat, he was forced to later by me. It seems that he''s still uneasy.

    He was the one to start the conversation. "How long�� do you think the Land of Judgement will take?"

    "Jarvis said it would be just trials so I''m guessing that it''ll be just one day."

    "I see��"

    "You need to let loose. If you keep acting this way, you''re going to tense up for tomorrow."

    "Got it."

    No you don''t�� This guy�� "Remember that we''re going to face an unknown challenge tomorrow. So we don''t know how difficult it would be. Just let loose for now, drink whatever you ordered."

    "Grape juice."

    "Gra-" I didn''t know that he was interested in that stuff. "Uh��" Here I am drinking a beer though I know it won''t affect me anymore. "Well, just be yourself for now. If we lose tomorrow because of you being too tense, we don''t have any way of getting that Flower of Zaratria."

    "I''m just worried�� For the second time in my life, I don''t know the answer for this problem or even have a backup plan. The first time was my master dying on me, I didn''t know what to do and this time�� Greta dying. I couldn''t imagine her not being a part of my life."

    "Why�� do you care so much about her?"

    "You don''t?"

    "No, that''s not what I meant! I meant like�� uh�� how do I explain this��"

    "I have a guess on what you want to ask but it''s simple really. I like her."

    "Ah-" I couldn''t help but be speechless. I didn''t know that he had feelings for her or she had feelings for him. "What about that woman that''s always with you?"

    "Yurid? She''s a creation of my master. I treat her like an adoptive daughter or maybe a sister. I don''t feel anything for he- OW!"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Ah, nothing haha, Yurid just hit me. But yeah, there''s that. I really like Greta."

    "When?"

    "Did I realize? I don''t know. Have you felt like your heart is aching when you saw someone you like get near another guy? Have you felt like you only want that person to be yours only? Have you ever felt this way?"

    "Well�� in my early years, yes."

    "But have you felt like you''d be happy to sacrifice everything for that person?"

    "��Not�� yet."

    "Well, that''s how I feel about her. It''s as if a part of me wants to be with her forever. I don''t want her to be with anyone other than me. Because the thought of that really hurts."

    "Then you have to tell her. When she wakes up. Everything, about what you feel."

    "What if she says no?"

    "I may have never felt what you feel right now but I can kind of understand a simple part of it. It''s a leap of faith. You just jump in there thinking of every path you will take and she will take. If she says she likes you back then that''s a great thing, if she doesn''t, that''s a lesson that you''ll have to learn so that you''ll know that you can improve and change who you are without truly changing yourself."

    "Heh. What are you a poet?"

    "I don''t know."

    "But thank you, Zieglind. For all of this. Thank you, for rescuing us, from a dark place we thought we''d never escape."

    "That''s what family is for."

    "Yeah. That''s what family is for."

 Chapter 150: Land of Judgment

    The day of the challenge has fallen upon us.

    We woke up under the blazing heat of the�� sun? I don''t even know if that''s what they call the star that''s up in the sky. We readied ourselves for whatever the challenges hold.

    We went outside of the inn and all we could see was the bustling island. Everyone was walking around, doing their jobs and were simply enjoying their life.

    I wonder if I was reincarnated here not as a player, but just another non player character? Will I have the same life as them?

    "Zieglind. Let''s go." Zeta''s voice regained my focus.

    "Yeah." I replied.

    If I did get revived here as another non player character, I don''t want this life. Because without power, how can I protect anyone. That''s why I''m right here, right now. Fighting to protect for someone''s sake. I cleared my thoughts for now hoping that nothing will distract me from the trials set at the Land of Judgment.

    All my regrets in my past life, all the wishes I had, other paths I could''ve taken, it means nothing now. I just need an empty mind. Right now, I will manifest all that thoughts on trying to think of a way to help Greta.

    Because this fight isn''t just for me. This is war. Billions will encounter the same fate as Greta on this damned world. I will pay this situation right back at ''them.''

    ...

    We went to the Land of Judgment and it seems that hundreds of people came here too. We walked up at the front desk and I asked, "Is this the Land of Judgment?"

    "Yes. You''re a wanderer?" The man from the front desk asked.

    "Wanderer?"

    "Oh, my apologies, people who came from below. I just assumed if you''re wanderers since you have no wings."

    "Ah�� yeah. We''re exactly like that."

    "Good, then just fill up the forms with your sign and you''ll enter the Land of Judgment."

    Me and Zeta then filled up the forms.

    "One more question, when is the Land of Judgment open?"

    "Everyday. You can enter anytime you want. There''ll always be spectators watching. That''s why we turned this event into a daily thing instead of a tradition or ceremonial thing."

    "There''s that many people who''re willing to enter the Land of Judgment again and again?"

    "Well�� some people just enter the first stage and leave immediately. If we see that your help is below 10%, we will rescue you immediately."

    "Ah�� so this is a safer way to level up since there are some people that are scared to go into dungeons."

    "If you put it that way�� then�� yes. That''s basically it."

    "Thanks for answering our questions."

    "Do enjoy the trials." He then followed up with a bow.

    Our conversation ended there so I proceeded to enter the Land of Judgment. A giant gate blocked the way of us and the hundreds of other contestants there too.

    The walls of the entrance to the Land of Judgment were filled with writings. All of them being the rules of the game.

    =The one who will receive the winner of the Flower of Zaratria will be the one who kills the monster at the final stage. But if another contender has at least four times more monster kills than the one who killed the monster at the final stage then it''ll be passed on to that person.=

    =Killing 500 monsters will grant bonus rewards at the end of the trial whether you finish all the trials or not. If you achieved 5,000 kills or more you will have the chance to pick out any treasure at the treasury of the sky island. If you achieved 10,000 kills and completed the trial, there''ll be a personal gift handed to you by the queen of the sky island.=

    =Hitting contestants is fine as long as the purpose of the attack is to knock that contestant out of the arena or to halt their movements such as slowing movements, binding skills, and freezing their feet. If your attack is deemed to be life-threatening, you will be disqualified and will be ineligible to obtain any rewards.=

    =Killing anything other than the monsters inside is fair play. Summoned monsters by the contestants are allowed to be killed but pets that aren''t a summon are fully forbidden.=

    Those are the main ones that I know that I should take note of. The others are just minor rules that won''t really give us a disadvantage or anything.

    After waiting for a few hours, the gates to the Land of Judgment has finally opened. All the contestants with us roared with laughter and cheers and rushed in to see who goes first.

    We entered the Land of Judgment and it was a giant place. But its appearance looks like the coliseum from my world. A giant arena at the middle and seats surrounding that arena.

    Everywhere you look, every seat is filled with people and other different beings watching the contestants like us try the trial.

    It was a loud morning here at the sky island. Every people at the stands were shouting and cheering for their own beloved fighters.

    "MOVE!" A tall giant man shoved around the other contestants. Everyone was in awe at him. His giant muscles were intimidating, so is his face and the countless tattoos marked on his body. Everything about him screams strength.

    "PFFT-" I couldn''t help but hold my laughter.

    "Is everything fine?" Zeta asked.

    "No�� no it''s nothing." I just laughed because his appearance and mannerism is so clich��.

    "ARGHHHH!!! HAHA!!!" He raised both of his fists and the roaring shouts and claps and the stomping of the crowded even got louder and louder. It seems that he''s the crowd''s champion.

    The crowd''s roar suddenly gone down when someone suddenly spoke. "Welcome to another day of judgment! For anyone who doesn''t know me, my name is, Teral Blanksky, the current prince of the sky island. Today I''ll be casting the even for today. For the first trial we have one thousand hellhounds. ELIMINATE EVERYTHING!"

    The four gates around the arena suddenly opened and released a thousand hellhounds. They weren''t as big as I thought. They looked like your average dogs but they''re much faster and more aggressive than before. I can see why people drop out on the first stage.

    Teral was casting the entirety of the match, "The people''s champion! Gera! With his strong and large muscles, he blows away everything in one hit!"

    Gera suddenly generated wind magic on his fists. "SPLITTER!" He conjoined both his fists and slammed it on the ground sending lots of hellhounds sent flying on the sky.

    Teral also took interest in the others, "The new rookie, Hidetaka Mizuki, with his gentle but deadly swordsmanship, everything that touches his blade gets absolutely sliced in half!"

    That name caught me off-guard. Hidetaka Mizuki, a Japanese name.

    Hidetaka Mizuki drew his weapon out. Just as I figured, it was a Katana. "First Act: Eclipse."

    "WOAH! EVERYONE! DO YOU SEE THIS!?" Teral''s skills as a host for a game made the crowd go even wilder. "When Mr. Mizuki used his skill by the name of Eclipse, the sky suddenly turned dark!"

    "Second Act: Crescent Slash." Those two moves managed to shake the entire stadium.

    "WHAT!? Mizuki drew his blade just for a second and suddenly, every hellhound around him was suddenly split in half!This is amazing! It seems that the new rookie is strong! Incredibly strong!"

    I tapped Zeta''s shoulders. "Did you see that?"

    He answered, "This will be difficult."

    "Yeah. I know I''m fast but that swordplay was no joke."

    "We don''t have time to pit our strength against these people. We should eliminate everyone here and focus on advancing at the very top."

    "Got it. Then I''ll leave it up to you. Gazer Form, Come, Death Scythe!"

    It seems that Teral has taken interest in me. "Everyone! Do you see this man!? It seems that another rookie here going by the name of�� Zieglind! Zieglind Reysh seems to be cooking up on something!"

    "Frozen Field!" A wide surge of magic going in all directions, freezing only the feet of anyone that are unfortunate enough to be caught in this spell.

    "What an amazing turn of events! Zieglind Reysh froze the entire arena! No�� has FROZEN EVERYONE! The contestants can''t seem to move!"

    Zeta then made his move. "Blow everything away, Violent Tornado!"

    Teral then looked at Zeta, "What is this!? Another rookie! And it seems that he has summoned a gigantic tornado in the middle of the arena!"

    I then cast, "Dispel!"

    "Oh!" Teral just realized what we did. "It seems that Zieglind dispelled the freezing spell he cast on everyone then this means�� OHHHHH!!!" The cheers grew louder and louder by the second.

    Every contestant in the arena was blown away out of bounds and every hellhounds have died.

    "Oh my! Only twenty-three people remaining in the arena! The others were wiped out by only two people ladies and gentlemen! A WIPEOUT! Rising Star Rookies of this day has definitely have to go to Zieglind, Zeta, and Mizuki! What a complete turn of events!"

 Chapter 151: The Second Trial

    I looked around after the combination of spells we both casted. "Twenty three people. I see. Well, we managed to knock out like around two hundred or something? It''s still a job well done."

    "But it seems that these people remaining aren''t ordinary. Looked at their feet." Zeta then pointed at one of them. "There''s no frozen marks or a sign of their feet being cold. They completely blocked both of our spells."

    "Don''t dwell on it. We''re here to get the Flower of Zaratria, not go in a fight with someone."

    "Yeah... I know."

    I took a look again at the whole arena and it seems that everyone is cleaning up their share of the hellhounds attacking them. "It seems that the first stage is finished."

    Teral announced the results, "Good job everyone! It seems that our first trial of the day is now completed. I will now announce the top three for this round! Zeta garnering a points of 638 confirmed knockouts and kills on the hellhounds! What an amazing score! Mizuki 123 points! Finally, Gera with 68 points! And for the people who will be disqualifie- oh, wait! It seems that some of the higher ups has something to say." An unknown person whispered something into Teral''s ears. "Ah! I see. Uhh, ladies and gentlemen, it seems that the rule that we have to disqualify someone if they don''t get at least ten points will be waved for this match. It seems that Mr. Zeta here has eliminated most of the hellhounds so that''s one of the reasons that most of our contenders didn''t have the opportunity to eliminate anything. The disqualification for Zieglind with 0 points, Juiru with 7 points, Niel with 3 points and finally, Pors with 9 points will hereby be waived and will be allowed to move on to the next trial.

    "Zero points�� Me?" I was confused.

    "Hmm��" Zeta then realized something. "Maybe because you just froze their feet and I''m the one that dealt the killing blow."

    "Well that''s an explanation."

    Teral finally announced the next trial. "Let''s get back to the action everybody!" Everytime he speaks, the crowd roars on his gigantic charisma. "Alright! It seems that everyone is having fun! Then the second trial continues!" Teral snapped his fingers and the entirety of the arena changed.

    "The hell!? What''s this!?" I couldn''t help but be confused.

    "This is considered the most exciting part of the trial isn''t that right dear spectators!" The crowd shouted again in excitement. They stomped their feet and clapped their hands. "HAHAHA! The crowd''s incredibly happy aren''t they!? Then let''s move along! The second trial commences�� ALL! OUT! WAR!"

    Two giant portals appeared from the sky and dropped countless monsters.

    The crowd roared in excitement. I couldn''t helped but be overwhelmed in this situation.

    "Now!" Teral pointed up in the sky. "Look at your objectives! Your winning conditions are listed there." A blue system-like message appeared in the sky. "Your faction will need to achieve at least one of these three winning conditions. One, kill all monsters and render the contenders on that faction unable to fight. No killing! Two, capture the enemy base at the very peak of their castle. For capturing the enemy base, you must defeat the commander and wear the crown inside the castle. The commander will have a crown on the top their head and the crown will be resting on the very top sitting on the throne. And finally, number three, destroy the entire castle! But be careful, it''s reinforced with protection magic. So good luck!"

    We suddenly got teleported at the battlefield and I noticed that we have been split in half. "Hey, Zeta!" I shouted as if to look for him."

    "Here!" He replied.

    "Good. We''re in the same team." I looked around and saw Mizuki here too. That Japanese guy.

    The wide variety of monsters that on our side began to stomp the ground and shout. Several enchanters on the back are using music to enhance our physical abilities. Archers in the back readying their bow and arrows and the vanguards are ready to charge.

    Silence filled the entire battlefield for one second�� Then�� The monsters shouted and rushed in at the enemy.

    The mages behind us began to let out barrages of fireballs and lightning at the enemy. The supports in front of them began to restrict the movement of the enemy.

    But everything our army did the opposing faction did the same. It seems that this battle is scripted and everything will be up to the contenders. We were split twelve to eleven. So the splitting is unbalanced but we''ll work on it even though we''re only eleven.

    "Minimize Magic!" Zeta casted a debuff on himself. "Corrupting Spears!" Zeta''s giant gate opened in the sky and hundreds of spears came flying down. But suddenly, it was blocked by a barrier. We thought it was a barrier made by the contenders from the other faction but it seems not.

    Teral announced something, "Oh my! It seems that the royal guards are getting involved! Alright! We have to pause the trial for a bit!" Teral snapped his fingers and all the monsters suddenly stopped as if they''re stuck in time.

    Two royal guards approached Zeta. One of them spoke. "Dangerous attacks that are meant to kill are forbidden and we, the royal guards have deemed your skill Corrupting Spears to be dangerous. There seems to be poison in here too. You are now disqu-" the royal guard was suddenly cut off.

    "What?" Zeta was confused. "That''s just a paralyzing attack. There''s nothing dangerous at that skill at all."

    "Hmm��" One of the royal guard picked up the spear that Zeta summoned.

    "You can test it out on one of the monsters here."

    "No. We can''t interfere in the trials other than protecting everyone." The royal guard stabbed his own arm using the spear that Zeta summoned. "Hmm��" He let go of the spear and dropped it on the ground. "It seems that it is a paralysis spell. I can''t move my arm. The sharp side of the spear itself was also dull so I had to use a bit of my strength to pierce through my own skin. Fine. This skill is allowed." He signaled an okay sign at Teral.

    Teral noticed it. "It seems that everything is in order! Alright! We will continue the fight!" Teral snapped his fingers again and all the monster moved like nothing happened. What is that power�� It''s so strong and mysterious.

    But enough of that, I need to focus on the fight.

    I was just sitting there at the back with the mages trying to observe the fight. Every other contestant was there in the middle showing off their explosive skills. But I''m not interested in that. I''m interested in Hidetaka Mizuki.

    He charges in the front and I couldn''t help but be amazed. "Holy crap."

    He''s not showing it but I can barely see it. While he''s running, thousands of slashes are forming around his body in quick succession. Everything that gets near him gets sliced in half. Goblins, hellhounds, lizardmen, orcs, gnoll, imps and basically any monster in that huge army is getting one shotted by the barrier he put up on himself.

    I didn''t even notice it but he''s in front of the gate''s castle now. A straight line from the front of the enemy''s army to the very end is empty. Every monster was scared of him. No one dared get near him.

    He raised his katana in an overhead stance and swung it at the castle''s gate. Even though all I could see was one slash, the door was torn into several pieces. He''s definitely faster than me.

    Suddenly, a system message popped up in front of me.

    [Storm the Gates! Gains increased damage against monsters. This buffed is gained from the event, Land of Judgment.]

    The monsters on our side of the field has now red auras on their eyes as if symbolizing that every one of us have a buff.

    Mizuki rushed in the castle but moments later, he got blown away. A giant arm came out of the castle and crushed the walls. It then completely broke it revealing its true nature. A gigantic cyclops carrying a giant metal ball chained to both of its hands. It broke the chains of the gigantic wrecking ball on one of its hands and threw it like a shot put into our army.

    "Barrier!" I casted. But the wrecking ball simply broke my barrier and crushed the hundreds of monsters under it. It seems that this won''t be easy.

    It put up its shoulder as a guard and began to run at our castle gates. It killed every monster by stomping on it or being rammed by the shoulder of the gigantic cyclops.

    With its overwhelming power, it broke the formation of our army and destroyed our castle gates. A beam of red light appeared from our own castle blasting the cyclops back to the enemy''s castle. A gigantic hand crushed the walls of our castle and broke it down completely revealing its true form.

    I couldn''t help but smile. "Well would you look at that, we also have a cyclops on our side."

 Chapter 152: Enamored

    Teral explained what these cyclops are, "So! Both teams has their gates broken! If a gate is broken, the team that broke the gate will gain a buff that will boost their attack power! But after the gate is broken, a boss monster will come out. The interval of boss monsters coming out is ever 10 minutes or so, so that the second trial won''t take too long."

    Is that so... But the cyclops went ahead and broke our gate in a matter of seconds. I guess this is an efficient method. I won''t attack yet so I''m just going to watch the battlefield for now.

    "Freezing Wave!" Zeta casted and hundreds of monsters were frozen in an instant. "Judgment!" The frozen enemies suddenly crumbled and bursted into pieces.

    Zeta ran and ran destroying everything in his way. "Splitting Gale!" Three large wind slices came in every direction cutting the monster in half. "Dragon Lightning!" The lightning took over the form of a dragon and devoured everything in its way that Zeta deemed useless.

    It''s not just Zeta that''s doing a lot of damage on the opposing side. I''m still captivated by Mizuki''s swordplay.

    He not only does his sword move incredibly quickly, but incredibly precise too. He doesn''t target the bodies of the enemy. Only their heads. And his blade is powerful enough that he goes through their defenses.

    "Moonlight!" Mizuki''s sword glowed in a bright white color with a hint of yellow. "Moon Phase: First Quarter!" His blade disappeared.

    Several monster jumped on him but he lowered his stance and walked naturally. But the moment he took a step, everything around him was sliced into pieces.

    Now that I take a long look at Mizuki''s swordplay, that is what I need. This is nothing compared to Urgo. Urgo was a berserker. His swordplay boasts great strength and absolute power. But that power is something that I haven''t achieved. But Mizuki''s on the other hand is all about technique. With his small frail body, he manages to let out power that exceeds mine. That is the technique I''ve been looking for.

    I want to test it. I want to test my swordplay next to him. "Dispel," I took off my Gazer form and just wore my normal clothes. "Come, Bloodlust." Black lightning came down from the sky and struck my hand summoning both of my weapons. I ran up to Mizuki and battled alongside him.

    "Dark..."I raised my sword in an overhead stance. "Wave!" And swing it right back down with all my strength sending out a wave of darkness, obliterating everything that comes through it.

    I then jumped in the middle of the pack of monsters. "Judgment!" Every monster near me were suddenly pinned to the ground due to the heavy gravity they''re experiencing. I raised up my hand to the sky, "Sword Rain!" A gate opened in the sky and came falling down thousands of swords killing all the grounded monsters in an instant.

    "Chain Grab!" Hundreds of chains came out of my body and every single one of it attached itself to a monster. "Pull!" The chains retracted inside of my body pulling every single monster to me.

    "Teleport!" I teleported up in the sky, "Dragon''s Descent!" I spun vertically and landed by smashing my sword on the ground breaking the ground in the process and lifting all the monsters in the air.

    "H-" Just as I was about to cast my next skill, Mizuki sudddenly appeared too in the sky.

    "Waning Moon!" Mizuki swung his weapon in the air hitting all the monsters but there was no wound or blood.

    Every monster just fell right down. There was no wound but they''re dead. Was it a wound that is too small for anyone to see? Or is it an internal damage? That was beyond amazing.

    Mizuki landed on the ground gracefully. "Your sword skills on a nodachi does not fit. Your swordplay is ugly and distasteful."

    Well I didn''t expect that at all for his words at me is about my sword style being bad. "I see." That''s all I could say.

    "...You... understand me?" He asked.

    "Yeah?"

    "But I speak Japanese..? Are you from the south?"

    Speak Japanese? But all I could hear are his words being in english. Oh. I see. Universal Language. I could hear him speak Japanese and it automatically translates for me and I think that he hears me speaking Japanese too. "No." I replied.

    "But you speak Japanese and wields a nodachi..?" He seems to be confused about something. "We''ll talk later. Let''s focus on the objective."

    "Ah-" I completely forgot that we were in a trial. I looked over the battlefield trying to figure our what I missed.

    Zeta is there wrecking havoc using his barrage of skills. "Fire Pillars, Splitting Gale!" His fierce and aggressive attacks are nothing like him but I guess it works in our favor.

    He already eliminated six contenders in total. There''s only five of them left. But also our four members got eliminated too.

    It seems that there''s already two boss monsters on both our sides of the field. A cyclops and a... ghost apparition? I don''t know what that one is.

    But it looks like a monster in a form of a woman. Its body seems to be ethereal seeing as how I could see through her translucent body covered in just sheets of white cloth.

    I rushed over to their aid and jumped on the cyclops'' back. This cyclops gives me bad memories about someone as big as him...

    The cyclops let out a giant laser from its eyes, obliterating the monsters below it. The cyclops from the enemy''s side rushed and rammed into ours but our own cyclops is holding on.

    Both of the cyclops interlocked fingers and began to test their strength on each other by pushing each other. No one was budging.

    The ghost apparitions suddenly inhaled a lot of air. Then I remembered.

    Ghost like figure, a woman, inhaling a lot of air, flying and ethereal body... This is... a banshee! "Barrier!" I casted on our cyclops, me, Zeta and Mizuki and all the other contenders in our team.

    "SKRIEEEEEE!!!" Both of the banshee screamed extremely loud that both of the forces of our army and the enemy''s army passed out while their ears were bleeding. I had barrier up but I could hear their loud screeches when they were still screaming.

    The enemy''s cyclops dropped down on the ground dead. That''s one boss monster down. I then pointed my sword at enemy''s castle. "CHARGE!"

    "GUAARGHHH!!!" The cyclops charged at the enemy''s castle. Since we have no longer have an army we only have some contenders left. We only have a banshee, cyclops and the rest of us contenders. The enemy only has the remaining contenders on their side and a banshee, they tried to intercept the cyclops'' charge.

    "THIS WON''T END HERE!" Gera stood in front of the castle gates and took the cyclops'' charge head on. We stopped in our tracks and the cyclops'' couldn''t move.

    Zeta took advantage of Gera being occupied with the cyclops. "Frozen Crystal!" Suddenly, Gera''s whole body froze in a crystal of ice.

    But that seal soon exploded into pieces when Gera''s teammate took it off him. "We still haven''t fallen!"

    Mizuki dashed in the back line of the enemy and used enough force only to disarm them of their weapons, dropping their staffs and sword in an instant.Mizuki then used his quick movement and knocked them all out and finally, he teleported right at the back of Gera. "Goodbye." He then knocked him out using the back of his blade.

    The cyclops broke free from Gera''s grasp and began destroying the castle.

    I then heard someone snap their fingers. "That''s enough!" It was none other than Teral.

    The whole arena we were in disappeared and we were back at the arena in the first round.

    The crowd was cheering for us. Some were disappointed since Gera lost but everyone was still in high spirits.

    Teral announced the winners, "Congratulations on the team that won, Zeta, Zieglind, Juery, Mizuki, Hea, Kueri and Urit!" The most monsters killed will be counted with the points gathered from last round! Zeta with 1,943 kills, Mizuki with 934 kills and finally, Kueri with 321 kills."

    Welp. It seems that I didn''t get in the top three again. Mizuki stole most of my kills.

    "And for my final announcement this round..." Teral set up an intense mood on the whole arena.

    "We will now be giving buffs on the top three this round! Zeta will receive a 200% damage increase on him. Mizuki will get a 1.5x points multiplier on the next rounds. Kueri will receive a full recovery potion on him. He can use this even when he''s disqualified so that he can be brought back right in the action! But if all contenders are disqualified, he won''t be able to use it to proceed on the other trials. Everyone! Let''s take a short break."

 Chapter 153: The Third Trial

    The remaining contenders were brought down to the underground of the arena where a table of food was waiting for us.

    Our escort then said, "Take a seat, enjoy the feast and about an hour from now we will continue the trials. We can just let you continue the trials but our spectators can not. So just enjoy the rest for now. I''ll leave you be with these guards."

    The other members we have as an allies earlier rushed down to their seats and immediately feasted on the food. I sat down next to Zeta and across Mizuki. I took some food on my plate even though I don''t need it. I encouraged Zeta to at least eat to reduce the stress piling up on him.

    I looked over to Mizuki to take a good look at him. For a man he has a clear skin and eats incredibly small amounts. He''s feminine despite his name. I was the first to strike up a conversation with him,

    "Hey."

    "What?" Mizuki asked.

    "I just wanted to ask, where''d you learn your swordsmanship?"

    "From my master."

    "I see. Where are you from?"

    "The south."

    "The south...?" In Earth, Japan is in the East. And as I remember... when the king of Itz gave me the Katana that is now on Precia''s hands, he said that I knew people of the south? Hmm... Well this isn''t the same world as Earth so it''s obvious that there''ll be some changes especially in the culture and the new locations. But it seems that their culture is the same. Seeing how Mizuki is wearing a... wait. "Is that a Yukata?"

    "Yes. You know of it?" Mizuki then was silent for a second. "Are you really not a people of the south as you said?"

    "I told you, I''m not. I''m just knowledgeable about the people of the south. But... If you''re wearing a Yukata doesn''t that mean that you''re a wo-"

    Mizuki reached for her blade as fast as she can and pointed it at me. "Silence." With an angry and dark face.

    The guards on the side tried to intervene but I just stopped them by raising my hand. I looked back on Mizuki. "Alright."

    Mizuki then sighed heavily and crossed her arms. "I told my dad to not make me wear a yukata. He said it''d be fine since no one would know."

    "I was actually joking on you being a woman. Males wear yukata too."

    "Ah-"

    It seems that she forgot. "Pfft-" I held back my laughter because if I laugh, I feel like I''m gonna die here today.

    With a pout on her face she said, "I really hate you." She then took off the string tied on her hair and let her hair fall down. Her hair was neither short or long, just around her shoulders. I guess there''s no need to keep my gender a secret anymore.

    "Why?"

    "I don''t like it when I get judged because I''m a female."

    "I see." So that''s why she introduced herself as Hidetaka Mizuki. It sounds like a normal name but in Japanese, they pronounce full names inverted, so her first name is Mizuki and last name Hidetaka.

    "Are you sure you''re fine using your first name as other people call you?"

    "I don''t mind it."

    Well the caster in this trial calls her Mizuki pretty much all the time. Maybe she introduced herself as a person from the south so they thought that her last name is Mizuki. But she doesn''t mind it so there''s that. "I see."

    "So?"

    "So... what?"

    "You talked to me so I''m guessing you need something. What is it?"

    "Oh yeah I forgot. Well I just wanted to ask, if you could teach me your swordsmanship."

    Her face suddenly turned dark. "What..?"

    A bustling crowded roar was then heard outside. There were some slight tremors that we could feel here underground.

    One of the guards approached us. "It''s time. The break has ended. We''ll escort you back upstairs."

    "Oh." It seems that my intuition is correct. "We''ll follow."

    "Hey." Mizuki then called out to me. "Don''t take my swordsmanship like it''s easy to mimic." She then stood up and went ahead first. It seems that I put her in a bad mood. Even though she''s in a bad mood, she still moves with grace. I need to check out where she lives. That''s where I currently lack, swordsmanship.

    I followed the guards up and up and I couldn''t help but notice that Zeta is silent these past few hours now. He''s deep in his thoughts trying to formulate more and more strategies is what I''m guessing. Well I''m panicking too since Greta''s life is in our hands. But I need to keep composed since panicking won''t do much in this situation.

    We went ahead and got back to where the arena was and it seems that the crowd is still in high spirits.

    Teral hyped up the crowd some more, "Let me hear some shouts everyone!" Teral then showed his ear to the crowd and it got even more hyped. "It seems that everyone is still lively after the break! And oh, it seems that a lot more people has come here and more VIPs have arrived. It seems that the rookies of today has garnered the attention of high ranking officials here at the sky island yeah!? This is going to be fun!"

    Teral snapped his fingers and the arena changed again. "This is the plains, the wilderness. And the goal for this is to survive. You are tasked to kill all monsters in the plains that will appear out of nowhere! So... for our first wave... Basilisks!"

    "Basilisks... you say?" Zeta suddenly spoke.

    "Ah-" This is dangerous. If he suddenly wrecks havoc here, we wouldn''t be able to get the Flower of Zaratria. "Hey Zeta, calm down. We don''t want to get disqualified."

    "No I won''t. These goddamned monsters. These monsters are the ones that made Greta that way. I will have my revenge."

    "The basilisk that did that to Greta is already dead. Just calm down for a moment, if you are to release a dangerous spell you will be disqualified and if we reach the final stage and you aren''t there, the Flower of Zaratria will not be gained by me, I don''t have a lot of points."

    "Sorry Zieglind. But I need to do this. If you saw Greta''s memory, you''ll do the same. This is just one of the many steps I''ll take for her. I will never forgive any basilisk in my entire life. And same with that person who keeps appearing everywhere."

    "What do you mean?" Is he talking about... Ouroboros?

    "ARGHHHH!!!" Zeta flew right at the sky and clapped his hands together. As soon as he brought his hands apart from each other, violent lightning appeared out of his hand. "Feel the fear you showed her. Multiply Magic, Thousand Lightning Rain!" Lightning blades appeared from the sky and began to multiply until it was uncountable. The skies were filled with lightning swords and all I could see was Zeta''s calm face but an uncontrollable rage inside powering him up. "Die."

    All of the lightning came falling down targeting the basilisk''s body. Everytime it struck their bodies, the basilisk will jolt and be electrocuted and shriek in an intense pain. After Zeta''s long and arduous torture on the basilisk, he sent out his final lightning swords straight through their heads killing them off completely.

    The crowd was silent. Were they scared of Zeta because of his overwhelming power? But the crowds roared again when Teral spoke. "How unprecedented! A single contender, a single contender has completely beaten the third trial! With ease! This is amazing! Zeta completed the third trial in just ten minutes, that''s definitely the fastest record of anyone completing this challenge! And with that Zeta just boosted up to 5,338 points! This is the first time that has ever happened on the history of the sky island. Ladies and gentlemen, today will be an unexpected and random day for our trials to be held! On we go to the fourth trial!"

    Zeta flew back down to the ground. I was the one to strike up the conversation. "How many mana you have left?"

    "I can still go on." He replied.

    "You know you would''ve been disqualified? That was a dangerous attack."

    "...Yeah. Apologies. I just felt like I need to prove to myself that I did something to help Greta in any way I can. The memories I''ve seen Greta that she forced to forget all came flowing down on her. It was unexpected and painful."

    "I know that I haven''t seen or heard anything about Greta''s past but you need to understand that we have to keep a cool head. I know I''ve said this over and over again but if we lose here because of your emotions, rescuing Greta will become impossible. Stop acting like a child."

    "Yeah... thanks Zieglind."

    "As long as you understand."

 Chapter 154: The Fourth Trial

    "Ladies and gentlemen! We are now moving on to the fourth trial!" Teral''s voice always manages to lift up the hype of the crowd. "Now... Let us move to another arena!" He snapped his fingers and we were moved again to another place. It seems that we''re in a... cave? "For the first time since the trials of sky island has begun, this is the first time that someone got past the third stage. With the basilisk''s eye, no one has ever gone past that. But today is different. Will today be the day the trials be overcome!? Who knows! But this fourth trial requires absolute, strength, mastery of technique and absolute power! The fourth trial ladies and gentlemen... A GIGANTIC DRAGON!"

    The clouds above were suddenly blown away by a large gust of wind. A loud roar was heard ringing throughout the entire arena. And then, a large shadow covered us all in the arena as a dragon descended from the sky and landed on the opposite sidefrom where we are.

    To show dominance, it breathed fire up to the sky and then roared at us loudly.

    The crowd was raging in excitement as if thousands of people attended a lollapalooza. The crowd roared in amazement, fear and hype all at the same time.

    Teral snapped his fingers once again and the whole entire arena expanded five times the normal size. "Don''t worry dear spectators, there''ll be a barrier surrounding the entirety of the arena so don''t you worry about the attacks of our contestants or the dragon. You are guaranteed to be safe no matter what. Alright then! Let''s start shall we? The fourth trial!"

    The dragon swiftly hovered in the air and began to breath fire towards us as it flew by us.

    "Flesh Eater Ring, Release!" My ring released lots of blood all over the place but I gather it by changing it as a weapon, "Bow!" I took aim at the dragon and shot with the bow. It pierced through the dragon''s wing but it seems to be doing nothing. But now I know how easy it is to pierce through its body. I don''t know how strong this is but let''s try other ways.

    "Frostbite!" Zeta casted and the dragon''s body were suddenly freezing seeing how there''s frost marks suddenly generating.

    But the dragon casts a fire spell that completely melted off the frost attack Zeta did against it.

    "Dispel." I made the blood weapons disappear, "Come, Bloodlust." Black lightning struck my hand and summoned both of my weapons. "Twin Blade Form: Lashes of Eternity!" With absolute power, I swung both of my blades. My attack created a large burning ravine in the middle of the arena. The spectators were in awe but not at me. Their eyes were locked at the dragon. As I looked up, the dragon has no damage or wounds noticeable on its body. "Wha-"

    The dragon then dived at me head first at rammed straight to the other side''s wall of the arena.

    "Barrier!" Zeta casted, trying to protect me.

    "Dispel!" Teral counteracted, destroying the barrier set up for me by Zeta.

    "UGUAH-" I was slammed right at the wall of the arena.

    Teral then announced a formal warning, "Zeta, protecting other contenders isn''t allowed on this trial. One more offense and you''ll be disqualified."

    The dragon flew up in the sky and created a gigantic fireball and hurled it right at me. Damn... I have no choice... "DEVIL''S ADVOCATE!" Just before the gigantic fireball that the dragon hit me, the sky above me turned dark and black lightning struck my body summoning my strongest armor. I braced for impact as the giant fireball of the dragon caused a huge explosion. "Dispel!" Before the fog dissipated, I reverted myself back to my normal form. I took a look at my health points and it seems that I didn''t receive that much damage at all.

    Teral was about to announce me dropping out, "That''s a shame! At the fourth round, Zieglind has now dropped ou- oh wait! Wait! What is this!? Zieglind came out of the blast the dragon did on him fully unharmed! What a turn of events! It seems that Zieglind is ready to battle it out once again!"

    It seems that the other contenders are in shock because I blocked the dragon''s attack. "Hey! What are you all doing? Attack!" It seems that snapped them back to reality as they spammed countless spells at the dragon.

    The dragon grew angry so it flew right up to the skies where we couldn''t see. And seconds later, a barrage of fireballs came falling down and as soon as it made contact, its destructive power managed to knock out one of our contenders.

    As the barrage of fireballs came falling down and as we were also busy dodging the dragon''s attack, it came flying down at us breathing fire everywhere. This is impossible to dodge. "Dispel!" I sent back my Bloodlust, "Gazer Form! Come, Death Scythe!" I then took a stance that''s telegraphing that I''ll be an unleashing a wild and wide attack. "SWEEPING DEATH!"

    All the fireballs and the dragon''s breath got cut up and suddenly disappeared just by one of my skills.

    "Silence!" Zeta casted on the dragon and it seems that it can''t open its mouth any longer. "It can''t cast any fire spells anymore! Go! Kill it!" Zeta shouted.

    Everyone took action, the other contenders began to shoot arrows and spam magic, "Thunder Hammer! Dark Chains! Damage Receive Increase!" The dragon couldn''t take the blows anymore and it fell on the ground. But Zeta''s silence spell ran out of duration.

    The dragon dug its head in the ground. We didn''t know what''s happening but we took advantage of the situation and hopped on its back.

    "Twin Blade Form:..." I raised up both of my nodachi in an overhand stance. "Fallen Down!" And slammed it down at the dragon''s back as the dark energy I created with this sword skill created a beacon of darkness that shot up to the sky.

    That blast was powerful, to the point that I completely destroyed the dragon''s armor. Mizuki jumped at the back and kicked us all off the dragon''s back.

    Mizuki unleashed her true power, "First Act: Eclipse!" The sky turned dark and Mizuki''s sword absorbed the dark sky as it lit her sword in a pure white light. She then put her blade inside of the scabbard. "Second Act: Crescent Slash!" Mizuki barely moved her hand as she also barely pulled out her sword out of the scabbard. The entire arena had shaken for two seconds.

    Mizuki then jumped down the dragon''s back. We were all confused on as to why she did that. Then a second later, the dragon''s entirety of body was cleanly sliced up perfectly. She killed the dragon with ease.

    The crowd roared in excitement and awe. Teral did too. "What... destructive power! This is unprecedented! Such strong contenders in this day''s trial! But in exchange for passing the fourth trial, they lost most of their contenders. Three contenders remaining! Zieglind, Zeta and Mizuki! But... is this... truly... the end!?"

    The three of us looked back and the dragon''s body parts suddenly were reconnecting one by one.

    Mizuki rushed up to it but her attacks did nothing at all.

    Zeta tried to put the parts of the dragon inside of the barriers but the barriers simply broke.

    There was no stopping in the dragon''s... resurrection.

    The dragon''s body was complete and a loud thud of heartbeat was heard ringing throughout the arena. It was none other than the dragon''s. The dragon looked at us and spoke, "Fear... the... FIRE!!!"

    "What!? It talks!?" I couldn''t be helped but be shocked that the dragon could talk.

    "You can understand it?" Mizuki asked me.

    Zeta answered her, "Zieglind has a Universal Language skill. But to think that he can understand the language of the dragons..."

    Their questions were held off as we looked at the dragon suddenly pulsing energy waves throughout the entire arena. It was waves of shockwaves of wind, powerful enough to blow us away. But we held our ground as we see the birth and resurrection of this dragon.

    The dragon''s armor fell off like a snake shedding its own skin. A giant heatwave was felt through the entire arena. The artificial rocks in the cave that Teral created was melting too. It was an excruciating and painful heat.

    But what came next blew our minds.

    The dragon blew fire in the air and it created a giant fireball that made the heat even worse. The dragon then went inside the fire. After a couple of seconds, it began to move, it absorbed all the fire of the fireball it created.

    As it emerged, its whole body was no longer covered in hard armor. But pure, violent and raging flames. As it roared loudly and bared its wings for everyone to see, fires were raging everywhere, burning off everything it sees and wrecking havoc.

    Zeta looked at the dragon with intent and uttered, "It''s... an Elemental Dragon."

 Chapter 155: The Elemental Dragon

    "What!?" I was merely confused at what Zeta said. "What''s an Elemental Dragon?"

    "An elemental dragon has three forms, the first one is the basic form of a dragon. Their identity as an Elemental Dragon is completely hidden while in the first form since they look just like other dragons. They''re simply powerful and has a thick coating of armor surrounding their body. The second form is this. Their true nature as an Elemental Dragon. The armor surrounding their body is not an armor to protect themselves, its to protect their enemies." Zeta explained.

    "What..? Protect... Us?"

    "The armor surrounding its body is merely a seal, binding their uncontrollable powers and violent powers inside of them. Their armor will decay and will be absorbed by the dragon, converting the armor to recover their health, mana and also to boost the powers of their element. It''ll be reborn no matter how much we kill it as long as the element inside of them is alive and so is their heart."

    "Then the third form?"

    "It''s death state, once the heart of the elemental dragon is dead... well. Let''s just say it won''t be good."

    "Damn. Well then. Let''s just focus on the situation at hand."

    "Fire Resistance UP!" Zeta casted on himself. "I can''t cast this on you, I''ll be disqualified."

    "It''s fine. I don''t feel anything and it''s barely doing damage to me."

    "The only thing we can do now is wait. The Elemental Dragon is invulnerable while turning into its second phase."

    We can only stand by while the dragon is manifesting the flames that it absorbs completely. After a few moments, a giant concentrated mana was felt inside of the dragon.

    "Mana Search!" A skill that I cast as I began to look for that surge of mana I felt. And as I looked closely, it seems to be at the heart of the dragon.

    Another explosion covered the whole arena but the three of us blocked it completely.

    The dragon roared as it breathed fire in the sky. Its showing dominance. And it''s beginning to take action.

    It just waved its wings slightly but an unexpected tornado of fire appeared in the middle of the arena, burning our bodies and slowly pulling us in to that tornado.

    "Tsunami!" A casted and a gigantic wave hit the flames of tornado but the water suddenly evaporated. "Damn! The flames are way too hot. We can''t afford to get near that. It evaporated a tsunami!"

    Zeta then casted, "Icicle Blast!" Several icicles summoned around Zeta''s body and launched themselves to the tornado. But nothing happened. It connected but it was simply destroyed.

    "Frozen Field!" The entire arena was then covered in a cage of ice but the tornado doesn''t seem to stop.

    Mizuki took action and hopped right next to the flaming tornado.

    "Hey what are you doing!" I shouted.

    "Taking action!" She said. She took a yoko strike stance, a position wherein her katana is resting on a horizontal position on her side with both of her hands. "Flowing Tide!" Water came out from the other side of her katana. And as she swung it by spinning around, a gigantic tornado of water was created that flowed beautifully as it rose up in the sky.

    And the tornado itself made the fire tornado the dragon summoned disappeared.

    Seeing that Mizuki destroyed the dragon''s attack, she stepped back near us.

    "What did you do?" I asked.

    "I counteracted the flaming tornado the dragon made. I made a tornado of my own spinning in an opposite direction the dragon summoned. Mine was a little bit stronger but the heat of the tornado weakened my water tornado since it was evaporating the water. But good thing both of our tornadoes cancelled out each other." Mizuki replied.

    "I see." I took a look at her and she seems to be panting heavily. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah. The heat of the dragon is just too much." It seems that she''s in pain.

    "You gotta bear with the heat. Zeta can''t cast fire resistance on us."

    "When did I say I need your help?" She then followed up with an exasperated sigh. "Focus on your own. The three of us are enemies. I need that flower."

    "I see." When did I become interested in her? I''m just enamored by her swordsmanship. Because that''s something I''ve been trying to pursue all this time. But it seems that I''m easily getting distracted by other thoughts. I wonder what''s happening to me. As I looked at Zeta, I remembered his words

    ''It''s simple really. I like her.''

    That guy put the thought of love into my head. Argh. What am I thinking in the middle of battle!? Eliminate all these thoughts! I slapped myself to regain focus and it caught the attention of the two.

    "Wh- what''s wrong?" Zeta asked.

    "Nothing. Let''s go!" As I rushed below the dragon''s head, I swiped my scythe at it but its body is now way too thick for me to pierce through.

    "Thunder Blast!" A cloud formed above the dragon''s head and began to spew lightning all over its body. Zeta followed up with another spell, "Water Bubble!" The dragon is then stuck inside of a giant water bubble. "Double Cast secondary ability activate! Twin Cast Magic: Dragon Lightning!" Two dragon lightning appeared behind Zeta and launched themselves onto the elemental dragon''s body, charring some of its flesh while being empowered by Zeta''s water bubble, acting as a conductor so that the lightning continues to flow through its whole body.

    The water bubble then disappeared as the dragon let out heatwaves all over the arena. But that seemed to exhaust the flames surrounding its body acting as an armor. The elemental dragon fell on the ground and there seems to be small sparks forming on each part of its body.

    "Good job!" I shouted at him. This is the time to take action. I''m sure that the small sparks is basically the dragon trying to reignite the flames inside it. "Mana Search!" And just as I expected, the dragon is pumping out flames from its heart throughout all its veins. This is now its most vulnerable state!

    I went and got in front of the dragon. "Summon, Soul Scythes!" Hundreds of Soul Scythes began to spawn right behind me. "Combine!" All of the Soul Scythes combined into one weapon, a giant version of my own Soul Scythe.

    [Soul Slaying Scythe, a weapon created by combining hundreds of Soul Scythes. Its massive size is known to have slain giant beings such as cyclops, giants, demons and dragons. Has four sub skills,

    ||Giant Slayer||

    Damaging enemies that are ten times the size of you with this weapon will lower this weapon''s weight by 90% and increase the damage by 50% and will go up to 100% if you hit the enemy''s weak points.

    ||Pitiful Soul||

    Harvesting the soul of an enemy that is ten times your size will grant ten times more permanent strength than normal.

    ||Dragon Absorber||

    When slaying a dragon, instead of getting one skill from absorbing their souls, you will get five new skills.

    ||Obsessive Harvesting||

    If you absorb 100 souls within a matter of ten seconds, your damage will go up by 500% for ten seconds. This skill is passive. This skill can not stack on itself as an added duration but will only reset the duration.]

    I put this gigantic scythe in an overhead position and I swung it on the dragon. And as I brought this weapon down on the dragon''s back, the blood of the dragon came spurting out everywhere. Even the blood of the elemental dragon was hot seeing how it melts the ground when it hit.

    The dragon is dead but not yet. "Dispel!" I dispelled the gigantic Soul Slaying Scythe. "Torched Body!" My body began to turn into ethereal form and my flesh is replaced with fire. "Fists of Fury!" The gigantic mimicry of the avatar of my hand was summoned. I grabbed the neck of the dragon and raised it up for everyone to see.

    The crowd was excited and happy, their deafening cheers was heard throughout the entirety of the sky island. They were waiting for me to deal final killing blow. And I will deliver.

    "Fists of Fury!" With my free right hand, I dug the left fists of fury on the dragon''s chest. I could hear the dragon''s cry as I pierced through its weakened body. I grabbed its heart and ripped it out for everyone to see.

    Just as I was about to crush it, Zeta suddenly shouted, "WAIT! It''s dead Zieglind! Don''t crush its heart!"

    "Oh, can we use this for something?" I asked.

    "Yeah. We''ll take it back to Izgoy."

    "Alright then."

    Teral suddenly spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen! The fourth round is finished! The Elemental Dragon has been defeated by Mizuki, Zieglind and Zeta! Now! Wait for a second as we tally up the new points!"

    "Dispel!" I dispelled the torched body and the hands of fury and I put in my inventory the elemental dragon''s heart.

    I looked around to look for Mizuki since she didn''t really do much this trial and there she was, laying on the ground. I rushed over to her, "Hey! You okay?"

    As soon as she tried to open her lips, I noticed that her lips were dry. She couldn''t speak nor move so she just passed out. It seems that she can''t continue the fight. "Tracker!" I still had plans for her but I guess we''ll meet again someday. I called over to one of the royal guards and they assisted her out of the arena.

 Chapter 156: The Final Trial

    Teral''s hyped up casting began to stimulate the crowd even more. "Ladies and gentlemen, it''s time. For the first time since the sky island has been put up, this is the first time that someone has gotten through the final trial! Let us give a giant applause for the last two contenders! Now... we''ll announce the tallied up points! Zeta is in the lead with 18,348 points! Bonus points for sealing the dragon. That was the biggest turning point in that battle! Zieglind coming in second with 16,348 points! What a jump in points! Zieglind dealt the most damage in that round by a whopping 83,840 damage! The dragon in its base state has about 50,000 HP but in its elemental form, it has about 120,000 health! Zieglind managed to half its health! And for the final one, even though Mizuki is out of the competition we still have to congratulate him, for dealing 43,483 damage! Mizuki fell off in the second phase of the Elemental Dragon but he singlehandedly took down the dragon in its base form. That''s why Mizuki gets 10,382 points, barely going over 10,000."

    "He?" I was confused. "It seems that they don''t know that she''s a woman. Well, not that I care."

    "Now... for the main event that everyone was waiting for. The final stage. I''m sure everyone here is excited. So I''ll get right to it." Teral snapped his fingers and the arena changed again into... an arena? But this time it''s different. Spikes were at the bottom of the arena below and it seems to be we''re in a flying platform. "The final enemy that you''ll have to defeat... is the person in front of you!"

    "Huh?" I was confused.

    "Huh?" And so is Zeta.

    "In short!" Teral pointed at us, "You two are the final trial! Last man standing wins!"

    "Well... This is easy." I knew what I had to do. "I surrende-"

    "Please don''t suggest something so trivial as surrendering. Because if you do, the Flower or Zeratria as a reward will be voided. And if you two hold back your blows against each other, the Flower of Zeratria will be voided. So... Do your best! The only way to get the reward is to win this fight! Now... go! This is the final trial!"

    "Welp... Zeta. I guess we just have to do this. We already got the Flower of Zeratria on our hands. So just blow me away with your spells and we can go back."

    "Dragon Lightning!" Zeta suddenly summoned a gigantic dragon of lightning and it launched itself to me. This spell is too dangerous to be taken by me so I just dodged to the side.

    "Hey!"

    "Well, we haven''t gotten to try our powers against each other. So why not do it here?"

    "So you''re saying you want to test your powers against me?"

    "Exactly."

    "Well then. It''s your funeral."

    "Is it?"

    "Hoo... Let''s see. Gazer Form, Come, Death Scythe!" Hundreds of death scythes appeared behind me as they spun vertically in high revolutions. I launched them all to Zeta using psychokinetic powers.

    "Barrier!" Zeta is blocking the spinning Death Scythes coming at him. But the weapons are slowly tearing down his barrier. "Dispel, Frozen Double!" Zeta stepped back and all the death scythes smashed the sculpture that looked like Zeta. It seems that its from his skill Frozen Double. It attracts all attacks at it letting the caster avoid danger.

    "Come here! Scythe''s Swipe! My scythe grew large and I put the edge of my scythe behind Zeta and pulled him near me.

    "Suicide Blast!" Zeta''s body suddenly began to emit fire. He''s going to explode. So I stepped back and so did he, "Frozen Double!" He got out of there unscathed.

    "Impressive."

    "No time for compliments! Falling Meteorites!" Tons of fireballs came falling down from the sky. "Lightning Shots!" Hundreds of lightning spears were summoned near Zeta and launched themselves to me. It seems that Zeta''s double casting is a passive skill noted to be feared.

    But magic is useless against me especially if they''re slow, "Sweeping Death!" All of Zeta''s spells suddenly disappeared into thin air.

    "What!? Tsk."

    "My turn! Soul Drag!" Zeta is slowly getting pulled towards me.

    "Teleport!" Zeta teleported at the very edge of the arena to get out of my pull range. "Chaos Fire Blasts!" Shotgun like blasts came out from Zeta''s hands as he threw it at me.

    "Anti-Magic Shield!" I set up in front of me and blocked all of Zeta''s spells in exchange for the mana it was used for casting that spell. "320 mana for each blast? That''s a lot."

    "Absolute Rainfall of Arrows!" Thousands of arrows were suddenly summoned at the sky and fell down.

    "Protection from Arrows!" A barrier mostly for protecting arrows. I negated his attack.

    "Armor Piercer!" A small laser came out of Zeta''s finger but it managed to penetrate through my armor and through my shoulder with a clean cut. Zeta was worried but I gave him the okay that I''m still good to go. "Summon, Dem-" Then I remembered that this is the sky island. I don''t know why but I get the feeling that they won''t welcome demons here. "Fireball Blast!"

    "Fireball Blast!" Both of our spells collided and cancelled each other.

    It seems that I have to get a bit serious. I rushed in started off with a large swing of my weapon. He dodged it easily. "Cleave!" I added to my weapon.

    "Cleave?"

    "You''ll see." I rushed at him again and started off with a large upward swing in which he stepped back to dodge but a giant tear on his clothes says otherwise.

    "I got hit?" He was confused.

    I have to take advantage of this situation so I followed up with a vertical slice, in which he stepped back again but a shallow wound appeared on his shoulders. "Heh."

    "What''s going on?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Then I''ll just have to discover it myself! Frozen Seal!"

    My feet were suddenly chained to the ground by a bunch of ice chains. "Torched Body!" I changed into an ethereal form of fire and melted his frozen seal. "Fire Pillar!" A lot of pillar flames come out from the ground and rose up to the surface.

    "Frozen Field!" Zeta froze them all.

    "It seems that we have to settle this once and for all." I then winked at him. Wishing that he got my signal. We need to give Greta the flower immediately so there''s no time to fool around. Prolonging this fight will only make matters worse.

    "I see. Then so be it." It seems that he got it. Zeta began to chant and a giant lightning orb began charging up at the tip of his staff.

    Well, we just need to show that the fight itself is difficult so there''s obviously going to be fake things that I have to show.I began to release some of my dark aura just to show that I''m powering up somehow. "Fists of Fury!" I summoned both of my hands'' avatar. It''s a gigantic two fists that mimics my own.

    "Dragon Lightning''s Orb!" Zeta finished casting his spell and that orb of lightning was wide as the whole arena. "DISAPPEAR!" Zeta then let the dragon lightning orb fall down on me.

    I won''t dodge it. "I''ll take it all!" I raised both of my fist and the fist of fury did the same. As soon as both of our spells came in contact, I felt the overbearing pressure on my body. "ARGHHHH!!!" I tried to lift it with all my strength but this heavy dragon lightning orb is also damaging my body the longer I hold on it. Then the only thing I can do is smash it!

    I widened my arms as if accepting the dragon lightning orb and began to squash it. "I''LL... DESTROY THIS!" I began to compress the dragon lightning orb to the size of a human, to a size of a ball, to a size of a marble until I could crush it with my own hand.

    Since we already secured the Flower of Zeratria, the only thing I need to do is end this fight. I then dropped on the ground.

    "Eh?" Zeta was confused.

    "It''s over ladies and gentlemen!" Teral began to speak, "Zeta wins the trials of the sky island! Gaining a total points of 21,300! And Zieglind coming in second with 20,000 points! Congratulations to the both of you! Everyone! Let''s all give praise to these two young men!" Teral then jumped down from where he was casting and went to us. He snapped his fingers and all our health and mana and our exhaustion suddenly disappeared. "Now, congratulations to the both of you. Zeta Reysh, you may have the Flower of Zeratria." Teral snapped his fingers and a giant beacon of light shot up to the sky and revealed the Flower of Zeratria.

 Chapter 157: Hes-!

    It seems that... We''re mesmerized by the appearance of the Flower of Zeratria.

    It''s white five petals were glowing in a bright white color and its brightness of light were surrounding the entire arena with it.

    "Oh?" A system message then popped up in front of me.

    [Sky Island''s Five Stage Trial Champion, win the trials held by the sky island. This is a generated event in the world of Pandir. By unlocking this achievement, one key will be added to your inventory.]

    [Sky Island Champion Key]

    Use this key to enter the sky island''s second stage. Recommended level, Level 200 - Level 400.

    What are these items? It seems... weird. I have never received any item like this. And the system says it''s a generated event? Does that mean that this trial is set up by the gods? This is difficult to fully understand.

    I have a similar item called a Gate Key. In which it resets the dungeon and summons the monsters again twice as strong. I have never used it that much but this Champion Key seems to be completely different to it. After all things calm down, I''ll give this a try.

    Teral gave Zeta the Flower of Zeratria. "Put it in your inventory now dear champion. It''s too bright for our spectators to fully see."

    "I see. Well then. Inventory!" Zeta then put it in his inventory.

    "Since the both of you are considered champions since you were the last ones that reached the final trial, you will be invited into the Champion''s room and I will answer any questions you have."

    "But... we don''t have any questions..." Zeta thought for a moment. "Actually we do. Let''s go."

    "Well then." Teral snapped his fingers and we were at a different location. "This is the Champion''s Room. Take a seat."

    It''s just a medium sized room decorated in prestigious things such as the wall being made in gold same with the floor and ceiling, high quality pottery seeing how the images on the pots move, a gigantic amounts of food on the table enough to feed a whole village with wide variety and lots of chairs around it. We took our seats and began to ask questions.

    Zeta was the one who wants to question Teral first. "I just wanted to ask, what do we do to the Flower of Zeratria so that I can pierce through a barrier inside of one''s mind?"

    "Hmm..." Teral thought for a moment. "Are you planning to use this to mind control someone?"

    "Absolutely not. I have someone who were inflicted with a basilisk''s gaze and the trauma she received was too much. Even with cleanse skills she doesn''t seem to regain her old self.

    "I see. You just need one petal of the Flower of Zeratria, two drops of the basilisk''s venom and one of its eye. That should do the trick."

    "So we need to kill basilisks... But where could we find one..." It seems that we need to kill more basilisks. Time is running out so finding them will be difficult.

    "Since you''re the champion, I''ll just give them to you for free." Teral suddenly proposed the best solution we could ask for.

    "You can do that?" We were both happy at this situation.

    "Well, you''re the first champions in the history of the sky island so this is something special." Teral snapped his fingers and a basilisk''s eye and a bottle of its venom appeared out of thin air. "Here. Pull out the Flower of Zeratria. I''ll conduct the creation of the potion that you need."

    "We really appreciate this. Alright, we''ll leave everything to you. Inventory!" Zeta then showed him the flower.

    "I''ll be taking one petal." And Teral did. I''m going to combine it now. A gigantic flash of light lit up the whole room and the three ingredients suddenly flew into the air to Teral''s hands. A giant white orb of light was forming and the three ingredients flew in that light. Teral then compressed the size of the light into the size of a ball to a size of a marble. Just as he grabbed it and opened his hands, a vial of a pure white color inside was seen. "That''s done. This is Zeratria''s Blessing. It can pierce through any barrier and melt it but no living being will be harmed in the process."

    "Hold it for a second." I told him. "Potion Duplicate!" But nothing happened. I was confused. "Skill Description, Potion Duplicate."

    [Potion Duplicate, clones a potion with 100% of the same effect as the original potion. This can only be only once on a potion and this can''t be used to clone the cloned potion. When using the cloned potion, it''ll only work once and the rest of the potion will expire and will turn into a poison. Cannot clone Legendary potions and above.]

    "That won''t work." Teral explained. "This is an Ancient potion. It''s incredibly rare and there is no way to clone an ancient item."

    "The highest type of item? Ancient?" Zeta asked.

    "Yes. The Flower of Zeratria is an Ancient item in itself. So, do you have any more questions?"

    "I have." I told him.

    "What is it?" He asked.

    "Which... god are you?" Suddenly, the tension in that room sky rocketed.

    "What do you mean?" Teral tried to play dumb.

    "Just answer the question."

    "..." Teral looked intently at me. "When?"

    "Did I realize? You cast spells without using words, that can be understandable if you''re a dragon or some other species but your appearance looks and resembles a human. If you have the skill called, Skill Devourer then I''d understand if you just stole it from a monster. But you just snap your finger. Three of your powers made me question if you''re really a god or just a powerful prince in the sky island. One, controlling time. When you snapped your fingers, the monsters in the second stage stopped mid air and their breaths too and their entire movement. Even if those were all summoned monsters, you can''t order them to do that. Second, where do you get the supply of monsters? You use basilisks, cyclops, banshee and an elemental dragon to hold this event daily. It''s a daily event so how can you release these monsters like you have an endless supply? And if you did, where do you hide it?"

    "..." He was just there sitting silently. So I decided to continue.

    "Third, the item and title I received, ''Sky Island''s Five Trial Champion'' and ''Sky Island Key''. Both of these items are weird and I have never received this kind of item. What exactly is a generated event and why does this item open up a dungeon with a level recommendation when I haven''t got that warning in the countless dungeons I entered. So tell me. Which god are you?"

    "Haha... HAHAHA!" Teral suddenly started laughing. "Great work Zieglind Reysh. GREAT WORK! This wasn''t supposed to happen but you discovered it yourself. I AM IN AWE! FINE! You want to know who I am? Then so be it." Teral snapped his fingers and a giant wave of killing intent was felt throughout the entire room.

    I felt absolute danger and so did Zeta since he has a horrified look on his face. I knew I had to run but there was no door anywhere. All I could do was ran to the very opposite end of the wall far away from Teral. "Devil''s Advocate! Come, Bloodlust!" Black lightning struck my entire body and both of my armor and weapons were summoned.

    "Sage''s Armor!" Zeta summoned his armor in which I don''t know what that is. But I feel that''s strong. "Come out, Yurid!" And this is the first time I saw Yurid. The woman living in Zeta''s soul.

    We were both shocked by the power Teral is releasing. It''s way out of our league. We both feel helpless.

    A giant red beacon of light surrounded Teral''s body and hid himself in there. Moments later, he emerged.

    "So..." I couldn''t help but be amazed and scared at the same time. "This is a god."

    With his golden armor on his body and his golden helmet with a glorious cape on his back. There''s a spear holding in his right hand and a shield on the other. His eyes and face hidden and blackened under his helmet, a red light flickered under it lighting up his eyes in a crimson red color. "So... This is your answer mortal."

    This appearance... I knew of this. His demeanor, the way he talk and his full armor. I feel like I know him. I know this god. "I know you. The god who has watched over countless battles of humans and other species. Guiding their weapons and armors into battle... It is you..."

    His voice were suddenly deeper and kind of distorted. He has completely lost his meek and shy body that is Teral and now changed into this spartan and muscly figure. "I am Ares. The God of War."

 Chapter 158: Answered Questions

    "You''re... the god of war." I couldn''t help but be shocked by this revelation. "You''re the first god that I saw in this world since I came here. The one who invited me in this battle royale game has his form hidden."

    "Interesting." Ares chuckled. "You discovered my true identity before your own host god? HAHA! None of this was supposed to happen. You were supposed to stick to the script. You win, I give you some things and you leave. But you went ahead and changed the direction of the story."

    "What was supposed to happen?"

    "After all this, you were supposed to receive my blessing."

    "Blessing? What?"

    "Well I guess you wouldn''t understand it. I expected too much of you. The trial held in the sky island is a trial for finding the finest warrior. The first stage being, how will you fare against bigger number than yours, second trial, what will you do in the war with your allies under your command, third trial, what will you do when you''re being mind controlled, will you overcome it with your mental strength? Fourth trial, the elemental dragon, what would you do against a being that''s completely powerful and a monster that might be out of your grasp, and the final battle, everyone should know it by now, last man standing. But you both, smashed all those trials like it was nothing."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You defeated countless monsters in a single sweep, you just rampaged in the battlefield swinging your great strength against others. You defeated the basilisks before it could even bring out its trump card which is mind control, you defeated the elemental dragon with ease and you were both unscathed. And the final trial, you were both holding back. You all completely eliminated everything I have planned. Now between you two, I don''t know how to evaluate you. How are you so strong in this stage of the battle royale? But it really matters not. This is just a generated event by the gods above and me. So you''ll still receive your rewards."

    A message then popped up in front of me.

    [God of War''s Blessing, leveling up will grant a permanent +500 Strength.]

    "Good. Are there events like these in other places?"

    "Absolutely. I''m not the only event holder in this planet. Right now you''re in the Sky Island Trial Event wherein the recommended level is 80-150. But there are other events which I''m not allowed to tell you because that''ll be interfering with the game itself."

    "Then I have two more questions."

    "Go on."

    "Tartarus. What exactly is it?"

    "You... wanna go in the Tartarus?"

    "I want to CONQUER, Tartarus." I couldn''t possibly tell him about overthrowing the entire gods so this should be a suffice answer. "I''ll end the reign of monsters in this world."

    "Haha... HAHAHAHAHA! YOU? CONQUERING TARTARUS? INTERESTING! Absolutely interesting mortal. Sure. I will tell you everything you want to know."

    "Then I want you to confirm or deny this, is Pandora''s Box in there supplying this world with monsters?"

    "You... HAHAHA! YOU MAKE EVERYTHING INCREDIBLY INTERESTING! How did you know? But since I''m not the one asking questions, don''t answer that. But anyway, you''re right. Pandora''s Box is open in the Tartarus."

    "So it''s the supplier for the monsters in this world?"

    "Yes."

    "Then why is Tartarus producing such powerful monsters more than the average monsters in the overworld?"

    "Tartarus simply releases monsters. But these monsters are obsessed with greed and power. That''s why monsters kill each other. That''s why monsters continue to grow stronger and stronger. But the monsters who wish to be with a group, gets released into the outside world and they begin to populate this world. The most rarest monsters here in the overworld such as basilisks, dragons, eyeball illusionist and so much more are simply common inside the Tartarus."

    "I see. Why is Tartarus releasing giant monsters monthly? For example we fought the thunder bear, Umibozu, dragon, basilisk and that eyeball illusionist. My companion told me that they''re monsters released from the Tartarus."

    "It''s simple. Tartarus is overcrowded. It''s releasing monsters since the tower itself couldn''t hold it."

    "That''s... impossible... Then that means that the Tartarus itself is swarming with monsters. Monsters that we haven''t even seen or heard of. This is absolutely outrageous."

    "You want to conquer Tartarus? Very interesting. Do you know why the level requirement is 10,000 when you enter it?"

    "Why?"

    "Because the monsters'' levels there are unknown. Not even us know. Pandora''s box is a deity''s item. It''s protecting and it created Tartarus by itself. Level 10,000 is the bare minimum that you have to have if you want to even enter the first floor."

    "This is becoming even more difficult the more I know. Okay, that''s enough. Now for my final question, it''s not about Tartarus anymore."

    "Speak."

    "Tell me. Who is Ouroboros?"

    "W-"

    After Ares answered all of our questions, we suddenly got teleported back at the overworld from where we entered. The giant gate that was there in front of us disappeared and the compass key that forged as we destroyed, simply disappeared into nothingness.

    "Dispel. Gazer Form." I changed back to my Gazer Form and Zeta also did the same. He took off the armor that was unknown to me and changed back to his Gazer Form. We flew to the sky to clear our heads.

    "Zieglind..." Zeta called out to me. "How... is that possible."

    "I don''t know. I absolutely do not know." My mind is still boggling with the answer Ares gave us. "Damn it. DAMN IT! HOW!?"

    "Ouroboros is a type of monster that we didn''t expect. How could he do that. He has appeared in the countless events that has happened to us. Even in Greta''s memories. My master."

    "Yeah. Herold''s story and my own side. We still haven''t met him but thousands of questions appears in my head trying to figure out what''s happening in this goddamned world."

    "Who is he? I didn''t think it was possible."

    "For now let''s clear our heads. Let''s go back to Izgoy and resolve Greta''s condition first."

    "Got it."

    We flew silently as we headed to Izgoy. As soon as we got there,we first went to Lam and showed him the potion that the god of war forged for us.

    "I asked him."

    "Oh, this magnificent shining bright light in all its glory. Yes! This is it! This is the Zeratria''s Blessing!" Lam was in awe of the flower. "Forging this potion should only have taken one petal. Where''s the rest?"

    "Here. Inventory!"Zeta pulled out the Flower of Zeratria from his inventory and it illuminated the whole area.

    "Let''s use the rest of the petals later. For now, go on to lady Greta''s side and simply drop the Zeratria''s Blessing." Lam ordered us.

    "Thanks."

    We flew right to the castle at Izgoy and we were welcomed back by the others but we simply casted them aside for now and they understood what we wanted to do. Zeta rushed to Greta''s side. "Please work..." Zeta then dropped the Zeratria''s Blessing on Greta''s head and a blinding light illuminated everything. A projection of what Greta is experiencing inside her mind was suddenly in plain view for everyone to see. "What is this..?"

    "It seems to be a gate." I replied to him. "Try entering it."

    Zeta put his hand on the projection and his hand was suddenly sucked in. "It is a gate. Zieglind. Thank you. I''ll be going now."

    "You better be back here with Greta. That''s an order."

    "Yeah. Thanks. I''ll be back soon." Zeta then jumped inside and both Zeta and the projection of Greta''s memories suddenly disappeared.

    "There''s that. Let''s just hope for the best. Precia, go observe them for a while. I''ll be contacting someone."

    "Got it." Precia replied.

    I left the room and went into the conference room. My questions needed to be answered.

    "Telepathy, Herold." I connected through him. "Herold are you there?"

    "Yeah. I''m here. What''s up? Something wrong?" He replied.

    "I met a god."

    "Wha- who?"

    "It''s Ares. The God of War."

    "You completed the Sky Island Trial?"

    "You know of it?"

    "Yeah. We finished the sky island trial in the previous battle royale and used the Flower of Zeratria to strengthen our weapons. But why would a god show himself? I''m pretty sure that they''re not allowed to do that."

    "He showed himself when I exposed the unnatural uses of his power. But that''s not important. As he revealed himself, he gave us a reward that we can ask him any questions."

    "So? What did you ask?"

    "Questions about the Tartarus. But that''s not the main point. I asked him about Ouroboros."

    Herold''s voice suddenly got deeper. "...And?"

    "How can a winner of the previous battle royale do that?"

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "When I asked the God of War about Ouroboros he simply said..."

    "What?"

    "Who is Ouroboros?"

 Chapter 159: Diving Deep

    As I entered Greta''s soul all I could see was this dark empty abyss that I couldn''t understand nor comprehend. I can still use my skills here but damaging the soul will be incredibly dangerous. "Mana Search!" As I looked around to find her, she''s there in that dark cloud covering her whole body.

    In this space, there was no ground. She was there all alone floating in this empty dimension.

    I flew over to her side and tried to grab her to pull her out. "Argh..." As I touched the clothes, I was shocked as pain flowed through my soul.I persevered and took on the pain as long as I can bring her out of there. "Come... back!" I completely pulled her out of the black cloud. I carried her in a princess carry as she opened her eyes.

    "Why... are you here?" As soon as her eyes opened, that''s the first thing that she asked of me.

    "We need you. I..." I couldn''t bear to say it. I''m still a coward.

    "Why?"

    "If you ask why then... it''s because we enjoy your company."

    "You can just get that for other people. I''m simply done with everything."

    "...Greta..." Was it wrong for me to go here? I feel like Zieglind would''ve done better in my stead. I''m speechless and I don''t know what to do.

    "You''ve seen it right? My memories."

    "..Yeah. I''m sorry."

    Suddenly, the world around us changed. The bottomless dark hole that was once this place changed. "This... is my hometown."

    This is exactly what I saw that time. "..."

    "You''ve seen it huh."

    "Yeah."

    "Everything was just at peace." Greta waved her hands at the kids at her hometown. But no one could see her. "This is just merely a fragment of my memories."

    The ground the beast people were standing on suddenly tremored. The kids rushed into their homes and the remaining people rallied at the very entrance of their village in their beast forms.

    Several mercenaries in their gryphons came flying down on their hometown. "Who are they...?" I asked.

    "They''re mercenaries. I don''t know what they want. They just came one day demanding everything from my father. Asael Gurvein." She replied.

    "Who are you?" Asael asked the mercenaries.

    "A mercenary band. Well not really." The man with the creepy face and long hair replied. The man who I saw in Greta''s memories that was eating her parents."We''re now part of an army. Well let''s pass on the details." With a creepy smile on his face he said, "Serve under us."

    "We decline."

    "If you do, we will be forced to kill everyone here."

    "Then just try. The beastpeople are a proud race. Don''t expect us to bow to anyone weaker than us."

    "Weak!? HAHAHA! That''s where you''re wrong Asael Gurvein."

    "How do you-"

    "We carefully analyze our prey. In this case it''s you all. If you dare to call our lord weak, then the army of Ouroboros doesn''t fit you. Men!" He pointed his hand at the beastpeople. "Kill them all."

    Asael jumped on the leader of their army and instantly killed their gryphons. "Hunter''s Macabre!" Asael''s body suddenly grew larger and the claws on his hand grew sharper.

    "Good. Killing you brings me great joy." The mysterious man suddenly shot out several daggers but Asael easily blocked it.

    "No honor even in battle?"

    "When was there even an honor in battle."

    "Filthy mercenaries. Hunter''s Fest! Cloning!" Suddenly, tens of copies of Asael was formed overpowering the mysterious man.

    Asael rushed in and swiped his claws in a flurry of attacks but the man simply parried every single one with his small daggers and countering with a small stab.

    "Come on!" The man taunted him. Asael grew faster and faster with his attacks. Everytime he pushes back the man with his flurry of attacks, the snow that was on the ground were being cleared but he still couldn''t land a single attack even with ten of his clones.

    "Damn you..."

    "Ouroboros doesn''t deem you a part of his plan. The only glory you can give him is your death."

    "What..?"

    "I gave you a chance and you ruined it. Your stupid decision and pride as a beastman will kill all of your people."

    "You are just mere mercenaries. You have no chance against us."

    "Is that so. Then look behind you."

    "I won''t be fooled by your tricks."

    "Is that so." The man suddenly disappeared. He was too fast for Asael to see. Even in his beastform which gives him bonus abilities and such and heightened senses, he couldn''t even see his movement. "Then I''ll force you to look back." The man then stabbed Asael on his back.

    Asael jumped forward and looked back to see the man. But what he saw was something even more horrifying.

    His people were flying. Not exactly the people, the parts of them. It wasn''t a battle. It was just a massacre. "How can the beastpeople be killed like this..." He could only stand there and watch the carnage that was happening as his own people die by the hands of mere mercenaries. "What is that dark aura around them... What have you done!?"

    "Nothing much. We merely received a fraction... no... BARELY even a fraction of our Lord Ouroboros. This is the power he gave us. In exchange? Freedom. We''re free to kill, to ravage and get anything we want under his name."

    "You''ve abandoned your humanity for that reason!?" Asael rushed in and performed a lunge attack but the man simply dodged it.

    "I''m tired of this fight." The man disappeared and reappeared in front of Asael and stabbed him right in the stomach. "Death Marks Activate!"

    The wounds on Asael''s body suddenly got linked together by tattoo that looked like chains. "What... is... this..." Asael couldn''t move.

    "Die." As the man formed a fist on his hand, there was a loud sound that felt likt it came from Asael''s insides. He grabbed Asael''s head and began to head in a house. "I wonder where your wife is."

    "NO! Greta! Stop!" I hugged her and covered her view of the memory she has been projecting all this time.

    "Why are you stopping me from seeing this. This particular has always been engraved in my soul. In this place I can be anything."

    "You have to stay strong Greta. You need to come back. With us."

    "Why? Tell me why!?"

    "I''m not asking you to forget this memory. This memory made you who you are. As painful as it might sound, this memory is a part of you that you can never escape. You must not forget it. But for the burden you are carrying, you have to share it. Everything you feel may it be happiness or sadness, fear or anger, I want to feel it with you. You have to remember that I''m here. We''re here. You''re not alone anymore."

    "But in this space, I can create memories."

    "But they''re simply illusions Greta!"

    "So what? With just a flick of my fingers," The whole world suddenly changed and we were in Greta''s old home. "I can summon my family. In here, they''re still with me. No one is going to bother me. In here I might be alone, but at least here I''m still in that place that took 10 years ago."

    "I see. Then there''s that. I can''t convince you to leave this place."

    "Yes. Tell Zieglind that I''m thankful for everything he has done for me. And I''m sorry Zeta."

    "Why would I tell him?"

    "What?"

    "I won''t be leaving here without you. If you''re going to stay stuck in here, then I''ll be stuck here with you."

    "What are you saying!?"

    "I originally planned this from the start if I couldn''t convince you."

    "Then I''ll just drive you out." But nothing happened.

    "It''s futile. I entered in your soul using The Flower of Zeratria. It''s an ancient item that can penetrate any barrier. It''s made from the basilisk''s venom and eye so you don''t have full control over me."

    "Why are you doing this? I''m not a part of anything. And my past will continue to haunt me wherever I go. I have been already broken from the very start."

    "It''s because..." I moved closer to her and gave her a kiss on her lips. "I love you. All this time I couldn''t find the right time to tell you because I thought that your feelings were directed at Zieglind. But right now I don''t care taking the risk of being rejected. Right now all I wanted for you is to come back to us. I don''t care if you hate me or despise me for forcing you to leave this world. But I don''t want you to forge your own fake happiness in this illusion. If you love Zieglind then I don''t care. As long as you learn to turn your horrible memories into a lesson as you create more happy memories for yourself then I don''t care about the outcome."

    "Zeta..." Suddenly our souls inside Greta''s realm was disappearing. Our bodies inside were suddenly fleeting into nothingness. "You finally had the courage to tell me. All this time I waited and waited but when you returned you had another woman with you." Greta suddenly shed tears. I couldn''t take it seeing her in that state.

    "She''s-"

    "You had your chance, I''m talking this time." Greta calmed herself down and resumed talking. "I hate that the first thing I noticed was you with another woman. I thought I lost you forever. I thought I lost the love of my life, my family, my friends and my will to live. But you suddenly came here in this world of mine to give me everything that I''ve lost. All those things that you said, we''ll create our own memories, our own family and our own will to live to continue being together. Is that true?"

    I was overwhelmed with feelings and I wish that I could let out my tears. But I want to see her face more than anything. "Absolutely. Anything and everything you want, we''ll get it someday. I will give you the love and family that you lost and the memories you wished you had."

    "Am I allowed? To be this happy?"

    "Of course you are. I love you more than anything."

    "Then Zeta Reysh, I''ll give you everything I have."

    "I''ll also give you everything I have."

    "I love you more than anyone."

    "I love you more than you will ever think." As we kissed for the last time in her realm, our souls were dissipating into nothingness.

    The bright light that covered our bodies were no more and I woke up in the place where Greta''s asleep. I suddenly stood up and looked for her. She was there, awake. With a giant relief on my side, I was overfilled with emotions as I shed my tears as I reached at her with a hug. "Welcome back..."

    "I''m back..."

 Chapter 160: Looking Forward

    Relief flowed through me when I saw Greta and Zeta''s crying happy face when I got the report that they''re both back. Seeing how Zeta cried, it seems that he had finally confessed his love for her. I''m proud of him. We let the two of them have their private time since they just both got back.

    I still remember Herold''s words when we talked last time.

    "What!?" He was panicking over the phone trying to understand what''s happening. "No, no, no. Zieglind this is beyond impossible. This is... NO! What the hell!?"

    "I''m not joking." I replied to him. "The god I met, he''s really the god of war. And as I said, his reply was that. He doesn''t know Ouroboros."

    "This is beyond everything I could think... Wait, maybe Ares doesn''t know Ouroboros since he hasn''t met him? Or he''s not interested in things like this."

    "Stop trying to find excuses. Ares is a God of War. Why would he be not interested in the battle royale that''s hosted by every god in the world. And Ouroboros is extremely strong as you said and as I heard. I don''t know what the hell we''re facing. A mortal who could hide himself from the gods."

    "I can''t believe this. Once again Zieglind, I''m asking, is it really the god of war that you saw?"

    "...Yes." I was hesitant to reply but we have to face it. "We''re facing someone much more powerful than us. We need to get stronger somehow. Ouroboros is a man that is out of our hands. For now."

    "God damn it. All my plans for taking him down goes down the drain. Zieglind, listen to me. We need to make an alliance. We just can''t keep this to ourselves."

    "...Hmm."

    "But we can''t absolutely have other players on our alliance. It''s just us and some other non players."

    "That''s... going to be difficult. All kingdoms have been overthrown by players and there has been a ranking system established. Players above everyone."

    "Yeah. But with the building of the ranking system, of course the inhabitants of this world will form an army. A revolutionary army. Back in the previous battle royale from where I''m in, a revolutionary army happened and they were against us all the time. They''re weak, but incredibly persistent. You must get on their good side not as a leader but as someone who can stand by them. As long as you capture kingdoms, assign these non players as the rulers. You have to remember not to trust any players. In the end you''re all fighting for the promise the gods have laid out."

    "Yeah."

    "I''ll contact some of the connections I have. I''ll try to make them join your side."

    "Alright then."

    "Wait, has Greta recovered?"

    "Yeah. Zeta was the one to do the trick."

    "That''s good then. Contact me later this week and I''ll try to think of something to get us started."

    "Alright. I''ll be cutting the telepathy off."

    "Alright. Talk to you later."

    As I cut off the telepathy, I looked outside the window and looked at the sky. There are so many things happening at the same time. I''m still wondering what could I do to expand our kingdom. Just hearing the name Ouroboros sends chills down my spine.

    A powerful being like him has appeared in everyone''s stories. I''m sure that the gods above especially the God of War Ares won''t overlook such a monster. He''s also the winner of the previous battle royale. But what does he want in this world...

    At first I just wanted to conquer the whole world as a wandering adventurer. But the more I know, the more I want to do something. This world has become a battleground as a playground for the gods to pit random million people in a giant battle royale. They introduce us to this system to avoid our attention to how inhumane and wrong this fight is. The more I know about the non players about this world like Zeta and Greta, the more I understand how grave and unfair this battle royale is.

    The amount of horror I saw back at Polk because I was too weak. My own kingdom was destroyed in a single blast by Fafnir''s son. The people I''ve saved gone. In an instant. The families that discovered the plans... Died in the blast. All these burdens I''m carrying has accumulated for everyone I''ve got in contact with. But it''s only mine to bear. I can only wish that no one has to bear the pain that I feel.

    The only thing that I can do for this world is simply save it.

    Now that I know and has been confirmed by the god of war himself that Tartarus is the source of the monsters spawning in this world. Then that''s my goal. To destroy the source itself. That''s why I''ll create more elaborate plans with Herold and Zeta.

    For now creating an alliance is a priority that I have to take more than ever. But I need to find the revolutionary army, the other non players and to get even far stronger.

    "Inventory!" I took out the sky island''s key and looked at the description.

    This key will unlock a challenge only for me. But its level requirement is around level 200 or so. This is not the only event that''s being held. The Flower of Zeratria was the reward for clearing the first stage of the sky island. That was an incredibly rare artifact and Lam is doing all he can to create a new potion from the remaining petals of the flower.

    It was already an Ancient item. So what more could the second stage of the sky island give.

    I''m growing stronger I know it. But I wonder if it''s enough. The hero that I saw was powerful. We both killed the Lich with just the two of us. But when we met, something in us changed.

    Devil''s Advocate... This skill that I have seems to be incredibly powerful to the point that I blocked an elemental dragon with it.

    Anxiety grows within me the more I know about Tartarus and the enemies that I''ll be facing. I feel like I''m climbing a tower wherein its height is infinite. The more I feel closer to them, the moment I learn something, I''m back at square one.

    I''m obviously doubting myself. I don''t know if I can keep this up. But...

    This world has already given me everything I could''ve ever wanted. A new shot at life. I''ll end this game once and for all.

    With an absolute resolute mind, I cleared my head and rested for the rest of the day.

    I woke up and patrolled around the whole Izgoy. I didn''t know what to do for now. But I do know that we need more power. But something is bugging me. I looked back, "Why are you two following me?"

    "Well..." Greta replied as she rubbed her fingers together due to nervousness.

    "We don''t know how to act towards each other." Zeta was the one to speak.

    "Then why come to me..? I''m literally the one without any romantic experience in our team." I replied.

    "We were just following you. Since we''ve got nothing to do and I don''t know what to do. Well. We don''t know what to do."

    "Just act naturally I guess."

    "I told you, we don''t know how to do that..." Both of them were trying to hide their flushed faces.

    "You lovebirds go elsewhere. I also don''t know how to deal with you two."

    "Have you... never felt this way?"

    As I looked back on my previous pathetic life, "All I did was work every single day. There was women all around me in that workplace that I''d be happy to be with and live my life like normal. But I never felt true love so to speak. So, no. I never felt the way you two did."

    "Maybe in this world you''ll find it here. Love that is."

    "Yeah." Greta joined in. "And maybe there are two people that feel the same way about you about love."

    I was confused. "What does that mean?"

    "Hehe." She giggled like a little child. "Oh I don''t know. You''re denser than a rock. Let''s go Zeta." Greta grabbed Zeta''s hands as if it was a natural thing to do as they walked away.

    "Wait!" I stopped them before leaving. "Since you asked me for advice, I really didn''t give you any. So here''s mine. As long as you love each other, everything will work out. The both of you found something that other people search for, for their whole lives. The only thing you need to do is simply protect it."

    "Thank you Zieglind. For not only saving us but for giving us a life that we couldn''t ask for anywhere. No matter what you do we''ll be there for you. Even if the world is against you."

 Chapter 161: Hunting Xend

    Since there''s still nothing to do until I contact Herold again, then upgrades are needed. I''ll be focusing on upgrading Izgoy''s facilities and everything. Then for the first thing that we need. "WE NEED TO BUILD A WALL!"

    But it seems that our resources are scarce. We still haven''t made a mine for ourselves to mine minerals like iron, gold and other stuff. We''ve been gathering our materials from wood only and the only reliable structure here is the castle itself. My citizen''s houses are just practically just wood. So that means that we need to upgrade our kingdom somehow.

    The defenses needed for a house that can basically deflect natural disasters is pretty expensive. We''re going to farm it.

    I went into Lam''s workshop and asked him where to find this mineral.

    "Do you mean the Xend minerals?" Lam asked.

    I then replied, "Is that the name for that material?"

    "Well depending on your description, that''s the only conclusion I have. It has been said that the Xend mineral was created so that the people of this world could handle the battle between the players. But it seems to not be the case considering that everything you people go everything gets destroyed."

    "Well... I can''t deny that. Anyway, we really need this Xend material. It can help fortify our defenses and will be able to hold off against bandits or small armies. In the end wars in this world are dependent on the generals which are the players. But it''s still enough to hold off the fort when I''m gone."

    "Well. You can find those."

    "Really? Where?"

    "By mining."

    "..."

    "..."

    "So we do need to make one..."

    "Well that''s the only way you can get it. There''s no way that other kingdoms will give you Xend materials since those things are extremely expensive and difficult to find."

    "Well then. I guess I''m going to work to create a giant mine."

    "How will you do it?"

    "I guess I''m just gonna create an explosion and then dig about 60 meters deep then just let the people mine from there."

    "Well that''s a good plan and all. Just make sure to tone your magic down. I think you can make a giant hole in just a second but if you do you''ll be destroying other materials and Xend material itself. Just be patient and limit your magic power by 95% or something to prevent from completely destroying the materials."

    "That''ll take forever."

    "Well you''re gonna lose a lot of minerals if you just blast it."

    "Argh... this is annoying. Fine. I''m going to do it. Thanks."

    I left Lam in his workshop and ordered ten of the citizens to join me. I told them they''re gonna mine so I ordered Afal to buy some pickaxe at Ruz and Ruf''s at Itz.

    Now I''m here, I''m going to create a mine. If I make it diagonal, the ground above it will just crumble since there''s no support. I guess I''ll just make it a straight hole.

    Since this is a need for explosion, I guess I''ll use this. "Torched Body!"

    I entered the ground by melting it as I go. Now that I''m in ten meters deep, I guess I can use skills now. "Flame Pillars!" The ground suddenly began to combust explosions in which I didn''t understand how it happened.

    With my plan to open up a five meter wide and 20 meter deep, I completely melted off everything in the vicinity of 50 meter wide while only being 10 meters deep.

    "Ah-" I didn''t know how to hold back. I dispelled my torched body and I looked back and it seems that the people I have with me are safe and undamaged but they''re pretty shocked. "I''m sorry about that. Oops-"

    I didn''t know what to do in this situation. "I guess he''s the right person."

    I went ahead and barged in Zeta and Greta''s leisure time and apologized at Greta since I need to take Zeta. "Sorry about this."

    "Why are you saying sorry? This is also getting weird since you''re acting pretty different at us." Greta replied.

    "Well things change. I guess I just don''t know how to face it."

    "Well do your advice that you gave us."

    "And that is..?"

    "Be natural isn''t it?"

    "Heh. Yeah. I''ll be borrowing Zeta. It''ll be just for a bit."

    "Take care."

    I then brought Zeta to the hole I created.

    "This is... the thing you did?" Zeta was scractching his head out of disappointment.

    "Yeah..." I replied.

    "Well I guess that''s a start. What''d you need?"

    "Create a 60 meter deep hole for mining."

    "You''re already doing a great work. So, what''d you need me for?"

    "Well Lam said that we need the materials for structuring the houses so that''s what we''re doing. We''re going to create a hole in which the materials aren''t going to be destroyed."

    "What kind of materials?"

    "Our top priority is the Xend material."

    "Its breaking point is around the blast of a level 40. But since we will need the other materials, I''ll control my power to around level 10 or so. Alright then. Fireball." A basic spell and a small orb of fire appeared on Zeta''s hands. As he threw it on the ground, it created a hole but it''s not big enough.

    "That''s going to be..."

    "Yeah... This''ll take a long time. But this is for the sake of creating a mine. How will we build it?"

    "Horizontally. We won''t have pillars if we build it diagonally. The cave itself will crumble if you do that."

    "Alright then."

    "Anyway can you teach me how to do that?"

    "Do what?"

    "Control the output of the mana to lower the power of the spell."

    "You don''t know how to do this?"

    "Nope."

    "You''re a stronger mage than me and..." Zeta let out an exasperated sigh. "You don''t know this? Well fine. I can teach you about this."

    We spent the next five days blowing stuff on the giant mine we''re creating. I was being taught by Zeta how to control the output of mana so our progress got delayed by a lot.

    I managed to destroy some Xend materials here and there and other minerals to practice since my output was too much. But we finally did it, making around 60 meters of hole. In that process, we found about 90 Xend materials. After all this, I let Zeta go and go to wherever Greta was to enjoy all the moments they have.

    I brought the minerals I found to Lam and let him examine it.

    "Hey Lam! Here''s basically everything that we found." I then pulled out from my inventory all the things that we found.

    "90 Xend materials, gold, some diamond? It''s practically worthless here, diamond that is."

    "I didn''t think I''d hear the day when diamonds are useless."

    "And some other stuff that we might not use. At all. But for 90 Xend materials, we can fortify around eight houses from that. Or we could use all of this to fortify the castle itself."

    "HOLD UP, 90? There''s 90 Xend materials in there and you''re saying that we can only fortify eight houses?"

    "Bring Ortov here."

    "Alright then."

    I called over Ortov and let him see the Xend materials on the table.

    "Woah." Ortov was amazed. "This is a lot of Xend materials. This surely should''ve cost you a fortune my lord."

    "Well, not really. I told you that we already made a mine?" I replied.

    "Oh! Finally! We can finally mine some materials. Can you assign some of my underlings on the mines?"

    "Sure, you and your group can just go in the mine. I already told this to the other people but anything you find in the mine is yours. But if you find a Xend material, you have to give it to Lam."

    "That seems generous. I''ll take that in mind."

    "Alright, for our question, how many houses can we cover with Xend material?"

    "Around eight or your whole castle."

    I let out a sigh of disappointment. "Fine... I guess there''s that. Ortov, just convert all the houses in Izgoy into stone houses by mining in the mine and cover them in Xend materials. I''ll also give you the authority to use any Xend material that Lam receives from the citizens."

    "I''ll do just that. I better get to work."

    "Thanks for everything."

    As I watched Ortov leave I then saw a smirk on Lam''s face. "I guess we found the exact number as I said from a builder."

    "Argh..." I let out another sigh. "Fine, fine you win. Anyway, as I said earlier, you''ll be the one that''ll be handling the Xend materials. So I trust you NOT to sell it. Got it?"

    "Yes, yes."

    "Alright then."

    I went outside to get some fresh air.

    As I inhaled the air, relief was felt through my whole body. I guess it''s about time by now. "Telepathy, connect me to Herold."

 Chapter 162: Preparations

    "So Herold, what now?" I asked over the Telepathy.

    Herold immediately responded, "I didn''t find anyone. Most non players have practically given up. Well that''s to be expected since our growth would''ve taken them hundreds of years. And players have these bonus EXP gains."

    "Well does it really matter?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Aren''t wars in this world basically between the two strongest people in opposing factions? War here isn''t fought with numbers or army strength but simply by generals."

    "That is true. But will you be able to build kingdoms by yourself? Hunt food everyday? Build structures, mine, craft and all the other things you need. Sure our battles here are basically up to the the generals themselves but we just don''t need them for an army. We just need manpower for building things, crafting and gathering resources."

    "I see. I''ve never thought about that. So, what do we do now?"

    "We''re going to find some revolutionary non players."

    "Didn''t you just say that you didn''t found any?"

    "Yes. But it''s not just some normal non players. We will find all rulers."

    "What are you trying to do? If we bring back each king one by one to their thrones by invading all the things that players gained there''ll be conflict again amongst them. We can''t tell all of them to just get along and be happy."

    "That will be the case. But we cannot avoid conflict. But if we manage to get their thrones back, not only the king and queens will be on our side, but the people of their kingdom too."

    "Do you think that the non players will actually listen to us? Our kind, basically the otherworlders took everything away from them."

    "I don''t expect all of them to just abide to us. But we just have to prepare if that happens. If we can''t rule by peace, we will rule by fear."

    "I am not on board with this one."

    "Then do you have any other ways? You know that this is the only choice we have. If we gain their trust and loyalty whatever our ways may be, we can practically raid Tartarus with ease. That has been our goal since we met."

    "This fight will take too long. If we manage to take all of the kingdoms of the kings and queens. Doesn''t this basically mean... We''re taking over the world?"

    "Yes. But instead of us being monarchs, we will try to unite it by making the non players the rulers as before."

    "This is a completely outrageous and insane plan."

    "You got better ideas?"

    "No. I have no problems about it. Fine. Let''s do it."

    "Our first target isn''t a kingdom. It''s a union."

    "Alright. Tell me the details."

    "We will be killing every single person in the Serpent Union. Their union is basically compromised of strong players and believes in the belief that non players are completely inferior to them."

    "Compromised of strong players? So that means that they''re a group of players?"

    "Yes."

    "Wow, I didn''t think that players would cooperate in this game."

    "I didn''t think so too but these unpredictable things happen. Their leader is unknown but I''ve got some small bits of information on the people working under their leader."

    "What is it?"

    "Apparently their leader promised peace and prosperity. It''s a guy and he said that if he wins the battle royale, he promises to resurrect anyone who is under the Serpent Union back here at Pandir and continue to rule the rest of the world."

    "But don''t they have to die for that to happen?"

    "Yes. But since their leader is extremely powerful, they believe in him. I couldn''t get out any more information because there''s a curse that they voluntarily put on their bodies."

    "Voluntarily!?"

    "Yes. They have the serpent curse on them and if they give out information that isn''t meant to be given, they''re going to die. Immediately."

    "Damn..."

    "That''s the reason why my information for them are incredibly slim."

    "That''s good enough. We know their purpose and their goals. So what''s more?"

    "The Serpent union is basically the ones that is controlling hundreds of kingdoms."

    "Well that''s normal I guess. What''s the catch?"

    "All those kingdoms are ruled by non players."

    "Oh... Hmm... So you''re saying they''re behind the scenes of multiple schemes in the hundreds of kingdoms they''re occupying?"

    "Yes."

    "Does that include... Itz? I remember the king of Itz saying something about not being the king of that kingdom."

    "Well since he''s a non player I''m pretty sure he''s the one being manipulated behind the scenes."

    "I see... Any other information?"

    "They consist of around 10,000 players."

    "That''s a lot and they''ll be an incredibly strong force seeing how that''s a ten thousand army of players."

    "That''s why we need to plan everything here carefully. I know one of their bases."

    "I see. So, where is it?"

    "Hidden in the mountains."

    "Do we really need to go now?"

    "Not yet. Go make your preparations. Take Zeta with you. He might be able to cleanse the curse that''s within them. So that we can extract more information."

    "Hmm... nah. Not Zeta. I''ll let him have his fun for the time being. I''ll just bring Helga with me."

    "Helga?"

    "Oh. You haven''t meet each other yet right. Helga, Neco and Feran. They''re new additions. Helga for healing and cleansing debuffs on us. Feran is an enchanter and Neco is our assassin."

    "Hmm... I see. Introduce them to me when we meet."

    "Yeah. So when''s our next meeting?"

    "A week from now. At your place at... Izgoy?"

    "Yeah. Where the continent of the undead was once where."

    "Alright. I''ll try to find some of the kings and queens then after we''re done with the serpent union, we''ll head straight to rescuing their kingdoms."

    "Before you go, do you know any hero with the name of Zeraph?"

    "No. I never heard of him. He''s the one that you fought in that one battle with the lich right?"

    "Yeah. When I met him, something in me changed and evolved. My Bloodfallen Armor changed into Devil''s Advocate and I got a bunch of skills that boosted me by a lot."

    "I have never heard of an event like that... Are you sure that he''s a player and not a non player?"

    "I''m pretty sure he was a player."

    "An event that triggers when two players collide..? I don''t understand any of that."

    "Well... let''s talk about it later. For now that''s our plan. I''m cutting our connection off for now."

    "Alright."

    I cut off my telepathy and went to find Helga. I saw Helga and Feran aimlessly walking as they were talking in the garden.

    I called out to them. "Hey!" I raised my hand to let them know that I''m calling at them.

    They both ran up to me and Helga was the first one to speak. "Hello! What brings you to us?"

    "I wanted to bring Helga for a mission."

    "Then I''ll prepare everything." Feran was about to run away but I stopped him.

    "Well, I was thinking more of just me and Greta."

    "Ehhh!? So the both of you leaving the kingdom all alone at night to go into a secret mission!?"

    "No, that''s not what I me-"

    "So you''re telling me my beloved sister will go out and run away with a random guy he just met months ago!?"

    "Wait what? You might be getting a misunders-"

    "No I won''t accept this, as Helga''s fiance as she said 20 years ago, I will bani-"

    "SHUT UP!" Helga then slammed his head with her fist. "I''m sorry about that lord Zieglind."

    "Just be casual and as I said, don''t call me lord..." I looked at Feran''s head dug deep into the ground beneath. I swalled my own saliva and looked at Helga''s smiling devilish face. "Aha... ahahaha..."

    "So what''s this mission you''re talking about?"

    "Ah, yeah, I almost forgot. We will be infiltrating one of the bases of the Serpent union. Bring all the protective gear you have and ready yourself. I''ll be using you to clear the curse that the players inflicted on themselves."

    "Well... Are you sure? My spell didn''t work on Greta which led to you and Zeta facing off a trial that was incredibly difficult. Can''t you just use the Blessing of Zeratria?"

    "I never thought about that..." I guess I''ll take one droplet of it and use it. "Greta''s case was unique. We need to try this to further improve your skills. I''ll trust you."

    "...I see. Then I''ll do my best to live up to your expectations."

    "Tomorrow we''ll head out to Itz and meet up with the king. Then a week from now we''ll be leaving to the base I was talking about."

    "I will keep that in mind. Who are the other ones that will join us?"

    "From our group? None. It''s just you, Herold and me. This''ll just be a quick raid."

    "I see. I''ll prepare now for tomorrow."

    "Alright then."

 Chapter 163: The Hidden Serpent

    The day has come for us to go to Itz. I brought Helga with me. She wore the clothes that Lam handpicked for her. I just wonder where he gets the chance to go out and buy these kinds of things...

    Her main armor is still the Gazer form but we were just wearing our casual clothes. I grabbed on to Helga''s shoulders and then casted, "Mass Teleport!" And after a few seconds, we were in the castle of Itz.

    "I knew that you have the skill Mass Teleport which is a rare and lost skill... But seeing it in action is truly amazing." Helga was in awe.

    "Let''s go. Let''s talk to the king."

    We walked directly to the king''s throne and the guards raised their weapons at us.

    "Lower down your weapons." The king of Itz ordered and the guards followed it. He then let out a giant sigh. "Zieglind, must you not send a notice when you''re coming?"

    "It''s a bother. We''ll set up a messenger between us someday. But anyway, can we talk?" I replied.

    "Fine." The king raised his hand. "Leave us be for a moment." And everyone left immediately.

    "Thanks."

    "Let''s go to the conference ro-"

    "No need. This''ll be short.

    "Well then. Anyway, who''s that woman behind you?"

    "Helga, she''s one of the slaves that we rescued before in the black market?"

    "I see. I hope Zieglind here is giving you a befitting life."

    "No, no, he''s already given me such luxury. I couldn''t possibly ask for more." Helga replied.

    "What a modest woman."

    "Alright, enough of that. I just came here to tell you something." I interrupted.

    "What is it?" He asked.

    "We''re going after the Serpent union."

    The king''s face suddenly got dark and started sweating. "W- what do you mean by that?"

    "A week from now we will be raiding one of their bases."

    "Why are you telling me this?"

    "It was said that the Serpent union are controlling the rest of the kingdoms whose ruler is not a player. That''s why I gave you a heads up." I smirked and the king understood it immediately.

    "I- I never heard of that union." The king then signalled by putting his finger on his mouth trying to silence us.

    "I don''t know. You told me one time that you aren''t the true ruler of Itz." I wanted to see how the Serpent union will react to this.

    "No, no I did not!" The king of Itz began to even get more scared by the situation.

    "..." I''m curious as to why he''s scared... I must know more. "I''m pretty sure that you''re just feigning ignorance since you''re under the influence of the serpent union aren''t you?"

    "No, I''m not. You better take your leave now Lord Zieglind before you''re banned at the kingdom of Itz. If you don''t we''ll be forced to give you the directions out of the castle." Itz said that with confidence but his body and mannerisms are telling the complete opposite. Faltering lips, excessive sweating and shaking hands.

    "Just tell it to us. We''ll find a way to help you."

    "Just get out."

    "No."

    "Guards!" The king raised his hand and all the guards kicked the door and surrounded the two of us. "Kick them out of the castle."

    "Too late old man. You actually told someone about us." A voice was then heard all around the room.

    "No! No! NO! I didn''t tell anyone about you." The king pleaded.

    "But they know about the Serpent union. So that means that you did. You broke the terms. We were generous enough to let you sit on your throne and live your life as a king as long as you followed orders and kept the secret... I guess we weren''t firm enough."

    "DON''T DO IT! PLEASE!"

    "TOO LATE. Re Fa Si Dej Nur Ga!"

    "NOOOO!!!" Suddenly, the king of Itz''s neck darkened and a snake came out of it.

    "What!?" I rushed over to it and grabbed the snake but it began to flail around wildly. The king began to pass out due to shock. "Helga! Come here!"

    "Y- yeah!" Helga ran up to me and looked at the king. "Darkened neck, passed out due to shock I''m pretty sure, a snake coming out of his neck, you''re right. This is a curse. But I don''t know this curse."

    "You foolish man." The unknown voice suddenly came out of hiding and appeared in front of us. "You seriously saved this fool?"

    "What is it to you?" I asked.

    "He''s just a pawn an-... Wait... You have that arrow indicator on your head... You''re a player?"

    "I am."

    "Then right now I''ll give you a chance. Join the Serpent union. You''ll receive anything you want and you''ll be under the best player in this world."

    "I decline."

    "Why? The Serpent union is filled with thousands of players that managed to unite because of this game. We all wished to be here to be reincarnated but not to be reborn into a battle royale game wherein we''ll die."

    "What are you getting at?"

    "Our leader made a promise. Once we eliminate all of the players in this world other than us, he''ll kill us all to win the battle royale. Then he''ll resurrect us all."

    "You believed him?"

    "Of course. And even if we did fought back, we''d lose. He''s too strong. But I''d rather be with my lord rather than fighting in this brutal game. This is the best chance we''ve got."

    "Even if it kills the inhabitants of this world?"

    "Monsters are also inhabitants of this world! And even if these npcs die, there''s no law here! And in the first place, can these npcs be called people? These are all generated by the gods. They''re far different from us players. We''re superior than them."

    "The hell are you talking about... Then what''d you if you come back here when you''re resurrected?"

    "But of course... We can do anything... So that means... WE''RE FREE TO TAKE OVER THIS WORLD! We can do anything we want! Women, food, money, power and everything that we wouldn''t have easily gotten back in Earth. WE''RE GODS IN THIS WORLD!"

    "You''re all insane..."

    "I know we are. But deep in our hearts this is what exactly we want. That''s why I''m offering you a chance. Join us. Everything that you want, power, money, women, castles or the whole sky itself. We can give it to you. You just need patience as our lord completes this god damned trial."

    "I decline."

    "..." I could see his veins on the top his head. "Fine. You know of us too much. Then I''ll kill you."

    "Stay there." I passively activated aura without casting. The man couldn''t move.

    "...This... Kind... of pressure... I felt it before... This... overbearing... FEAR! I must... report you back at the headquarters..." The man used up all of his strength to unsheath the dagger that was on his side and stabbed his own shoulder with it.

    "Impressive. You broke out of my aura by stabbing yourself to regain your senses."

    "I must... flee!" The man then jumped to the ceiling and was about to get out by crashing into the windows there.

    "You aren''t going anywhere. Judgment!"

    An overbearing pressure was felt in his whole body as he was slammed down on the ground by my power. He couldn''t move. "What''s this!?" He was confused. He couldn''t lift any of his fingers and everytime that he tries to, he''ll just break one of his bones with it.

    "Stay there while Helga finds a way to cure this curse."

    "Cure..? No... That''s impossible. There''s no cure for that. Because this''ll happen to you when you get bitten."

    "What?"

    "Snake Charmer!"

    "Tsk!" The snake that I was holding on to suddenly bit me. I let go of the snake and it disappeared. I then took off the gloves that was on my hands, the part where I was bitten. "It''s turning black... I''m poisoned?"

    "Hehe. The longer you''re in that state the more it''ll grow on your body."

    "Zieglind!" Helga then stopped her inspection on the king and came over to me.

    "Don''t stop what you''re doing!" I ordered her.

    "But..."

    "Don''t worry! Just try to save the king!"

    "...Got it." She went back to chant a spell.

    "You''re done for now. You''re powerful. You''ll definitely be a match against our lord. But with that poison, there''s no escape!" The man then laughed as he thought he won.

    "Tsk." I don''t know how to cleanse this. And if I use all the cleanse I have as a skill to purify ailments and stuff, the quick spread of this will just take over my body in mere minutes. Then the only thing I can do is that.

    "DIE!"

    "Come, Bloodlust!" Lightning struck both of my hands and summoned my weapons. I then make the other one disappear and grabbed the other one with my left hand. "Argh..." I then swiftly cut off my whole arm. "I didn''t want to do this."

    "HAHAHA! You fool! Even if you got rid of the poison, you''ll be forever a one armed man and you''ll die from loss of blood."

    "Is that so?"

    "Wh- what..?"

    Ever since I got reborn, my blood changed from the better. "Nothing will come out. The blood that is."

    "What..?"

    "Die. Judgment!" I then crushed his whole body with judgment completely killing him off. I then rushed over to Helga. "Is he fine?"

    "Yes... I managed to heal him... But your arm..."

    "Don''t worry. It''ll regrow in a day."

    "Is that so?"

    "Yeah. Let''s just leave the king here. Looks like the three of us will infiltrate the Serpent union. That poison managed to penetrate through my defenses. Let''s go back and prepare."

 Chapter 164: Serpent Union

    So a few days have passed and as I figured, my arm did regrow because of the reborn I did two years ago. It''s still freaky seeing it grow overnight. I actually took the gamble to just lose my arm in exchange for my life.

    That poison was too strong and was actually incredibly dangerous. Its symptoms are blackening the skin and not being able to move while it quickly takes over your body. I have poison resistance so it was slow at spreading but still... At that moment, I couldn''t move my arm.

    "Hey!" Herold called out to me in the distance.

    I waved my hand to let him know that I hear him. It seems that he has arrived. "Hey."

    Herold got near me and Helga and looked at her. "Nice to meet you."

    Helga shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too."

    "I''m Herold''s... ally? Well that''s basically the gist of it."

    "I''m the healer of the Crimson Knights. I was rescued by Zieglind here."

    "The raid at the black market? Yeah. It''s a well known story now. No one has dared to interfere with black market since all of the black market dealers are retired adventurers. They''re all pretty strong according to your standards. But I guess Zieglind here was a bit stronger."

    "A bit stronger eh? Heh." Helga let out a single chuckle.

    "Well, it was nice meeting you. Let''s now focus on the situation at hand. We will be invading one of the Serpent union''s base."

    "Wait." I stopped Herald from leaving immediately. "There''s something that you need to know."

    "What is it?" He asked.

    "Their poisons are pretty dangerous."

    "I have resistance against them. Don''t worry."

    "No. It''s not like any other poison. You''ve seen the poison in action right?"

    "Yeah. One of the members of the Serpent union died because he gave information to me. A snake came out of his neck and bit it."

    "Their skin darkened and the poison swarmed all over their body right?"

    "Yeah. That''s exactly what happened."

    "I got bit by the poison of the snake."

    "Really!?"

    "Yeah."

    "Are you fine!?"

    "There''s nothing to worry about me. But the poison itself is extremely dangerous. When you get bit by the poison, you''ll be afflicted with many debuffs."

    "Like what?"

    "I don''t know anything about how painful in it since I don''t feel any. But when you get bit, you will not be able to use your arm and it slowly corrodes. The poison itself eats the part that''s poisoned slowly. It spreads also incredibly quick. But with my poison resistance, it''s slowed by a lot. But if I don''t have any resistance, it''d taken over my body in less than thirty seconds."

    "You have a high resistance right? I''m pretty sure yours is better than mine. Well anyway, how''d you get rid of the poison?"

    "I cut off my arm."

    "Ah-" Herold took a look at me and both of my arms. "How long ago was this encounter?"

    "Around five or six days ago?"

    "And you regrew your arm in that short time?"

    "Yeah..."

    "But holy crap you just cut off your arm like that? That takes a lot of guts even if you don''t feel pain."

    "Well... I stopped becoming human when I was reborn and resetted back to level one."

    "Understandable. But anyway, how''d you fight a Serpent union when I still haven''t shown you their base?"

    "I lured one of them out. I remember you talking about them being the behind the scenes of the non player led kingdoms. So I went to Itz. We have a pretty good friendship so I don''t know how he feels about my abrupt and insubordinate nature. Anyway, things happened and you were right."

    "A member of the Serpent union appeared?"

    "Exactly. He activated the curse that was on the king of Itz, a snake came out but good thing that I was there to grab it. I killed the Serpent union member and was bit in the process by the snake. The snake died after biting me and everything I told you before just went there."

    "I see... Alright. Their value has gone up again. We aren''t letting them grow anymore. They''re becoming even far more dangerous that I''ve imagined. Let''s go. To their base. Near the kingdom of Nazrea."

    Me and Helga changed into our Gazer form and flew with Herold to the place where one of their bases were located.

    After flying for about four hours, we arrived to where he was talking about and it was just a giant lake.

    "Here we are." Herold then pointed at the lake.

    "This is... their base?" I asked.

    "Well yes but no." Herold then raised his hand at the lake, "Dispel!"

    Suddenly, the whole lake broke like mirrors and it completely disappeared.

    It then revealed a single trapdoor at the very center of it. I couldn''t help but be curious. "How exactly did you find this base?"

    "I told you, I met a Serpent union member. But it just wasn''t one. For the second one that I found, I used a skill that lets me search their memory. Then after I found small bits of clues he immediately died. But he gave us a valuable information of where his base was located which is near Nazrea. That''s why I spent the rest of the days using Mana Search to find irregularities in the terrain. And I found several movements under this lake. So that''s how I found this."

    "I see. So, we''ll go in?"

    "No. We''ll blast in. There''s no use talking to them."

    "If that''s the case then I''ll be the one lighting up this place."

    "Then I''ll leave it to you." Herold stepped aside and let me open the trapdoor.

    "Torched Body!" I changed my whole body into an ethereal form of flames. As I touched the trapdoor, it completely melted by my touch. It seems that this skill got stronger. "Hey help me. Do you have a wind skill?"

    "Yeah I have a wind skill." Herold went in front of me and we both looked down at the underground base.

    "Alright. Just spread this gas."

    "Got it. Come, Windtalker." Herold then summoned a dagger. Far different from his other weapon. It has a beautiful green orb of gem above the handle acting as a guard of the dagger connecting the handle and the blade. It glows in the color of green and as he pulled it out of nowhere, the wind around us suddenly changed.

    "It''s not that weapon... Bright... something?"

    "Brightburn? Well I can use it here if you want me to destroy your spell."

    "You have multiple weapons?"

    "Each one in different elements."

    "Damn. Alright then. I''ll release my skill and use your wind skill to spread the gas."

    "Got it."

    "Fumes!" I released down the basement and it spread everything. Everyone down there was panicking and began to cough in pain. "Now."

    "Air Containment!" Suddenly all the gas that I released were compressed into a small ball and freed the suffering serpent union from the fumes.

    "What are you doing!?"

    "I''m not done. Wind Twister!" The ball of air which he compressed suddenly began to shake violently.

    "What''s happening!?"

    "RELEASE!"

    The ball of compressed air suddenly exploded and has began to spread even deeper down to where we couldn''t see. "...You could''ve just told me."

    "It''s a nice surprise."

    I let out a sigh. "Fine. Then I''ll put this to an end. BURN!" A small fireball came out of my hands and slowly got into the basement. After a few seconds of silence, the entire ground around us is being shaken.

    It started with small explosions. We could hear the screams and cries of the Serpent union inside as their whole base crumbles one by one.

    It then turned into large scale explosions. The whole area around us were falling into the ground, the small hills a couple hundred of meters away from us began to explode too. This large scale explosion was far too large.

    It was like someone dropped a nuke in their own base.

    Multiple serpent union members were crawling out of the ground trying to find ways to escape. But Herold simply used his quick steps and incredibly powerful dagger and killed those who were ''unfortonate'' enough to be alive.

    After a while, all I could see was the crumbling base they have.

    [Gained skill, Player Killer, can only be obtained by killing 100 or more players in a short span of time. This skill will allow you to gain EXP from killing other players. You will gain 30% of their EXP needed for their previous level up.]

    A kilometer wide base and I don''t know how deep was simply destroyed by the spells me and Herold casted. We were powerful but I guess not that powerful.

    Several more people crawled out of the ground with their armor intact. It seems that the explosion didn''t bother them at all.

    I looked at Helga, "Helga, get ready. The bosses have appeared."

 Chapter 165: The Members

    "You bastards... Attacking without warning..." One of the serpent union''s members were in a state of boiling hot rage. Without warning, this man then pulled out his weapons, "Inventory!" Then pulled out gauntlets to wear. Volatile lightning were then flowing throughout his whole body. "Fine. Let''s play unfair. Boys, kill them!" The man called out to the other people the also came out with him.

    The man with the black armor opened his inventory and pulled out a gigantic sword. About twice his size. As he planted it on the ground, dark energy was flowing and it corrupted the ground below him. The corruption is the same as the one that was seen on the undead continent before.

    The other man with robes pulled out a staff and a book from their inventory. He then casted multiple buffs, "Damage Resistance UP, Dull Pain, Fire Resistance UP, Regeneration!" The glow from his spell surrounded his allies protecting them and healing their wounds to the point wherein as if nothing has happened at them. His skills are to be feared if we''re fighting him against a group.

    One of their other member pulled out two lightning daggers. But this one was more concentrated. But as soon as he put the daggers near each other, lightning came striking down from the sky. "Lightning Body! Pain Receptors Disable!" Lightning was then surrounding his whole body but it''s slowly damaging him.

    The man in black armor rushed in first and then swung his sword in a horizontal slash. His sword was so gigantic that it reached us when we''re three meters atleast away from him.Me and Herold stepped back but we felt that we stepped on something.

    The mage with the staff and book then said, "Proximity Mine!"

    An explosion followed but our armor were strong enough to withstand that explosion without taking too much damage.

    The lightning daggers user then emerged from the smoke.

    "Come, Death Scythe!" I summoned my weapon and blocked his attack. But as soon as I blocked it, a barrage of thunder storm went ahead and came falling down on me. "Lightning Body!" This is the best I could do to minimize the damage since I gain bonus resistance against an element that covers my whole body.

    The lightning daggers user then backed off. "You use... Lightning Body too? But without Dull Pain or Pain Receptors Disable you won''t last long in that state. And using Lightning Body while I was attacking you with lightning was a dumb choice."

    "Enough talk. Just come!" I then summoned three more death scythes on the battlefield and then threw them all at the lightning daggers user but he deflected it with ease.

    The mage then casted, "Binding Light!"

    Root like vines came to surround my feet to prevent my movement.

    "Finally my time! Get out boys!" The man with the fists then slammed both his fists against each other and lightning spewed out everywhere.

    I looked at Herold, "Hey, you aren''t really going to help me?"

    "I thought you got this by the way things are going." Herold replied.

    "Well, is it now?"

    "Alright then. Dispel!" Herold made his Windtalker disappear. "Come, Brightburn!" His old sword that he used against me that manages to cut through mana itself. That blade is far more powerful than my Bloodlust.

    "I''m gonna get serious now too. Dispel!" I took off the Gazer Form and my Death Scythes. "Devil''s Advocate!" Dark clouds formed above and a dark red lightning struck my whole body. As the bright light disappeared, my whole body was then covered in a beautiful black colored armor with red lining in it. I then simply walked off the Binding Light the mage has casted on me.

    "W- what!?" The mage was extremely confused.

    I ran into them and targeted the mage, "Come, Bloodlust!" Black lightning struck my hands and summoned both of my weapons. I then performed a giant overhead swing which was immediately blocked by the lightning dagger user.

    Lightning then came flowing through my weapon and through my whole body but the damage has been greatly reduced to the point that I don''t have to worry about it.

    Herold came rushing to my aid and used his Brightburn to attack the man''s arm. But the man simply let go of the block he performed on me and moved his focus on Herold.

    He used his twin daggers to block Herold''s sword but instead, his whole body suddenly felt incredibly weak.

    His knees faltered as he fell from the ground. "ARGHHHH!!!" He then writhed in pain as the burns of the Lightning Body finally activated. "My... Buffs..." Even the lightning that was on his daggers disappeared.

    "Barrier!" The mage casted to protect the assassin. But nothing appeared. "WHAT!? Barrier! BARRIER! My mana is getting used but the barrier is not casting!"

    The other serpent union members were just in shock.

    The man with the gauntlets rushed at Herold and started with a right straight.

    "Barrier!" Helga''s spell then completely blocked his attack.

    Herold looked at the weakened assassin. The assassin was extremely confused as he writhed in pain. Herold then put him off his misery by killing him painlessly.

    "NO! Damn it!" The man with the fist weapon shouted. "You! If you didn''t put up that barrier... Damn it! Wrath of Thunder!" The man''s whole armor changed into a lightning based armor. It felt like he was wearing nothing. But we knew as soon as we got near him, that violent and volatile lightning will come to us.

    He took one step forward and I didn''t even notice that he was in front of me like instantly.

    Herold stepped in and blocked his fists but the man instantly retreated before Herold could cut through the mana.

    "Tsk... I don''t care anymore. Everyone! Go full power! We can''t win against them like this."

    "Argh... Fine! This is for Yerm. Mana Solidification, Mana Fortification!" The mage casted. "Mana Freeform! Triplet Magic Combination, Mana Concentration!" The mage''s robes were suddenly lined up with a thin mana protection.

    "Mana Search!" But when I activated this skill, all I could see was the violent raging mana in that robe.

    The man with the black armor then followed, "Weightless, Maximize Strength, Double Weight." The man casted two buffs and one debuffs on himself. "Berserker''s Rage!" His form suddenly changed as he held the gigantic sword with his right hand and his stance as if waiting to pounce on his prey. His eyes flickered with red aura.

    I rushed in first and targeted the mage. But before I could even take a step, the lightning fist user is instantly infront of me. His speed was too fast for me to follow.

    I don''t know how fast he is but all I could think of was to block by raising up my guard like in boxing.

    The man then swung a giant hook punch but I was protected by Helga, "Barrier!" Her barrier was powerful enough to block his punch fully. I was shocked. But she''s that strong.

    His absolute punch recoiled back on him with Helga''s strong barrier so I took this chance and used a skill, "Twin Blade Form: Hundred Slashes!" Memories flooded my mind with the legendary warrior''s skills and all I had to do was wave my hand with both of the swords as I closed my eyes. And as I opened it, countless wounds appeared on the man''s body. The ground beneath us has the grass completely disappeared.

    Ending his suffering, I quickly performed a painless execution on him.

    I looked on the side and saw Herold fighting the two of them.

    The berserker swordsman, everytime he swung his sword, waves of dark energy came out that was corrupting and inflicting unbearable flame. But Herold is barely hanging on by cutting that in half with his anti-magic sword.

    "Conjured Druid''s Heal!" Helga casted on the both of us and my health shot up to maximum healing all of my wounds and Herold''s wounds.

    Herold was then mroe confident of going in so he did. He face the absolute speed and strength of the berserker. But Herold was far too strong. He just simply stabbed the berserker''s shoulder and the raging rampage of the enemy disappeared and went back to his previous form.

    He was confused.

    But Herold simply killed him off with ease.

    The mage remaining was absolutely scared. Herold rushed in and stopped in front of him. "Catch this." Herold threw Brightburn at his enemy.

    "What..?" As soon as the mage caught it, his spells were all gone. "WHAT!? MY COMBINED MAGIC!?"

    "It absorbs every mana. Too bad you''re my enemy. That skill you just used was good yes. But unfortunately you made something out of mana. You were just simply a bad matchup for me." Herold boasted.

    "No... NO!!!"

    "Goodbye Serpent union." Herold then grabbed the sword back and sliced his head off cleanly. "This is the first of the many bases of the Serpent union. We''ll eradicated these forces."

 Chapter 166: Planning

    The battle ended and silence filled the whole area as we watch the whole base of the Serpent union crumble down. It was a sight to behold.

    The cries of the people we once heard were deafening, horrific and were simply too much for a normal human to handle. I could see Helga grasping her hands as she watches the whole base burn.

    One could think about the three of us, ''is this truly something that you have to do? Kill people?'' but the reply I could think of, ''is this truly something you have to do? Kill animals to eat?''

    All those people once had a family, a child, a friend, a wife, a husband, a childhood, someone special, someone beloved. But the last thing they saw was the violent flames which resides in hell. But not one ache was felt in my non-existent heart.

    It''s the same with Herold. We watched as everything burnt with a blank face.

    Even though I wanted to puke or let out tears, I simply can''t. Because I don''t feel anything.

    "Heh." I let out a single chuckle because I knew myself that I''ve stopped being human. Killing humans has become a second nature to me. This just completely shows how much I stopped becoming human both body and in mind. "Let''s go?"

    "...Yeah." Herold replied.

    "I''m sorry about the fight, I didn''t do much." Helga said randomly.

    "No you did plenty." I replied. "Those barriers were on point. I guess the only thing you need to focus for now is your reaction time. There are some times that you could''ve casted your barrier."

    "Ye- yes! Thanks for your guidance."

    "Alright. Before we go, what do we do now Herold?" I looked at him.

    "Lure the Serpent union out. As we saw here, their underlings are pretty weak. But incredibly strong for the non players." Herold replied.

    "So... what do you have in mind?"

    "We''re just going to invade small bases then I''m sure that they''ll come to us. Probably."

    "Man we''re going to kill more people..." Even though I didn''t feel anything, I know it was wrong.

    "It''s a must. And we''re not going to kill some random people. We''re just going to kill the other players."

    "..." I couldn''t say anything. Because I know that is something that we have to do.

    "We''re not fighting for peace right now, we''re fighting to just survive. After that, then it''s peace."

    "Yeah..."

    "So for now lay low. Anyway I got a new skill I picked up from one of the stores called Message. I can contact you whenever I can now. It acts like the Telepathy skill but I can''t pass skills over to you."

    "Alright. I''ll be waiting for you to contact us."

    "So long."

    We seperated into our own ways and Helga and I went back to Izgoy. All of them were happy to see our return. I went back to my drawing board, in my chambers to think of other ways to improve and get stronger.

    After thinking for a while I called over Precia, Yefa and Greta.

    I was the one to ask the questions, "How''s the new three members? Neco, Feran and Helga?"

    Precia was the one to reply, "Neco is raiding some open dungeons by himself about twenty levels below him, Feran and Helga aren''t doing anything."

    "Hmm... I see. The three of you will be handling all the Serpent union''s bases."

    "..?" The three of them looked at me puzzled.

    "I forgot that you weren''t in. Well here''s the gist of it."

    I told them all the things that the Serpent union were known for, controlling kingdoms, killing the non players, the curses, their goal and motive and everything we currently know as of now. They all took it well so I don''t have to prove to them what I''m saying is correct.

    "So that''s why the three of you will be the one leading the missions for now. Just exterminate anything you see that resembles the serpent union." I explained. "That''s all. Leave me be for now. I have something to think about."

    The three of them wanted to ask more details but they all left silently. It seems that I need to do more to not let them worry about me like that.

    I spent the next four hours reading the reports of everyone about everything.

    The training grounds made by Afal gave me a handwritten ten page essay talking about literally everything. Who was a failure as he called it, who has potential and all other things. He also listed the technique he

    Next up I called Zeta. "Hey." I called out to him.

    "Need something?" He asked.

    "Yeah. You go buy some things for me."

    "I can do that but can''t you just order some of the people below?"

    "Yeah. But you have to do other things than buying that."

    "I see. Then what is it?"

    "You''ll gather intel about the serpent union. You will go on all the non player led kingdoms and ask around about the Serpent union. I still haven''t told you about them right? Then-" I told Zeta everything to know about the Serpent union."That''s why I''ll leave this up to you. This will be a tough mission since you''ll be going alone."

    "I can manage. But... how long will this be?"

    "Until Herold contacts which will be just a few weeks."

    "...I see." It seems that he''s worrying about not having to meet Greta. I can''t say to him that I notice this but I''ll just do my best to remember that. I guess I need to let them go someday somewhere and somehow. We can''t possibly bring him with us anymore if they ever go to have a private life to the two of them. But that future seems so close right now. I''ll just have to use them to my disposal while they''re still useful and needed.

    "So your goal right now is to act as a merchant. You will need to buy that merchant badge or something from one of the cities. Buy all the food and wheat you can since you''ll be bringing it back to us too alright? But your focus is to gather intel as much as you can. Just lay low. Since you''re a merchant you''ll definitely meeting some bandits on your way so dispose of any enemy as silent as possible. Also, Herold got a Message skill from one of the skill stores. It basically acts like Telepathy but you can''t pass skills and such. Just basic communication. So buy one to communicate with me and Neco. Tell Neco everything about the serpent union."

    "Oh I already got that skill. It''s just a basic one."

    "Alright then. Just contact me whenever you can. Call for Afal and Neco here. You may leave."

    "Got it."

    Zeta left the room and brought Neco and Afal.

    It seems that he had to locate Neco since he''s been in dungeons seeing how his whole body was dirty from the raids he did.

    "You''re dirtying the carpet Neco..." I let out an exasperated sigh and then casted, "Bubble Cage!" Water came out of my hands and encaged Neco in a circular water bubble. It was an unexpected skill by me so I forgot that he needs to breath. I controlled the spell just as Zeta told me and let him breathe out by opening up a small hole for his head to be free.

    "UGUAH!" Neco rose up and popped his head for everyone to see. "That was sudden!"

    "You''re gonna dirty the carpet. Dispel!" The water bubble exploded and Neco fell on the ground. Cleaning everything on his dirty clothes. "This is just a temporary measure to clean you. Go take a shower. Anyway, I''m going to put you two in a mission. For Neco, what level are you?"

    "Level 83."

    "That''s acceptable. You''ve been farming low level dungeons so that level is acceptable. You will be contacted by Zeta about the Serpent union. Here''s everything I know about them-" I told them all about I know and they understood what I was planning. "Zeta will send you all the enemies that he can''t kill directly so Neco, I will leave it up to you for the assassination to kill all those Serpent union members. DON''T SHOW MERCY."

    "G- got it."

    "Alright, Afal for you, you will need to bring me about fifty people. Fifty people whose talents in combat are outstanding. They need to be strong enough like around level 30-40 that are talented. We need those fifty people to defend Izgoy while we are gone. That''s why you''ll need to set up a special course for those who you select. If they decline, then do not force them to. I repeat Afal, do not force them to."

    "I will remember that my lord." Afal replied.

    "We just saved them but they are no way indebted to us. Alright, carry out the mission. I expect to see results."

 Chapter 167: Undercover

    "I''m applying to be a merchant. Can I get the platinum tier?" I told the front desk of the merchant''s guild.

    "You can only apply for a platinum tier if you donate 50 Xend materials, 300 Diamond and 1000 Gold to our merchant''s guild." The man on the front desk replied. "If you''re a new merchant, I recommend getting the bronze tier plate which just costs five gold but you will be limited on what cities you can go in. But if you go buy the silver tier, it''ll be for 50 gold but you will unlock most of the nearby kingdoms. Gold tier will unlock your access to the merchant''s marketplaces and high end stores. But it''ll cost you 500 gold and a contribution of 100 Diamonds."

    "No, I''ll donate the required materials for the platinum rank. Inventory." I opened up the spacial inventory and pulled out the required materials for the platinum rank. "50 Xend materials, 300 Diamonds and 1000 gold. Here''s all of them."

    "I have received the required materials for the required rank. Congratulations Sir Zeta Reysh, you have gained the platinum badge for merchants. You can now join auctions and enter the merchant''s secret shops and the benefits from below the platinum rank."

    "Thanks. I''ve got some food to sell. Do you know any place here at this kingdom for where I can sell it?"

    "I apologies Sir Zeta, but I''m merely a front desk worker for the merchant''s guild. I do know some places but the information I have came from other merchants and if I disclose this information this''ll bring the merchant guild''s reputation down. You may ask other merchants if you truly want to know."

    "Thanks for the information and I''m sorry for asking."

    "No, no. Don''t worry about it Sir Zeta."

    "That so? Well then, I''ll be going now. Thanks for signing me up." I then left the merchant''s guild and went on to search for shops to sell the things I have.

    It has been exactly 12 hours since I left Izgoy. I was given this task by Zieglind to lure out the Serpent union. I got the gist of what they''re doing based on his explanation but I don''t know how dangerous they are as of now.

    I spent the last four hours acting like a merchant and was hoping for people to rob me to draw some of them to me but it seems to be useless effort and a waste of time since not even normal bandits came at me.

    I remembered that I had to buy a badge that''s why Lam told me the requirements for the badge and gave me the required materials.

    Gold wasn''t a problem but the Xend materials are. Getting these 50 Xend materials weren''t easy since our mine are incredibly slow at producing them. Diamonds are easy to find so we got that immediately.

    But getting the platinum badge is extremely expensive so I''m pretty worried that the upgrading of our place is going to take a while.

    But this is worth it. If no people don''t target mewith my platinum badge, I don''t know what to do. This is just basically boasting my wealth. Now, people should be locking their eyes on me.

    But after two more hours of walking around, I still don''t have anyone locking their eyes on me or targeting me.

    Like... come on! I''ve been walking around this kingdom from inside and outside for gathering materials with the platinum badge hanging on my chest.

    I still have around 3,500 gold so I guess that''s also one way I could try.

    Expensive clothes.

    I went back in the kingdom and tried to find a decent clothing shop. With a single raise of my platinum badge, the workers of the clothing shops brought me to a room with a wine surrounded with expensive clothes.

    These clothes are something you find from incredibly rich people or royalty that sits on the throne. I couldn''t help but be feeling overwhelmed by this.

    "Welcome dear platinum badged merchant. May I ask for your name?" The shop owner asked.

    "Zeta Reysh." I replied.

    "What an amazing name. It sounds like royalty itself. Well then, I''ll be your personal clothes designer for the day. What kind of clothes do you like?"

    "Uhh..." I don''t know how to answer this at all. "Make me look rich I guess."

    "I see. It really suits such an individual like you of things like that. Then may I ask what''s your budget range?"

    "Around 3,000 gold. That should be enough... right?"

    "That is more than enough! You seem to be a big spender mister. Now for the final question, how many clothes would you like?"

    "Hmm..." I began to think of how many should I buy. Since this would take over a week or so... I better be careful. "Around 20 clothes. That should be enough. Just divide them so that there''s one for casual clothing and another for formal clothing. I''ll leave it up to you."

    "Alright, I''ll get to it immediately."

    I spent the next three hours enduring the hellish shopping with this old man for my clothes. I didn''t know what to do other than just sit there and look pretty.

    The clothes he bought are also top quality and obviously... Eh... Over the top. I just couldn''t believe it.

    These clothes that would look like something a jester would wear is apparently a high quality clothes that merchants wear? An orange colored suit with a flower like appearance and in the middle is where you put your head and the buttons are made from rare gems that I can''t comprehend how rare they are.

    As I wore the clothes, I could see the old man smiling and grinning happily as he said in his own words, "You''re shining brightly mister! The gemstones on your clothes as buttons show how noble and rich you are. These formal clothes which are tuxedos and such are also laced with diamonds and such so I''m sure you''ll enjoy them too. But these clothes are basically what you need to flaunt your richness as you told me."

    I couldn''t help but be overwhelmed since most of the clothes I wore are made by me using magic. Those were simple clothes that I saw from other people and just copied and laced with magic. Even though it''s thin, its light and absolute defence can outrank everything that I see from shops.

    But these... these clothes are just another level.

    As I bid farewell and gave the shop owner 530 gold for all the clothes, I went outside with my head high trying to bear the embarrassment that I feel. But for these clothes, 530 gold is cheap not going to lie.

    It seems that it''s already night so this is the time where they''re most active. This is my last resort to lure them all out. If this doesn''t work, I''ll change my whole appearance and run around the whole kingdom naked and shout Serpent union to lure them out... I really hope that doesn''t happen. But I''m willing to do that since the ones in danger are my fellow original people in this world.

    I resolved myself and held up my head high and wore the rings I bought from the clothing shop to boast my wealth.

    As I walked around I activated, "Mana Search!" Even though my sight gets a little bit weird while I''m using this, I need to be cautious of any ambush or such.

    As I used this, I could already feel about 10 people following me. This is going to be incredibly interesting. Well then, I''ll be going deep in the forest where no one can see us.

    I ran to the forest and waited for them there. I baited myself by gathering herbs and killing the monsters there. And after ten minutes, they went in and surrounded me.

    "Hey. It seems that you''re pretty wealthy. We were following you since you got that platinum badge and you were walking around the town. We were waiting for you to get out to the woods or leave the kingdom but you bought some expensive clothes too. No hard feelings, your gold is needed for the serpent union. If you leave everything you have in your inventory then you''ll be allowed to leave here with your life intact."

    "Gotcha. I got finally got ahold of you, Serpent union. Message. Do it Neco."

    "What are you-"

    In that single second, tens of things were suddenly heard dropping to the ground one by one. As the man who threatened me looked back, he only saw the headless men and comrades he once had. Fear overtook him.

    "Sorry about this. You brought this onto yourselves. Leading a stupid goal such as that and taking over the world with your desires... Don''t underestimate the original people that live here."

    "No... no! Please, don''t!"

    "Fireball." His whole body was incinerated to nothingness. "Well then. Thanks for the backup Neco. We''ve got a lot on our plate. Let''s keep this up."

 Chapter 168: Mythical Army

    "Get out, get out!" The man in the crowd rushed in to get to the front. "Hey there lord Afal! It seems that lord Zieglind has another strength contest or something!"

    "You again..." I can''t help but sigh in exhaustion when I see this soldier. He''s loud, obnoxious and all around annoying. He tried to join the contest for selecting a healer and an enchanter last time despite having no talents in magic and tried to prove himself using his sword. But he''s decent in the sword nonetheless. "Line up. I still haven''t finished what I wanted to say."

    "Yeah!" He just stood there without moving despite cutting in line.

    "...Moving on, my lord is in need of warriors that are willing to defend Izgoy for the time being while he is gone. While your talents is sufficient for hunting and killing low level enemies, it is not enough. So that''s why we''re creating an elite group consisting of 50 trained people. Now, my lord has shown his mercy so that you won''t feel as caged here like a slave as your lives before. So that''s why you''re being given benefits."

    I then explained to them the benefits that they were receiving. My lord said that these benefits will help to bring in more candidates and to show them that they are really free. I don''t fully understand but I''m guessing that this is the best route for us to take to protect Izgoy itself.

    Family Protection - If they die in the battlefield or anywhere, we''ll be handling their current family for anything they want. They''ll also be receiving gold every month around 100 gold. Their safety is guaranteed.

    Elite Soldier Benefits - The soldiers who are under the 50 unit team will receive better armor and weapons. Specially magical ones. They''ll also be given artifacts for whatever we find. They''ll be under my tutelage also. So they''ll be undergoing the harshest training I could think of with the restriction of them not dying or receiving heavy wounds.

    Vassal Opportunity - Everyone in the elite unit will have a chance to own a piece of land, a small village or a kingdom as long as they don''t cut the ties with the Crimson Order. Zieglind will handpick the best of these soldiers to lead and if we continue to raid more kingdoms and villages, they''ll have a chance. But their position in the Elite Unit will be remove so there''ll be a slot open for anyone to join.

    "That''ll be all the benefits you''ll receive. We''ll add more in the future but this is all the things my lord could think of." I told them all.

    Everyone cheered and shouted as they were excited for joining the Elite Soldier Unit. It seems this is the ''freedom'' feeling they feel as my lord said so? I don''t know anything about this but I guess this is it.

    Four hundred people lined up so their chances are high for joining the elite unit. I was told by Zieglind that it''ll be up to me how to select.

    "Just wait here for a few moments. I''ll bring someone." I disappeared from their sight an reappeared a couple of minutes later with Rize beside me. "Rize, set up a giant barrier. This is a trial that was hosted by my lord himself."

    "Uh... okay?" She replied. "Barrier!" A giant cube of barrier was formed all around us. About 50 meters in size.

    "Thanks. You can go or observe it''s your choice."

    "I''ll just watch from above. Gazer Form!" Rize changed into her Gazer form and flew up to the sky and looked down on us.

    "Then, this is your first trial. For three hours, survive. I will be attacking all of you. You may also attack me. Here are the conditions of dropping out on this trial, the first one is losing consciousness or you can''t hold a weapon anymore. I will be greatly holding back so it''ll be near impossible for me to kill you. If you get severely wounded, then you''ll be healed by Helga. Well then," I then clapped my hands loudly. "Let''s start the hunt."

    I rushed to a nearby tree near us and snapped of a branch and used it as a weapon.

    All the contestants raised up their weapons and rushed at me. I used my quick movements and went through the wave of crowd and got to the other side. They all looked back and twenty people already dropped down without them noticing what just happened.

    "Come on, there''s still one hour and 54 mins left. Stay strong for me." I taunted.

    "Don''t mind if I do!" That loud and obnoxious guy earlier jumped in with his spear and lunged at me.

    I dodged to the side and stabbed his stomach with the stick and it sent him flying.

    It seems that this trial is interesting.

    The rest of the hour passed and there seems to be 240 people left. All the other people were all unconscious. But the rest were battered up with bruises and wounds.

    I didn''t use my incredible speed with the sword as I fought with their pace. But they managed to hold out well. The others were all resting in the ground and their weapons planted as they try to catch their breath.

    "Congratulations on passing the first round." I announced.

    "That''s it!? Come on! Give me some more!" That obnoxious guys suddenly shouted. Even though he''s the most damaged out of everyone for rushing at me blindly, he''s still standing with his spear planted on the ground with both of his arms crossed and with a big smile on his face.

    "That''s the first trial. Now for the second trial, keep up with me. We''ll be running through the entire Izgoy. If you slow down from your initial speed from the start you''ll be removed. If you collapse you''ll be removed. No time to rest. Follow me!"

    The people were slightly pissed off according to their faces but they managed to stand up and run with me. They were panting and coughing throughout the whole run but others had their faces completely fine as they run.

    We run through the entirety of Izgoy again and again until one by one of them dropped out. It took them about two hours of constantly running at full speed. I tried my best to keep up at their pace but they''re slower than I expected. But I can''t help but be discouraged by their weakness for now. But I guess it''s fine since exactly a hundred of them were left.

    They were all promising.

    "Good job." That''s all I could say. I''m not profficient with these kinds of speeches. "You''re the ones that were strong enough to last this long. But only 50 people are allowed to enter the elite unit. That''s why for the final trial... It''s an all out war. But... killing is not allowed. THE LAST FIFTY PEOPLE STANDING WILL BE ALLOWED. NOW DO IT, FIGHT AMONGST YOURSELVES!"

    The contestants were staring at each other confused on what to do. Some people raised up their weapon but didn''t attack. They were simply wary. But that loud obnoxious guy was the first to ravage through the battlefield.

    He jumped in the very middle of the pack and swung his spear in a giant motion blowing tens of people away. "COME ON! GET ME!"

    The others followed his lead and rushed in too.

    The mages in the pack blasted countless spells, the swordsman specifically targeted the mages but their barriers were too strong for them to penetrate.

    It was a wild unorganized war... no... a dogfight. But it highlighted who were strong and those who were not. Some people caught my eye.

    The two greatshield user who bashes and taunts everyone to come at him while his other ally who blows away everyone that came at her or him were an amazing display of teamwork.

    The archer who I never once have seen missed came raining down of pure accurate and calculated shots and everytime he let out an arrow, someone will be eliminated.

    And finally, that guy who''s been screaming at the top of his lungs boasting about his power. "COME ON! HAHAHA! THE BATTLEFIELD IS MINE!" He and Neco were the ones that were hunting the most animals when they were just both hunting. He was also challenging Neco everytime that he can. But his skills are no joke. Even though he''s that annoying, everything he does is calculated. He''s a natural born for the field of war.

    He separates the frontlines of the unit and paves a giant path for the mages. He''s interesting.

    After a few hours of fighting, the fifty people have finally appeared. "Congratulations. You all have passed. Rize!" I called out to her. "Give the other fifty people who have lost in the final trial a piece of artifact."

    The people around me were all amazed by ''my'' generosity. But this is all thanks to my lord Zieglind for planning all of these.

    "Alright, for all of you winners, you''ll all get the things I said earlier. Take a rest for tomorrow and we''ll continue training the day after. Our training regimen is the trials hosted here. But no one will be eliminated. It seems that you all can handle it. So I guess this''ll be the default training for all of you. Rize! Give all of these people the rest of the artifacts Neco hauled in."

    It seems that my lord is forming a mythical army. An elite and powerful army consisting of strong people. I''ll see this to the end.

 Chapter 169: Apprentice

    I''m bored and I don''t know what to do. Zieglind still hasn''t given me a single thing to do. I''m here in the garden the citizens built just admiring the peace that I can still grasp. This is incredibly different when I was just a small goblin living in the forest.

    It wasn''t exactly a fun life since all I did was simply pick up sticks, skin bunnies and all other wildlife to make something that can be barely be called a cloth. All those memories are simply memories that I hope to never be into again.

    A desolated female goblin by myself living alone in a village where no one helps you but yourself as you try scrape food and clothes and barely called a shelter to try and survive.

    The life I''m living right now isn''t so bad.

    "Rize." Someone called out to me. I looked back and it was none other than Afal.

    "Hey." I stood up from where I sat and met Afal eye to eye. "What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing. I just need your help for a couple of minutes."

    "Sure. I''ve got nothing to do since Zieglind hasn''t given me anything to do."

    "My lord hasn''t? You better check in with him later. Everyone else got their own quests."

    "I will. So let''s do yours first. What''d you need me to do?"

    I went with Afal and he asked me to make a giant barrier for his soldiers to train in. I stuck around for the whole elite unit trials. It was a bloody, pitiful and unorganized mess that completely showed how desperate people are for the benefits Zieglind put on them. I guess reality is that cruel. For people to do anything to get those benefits.

    I saw in Afal''s how eyes how he was so captivated in training the people he selected and survived. In those trials, it was shown who has talent and has a natural born trait of a leader.

    One person attracted my attention as their bowmanship was spectacular for someone who was just once a slave. Everytime they shot their bow, someone was going to be eliminated. Everything he let out hit something with absolute accuracy.

    The moment I saw him, bloodcurling fear was felt as I admired his insane accuracy. I also saw some others.

    The other one was using an incredibly heavy bow as her pulling that bow took her around her ten seconds to just release it. The veins on her arm was seen when she was pulling that. I guess I''m going to take these two and train them like Precia''s old comrade and how she taught me.

    I''m also bored since Zieglind doesn''t give me any quests for now so I''ll pass the time with this. I ran over to Afal after the trial and his speech has ended and asked for the two people I saw talent for.

    "Hmm..." Afal was hesitant at first since he said that, "Some other elite units here might feel that you''re playing favorites but... I guess it''s fine. As long as it benefits lord Zieglind, I have no qualms about it. Do what you must. But every single day at five in the morning, they must be mine for the time being. You can only borrow them after the training which is around eleven."

    "Got it. I have no problems with that. Thanks Afal!"

    "Mhm."

    I left Afal there and went to the two people whose bodies were wrecked and heavily bruised. Well that fight was a dogfight so this much is to be expected. I called over to them, "Hey!" And waved my hand as I ran up to them. "I''m Rize. I''m the sharpshooter of the Crimson Knights and your instructor Afal is one of my comrades." I need to let them know that I''m an authority!

    "Uh huh... Nice to meet you miss Rize." The both of them replied.

    "Alright. Then the reason why I called the two of you is because I want to take the both of you as an apprentice. I''ve seen your talents with the bow and I''m impressed with it. That''s why I''m going to take the both of you as apprentices."

    The woman spoke first, "I''m sorry but I have to decline. I''ve pledged my loyalty to my lord, Afal and this elite unit will also help me to give benefits to my friends. I don''t have a family but they''ll be the ones that''ll be protected by the king as lord Afal promised."

    "I have also to decline." The man with the insane accuracy next spoke. "I can''t give up the benefits for further strengthening myself. Even though I''d like to be an apprentice of the person who saved us, I''ll have to decline. This is for the future of my family."

    "I see..." I scratched my head. "Well, you can still keep the benefits. But in exchange your training will just be more worse."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "After your morning practice with Afal, the both of you will be under my tutelage and we''ll be training for the rest of the day. This way you can keep your title as an elite unit and be able to receive the rewards. You''ll be given artifacts by Afal right? They''re all hunted by Neco, he''s a person that was once a citizen but is now a proud member of the Crimson Knights. You''ll be provided with artifacts by me and Afal so this is a bonus for your bonuses."

    "That is tempting... But are you sure that we can keep the benefits of in an elite unit?"

    "Yep. You''ll just be able to do your duties the same. So for now, I''d like to see if you really are the talents that I saw in my eyes."

    "What do you mean?" The woman asked.

    I then replied, "Hit me. Just once. With your arrow. Give me your best shot. I''ll put some handicaps on me, I can''t fly or hit you. But I can hit your arrows. That''s all it is."

    "Are you sure... about that? What do we get in return?" The man asked.

    "Every artifact that I find from here on out will be split in an 80 to 20. 80 being yours and 20 being mine. But if I win, I''ll have to double your training and you''ll have to work harder to serve under me."

    "Alright then."

    The both of them shook their arms off. To get the dust and lessen the strain on their arms.

    "Heal, Great Heal!" Green particles appeared all around their body and removed the bruises that was once on their body. Their bad smell also disappeared along with their wounds. "Alright. Inventory." I took out Hou Yi''s bow out of my inventory. This way I can control how I shoot my arrows and their power. "Barrier!" A giant cube of barrier was formed. "To limit our movements and to know that I won''t go anywhere farther than this. Alright, that''s enough preparation. One hour, I''ll give you all one hour to hit me once."

    "Lock On!" The man casted and the arrow suddenly curved through all the trees I passed through.

    I can''t dodge this one so I turned around and quick shot an arrow and destroye his with ease.

    Three more arrows came homing towards my way so I stopped and quick drew three arrows intercepting his. A giant arrow of fire then came bursting through melting any trees that was in its way. It''s high destructive power means it''s from that female archer.

    I pulled back Hou Yi''s bow with all my might and without using any skill I let go and destroyed her spell completely with just pure raw strength. I can''t hit them so all I could do is just parry or just deflect all of their attacks. So I just continue to run around circles.

    The man let out falling arrows from the sky and every single one of them arrows were literally homing so deflecting all of them were difficult. "Bullet Hell." I enchanted my arrow. I barricaded the entire arrow rain. I can''t deflect all those arrows with my weak barrier but this barrier can help contain the bullet hell so I don''t hit them. So I release the arrow and it all exploded inside destroying my barrier and all the arrows.

    This exchange of attacks were repeating throughout the one hour ordeal that I set upon ourselves.

    There were sometimes that they were close at hitting me so I used skills like Quickstep and Blink to get away faster. One hour went by incredibly quickly and I didn''t even break a sweat. "So... that''s one hour time. How''d you feel?"

    The man has ragged breaths and were sweating profusely. "My arrows... the accuracy that I was proud of... I never hit at least one..?"

    "My powerful arrows that I managed to pierce through Xend materials were broken without any effort at all? Just pure raw strength..?" The woman was confused.

    "Know that there''s always someone stronger than you. But today''s training is enough. And as the deal the both of you agreed, you''ll be under my tutelage. My full name is Rize Reysh, what about the two of you?"

    "I''m Hawk... Hawk Gern." The man replied.

    The woman followed, "Eri Strent."

    "Hawk Gern and Eri Strent, nice to meet you. Tomorrow, our training starts!"

 Chapter 170: The Forbidden Knowledge

    Artifacts... I''m trying to find some. Even though I''ve been negligent with my training that lord Afal has set for me, I''ve been making it up by raiding some artifact dungeons.

    This artifact that someone gave me before I got imprisoned in that hellhole was something I was set out to do ever since I got out of that place. I was to kill my owners when I''m bought as a slave then just run away and try to find the rest of this artifact.

    "The effects are amazing but I can''t wear it. I''m underleveled." Everytime I put it on, a system message pops up and tells me that it can only be worn by level 300 people... But why did someone just gave me this. An old man from a weird market nonetheless.

    Was it fate..? Or something else. But this item in itself is something that I need to discover for my own.

    [Deep Dark Necklace, an ancient level item that has long existed five centuries ago. This necklace opens up a secret portal that hasn''t been yet discovered all these years. It is but a myth written in a book but no one has been able to confirm the true meaning of this necklace. Has two sub skills,

    ||Traverse||

    Fall down in a dark world wherein you will be untargetable and all homing skills against you will be cancelled. After a three seconds or a reactivation of the skill you will reappear in a random location a few meters around from where you were before.

    ||Subspace||

    Capture an enemy to be transported in a world inside the necklace. Your enemy must be a lower level than you. The level calculation will be 20% of your current level. As of now your opponent needs to be (16) levels below you to capture them in the world inside your necklace. Any mind attacks on the captured being inside the necklace will be enhanced by 200%. You are able to walk inside the subspace but your physical body will be frozen in place and you won''t be able to move your actual body outside of the subspace.

    To capture someone in your subspace, they either are willing to submit to you, completely helpless or incredibly terrified at you.

    This is one of the set of the Deep Dark artifacts. Having one item equipped, (Deep Dark Necklace), will give you a +50% damage for your dark attacks.]

    This is from a set called the Deep Dark. I''m incredibly interested in that. That''s why right now, since I''m free I''m going to find it.

    I spent the next days just farming artifacts. I went into countless dungeons and got rich myself. Enough to buy a whole house for free. selling these monster meat gained me a fortune. But I don''t want to hog all of these rewards for myself.

    I sold it all to different kingdoms as Lam suggested and got over to 20k worth of food. I got was supposed to be rare monsters. I don''t think they''re rare at all. I guess they''re rare to the point that no normal people could kill them since they only live in the artifact dungeons. But I don''t care about such things. All I need to do is find the rest of the Deep Dark artifacts.

    As Lam predicted, the haulings I got got their prices lowered by around 40% since I was bringing in too much. But that''s fine. I got a lot in exchange. I bought some clothes and stacks of high quality foods and delivered to Izgoy. Everyone rejoiced but I told them that it was Lam''s plan.

    Zieglind got through my lies but I just did it so that people won''t depend on me as much.

    I went into countless dungeons and just farmed and farmed and farmed. All I could hear for everytime I''d go into the dungeons were the screeches and my blade digging into the bones of my enemies.

    I feel like I''ve been one with darkness itself. I scavenged and scavenged. But all I could see was the small light at the end of every dungeon.

    It was like opening a lucky box with barely a 0.1% chance of finding a Deep Dark artifact. People would just go crazy if I told them how much I have worked to find this artifact. But why am I doing this... is the question that would popped up in people who will know of my goals.

    I sat down and opened up a locket with me and a picture of a woman around my age. "Anna..." I remembered thousands of memories I had with her. I reached my hand out to the locket as if trying to grasp the past and return back to there.

    "Inventory." I opened it up and brought out a slab of meat and returned it back to my inventory.

    If my theory is right, I will have the chance to see her again. I''ve been searching for ways to get her back but I still can''t find a solution. This Deep Dark is one of my leads. It can access a subspace seperate from our world and reality itself. That means that if I collect all artifacts... I might go to realms that no person from this world has come and came back here.

    That means... if I can see her again, I''m willing to cross multiple world just to find her.

    Her memories with me are forever etched. I have to repay here. I have to bring her back here.

    That''s why I''ll continue this grind.

    I farmed and farmed multiple artifact dungeons. If I could sell all of these to an auction house I''ll be richer than our current treasury in Izgoy. But none of these are worth it. It''s trash with my eyes when I got an incredibly powerful one.

    After farming multiple artifact dungeons for a couple of days, I found myself in a submerged artifact dungeon. Below sea level. I''m still flabbergasted on how Lam find these information. Like he has eyes everywhere. But I''m not complaining since he''s on our side.

    I dived down at the sea and entered on what seemed to be a submerged palace. It looked like it was submerged hundreds of years seeing how crumbled it is and how old the ornaments and the style of the palace itself looked.

    After a few minutes, I found myself running out of breath so I dived deeper to find a pocket of air. But all I found was a giant trapdoor. As Iopened it, water gushed in the basement this trapdoor was hiding. I had to act quick so I went in the basement and instantly covered it with the trapdoor stopping the water from coming in. Good thing I acted fast or this whole place will be flooded by now.

    I went in deeper in the dungeon and two golems were there to guard. But they were low leveled. "Traverse!" I teleported above their shoulders and broke their weakpoint, the orb on their faces and they easily crumbled.

    If I just attacked them normally, they''ll continue to regen their full body with ease as long as that orb is intact.

    I walked around but it''s just a whole giant dome. I thought this was a dungeon artifact. There''s no monsters other than this two. Lam also told me that that''s why he was hesitant on giving me the location of this place. But he ran out of places to give so he just gave me this as he said.

    He simply said at the time, "I''ll give you the location but I doubt you''ll find anything. Countless adventurers got there but all they found were some treasures that aren''t even good. Are you sure you want to go?"

    Of course I agreed since I''ll do anything to find that artifact.

    I went in and the sight was something to behold. A giant star was engraved on the floor as there was an altar at the very front. Five pillars at each intersection of lines of the star below where a never ending dark flame was lit. I didn''t activate anything for that to happen. So that means that light was here hundreds of years ago.

    I walked up to the altar and I saw two books and one dagger. I picked it up and a system message popped up in front of me.

    [Item has been soul bound.]

    [Deep Dark Sacrificial Dagger, gain 10% HP and 10% attack damage when you kill something. This bonus effect stacks up infinitely.]

    [You have now equipped two Deep Dark items, you will now be able to use Traverse with an 80% cooldown (11 seconds).]

    "System, what is soul bound?"

    [Soul bound is a unique state of an ancient item in which you cannot sell it or give it to someone. If you throw it away, it will despawn and appear back in your hand or inventory depending on where you threw it.]

    "I see..." This is great. Now I have two Deep Dark items. Just a little bit more. I then looked over the two books. The other one was Deep Dark skills. With a date attached to it at around 500 years ago. I opened it slightly and I already feel like I know so much.

    I then looked over to the other one and my knees trembled from what I saw. "No... way..." This is the thing that I have been looking for but I thought it was impossible. I thought I had to cross to hell or heaven itself to bring her back... But this... this changes everything.

    "Resurrection... Method..."

    A spell that was once never thought to be possible. I have it in my hands.

 Chapter 171: The Thorn in Two Beautiful Roses

    Why did I have to be stuck with these two girls... This is such an awkward atmosphere. We got several cases of reports from Herold, Zieglind''s friend to infiltrate these Serpent union bases.

    "Hiyaaa!" Everytime we slice off another head of these Serpent union members, their numbers are simply nothing to joke about and their strength too. Yeah we can kill them easily, but they''re simply too stubborn. They''re pretty dangerous themselves but still... They''re incredibly annoying.

    We spent most of our fights not getting into their stupid traps. When they know they aren''t going to win against us, they''ll trap us with their binding spells. But we always managed to escape since that''s obviously not their proffesion so their bindings were weak and easy to get out with brute force.

    But all these missions... I feel like the both of them are getting farther and farther away from each other... Not just literally... But emotionally too.

    I can''t take this awkward atmosphere here anymore. So I have to do something. We''re still far away from our destination but... I don''t want to take this awkward silence anymore.

    I stopped in my tracks and as the both of them passed me, they looked back. It seems that I''ve got their attention. Precia was the first one to speak. "What''s wrong?"

    "Can you two get over your differences? Your silence on our missions is bothering me. I''m not used with this atmosphere." I replied.

    The two of them looked at each other and shurgged as if they don''t have a clue on what''s happening.

    I let out a sigh and then asked, "Why are the two of you not talking?"

    "If you say it like that I can''t give a definitive answer..." Precia replied.

    "I don''t know." Yefa followed up. "I think there''s just something in me that makes me feel repulsed of Precia..."

    Even though I didn''t expect it, Yefa was the first to open. "This is dumb..." I couldn''t help but let out my thoughts. The two of them looked at me with a blank face. I know the reason of them from the very start. "Just admit it." I have to be blunt. Or the two of them will not be able to recognize their feelings.

    "What... do you mean?"

    "The both of you like him... Don''t you?" There it is. I finally said it. Saying that took a lot of courage since I couldn''t bear to watch the two of them squiggle around like little kids whenever Zieglind praises them.

    "That''s..." Yefa tried to think of ways to counter what I just said but nothing came to her mind. She knows what she''s feeling inside. And she knows that the nasty ''feeling'' she was feeling was about Precia having the same feelings to Zieglind.

    But Precia herself was reluctant. "No. I do not feel that way." With that unexpected declaration, it was something that I didn''t know she''d say. "I only wish to be his knight. That is all."

    "You''re lying." I replied at Precia. "You know it yourself don''t you. You just want that excuse because you want to protect a secreat that you have or something. I don''t know what it is but the more you lie to yourself, the more it''ll feel painful if you just see him go to a farther place and you won''t be able to stand by him."

    "..." She couldn''t say anything.

    "Look at me and Zeta. We know that our relationship isn''t perfect, but the best thing we could do is just be with each other. We know that we can''t live a normal life because of the circumstances right now but us both? We wish for that future. That''s why you mustseize the chance you have right now or it''ll just disappear without you knowing it."

    "That''s wonderful for the both of you Greta. But I told you. I''m just his knight. Even if I did have feelings, you have to remember. We''re just slaves."

    "That doesn''t matter! He accepted us! He went into such great lengths just to save me in that darkness! He has do-"

    "I told you, ''IF.'' In the first place I didn''t have anything in the first place. I''ll tell you as many times as you need it Greta, I''m his knight."

    "T- then!" Yefa intervened. "You don''t mind if I take him for myself do you?" Yefa was blushing as she said that. It must''ve taken a lot of courage.

    "...Do as you see fit." Precia then took off and ran by herself. I couldn''t believe how stubborn she was.

    We ignored all other conversations either Yefa or I tried to start so our journey to the Serpent union''s place was something silent.

    We finally got there and they both looked at me. They were waiting for me to go in. I changed into my beast form and equipped my weapon and the Gazer armor and jumped in the basement from where they were hiding.

    They all stopped what they were doing and drew all their weapons and casted buffs on each other.

    "Maximize Strength!"

    "Barrier, Physical Damage Reduce, Dull Pain, Damage Reflect!"

    "Strength Boost, Rage!"

    All other people did the same and buffed themselves up. I got on all fours and pounced on each one of them and dug my claws on their necks and jumped on the other one. The first one that I killed let out a loud shriek of pain so Yefa and Precia went down with their armor and weapons ready.

    "Electric Attraction!" Yefa''s body was surrounded by lightning and suddenly, most people near her launched themselves at her as if a magnet picking up nails. They were stuck on Yefa''s body but that soon ended after two seconds. The people that she pulled lost their weapons and has been disarmed. She raised her fists, "Explosive Fists!" and punched the head of one of the members.

    That one swift cleen kill blew away his head as it showered blood everywhere.

    Everyone stood up and tried to reach for their weapons but Precia jumped in, "Taunt!" And forced everyone to go to her.

    I leaped off of my prey and headed to the place where Precia gathered them. "Death Claws!" I swiped my claw in the air and three wind shockwaves was shot to the enemies cutting their bodies in half. I leaped on them and pierced the enemies like a skewer.

    The people whom I''ve abandoned to kill the people whom Precia lured in fought back.

    "Binding Light!"

    "Lesser Strength!"

    "Deceleration!"

    I could feel myself getting slower and my strength being sucked out from me while I couldn''t move.

    The man with the giant hammer rushed at me and went ahead and started off with an overhead smash but Yefa came to my aid and punched the man''s hammer, "OOOHHH!!!" Completely destroying it to pieces.

    She dashed in and instantly got under the man. He was caught off guard so he lost balance as he took a step backward so Yefa used this chance and punched her right in the face completely obliterating his face. I couldn''t believe it but Yefa has come a long way.

    Precia didn''t yield, "Giant''s Prowess!" Precia''s sword grew into a size of a greatsword... No... it''s bigger than that. But what it brought was impressive destructive power. She swung her sword and the people who was going at her got their bodies completely cut in half. It was complete obliteration.

    The Serpent union members knew they couldn''t win so they dropped their weapons and ran wishing that we could let them go. But sadly, we can''t. Now that we know their intentions, we will not be letting anyone of them go.

    This isn''t a battle anymore. It''s just merely massacre.

    I leaped in and tore their heads off with ease in my beast form.

    Yefa used her explosive and destructive powers to deal damage and kill multiple enemies at once.

    Precia used her high damage to cut through the people who were trying to hold us back. After a few more minutes of fighting, it was a complete victory. And it was an easy one.

    We looted the rest of the base with whatever we could find and just went on and put it into our inventory. Just with that single loot, we got around 20,000 gold and a lot of artifacts that we looted off the bodies.

    But that isn''t important right now. There''s still that thorny aura around Precia. She''ll continue to fight like this for Zieglind without asking anything back. I know she loves him, but she''s not willing to express it. "Precia... You know it yourself. You just need to accept it and we''ll understand. It''s better to let it out than just keep it in."

    Yefa wanted to disagree with my actions since she thinks I''m rooting for her. She just stayed silent throughout and continue to loot the bodies as if she doesn''t hear anything.

    "Greta." Suddenly, the tension in the air changed. She looked back and her eye suddenly turned into a red... gemstone? It was bright as it flicker throughout the entire room. I don''t know what''s happening but I felt absolute danger. "Just because you have love and romance in your life, it doesn''t mean that I need it. What gives me happiness is to be by his side as a knight. Nothing more, nothing less."

    "..." I couldn''t say anything. Those were just simple words but I could feel that she was pissed off about something. I guess I''ll just let her be for now until she opens up to us in the future.

 Chapter 172: Reports

    We won''t have to worry about funds for a couple of months. Neco has been giving me most of his profits to give to the citizens. Even though he''s practically disconnected from them, he still spent years with them at that hell hole so he has some responsibility to protect them in whatever way he can. And he placed that responsibility on me.

    Right now, Neco has contributed a lot. We have about 132 artifacts on hand right now. He has only invaded around 83 artifact dungeon in a matter of one month and he already got a lot. Well... new artifact dungeons will form and will procedurally generate within time.

    We''ve given around 50 artifacts for the elite unit and another ten for the two discipless Rize picked up. I''ve been looking at their training in secret and it seems that Rize is a pretty great instructor. I don''t have to worry about anything. But I''m interested in what those two people that Rize pick up would grow into.

    I''m currently reading the file that Afal has sent me. I couldn''t help but chuckle at the fact that he ranked the members of the elite unit. That''s so him.

    There''s more reports that I have to read now because of the creation of the elite unit but Afal still trains the normal soldiers. I don''t have to worry about all of them. So I guess that''ll be fine. Afal ranked them into multiple classes... S being the highest and C being the lowest.

    As of now he found four S class talents, ten A class soldiers, 17 B class talents and the rest at C class. But as he said in his report, "Even though they are C class within my eyes, their much tougher than the soldiers that didn''t got in. I''ll do my best to create an army to support your plans my lord." I don''t get what''s that about but I guess he''ll do everything he can do produce a good army.

    After reading the rest of the documents, I heard a knock at the door. "Come in." I told them.

    "Hello." Neco opened the door and went in. "Inventory." He then pulled out a haul of artifacts and laid them all on my desk.

    "I told you to bring it to Lam. I don''t need to check it for anything. You got these artifacts by yourself so it''s all yours."

    "I know that. But, I found an interesting artifact dungeon. The rewards are... incredibly great too."

    "Hmm... okay. What''s it about?"

    Neco sat on the chair and began to talk, "Most artifact dungeons are like normal dungeons right? They''re underground and such. But this artifact dungeon that I found was submerged. But the structure of the dungeon looked like a castle."

    "That''s interesting. Continue."

    "So I found these two items." Neco pushed over the book that was on the table and then he summoned out a weapon from his inventory. "Apparently it''s deep dark items. I don''t know what they are but these are what I found about them."

    "Let me take a look." I opened the book but there was no text. "What''s this book about..?"

    "It''s all about assassination and how to kill certain monsters."

    "Wait what?" I was confused. I looked at other pages but there was nothing. Not a single letter, ink blot or anything that indicates that something was written. "You can read this?"

    "...Yeah?"

    "I don''t see anything. It''s just a blank book with my eyes."

    "Huh!?" Neco snatched away the book that was on my hands and flipped over the book. A bright light was emanating from the book and certain letters floated but I couldn''t read or comprehend them. Neco instantly closed the book after a few seconds. "Just ten seconds in and I was passed on years of knowledge about certain things. This is a Deep Dark book... Hmm... Curious. Maybe it''s because..." Neco looked at the dagger that he got from that artifact dungeon.

    I grabbed it and took it from him. "Analyze."

    [Deep Dark ????????]

    That''s all it said. Nothing more, nothing less. A bunch of question marks. This has never happened. I mean, the system puts random symbols for something locked. Like I have to achieve something to unlock those symbols and get the effect. But this one are just question marks.

    "Do you see anything?" Neco asked.

    "No." I replied. "This is interesting. Do you know the rarity of this item?"

    "I''m an assassin but my real class is thief. So I know the rarity of all items. And yes, this is an ancient artifact."

    "That''s amazing. The only ancient thing I''ve ever received is the Flower of Zeratria. So you got this from that dungeon?"

    "Exactly."

    "Hmm... Let me see the dagger."

    "Sure." Neco gave me the dagger.

    I swung it around but as soon as I raised my hand, the dagger disappeared and reappeared inNeco''s hand. "What?" I took it from him and it instantly went back to Neco''s hand again and again. "Is that the weapon''s skill?"

    "No. Apparently it''s soul bound to me."

    "What''s that mean?"

    "I can''t give it to anyone, sell it or trade for it. In short, it''ll always be mine no matter what I do unless I completely die."

    "I see. What more did you discover?"

    "The place itself is weird. There was no enemies other than the two golems that I fought. And those two golems are weird."

    "Weird... how?"

    "Well, right now golems are manmade by people themselves. And golems usually have their weakpoints, their cores in which gives life to the stone statues extremely guarded. But the golems that I found has their weakpoints bare. It was on their heads and easy to find. I''m pretty sure that''s old technology right there."

    "So that means it''s a survivor of the previous battle royales. I don''t know how long but it''s enough to make me interested. What more?"

    "The artifact that I saw there has an altar ready for it. Right now, I''m still contemplating if it really was an artifact dungeon that I saw. There was a giant star in the middle, two circles overlapping the stars that looked like a demonic symbol. There were five? pillar or something from each point of the star. And at the very top of each pillars were flames. I didn''t lit them up. They were just... there. Continually burning for what seems like years."

    "And you found these two artifacts there?"

    "Two..? Ah yeah, I found the two of these on that place."

    "I see. Then bring me to that place. I don''t know what that is but it''s extremely important. We simply do not know anything about that place so we''re gonna go there."

    "Got it. Then I''ll get ready."

    "Not now but tomorrow. I still have to check in the others."

    "Alright. See you."

    The next one that came in was Zeta. "Hey." I called out to him.

    "Hey. It''s been a month. There''s no news?"

    "Nothing. Herold is... Hmm... PFFT-"I couldn''t help but contain my laughter as I saw Zeta''s clothes. It was something that a jester would wear minus the face paint and the hat. It was absolutely ridiculous.

    "HEY!" Zeta got angry. It seems that he forgot that he was wearing that ridiculous outfit.

    "HAHAHA!" I couldn''t contain it anymore and I just let out my laugh as tears followed.

    "Tsk. This was part of the mission! I had to freaking get in these clothes so those Serpent union members would come to me. I couldn''t believe that nobles and royalty would wear something like these."

    "Alright, alright. That''s about enough for now." I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes away. "Well, thanks for the intel gathering. So, did you find anything?"

    "Well I found some bases. I immediately sent them to Lam."

    "Yeah and Lam passed it on to Precia, Yefa and Greta. Great work. You''ve done a quick job of finding those places."

    "Don''t mention it. ALSO, NECO LEFT ME AFTER THREE DAYS TO SEARCH FOR ARTIFACTS!"

    "Ah- hahaha... I''ll tell it to him later."

    "Jeez I spent the rest of the month fending all those players by myself. Anyway, I''ve been into several kingdoms myself and I went down to every underground black market. This time, there was something leading those black markets. It was the serpent union. They''re now selling slaves and has been running not consensual brothels there too. Those women are slaves too."

    "Damn it... That''s completely inhumane and disgusting."

    "So... what do we do?"

    "Herold still hasn''t contacted me. Take Rize with you. Invade those black markets. If you''re done with them, tell me. I will teleport to your side and bring them here."

    "Alright."

    "By the way... I know this might be cruel but to those who are not willing to live... Kill them off peacefully."

    "...I know."

    "They''ve seen and has gone through something too much. Just let them rest. In this world, death is a luxury."

 Chapter 173: Cultists Base

    After a day has passed, the both of us bid farewell to Izgoy to go where Neco found those two artifacts. "Here." Neco handed me a blue stone. Its size were something like a pebble. I could see the air inside swirling around in this translucent case of stone... or maybe glass? I don''t know.

    "What''s this?" I asked.

    "It''s a Marestone. It allows you to breathe and see underwater but it only lasts for thirty minutes."

    "No." I handed him over the stone. "Keep it, I don''t need that to breathe underwater."

    "That so?" He was hesitant to take it but took it anyway. "It''s your funeral. Let''s go. Just follow me."

    "Alright." We dived in the water but uh... I don''t know how to swim. How do people do this again? I just waved my feet like I was walking on ground but I can''t cover long distances with it.

    Neco was hundreds of meters away from me. He came swimming at me, "Do you... not know how to swim?" He asked.

    "No." I opened my mouth and flood of water came so no voice came out. I just drank it all. I''m not worried since it''s just seawater. And even if it was poisoned, I can find a cure easily.

    "I told you, just take the Marestone. We can communicate this way."

    "Telepathy, Neco."

    "Tsk... fine." He clicked the accept button and I can hear him on my side.

    "Can you hear me now?" Even though I didn''t open my mouth, I''m pretty sure telepathy will do the rest of the work.

    "Yeah."

    "Alright. Let''s go."

    "Let''s go? You don''t even know how to swim properly."

    "Well..."

    "Haaa..." He let out a giant exasperated sigh. "Then it can''t be helped. Inventory." Neco opened his inventory and pulled out a long and tightly neat rope. "Put this on."

    "What? Why are you putting a rope around me?"

    "Well what do you want me to do? You don''t know how to swim so this is the only way. I''ll just pull you to there. I don''t have time to teach you."

    "Argh... fine."Iput on the rope around me and Neco tightened it. I was then carried along as Neco was pulling me threw the water.

    We spent several minutes finding this place Neco was saying and we finally got there.

    II''m pretty amazed that the castle itself looks amazing even though it''s pretty much destroyed like hundreds of years ago. it was also submerged.... So maybe it''s a little bit longer than that. I don''t know. But that''s why we''re here. To learn all about that stuff.

    "Here it is." Neco pointed at the trapdoor that was below the throne. It was a weird place to hide but genius hiding place nonetheless. No one would dare go near the king or queen''s throne.

    "I''ll go in first." I was about to open the trapdoor but Neco stopped me.

    "The water. It''ll flood the entire basement below. We can''t affor to let that happen. I''ve already let in a lot."

    "I see. Then step back for a bit."

    "Sure."

    "Barrier!" I created a cubic barrier around me to contain the water inside. I made sure that the barrier is not in with the trapdoor since it''ll be destroyed in what I''m about to do. Then I guess for the rest of this... Torched Body!" My body erupted in flames and began to counteract the water that was inside.

    "Are you trying to evaporate it?"

    "Yeah." I began to release even more hotter heat and just a few minutes after, the entire water inside the barrier disappeared. "Teleport!" I teleported outside of the barrier and next to Neco. I grabbed him by the shoulder, "Mass Teleport!" And after some time, we teleported inside of the barrier. I then opened up the barrier a bit enough so that we could grab and open the trapdoor. Good thing that no water has come in. "Dispel!" I took off my torched body.

    "This is it." Neco opened the trapdoor and we jumped down below. There were traces of battle and rocks. It seems that the golems that he were talking about were true.

    "This is a large room for a basement. Its size looks like the size of the castle we saw that was in crumble. This is increibly big."

    "Look here. Here''s the thing that I told you about."

    "What... even is this." Five pillar and this star... this isn''t a star... It''s a freaking pentagram. Demonic cultists are here... What the hell? What happened to this place. I kneeled over and took a closer look at what they used to paint the pentagram and as I feared, it''s blood. "This isn''t any normal place... This is an altar. Or a ritual table."

    "What does that mean?"

    "Sacrifice. They sacrifice something in exchange for something. It''s always been like that. And the star below here isn''t just any normal star. It''s a pentagram. In my world... Pentagrams are usually connected to the demons."

    "So you''re saying this is a cultist base? But who could still be using this stuff..."

    "I don''t know. I don''t even know what to think right now."

    "Then... should we go back right now?"

    "Yeah... I think we should. We don''t know anything about this place. But I''ll investigate it when we have time. This isn''t top priority right now. I''ll tell this to Herold too. Let''s just go." As soon as we were about to step out of the circle of the altar, the blood on the ground lit up and emitted a bright red light. The fires on the pillar ran out and the whole room was turned pitch black. "Wisp, come out!" I called out my pet. Even though Wisp only heals people, it still emits a bright green light. So it''ll act as our light source.

    But then, a scorpion like tail came out of nowhere and killed my wisp. A system popped up in front of me telling me how long it''ll return. But who was that? Is that a giant scorpion?

    "Who. Dares. To. Come. Here?" Their voice was deep, intimidating and overall terrifying. A growl followed and water dripping down on the solid ground. Every step they took, I could hear its thumping feet hit the ground. "Answer. Me. Or. I''ll. Give. You. A. Chance. To. Leave." Shockwaves of air was felt throughout the entire room. Was it their power that managed to push us back without even getting near us? Or is it the pressure that monster is emitting? Either way one thing came to my mind.

    DANGER.

    I felt like we need to flee. It already showed two of their powers. Wind and Poison according to the scorpion tail that we just saw earlier. "Flesh Eater Ring, Release! Fire Enchant!" Blood splurted out and I immediately reformed it, "Blood Weapon, Dagger!" I then threw the dagger at the enemy.

    A millisecond of spark was created so I saw a glimpse of their face. I couldn''t believe it.

    "Impressive. To. Think. That. A. Weapon. That. Was. Just. Created. Right. Now. Has. The. Ability. To. Wound. Me. Even. Though. It. Was. Shallow. It. Is. Still. An. Impressive. Feat. Nonetheless."

    Their face... It was the face of a lion. I can understand if it was an animal. But tell me, where the hell did that scorpion tail come from!?

    "Why. Are. You. Not. Speaking? Tell. Me. On. Why. You. Are. Here. I. Will. Let. You. Go. If. You. Wandered. In. Here. By. Mistake. I. Don''t. Want. Needless. Fights."

    We didn''t know what to say. So we just stood there back to back waiting for that monster to appear.

    "You. Will. Not. Answer? Is. It. Due. To. Fear? Or. Are. You. Simply. Foolish? Gehenna''s... Flicker." Suddenly, the five pillars lit up illuminating the whole room again. "Now. Are. You. Willing. To. Talk?"

    "It''s... a manticore." That''s why... he has a lion''s head.

    With the face and body of a lion. Known to kill as soon as it pounces on anything. With its sharp claws, wood, stones or iron are simply twigs. Its body is attached by black and red wings which flickers with fire engraved on it. As he laid it bare for us to see, countless markings and engravings were seen, pulsing small red lights. Its tail that''s poisonous no... Even more poisonous than a basilisk is from a scorpion. Known to kill a man within seconds. This legendary creature, I didn''t know that I''d find this kind of creature here. But what makes me curious as to why this manticore doesn''t have a human face.

    "You. Know. Of. My. Species?" It asked.

    "Yeah... You''re a manticore right? Why don''t you have a human face?"

    "So. You. Know. That. Much. I''ll. Give. You. An. Answer. It''s. Because. I''ve. Been. In. This. Form. For. Too. Long. My. Face. Has. Evolved. And. Nurtured. Within. This. Lion''s. Body. I. Am. Not. Human. Anymore. But. It. Doesn''t. Matter. Tell. Me. Why. Are. You. Here."

    "We''re here just to check the place out. Neco here found this artifact dungeon and we explored it."

    "Then. You. Know. There. Is. Nothing. More. To. See. Here. Then. Le-" The manticore''s eyes widened. "WHERE. IS. IT? WHERE. IS THE BOOK OF RES-"

    A dagger then came flying towards the manticore which interrupted him.

    "Tsk..." It was Neco. "Let''s kill it. It seems to be enraged by something."

    "Y- yeah." I didn''t expect him to take such a rash decision considering what he learned few months ago.

    "DAMN. IT!!! WHERE. IS. IT!? WHERE''S. THE BOOK!!!"

 Chapter 174: Manticores Wrath

    "You. Bastards. Dare. To. Steal. The. Treasure. Of. My. Home!? I. Was. Going. To. Show. Mercy. By. Letting. The. Both. Of. You. Leave. Here. But. That. Isn''t. Possible. Now. YOU!? THAT. BOOK. WAS. THE. CULTIVATION. OF. MY. FIVE. HUNDRED. YEARS. ON. THIS. DAMNED. PLANET!" As the manticore roared in rage, shockwaves of his bloodlust was felt throughout the entire dungeon.

    Debris came falling down from the worn out ceiling and the ground rumbled as he stomped his feet in anger.

    "What book is he searching for!?" I asked Neco.

    "I don''t know. I only have the Deep Dark book that gives me assassin skills." Neco replied.

    "But he said Book of Res- and then he just lost sanity... Are you sure that those only two items you got were the only ones there?"

    "Y- yeah. These are the only things I got."

    "Then that means that someone got here before us. It''s one of four things, they''re dumb that they left two precious artifacts, they don''t want the other two since it''s soul bound artifacts, they left these two artifacts for a bait for this manticore so that more people would come or they just came here to get that book and just ran away after seeing the manticore. There''s more possibilities but these are the most reasonable ones."

    "So, what do we do now? That''s the only exit we have. But we could try to break through above and fly away."

    "Absolutely not. We need to learn everything about this artifact dungeon. That''s why, we''re gonna need to protect this place. Free Form Barrier!" The barrier I casted acted like rubber and expanded and covered the whole interior of the dungeon. This way none of our or his attacks will reach the walls of the dungeon so that this place won''t crumble.

    "Hellfire''s. Mantra!" The whole area of the dungeon suddenly lit up in flames but disappeared by the time we could react. It was just milliseconds of the floor burning.

    I took a look at my status and I couldn''t see any negative effects or anything. Did the spell... fail? No, that isn''t possible. How can a strong creature like this fail a spell. There must be something weird about it.

    Without warning or any signs, the manticore thrusted with his scorpion tail in which I was caught off guard so I fell on my back as I tried to dodge it. Flames went up like a pillar rising up to the very top of the dungeon''s ceiling. I stood back up and saw that my normal clothes were burnt. But the manticore didn''t cast anything.

    I looked at Neco and waved his head like he''s saying he doesn''t know what happened.

    I took a step forward and my feet went up in flames as another pillar of fire came rising from the ground. "Gazer Form! Co-" Pillars went up again through my whole body as it lit up in flames. But this time the damage wasn''t that damaging since I have elemental resistance when my whole body is covered in one. It seems that something weird is going on.

    I raised my hand at Neco and he understood immediately to not take a move or make any noises.

    "Hellfire''s. Mantra. A. Skill. That. Covers. Any. Surface. With. The. Flames. Of. Hell... As. Hell. Is. Famous. For. Torturing. Its. Inhabitants. For. Every. Move. That. You. Make. You''ll. Burn. For. Every. Sound. You. Make. You. Burn. If. You. Don''t. Do. Anything. After. A. Couple. Of. Seconds. You''ll. Burn." So the skill this manticore put earlier was that?

    "Cooldown Reset!" I casted and flames went up again damaging me whole. I ran and ran bracing through the impacts of the flames that was rising. I reached out for Neco and grabbed his shoulders. "Mass Teleport!"

    "Useless. This. Artifact. Dungeon. Is. Implemented. With. Dimensional. Lock. No. One. Can. Teleport. In. Or. Out."

    "Damn it... Barrier!" I casted on Neco.

    "What are you doing!?" He shouted at me as he tried to break the barrier.

    "You won''t be useful here, you''re purely around utilizing your speed and movements. You can''t touch the wall or anything at all. Just stay there for now. I''ll think of something."

    "Damn it..." He couldn''t say anything. I guess he accepts it himself.

    "That. Is. An. Unwise. Choice. Human. Do. You. Remember. What. I. Told. You? Hellfire''s. Mantra. Activates. On. Any. Surface. Near. Me. The. Hell. Doesn''t. Let. Its. Inhabitants. Get. Away." The manticore said menacingly.

    "What the hell are yo-" Flames went up as soon as I was about to ask something. I stepped back and stopped moving.

    "The. Hellfire. Choose. Your. Friend. As. Its. Inhabitant."

    "What!?" As soon as the fire pillar in front of me was gone, the barrier that I surrounded Neco with has the inside swirling around in a hellfire of flames. It was like hundreds of flamethrowers being shot at.

    "ARGHHHHH!!! AHHHHH!!! NO!" I could hear Neco''s cries and pain as he shouts as he tried to break the barrier that I casted on him.

    "DISPEL!" Flames went up through my whole body but I didn''t care at all. I rushed over to Neco''s aid but it seems that the fires already dealt way too much damage.

    His body was charred, burnt and his arm was about to fall off. His whole body turned into a pile of burnt flesh. It was a horrific sight to see. In that five seconds of hell that he went through, he was blasted with tens of those fire pillars. I couldn''t believe it. My bad judgment led me to this horrible outcome. But it''s still not the end.

    I could still feel him breathing as his chest still contracts and expands. He still has a chance to live. " Za Fa Rah Ma Ga. Turn Neco, into a fish." Using the shapeshift spell, I turned Neco into a fish. Even the fish is black since he''s completely burnt by the spell that manticore casted. "Water Bubble!" I encased Neco into a water bubble as he''s turned into a fish. So I''m pretty sure he can breathe while in that form. I think.

    But this is the best chance I have so I don''t need to worry about him. "Barrier." I know I have a bottomless container that I got two years ago. So I brought that out and put Neco in that container. "Barrier." I put another layer of a spherical barrier on the barrier that I casted before. And for safety, "Barrier." A three layered barrier. I placed it on the ground and flames went up through my whole body and the barrier but this time Neco won''t get damaged. Since he''s a fish, he can''t create sounds that will trigger the flames to activate.

    "Clever. I. Have. To. Admit." The manticore suddenly said.

    "I don''t need your praises." Flames went up everytime I tried to talk. I''ve been burnt to the point that my life dropped down to 40%. To further reduce the damage, this is all I can do. "Fire Resistance UP, Damage Resistance UP, Elemental Resistance UP. TORCHED BODY!" Everytime I casted a spell, his spell began throwing flames of pillar at me. But I just braced through it. "

    I flew above so that my steps won''t generate sounds. I rushed at the manticore with my fire whip. As soon as I raised my hand to swing my whip, his scorpion tail came flying at me. I dodged to the side and entangled his scorpion tail with my whip. The flaming attributes of my whip managed to char a part of it. But it''s barely noticeable since it''s already black. But that only dealt a miniscule amount of damage.

    He broke free of my bindings and opened his mouth. "HELLFIRE BLAST!" A concentrated amount of mana was being generated by his mouth. And just a second after, a laser ray blast of his skill came flying at me. As soon as it hit me, I phased through it and managed to avoid the attack. But the barrier that I casted on the whole dungeon began to break. The whole area around us shaked with just one of his attack.

    I will never be able to take at least one of those hits because that would just be plain immpossible. I didn''t know that he was that dangerous. What''s his status... "Analyze!"

    [??? Level: ???]

    [Strength: ???]

    [Agility: ???]

    [Defense: ???]

    [Stamina: ???]

    [Speed: ???]

    [Magic: ???]

    [Speech: ???]

    Nothing appeared. This can only mean one thing. His level is hundreds above mine... I can''t win this by myself. "Telepathy, connect me to Feran."

    "Calling. Reinforcements? How. Cowardly. Hellfire. Blast!" The manticore sent out small fireballs all around the arena.

    "Feran!" I ignored the manticore and focused on Feran. "Are you there?"

    "Woah! Zieglind? What''s up?" I heard Feran on the other side and I was so happy to hear his voice.

    "Alright, I need reinforcements here. Bring Rize and Helga with you."

    "Where?"

    "Wait a minute."

    The manticore charged up another one of those Hellfire Blast but I just phased through it with ease. "Imagery Intensify!" I began to think of the path me and Neco took. "Perfect Imagery!" I casted again to store them in my mind. "Telepathy, pass on Perfect Imagery images!"

    "WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! What''s happening!?" I could hear Feran panicking on the other side.

    "Go to that place. We need you."

    "This... place? Got it. Give me a minute!"

 Chapter 175: Miscalculated

    "Alright, that''s done." I have to just leave it up for Feran to bring those two. "Now... this guy..."

    "Listen. Here. I''ll. Give. You. Another. Chance. To. Leave. This. Place. Just. Give. It. To. Me. The. Book. That. You. Stole." The manticore menacingly asked of me.

    "We don''t have it. I don''t even know what you''re talking about. The only two things that we got from this place is the book of Deep Dark arts and a simple dagger that''s now soul bound to Neco."

    "You''re. Lying. GIVE. IT. TO. ME! MY. BOOK! I''ve. Received. It. From. Someone. That. Surpasses. Gods. Themselves. I. Can''t. Ask. To. Get. That. Book. Again!"

    "A being that surpasses god..? I don''t know what you''re talking about but that''s impossible." Even we are still having with Tartarus monsters, how will we even face gods when they can make those in like a snap. Argh... No need to think about that. "What''s the book that you''re talking about anyway and why do you need it?"

    "Why. Do. I. Need. IT!? LOOK. AT. THIS!" He pointed his scorpion tail at the top of his head. And I didn''t notice until now but that''s...

    "That''s a player indicator..." But this one is hollowed out inside. There''s no color. It''s just black and empty hovering above his head. "You''re... a player?"

    "I. Am. A. Remnant. Of. A. Battle. Royale. Five. Hundred. Years. Ago. I. Was. Supposed. To. Win. I. WAS! BUT. THAT. DAMNED. CHEATER. CAME. OUT. OF. NOWHERE. AND. KILLED. US. ALL! I. Will. Never. NEVER. FORGIVE. HIM!"

    "Five... hundred years ago..? Then that means you''ve survived five battle royales?"

    "No. I''ve. Only. Seen. Three. Battle. Royales."

    "What? How does that work?"

    "If. Someone. Ended. A. Battle. Royale. On. 120. The. Next. One. Won''t. Happen. On. Year. 200. But. On. 220. Everytime. A. Battle. Royale. Finishes. There''s. A. Cooldown. Of. 100. Years. That''s. Why. I''M. TIRED. OF WAITING! THAT. BOOK. WILL. RESTORE. ME. OF. EVERYTHING. THAT. I''VE LOST! My. Youth. My. Age. My Lover. My. Friends. And. Everyone. That. I. Loved."

    "For five hundred years you''ve searched for this book... But what is it that drives you this far..?"

    "THE. BOOK. OF. RESURRECTION!"

    "Resurrection!?"

    "I. Was. Going. To. Kill. Myself. And. Be. Reborn. As. A. Normal. Human. Being. I. Was. Also. Going. To. Revive. Everyone. That. I. Loved. But... YOU! YOU. DAMNED. THIEVES! ARAGHHHHHHHHHH!"

    I can understand his intentions but there''s a big misunderstanding here. If I was on the same shoes as him, I''d probably be angered too. It''s just five hundred years of pure loneliness and seeking for something that might not exist.

    The manticore stomped his feet, "Rising. Flame. Tide!" The ground cracked and split.

    "Oh crap-" He broke through the barrier that I casted on the whole artifact dungeon with ease. This place is going to crumble. "Dispel!" I took off Torched Body so that I could cast other spells. "Free Form Barrier!" I then filled the broken ravine that he created with a barrier. "Lightning Pulse!" I created a cloud of lightning that spews out lightning every interval at the enemy.

    "ARGH!" Three lightning hit him in quick succession. "ANNOYING! Roaring Cannon!" A defeaning roar was heard and large shockwaves of his blast blew me away until I hit a wall. The cloud I casted dispersed and disappeared.

    "Judgment!" A heavy pressure was put up on him.

    "This. Is. What. You. Call. Heavy?" He isn''t even fazed by the pressure I''m putting up on him. "Magic. Amplification." His body glowed in red then disappeared. "Judgment!"

    "Oh-" I can feel myself getting heavier and heavier and it''s difficult to stand up. "Devil''s Advocate! Come, Bloodlust!" Lightning came out of nowhere and struck the entirety of my body. It summoned my armor and both of my weapons. I rushed at him like there was no pressure was felt. This caught the manticore off guard.

    "Immovable!"

    "Twin Blade Form: Rising Wind!" A giant tornado was formed with a single swing I just did and the manticore was lifted up in the air. I then retracted back my other weapon and grasped my other one with both hands. "Summoned Swords!" Eight swords spawned circular in the air. I grabbed one and did an upward slash which brought us even higher. The other summoned swords followed us.

    I blinked to the other one, horizontal slash, then blinked again to other one, a stab, again and again, upward slash, downward slash, thrust, sideward slash and for the finale, I blinked to the last one and did a downward slash to slam him onto the ground below.

    I might overdid it since the entire location quaked and there''s a small crack in the barrier. But there''s this weird feeling when I was hitting him. It felt like I was swinging a baseball bat. I couldn''t feel any of my attacks cutting through.

    "Is. That. All?" That voice was menacing and absolutely scary. It seems that all of my attacks did nothing. Was it that skill? Immovable?

    So that''s why I felt like I was using a baseball bat. I couldn''t cut anything. "Not at all!" I charged up two elements on both of my hands, "Brightest Dark!" A giant ray of light and dark magic came blasting through like a laser on my hands as I shot it on the manticore.

    "Hellfire. BLAST!" Both of our spells collided together and a combination of light, dark and fire magic knocked us both away.

    "...Damn."

    "Your. Skill. It''s. Enough. To. Cancel. Out. My. Own. Skill? But. Your. Level. Is. Far. Inferior. Than. Mine. And. You. Invested. Most. Of. Your. Stats. At. Your. Strength."

    I then heard something being struck. But it was neither of us. "That sound..."

    "It seems that your allies have arrived. Mana Search."

    "It seems that they''re here. Mana Search." Yeah. There''s the three of them trying to get in the barrier. But I could feel another source of mana. It''s incredibly concentrated and condensed. I looked over at the manticore and it''s charging up another skill.

    "Hellfire..."

    "WHA-" I didn''t notice it but he''s completely aiming at the three of them. I could cast Brightest Dark again but it won''t reach since he already started his. Damn it. It''s just faster to do this. "Lightning Body!" Lightning surrounded my body. I ran until I went up near the wall and ran up to where the manticore was firing.

    Right now, I felt like I''m nearing the speed of lightning. Every step I took, a trail of burnt surface was being created. I ran and ran and it felt like time was slow.

    I jumped to where the manticore was aiming and braced myself.

    "BLAST!"

    Woosh! A bright red light became bigger and bigger until it overtook my whole body. I couldn''t feel a single thing but my body is getting incredibly damaged.

    Those three seconds that I spent in that blast of his, I couldn''t feel my arms or legs and I could only see with my one eye.

    I see. I''ve lost a portion of my face and all of my limbs.

    "Zi..nd!!!" I could faintly hear their voices as I fell down. I''m glad that they''re okay.

    As I fell to the ground due to that massive explosion the manticore casted, my armor disappeared into nothingness along with my weapon. The barrier I casted around the whole area disappeared and the shapeshift on Neco too disappeared seeing how he''s out of the bottomless box.

    "No..." I could see them going in but if they go now we''ll all just die. With the last bit of my strength, "Barrier!" I recasted the entirety of this place to be covered in barrier. The won''t get in now. "Sta...tus..."

    [HP: 1,242/24,430]

    [Mana: 301,430/330,532]

    [Stamina: 10/100]

    [Buffs]

    -------

    [Debuffs:]

    Buff Seal

    Burning (x59)

    Damage Received Increased

    Exhaustion

    Lightning Body Life Cost

    Mana Deficiency

    Missing Arms

    Missing Eye

    Missing Legs (x2)

    Missing Limbs (x3)

    Damn... I''m practically gonna die at this rate.

    "How. Pitiful. Sacrificing. Yourself. All. Of. This. Could''ve. Been. Avoided. If. You. Just. Gave. Me. The. Book. But. We. Have. Come. To. This. Conclusion. Don''t. Blame. Me. For. Your. Death. All. The. Decisions. You. Made. Led. Up. To. This. Point."

    But even though 70% of my body is already destroyed. I can still fight back. "Lightning... Manipulation." With the last of my mana, I made myself a pseudo arm and a leg. I can barely stand up with the exhaustion I''m feeling and this thing is incredibly unstable. With lightning body still active, I appeared in front of Neco and lifted him up. He''scompletely unconscious so I have to carry him with these lightning arms. I know he''s gonna get damaged but our survival matters.

    I jumped on one of the walls with Neco on my arms and everytime that I move, a portion of my health decreases.

    [-100 HP]

    I jumped to the side and the manticore tried to attack me with its scorpion tail but I was too fast for him to follow me. After jumping three more times, I went to the place the manticore shot earlier and dispelled the barrier. I let the water go in the whole dungeon.

    I don''t care if this dungeon is destroyed. All that matters is survival.

    I threw Neco first into the water and I could hear the voices of Helga, Rize and Feran. "Zieglind!"

    This is fine... Neco''s gonna be...

    Saved...

 Chapter 176: Spectators Pain

    "So, to hit that target you have to..."

    I have been spending the rest of the days training these two, Hawk Gern and Eri Strent. They''ve been showing progress faster than what I initially thought. It''s actually impressive. The four artifacts that I gave to them were just perfect. Neco got a good haul.

    Eri''s two artifacts were,

    [Bracers of the Hateful, part of a long forgotten armor a bowman once used. No one knows of his armor, or his name. He was just a wandering bowman whose goal was to find peace by getting revenge on someone. Has 2 sub skills.

    ||Lone Wolf||

    Gain 100% increased damage when damaging enemies who are 10 meters away from you. If an enemy gets near you in that 10 meters, you''ll instead lose 30% attack damage.

    ||Pinpoint Accuracy||

    You''ll be able to see how far the enemy is, wind direction and chances of hitting the enemy while aiming using a ranged weapon or magic.]

    [Necklace of the Conjurer, a necklace worn by a conjurer who was also a druid. Has three sub skills.

    ||Forest''s Friend||

    Gain a 2% max health healing for every second you''re in the overworld.

    ||Summon Eagle||

    Summons a lightning eagle that gives you bonus movement speed. This eagle can fly five kilometers away from you but if they go over the five kilometer limit, they''ll return to you after five seconds. You can see what the Eagle sees when you activate /Vision Exchange while the Eagle is out.

    If Eagle dies -12 Hour Cooldown-

    ||Summon Wolf||

    Summons a flame wolf who can negate an attack once every 20 seconds. The flaming aura the wolf unleashes has a small burn damage to enemies who are near it. This wolf can transform as an arrow and can be shot using a bow.

    If Wolf dies -12 Hour Cooldown-]

    And the artifacts for Hawk are,

    [Hawk Ring, said to be worn by a friendly spear throwing giant. No one knows of its origins other than being worn by a giant. Has three sub skills,

    ||Ranged Attack||

    You will gain 30% strength while wearing this item and the farther the enemy is, the projectile that you shot will gain an increasing damage.

    ||Charged Up||

    The longer you hold on to a fully pulled bow and arrow, the damage will increase up to 100% within four seconds.

    ||Splash Arrows||

    Your arrows will emit a wind shockwave which knocks back enemies and friendly allies. This will become stronger the nearer your enemy is near you.]

    It seems that they''re slowly growing. I hope this can be useful to Zieglind or something.

    "Rize! Rize!" I could hear someone calling for me. I looked over to the direction from where I heard and it was just Feran.

    "Hey Feran. Need something?" I asked of him.

    He put his hands on his knees as he tried to get some air. "We need to help Zieglind. It seems that he''s in trouble."

    "Alright. Eri, Hawk, I''ll be going somewhere. It''ll be quick. I think. Just practice the daily things I placed upon you two."

    Me and Feran went to get Helga and we changed into our gazer forms and followed Feran to wherever he was heading. I was the first one to ask the question. "What''s happening?"

    "I don''t know." Feran replied. "Zieglind was panicking. He told me to bring the two of you immediately. I know where he is since he passed me these weird information through my head so we''re heading there now."

    "Where is it located?" Helga asked.

    "It''s an artifact dungeon. It''s around... here." Feran pointed at the sea.

    "It''s underwater?"

    "Yeah. Let''s go."

    We got in the underwater castle using the Marestones that Feran prepared and we''re not there yet but we could feel pulses of magic spreading everywhere. The seawater quaked and shaked every second or so. There''s an explosion and we were actually getting blown away.

    "This... this is a fight?" I could feel the surges of mana throughout the entire seawater. Blue particles were coming out of everywhere.

    "Mana is easier to see in seawater." Helga suddenly said. "These particles are what mana looks like in its bare form. It''s impossible to see on the surface but in water, they''re completely illuminating. Providing light. But these mana particles only appear if something is concentrated on the water. But they''re not even here on the seawater. They''re inside that castle. The shockwaves of their fight is sending waves of power everywhere. Zieglind is a monster himself but what he''s fighting is something along those lines."

    Another giant explosion occured but this time it pierced through the walls of the castle. It was a giant beam of fire that melted the stones that was infront of it in the seawater. We headed over to there and looked at the wall and it was completely destroyed. But there was a barrier protecting it.

    "Inventory." I pulled out Hou Yi''s bow. I pulled it with all my might but I could only make a scratch and it instantly restored. "This is pretty powerful. Let''s try to find another way."

    We looked over the whole castle and we found a single trapdoor. As we opened it, we could see Zieglind inside. But there''s a barrier here too. It seems that we have to destroy this no matter what. "Feran." I called out at him. "Buff me. Let''s try destroying this. There''s no other way in. I''ll put up a barrier if the inside gets flooded."

    "Wait- wait a minute, look at the enemy he''s fighting." Feran stopped me.

    "Huh?" I looked over the translucent barrier and saw Zieglind clashing with a... "Lion? But it has a scorpion tail."

    "No, that''s a manticore. But somehow it doesn''t have a human face. Interesting... Alright. Let''s try to bust through. What''s the element that you''re going to use?"

    "I''m going to use a lightning enchant to try and melt this barrier while hitting it with a bow."

    "Alright." Feran raised his chalice, "Damage Increase, Archery Damage UP, Lightning Wares, Vicious Arrow."

    Several glowing light came flashing and then disappearing meaning that his spells went through. "Quick Shot, Triple Shot, Archery Boost, Strengthen... and finally, Volatile Hell." I swam up and up until I like the distance and pulled my Hou Yi''s bow with all my might.

    Lightning spread throughout the entire water chaining with the mana particles all around us. I let go of the string and it was like a ray of light came firing. None of our eyes could see what just happened.

    As my arrow struck the barrier, small lightning explosions formed everywhere. The place that I attacked were suddenly smoking. We rushed over to there but there was only a small hole for where a small amount of water came through. It regenerated quickly.

    "This barrier... is extremely powerful. How can we get in..." I have the same skill like this so if I just... "Dispel." As soon as I activated that, I could feel thousands of information just flowing through my head. This is a unique barrier... Was this set up by the manticore?"Argh... I can''t dispel it. This skill is far more different than mine. There''s more equations than I expected." How can we dispel this... "Feran. Call Zeta right now. We need someone who can dispel this."

    "Alright."

    "Good." I looked over the fight to see what''s happening but I feel like the manticore is looking at me. "Huh?" It opened its mouth? Is it saying something? What''s with that thing it''s creating?

    Zieglind then jumped as if covering me.

    "Hey Zieglind what''s-" And then, a bright light overtook the view at the bottom. "ZIEGLIND!" The shockwave that emitted blew us all out of the water and the hot burning sensation was felt and the whole seawater was boiling.

    "Wh- what happened!?" Helga looked around dumbfounded not knowing anything.

    "We''re back here?" Feran looked at the sea.

    "Feran, bring me back there!!!" I shouted.

    "Y- yeah. Dull Pain! Fire Resistance!"

    "Thanks!" I dived right in and Helga and Feran followed. The heat is melting off my skin but good thing I can''t feel anything with Feran''s buff. I looked over at the trapdoor that we found earlier and it''s still intact.

    "H- hey... Look at... Zieglind." Helga pointed out.

    I couldn''t help but cover my mouth. "He''s barely holding on in there!"

    "And look at who he''s carrying!"

    "That''s Neco!? But he''s burnt incredibly bad!"

    Zieglind then ran with his fake limbs to the wall to avoid the attacks of the manticore and dispelled the barrier. He then threw Neco at us and it seems that he lost all of his strength seeing how his fake limbs seems to disappear.

    "Zieglind! Damn... he''s too far. Feran, take care of Neco. Helga, start healing him." I then lent Neco to Feran.

    "Y- Yeah! Regeneration!" Helga casted on Neco.

    I grabbed Zieglind and swam away.

    The manticore then spoke. "Bring. Him. Back. HERE!" The manticore jumped and was about to pounce me.

    "No-"

    "Gravitational Push!" The manticore was then slammed down to the bottom of the sea. Who was it? That saved us? I looked up and it was none other than Zeta.

 Chapter 177: Facing the Manticore

    "DRAGON LIGHTNING." Ah this is taking too long. These Serpent Union members are taking a go at me everywhere I go. Neco also left me. He was supposed to be my bodyguard. Yet I''m dealing with all these damned pawns every single day.

    "Attack him!" The leader of their group shouted and rallied at me.

    "Oh shut up I heard that so many times. I''ll end this. It''s making me incredibly annoyed. Clouds of Darkness!" Smoke came out of my staff and shot straight up at the sky and filled the bright blue sky to a dark cloudy mess which overshadowed us all. "Imbue Lightning!" Lightning shot up from my staff to the clouds itself and it dispersed into several directions until everything just went crazy.

    Like a god''s smite as seen in tales, lightning struck from the sky eletrocuting anyone who''s unfortunate enough to be struck by this skill.

    As their bodies got burnt and the incredibly noxious smell were everywhere. The few who survived had their HP brought down to five percent. They could still keep going but their wounds will take a toll on them. "Dragon Lightning." A recreation of a dragon in a form of a lightning appeared behind me. "Goodbye then." As I pointed my hands at them, the dragon followed and destroyed their remains.

    I let out an exasperated sigh since I''m already incredibly exhausted. I don''t know how long I''ve been doing this but I really want to meet Greta.

    "Hmm? What''s this?" I looked at the system that popped up in front of me.

    [Feran is using the skill Message to contact you. Accept?]

    [Yes/No]

    Feran? I never thought he had a message skill. Of course I''ll accept it. "Feran? What''s the matter? Also, you have a message skill?"

    "Hey Zeta! I just used a one time use scroll given to me by Lam. Anyway, that''s not the point. We desperately need your help. Zieglind is here fighting someone but we can''t get in to where he is. There''s a strong barrier protecting the whole artifact dungeon."

    "Leave it to him, I''m sure he''ll be fine."

    "No, I think he''s having trouble with this one. The enemy is a manticore."

    "Manticore? I didn''t even think we''d come across an enemy like that. Manticores are incredibly rare. Rarer than dragons. Hmm... I don''t have to worry about him but it seems that you do. But I h-" I looked around and just saw the dead bodies of the Serpent Union. I don''t want to deal with these things again. "Fine... I''ll come. I''ll teleport to you right no-"

    "ARGHHHHHHHH!!!" I then heard Feran''s defeaning scream.

    "Hey! What''s happeni-"

    [Message duration ended.]

    "Damn it. The message ended. How do I get to him... Hmm... I see. That''s one way." Neco is a part of Crimson Knights so that means that we''re both in the same party with Zieglind. So if I open this... "Party Member List." Found it. There''s Neco. And if I just click on his profile... "Found it." His location is noted here. "He''s pretty near. I''ll teleport to the nearby village there and fly to them."

    I can only teleport to the places where I have been before of I have clearly seen a place. "Teleport!" A nearby village. Everyone was shocked to see me. But I just ignored them. But it seem that''s not the only thing they were shocked about.

    "Hey mama," I heard one of the kids, "Look at that person!"

    "Hush child, that''s a royalty. We can''t afford to go against them. Just go in the house and everything will be fine." His mother responded.

    "Royalty..? Ah-" I still have this stupid ridiculous clothes on. "Gazer Form." I swapped my clothes for the gazer form and flew to the direction where Neco was in.

    After a few seconds, I got there pretty easily.

    They seem to be covered in water. So the artifact dungeon was underwater? Feran seems to be casting a spell on Rize. She then jumped in the boiling seawater.

    "Hey what''s happ-"

    Feran casted another spell on both of themselves and jumped right in with Rize.

    "Mana Search." I casted mana search and, "Holy crap-" The whole seawater is filled with mana. I actually can''t pinpoint any single one of them. But I could still try and find a crumpled place of concentrated mana.

    "Hmm... there?" I could see three outstanding mana there. So that''s Rize, Helga and Feran? I can also feel a faint of mana incredibly weak. And they seem to be carrying it.

    But there''s also another giant mana source at the very bottom. So that''s the manticore Feran was talking about?

    I flew down to check. "Inventory." I grabbed the Marestone and ate it. "Fire Resistance." This way I can lessen the pain that I feel from the boiling water.

    I dived in head first and I could only say holy crap as the manticore tried to pounce on Rize. "Gravitational Push!" I quickly activated the spell and I knocked the manticore away from Rize to the castle.

    The whole structure collapsed on the manticore and covered him in rubbles.

    I rushed over to Rize to see if she was hurt. "Hey are you oka-" Terror and fear overtook my body to the point that I can''t let out my words easily. "H- hey Rize... Don''t tell me that person you''re holding is..."

    "It''s Zieglind." Tears came out of Rize''s eyes but she tried to hold back her emotions. She swam up and up to get Zieglind out of the water.

    Helga and Feran were waiting for us. But Helga is busy healing Neco. He''s literally burnt from head to toe as his body was charred from fire. I can understand Neco being in this state for challenging a high leveled monster.

    But Zieglind on the other hand... It''s either he underestimated the enemy or simply got caught off guard. "Let''s go out of here right now."

    "Y- yeah." Rize is trying to cover up the fact that she''s incredibly worried for him. Maybe she''s blaming herself for this.

    Well that''s the same for me. If I could''ve gotten here sooner I could''ve dispelled that barrier and help Zieglind escape. But there''s no time to dwell on that useless fact.

    "Board Transport." I summoned a flying translucent board. Helga went up and brought Neco and Zieglind there. She began to heal Neco first.

    But what could happen to Zieglind... A portion of his face gone, three of his limbs also gone. But what''s interesting is his body. There''s no blood coming out or gushing out. It looks like a soulless body or worse, an undead zombie.

    "Give. Me. The. Book!" A large roaring sound was then heard. The manticore rose from the seawater and emitted heat everywhere that could be felt tens of meters away from him. The grass withered and burned, the trees around us also went down in flames and the seawater boiled even more and steam came up in the air.

    "Tsk. Frozen Field!" The whole is then covered in ice but his overwhelming heat that he''s emitting is still too much. I''m the only one who can protect these people. I just need to buy time so that we can escape. "Feran, cast some buffs on me!"

    Feran put up his chalice, "Sorcery Boost, Magic Damage UP, Dull Pain, Cast Speed UP, Lightning Damage UP, Health Boost!"

    Several flashing lights appeared throughout my body and then disappeared indicating that the buffs worked. "Alright. Thanks Feran. Now get out of here. Don''t try to argue with me. Just get out. I''ll hold him back."

    "Got it." Zeta hopped on and pulled the stunned Rize to the board transport and I sent them away. It''ll be auto pathing to Izgoy so I just need to protect them. "Alright. Come on manticore."

    "You. Why. Did. You. Do. That. You. Damned. Adventurers. And. Players. Go. In. To. My. Abode. And. Have. Stolen. Something. From. Me. Yet. You''re. Fighting. Back? I. Gave. Your. Friend. A. Chance. Just. Give. Me. The. Book. And. Nothing. Bad. Will. Happen. But. He. Declined."

    "I don''t know what it is they have stolen." If they knew how powerful this creature is, then Zieglind would''ve easily given the thing he''s looking for at him. Is this a misunderstanding? Or is that item that they stole incredibly important? "What is it anyway?"

    "My. Book. Of. Resurrection."

    "Impossible. Impossible. IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE!!! THAT IS ABSURD! Having a resurrection magic is an impossible feat." I know of it. It''s definitely impossible. It''s even stated in my master''s experiments. "If you had that, then you have broken the balance and laws of the world itself! That''s impossible. You may be powerful but you''re not that powerful."

    "That. Is. True. But. I''m. Not. The. One. Who. Originally. Had. That. Book."

    "Who''s the owner?"

    "Ouroboros."

    "Why... why does that name keep popping up everywhere. That man has appeared in countless locations and stories from my master. Who the hell is he!?"

    "Lord. Ouroboros. Is. The. Winner. Of. The. First. Battle. Royale."

 Chapter 178: Indomitable Enemy

    "Argh damn it. Listening to each and everyone of you as followers of Ouroboros will make my head explode." These cult followers of Ouroboros are insanely powerful. But we have yet to meet nor see anything about this person. Or monster.

    "Your. Friend. Zieglind. Is. Unconscious. Isn''t. He? Bring. Him. Here. And. Get. The. Book. From. His. Inventory."

    "No can do." If I bring him here, this manticore will just kill him.

    "Then... are you sure you want to face me?" His killing intent spread throughout the entire area. It was a hot fuming rage. The winds it generated were nearly knocking me away but I stood my ground.

    Acting like I''m not bothered by it. If I show fear, he''ll just kill me with ease. "Supress Aura." His killing intent disappeared. This skill is a buff that supresses one''s aura so that they can stay hidden. But to think that I''ll use this on an enemy so that I won''t have to feel that nasty aura again... How did you fight this monster... Zieglind!?

    "LEAVE! Get. Out. Of. My. Way. I. Don''t. Want. Unnecessary. Deaths. I. Only. Need. That. Book."

    I need to take advantage of this situation while he doesn''t want to fight. The Scorching Flames, Ray of Chaos. This is the same spell that I used to battle the person that killed my master two years ago, Grytua. I just need to distract him more. "What do you want to do with that book anyway?"

    "Resurrect. Myself."

    "What-?"

    "I. Absolutely. Hate. This. Manticore. Form. You. May. Not. See. It. Since. You''re. Not. A. Player. But. I. Am. One."

    "Aren''t players brought here as humans?"

    "You''re. Right. But. There. Are. Those. Who. Seek. Strength. That''s. Why. They. Change. Races. But. For. Me. I. Was. Simply. Cursed. I. Thought. I. Was. About. To. Gain. Absolute. Strength. But. Those. Damned. Cultists. They. Used. Me. As. A. Lab. Rat. To. Find. The. Ideal. And. The. Most. Perfect. Being. That''s. Why. I. Became. This. A. Manticore. I. Once. Had. My. Face. The. Only. Thing. Reminding. Me. Of. My. Humanity. But. As. Hundreds. Of. Years. Pass. It. Completely. Disappeared. The. Remaining. Bit. Of. My Humanity. That''s. Why. I''ll. Be. Killing. Myself. And. Resurrecting. As. A. Human. That''s. The. Only. Way. I. Can. Find. Peace. That''s. Why. I''m. Ordering. You. LEAVE. I''ll. Get. My. Book. And. I''ll. Leave. All. Of. You."

    "I have to decline about that."

    "Is. That. So. Then. That. Means. You. Won''t. Be. Needing. That. Skill. Then?"

    "What?"

    "Casting Cancel."

    The giant rift that I created in the sky broke like mirrors and the eye disappeared with it. The whole sky returned back to normal. "You cancelled my skill?"

    "How. Laughable. Using. A. Fire. Skill. Against. Me."

    "Tsk." I just have to fight him. "Dragon Lightning!"

    "Flame. Phoenix!" Two of our summoned beasts clashed and cancelled out eachother in a big explosion.

    "Meteor Shower!" I summoned twenty rocks at the sky and began to fall down.

    "BEAST''S. ROAR!!!" The manticore roared loudly and destroye all of my meteors by that single attack.

    "Summon, Lightning Lamp!" I then threw the lamp at the manticore. "Combination Magic, Flame and Wind!" These two elements were then imbued in my staff forming a flaming but windy staff. I pointed the staff at the lightning lamp and the fire and wind that I imbued my staff with came flying and destroyed the lightning lamp.

    "Hmm..." The lamp exploded and surrounded his whole body with a flaming lightning net while the wind is pressuring him from standing up. He can''t move with this range.

    I raised my wand. "HOLY SMITE!" The clouds parted for my skill. A giant white light appeared from above and illuminated everything. I slammed my staff on the ground and the giant light followed through by falling down like a beacon of light shooting at the manticore. I need to be cautious so I''ll pretend that the fight still isn''t over. "Paladin''s Hammer of Light!" Two gigantic hammers summoned behind me. I launched the both of it at the manticore and smashed it at him.

    "Is. That. All. You''ve. Got?"

    "So you''re still alive. After all that?"

    "You''re. Slightly. Weaker. Than. Your. Friend. But. You''re. Still. Dangerous. I''ll. End. This. Now. Hellfire''s. Mantra!"

    The entire place we were standing on suddenly lit up in flames then disappeared. Was it a weak illusion that I managed to overpower unknowingly? Or is it a trap? I honestly don''t know. I just need to focus on the fight. "Hail of Icicl-" Pillars of flame suddenly enveloped my body. "ARGHHHHH!!!" This unbearable pain is unimaginable. I flew higher and higher until I reach the sky. "ARGHH!!!" This is way too painful for a simple flame. "Freeze!" I encased myself in ice and I forgot that this was the worst option I could go. I already burnt parts of my body so this will cost me a frostbite. "ARGHHHH!!!" This just made the pain worse. "Dispel!"

    "A. Little. Flicker. Of. Flame. Yet. Here. You. Are. Screaming. In. Pain. Your. Friend. Didn''t. Even. Flinch. As. He. Was. Being. Burned. Though. The. Other. One. Screamed. Like. You."

    "Haa... haa... haa..." I was panting as I tried to bear with this indescribable pain. So that Hellfire''s Mantle that he casted earlier. So if I took a move it will automatically activate? I didn''t even think of that.

    "Flame. Wall!" The entire location around us was barricaded in a flaming wall that shot up to the sky.

    "Frozen Field!" I casted but it all melted pretty quickly.

    "Useless."

    "Frozen Breath! Wind Dispersion!" Two spells I simultaneously casted so the area around us will feel more cold. And less damaging to me.

    "Well. Then. It''s. Time. To. End. This." The manticore flew up to the sky to meet me at face level. "Flaming. Tornado."

    "ARGH- URK-" He summoned two tornado of flames that are swirling around the whole place. But the flames are too intense to the point that he''s burning off the remaining oxygen in the atmosphere which makes it harder for me to breathe normally. "In.. ventory." I pulled out a Marestone and ate it. This can only last for so long. But I can breathe with this. "Message, Feran. Are you there yet?"

    "Not yet! Neco is still unconscious and the healing is taking way too long. Helga is running out of mana too, we might not be able to heal Neco!" I heard Feran over the line.

    "Just heal Neco like a first aid or something. Then heal Zieglind with the remaining mana! I''ll hold this manticore back. Dispel!" I disconnected the message on both sides.

    "I''ll. Find. Him. And. I''ll. Obtain. What''s. Mine. You. Enter. My. Abode. And. Steal. What. Is. Precious. To. Me." The manticore menacingly talked.

    "I told you we don''t have it. Just give up and let us go. You won''t be getting anything out of this."

    "You. Expect. Me. Not. To. Fight. Back? How. Laughable. Then. Prepare. I''ll. Just. Kill. You. All."

    "Hail of Icicles!" A sky formed in the sky and hundreds of icicles came falling down but they all melted before they could even reach the manticore.

    "Meteorite. Shower!" The manticore casted and the amount of meteor he dropped were far greater in numbers than mine.

    "Barrier!" I shielded and braced myself as the meteor came falling down. But their firepower was enough to form a crack and melt my barrier. "Phase Shift!" I got out of my barrier by phasing through it.

    "HELLFIRE. BLAST!" The manticore suddenly fired up a laser of flame.

    That skill was far too concentrated in mana. I felt like I''d die if I get hit by that. I felt like time slowed down at that time. Is this what people see when they''re about to die? I can''t dodge this since it''s coming at me incredibly fast.

    "My, my." Someone suddenly spoke. "It seems that you''re in a pinch. Maybe. I''ll help."

    "...Yurid?" She came out of my soul of her own volition.

    "Mana Compression." The ray that the manticore casted suddenly got smaller and smaller. Cracks appeared on Yurid''s hands but it seems that she can''t feel anything. She continued to compress it until it was just a pebble then into nothingness.

    "You. Compressed. My. Hellfire. Blast? Who... are. you?" The manticore was amazed but not fazed. He still has a calm aura around him.

    "You needn''t to know."

    "How. Arrogant. Homing Flame Wisps!" The manticore summoned hundreds of fire wisps and they all launched at Yurid like a bullet.

    "Annoying. Core Freeze." All the fire wisps suddenly stopped on their tracks and ice slowly crept up their whole body killing them all in one shot.

    "You''re. Powerful."

    "Hmph. Zeta. Let''s go."

    "You won''t get away!"

    "Barrier. Now!" Yurid casted a powerful barrier that managed to stop all of the manticore''s attacks.

    "Y- yeah." Yurid got back into my soul and I could barely feel her mana inside of me. It seems that she exhausted herself a lot there. "Teleport!"

    "I. WILL. FIND. YOU. ALL! AND. TAKE. BACK. WHAT. IS. MI-"

    And as I opened my eyes, I''m back at Izgoy.

 Chapter 179: Waiting

    No one questioned me appearing in front of them so I just rushed and looked at Zieglind and Neco''s condition. Neco''s charred and burnt body is slowly regaining back its former form. But... as I looked at Helga''s status, she''s nearly running out of mana. But... healing magic shouldn''t take that much mana. "Is there something wrong with Neco?"

    "Yeah." Feran was the one who answered. "The flames that burnt Neco had a lingering curse which damages the affected by a percentage of their health the longer distance they''ve travelled."

    "What? That never happened to me. I didn''t feel anything when moving." I then glanced over my HP and I''m already at 70% health. When I barely got hit in that battle. "Wait what!?"

    "Have you been also burnt by the manticore?"

    "Yeah..."

    "Stay a while there and don''t move." Feran then checked my status. "Good. You''re only at one stack of the debuff."

    "One stack..?"

    "Yeah. The debuff itself stacks. Neco is at 11 stacks when we saw him so his life was literally burning. But Zieglind is on 59 stacks. So every ten meters he move or so on, he''ll lose 500 health points. That''s why we got stuck for a while since Helga cleansed this buff off of them before we could move. Right now Zieglind is at 230 HP. Neco''ll be fine."

    "Zieglind? How about him?"

    "I don''t know about that. Helga is running out of mana incredibly quickly. And she''s exhausted with cleansing the debuff."

    "I think I can-" Wait... Yurid... Yeah she used every single bit of mana just to disperse the attack of the manticore. I can''t obviously give Helga the rest of my mana since I''ll collapse from mana illness. "I have no mana left... Hmm..."

    "That''s a problem then... Zeta, can you teleport me to a nearby kingdom? I''ll buy some mana potions."

    "No... I don''t have any mana left. Yurid drained me of everything." I took a look at Neco and Zieglind and tried to think of other ways. I can pass on mana to others but I can also drain mana. Looking at Feran and Rize, they don''t have any mana left so they''ll just be useless at this situation. But... how about Zieglind?

    "Hey Zeta, look. It seems that Neco is fine for now. Helga is now moving on to Zieglind."

    I ignored Feran''s comment and looked at Zieglind. I opened up his status window using a skill and they''re right. He''s barely holding on with that 230 HP. But what made me stumble was seeing his mana. "330,532... MANA!?" I couldn''t help but be shocked by this number. I looked over at Feran and he then shrugged.

    "I don''t know why Zieglind has that much mana despite his level."

    "I know... I''m at level 432 and Zieglind is just level 301 but my mana is only around 12,450. I don''t understand it at all. Is this much mana allowed at his level? Damn..." I don''t have time to be amazed. Even though I have so many questions on how he achieved that much mana, I''ll just keep it to myself for now. I placed my hand on his chest, "Mana Plague." It injects a virus into the affected and sucks away their mana and instantly passing it to me.

    [Illness Resisted]

    [Mana Plague is destroyed.]

    He even deflected Mana Plague. This is the fastest way to get mana since the virus spreads quickly... Slow way it is. "Mana Sap!" I began to steal some of Zieglind''s mana. And in just five seconds, my mana pool was completely full. I also felt an intense sharp pain. It means that I''ve taken in way too much. I still can''t believe how much mana Zieglind is containing. But that doesn''t matter right now.

    "Did you do it?" Feran asked.

    "Yeah." I went over to Helga and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Mana Transfusion." I passed over 4,300 mana since that''s her maximum mana capacity. "Summon Wisp!" I summoned a wisp to help Helga finish faster since it helps heal for every second.

    "Zeta." I heard Yurid calling for me.

    "What is i-" My vision of the surroundings around me disappeared and I was dragged in a never-ending darkness. "I told you to tell me if you''re going to drag me in my own consciousness."

    "They''re going to hear you."

    "First of all, are you fine? You seem to have used a lot of your own and my mana to compress that manticore."

    "I could''ve beaten that manticore if I have all my mana. Anyway, that''s not what I dragged you here in for."

    "Then what is it?"

    "Zieglind. Absorb him."

    "NO."

    "What? I thought you love knowledge? Just absorb him completely. You''ll expand your mana pool and skill list using ''that'' skill. If you do that, you''ll gain his 300 thousand capacity of mana. That mana capacity can''t be found everywhere."

    "It''s still a no."

    "Why? With this we can take revenge for my father or as you call him, your master! His mana capacity is far from what we''ve learned. If we gain his skills that we don''t even know about, you and me? We''re sure to benefit a lot from his death."

    "It''s going to be a no for me Yurid. Zieglind has already helped me a lot. To the point that I already killed who killed master. Right now our goal is to find out who Ouroboros really is."

    "Are you sure about this..? He''s strong. Seeing how his mana capacity is that big. And he resisted Mana Plague. He''s going to be a trouble if he''ll become an enemy of us. You know that right? It''s better to eliminate this kind of person before he becomes incredibly stronger than you. Look at him, he''s incredibly injured. I feel like we can just one shot him and we''ll get his experience, gold, skills and all mana."

    "No."

    "...Fine. If you want it that way. Then can you do one thing for me?"

    "As long as it won''t hurt anyone close to me."

    "Just use mana sap to regain some mana for me will you? I feel like I''m going to disappear. I''ve exhausted all of my mana on that fight."

    "Hmm... I guess that''s fine."

    "Alright. Thanks." Yurid snapped her fingers and I''m back at Izgoy. I put my hand on Zieglind''s chest again and used, "Mana Sap!" To drain some of his mana directly at Yurid.

    "You can stop now." I heard her from inside. "To think that it just took him ten seconds to fill my 45,000 mana pool. This is seriously just a waste."

    I ignored Yurid and went on to check on Helga. Her mana is running out again. I gave her some of my mana again and again until it turned into night.

    Helga''s treatment were just simply first aids for their wounds was far too difficult for her to fully cure. Zieglind has three amputated limbs and all Helga did was close of the wounds and heal Zieglind. She won''t be able to fully bring back his limbs. Her healing magic is still pretty weak.

    Neco''s condition is fine. But his hands up to his elbows has a massive scar there. In the first place, Neco''s body was just scars all over the place from the burn but Helga healed all of it. But she can''t heal these scars on his arms.

    They''re in a state wherein they won''t die. But heavy damages were put on them. Zieglind is also in a deep sleep while Neco has already woken up two hours later. He''s still in shock but he managed to regain his composure seeing how he''s safe for now. He was puzzled on what happened to his hands so Helga explained it to him and he accepted it.

    The first thing he did was to ask us for his forgiveness since he''s the one who invited Zieglind to that artifact dungeon. He showed us the two artifacts that he found in that dungeon which are completely soul bound to him. I never thought they were real but Neco have them.

    Even though curiosity is taking over me on the desire to read that book, it''s simply impossible since it''s soul bound.

    We completely forgiven him since everything in this world is practically 50% unknown. So things like these will happen unexpectedly that''s why we need to be more careful for the future.

    I went outside and called back Afal, Greta, Precia and Yefa back at Izgoy. I walked around to breathe some fresh air but I saw Rize, sitting on a tree stump.

    I walked over to talk to Rize. It seems that she''s still in shock on what happened.

    "You see... This is basically our fault. Zieglind asked us to rush over to where he''s at but there''s a giant barrier covering the place. The manticore saw us and blasted that Hellfire Blast or whatever he called it. We didn''t have time to dodge it but Zieglind was there. Jumping right into the attack to cover for us." Rize''s tears welled up to the point that she couldn''t contain it anymore. "Ahh... why are we so weak? He rescued a goblin like me from an encampment despite him being weak. Fed me, nurtured me and gave me a second chance to live. But all these time... He''s always saving us without asking anything in return. I simply can''t do anything right for him."

    I wanted to comfort Rize with words but my throat just wrangled up. I couldn''t say anything. Because right now, even me, that''s how we all feel.

 Chapter 180: Meeting The True King

    As I opened my eyes, curiousity filled my brain. Am I... being dragged somewhere? Bubbles were floating everywhere and my skin is being torn apart by... fire? I don''t know. As I tried to turn around, I saw Rize''s face. So she''s here. It seems that me and Neco are being dragged by the two of them.

    The manticore is mouthing out words but it seems that I can''t hear it. He jumped!? Damn it!

    I''m trying to gather mana through my fingertips to at least knock it away but I can''t talk at all. Damn it... Work! WORK! PLEASE! WORK! But nothing. Nothing came out of my fingertips. I could only spectate as I see all of us die at the same time.

    "G...al P..h!" I faintly heard a voice and the manticore was knocked back to the temple. The whole structure crumbled on him. Even though I''m pretty angry that I lost and the temple destroyed, I have to be grateful that I''m lucky and that I''m still alive somehow.

    But for that spell to knock back the manticore, it must''ve been a pretty strong mage. Zeta? No, that''s impossible. He''s away right now fighting all those serpent union members. But whoever it is. I''m grateful that they saved us.

    Crap... I''m losing consciousness... As I took another look at my status, heh. I doubt I''ll even live.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    I woke up somewhere. I guess? Is this even a place? It''s just neverending darkness everywhere. It has no form. No shape. It''s just... Stretches out to infinity. There''s literally nothing here. At all.

    A gigantic foor then appeared of nowhere. It looked like an armor for the feet. As it stomped, I felt like the whole area quaked. Even though there was no ground or anything. Was it nervousness? Or was it the overbearing power this giant is showing me?

    But it soon disappeared like it was nothing.

    As I looked at the distance from where the giant came from, I could see something glowing. Was it the demon themselves? Or was it other than that?

    There was a giant body chained into thousands of chains. But I could only see his outline. For there was a light behind them. One by one, tattoos from his body lit up. A circle appeared on his chest. Was it a circle? No. It was not. It was a dragon as if it''s eating its tail. And in the middle of that dragon eating its own tail was a letter. A capital letter Y upside down. But with an extra line in the middle.

    It was menacing. I fely my throat clenching as I tried to speak or utter any noise. But nothing simply came out. Their pressure put on me was far heavier than anything I''ve felt. I thought the legendary mage and swordsman were strong enough. But this being infront of me. Was something... else. Something. Out of this world.

    Then, as if cracks appeared on its body. A bright red light like neon liningappeared on their body and they were all connecting to the dragon eating its own tail.

    As they breath, a giant mist of cloud appeared and then disappeared. They opened their eyes and a red colored aura came out as it flickered from their eyes.and soon disappeared. It was mystical and interesting.

    They tried to raise their hands but the chains stopped them. "Zieglind Reysh..."

    "You know me?" I couldn''t help but be shocked that he can talk.

    "The man who dares to go against the gods. The man who decided to defeat his own creator."

    "They forced me to do this. They made humanity as their playthings. I''m not letting that go."

    "Then... let me ask you this."

    "W- what is it?" I tried to put up a brave front but I still couldn''t hold back this unrelenting fear coursing through my whole body.

    "Why did you lose to such an insignificant being? A manticore and a retired player. How laughable."

    "We were fighting in a secluded space. I couldn''t afford destroying the whole temple down."

    "Excuses."

    "What!?"

    "It has been long since you''ve last used it."

    "What is?"

    "Domain of the Bloodfallen."

    "...Ah..."

    "You could''ve prevented your friend''s demise. And you could''ve cleaned up that manticore with ease in that space of yours. You''ve grown weak despite being strong. That''s a shame."

    "Argh... Anyway, we''re not here to discuss my shortcomings. Who the hell are you?"

    "Me? HAHA! You don''t know me? That''s a shame. I''m of course... THE DEMON KING."

    "Wha-"

    "HAHAHA! Seeing you get flustered so easily with me being the demon king makes killing humans more... ''enjoyable'' than others."

    "If you''re the demon king, then does that mean that you dragged me somewhere?"

    "Somewhere? No, no. You dragged me in here. This... this is your own consciousness."

    "This abyss? This place that stretches out to infinity? You''re saying that this is something that I created? My consciousness?"

    "Exactly."

    "But the only things that are in my consciousness are the souls of the bloodlust?"

    "I devoured them all. You were having a hard time controlling them right?"

    "I see... Thanks for that. But why is the demon king in my consciousness?"

    "I told you. You dragged me in here. Out of the million people the gods have sent here, you''re the one who piqued my interest. You are near to be a perfect warrior. High intellect and knowledge about the history of this world, the monsters. Absolute strength facing a whole continent against you. Has the knowledge of past players of the legendary swordsman and mage. Able to control yourself over absolute power of the bloodlust that was created by a god. YOU! You are the one that I''ve been looking for."

    "But I told you, why?"

    "If I could explain this in simpler terms... According to your world, everything here. Is simply a GAME."

    "I already know that. That''s why I''m seeking for the gods to repent or their deaths."

    "If you have played games in your previous world, what do you think happens to the NPCs in the first game when you play the second game?"

    "They will either change, disappear or will be kept."

    "Exactly. And I am an NPC. A demon king whose only objective is to be defeated by the so called heroes. That''s why I''m the demon king. Of the previous battle royale. And I have died. But not yet completely. A portion of me remains. My soul. And I have some amount of time until I can pass on my soul to another person. That''s why I chose you."

    "This game is sick..."

    "That''s exactly WHY I ENJOY IT! AHAHAHA! BUT! As a part of a proud species named demons, I won''t abide by their rules. I WILL DESTROY EVERY SINGLE THING THE GODS HAVE CREATED AND WILL CREATE. So Zieglind Reysh, won''t you join it? My conquest for revenge?"

    "Then promise me something. You are not to attack anyone or cause destruction without my permission. But you can do it without my permission if its something urgent or important."

    "...Alright. I accept. Even though it''s in the nature of demons to cause havoc, I will accept this condition."

    "Then how will you prove to me that you''ll accept it?"

    "SOUL FOR SOUL CONTRACT!"

    "Soul for Soul?"

    "I will give you my own soul and you''ll give me yours. We''ll accept each other''s rules and if one of us disobeys with one of us their souls will be destroyed. My only rule is HELP ME. HELP ME FROM GETTING MY REVENGE!"

    "Alright then. I ACCEPT!"

    "THEN, AS THE DEMON KING!" He then pointed his fingers at me. My armor, Devil''s Advocate and the two bloodlust weapons suddenly appeared. "ZIEGLIND REYSH. YOU ARE NO LONGER THE DEVIL''S ADVOCATE! YOU ARE THE DEVIL HIMSELF!"

    My armor lit up in flames and disappeared into nothingness. Same with my weapon. "What''s... happening..?"

    "YOU HAVE BECOME A TRUE DEMON!" He then pointed his fingers at the ground and summoned up a sword planted on some kind of rocks that I''ve never seen before. "Now... DEMON! Pull it out! If the Holy Sword of Arranca can only be pulled out by true heroes, then the Demon Sword of Acabar can only be pulled out by a TRUE DEMON!"

    As I grasped the sword, it felt like this was just second nature to me. With ease, I pulled out the sword from the stone and raised it up for the Demon King to see. "This... is the Demon Sword of Acabar?" I looked at the sword and it felt like I was looking at the depths of hell itself.

    "NOW, I PASS ON TO YOU THE TITLE OF DEMON KING. NOW ZIEGLIND REYSH, RELEASE ME FROM THESE CHAINS! I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE IN EXCHANGE FOR REVENGE!"

    I grasped the Demon Sword of Acabar tightly. It felt like it was weightless. Its appearance mimicked the size of a greatsword. Cracks were in the middle of the weapon but it was filled with fires of hell. It has no guard or hilt. It felt like I was holding a giant lump of metal with sharp edges. But as I hold it, power were coursing through my whole body.

    I raised up my arms and swung in an overhead attack and broke all the chains of the demon king.

    "MUAHAHAHA! I''M FREE! Now..." The demon king looked at me. "I bow before the Demon King."

 Chapter 181: Hail. Bow Before The One.

    "Just don''t dwell over it too much. No one was to blame with this. Everything was just a mistake that we didn''t know that was coming." That''s all I could say to Rize. I let her mourn there for a while and then I checked back on Zieglind.

    "Oh, Zeta." Feran was there sitting in the corner watching Helga using her heal.

    "How''s he?"

    "I honestly don''t know how Zieglind is doing. But I guess he''ll live? But he''ll lose his three limbs permanently. Helga doesn''t have a skill for that. She can only heal wounds and reduce pain but not grow back a limb."

    "Well..." Zieglind has something about limbs right? Hmm... I forgot about it. But I''m pretty sure there is one. "Nevermind. Anyway, are they here?"

    "The three of them? Not yet. Should I contact them?"

    "No, no need. They should be here any minute no-"

    "Why the sudden call?" I heard someone from behind so I turned around and found out that it was none other than Afal.

    "Afal, good timing." I felt so dumb saying that out loud seeing the situation. "Well... not really. But anyway it seems that we''ve encountered a problem."

    "What is it?"

    "Well. You can see for yourself." I stood aside as to give way for Afal to see Zieglind bedridden.

    "This..." Afal still kept up a level headed face. "What happened..? It''s not him to be overpowered by someone or something."

    "I don''t know the full details either. Feran just called me over to the battlefield and I just lent my strength for the manticore there to be held back."

    "I see. Then where is this manticore right now?"

    "As of now I don''t know. But the place were we fought him was near the sea and there was and unde-" I saw Afal was about to leave the room. "Wait, where are you going?"

    "What underground thing are you talking about? Continue."

    "Answer me first. Where are you going?"

    "Killing that manticore."

    "..." He''s hopeless and reckless. "Just wait for now. Zieglind is in that state because of that monster."

    "But-"

    "Don''t try to reason. Let''s just wait for Zieglind''s orders."

    "I see." Afal put his back on the wall with his arms crossed as he observed Zieglind.

    Well, I guess he''s easy to manipulate if I put Zieglind''s name. I''ll keep that in mind.

    Someone opened the door, "I heard you called for us?" It was such a relief to see that face.

    "Greta!" I walked over to her and gave her a big hug. I backed off and looked at the two behind her. It seems that the quests they did weren''t enjoyable for the three of them. I didn''t notice but I turned the mood sour by hugging Greta. Well, things happen. "Welcome back." It''s so good to see her.

    "What''s that smell? I smell blood and... burnt flesh?" As expected with Greta''s sense of smell. She already know what''s happening. "That smells like burnt human meat? Did you do something Zeta?"

    "No- no. Definitely not."

    "Hehe, I know. So what''s happening?"

    "Well... I don''t knowhow to tell you this. But it''s just better for you to see." I pointed my hands to where Zieglind was resting and horror took over their faces. "Are you sure this is him?"

    "Yeah..."

    "So... what''ll happen to him?"

    "He''ll live... I think."

    I looked behind Greta and Yefa was the first to rush next to Zieglind''s side and hold his hand. A sour face and a fake smile welled up from Precia''s face. "I''ll be going outside for a fresh air. I''m still tired of all the quests we had to do."

    "Ah- yeah. Be safe." I couldn''t say anything. That face was too painful to be described. Eyes were dead as if something were taken away from her, her fists being gripped tightly to the point that I thought blood would come out and that fake sorrow smile was a type of sadness I couldn''t imagine to even feel.

    "Zeta?" Greta snapped me back to reality. "Something wrong?"

    "No. Nothing''s wrong." I just looked away to forgive myself for seeing those tears she just shed as she walked out.

    After a while, Helga finished her healing for Zieglind. All his wounds were healed and back to their original state but as I figured. She can''t heal Zieglind''s limbs. I took a look at his status and his maximum health has gone down by 6000 health points. It seems that a bigger body means more health. But even with that cut HP, right now his maximum health is at max.

    I ordered the rest of them to get some rest and let Zieglind rest alone.

    A day passed.

    Then it turned into days.

    Into weeks.

    Until it turned into months.

    Three months to be exact. We were all still waiting patiently. Neco has already recovered from his wounds and has began to raid artifact dungeons again and again.

    Yefa, Greta and Precia has been continuing to kill Serpent union members and their bases but no reports have been said for likea month. They either stopped or shared their information even more tightly. That''s to be expected.

    Rize has been training her disciples. They''re incredibly strong now. I''m pretty amazed. And Rize herself aimed to be stronger too.

    Afal has been training the elite units and the results they''re showing are amazing. If the results of this training like years ago before the age of players came, they''ll all be considered legends.

    And I... have been doing nothing at all. I''m just observing Zieglind. Because at the second night, I felt something ominous inside of him. Something has awakened. But I don''t know what that is.

    I''ve been taking notes on what''s happening at him. He sometimes grunts and are or in pain. But I don''t understand how he''s in pain when he doesn''t feel anything. Maybe his soul is being damaged? I have no clue. Right now I''m tempted to use the flower of Zeratria. I tried to get in his soul but to no avail. That''s why I want to use that item. But it''s incredibly precious and it''s an Ancient item. So it''s gonna be incredibly difficult to get that item again.

    That''s why I called the only person I think could solve this problem of ours. Herold. "Zeta. Is he here?"

    "Yeah." I replied.

    "I''m not a druid or a healer or anything so I might not be able to know what exactly is happening to him now. But I''ll still try. We need to wake him up. I found the main base of the Serpent union."

    "That''s amazing!" I thought it was impossible seeing how those serpent union members are just switching bases like its nothing.

    Herold went in and looked on Zieglind. "That''s a horrible state to be in. Herold then casted a skill that allows him to show Zieglind''s status.

    "What''s up?"

    "Hmm... This is interesting. He has a 95% Healing reduction in his status named Hell''s Touch. You know this status?"

    "No. I''ve never heard of that."

    "I see. Then I''ll check Zieglind himself." He placed his hands on Zieglind''s forehead. Magic circles appeared from his hand up to his elbows passing through his own arm. "Wha-" Herold instantly backed off and stumbled as he fell on the ground.

    "Wha- what''s wrong?" I got extremely worried.

    "Hey Zeta... has Zieglind... always been that powerful? I feel like... he''s far stronger than me. That power that I saw inside him was... unending."

    "What do you mean..?"

    "I saw Zieglind there just for a glimpse. He was wielding a huge greatsword at nothing. It was just an endless darkness that stretched to infinity. I was about to drag him out but something grabbed my hand. It was gigantic. Not your typical giant."

    "What is that even..?"

    A giant red light of beacon that shot up to the sky was suddenly summoned out nowhere. It lifted Zieglind in an upright position and had his hands spread out. Like a cross position.

    His eyes opened and a flicker of light came out then soon disappeared.

    Afal came busting through the door holding his chest. I could see his heart... hearts? As it glowed from inside him. "What''s happening!?" I asked of him.

    "He''s calling for me... for us!!! ARGHHHHHHH!!!" I''ve never seen Afal be in pain before.

    "What do you mean calling?"

    "The... The Demon King is calling for us!!!"

    "What!?" As I said that, I felt the ground shake. A stomp. Another shake. Another stomp and another quake happened. I looked outside and thousands of monsters were marching our way. Their chests glowed with intensity and their eyes flickered in a red flaming aura.

    All the trees we planted were all destroyed in a single walk they took.

    "A demon horde!? Right now!? Damn it!" As I was about to summon my Gazer form, to kill them all, they all suddenly stopped. I looked back and saw Zieglind raising his hand.

    "Come to me... Demon Sword, Acabar!"

    A roaring fire of sword etched with the world of hell inside. Screams can be heard as he summoned it. Thousands? Millions? Billions? Or maybe Trillions of souls are lying dormant within that sword.

    He wielded power, leadership and true evility for him to control those souls inside as they raged and raged wanting to get out.

    "Kneel." A single word. A single word uttered and all the thousand demons outside kneeled before their master.

 Chapter 182: A True King

    "Demon King? I doubt I''m fit for that title." I''m incredibly confused on what''s happening.

    "I came inside your soul because you''re fit to be one. Strong, a leader and overall, wishes for destruction. You wanted power? I gave it to you. In that fight. With the Lich from Tartarus."

    "So you''re the reason why Armor of the Bloodfallen evolved into Devil''s Advocate?"

    "That''s right. I gave you my power that time. But I instead got sealed in that blade of yours. I got overpowered by the souls inside of that weapon. Their numbers are far from what I expected. Not as many as hell itself, but all the monsters sealed there are incredibly strong. I even saw the previous demon king in there. He seems to be the leader of all the souls. They seem to be keen on taking on your whole body."

    "I didn''t know that." I was talking to the previous demon king when the Bloodlust were talking to me?

    "Well, the new ones always topples the old ones. It wasn''t really that much of a challenge. That''s why you can''t summon your Bloodlust anymore. I was going to summon you the moment the souls from your sword disappeared but you have a higher mental power than I thought. That''s why I couldn''t pull you in here."

    "So... why now?"

    "Well, you''re unconscious so bringing you in here is easy. Right now I can kill you if I want to since you don''t have control here. But as I said, I need you. That''s why I''ll mold you into a Demon King."

    "How can you mold me into one if I can''t use anything here?" I can''t even open up my status.

    "Use it. The Demon Sword, Acabar. Call for it. And it''ll answer."

    I closed my eyes, "Come to me... Demon Sword, Acabar!" And as I opened my eyes, I felt like I was holding something. But nothing was there. It was only the outline of the sword. And it gets reconstructed one by one. As it completed, I could feel the power surging through my whole body. And as I looked at the sword, I could see hell itself engraved onto the cracks of this sword.

    "Good. Now your new form."

    "What?"

    "Just do it. Activate the sword''s second skill."

    I can''t even see my status... How will I know what''s the properties of this sword... "I don''t even know what this does. Do I just say activate Demon King form or something?" A sudden sharp pain went through my whole body. "P... pain?" Hot... Its absolutely hot. Like I''m being burnt alive. Is it this sword? I haven''t felt pain in years. This is such a weird feeling. It... burns so much.

    I tried to toss away the sword but I couldn''t. Its attached to my hand. And it is slowly burning off the skin of my hand revealing the dark rustic skin under it. The moment that I tried to reach over to it with my hand, it automatically attached to the handle of the sword as if I''m being pulled by a magnet.

    The pain got instantly worse. "ARGHHH!!!" Why the hell am I feeling pain!? I thought I couldn''t anymore.

    The flame crept up to my hands, up to my elbows, tearing the skin off. Until it reached to my shoulders, and it spread down my body. To my chest, stomach, then to my feet. Then as if everything got together, I felt my whole chest being torn open. "ARGHHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL!?!?!"

    This absurd pain. As if someone has dugged into my chest and ripped it open for everyone to see.

    Then... a sharp pain was felt throughout my whole body again. "ARGHHHH WHY!?" As if a knife going through my whole body, etching markings throughout.

    And then in a moment, the pain stopped.

    Then something inside me...

    Exploded.

    A giant flaming orb of blue fire was in the middle of my chest. The lines outside it were illuminated by the purple flames as it flowed through the etchings from my whole body.

    My sword roared in flames as the color of it changed into a violet flaming and a volatile lightning of purple around it.

    Horns grew out of my forehead stretching as long as the span of my hands and it branched into several more horns forming on what seems to be the horns of an elk. It was glowing with a violet forming a lighter shade of it.

    Wings emerged from my back as it mimicked the form of a dragon wing.

    Then my whole body changed into a dark, charred skin. The only thing luminating my whole body were the flames that I summoned.

    I could feel the power everywhere. To the point that if I stay too long in this form, I might get too drunk on this amazing strength I''m feeling.

    As the burns got much worse and worse, I could feel myself adapting..? No. That''s not the right word. I feel myself being ONE with the flame itself.

    The pain subsided and something in me just snaps.

    "Haha..." I couldn''t help but laugh. This is amazing. "HAHAHAHA!" I noticed that my voice also got deeper. It was menacing and scary even if I''m the one speaking. I felt like, I wasn''t myself. But a part of me also felt that this is what I truly want or feel.

    "Amazing." The former Demon King exclaimed. "You have an absolutely beautiful form. I have to admit, yours is better than mine."

    "So this is my form as a Demon King..?"

    "But to think you got a violet flame... Well, that''s not my problem. Alright then, its time to mold you into a true Demon King."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "I want you to kill all of these." With a single wave of his hand, thousands of demons were suddenly spawned in.

    "Wait what!? How can you summon your demons here!?"

    "This isn''t mine. Its yours. It came from the Bloodlust. Now that I''ve absorbed them, I can release them whenever I want. And I''m using them all on you. I want you to live all of these."

    "You''re saying that but..." Isn''t that an ogre, cyclops, basilisk and FIVE DRAGONS BEHIND THEM ALL!? AND OTHER CREATURES THAT I HAVEN''T SEEN BEFORE?

    "Now..." The former Demon King raised his hand. "Go!"

    All the demons and other monsters went rushing up to me. I didn''t know what to do. So the first hellhound that got to me, all I did was swing my weapon.

    And then in that one swing. I eradicated at least a hundred monsters.

    "Five hundred monsters in one go... Interesting." He summoned more monsters. "Go!"

    "That''s five hundred in one swing..?" How powerful is this weapon!?

    I now have grown confidence in myself. But thousands of hellhounds, the fastest monsters in the packs that he''s summoning began to surround me incredibly quick.

    Suddenly, I felt like this armor is guiding me. So I just let it do its own thing. I stomped the non-existent ground and cracks appeared out of nowhere. And within those cracks, purple flames came rising up burning all the hellhounds all around me.

    I need to experiment with this more. "Lightning Body!" I wanted to increse my speed further but nothing is happening.

    "It doesn''t work. In this dimension, only the Demon King''s Form and the Sword of Acabar are the only things that can function correctly here. You must overcome this with your new powers." The former demon king replied.

    "Now... you must overcome this trial by yourself. So that''s why I''m releasing everything. The thousands of souls you''ve gathered. They''ll all be released." The dragon eating its own tail tattoo on the former demon king''s chest suddenly glowed. "I have to use a lot of mana for this so I''m using this." Dark red flames emerged from his hands and there it spawned the thousands of evil monsters and demons.

    Just now, I could feel myself getting controlled by the armor. Just like before, I let it do its own thing. It grabbed the sword with both hands and faced it in front of him. As I closed my eyes and reopened, the thousands of monsters coming at me were suddenly pushed away by a mysterious force completely obliterating lower level demons.

    "You are being guided by the former demon kings. Control it! Don''t let it control you!"

    You''re saying that but... the previous demon kings are wrecking havoc!

    I just stood in the middle as thousands of demons jumped at me. But I''m getting redirected by the flow of the previous demon kings.

    The armor guided me to raise my weapon and as I did, a purple flame of the same sword was created. But it wasn''t exactly the same. Only the shape.

    It then launched itself to a random demon and as it died, it exploded with it.

    The former Demon King smiled, "There are still 95 functions left. Let''s discover it all shall we?"

 Chapter 183: Descent of the King

    "YARGH!" With a single swing, hundreds of monsters would perish. I know that this greatsword has no weight but when I swing it, I feel like it adapts to my strength. It maximizes it to its fullest potential. That''s why I feel intense pain every single swing.

    Veins were nearly popping out off my whole arm up to my shoulder and I felt it being dislocated. But the Demon King''s Form is instantly regenerating that before I could feel the pain with the purple flame I manifest.

    Before I could take a good long rest, thousands of monsters jumped on me. "Can I take a rest? Like damn!" I summoned another copy of the Demon Sword of Acabar. It was just a hollow copy of it with the purple flame. I hopped on it and flew higher and higher until I decided to stop.

    Thousands of flying beasts like gryphons, imps, harpies and all that other stuff came rushing at me. "Hellfire''s Chakram!" A giant circle of purple flame surrounded me and began to spin in unimaginable speed. Everything it touched burnet and was torn in half no matter what it damaged.

    I don''t know how long I''ve been fighting in here. Honestly. It has been so long that I lost count. First time it was just hours of fighting. Then it turned into a day. Into a week. Then a month.

    Honestly, I don''t know how long I''ve been here and how will it affect the time in the outside world. Is it longer here to the point that I just spent about a month or a week in the outside world. Or is the time here speeds up the time outside to the point that I spent several months or even a year. I don''t want to just keep training here either way since I still have some things to do with the serpent union.

    "Fallen''s Wrath!" With my sword, I accelerated downwards with great speed like a jouster with his lance in front. But in my case, the sword.

    As I fell down, cracks opened from the space like a tear from reality itself and pillars of flames came rushing out burning everything in its view.

    I stood upon the thousand burnt bodies and I felt joy as I saw that no more monsters were heading my way. I flew to the very top of the corpse pile and stomped on the corpse there. "Haha... HAHAHAHA!"

    "Good. You defeated them all. But that time you took... Was pretty long." The former Demon King muttered.

    "How long was that..?"

    "Three months."

    "Three months huh... I felt like the monsters you released were spawning in endlessly. I thought this fight wouldn''t end. This form is powerful but the area of its attacks are pretty short."

    "Its because your still at the start. It''ll grow stronger. Far stronger than you can imagine."

    "So... can I wake up now? From the outside world?"

    "Not yet. Your trial is still not over. I want to see you fare with these three dragons."

    "I thought I killed them with my attacks. I guess you''re hiding them."

    "Hmph. Go." The former demon king waved his hand the dragons followed his command.

    The first one who rushed has blue scales all over its body. It opened its mouth and a mist like thing appeared as it inhaled the air around the whole place to create a ball of light.

    The two followed up. The second one was shrouded in thick and spike scales of red lining. It did the same as the blue dragon but this time it created a gigantic fireball in his mouth.

    The last one has green scales around its body and it mimicked the the other two by inhaling the air and forming of what seems to be just a cloud of wind.

    And as the last dragon finished its charging, they all blasted the same type of spell simultaneously. It was a blast of ice, a ray of fire and a wind blast all at the same time.

    "Demon''s Authority!" A shield of flame which surrounds me from any kind of attack and I''ll be able to absorb the mana from their spell completely... Obliterating it.

    Their spells hit my shield and in just a moment, their spell instantly disappeared as their mana was being sapped by me.

    "Playtime''s over!" I flew upwards to where I could meet their eye level. "Roaring Demon!" My sword grew larger to an insane amount. It was as big as... no... bigger than the dragons themselves. The shear length of this sword was insane but I felt no resistance.

    I swung it with all I''ve got and I decapitated the heads of all the dragons in just one swing.

    "Your better than I expected. You used the perfect skill in that moment. I guess I was right on passing the Demon King''s title to you."

    I then felt a disturbance in the area. A crack opened up from the sky and a hand came out. The former demon king stretched out his hand and grabbed it. It was like a toddler being held by a full sized adult.

    The former demon king then pulled whoever it was and brought him into my space. I was surprised to see him. It was Herold.

    "You''ve got a nasty smell around you..." The former Demon King said as he held Herold. "It''s reminiscing of Tartarus."

    "Where''s Zieglind?" Herold asked of him.

    I was about to say who I was but the former Demon King replied. "He''ll be back. Now scram." Herold instantly disappeared.

    "Hey! What''d you do!?" I grew worried.

    "Nothing. I just brought his soul back to his own body. Anyway... I guess it''s time to go out now. We''ve spent too much time in here. I''m sick of seeing this black space. Gate." A single word and as if a crack from reality itself was formed as a portal spawned out of nowhere. "Let''s go. The demons are waiting for their master."

    I walked in the portal and as I opened my eyes, I was looking up. At the ceiling. I examined my surroundings and I was in the castle back at Izgoy.

    I don''t know if that was all just a dream but I don''t know any way of confirming it.

    "Seriously?" I heard someone talk from the back of my head. "That''s such a boring way of waking up after a long time. You''re a Demon King now. Flaunt your power. Here. I''ll help you."

    As if something in me triggered, I stood upright and floated above the bed. I saw Zeta and Herold on the floor not knowing what to do.

    And then, stampedes were heard throughout the whole area as the ground was being shaken by something.

    Afal then busted in the door as he was grasping his chest from intense pain.

    "What''s happening!?" Zeta asked Afal.

    "He''s calling for me... for us!!! ARGHHHHHHH!!!" I''ve never seen Afal be in this much pain before.

    "What do you mean calling?"

    "The... The Demon King is calling for us!!!"

    That confirmed everything. Everything that happened is real and is happening. And the voice that I heard earlier was the former Demon King himself.

    Herold and Zeta were panicking.

    "What!?" As Zeta said that, the stampedes got even more violent as the stomps have gotten even more powerful as the whole building began to shake. Zeta looked outside, "A demon horde!? Right now!? Damn it!" As Zeta was about to summon his Gazer form, to kill them all, I knew I had to do something.

    I raised my hand at the air as if I''m trying to grab something.

    "All the demons... they all suddenly stopped..?" Zeta muttered.

    I could feel myself being connected to all the thousands of demons outside. I feel like I''m one of them. And I''m their leader as they wait for my orders.

    "You must respond." The voice from the back of my head spoke to me again. I''m guessing the former Demon King. "Your loyal subjects has come to find you. Their leader. You will start a new era. A new Demon King has awaken. So you must show your true powers. So that they can accept you. AS THE TRUE KING. NOW! ANSWER THEIR CALLS TO YOU MY LORD!"

    This is a new page in this journey of mine that I didn''t expect to be taking. For someone like me who hates evil deeds to be aligned and be the leader of the demons, it''s simply laughable. But this is the only path. The only path that I could take.

    Angels or Demons, it doesn''t matter whose side I''m on. As long as I can end this godforasken game, I''m going to do anything.

    Even if it means... Becoming the Demon King himself. "Come to me... Demon Sword, Acabar!"

    A giant light illuminated the whole place then suddenly disappeared. I felt the thoughts and movements of every demon that accepted my call. And in just one word, that the voice from the back of my head said, I repeated. "Kneel."

    The amalgamated thoughts of the thousands of demons flowed through my mind.

    "Hail, thy Demon King."

    "Hail."

 Chapter 184: Im Back

    After I did all that, the strength in my body felt like everything has left. Exhaustion took over and my power dissipated with it. I then fell down on the bed under me.

    "Don''t worry." The former Demon King suddenly said. "The demons outside won''t move unless you tell them to."

    "Zieglind... Is that you?" Zeta asked worriedly.

    "Yeah." I replied. "How long have I been out?"

    "About three months. It has been a while."

    I noticed someone beside Zeta, "Why''s Herold here?"

    "Well I thought that you won''t wake up. I tried it myself and it won''t work. I don''t want to use the Flower of Zeratria so I just called for Herold. But something interrupted him in there. I don''t know what is... but it seems to have helped you gain more... power?"

    "Well..." The former Demon King suddenly manifested himself onto the overworld. It started as a small flicker of flame then into a giant widespread of fire until he summoned himself then immediately dissipated the flames around us. "I did give him the title of Demon King."

    The demon king was shrunk into a more humanoid form. His form in my soul was a lot bigger than this. His horns were sticking out of his forehead, his tattoo of a dragon eating its own tail and an upside down Y with an extra line was still tattooed in his chest.

    "You can come out of there?" I was genuinely surprised about this.

    "You freed me from the chains. So now I can manifest myself back at the overworld." The former Demon King replied.

    "That red skin..." Herold suddenly muttered. "An extravagant horn for a demon, that immense pressure and what you said before giving Zieglind the title... You''re... the Demon King!?"

    "I''m the former Demon King. I''ve passed on the title to Zieglind."

    "I''m... speechless." Herold scratched the back of his head trying to process the information being relayed to him. "I didn''t expect this outcome. At all. How many times will you surprise me Zieglind?"

    "Aha...ha..." I couldn''t help but let out a nervous laugh. I looked over to the former Demon King, "Since you''ve regained your freedom, the first thing I''ll ask is what''s your name?"

    "Ah my name?" The former Demon King suddenly casted, "Noise Redirect." A barrier-like structure was casted around us. I couldn''t hear anything from the outside of this cube. I can only hear him. "Now, no one can hear us. My true name is-" It wasn''t the language that I spoke. No, it wasn''t any human language or anything that I''ve ever heard. Even with my Universal Language activated, I have no idea on what he just said. "I doubt that you''ll understand what I just said. Its a lost language. Dispel." He then took off the cube that was surrounding us. "As of now, all of you can just call me Lagrima."

    "W- wait!" Zeta suddenly interrupted us. "Zieglind, did he just give you his true name?"

    I was confused. "I didn''t understand the name that he said first. Was it that? Even my Universal Language couldn''t translate it for me."

    "Jeez..." Zeta facepalmed himself. "A demon giving their true name to someone means complete subservience... So that means that the Demon King... no... the former Demon King is subservient to you!?"

    We did a soul for soul contract... "I guess so. Anyway, can I take some rest for a while? I think I have some things to catch up on."

    "Yeah... yeah. But, what will you do with the demons outside? There are literally thousands of them? Feran is contacting me about this right now and all the people from Izgoy are being barricaded by Rize right now?"

    "Zieglind," Lagrima suddenly spoke, "Use the core to command the demons. You''ve felt it since I''ve helped you do it."

    When I woke up? That was the core commanding the demons? "Sure." I closed my eyes and concentrated. As I found the core lying within my chest, I opened my eyes and it flickered with a purple flame and I could feel myself being connected to all the demons in the surrounding area. "Disperse." The stampede happened again but this time instead of it getting stronger and stronger, the quakes and shaking began to become weaker and weaker. "That should be fine for no-" I noticed Afal grasping his chest. "What''s wrong with Afal?"

    "He''s a demon too. He''s just answering your call. That''s how all demons feel when their master calls for them. They need to get to you and obey all of your commands or they''ll feel intense pain. But if you aren''t worthy as a Demon King, they have the right to overthrow you and your mind control over them will disappear giving them a chance to retaliate back to you."

    "I''m... fine. My lord." Afal stood up and wiped the sweat off of his face. "Congratulations on ascending as a Demon King."

    "Mhm." I looked next to Herold and it seems that he wanted to say something. "Well... I''ve got three months of rest." I sat down on the bed with an Indian sit."Just tell me what happened in these three months."

    Herold was the one to start. "Well... I found the headquarters of the Serpent union."

    "That''s good. How are their numbers?"

    "Well... I completely underestimated it. My numbers were incredibly wrong from the start. They have now accumulated around 60,000 players."

    "That much!?"

    "It started off as a guild. But soon after it became a cult. They''ve started worshipping the leader of the serpent union. It''s now near impossible to get to him without fighting off his goons. They''re all incredibly loyal and has believed that he''ll give them all another chance after they die."

    "Damn... This is getting even far more difficult than I expected."

    "I''m afraid so. And they''re incredibly cautious right now. By the works of your three comrades, a lot of their bases were easily toppled."

    Zeta joined in, "That''s right. So we don''t need to worry about gold for a while. We have a lot right now. The girl that you hired is the one managing the treasury right now."

    "I see. Good work. I''m pretty sure we don''t have that much artifacts on armor that Neco is taking in. Use the gold for outfitting our entire army. Make sure they''re all custom made. Bring them on a trip to a well known blacksmith. Buy them new weapons and armor. Try Ruz and Ruf." It has been a while since I visited those dwarves. "For the elite units, just buy them a seperate armor. Maybe a different color from the normal units. This is just so that we can classify them easily."

    "I''ll relay that to our treasurer and Lam."

    "Wait, by the way, did you defeat the Manticore that went for us?"

    "No. I completely lost. I was forced to teleport away. I didn''t know what to do with that power. His attacks managed to destroy my barrier with ease."

    "Has he made any attacks at us?"

    "No. None that I know of."

    "I see... Then we''re safe for now." I then looked at Herold next. "Now, Herold. Do you know the structure of their base?"

    "Not the full structure." Herold replied. "Inventory." He pulled out on what seems to be a drawn blueprint of a structure. "I got this from a Serpent union member. Their base is quite large. They have about twenty floors deep. The base is disguised as a normal house in a forest."

    "So this is not a blueprint but a map of their base?"

    "Yeah. But it seems incomplete too."

    "That''s true. But it gives enough information at least. We now know what''s the contents of their base."

    "That''s right. Their house is just a cover so there isn''t anything interesting there. In the first floor of their base it seems that it''s also a cover. The floors below that is their true base. The whole base is covered in Xend materials so breaking it with pure strength is out of the question. I can''t pierce that with my Brightburn either since it''s not made of mana. We can''t generate that much power to destroy all of their bases in one go since it''s all covered in Xend. It will just alert the lower levels."

    "So what do you have in mind?"

    "It''s going to be a stealth mission. We''re going to use a noise cancelling magic on a single floor where we''re going then kill everyone on that floor then go down. If we managed to alert at least one floor, then we''ll be outnumbered pretty easily. It''ll be near impossible to escape since even the floors are covered in Xend. So we can''t blow the ceiling above us to escape if we ever go down low enough."

    "That''s the plan then. Let''s commence it three days from now. I still have to greet that others. I just woke up."

    "Yeah. That''s fine. I''ll see you in three days then."

 Chapter 185: Back in Action

    I spent the next three hours explaining to the rest of the group what happened. It seems that I gave the whole kingdom a scare because of those monsters. But they all regained their composure the day after.

    I didn''t expect them to understand it easily but it seems that they all said the same thing.

    "I''m just glad you''re okay."

    I couldn''t help but let out a smirk as I remember their words. It seems that I really found a good team. I finally found a place where I can belong.

    I then spent the next free days resting and catching up. The elite unit, looks like they''re going good. I talked to Afal about bring them in the Serpent union raid. To see how well they''ll do against that.

    "Well... I never brought them out for real other than hunting... I''m pretty sure they''ll do fine." Is what Afal responded.

    For Lagrima, the former Demon King, he comes out every now and then. But I was curious about something on what he said back in my soul. "Lagrima... about the thing that you said about Herold. What''s the nasty smell that you''re talking about?"

    "That..?" Lagrima then manifested himself on the overworld to talk to me face to face. "Nothing. It just irritated me. He''s been there hasn''t he? Tartarus. I can smell it."

    "Smell it..? He has been to Tartarus yeah. But I don''t understand how you know that."

    "Not literally. I just feel it. There''s a nasty aura around that human. Be careful."

    "Sure..." I don''t know what he meant by that, but I trust Herold. He''s already done a lot for me so I won''t betray that by having needless thoughts.

    I went out and hunted an artifact dungeon to test out my Demon Form but... all the nearest artifact dungeons has been looted by Neco. So I spent the rest of the free time just resting and nothing doing anything.

    Herold came here in Izgoy. It seems that the time has come. "Are we ready to set out?"

    I still don''t know how powerful I got with the Demon Form. So I''m raring to try it here with real enemies. But I may be overestimating myself and could lead us to lose. "Yeah we''re ready to set out."

    "So who are you bringing?"

    I didn''t even think about that part. "Hmm... Give me a second." Since this''ll be an all out war against the Serpent union, I''ll bring some strong comrades with me. I called over Afal, Zeta and Greta to fight with me. They all pretty accepted easily.

    "Let''s go?"

    "Yeah let''s go."

    "Wait!" Just as we were about to leave I heard someone calling for us. We turned around and saw that it was Rize running at us. She stopped in her tracks and then asked, "You aren''t bringing me?"

    "Well... The place we''re fighting is an enclosed underground space. So you''ll be having a difficult time fighting. And remember that the manticore that I fought three months ago is still missing and have no idea where it is. You just have to hold the fort for me."

    "I see..." Rize had a sad smile on her face. It seems that she''s worried about the thing that happened to me months ago as Zeta explained. She blames herself for being weak. But I don''t think that at all. She was my first friend and comrade when I got transported into this world.

    "Well..." I remember doing this to her at our first day of being together. It was like a blast from the past as I put my hand on her head and gave her a headpat. "I''m leaving up things for you here, Rize."

    "Heh. Thanks Zieglind." She looked straight into my eyes, "I''ll do my best!"

    "That so?" I pulled my hand back and went our way as I waved goodbye to Rize.

    "That''s unfair." Greta suddenly muttered.

    I was just confused. "Unfair?"

    "No- nothing. Its just that two certain people would also appreciate that gesture."

    "I see." I stopped in my tracks and went over to Greta. I pat her head then said, "I''m counting on you."

    "That''s not WHAT I MEANT-" Greta facepalmed herself and let out a sigh. "I absolutely hate how you''re incredibly intelligent at times and incredibly dumb at the same time."

    I didn''t know what she was talking about so we just continued on for our journey.

    After changing into our Gazer forms and flying to wherever Herold led us. It was a long flight which took nearly a day.By the time we got there, it was already midnight.

    "Mana Search." I casted. I couldn''t see well in the dark and I don''t want to activate the other skills to light up the surroundings so I settled with this. I could feel the enemy''s mana so I can see better. I looked down and I saw what seems to be hundreds? Maybe even thousands of people under. "Herold... are you sure that its just nine floors? There''s a giant place under that dummy house. They seem to have a city down there. My Mana Search can''t fully see everything since its too far but their numbers are pretty amazing.

    "Well didn''t I tell you that the map that we got isn''t that great? At least now we know where their base is. We just need to go down. Zeta. Will you?"

    "Yeah. Got it." Zeta stood up and brought out his staff. "Barrier!" A single word and Zeta covered the whole dummy house with a barrier. I could hear panic from people inside. "Sound Cancellation!" And in that second skill that Zeta casted, I can''t hear anything from their side anymore. "It should be fine. For now."

    We rushed in front of the barrier and Zeta opened up a small hole for us to go in. As we walked in that barrier, it felt... weird. There was literally no sound. No matter how one screamed or slammed the ground.

    Ten people surrounded us. They seem to be mouthing something but they stopped once they knew that they can''t let out any sound.

    I was about to change into my form but Greta leaped in instantly with her beast form already ready and pounced on them with her feet as she dug in her chest killing them all in an instant.

    "Mana Search!" Even though I couldn''t hear myself say that, the spell still activated. It doesn''t prevent our mouths from moving or letting out words. It just cancels out the noise and sound of it so spells should still work normally. After activating this skill, I already found multiple people in the top of the house. I looked at Greta and she immediately took action leaping off the ground like a spring and launching herself into the house.

    She punched the windows but there was a bit of resistance that caused her fists to be covered in a bloody mess. It must be the Xend material covering this whole house. She tried again, this time completely destroying the window. She grabbed the neck of one of the people inside and threw him outside.

    Zeta reacted by blasting the guy who fell into a frozen seal then using wind magic to completely destroy the body of the man.

    Greta, within moments, jumped off and dragged with her tens of bodies of other Serpent union members.

    "Dispel." He then destroyed the two spells that he casted. "Let''s go find the entrance."

    "No need." Herold walked in the door of the house so we just followed pursuit. Within moments, he kicked off what seems to be a bookshelf completely destroying it and revealing the hidden passage behind it. We walked down and down to wherever the stairs led but all we saw were just empty rooms. And the height of those rooms were at least thirty meters tall. It was completely empty.

    As we got further down again and again, there seems to be a door with two guards guarding it.

    Zeta stood forward and then, "Icicle Spears!" Several spikes of ice summoned behind Zeta and launched themselves to the guards completely killing them off.

    We went over and there seems to be nothing there. So the only way we could go is the door in front of us. We slowly opened on what seems to be a castle gate. And it revealed something that we didn''t even expect.

    "Wait... This is mined from TWO YEARS!?" I couldn''t help but be shocked.

    "How the hell did they build something like this for like two or three years of being here in this world?" Herold too was amazed.

    And so is Zeta and Greta.

    For what we saw was a gigantic hole... cave? I don''t even know what to call it. But our eyes don''t lie. That''s a freaking kingdom down there. Much bigger than Izgoy. FAR BIGGER than Izgoy.

    How tall is this ceiling from the ground down? Several kilometers? How did they mine all of these incredibly fast?

    And as I touched the walls, "They''re this rich..?"

    "What are you talking about?" Herold asked me.

    "This feeling on the wall... Its all covered in Xend materials. I can understand why people would follow the man. He has everything. Money, army strength and power."

 Chapter 186: Manticores Raid

    "Damn it." How can we be so weak..? Is this the law of nature? I know I shouldn''t be blaming myself about what happened to Zieglind but... Its still painful seeing him in that state and I''m completely unable to do anything. What was I doing in these past two years!?

    I brought back the weapon in my hand and looked at the destroyed rock in front of me. "Not enough." I knew it myself. That what I''m doing is simply not enough. I''m his knight. I won''t fail him. Never again.

    "Precia!" I heard someone calling for me.

    "Rize. What''s wrong?" I asked.

    "They just left just now!"

    "What? To the Serpent union''s base? Who is he bring with him?"

    "Zieglind? He brought Zeta, Greta and Afal with him."

    "I see..." Relief? Since she''s not there? I''m overthinking it. But there''s also a sense of pain in my heart. Am I... not strong enough for you to bring me in your journey? Am I really that weak and useless next to you?

    "We were told to hold the fort so I''m gathering everyone to go back near the people. They''ve been pretty scared with all the demons showing up and suddenly leaving."

    "I''ll be there." I took a final look at the damage I did on the rock and no matter how much I destroyed it, I''ll never be enough. "Lead the way."

    We were all there, gathered in the dining hall of the castle. Everyone was doing their own thing.

    "Where''s Neco?" Rize asked of them.

    "He''s scouting the whole place. He doesn''t want to stay in one place is what he said." Yefa replied.

    "I see. I think I''ll join Neco with the scouting. I''ll report anything that seems suspicious."

    "Wait, let me join too. I don''t have anything to do." I insisted.

    "Sure! Let''s go."

    "Everyone!" Neco''s voice was suddenly heard but we couldn''t see him. We looked around but we couldn''t find him. "Here." He dispelled his invisibility skill and revealed himself to us. "We''ve got trouble. The manticore that Zieglind faced. Its here. It detected me so I''m pretty sure that he''ll be coming here soon. What do we do? Do we contact them to come back? They just left like an hour ago."

    "Let''s call them!" Feran joined in. "We wouldn''t be able to protect any of the people with just us here. It''ll be difficult."

    A roar then followed which gave us immense pressure and nervousness. "BRING. ME. THE. BOOK!" It was the manticore depending for the non-existent book that we don''t even have. What do we even do at this situation. Neco told us about the conversations between them but the manticore won''t yield to the truth.

    He''s still angry about chasing that damned book that we don''t even have.

    "I. Gave. You. Months. Of. Time. To. Give. Me. The. Book. I. KNOW. YOU''RE. SMART. ENOUGH. TO. KNOW. THAT. I''LL. BE. COMING. FOR. YOU. REMEMBER! YOU. BROUGHT. THIS. UPON. YOURSELF. YOU. HAVE. NO. RIGHT. TO. HATE. ME. FOR. THIS."

    "Large amounts of mana incoming!" Helga suddenly warned us. "Neco! Bring me to where he is! NOW!"

    "Y- yeah!" Neco carried Helga like a luggage bag with his arm.

    But Feran suddenly placed his hands on Neco''s shoulder. "If I see you doing something weird I WILL KI-"

    "Neco! NOW!" Helga suddenly shouted which caused Neco to jolt. He doesn''t have a say so he just went out and rushed outside to go to the manticore.

    I followed them outside but I underestimated Neco''s speed. I lost him the moment he took a step. I followed him outside and saw that they''re already there.

    They''re already in front of the manticore. Helga detached herself from Neco and called upon her, "Gazer Form! Come, Life''s Blessing!" Her book weapon summoned in front and has been opened automatically. "Summon, Wisp!" Helga summoned her healing Wisp. But I don''t understand why she would suppon her Wisp.

    The manticore is conjuring a lot of mana in his mouth. Is it going to be a blast? I don''t know since I''ve never met this manticore. But I can tell... its a monster. I don''t know how powerful it is but its going to be difficult to judge.

    "I won''t let you blast this place with that skill!" Helga added another spell, "Heaven Defying Protection!"

    "HELLFIRE BLAST!" The manticore casted. It was a giant beam of fire that melted everything that''s near it or anything that it pierced through. But somehow when it hit Helga''s Wisp... It won''t budge.

    The Wisp was taking all of the damage and completely destroying the spell.

    I know it just from seeing how much mana was accumulated in that blast of the manticore. It was enough to destroy the whole place. Feran, Rize and Yefa followed up to see what was happening.

    In that single defense on what Helga just did, our morale went up.

    That was an attack that was near impossible to defend. And she did it in this time of need.

    Her knees buckled up and caused her to fall on the ground. "I knew it... that cost too much mana. Heaven Defying Protection... A skill that allows a unit to become invulnerable once their health reaches 50% or less and ignores the next attack. And my Wisp is still alive... I won''t let that monster do anything similar to Zieglind again!"

    "Interesting. But. That''s. Not. All. Hellfire''s. Mantra! I. WON''T. LET. ANYONE. OF. YOU. LIVE."

    Neco instantly covered his mouth and stopped from his tracks. Feran and Helga did the same. They then signalled us to not make any noise or even move.

    But Rize had something in mind. "BARRIER!" She then stepped back barely avoiding the giant pillar that summoned out of nowhere. She also summoned a giant barrier which surrounded us and the manticore. Her hand were instantly charred.And even though Helga wanted to cast a spell, Feran stopped her.

    I looked at the manticore and it didn''t open its mouth. Wordless casting!? That''s impossible! For a monster to have that...

    "Law Breake-" Rize stepped back again but this time the fire caught up to her. But she stood forward. "LAW BREAKER! NUMBER ONE! Kyaa!" Rize''s body lit up in a pillar of flame that was coming out of nowhere. We couldn''t speak nor move since that''s the trigger as Neco said one time. "FIRE SPELLS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN MY SPACE!" But as Rize said that, no more flame pillars came out. "I... will hold this place... That''s what I said to Zi..nd..." She then collapsed on the ground.

    I don''t care about anything anymore but Rize needs to have a first aid or she''ll die. I rushed over to her side but no more pillar flames came out. "What''s... happening? Was it Rize''s Law Breaker that did that? Argh! No time! Helga! Come here! Heal Rize! She''ll die at this rate!"

    She was hesitant to move or speak. But Feran was the first to move, "Wait! I''ll test it out first." Feran took a step forward and nothing happened. Even though in a crucial time, Feran is still willing to do anything for his sister.

    Helga immediately rushed over to Rize, "Protection of the Chanter! Continous Healing!"

    "What. The?" The manticore suddenly spoke. "I. Can''t. Feel. The. Flames. Of. Hell. I. Don''t. See. Hellfire''s. Mantra. Working. This. Is. Impossible. All. Of. My. Flame. Skills. Are. Fully. Sealed..." With his anger, a roar followed up, "WHO. DID. IT!? WHO. SEALED. MY. FLAME. SKILLS!?" Followed by a stomp that send shockwaves everywhere and a small earthquake.

    The people were scared. They all immediately rallied at the castle. Good thing that Afal''s instruction were working even for them.

    From the other side of the barrier, we could here marches. "Lord Feran, Lord Neco, Lady Precia, Lady Helga, Lady Yefa and... Lady Rize!?" The loud obnoxious soldier that leads everyone from the elite army that Afal formed. Gorgua. He cleared up his throat to remain his composure. "What can we do to help? We''re trained by Lord Afal so I''m sure we could help in some way." To think this obnoxious guy is this disciplined in his duties... Afal trained him well.

    "Just protect and calm the people. Don''t come near us for now, we don''t know the enemy. Protect also the backsides since we won''t know if that monster brought some of his friends along. Got it!?" I replied to them.

    "Yes!" Gorgua turned around, "You all heard that!?"

    "YES! SIR!" All of his soldiers responded.

    "Commence! Protect the people!" All of his soldiers dispersed and began to guard several people.

    "For. All. Of. You. To. Go. To. This. Lengths. To. Prevent. Me. From. Getting. What. Is. Mine. HOW! ARROGANT! THE. BOOK! GIVE. IT. TO. ME!" The manticore suddenly leaped from where he was and was about to pounce on Helga and Rize.

    "Gazer Form! Come, Baneful Sword and Dominion!" I instantly moved in front of the manticore and blocked his attack. "I won''t let you!"

 Chapter 187: Powerless

    The manticore''s pounce took a lot from me. My bones felt like it broke from that single pounce that I took. That''s combined with my Dominion and Baneful Sword... This will be an incredibly difficult fight.

    "Dull Pain, Heaven''s Touch, Cure Wounds!" Helga casted on me. Less pain felt, incresed healing and some status boosts and a heal to bring me back to full health.

    Feran followed up, "Commander''s Banner!" He summoned a banner in which gave us all status boosts, "Damage Resistance UP! Chalice Activate!" The water inside Neco''s chalice turned dark. "Corrupted Water! Dark Damage UP! Strength Addon! Maximum Health Boost!" He casted on all of us.

    "Mad. Alchemist''s. LAND!" The manticore''s skill suddenly splashed waters of poison that went up everywhere.

    "Barrier!" Helga protected us from the poison.

    We looked at the effects and it seems that it corrodes everything that gets afflicted by it seeing by the ground being melted right in front of our eyes.

    "Tornado!" The manticore followed up. And it seems to be sucking in the poison from the ground and merging together. But at this rate, its going to spread everywhere.

    "Let me out! If we keep this up we won''t be able to get out of here!" I told Helga.

    "But-" She doesn''t want to but she still did it. "Fine!" She opened up a small hole for me in whick I jumped out.

    I used the barrier as a leverage to jump for me not to touch any of the poison below. I rushed straight into the tornado, "Baneful Sword, Absorb!" And began to take in every last bit of poison and wind in which I cleared in just about several seconds. I landed right on the ground and jumped again this time to the manticore and threw out the waves of poison residing within my blade by swinging it several times.

    "Shockwave!" The manticore deflected all the attacks. "Annoying! Air. Absorption!"

    "UguAH-" I grasp my throat and tried to catch air. But nothing came in no matter how much I tried.

    "Barrier!" Helga casted on me and for some reason, I can catch my breath again. "Free Form Barrier!" The barrier stuck to my skin like a thin lining on my whole body.

    "I''m going to join in." Neco came out with the same buffs applied to me.

    "Me too." Same with Yefa.

    "Are you sure?" I asked of her. "Fire skills are disabled because of Rize."

    "I think my punches are strong enough. Well then... Dispel." She took off her Gazer form. "Come, Sinner''s Punisher." A painful expression was seen in Yefa''s face but it soon disappeared. "Alright." She hyped herself up, "Let''s go!" She was the first to take off.

    "Negate. Attack." The manticore casted.

    As soon as Yefa punched his face, a magic circle appeared but it suddenly broke. As if she pierced through that magic. Giving the manticore a mean right hook which sent him flying across the entire barrier that Rize set up. There''s already a crack on the barrier with her single punch.

    "You. Broke..." The manticore was visibly seen having trouble standing up."Through. My. Magic? Impossible."

    "Sinner''s Punisher. It breaks magic as long as my strength is sufficient." Yefa smiled. She rushed again but this time the manticore had something in mind.

    "Each. And. Everyone. Of. You... ANNOYING! Ethereal Wind Guardian!" A small ball of wind formed then soon took shake in the image of a woman. With a single wave of her hand, all of our barriers broke and we found ourselves trying to grasp air.

    "ARGH..." Every single one of us were desperately trying to breath.

    Then suddenly, a pouch full of stones came flying our way as it landed on the ground. We looked from where it came from and... its Lam?

    Helga was the first to grab a stone there and eat it. "AH!" She began to breath again. "Its Marestone, you don''t need to breathe if you eat that. But it''ll only last for several minutes.

    We all rushed over and ate a piece of the Marestones and its true. We don''t need to breathe with this. So the wind magic won''t work as well at us.

    The manticore''s summoned wind familiar then greated on what seems to be a lance and a shield. It flew right at us and was about strike Helga with her lance.

    "Ba-" But Helga was far too slow. Feran jumped right in front of her. But it was just a useless sacrifice seeing how Neco swooped in and dragged Helga away before she could utter a word.

    The lance of the summoned wind spirit struck Feran''s stomach as it pierced through the other side. We were all frozen at the sight as the summoned spirit slowly retracted her lance and moved away as Feran fall in front of it.

    "BLINK!" Yefa was the first to break the silence and instantly teleported in front of the wind spirit. Using her Sinner''s Punisher, she punched the wind spirit. But it raised it shield which absorbed all of the blow. But it broke and sent it flying back at the manticore.

    Neco left Helga and brought back with him Feran''s unconscious body. Helga''s tears fell out but she wiped it off immediately. "Bring him back at the castle. I''m sorry everyone but I''ll be retreating with Feran."

    The wind spirit launched herself again like a cannonball at Helga with her lance first. Neco tried to block it with his insane reflexes. It was far too fast for us to react.

    Neco barely blocked it as the wind spirit''s lance were inches away from Helga''s face.

    But Helga was daring, she grabbed the wind spirit''s lance, "You''re... the one who did this... GET OUT! OVERHEAL!" Yellow like light surrounded Helga''s arms and her eyes flickered with a yellow aura. And in that instant, the wind spirit exploded.

    It was unexpected.

    But something was more surreal.

    The yellow aura that''s surrounding Helga''s body is taking a form. Into the same spirit as the manticore released. But this time it held a crucifix and raised it into the air.

    The spirit then spoke, "Life''s Fountain."

    The clouds parted for the giant beacon of light to shine upon us all. All of our wounds were healed, we also got some 100% status boost on everything.

    We then heard some people shouting. We got worried but soon turned into relief.

    "My exhaustion from the training is gone!"

    "My arm! Its back!?"

    "No way! I thought I won''t be able to move again!"

    "My baby''s wound are gone!?"

    "I can stand up again!?"

    "I can see! I CAN SEE!"

    We could hear the people inside the castle all getting crazy and jumpy. So this skill healed all the people that are afflicted with illness and can heal anything?

    Rize''s body returned to normal but still unconscious.

    And the most important of all, Feran''s torn stomach were healed to complete full.

    Helga let go of the lance of the destroyed wind spirit and blood came running down her hands but soon disappeared from her own healing spell.

    "Out... of mana..." She then fell to the ground completely unconscious.

    We were all speechless. What was that power that she just showed us? It was completely unexpected. Everyone''s physical wounds and illnesses were all fully returned to normal.

    "What... Was. That. Unknown. Power... Has. Magic. Evolved. Yet. AGAIN!? COME. TO. ME. IFRIT!" But nothing came out. "DAMN. IT! IF. I. HAD. MY. POWERS. I. COULD. HAVE. ENDED. THIS. A. LONG. TIME. AGO. DAMN. YOU!!!"

    Damn it... I''ve let three people nearly die in this fight... Am I really this powerless!? I don''t know what I need to do...

    Do I have to use it..? I can only control a portion of it but if I use it all... I might just lose control. Argh... no more questioning myself. Three of my allies nearly died in front of me. I won''t let this happen again.

    I''m incredibly talkative in this state but...I''ll just let it do its thing. "Unruly Gemstone!" My eyes turned into a red crystal gemstone and my Gazer form disappeared on its own.

    A skill list of over two hundred skills appeared before me.

    This is the skill that I inherited from my bloodline. I hate it but... this is the last thing that I have connecting me with my parents.

    So that''s why I''ll use it like how they used it. To protect their people and allies. And...

    The one that they lo....

    "Precia! What are you-" Yefa shouted.

    "I''m no longer Precia. You''re half right about that. But I''m her deepest desires. I''m her most valuable secret." I... ''She'' replied.

    "What..?"

    "Now then... you''re that annoying manticore that harmed my darling didn''t you? You aren''t allowed to live. For you''ve hurt him. Come to me, Unruly Sword, Unruly Armor, Unruly Shield.

    An armor formed with spiky red crystals, a flamberge-like sword, and a spiky shield were summoned by ''her.'' "I''ll make you pay!"

 Chapter 188: Serpents Hideout

    "So... do we jump in?" Zeta asked all of us and we just looked at him without saying anything. "What..?"

    "This is literally an underground kingdom. Its incredibly huge." Herold stated. "Do we go in? We don''t have advantage. I''m pretty sure they have traps everywhere."

    "Let''s just go in blindly. We don''t have mu-" I noticed something on my party system alerting me. "Rize''s health just entered critical state. Around 30% of her HP left."

    "Wait, how do you know that?" Zeta asked. "Well I know that Rize might be in trouble but how do you know that?"

    "All of the Crimson Knights I invited to a party right? As the leader of that party, I can see your health points and mana and the system will alert me with the custom things I added such as anyone of you going down with less than 50% HP."

    "I didn''t know that... Well... what do we do? Do we go back?"

    "Well we know their headquarters now... We can just go back. Let''s re-"

    Just as I was about to turn back, Herold grabbed my arm. "If we go back, more non players will get tormented by the Serpent union and more illegal things will happen. Let''s just swoop in here and just do things quickly."

    "Fine. Everyone, use everything that you have. We will make quick work of everything. One hour. That''s the time limit. If we go over that, I don''t care if anyone drags me back here, I will go back to Izgoy even by myself. Got it?" Everyone nodded, "I''m going all out." I stretched out my hand forward, "Come to me, Demon Sword Acabar." A small flicker of purple flame was summoned and formed itself into the Demon Sword Acabar.

    "You did inherit the Demon King title." Zeta and Herold said in unison. They looked at each other confused.

    Zeta was the first to break the ice, "So that''s the Demon King sword... I didn''t get a look at it last time since I was being trying to process what''s happening. But I can feel power from it. And I''m not even close to you and I''m already feeling the heat."

    "No more talking. Let''s go make an entrance!"

    Everyone changed into their Gazer forms except for Herold. He brought out another weapon. A weapon that I don''t even know what that is.

    We jumped in the giant kingdom underground. To make things flashier, "Fallen''s Wrath!" My falling speed sped up as I dived with my sword. As I hit the ground, a large crack formed about a hundred meters in every single direction.

    I heard the shouts, cries and pleads of the people. I''m about to kill thousands but I don''t feel any connections or anything at all to the humans. Just another proof that I''m no human. I''m a demon.

    Pillars of flames emerged from the cracks that formed everywhere reaching to the very top of the cavern. Melting, burning and destroying anything that it touches... Nay! Everything that gets near it.

    "What the-" Everyone had questions to ask me as I could see it from their faces but they didn''t even try to ask anything knowing the situation at hand.

    Several more people jumped from the roofs.

    "I Gahal, challenges you to a du-"

    "I don''t give a crap!" With a single wave of my sword, a wave of slash came flying out of my sword slicing in half anyone who''s unfortunate enought to get hit by it.

    I looked at what the others are doing.

    Herold with that small sword is cutting up enemies which are at least ten meters away from him. Is that his speed? But that''s impossible. I can react in the speed of sound or even greater than that. But Herold... I can''t see him move from that spot. He was swinging around his weapon but everyone just gets cut whoever gets near him. Is that his sword properties or just his speed? I''m incredibly confused. But he seems to be doing great work.

    I took a look at Greta and this is the first time I''m seeing her fight after two years. She became even more fiercer. Her fighting style was a sight to behold. She grabbed an enemy by their necks slammed them on the other enemies and threw them to the other side of this giant cavern. As hundreds of enemies rushed by her she slammed down the ground blowing enemies away from her.

    Zeta''s abilities as a mage is amazing. His double cast skills are a cheat code in itself. Putting up traps simultaneously with gravity magic to push them in the trap. Combining fire and water magic to spread the fire further. He can set up multiple traps in one go and no one would ever expect it. He''s grown stronger. And he isn''t even using Yurid.

    Afal is cleanly and flashily destroying every single thing that gets near him. His Doppelg?nger copies everything that he does and adapts to the situation by making a choice of its own. Its like having two Afal''s. Both crazy strong. And both heartless psychos. But I don''t mind it at all. He''s a valuable part of the team.

    Afal flew up to the sky high as he possibly could and dispelled the shapeshift spell on his hand. "Hand of Fury... RAIN DOWN ON MY ENEMIES! CATACLYSM!"

    What seems to be thousands of fireballs that looked like meteorites spawned just barely at the top of the ceiling of the cavern. It illuminated the whole place. Afal motioned his hand downward as if ordering the fireballs to shoot down.

    And all of it followed his command.

    We all flew high as high as we can get to witness Afal''s destruction.

    It was like seeing a nuke in live action. But it was far concentrated. and more powerful. I couldn''t believe it. After the explosions were gone, all we could see were smokes covering up the whole cavern.

    "Sons of demons. Why thoust come here?" The smoke dissipated and what it revealed was a giant barrier fully protecting the entire kingdom below. "Spirit''s Lovely Smite." A bright light came out of nowhere and completely healed anyone who were alive. Except for us. "You''ve killed most of our loyal followers. You''ve made a grave mistake you cannot go back. Surrender. And maybe our leader''s benevolence will give you a second chance."

    "I decline." I immediately answered.

    "I see. That''s a shame. It is not in my nature to kill people for I am a servant of God themselves. But those who gets in the way of god''s will, is not allowed to be in his plans." Five people then arrived behind her.

    They were menacing.

    Two men who looks like twins. Both of their daggers coated in poison as it drips down on the floor and melts everything.

    The woman who was speaking to us showed her prowess of healing. Instantly saving anyone from this whole cavern from death.

    Another person behind them with a giant sword with a large structured body. And extremely bulky with his armor.

    The mage who has a book and a staff.

    And finally, the man with a twin sword on both of his hands followed with a giant hydra behind him.

    All the players under their command suddenly kneeled and bowed their heads down to the ground and began praying.

    They call whoever they''re calling a savior, a god, a descendant of a god and everything that went through their heads.

    "They''ve lost all rationality and everything." Zeta muttered.

    "I can understand it." That''s what I''d probably be if I haven''t awakened and lost all of my emotions. "This is a world all of us asked for. A medieval setting, getting reincarnated, basically another shot at life with all of our memories in tact. We have powers we can grow and everything. But reality is harsh. Living in this world is much more difficult than our previous one. Everything here is ruled by one thing. Power. And if you don''t have that? You''ll be forced to submit or die."

    "Let''s put an end to them and their delusions." Herold joined in. "They''re humans from our previous world. They''ve gone crazy. To the point that they''re even worshipping those people."

    "Yeah... Let''s end this charade once and for al-" Another message popped up in front of me. "What..? Feran''s lifepoints dropped down to 10%!?" Another message popped up, "Helga is at 50% health and her mana is disappearing quickly." I was panicking. "We''re going back."

    "But it still hasn''t been an hour! If we go now there''ll be more casualties! If we go now they''ll relocate their base. And seeing how they made this giant cavern in a short time, that means that they can do it again!"

    "Lure them in or something! We can''t afford to be here anymore. There''s something going on in Izgoy. I don''t care what happens. But three of our allies have already been brought down I''m afraid. I''m not losing anyone!"

 Chapter 189: Descent of the Demons

    ''She'' begins by swinging that sword with everything that ''she''s'' got. Waves come out as ''her'' pure strength manages to rival even Precia. ''She'' turned around, "Hey! What are y''all going to do? Just let me fight this monster on my own?"

    Yefa and Neco looked at each other and nodded and rushed.

    Yefa rushed in and swung a giant right hook.

    "Poise." The manticore casted and this time he wasn''t sent flying away by her punch. "Argh..." But the destructive power of her punch was seen as the manticore''s skin rippled from one side to another.

    Neco followed up by jumping in the air and cloning himself with his skill. As if light froze wherever he moved and his clones move. His speed was to the point that none of us could see what''s going on. After a few seconds, he reappeared in the ground but no physical wounds were seen. Then half a second later, the manticore roared in pain.

    The flashes of light frozen in the sky moved as if retracing back what Neco did. Hundreds of shallow wounds appeared on the manticore''s body.

    "His body is... tough. I can''t penetrate through. I can only deal minor damage. And I''m already discovered so all of my skills for damage burst are all disabled..." Neco tried again, so we followed.

    "Every. Single. One. Of. You. Are. All. ANNOYING! Summon. Lightning. Spirit! Summon. Wind. Spirit!"

    "Two of those things again..? Just the Wind Spirit took out Helga and Feran... Argh... This is annoying. And I''m pretty sure he''ll target those three... Hey Neco!" ''she'' then looked over to Neco, "Get those three out of here!"

    He looked back at the three of them and the two Spirits the manticore spawned in. "Sure." He disappeared and Feran''s body is already missing in the blink of an eye.

    "Let''s do this!" Without warning, ''she'' threw her sword like a spear at the manticore''s head.

    The manticore was so caught off-guard, he barely dodged it with his left eye being grazed by it. "Damn. It. I. Was. Going. To. Show. Mercy. But. No. More. Waiting. For. You. To. Give. Me. Back. What''s. Mine. GO. ELEMENTALS! KILL. THEM. ALL!"

    The two spirits began to lit up the sky with a dark cloud. Lightning strikes came out everywhere and as it hit the ground, it began to spread in hundreds of meters.

    "Attract Magic!" It seems that ''she'' thought the same thing I was thinking. All the lightning strikes became focused on ''her.'' ''She'' knows that if those lightning spreading on the ground, they''ll be dangerous for the population. "Now! Yefa!"

    Yefa stomped her feet on the ground and jumped as high as she can to completely kill the Spirits.But the Wind Spirit simply waved its hand and Yefa''s momentum as she jumped. She was hovering mid air. She then began to fall down. "Damn it!" Yefa landed on the ground creating a large crack.

    "Break!" The weapon that ''she'' threw at the manticore suddenly came back but not in the form of a weapon. But a giant red crystal. "Reform!" the crystal then turned into a bow with a single arrow attached to it. ''She'' then carefully aimed at the Lightning Spirit who keeps summoning lightning everywhere. ''She'' let go of the bow and the arrow came flying at lightspeed. A giant laser of red trail was left that stretched out to the skies. As soon as it hit the elemental, red veins was seen from its body.

    It started from its chest then goes incredibly fast as the red veins were taking over its body.

    "What. Is. This. Nonsense. I''ve. Lost. Control. Of. My. Lightning. Elemental." The manticore spoke.

    "GO!" ''She'' ordered the Lightning Spirit. It then began to strike the Wind elemental which killed it in a couple of seconds. It was powerful.

    "Grr..." The manticore was growing angry and impatient. "Hmm..?" Flickers of flame appeared on the manticore''s body. "I CAN FEEL IT! MUAHAHA! The flames of hell... I CAN FEEl IT!"

    "What!?" Both me and Yefa were shocked. "What about Rize''s spell?"

    "Rize collapsed. She tried to stay awake. But soon collapsed after exhausting her mana pool." Neco finally came back. "He''s not on our level if he uses flames against us. We will not engage in battle. We will hold out until Zieglind and the others will come back here."

    "What are you saying?"

    "We''re not fighting it to kill it. We''re fighting it to defend our city. Killing it is impossible with just ourselves. Just focus on defense. Don''t even try to attack."

    "YOU. THINK. I''LL. LET. YOU. DEFILE. OUR. BATTLE. LIKE. THAT? I. THOUGHT. YOU. WERE. ALL. ENJOYING. DRAGGING. ME. AROUND!? HAHAHA!" The manticore then stopped his laugh and stomped the ground. "Fine. I''ll. End. This. I. Don''t. Have. Time. To. Play with. Hell''s Guardian!"

    A gigantic portal opened out of nowhere next to the manticore. A foot came out. Was it a dog? But either way it was gigantic and huge. A head came out and our suspicions were right. It is a dog. As it breathe, fire came out of its mouth. But the next thing that came was something that we didn''t expect.

    Another head came out... and another one. It was the guardian of hell itself. "Cerberus! My. Dear. Pet. This. Is. My. Gift. To. You. Ravage. Everything. That. You. See. LET! LOOSE!" The both of them roared and everyone was being blown away by their roars. "Good... GOOD! NOW! COME. TO. ME! IFRIT!"

    Another portal opened. But this it was far smaller than the portal that was used to summon Cerberus. But all of us. Could feel that.

    That absolute power.

    Absolute concentration of mana in one entity.

    Like it was about to burst if nothing was let out.

    An arm came out with a dark spiky bracelet. And then his foot with a bracelet with the same design around his feet. The demon named Ifrit came out of the portal. Long hair, face like a human and the form of a human but has the characteristics of a demon. Twin horns, giant pair of wings. And the most unique of all... An eye arranged vertically in the middle of his chest.

    It was menacing and frightening.

    "Go. Kill. Them. All." The manticore commanded and those two summons of him rushed.

    With just the three of us, we all knew how powerful the spirits were. But these other monsters are on another level.

    "Damn it!" ''She'' shouted. "Let''s just do this! Break!" ''Her'' bow weapon was suddenly destroyed and turned into a giant piece of red crystal. "Reform!" Changing back into ''her'' sword and shield.

    Yefa and Neco followed ''her'' and rushed at the enemies. When suddenly, something from the sky fell down which stopped all of our movements.

    The dust cloud dispersed and it revealed Zieglind.

    "Why... are you he-" Yefa was about to ask something but someone interrupted.

    It was none other than ''her.'' "Darling! You''ve come to save us didn''t you?"

    "Where''s the other three? Feran, Helga and Rize?" Zieglind suddenly asked.

    "They''re in the castle." Neco was the one to reply. "They''ve been unconscious for a while."

    "Will they be fine?"

    "Yeah. I think so. Helga casted a spell that we don''t even know and it miraculously healed everyone. So their health is at maximum. But their mana are depleted and they''re fully unconscious."

    "I see." Zieglind''s face turned into a silent anger. It has been a while since we saw that face. That same face that he showed when Rize nearly died two years ago when we were conquering Polk.

    The atmosphere turned silent and the manticore was the first to break the ice. "Zieglind. Reysh. Give. Me. The. Book."

    "I told you many times. We don''t have it." Zieglind replied.

    "Then. You''ve. Forced. My. Hand."

    "Are you done running now?" More people came. "Zieglind... Reysh?" We don''t know who they were.

    "Zieglind!" Zeta, Herold, Afal, and Greta shouted as they landed next to Zieglind.

    "Are these your friends?" Herold followed up as he descended from the sky.

    One of the woman with the crucifix as a weapon walked over to the manticore. "Oh! Is that you Verano? It has been a while."

    "Lily... Why. Are. You. Here. Are. You. Also. Going. To. Fight. Me?" The manticore asked.

    "Absolutely not. I was going to ask why you''re here."

    "They. Stole. It. My. Deep. Dark. Skills. And. The. Twin. Daggers.They''re. Soul. Bound. So. I. Can''t. Get. It. I. Don''t. Mind. It. Getting. Stolen. But. The. Other. Book... The. Book. Of. Resurrection. Was. The. Other. Book. They. Stole."

    "...Hmm... That book was given to you by Lord Ouroboros himself. So that means they''re offending Lord Ouroboros. That gives us more reasons to kill Zieglind Reysh right here. Right now."

    "I see. Haha... HAHAHA!" Zieglind began to laugh uncontrollably. It was incredibly unexpected. "I wonder why I''m getting in these kind of situations every time... Well... It doesn''t matter. You''re the pawns of Ouroboros? Well then. More reason to kill you."

    "How. Arrogant. For. Someone. Who. Lost. To. Me." The manticore replied.

    "That''s because you haven''t seen my full power. Demon King''s Domain."

    Suddenly, the world around us collapsed. And then has been reconstructed into another place. Somewhere that none of us know where.

    "Come to me, Demon Sword, Acabar!" Zieglind summoned a small flame was summoned until it formed itself into a sword. "Demon King''s Form."

 Chapter 190: Coming to the Rescue

    We flew back where we came from and we''re under the barrage of attacks of the enemies. "I don''t have time for this! Wall of Inferno!"

    I summoned a wall of flame and every magic and bullets that got near it gets their magic projectiles burnt completely destroying it.

    "Anti-magic?" One of the enemies spoke. "Nuerte, destroy it!"

    "O- kay!" We couldn''t see anyone from the other side of wall of flames. But we heard someone trying to break through the wall. "T... TOUGH!" It seems that they''ve failed.

    "Nuerte, get back!"

    "ARGH! My weapon melted!?"

    The Inferno''s Wall went down just after their failure. It won''t be able to last long is what I discovered.

    I used this opportunity and ran. The rest followed me until we got to the bottom room. "We don''t have time to climb!"

    "That''s the only way out. We don''t have time to do that." Herold replied.

    "Then we''ll just blast through."

    "Those are covered in Xend, it''ll take too long to penetrate."

    I held up the Demon Sword, Acabar, "Demon''s Uprising!" I grabbed the sword from its handle and had the grip like I''m holding a spear. I threw it upwards and a trail of flames came out as it broke through the Xend coating with ease launching up to the sky, creating a giant hole. "Let''s go."

    "HOLY-, that firepower!"

    All of us flew up and got back at the surface and began to run at Izgoy.

    "Astral Bind!" A giant constellation of stars appeared on the ground and suddenly, we were all frozen in place unable to move. "You won''t get away!" The mage with the book and staff was the one who did this to us.

    "Nice one Felta." The twins with the daggers was then suddenly rushing at us.

    "Go Jakal, Jakel!"

    "They need me... back at Izgoy. I don''t have time for every single one of you! Demon''s Authority!" I summoned up an invisible shield around my body that absorbs mana and destroys magic projectiles. We broke free of the skill. "Greta, Zeta, hold them off, if you can beat them then do so, come back as soon as possible. Afal! Let''s go back!"

    The two of them stopped in their tracks and turned around to face the enemies.

    I won''t let you go! The twins Jakal and Jakel began to target me.

    The others then flew over to rush over to me. It seems that I''m their target. "Repel!" I knocked out everyone that are at least a meter away from me several meters away even Afal. "Hellfire''s Chakram!" I summoned a circling flame of fire around my body.

    "Tsunami!" Felta casted a giant tsunami. It was higher than the trees surrounding us.

    "Frozen Field!" I counter attacked which froze the entire wave of water. I ran again and left Greta and Zeta there. But they''re too fast for me. "Zeta, hinder their movements!"

    Zeta then activated, "Area Cast, Ground Zero!" All of us suddenly fell onto the ground. "Go run! They''re useless without their flight skill!"

    "You activated what takes around multiple mages to do? That''s impossible." Felta said to Zeta.

    "Thanks! Afal, just catch up when you can, Lightning Body!" Violent lightning was surrounding my whole body. I accelerated faster and faster as I run.

    "Shadow Assault!" I then saw hundreds of copies of both Jakal and Jakel matching my speed.

    I thrusted the Demon Sword Acabar to my side stabbing one of the twins. But the body that I stabbed disappeared. "Clones?" Everyone of the clones were acting and moving like machines. Their breaths were at the same rate, the way which foot goes first and their running form. It was all syncing perfectly with one another.

    "Double Death Marks!" The both of them suddenly disappeared.

    Their speed was far too fast for my eyes. As I looked down on my chest, I could see four wounds opening up. They attacked me while in that absolute speed? But I don''t have time to be amazed. I need to stop their movements somehow. "Demon''s Rage!" I stomped the ground which broke it sending everything flying up in the air. The cracks that were formed then suddenly lit up pillars of flames.

    "ARGH!" The twins grunted at the same time. They both barely avoided the skill that I just casted. Burning off a part of their skin.

    "Be careful you two! Great Heal!" The woman that stopped Afal''s attack earlier completely healed them back to normal. I used this chance to run away as far as I can go.

    And after a few minutes I could finally see the walls of the castle at Izgoy. Before I could get near, I felt a terrifying pressure. This was something that I feel like I remember very clearly. "The... manticore?"

    Jakal and Jakel then suddenly jumped on top of me trying to get a plunging attack. "Ninja''s Death Cliff!"

    "Damn it you''re both annoying! Demon''s Bind!" I summoned up chains that suddenly appeared in their neck. Their chains were connected. I moved to the side and grabbed the chains that we connected in my hand and slammed the both of them to the grond.

    I leaped above my Demon Sword and flew high to the sky using the sword. I then swung them around and threw them sending them back hundreds of meters away. "For countermeasures, Million Shot!" A skill that has no range. Wherever someone is, I can theoretically hit them. I then threw my weapon with all my might and where it landed created a giant explosion.

    I rushed over to Precia since she''s being attacked. I dropped to the ground which stopped both of their movements.

    "Darling!" Darling!? What? What happened to her? "Have you come here to save us?" No, I don''t have time to question this.

    "Where''s the other three? Feran, Helga and Rize?" I just ignored her statement and asked..

    "They''re in the castle." Neco was the one to reply. "They''ve been unconscious for a while."

    "Will they be fine?"

    "Yeah. I think so. Helga casted a spell that we don''t even know and it miraculously healed everyone. So their health is at maximum. But their mana are depleted and they''re fully unconscious."

    "I see." Damn it. This is infuriating. Three of them nearly died because of my incompetence. Are we really this weak? And these enemies... I''m guessing the three headed dog is Cerberus but I don''t know who this other demon is. But the one behind them is definitely the manticore.

    The atmosphere turned silent and the manticore was the first to break the ice. "Zieglind. Reysh. Give. Me. The. Book."

    "I told you many times. We don''t have it." I replied.

    "Then. You''ve. Forced. My. Hand."

    "Are you done running now?" More people came. "Zieglind... Reysh?" It seems that they''ve gotten past Greta and Zeta. Their health aren''t in the critical stage so I''m guessing they''re trapped there or is being held back by something.

    "Zieglind!" Zeta, Herold, Afal, and Greta shouted as they landed next to me. It seems that my guesses are right.

    "Are these your friends?" Herold followed up as he descended from the sky.

    The woman with the crucifix as a weapon walked over to the manticore. "Oh! Is that you Verano? It has been a while." They know each other? The Serpent union and this manticore!?

    "Lily... Why. Are. You. Here. Are. You. Also. Going. To. Fight. Me?" The manticore asked.

    "Absolutely not. I was going to ask why you''re here."

    "They. Stole. It. My. Deep. Dark. Skills. And. The. Twin. Daggers. They''re. Soul. Bound. So. I. Can''t. Get. It. I. Don''t. Mind. It. Getting. Stolen. But. The. Other. Book... The. Book. Of. Resurrection. Was. The. Other. Book. They. Stole."

    "...Hmm... That book was given to you by Lord Ouroboros himself. So that means they''re offending Lord Ouroboros. That gives us more reasons to kill Zieglind Reysh right here. Right now."

    WHY? WHY IS IT ALWAYS ABOUT OUROBOROS? WHY IS HE EVERYWHERE!?

    "I see. Haha... HAHAHA!" I began to laugh uncontrollably. It was incredibly unexpected. I never thought that these two know each other. "I wonder why I''m getting in these kind of situations every time... Well... It doesn''t matter. You''re the pawns of Ouroboros? Well then. More reason to kill you."

    "How. Arrogant. For. Someone. Who. Lost. To. Me." The manticore replied.

    "That''s because you haven''t seen my full power. Demon King''s Domain."

    Suddenly, the world around us collapsed. And then has been reconstructed into another place. Somewhere that none of us know where. It was just like looking at the color black. There was nothing there. It was just the abyss.

    "Come to me, Demon Sword, Acabar!" Zieglind summoned a small flame was summoned until it formed itself into a sword. "Demon King''s Form."

    Anger welled up inside of me. These people made the inhabitants of this world suffer. And they nearly killed my three members of my family. "Unforgivable. UNFORGIVABLE! I''ll end this fight. RIGHT HERE!" Like an animal getting ready for battle, it kicked it inside of me letting out a large roar of battlecry.

 Chapter 191: Absolute Power

    The clouds parted and made way for the giant pillar of flame that stretched to the sky. Everyone stepped back a couple of meters away from Zieglind.

    Everyone''s face was confused and was trying to figure out what''s going on. Zieglind''s skin suddenly were being wrapped around in a flesh that we don''t know of.

    His form was something out of this world. Demonic, something absolutely insane.

    The purple flames surrounding his sword and his body sent shivers to those who are unfortunate enough to see that form of his. His transformation ended and it sent shockwaves everywhere and was sending us flying.

    All of us used our weapons just to stay on the ground. Everyone was just speechless and was in awe of that... Beautiful form.

    Zieglind stomped the ground a crack appeared. We were all confused since there''s no ground below us. But there''s a visible crack on the ground.

    It grew wider and unleash torrents of flames that surrounded us all.

    Zieglind then let out a loud battle cry. His voice was different.

    All of us in the Crimson Knights thought of the same thing. "Is this... really Zieglind?"

    Even though all of us don''t know how we''re going to help. We rushed in. But instead, we were stopped by a mysterious barrier.

    "My domain. My spectators." That voice of his managed to make everyone tremble. "Location select, Hell." The fiery domain that Zieglind summoned were the best depiction of hell.

    Lava were spewing out everywhere and pillars of random rocks were everywhere. The intense heat that this place emits is enough to kill someone around level 40. "Heat Resistance, Cold Embrace!" I casted. To prevent any of us collapsing.

    Their mage Felta, did the same. "Heat Resistance, Cold Embrace!"

    "He just changed his appearance! Go! I''ll support you all from behind!" Lily, the healer of their group commanded everyone.

    The twins came out of hiding. It seems that they were dragged here with Zieglind''s magic too. Nuerte charged in with them.

    "Dark Armory, Sword!" Felta, their mage summoned a giant greatsword on Nuerte''s hand.

    The twins were the first to get near Zieglind.

    But Zieglind was planning something different. He held out his arms as if taunting the enemy to attack him.

    The twins then in unison, "Dark Revelation!" A giant dark wave in a form of an X struck Zieglind''s body and passed through him.

    It got to us but the barrier that Zieglind put up completely blocked it.

    The twins repeated their attack on Zieglind''s front and back. But Zieglind wasn''t budging an inch. They went faster. And faster. And faster until none of eyes could follow it.

    Nuerte finally got to Zieglind and began to strike him with his weapon. But everytime that he does, it felt like his weapon was getting repelled.

    His face changed into an incredibly pissed and annoyed emotion.

    His strikes were getting faster and faster. That speed was near impossible for a user who uses a greatsword to wield his weapon. "YARGHHHH!!!"

    Zieglind was there, his arms still open. Waiting for something... anything.

    Felta then casted, "Strength Boost! Dull Pain, Dark Damage Multiplier, Damage Stack, Fire Imbue, Dark Imbue, Bleed Imbue, Paralyze Imbue!"

    The weapons of the twins and Nuerte began to emit glowing light and then it disappeared a few seconds later. It just implied that the buffs worked.

    They tried once again unleashing a flurry of attacks on Zieglind.

    Their hits at Zieglind creative a giant cloud of dust and flames. None of us could see what was going on in that cloud of dust.

    But all we could hear were the hits of the three of them repeated bashing through Zieglind''s body.

    "Fallen Star!" A meteorite like star came falling down on Zieglind. Jakal, Jekal and Nuerte barely dodged it.

    "HEY! You nearly got us in the blast!" Nuerte complained.

    "Don''t complain. Just do everything you can. That monster is underestimating us. Go make your move!"

    Zieglind grabbed his weapon both of his hands and laid it in front of his face. "Pulse of Anger!" A massive shockwave came out of Zieglind''s body.

    Jakal, Jekal and Nuerte were blown away hundreds of meters away. As they were flying, they were leaving a trail of ashes.

    "BARRIER!" Felta casted but to no avail. Zieglind''s skill broke through the barrier instantly and blowing them all away.

    Their bodies began to be implanted with a mark of burn. Their chests and stomachs were charred and being burnt by Zieglind''s skill.

    "Burn''s Remedy! Great Heal! Summon Wisp, Fountain Healing, Regeneration!" Their charred bodies turned back to normal and the purple flames on their body disappeared. Lily, their healer then looked at the manticore, "Verano! Damn it! FIGHT! What are you waiting for!? We''re going to die at this rate!"

    "You. Say. That. But. You. Don''t. Know. How. Powerful. He. Is... He''s. A. Demon."

    "So what Verano!? I don''t care what we''re fighting. If we lose this, we won''t have a chance. If we lose here, our whole Serpent union will be destroyed. Even if we managed to live here, ''he'' won''t let it go."

    "Damn. You. Lily. I. Will. Make. You. Pay. Someday. DEFINITELY. Ifrit! Cerberus! Attack!" Verano began to run at Zieglind''s direction.

    "You three also! We''ll support you from the back!"

    Everyone rushed at Zieglind at the same time.

    Verano began activating countless fire spells, "Meteorite''s. Fall! Explosion! Combust! HELLFIRE BLAST!"

    Ifrit and Cerberus were working in harmony. Ifrit summoned up more summons of fire spirits. Those fire spirits summoned their own weapons, which were fire whips. All of them surrounded Zieglind and threw their whips at Zieglind wrapping it around his arms.

    They were all restricting Zieglind''s movement. But for some reason, I felt like Zieglind was just letting do their own thing. He opened his arms voluntarily as if trying to imitate being controlled by the fire spirits.

    Cerberus then began breathing fire at him and small explosions were forming in Zieglind''s body.

    Jekal and Jakal couldn''t get near because of Verano''s skills. So they changed into their bows and brought out a custom arrow without a tip. They put their dagger on top of the arrow then shot it at Zieglind.

    The moment it passed through Zieglind''s body, they''d run to the other side to catch the arrow they shot at him and refire the arrow.

    Despite their insane strength even as assassins, that arrow was faster than the speed of sound. And they''re easily following it with no problem and running. It''s like they''re playing ping pong by themselves.

    Felta''s spells were all about buffing up his team mates. Even giving Verano and his summons a lot of buffs.

    "We need to get out of here." I proposed. "We can''t see him in that cloud of smoke they''re forming but it''s going to be dangerous if we just let him fight like that."

    "I agree. But I''ve been trying to break this with my skills for the past 20 minutes and none of my skills are even leaving a scratch on it." I didn''t even notice that Neco is doing that.

    "I feel the same." Yefa followed up.

    "I think he''ll be fine. He''s my darling after all." Precia''s statement caught everyone off-guard.

    "I think so too." Herold join in.

    "I''ll trust my lord in whatever thing he does." Afal also brought in another surprising statement.

    They all looked at me as if they''re waiting for my response. "Fine. Let''s just wait. And see what today''s surprise will Zieglind give us." Everyone has placed his trust on him. Even though we all know that this is an incredibly heavy burden we placed on him, he graciously took it.

    To the point that he''d get this angry on just one of us even being hurt. That''s why our loyalty will never faze as long as he don''t abandon us. We all know it ourselves. We are all lucky to have a master like that.

    "Done?" Zieglind''s one word stopped everyone from moving. Everyone felt immense pressure to the point that everyone couldn''t move. Even us.

    He walked through the mist of dust and cleared it. He came out unharmed. Not even a single scratch was seen in his body. It was something amazing and unexpected.

    "Know despair." He grabbed his sword with both of his hand and began to wind up a swing. "Heaven Destroyer!" Zieglind swung his sword with all of his might.

    And for what seemed like eternity, the surrounding area turned from a bright red flaming hot environment to a black and white scenery. And as if it destroyed reality itself,the top and bottom part were sliced and slightly off-set. The other one was raised too high and the other one was too low.

    That scene was out of this world. It was like a broken picture with missing pieces.

    Zieglind turned around, our the black and white world returned to normal and his slash took effect.

    All of their bodies were split in half. In a single slash. He eliminated enemies that none of us could take unless we used our all.

    In that moment, everyone''s eyes were fixated on him.

    Everyone thought of one thing.

    Absolute power. That''s what our leader has.

 Chapter 192: Doom

    "Argh... argh..." All of our enemies were dead. They couldn''t even speak their final words. They were all obliterated. In a single blink of an eye. It was something unimaginable. Even the manticore died in that blast. Not enough life force to say something before he passed.

    Their healer was the only one left alive, desperately trying to save herself, "Heal! Regeneration! Great Heal!" Green light surrounded her body but even after it disappeared, none of her wounds seem to heal back. "Why... why won''t it work!? Heal! Great Heal! Regeneration!" She tried again and again but to no avail. None of her healing magic doesn''t work.

    A human-like figure came out of the Zieglind''s body. It was none other than Lagrima. He flew over to Lily. "That won''t work."

    Lily looked up and her face turned pale. "The... Demon King? Why are you here?"

    "That''s what I should be asking you."

    "Now that you''re here, blast that fool away! If you help us get out of here Ouroboros will accept your terms! I will plead to him about that! I will do anything to get that to happen. I promise you that!"

    "Too late. Ouroboros doesn''t interest me anymore."

    "WHAT!? Are you trying to go against his wishes? This won''t end well for you and you know that!"

    "I found someone. Someone who wishes more destruction than him. Right now he''s still an infant within my eyes. But the longer he''s alive, the better he becomes as a monster."

    "Damn you Agezi! I will kill you!"

    "I''m no longer Agezi, Lily. I''m now named Lagrima."

    "What does tha-" She realized something as soon as she stopped her words. "You... you DARE!?"

    "You''ve seen it many times yet you don''t recognize his form?"

    "You gave him the Demon King title!? THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR OUR LORD! AGEZI! REMEMBER THIS! I WILL KILL YOU! ALONG WITH EVERYONE! Even if I die here, HE WON''T FORGIVE YOU!"

    "You''ve gone aggressive haven''t you? Where''s your calm and coolheaded demenour?"

    "Damn you!" Lily began to crawl over to Felta. Lagrima and Zieglind were just confused and let her do her own thing. She grabbed the necklace on Felta''s neck and began to laugh. "HAHA! I don''t care what happens to me. The Queen of Seas will soon flood everything!"

    Queen of Seas? Is she going to summon Amphitrite? But she''s a god! And the wife of Poseidon. That''s breaking the laws of this world! No god can intervene in the conflicts of humans!

    Zieglind stepped back in an instant. Like he blinked into that position. It seems that we''re thinking of the same thing.

    Floods of water came out of the necklace and began to spread on the ground. It was like she was holding a pocket ocean. The water was overbearing. "BARRIER!" Lily casted and the water was being contained in a giant box. The flood was slowly filling us all up.

    Zieglind raised his hand and slammed the back of his fist at the barrier completely destroying it and letting the water flow. "Dispel." We were suddenly back at the overworld. "Mass Teleport." And after eight seconds pass, we were all underwater. We could breath since we''re still inside Zieglind''s barrier.

    "Free Form Barrier!" Lily casted a barrier that molded in her figure to stop herself from drowning. "HAHAHA! You''re more of a fool than I thought!"

    Zieglind teleported us all here so that he could fight the queen of seas in her most powerful form? What is he trying to do?

    "I''ll watch this Zieglind. Wreck havoc." Lagrima then returned inside Zieglind.

    "COME! LET YOUR WRATH OUT! THE QUEEN OF SEAS! NAGA QUEEN!" The necklace fully opened and a giant whirlpool was created sucking everything in. But we weren''t affected by that.

    The naga queen revealed herself. Its appearance was something else. Half of its body was in the shape of a snake, and the top part were humanoid. She held a trident in her hand and an orb of spiraling water on the other side. Her crown filled with gems and her trident was golden, it was like you''re seeing it pulsing. Reacting to the ocean. All the fishes and other creatures were summoned at her just being summoned.

    I''m pretty glad that it wasn''t a god. But a NagaQueen is dangerous by itself too. It can call thousands of sea creatures ten kilometers away. It''s absolutely powerful since she can release poison, and incredibly fast in the water. It regenerates health underwater, it can harden its skin, harder than the Xend material.

    And the final thing... Zieglind is fire. That won''t work really well against a Naga.

    "GO! KILL THEM ALL NAGA QUEEN!" Lily commanded and the Naga Queen followed her words.

    She raised the orb in her left hand and summoned two giant underwater whirlpools. But this time it was more violent than ever. It didn''t even care about the fishes that she called as the fishes began to rip under the currents of the whirlpool she created. She then summoned icicles from above and below and launched the icicles at Zieglind.

    Hordes of sharks and other stuff came here out of nowhere. Other sea creatures that I don''t even know where here. But I knew what they wanted and their goal is. Their hunger couldn''t be contained as they all flocked to Zieglind.

    "I thought you were going to summon Poseidon''s wife on this world so I was pretty cautious." Zieglind spoke as he was being surrounded by thousands of fishes and the skills the Naga Queen were casting.

    "Haa? Are you an idiot? Gods are impossible to summon in this realm unless you have a catalyst." Lily replied.

    "But to think that you summoned a Naga Queen..."

    "What? Are you speechless or something? You''re holding up pretty well as you''re being eaten alive. Let''s see... I''ll give you a chance. If you give up the Demon King''s title to lord Ouroboros, I''ll let you go. Along with your friends. You''re simply helpless against a Naga Queen. Do you know its full power? It can control the microbes in the water. And can kill you slowly and painfully."

    "What are you saying? I''m just in shock because you summoned a Naga Queen. But that''s it. This fight is a joke. Or can it even be called that?"

    "What..?" Lily''s face turned pale.

    "It''s time to end this. This is boring."

    "WHAT ARE YO-"

    "Hellfire''s Chakram." A circle of flames cut hundreds of sea creatures in an instant that continue to spin around Zieglind''s body. "Demon''s Domination." The whirlpool of the Naga suddenly changed into a fire tornado underwater. It sucked in everything that was clinging on to Zieglind and whoever touches that tornado, they''re sure to get incinerated. "Demon''s Bind." Thousands of chains were summoned out of Zieglind''s hands and then those chains locked everything that was in the vicinity.

    The monsters were scared. They desperately tried to run away from Zieglind but his chains didn''t let them.

    Lily was trying to break free of the collar that was on her neck but to no avail. "Curse Cleanse! Cleanse! Negative Debuffs Release!" But none of her skills worked on Zieglind''s spell.

    Zieglind was slowly dragging everything to him. "Do you remember the faces of people as you slaughtered them? Even though they didn''t come from Earth, they''re still people. Do you remember?"

    Lily''s barrier was broken and she''s digging her hands on the ground. I''m guessing she brought a marestone with her if she summons the Naga Queen so she brought out a satchel and ate a stone. "OKAY! I GET IT NOW! SO PLEASE RELEASE ME! I''LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!"

    Zieglind ignored all that she said. "Because right now, you''re making the exact same face."

    "NO! NO!" She was trying her best as trying to dig in the ground. To the point that she didn''t scream even though her hands were bleeding as she desperately tried to not get pulled.

    "Roaring Demon." Zieglind''s demon sword grew incredibly large. He swung his sword and everything in the vicinity of five kilometers were cleanly cut.

    Naga Queen, Lily, and thousands of sea creatures... Dead. In an instant. But Zieglind still isn''t done.

    "Demon''s Tears." Suddenly, the souls of Jakal, Jekal, Nuerte, Lily and Felta were detached from their bodies. A portal then opened.

    "HEY ZIEGLIND! THAT''S TOO MUCH!" Herold shouted which made us all to jolt. "COME, BRIGHTBURN!" He instantly broke Zieglind''s barrier and he immediately rushed to Zieglind. "NO!"

    But the souls of the five entered the portal.

    "ARGH... that''s done..." Herold scratched his head.

    We all rushed over to Herold and asked him what that was. He then replied, "Demon''s Tears is a skill of the Demon Sword he''s holding. If a person''s soul gets into hell, their souls will be tormented by the inhabitants. So in short... They''ll be alive. But they have no mana, no power in hell. They''ll be there as long as their sins gets washed."

 Chapter 193: Future War

    Argh... my body feels incredibly heavy. "Status." My HP and Mana are barely scratched. But why am I feeling this extreme exhaustion...

    "The Demon King form draws out the entire capabilities of your normal self. That''s just a bonus since the Demon King form in itself is already strong." Lagrima responded. "A single swing of the Demon Sword Acabar with the Demon Form can kill a normal human being from exhaustion. Their bodies can''t take the power they''re receiving. And for you, it draws out every single power in you just to make a swing. So in your first swing, you''re already exhausted. You''re just running on fumes on the rest of the battle."

    "I feel like sleeping."

    "Then do it."

    "I... see." My Demon Form automatically dispelled and I fell on to the ground.

    ...

    Several hours later, I woke up back at the castle of Izgoy. My whole body was patched up by bandages. If heal wasn''t used on me, then that means that Helga is still asleep. I sat up and began to think of what to do now.

    Now we definitely attracted attention from Ouroboros. I still don''t know how powerful he is but it''s going to be trouble if he''s much more powerful than that Naga Queen or the manticore that we fought.

    The Crimson Knights couldn''t handle them so it''s going to be difficult fighting them now. The only thing we can do now is remove all the evidences leading up to Izgoy. So that we don''t get raided. "Telepathy, connect me to Afal."

    "Yes my lord?" Afal asked over the telepathy.

    "I need you to do something."

    "Anything my lord."

    "Clear out the entire Serpent union''s base. We''ve already shown our faces there. If we don''t we''ll get raided by Ouroboros before he even comes here. Right now they''re all packing up trying to escape. But even if one of them is alive, they can call be retraced back to us. So do this quick. And clean. Double check everything."

    "I obey. I''ll go now my lord."

    "Sure."

    I stood up from where I stand and looked outside the window. The people below are circling around some of the Crimson Knights? It seems that they mean no harm. But what is it they want?

    I flew outside the window and landed on the ground and hordes of people came running at me.

    "My lord! I want to ask who used that holy powers yesterday!" Is what the people were asking me.

    "Holy powers?" I asked them.

    "Yes! Someone used their holy powers and my son''s illness was gone in an instant! And some of the villagers here got their disabilities disappear. Healing their blindness and others! Some even got their limbs back which they thought were gone!"

    "Hmm... must be Helga''s doing."

    "Helga!? Is she the one that did this!? I thought she was just a meek girl but to think that she was this blessed! Please! bring her to us! We''d like to thank our savior!"

    I just had an idea... "She''s still in recovery from yesterday''s battle. So just work on what you need to do for the time being."

    Everyone took a little bit more time to get away from us since they''re really eager to see Helga.

    After that little outburst of the villagers, I called everyone to the meeting room. Yefa, Precia, Neco and Zeta came. I was the first one to start up the conversation. "Where''s the others?"

    "Still unconscious." Zeta replied. "Herold left as soon as the fight was done. I don''t know where Afal is."

    "Afal is cleaning up the mess in the Serpent union''s base." Everyone was shocked on what I just stated. But I just chose to ignore it. "Right now, we have eliminated a big part in Ouroboros'' plans. So we''ll definitely be a target. Our next target for now is to expand."

    "Expand? Zieglind, that''s an incredibly wasteful move. Wars in this world aren''t determined by army numbers or tactics. It''s a battle between the leaders of the army. This''ll just be a waste of time."

    "You''re correct. But right now we don''t have anything to do. Just as you''ve seen in the battle yesterday, we still aren''t ready for Tartarus."

    "..." Everyone was silent, unable to say anything.

    I just continued what I was saying. "For now that Naga Queen completed the final puzzle I was looking forward to. The existence of the Naga Queen confirmed everything I have in mind. There is something... Stronger beings in hell, in the waters and on the sky. So that''s why we''ll expand. We''ll gather every species that are willing to submit to us to defeat Tartarus. That''s why this time, we won''t lose. Again."

    "But that''s near impossible! Getting some species to come to our aid will be difficult! The Sky Island has one goal only, peace. They won''t join in wars or anything like that. They''re just pacifists! And for the sea creatures, it''ll be difficult to talk to them."

    "I did talk to a sea creature. The Naga Queen herself. In the battle, we exchanged some words to each other. It seems that Ouroboros is threatening her kingdom. And when she knew that she''s going to lose to me, she asked me to at least send the message to her kingdom. They''ll all comply to me is what she said. That''s one species down."

    "Then what about the other species?" Neco then asked.

    "I''ll teach Precia and Yefa about enslavement later. Your jobs are to gather as much monsters as you can."

    "By me and her... You mean you already assigned all of us?" Yefa joined in.

    "Yes. This plan needs to go through. Our numbers are not enough and even a single weak human is fine. We can''t storm Tartarus by ourselves. And we can''t wage a war with Ouroboros with just 100 elite units and a bunch of foot soldiers. We''ll just exhaust ourselves battling small fries that aren''t important."

    "How... how long will this take?" Precia asked.

    I had a hard time letting these words come out of my mouth but I had to do it. "If we''re extremely lucky... Five months. If not, then a year or two. Uniting other species will be difficult."

    "So... we all have to split again?"

    "...Yes." Silence filled the room as they were all trying to figure out what to do from now. So I had to break the ice. "Right now we''re going to fight an adversary which we don''t even know. That man controlled this world and lived multiple battle royales. And the scariest part? The gods doesn''t know him. So that''s why this is the final thing I''m about to say to all of you. LEAVE. I want you to leave if you don''t want to enter this holy war, then leave. This fight isn''t going to be exactly easy."

    But after a moment of silence, no one stood up and said anything. "We''ll see this to the end." Zeta was the first to speak. Everyone agreed with his statement and nodded their heads.

    "Good. Now, here''s the plan that we''re going to be taking."

    Since I''m the Demon King, I just have to make all of the demons from hell submit to me. It''ll be easy but Lagrima told me that there''s going to be a trial held before I truly become the ruler of hell. So in this mission, I''ll just bring Afal to me since he''s the only one that can withstand hell''s environment.

    For the sea creatures, I tasked Zeta and Greta for this mission. I told to Zeta what the Naga Queen said to me so that he could rely her message to her people. If we manage to get the monsters from the sea, our military will be amazing. So I passed on to Zeta the skill, Universal Language to help him get them.

    For the land based creatures, Yefa and Precia will team up to enslave monsters on the surfaces. I explicitly told them to let the monsters from the artificial forest that we made to not be included in their gathering since it''s a great cover for our base. I taught them the enslavement skill and I ordered Ortov to make houses for the enslaved monsters they were going to catch.

    For the air creatures, I put up Rize, Neco, Feran and Helga. Right now they''re currently the weakest point of our team and I need the four of them to stick together to protect each other. For this mission, Rize will try to find air kingdoms. The Sky Island is a secret place of royals to be in. So that means that there should be other things. This is an unconfirmed theory of mine so I don''t really mind if they don''t find anything as they fly around the skies. I also told them to return to Izgoy every week to ask Lam if he found any evidences leading to this.

    "Now. Our plans will now commence. We all have a week to get some rest and prepare."

 Chapter 194: Disperse

    "Goodmorning." Greta woke me up in the morning.

    I rubbed my eyes and sat up, "So... it''s time isn''t it?"

    "...Yeah."

    The two of us got ready and wore our clothes and headed straight to the conference room. Everyone was already seated in their own seats. After the fight a week ago... Zieglind seemed... More intimidating as usual. I just ignored it and sat down. The tension in the air was rising.

    Zieglind was the first to speak. "First of all, I have to apologize since we''ll be taking this hunt for new allies. And this quest will take us a long time." Everyone nodded not saying anything. "Secondly, I''d like to give Afal some recognition. He completely wiped out the entire Serpent union." Everyone clapped in awe of Afal. Even I, was surprised. I didn''t know his firepower managed to destroy everything with the Xend materials active. "But that''s not all. He also got some messages from Ouroboros himself.I haven''t seen them myself since I want to share it with all of you. Afal has read it himself and confirmed that this is indeed Ouroboros'' messages to the Serpent union." Zieglind then opened up the first paper he has in hand and put it in front of him. "Imagery Intensify, Telepathy!" We all saw the message inside of our heads.

    Lily, the progress you''re making is disappointing me.

    I didn''t know that you were this incompetent. It has been weeks since the last report.

    Where is Agezi? That old fool still hasn''t given me the title of the Demon King.

    Move fast Lily. I''m getting bored.

    The letter then had the sign of a dragon on the side... Eating its own tail? I looked at Zieglind and his face turned pale for some reason. He then shouts, "LAGRIMA! COME OUT!"

    The former Demon King then came out of Zieglind''s body. "...Hmm."

    "What''s the meaning of this?" Zieglind held up the letter of Ouroboros right in front of Lagrima. "Why is the same symbol of Ouroboros the one tattoed on your chest!?"

    Lagrima let out a sigh and began to explain, "It''s a mark that he gave me. Believe it or not, I was defeated. But he didn''t want to kill me yet. He wanted the title of the Demon King so he let me live. I told him to give me some preparations so I came to the surface. To find a successor. And at the same time, that''s where I found you. So I was forced to give you the title whether you liked it or not."

    Zieglind''s face turned to normal as he calms down. "I see. I''ll hold your words believable." Lagrima then hovered behind him to read the rest of the messages. "Imagery Intensify, Telepathy!"

    I''ve found someone. I don''t know if he''s an ally or an enemy.

    Villagers from around the world are calling him, ''The Hero.''

    His feats as a new player is amazing.

    If you find him, try to recruit him on our side.

    Avoid battling him for now since you won''t win without the Naga Queen.

    But if it does lead up to that, bring him to me to comply with his demands.

    A human with the people''s support will bring great cause to us.

    "He''s talking about the hero that we met last time when we fought the Lich and the outcasts of the Tartarus right?" I asked Zieglind.

    "Yeah." He replied. "These are the only two messages that Afal managed to recover. These already revealed most of his plans to us and we already destroyed two of them. The founding of the Serpent union and him getting the Demon King''s title. In which I''m pretty sure he''s going to use the demons down there in hell." Everyone was silent as Zieglind finished what he wanted to say. "I know this is going to be a long time being apart. So I''m hoping that everyone will grow in this journey. That''s all." Zieglind stood up, "That''s all." And brought out his sword, "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" Zieglind looked back at us, "See you later. Rift Open." He then swung his sword as if slicing the space. It opened up a portal to hell. We''re at least meters away from Zieglind but we could feel the intense heat there at hell.

    Precia, Rize and Yefa wanted to say something but couldn''t. They just sat there and looked at Zieglind as he jumped inside the portal. Completely disappearing.

    Afal stood up, "I wish you luck everybody. I''ll protect the lord in whatever way I can." Afal followed in the portal which then closed a few seconds later.

    Everyone was silent as they left. I couldn''t bear to see this so I was the first to speak. "I wish everyone goodluck. Greta, let''s go." We headed to Lam first to get a chest full of Marestone. We put it in our inventory and headed our way.

    The moment that we got near the shores of the ocean, we switches our gears into the armor that Ruz and Ruf forged for us. It apparently makes swimming easier. And with the bonus buff of increased vision underwater. We can also breathe in it even without the Marestone. We just grabbed it from Lam in case of emergencies.

    We jumped into the ocean and begin to head our way into the place that Zieglind told me about. While we were swimming, we found sharks and fishes were surrounding us. So I used Universal Language to converse with them. "Stop. I come here bearing message from the Naga Queen."

    A merfolk then came out of nowhere. A human top and a fish like bottom part of their bodies. They then began to converse with me. "The Naga Queen? If you''re able to converse with her then that means that you know of her language?"

    "Yes." Even though Universal Language automatically calibrates the language that I speak and hear, I can still set it to manual. I changed my language into the language that the Naga Queen was talking. "I''m the Naga Queen''s messenger. I have to tell everyone at your village about the message that I came bearing."

    The fishes then dispersed from me and the mermaid began to speak. "I see. I apologize for offending the prophet. Let''s go. I''ll lead you to our village.

    Prophet..? I''m no prophet but that should be fine.

    "Hey Zeta..." Greta then spoke while we were following the mermaid.

    She''s speaking in the normal language so I''m sure that these merfolk doesn''t understand us. "Yeah?"

    "Is it just me or Zieglind has been different lately?"

    "Yeah... He''s more hot headed right now. Especially when he saw the Ouroboros'' mark."

    "And he''s a bit intimidating now too... Those two will have a difficult time approaching him now."

    "Those two?"

    "No. Nothing." Greta had a wry smile on her face. "Hey Zeta..."

    "Hmm? What?"

    "I''ve been thinking about this for a while and... Do you think that it''s better for us to just... tap out?"

    I didn''t understand what she meant by that. "What do you mean?"

    "I just want to live somewhere far away, have kids while we work normal jobs."

    "Huh..?" I never expected her to say this to me.

    "I''m just feeling tired of all these things. We risk our lives everyday. We fight beings that are far stronger than us now and then. I''m just exhausted... I just want to feel normal again. Like that little girl you saw in that illusion of mine Zeta. I want that normalcy in our lives. I want to be with you until we grow old and live our lives like a normal couple."

    "Ah- eh-." I didn''t know what to say. So she''s searching for that normalcy in her life. I can understand it though. She has gone through a lot.

    "Is it wrong?" Greta looked at me with her eyes filled with sorrow and a sad smile on her face. "Is it wrong for me to wish that after all the things that I''ve gone through?"

    I held her hand as we swam through the ocean. "No, no. It''s definitely fine. And I don''t blame you for it. But..."

    "Yeah... I know." We both have the same thing in mind. "We still have to repay Zieglind for all the things that he''s done for us. Giving us another shot at life..."

    "Him saving you from the curse..."

    "And for letting me meet you and falling in love with you. After all this is over... Let''s do the things I wished for?"

    "Sure. Let''s."

    "We''re here." The mermaid then spoke. It was a sight to see. The giant kingdom underwater. It was wider than Izgoy. I couldn''t help but be amazed by this kingdom. I''m just wondering how people hasn''t found this underground kingdom yet when it''s incredibly huge and well lit even underwater.

    I looked at Greta and we both nodded at each other. We then swam into the kingdom of the merfolk.

 Chapter 195: Demons Uprising

    "My lord, was it fine for you to that?" I asked him about the sudden leaving on the meeting.

    "I''m sure they''ll do fine. We need to just have to move fast. I trust them with everything I have. So I''m sure they''ll all be fine. The moment that I saw Ouroboros'' letters... I knew we had to act fast. That man has to be angry we ruined his plans. So he''ll act soon too. I don''t know when, but I''m sure he''s going to close in on us." Zieglind replied.

    "I see. So then my lord, where do we go now?"

    We were in hell. But this isn''t the hell that I imagined. The flames were purple, something incredibly different from the image I had in mind. I thought the flames were flaming red but everything is completely different. This almost looks like the flame that my lord... has in the Demon Form?

    "I don''t know. Lagrima, come out." Zieglind ordered him and he came out immediately.

    "We''re here?" Lagrima looked around trying to figure out where we are. "It seems that your flames reached here. It''s slowly morphing into your own domain."

    "Where do we go from here?"

    "My cas-... No, your castle seems to be a good start. Just move north from here. Once you see demons, ignore them. Don''t even dare to fight them. Once you''re at the Demon King''s castle, you''ll know why."

    "Sure."

    We all began to move to the Demon King''s castle while Lagrima hid himself inside Zieglind''s soul. Three hours into our journey, we found what seemed to be something indescribable.

    Hundreds of floating islands were everywhere and they were all connected by gigantic chains acting as bridges for each island. The piping hot lava under the floating islands, the amount of demons flying around were something to be scared at whoever comes here.

    There''s two gigantic gargoyles depending a huge structure. Those gargoyles are weirdly sized for they seemed to be like as tall as the castle in Izgoy. And in the middle where all the chains are coming from and the place where the gargoyles are defending is the Demon King''s castle. It was huge. Incredibly gigantic.

    "This is amazing." Zieglind has a smile across his face. "Let''s show ourselves."

    Once we all took a step forward, our prescence was known. All the demons shrieked loudly as if calling for their allies. Thousands or even tens of thousands of demons gathered up at the hundred islands. Demons ranging from flying to ground demons, giant demons... absolute insanity was in for us.

    Zieglind took a step forward and all the demons flinched. It was an incredibly powerful moment. So this... this is the lord I''ve put my loyalty into? I don''t regreat a single thing. Without even thinking about it, I didn''t notice that I kneeled in front of him.

    "Hmph. Let''s go Afal." Zieglind commanded and I immediately stood up and walked next to him.

    The demons made way for the both of us as we walked up the chains passing through tens of islands. When we were there, the two gargoyle statues suddenly broke and revealed the true gargoyles behind it. The pieces of stones fell onto the lava below completely melting. Two gigantic gargoyles then began to move their spears away from the door of the castle.

    "Show it." Lagrima then came out of hiding then spoke. "Show everyone your title and the gates to your castle shall open." The demons recognized him but began to laugh. "Don''t mind them. They just can''t feel my power anymore since it''s no longer mine. Once you show it to them, they''ll submit it to you."

    Zieglind then looked back and faced all of the demons. "Come, Demon Sword, Acabar!"

    All the demons backed away. Everyone felt scared and opressed of Zieglind''s power. The gates of the Demon King''s castle began to open.

    But as soon as we opened it, we were teleported in a completely dark place where we didn''t even know what''s happening.

    "I forgot about this part." Lagrima suddenly spoke.

    "What do you-" Zieglind''s words stopped as the entire space we were in suddenly lit up with differenct colored flames surrounding us. Thousands of faces appeared from the sky.

    Then one suddenly spoke, "So... you''re the new Demon King?"

    And another one, "Interesting... he harbors such darkness inside him. Something that even I didn''t think of. Because you know, I thought it was impossible."

    And another one, "Hehehe, his thoughts are clouded with the deaths of the gods above. How amazing. HOW ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! HAHAHA!"

    Lagrima then explained, "These are the previous Demon Kings. Once you die, and your soul is still intact, you will be dragged here in this endless abyss that is death. But this death has a different meaning. The normal death of yours gives you two paths you will be given, you either go to the gods above or down to hell. One salvages your soul and cleanses it, and if you''re going to hell, then your soul will be tormented. But if your soul isn''t cleansed as you die, this is where you''ll be heading. In this abyss where you''re not in heaven, the overworld or in hell. You exist and don''t exist at the same time."

    "So this is where true death lies..." Zieglind replied. "So what do they want from me?"

    "They''re going to judge you. For you to become a Demon King. They''re going to do trials and stuff. Just listen to them for the time being."

    The hundreds of the former Demon King''s faces were etched onto the sky of this space. They were all talking trying to figure out the situation.

    "Hehe, this young man wants to kill the gods!"

    "I know, I know! He''s interesting. We need to see him. We definitely want to see his progress as the new Demon King."

    "Tell me young man, what made you choose to be the Demon King?"

    Zieglind then replied, "There''s three things I want to defeat. The gods, Tartarus and the person who has been terrorizing the overworld. Ouroboros."

    All the former Demon King went silent as they all looked at each other. Visible anger was seen on their faces as they heard the name Ouroboros.

    "Ouroboros huh..? So a human still knows that name."

    "This man... he wants to defeat Ouroboros."

    "I know. I know. What do we do?"

    "Let''s skip the formalities. But as long as he can promise me one thing."

    "What is it?" Zieglind asked them.

    "Defeat Ouroboros. That man terrorized HUNDREDS OF DEMON KINGS! AND THE GODS ONLY LOOKED AT US AS WE ALL DIED BY HIS HANDS! Once you defeat him, give his soul to us. WE WILL TORMENT HIM FOR ETERNITY. AS LONG AS YOU CAN PROMISE THAT, WE''LL GIVE YOU ALL OUR SUPPORT."

    "Sure. I don''t care anything that''s going to happen to him. I just want to end his life to stop his terror in this world."

    "Good. GOOD! GOOD! HAHAHA! We trust you with everything young man. Now go, raze upon his territory and KILL THEM ALL! We welcome you Demon King!"

    We then suddenly got teleported back in front of the castle. I can''t even believe how huge this place is. The moment we went in, there were tens of women lined up on each side of the carpet as if waiting for someone.

    "Are those... succubus?" Zieglind timidly asked Lagrima.

    Lagrima came out "Argh... yeah."

    "You''re literally playing with the devil."

    Zieglind walked in with Lagrima so I followed. All the succubus on each side followed up with the words, "Welcome home, venerable one." As their eyes were filled with lust as they looked at Lagrima.

    Lagrima then said, "Not today ladies. I''m no longer the Demon King."

    All of them were confused then looked at Zieglind. They all stood straight as soon as they saw the Demon Sword Acabar on his hand.

    Zieglind let out a smirk, "I don''t bite."

    As he walks towards the Demon King''s throne, there were vine-like things etched in the throne. And those vines were pulsing with purple flames around the seat. And there was a giant skull in the throne.

    Zieglind walked up to it, "Demon King''s Form." And changed into the form of a demon. His pure energy was sent throughout the entire hell. His own domain. Hundred thousands of demons began to screech loudly. I ran to the gate to prevent any demons from coming in the castle if they ever try to attack. But with their numbers, it''s going to be difficult.

    But what I saw outside the Demon King''s castle wasn''t anything I''ve ever seen before. It wasn''t an uprising against the new Demon King, a raid or anything like that. It was complete subservience.

    All the demons outside ranging from small to giant, flying to ground demons, any race. Every single being that was in hell was kneeling. To their king. Giving respects to the new Demon King.

    I looked back and saw Zieglind''s eye was glowing in a purple flame aura.

    It was an incredibly powerful sight. As I felt like an ant going against the most powerful predator in the whole world. I regret nothing. I place everything that I have on this lord of mine.

    Just as the demons from outside did, I followed and kneeled in front of his power.

 Chapter 196: Grinding

    We arrived at the sky island. It seems that we''re pretty lucky with this one. Lam managed to fix the compass that Zieglind and Zeta broke when they were trying to get the Flower of Zeratria to Greta. It nearly cost Lam around 3,000 gold which caused him to be incredibly angry how expensive it was. This sky island move everytime so tracking this down was near impossible. So that''s why Lam told us to never rely on maps since it''s just useless. We just have to follow the compass and once it spins, we break the compass there. But since we''re already here, that means that we can''t go back for a while until we finish the task assigned to us here.

    We found this island by just flying around for the second week we got assigned by the task given to us by Zieglind. This place is peaceful. It felt like they were all disconnected from anything that was going on below them. It''s really amazing.

    "Helga!" Rize called out to me.

    "Hey!" I ran up to her, "What''s up?"

    "Let''s go first to the inn and talk about what we''re going to do next."

    "Alright."

    The four of us went in the inn and grabbed ourselves some food from the innkeeper. We don''t have to worry about money since Lam gave us a plentiful amount. Around 5000 gold.

    We all agreed about Rize having to lead all of us here since she''s the most experienced on all of us here. "Uhm... ehem." It seems that she isn''t used to leading someone. I heard she has disciples? I wonder how she keeps those two in line. "So for now, we have to think about how to get the people here to join our cause. Zieglind didn''t tell me anything. So we have to figure this ourselves... I guess?"

    "So we basically have no leads on trying to get the people here to help us..?" Neco added. "It''ll just be weird or suspicious if we outright asked them to just join our kingdom."

    "How about..." Everyone was looking at me. "Guilds? If we make ourselves famous for our feats then we''ll get the people''s support."

    "But... wouldn''t that take a long time?" Feran then stated. "I''m not saying I disagree with you sis!"

    "I know, I know. But that''s the only thing we can do right now. If we just enlist ourselves into their ranks, we''ll be the ones joining them."

    "And if we don''t start anytime soon we''ll just be losing time... We already lost a lot of time just finding this island." Neco joined in.

    Everyone was silent for a minute but Rize broke the silence by her clap. "So that''s that then? Let''s take some rest for now and continue this tomorrow. I''m sure everyone is exhausted from the trip that we had to do."

    We all went to our rooms and slept like logs. We tried to locate the location on the compass but it was too difficult. This island moves every now and then so that''s the reason why we wasted two weeks finding it. And in that two weeks, we didn''t sleep nor eat. It was a difficult time.

    The day is today and we all got up and wore our normal clothes that we bought here from the sky island. It was a frilly dress for the women and a heavy leather suit for the men. Seems like men here and treated more as soldiers rather than citizens. Well they have a small population so I can understand why they''d do that.

    To play the part of adventurers more, we didn''t bring out our weapons and simply just bought some weapons from a nearby blacksmith. To act as our spares. Using the weapons from our Gazer form means that we have to wear that armor which will definitely catch the attention of everyone and the looks of the weapon we have are a bit unique and out of this world.

    We then all went into the adventurer''s guild and we saw countless people filling up the seats and table and the merry music in the background.

    We then headed to the front desk and talked to the one in front.

    Rize was our leader so we just waited for her to speak, "Hello, we''d like to register as adventurers."

    "I see! Welcome to the sky island!" An uplifting energy and a great smile from the front desk. "May I ask where you came from?"

    "We''re from the overworld. We just came here to find more opportunities."

    "Well then, I hope you do find it." The woman then brought out a paper and a pen. "Will you all be registering here as a party too?"

    "Yes, include that if you can."

    "Each and everyone of you has to sign here, here and here. And the starting fee will be 100 gold."

    100 gold? That''s a bit much isn''t it... Well, this is the sky island so I guess prices are different.

    "That''s done." Rize gave the clerk all the paperwork we all signed.

    "Thank you." She then pulled out another piece of paper. "For the party creation, I''d like to ask what''s the name of your party?"

    "Just put... the Crimson Knights."

    We all registered. The process was just signing and a blood stamp of our thumb. It wasn''t anything special.

    "I mean... I expected this but..." Feran was looking intently at the badge he was given. "Bronze rank huh..."

    Rize sighed along with him, "I know... But we don''t have a choice. And to think our first quest was gathering materials... This is dumb! ARGHHHH!!!"

    "We do have a way to speed this up." Neco brought out a piece of paper. It was a quest paper. "Everyone grabbed a piece of their own quest paper right?"

    "Yeah." Everyone answered.

    "Since we''re just gathering materials, this won''t really be difficult. So we don''t need everyone''s company. That''s why we''ll be taking on four quests at a time, one for each and everyone of us. We can work our way up in this ranking system."

    The four of us grinded our way to rank up for the next month.

    I was doing gathering quests, Feran just followed me around. Even though that slowed our progress down, I couldn''t do anything but sigh.

    Rize and Neco was focusing more on hunting quests since that''s the fastest way they can contribute. They''re the two combat type in our group so they''re hunting incredibly fast.

    Neco is doing amazing work as usual. His hunts for the day is far greater than Rize. That''s why he gets extra rewards for all his work.

    After a month, we all gathered up at the inn and went to our usual spot and gathered around.

    We all sat down and got comfortable and ordered our food. Silence was filled everywhere. But Feran broke it by slamming the table. "A MONTH! And we only ranked up once!? ONCE!!!" Everyone looked at Feran and the whole inn went silent. We all awkwardly looked at Feran, "Uhh... Sorry everyone." He then bowed and sat down. The noise of everyone chatting came back.

    But I do have to agree with him. "To think that our month''s work promoted us from Bronze to Silver rank..."

    "This is a lot different than when I was with Zieglind." Rize added. "We got promoted straight to gold? Or was it a higher rank? I forgot what it was but we jumped a lot of ranks. We accidentally overdid a quest on hunting. It was fun times when it was just the two of us."

    "But this is taking way too long that we have imagined..."

    Silence was spreading through our table again but the sudden shouts of the people behind us gave us a fright. A projection skill was applied on the wall of the inn.

    "OHHHH!!! NICE!!! It''s another day of the trials!"

    "Man trials got boring when those two people won huh?"

    "I know! But it''s still enjoyable. No one has gotten past through the third stage after that happened right?"

    Everyone was shouting and cheering on the projection they were seeing on the screen. But something came in mind the moment that I saw the reward. "Isn''t that..."

    Everyone looked at it and Rize''s face lit up. "That''s the Flower of Zeratria!" Rize had a giant grin on his face, "Guys, I just had an idea."

    "Hold up, isn''t that place incredibly dangerous!?" Neco stopped Rize before she said anything to initiate the quest she was putting on all of us. "Also, getting to the end isn''t exactly easy. All that''s uncovered in the trials are the first three stages. The stages after that are completely unknown to us!"

    "Yeah I have to agree with Neco here." I voiced my opinion too. "This is pretty dangerous."

    "There''s a safety net involved. Once you''re knocked out or is completely defeated, they''ll stop the event and let you out immediately. And the tries in that are infinite. So we don''t have to worry about anything. Most we''ll get our bruises or cuts. And aren''t you all bored with just gathering and hunting!?" Rize counteracted. "And this is the fastest way we have right now. Once we get the people''s attention of us defeating the final stage... Then we basically won everyone here."

 Chapter 197: Assignment

    "How many?" I asked the caretaker of the jail that Ortov made for us.

    "34 as of now." He replied.

    "I see. This is difficult. I didn''t even think about that."

    It has been a week since everyone left. Me and Yefa are just hunting down monsters trying to enslave them. But it isn''t easy as I thought. Holding back for the low leveled monsters so that we can level up our skill is incredibly difficult. We accidentally killed around hundreds of monsters because we didn''t know how to control our power.

    By emitting some of our force, we can cut them down in an instant. By just tapping them, we don''t do damage. Those 34 monsters we enslaved are just from luck. Most of their lives was around five to ten HP after the first strike.

    I thought this would be a cake walk but... I don''t think so.

    That''s why we didn''t use our Gazer weapons anymore. I used the weapon that Zieglind gave me but they all bled too much. So we had to resort... to this weapon. Well, calling it a weapon might be overboard. But... this stick that fell from the tree seems to deal enough damage.

    We''re just raiding goblin camps that spawn in the other forest. Goblins have been becoming incredibly active nowadays. They have other species helping them now too. Just shows how much the world changed after the players arrived.

    "Yefa!" I called out to her.

    Yefa stopped what she was doing and looked at me, "Yeah?"

    "I''m just going to go to Lam. The activity in the forest has been low ever since last week."

    "Alright! I''m just going to continue hunting!"

    I left Yefa to do her own tasks and went on and went on in Lam''s house. I opened the door to his house and all that was there was the countless amount of books laid down in the ground. I tried to tip toe over the books I knocked away some as they were laid everywhere.

    Lam noticed my prescence, "Precia, what do you need?" He began to read his book again.

    I then asked, "Have you found any new places to hunt? I don''t know if these lower leveled monsters are useful for Zieglind. I can kill the 34 enslaved right now in the house with just a single swing of my weapon."

    "Neco cleaned up all the artifact dungeons that I found using the information of other people. Those dungeons will repair in a month or two." Lam then took out a giant pile of papers under his desk. "One piece of paper is the details of the artifact dungeon. In exchange for me telling Neco the information I have, I asked him to make a detailed report on what reward he got and what enemies there are. This is his first month of the dungeons he raided when he asked me. Knock yourself out."

    "Thanks. I''ll be using this." I grabbed the pile of papers and dragged it in my inventory and head out to find Yefa.

    There she was, fighting multiple monsters at once. I waited for her to finish those up. She can''t punch since she''ll just burst the enemies to death. So she''s using a stick... is what I thought but she''s still using a weakened gauntlet she got from Ruz and Ruf.

    She still insists of using that weapon... Is she... practicing something? But what? "Mana Search." I began to observe the mana flow in her. It''s normal. All her mana is being spread throughout their veins. So it''s just nothing? I just watched her face those goblins.

    The goblins surrounded her. The goblins with the shield rushed at her.

    "Chain Punch!" Yefa swung wildly. Her windup being incredibly wide. But as soon as she did that, I saw that all the mana in her body disappeared and began to concentrate on the fist that she punched with.

    As soon as her fists connected with the goblin''s shield, a giant defeaning shockwave ensued. Tearing down tens of trees around her and sending a giant blast from where she punched as it reached to the small stone a kilometer away, blowing up a small hole.

    The aftermath of her blast was powerful. A straight line reaching out a kilometer away destroyed trees in its path and stopped as it lost momentum and power the longer it traveled. But that''s not all.

    The moment of the impact started, the other goblins that aren''t even near her were blown into smithereens. Not a single part of their body was left.

    It was frightening and amazing at the same time.

    She only swung her fists once and the goblins surrounding her all died. "Phew... that''s a good sign... right?"

    "I don''t think so..." I emerged from the shadows and faced her.

    "Yeah... I killed them all instead of capturing them... So, what happened with Lam?"

    "I''m having trouble on where to go from here. So I asked Lam for more alternatives. Inventory." I then pulled out the pile of papers. "These are our alternatives."

    Yefa picked up a piece of paper then began to skim through it, "Artifact dungeons? That''s a good start."

    "Yeah but these dungeons have already been raided by Neco so them respawning aren''t guaranteed."

    "That''s better than fighting these small fries. They''re difficult to enslave since we just one shot them."

    "I guess so. Let''s check most of these out."

    For the next month, we began to search for all the artifact dungeons that Neco did. It was a lot. I didn''t think that he''d be this diligent in training or if he''s finding something. Because in these pile of papers, there''s around 73 here. I''m just amazed he managed to keep up his motivation like that.

    But this journey of ours was a big luck based. In every 10 that we go and check in, there''s only four. So that leads us to waste a lot of time. Finding them is a big part of a time waster too. The places are vaguely described in the documents given to us. And the places are well hidden.

    In the span of a month, we got around 340 more monsters. But this time they''re a lot stronger than the goblins that we had trouble getting. So all of this, it''s all showing progress so we''re pretty happy about that. But it''s still pretty slow.

    We finished all the artifact dungeons that Lam gave us. And we only got around 32 dungeons from that.

    This process is incredibly slow and we don''t want ourselves to be the least gathered amount of allies. If we did get the least amount of allies, we definitely don''t want the weakest group.

    We scratched our heads trying to figure out other ways. So... I had this crazy idea. I borrowed a message skill from Lam and contacted Herold.

    "So... what did you want of me?" Herold arrived within a day of contacting him.

    "Uhm, Precia, is Herold allowed to be here? I mean, Zieglind put this on us not him." Yefa had no idea on what I was about to say.

    I doubt she''ll join in if it was just us two. So I had to bring in Herold. Since he''s the only one who knows that place. "Herold, we have been assigned a task by Zieglind. It''s to enslave as much monsters as we can in the overworld."

    "I see. So where''s he?"

    "He''s doing his own thing as a Demon king. He says that he''ll bring the demons to our side."

    "So that''s why he''s gone. Continue."

    "The enemies here in the overworld are weak. And won''t really do much use for Zieglind. So I have an idea."

    "You want me to help you get you more monsters? Sure... But I still have some things to do."

    "No. Not that. We need more powerful monsters on our side. So I was thinking of trying out the first bottom floors of Tartarus. I''m sure that mo-"

    "NO."

    "Wha- Precia, what are you saying?" Yefa voiced her opinion. "The reason why Zieglind doesn''t go there is because he doesn''t know if he himself is ready."

    "Yefa is right. I am telling you right now, you are not ready. The both of you. If you go in, then I''ll just be sending the three of us to our deaths. You won''t even get past the tower''s gate guardian."

    "Then do you have any other ideas? Raiding artifact dungeons are a helpless thing. Monsters there are too fragile and weak." I let out a sigh and began to tell him our plans, "We''re preparing. Zieglind is planning for the war with Ouroboros."

    "I can understand that but you''re in no way ready for Tartarus. But... I could bring you two with me. Remember the fight with the Lich and the other monsters? That happens every three months. Tartarus releases monsters now and then since it''s overflowing. It''s my job to kill them all. If you want, you can try enslaving them."

 Chapter 198: Unity

    I was putting my dress on as the ceremony waits. "Greta, have you seen where Xavier is?"

    "No, I haven''t seen him all day." Greta was doing the same. Her clothes were laced with rubies and other stones beautifully cut and embedded onto her dress.

    "S- sorry!" Xavier came ramming through the door. Good thing we finished dressing up before he can see anything. "T- the ceremony is nearing. The other elders are asking for when you''re r- ready!"

    It has been two months since we got here. All our stay here, we were treated like royalties and everything was handed to us whatever we asked. It was a nice feeling. A bit different than our lifestyle before.

    They gave us gifts, well, blessings from another creatures. We were given Water Breathing skills which are unique and passive so we don''t have to use Marestone or other stuff anymore.

    But all that, I still couldn''t believe their reactions once they heard the death of their queen. To think that they''d choose me after all that... They''re a good people. And the Naga Queen was a good ruler.

    It was when we got here...

    ...

    ...

    So this is the underwater kingdom... It''s extremely big.

    The woman that was escorting us opened her mouth and began to send waves throughout the entire kingdom. We heard it but it didn''t feel like she was talking. It was directly implemented on our brains. It was a weird moment. But a few minutes later, everyone gathered from where we are.

    Normal sea creatures were below on the bottom of the sea and above them were six other nagas. Three male and three female. Is what I assume.

    "Everyone, this man has a message for us. It came from the queen herself. It''s the reason why she''s been missing for the past two years." The woman who escorted us explained.

    I was shocked to see how long the naga queen was gone. Two years... That''s when we all parted ways isn''t it? And that''s around months after the battle royale started. Well, no use thinking about it now.

    "The next words that I will say came from the Naga Queen''s mouth herself." Everyone went silent and waited for me to talk. I changed my voice language to the Naga Queen''s, "Children of mine," Those words cleared the doubts of the sea creatures and they began to murmur amongst themselves.

    "SILENCE! This is the Naga Queen''s message." One of the elders spoke. "Continue."

    "By the time that you''re receiving this message, I''m already dead." Those words turned the people''s face into a horrified one. "I will not give the details since this is a request that I made for someone so I shouldn''t take much of their time. But I want you all to know that I didn''t leave just because I wanted to see the land. In exchange for all of you to be an experiment for the Serpent union, I chose myself to be that. But worry not for they have already been destroyed. I may no longer exist, but the people of our kingdom still does. So as my final order as the Naga Queen, I want you all to follow whoever sent you this message in whatever journey or path that''s laid for them. As for my final words, thank you everyone. For following such a foolish ruler."

    Everyone was just speechless, unable to say anything. Some shed tears here and there but it was just silence throughout the entire kingdom.

    "What''s your name boy?" One of the elders asked me.

    I changed back into the normal language the merfolk use. "Zeta Reysh."

    "As one of the elders of the Perzo Sea Kingdom, I nominate Zeta Reysh to act as the Naga King."

    The other elders followe his lead.

    "I nominate Zeta Reysh to act as the Naga King."

    "So shall I."

    "Mhm."

    "So do I."

    "As the founding member of this kingdom, I shall nominate him too."

    All of them raised their tridents and the people below raised their hands and cheered.

    I was hesitant to accept thsi title but seeing as how Zieglind told us to get more allies, I couldn''t do anything. I had to accept this. I looked at Greta, she only smiled and shrugged. I let out a sigh and spoke. "I accept your blessings."

    ...

    ...

    And that''s what led up to this moment. Xavier is our assistant for whatever we need. The elder doesn''t give me much tasks. Only by checking the documents that they give me. I didn''t know what to do. It was just two months of boredom. So I don''t know what to do. So Greta had this suggestion that I was also thinking for a long time now.

    "Is it fine if you see me right now?" Greta asked me as she twirled around in that white dress.

    "I don''t care." I smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "A lifetime''s worth of bad luck may fall on me, this right here is already everything I want."

    "Haha, sure."

    Xavier then interrupted, "So... are we going to go or not?"

    "We''re coming."

    We hurried off outside and swam into the giant dome that was created. Flowers and other sea plants were everywhere. The guards of the sea kingdom were lined up perfectly as the red carpet stretched into the dome.

    "Well then, this is my cue. Go on." Greta then flew away.

    I walked through the carpet with my black suit. Everyone was looking at me. But I felt no embarrassment nor fear. It was the feeling of happiness. Even though this is a moment that can happen rarely, I can get addicted to this. To this normalcy that I''m feeling right now.

    We don''t have to fight, to think that much or try to run for something. We''re living our peaceful lives here without nothing to worry about. This normalcy is something that we''ve been looking and searching for. It was an amazing feeling of peace that I didn''t know I could get the moment that I got included in Zieglind''s plans.

    As I was thinking, I was already next to the man who will conduct the event.

    I don''t have any family members so the elders were the one who walked through the red carpet. And after they were done, the doors opened and the sunlight pierced through underwater illuminating Greta''s figure as the door opened. She held the flowers on her hand as the veil covered her face.

    She took a step forward and everyone was amazed.

    Even I.

    Her beauty was captivating and as she slowly walks down the aisle, thousands of thoughts went into my head. I couldn''t help but embrace how lucky I am throughout my entire life. That''s why after this is all is over... We''re going to do this again... properly. With everyone.

    As she stands in front of me all I could think of was how lucky I am right now. Everything I have lived for and sacrificed for, this is worth it as long as I can get this ending again. I couldn''t help but let out a single tear. But the tears just merged with the water. I couldn''t let myself be blinded by my tears to not see her beauty.

    We both stood there and waited for the elder to speak. "Today is the day we witness the merging of souls between two people named Zeta Reysh and Greta Reysh. Through life and death, may it be a paradise in the afterlife or to be in nothingness. This is a special moment between two people and we''re all here to witness it. Now... Zeta Reysh, do you take Greta Reysh as your wife?"

    "Yes. Yes I do." I''ve been waiting for this a long time. And I''m not going back. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

    "Greta Reysh, do you take Zeta Reysh as your husband?"

    "Yes... One hundred percent yes." Greta immediately replied.

    "Now, the unity of the two shall begin. Unveil the bride and the unity shall start."

    I lifted up the veil from her face and all I saw was the blushing red of her face. She was resisting herself from covering it and it was a cute sight to see. I leaned in for a kiss and she gave it back. It was a sweet moment that never in my life I will be able to forget.

    Everyone clapped and cheered but the two of us could only shed tears of happiness.

    "Everything I ever have, everything that I will ever have, I will give you everything that you ever want. And that''s a promise that I''ll uphold no matter what happens. Greta, I love you. More than you will ever think." It was such a beautiful peaceful moment that I hoped would last forever.

    "It''s the same for me Zeta. I love you too." A final kiss, for the wedding to end.

 Chapter 199: The Trials

    "EH!? REALLY!?" I heard Rize screaming as soon as we all woke up. We went into her room to check if she''s fine but nothing seems to be out of place. "Ah... I''m sorry, the others are here. Contact me again later! Tell me EVERYTHING!"

    "Uhh... Rize what was that?" I couldn''t help but ask since the three of us rushed over here to see what''s happening.

    With a grin on her face, "Helga and Zeta just got married."

    "I see... I thought something happened to you. Well dress u-..." The realization hits me. "What?"

    "I''m jealous... Hey, sis," Feran interrupted and kneeled in front of me. "Will you marry me?"

    "This is not the TIME FOR THAT!" A single roundhouse kick sent him flying out of the room. I ignored him and looked at Rize, "Really!? That''s great news."

    "I know! And... He didn''t invite us!" Rize let out a sigh. "But it seems that they wanted to do that right now since the both of them couldn''t wait any longer. But after all of this is over... they said they''ll do a proper one."

    "Good for them. It seems that their mission there is going great. I''m even more motivated now. Gear up Rize, it''s time."

    "Yeah. It''s attempt number 32. I''ll be there in a second."

    All of us geared up and headed to the place where we''re still trying to beat. The sky island trials. Seems like everyone is having trouble finishing this trial. It has been buffed.

    The monsters are far stronger than before... Is what the locals say. Seems like each time someone beats the trial, the increased difficulty will take in place. That''s why after 32 attempts... We still can''t get past the third trial.

    The roaring crows was heard throughout the arena and outside the arena. Their hyped up cheers were something to drown in.

    We already made a name for ourselves since we nearly beat the third trial several times. But we still lost either way.

    The adventurers around here, same with the civilians, we were all having a fun time knowing each other. This is a nice change of pace from the combat that we were all doing.

    "Helga! I''m done!" Rize called out to me.

    "Yeah, let''s go." The four of us went to the sky island''s trials and everytime we go there, we always see the same combatants over and over.

    The announcer''s giddy and upbeat expressions and tone always made the crowd lose their minds. "GOOOOOOOOD MORNING EVERYBODY! It''s another time for the trials!!! Now, are the contestants ready!? Oh I''m sorry, that''s a stupid question, I know everyone is ready. So, without furder ado! RELEASE THE HOUNDS!"

    One thousand hellhounds began to spawn in the arena. Slowly overtaking everything. Right now Rize''s law breaker should be a good use since it seals off anything. It''s a powerful spell with a lot of drawbacks. So if she uses that, she''ll just collapse within one use. So we don''t want that happening.

    So for now she''s using her Hou Yi''s bow to support us from behind. Her arrows were as strong as Yefa''s punches. But it solely depends on her being far away from the enemies.

    So we did just that.

    "Force Field!" I can''t use offensive spells and I can only use defensive magic. So using force to repel all the hellhounds that are rushing at us. Neco swooping in and killing them with his swift movement. Faster than our eyes could see. Ten hellhounds fell every second.

    Rize''s attacks managed to pierce every hellhound to the next one. "Chain Arrows, Chain Lightning, Combination Magic: Lightning Redirection!" A single arrow bounced off to the other one, and to the other one and to the other one. Spreading lightning magic everywhere, piercing through the hellhounds'' defences and speed with ease. Killing them off in a single blast.

    And there, the first trial was over. It''s that easy.

    The second trial ensues and luckily, we''re all at the same team.

    "Now!" Teral the announcer, pointed up in the sky. "Look at your objectives! Your winning conditions are listed there." A blue system-like message appeared in the sky. "Your faction will need to achieve at least one of these three winning conditions. One, kill all monsters and render the contenders on that faction unable to fight. No killing! Two, capture the enemy base at the very peak of their castle. For capturing the enemy base, you must defeat the commander and wear the crown inside the castle. The commander will have a crown on the top their head and the crown will be resting on the very top sitting on the throne. And finally, number three, destroy the entire castle! But be careful, it''s reinforced with protection magic. So good luck!"

    The monsters on both our side and the enemy''s side were roaring and shouting as the monsters rushed in performing an all out war.

    The mages on all of us began to shower the battlefield with their spells, blasting through everything.

    This battle is scripted so if we just let the monsters fight each other, no one will win. It''ll be a draw.

    "Rally to Me!" I casted a spell on myself. "Neco, now!" Neco grabbed my waist and began to carry me like a sack filled with luggage.

    "AH! NECO! HOLD HER TIGHTLY!" Stupid brother...

    Rally to Me is a skill that leaves a movement speed trail for my party. It increases their overall speed inside. That means their attack speed and movement speed. And with Neco carrying me, I managed to cross most of the whole battlefield. Turning the field into our own playground.

    Everyone was fast and nimble inside while the enemies were not.

    Neco brought me down and faced the thousands of enemies rushing at him. He took a stance, he held his dagger in a backhanded hold and held it raised from his back. "Shadow''s... BREATH!" In an instant, Neco disappeared and reappeared. A single straight line was cleared out from the enemy''s army. Not a single speck of their bodies were left. A burning trail was there. But was it due to his speed? I don''t know. But it was a frightening skill to see.

    A judge came down and paused everything. The monsters stopped their tracks. "Lower your firepower. This is supposed to be a fun event. You will kill someone with that."

    "I apologize." Neco apologized immediately.

    "Good." The judge then pointed at ten people. "You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. The ten of you, out."

    "Wha-" The ten of them tried to reason but the judge raised his hand.

    "Stop." The light from the sky shone on the ten of them and revealed an invisible barrier. "If I hadn''t put this up all of you would''ve been dead and mutilated by now."

    "Urk..." The contestants backed off out of fear.

    "You, I have been saying this before but you need to lower your firepower. This is your final warning. Absolute Disenchant: Weapon Damage LOW." Neco''s weapon glowed then disappeared. "Soul weapon... I can''t enchant that." The judge let out a sigh. "If you do this again, you''ll be definitely banned from entering this place." The judge snapped his fingers and everyone were able to move. "Resume the game."

    From there on, fighting the monsters were easy. The opposing team aren''t really that strong. The monsters that we had to be aware of are the cyclops coming out and the other monsters like the banshee. But we made quick work of them with ease.

    And finally the third trial... The most difficult to complete, the basilisks. These freaks have paralyze and mind control and I still don''t have much resistance spells against that.

    Well for the 33rd time we tried again to beat this monster... but... we lost. Completely lost. Once we looked them in the eyes, it was an instant lose.

    I can now understand why Zieglind grouped the four of us. We were all the weakest points in the team. Rize will not use the law breaker in this stage since there''s a dragon at the final stage that uses fire magic. If we disable the mind control magic, then we''ll be fighting the dragon in full power which will be difficult.

    I can understand it now. We''re all still incredibly compared to the four of them... So Zieglind is telling us to get stronger huh...

    We all went back to the inn exhausted, beaten up and incredibly frustrated. It has been two months yet we''re still stuck on that stage. Makes me really question on how Zeta and Zieglind passed through these trials.

    We ordered our food and drinks. It was silence. Everytime that we return.

    Rize suddenly stood up and stomped her feet on the ground. "Tomorrow! We will try again!" Rize''s words manage to uplift everyone. Even the whole inn were amazed by her. Seems like this journey of ours will take a longer time than I expected.

 Chapter 200: Adventures

    It was a beautiful morning. It was the same old, same day.

    We''ve been tagging along with Herold on his missions every month or so. Seems like he has a good informant seeing how he finds these monsters running around all over the place. I was about to get ready when I suddenly got contacted by... Zeta? I accepted the call, "Hey. Need something?"

    "Hi Precia. Uhh... Just wanted to announce something to the group."

    "What is it?"

    "Me and Greta... got married."

    "I see."

    "Mhm."

    ...A long silence was the next thing that happened. So I had to take action. "Is that all?"

    "Uh... yeah. I thought you''d be jumping with joy or at least a shriek... Argh nevermind! Well, I''m sure this is your way of showing congratulations or something. I''ll be connecting you with Greta now."

    After a short delay, another system message appeared in front of me. I accepted it, "Hello?"

    "Hey Precia!" I heard Greta over the call. "Did you hear! Did you hear!?"

    "Yes, I heard. Congratulations."

    "Mhm!"

    ...A long silence ensued again. I wonder what they want from me. "Is that all?"

    "Come on! It''s my wedding! Argh I forgot you''re Precia for a second. Well uh anyway, how are your progress there?"

    "It''s fine. We''ve been tagging along with Herold to tame some monsters."

    "Herold? The both of you are with him? I still don''t trust him that much. But since he''s not doing anything while Zieglind is away, My trust for him levels up or something."

    "Seems like you''re a bit happy. Too happy."

    "Of course! It''s a wedding. This is the most happiest I can get. My life is finally getting rewarded you know. This is such an incredible moment for the both of us. So that raises the question... When will you take the initiative?"

    "Where?"

    "Zieglind. Honestly, I''m not just rooting for you, but with Yefa too. But you being there just makes the love triangle far much better."

    "I won''t. I told you this before."

    "Haa... the more you try to reject yourself, the more you''ll be in pain once someone gets him."

    "Hey Precia! Let''s go!" Yefa came through my room. "We''re already late!"

    Good thing she came in so I have a chance to get out of this situation. "You''re just stubborn aren''t you... Anyway, I have to go now. We have something to do."

    "No Precia, you''re the stubborn one. Being married, even if it''s just a title that we placed on ourselves, it is the most amazing thing that can happen. You no longer need to bear anything by yourself and everything that you do and will do, you''ll both share it. A unity of the souls is what the sea creatures here are telling. Once you experience it, you''ll wish that this never ends. Alright, think about what I just said Precia. Goodbye!"

    The call ended and all that was left with me were the questions on why Greta is pursuing the matter with me further. I''m getting tired hearing her ramblings.

    "You''re getting tired because you know it yourself and you hate it when others say it to you." Someone spoke inside my mind.

    "I just woke up and I already have two sources of headaches..." I replied.

    "Heh, why do you continue to deny it anyway? I mean, you have a better chance. You''re prettier, for example."

    "I don''t need any of your compliments."

    "Wow.... Your absolute stubbornness is what makes you incredibly beautiful and annoying at the same time. If you just say it so, I can take over anytime you want."

    "I''ll tell you this again and again if you so much want, I am not you and you are not me. We may look the same but you are in no way me."

    "And I''ll tell you this again and again if you keep being stubborn like the woman you are, you are me and I am you, for I am your deepest desires. Everything you feel, I feel, may it be pain or happiness. And everything that you want, I want, and I can''t tell you how much you want ''that'' person."

    "Shut up."

    "If you say so."

    I grabbed my things and wore my gear and went off with Yefa and Herold.

    We were flying around everywhere. Every encampment that we saw that has monsters in it, we made a short stop by, defeated all the monsters then enslaved them. After that, I sent them on their way to the village. I have Lam, Grien and the knights that Afal personally trained. So I''m sure that the villagers there won''t be too afraid of the monsters.

    We flew around more and more...

    After a few hours, we finally got to the destination. It has been several months since we faced monsters of this caliber. Two towering monsters were at the distance and we were all at the nearby cliff trying to figure out what we''re going to do.

    "Let''s just do it the way we usually do." Herold then said.

    The two of us changed into our Gazer forms and all of us began to fly at the direction the monsters were in. Seems like today the monsters are just gigantic. This is the most huge monster that I''ve ever saw. Its towering height was as high as the skies. This cyclops is incredibly huge.

    "Argh crap... It''s a goddamn mutant." Herold scratched his head and looked back. It''s a mutant hybrid, just be careful.

    The cyclops'' arms suddenly changed into several tentacles and began to lash around on the kingdom below it. Destroying everything in its place. It was like a giant whip. A single lash, it was as fast as the speed of sound. It destroyed countless buildings before we could even hear what was going on.

    The other giant on the side was another phoenix just like before. But this time, it''s a mutant too. There was a humanoid sitting on the top of the phoenix. A woman. It looked like a druid? Or maybe even an elf. I don''t know. But it was something to take note of.

    We ignored her for now and jumped at the frontlines. Yefa changed into that black gauntlet of hers again. A single punch, it only managed to tear off three meters of flesh deep of the cyclops. She tried again but this time the mana was concentrated on her fists. A single blow and she definitely made progress. Her attack this time was deep.

    The cyclops roared in pain. But suddenly, tentacles appeared from where Yefa attacked. And after it disappeared, the cyclops'' leg was fully healed.

    It looked down and its tentacles began to ravage on the ground as it crazily flailed around the tentacles. The cliffs, the mountains, the hills and everything in the vicinity was pummeled into ashes. Turning it into a barren wasteland.

    The phoenix noticed us and it began to fly up in the sky, to the point that we can see. And began to drop fireballs. We can easily dodge it but the moment that it hit the ground, fire pillars came rising up and an explosion commenced.

    A single blast of the pillar isn''t really damaging, but we''d be depleting our health if we just let it burn on our bodies. So the only part where we can damage the cyclops is its upper body.

    The legs are off limits since the phoenix is bombarding us with its fireballs. And those pillars aren''t exactly small either. They reach up fifty meters. And we have to deal with the falling ones.

    We were all preoccupied with fighting airborne. And this cyclops is insane. He''s been waving those tentacles like it weighs nothing. It''s faster than me and Yefa.

    Herold is just going in, digging his sword in the tentacle then running, slicing the tentacles off. But the instant he''s cutting it, it''s automatically healing up. Herold flew back to us. "We''ll retreat. We can''t do anything against this."

    "Ahh... I can''t believe you still can''t beat monsters at this level." The voice inside me talked again. "If Zieglind was here he''d be like woosh, swoosh, bang! That''s what you love him isn''t it?"

    "Just give me peace." I replied.

    "Now all I can think about is if you''re a knight worthy of him."

    "I don''t need to hear that from you. Aren''t we the same? So that means you aren''t worthy of him either."

    "You bi... Hmm... So you accept that we''re the same?"

    "No, it''s to just annoy you. But I won''t go back without getting results." I rushed it at the enemy cyclops and stabbed its eye. It seems to have grown angry so I backed off. "We''re defeating this, here and now."

    "Ah! Precia! What!?" Yefa was incredibly worried.

    "You''re a more idiot than I thought." Herold then brought out his weapon again. "Since we don''t have any choice left, we''re going all in. Here and now."

 Chapter 201: Seeing His Power

    "I see. Congratulations. I''ll tell that to Zieglind." Zeta called me out of nowhere. And it seems that he can''t contact Zieglind. Well... he''s been stuck in that Demon Form of his for a while now. And maybe, there''s a buff that makes him immune to mind controls. So maybe that''s why Zeta can contact him. Seems like he''s busy right now and there''s no good time to tell him about it. Well... there''s already a lot of things happening these months.

    The both of us have seen them. The original Death Reapers. The owners of the Gazer form and their weapons. It seems that they''re called the Generals of Hell over here. They manage the demons on other ''Hell Kingdoms'' and tries to take over the others. They serve under the Demon King if they abide by the rules... But they''re all revolting of Zieglind.

    Even Lagrima doesn''t have a clue on why they''re acting like that.

    I walked in Zieglind''s throne room. Seeing him in that form while sitting in a position befitting as a king was both intimidating and amazing. Following him was one of the best decisions of my life. "Zieglind."

    "Need something?" That deep voice echoed throughout the entire room. The servants on his side were intimidated but had a straight face.

    It seems that he''s still busy right now. But Zeta was pushing me to tell him immediately. "Zeta Reysh has married Greta Reysh."

    "I se-..." It was unclear to see what experssion he''s having right now. But with that sudden stop, I knew his face was just amazed and shocked. "That''s amazing news. Why didn''t he invite us?"

    "Well, they said that they couldn''t wait. They''ll redo the marriage again after all things settle down."

    "Hmm... I see. And why didn''t they contact me first?"

    "They couldn''t. It seems that you have a skill that prevents that."

    "Ah... yeah. The features of the Demon Sword Acabar, prevents my mind from being given forced information. For mind control and stuff. It seems that it also rejects messages. I''ll congratulate them in due time. For now, we have things to do."

    He stood up and flew out of the castle. "Devil''s Advocate!" Flesh like armor came spawned in front of my body. A skill given to me by Zieglind and Lagrima. But this armor was completely different for the both of them.

    Flesh like armor was enveloping my body and a single core of fire was in my chest. Wings grew from my back. This is just a reminder that no matter how much I disguise myself, I''m that monster. So I just have to accept that ugliness, and turn that into power.

    I flew with Zieglind and the servants before bowed and in unison then said, "Farewell Demon King Zieglind, Lord Afal."

    We flew to the first Hell Kingdom that we saw and I saw Zieglind flinch for a little bit. Which was unusual of him. "Seems like twenty of them are here."

    "Yeah..." I could feel twenty people watching us. And this energy was the same as the Death Reapers.

    All of them appeared and one stepped up to talk to us. "Demon King Zieglind Reysh, you killed one of your vassals. This is completely unfair. You killed Val, the leader of the Death Reapers and took her armor and weapon. We demand a form of apology or you must give something in return."

    "I wasn''t a Demon King by the time Val died." Zieglind replied.

    "That may it be, but you still killed a member of your own army. It''s fine if it was just a normal demon. But you killed our leader."

    Zieglind let out a sigh, "What do you want."

    "Your life. Give me the title of the Demon King and become subservient to me. If you don''t, you''ll be facing your own servants. And we have twenty people right here ready to kill you right now. There won''t be any alternatives. Just surrender."

    "I see... you''ve got balls to say that. You might be forgetting something. I''M THE DEMON KING." Everyone backed off of him a couple of meters for Zieglind''s sheer intimidation was scary. It was as if looking to a bottomless abyss. That''s how his power is. He has no limits. "You must''ve forgotten how to get chosen as one don''t you?" Zieglind put his hand up for everyone to see and held it tightly. "ABSOLUTE POWER. That''s all you need. I already killed one of you. Killing 20 won''t make a difference."

    "So that''s your answer? Absolute foolishness. Reapers, formation." Everyone rallied behind him.

    "How gracious. Come, Demon Sword Acabar." A small flame was then reformed into the Demon Sword Acabar and was summoned. Zieglind grabbed the sword and swung it once. A shockwave of flames knocked the twenty of them away in an instant.

    "UGUAH!" Everyone of them was aching in pain.

    Zieglind levitated downwards to them to take a good look. "You all are still somewhat capable fighters. I''d hate to kill you. Good thing I held back or the twenty of you would''ve been turned into fourty."

    "Arrogance!? We''re still not done!"

    Three spearmen thrusted their spears at Zieglind at an incredible speed. And Zieglind was dodging every single one of it.

    The seven mages in the back began to spam skills.

    "Icicle Blast!"

    "Rain of Daggers!"

    "Illusion Space!"

    "Thousand Sword Rain!"

    "Dark and Wind Combination Blast!"

    "Binds of Hell!"

    "Wind''s Wrath!"

    Several explosions ensued of different elements.

    And the rest of the reapers rushed at Zieglind with their weapons of varying size and type.

    Zieglind was taking all of the damage to himself trying to get how much damage they deal. but Zieglind was just there, standing, taking everything like it was nothing. It faltered the enemies'' resolve but they still attacked and attacked.

    "Demon''s Domination." All the spell disappeared and was absorbed by Zieglind. "Wall of Inferno." He summoned a wall of flame in front of him which caused the enemies near him to flee away from the heat. "Demon''s Bind." Zieglind attached chains on all of the reapers and with a single pull, they were all sent flying to him. "Demon''s Rage." Zieglind stomped the ground and hundreds of flame pillars came spawning right up, fully burning their bodies. They were all charred and burnt.

    "Not... yet..." Some of them stood up.

    "Disappointing. To think that I had trouble with your boss. This fight is over. Pulse of Anger." A shock of flames came out of Zieglind''s body. And in short moments, the Gazer armor on their bodies were melting."

    "Huh!? Wha- Our armor is... melting!? This is an armor for the Death Reapers! WHAT!?"

    "I''m tired of fighting you. Now, let me ask you again the way you asked me. Give me your subservience and I''ll let you live."

    "Screw... you..." Their weapons started to disappear. "Damn it..."

    "Fine. I''ll give you to him. Mass Teleport, Redirect." A giant magic circle opened up from the ground.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Remember that everything that will happen to you after this, this is your fault for refusing my offer." And after eight seconds, they all disappeared. Silence was felt throughout the entire area. And all we could hear were the laving popping, the chains clanking and many other things.

    This is one of the many times that I felt intimidated by Zieglind. He''s nice to his group of people. But to others, he''s just ruthless and completely unforgiving. And nothing we can do will change that. Since this is how I think a king should act. "Where did you put them?"

    "To Lagrima. He said that some people will be rejecting me as the new Demon King so he told me to bring to him anyone that does that."

    "What does he do to them?"

    "I don''t know. I didn''t need to ask. The goal right now isn''t to know how he does it. But what we get from it. Ouroboros'' expansion is getting bigger and bigger. To the point that he''ll be incredibly difficult to stop. So right now all we''re doing? It''s a backup plan."

    "Back up plan?"

    "All of these demons will act as fodder. If we need to escape."

    "Wha-" I couldn''t help but be amazed on what goes through his mind. He''s right though. If we manage to lose even after all this, it''s going to be fine if we use the demons here as a fodder. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, or maybe even millions of demons here in hell acting as a fodder will surely help with our escape."

    "But we''re going to do that as a last resort. We''ll still invade Ouroboros with our army. That is our last resort."

    "I see."

    "For now Afal, you need to go and try to search for other Hell Kingdoms. Lagrima was also talking about fortresses. If you see those, tell me. That''s an absolute priority. I''ll be going back now. Report back to me later."

    "Alright.I shall do as you say."

 Chapter 202: Unexpected Reunion

    I''m, tired. That''s all I can think about. I don''t really wanna do this anymore. I''m losing time every single second I sit on this throne. I want to move around but Lagrima explicitly told me to just stay. And all I''ve been doing for the past week is just talking to these demons trying to improve their own kingdoms. But I got some things most of it.

    I grabbed and read the documents that Lagrima made and prepared himself back when he was still the Demon King. So for the information that I found, this Demon King''s castle is the very middle of hell itself. It''s the centerpoint of the entirety of hell. Which I don''t really get since Hell is supposed to be endless? Or something? I haven''t found any information of that in my previous life but this is just an interesting point to note.

    This place is called Chambers of Suffering. Which is pretty weird for a name of the kingdom... Until I saw that this is the place where the souls of the people dying from the overworld get sent. If their bodies are gone from the overworld too, they get teleported here too. Burnt from the giant furnace below this castle. I went there once and I couldn''t stay there for longer. The absolute horrid smell and the room painted in red... Someone told me that it wasn''t there before. Those blood came from the grille-... I don''t want to think about that place again.

    But in the end, once their bodies here are... gone, their souls will manifest into their new bodies. The same appearance as they were in the overworld. They''re here to suffer for the rest of their... consciousness.

    That''s why I was shocked to see them here... The Bladedge group. "Rafael, Rael, Tas, Lily, Lila..."

    Rafael looked at me in confusion. "Do you know u- Eek! It''s the Demon King! Let''s ru-... Ah, ah. It doesn''t even matter. We''re already dead anyway."

    I didn''t even notice that I was in the Demon King form. They won''t remember me in this state. I dispelled my form and reverted back to my normal self. "Would this help you remember?"

    "Zieglind... Reysh?" Their faces turned from confusion to realization. "I never thought that the next time we''d meet is at this place..."

    "Same. What happened?"

    "Wait a minute, the form we saw earlier... you''re the Demon King?"

    "...Yeah." I was hesitant to tell them but nothing could be done even if they know.

    All of them backed off of me. "Then that means you''re the one causing the death of everything and everyone!?" They all instinctively tried to draw their weapons but they noticed that there''s nothing there. They accepted their fate and stood strong. "YOU''RE THE CAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED THERE!?"

    "The hell are you talking about?"

    "ZIEGLIND! TELL ME. I want you to answer truthfully. Are you... Ouroboros?"

    Thousands of questions just flew by my mind. "How do you know that name!?"

    "So you are him... Tell us why!?"

    "You''re misunderstanding something here. I might be the Demon King but I''m not Ouroboros. How do you know that name?"

    "...From our boss. I don''t know if you''re telling the truth right now. But since we''re already dead, I don''t care anymore. If you''re Ouroboros, he''ll come for you. The Symbol of Peace. The Hero, Zeraph Nindine."

    "You''re with that hero?" He''s a total nutjob.

    They began to tell me their story.

    Ever since they left me from where I first came here, they''ve been exploring on their own. But all of them were frustrated. At the rate of how fast the players are going. They''ve spent all their lives getting to that point but the players and the growth of everyone took them just several weeks to get stronger than them. So the first thing that came to their mind was to... retire.

    All of them found a suitable kingdom to live in. Their names before were already famous so getting into royalty was easy for them. All of them stayed together as friends as they all lived closely. Since they were the only ones that understood each other''s frustration on the ever changing world.

    Then one day, out of nowhere. Players attacked. It was the Serpent Union. They began to drag families out of their own homes and capture them in their own cages and dragged them to somewhere that they didn''t know. The whole kingdom was lit aflame. All they could see and hear were the wounded, screaming people asking for help.

    They drew their weapons and tried to fight off the Serpent Union but in the end... They were too weak to defend it. They hated how powerful these people got in just several months of being in this world. They despised everything. How unfair something is.

    They came here to just be some side characters for the main characters, in short the players, to treat them as means for getting stronger. It was an unfair, cruel reality that they had to go through.

    Just as they thought they''d die from there, they said that they saw a star fall from the sky. The moment that star landed on the ground, a huge shockwave was sent throughout the entire kingdom. Those who were close to death were healed to full. To those who had inabilities, they had them back. Blindness, deaf, missing limbs anything related to illness. As long as their alive, their bodies were healed back to full.

    The Serpent Union were blasted away by that blast but they still stood strong. The serpent union used their ballistas and other siege weapons to break the walls for more of their soldiers to come in. But the population of that kingdom weren''t scared by them.

    They only looked at the person who was the star... There... they called him the hero. Zeraph Nindine was the star itself. Landing to save the people.

    With their hopes placed on Zeraph Nindine, they didn''t feel any fear. But absolute happiness that a hero has come to their aid.

    No matter how much the ballistas, ramming weapons, bows, arrows, swords, spears, all types of weapons... No one could get in the kingdom. Zeraph Nindine placed his blessing on their kingdom.

    And like an angel who descended from this world, he drew out his sword and rushed at the enemies.

    No one could touch him.

    No one can block his attacks.

    No one could damage him.

    He''s being guided by the gods above to help this world from the players coming here.

    And a few minutes later, not even a trace of blood was seen from the Serpent Union''s side. It was clean, purified. And their bodies didn''t wither away but turned into ashes as the dust came rising to the sky.

    It was a beautiful sorrow sight. To the point that even if he did know how cruel those people were, he made sure to send them to the heaven itself.

    And at that point on, they could no longer blame the balance of the world crumbling. So the Bladedge party discarded their old name and tried to make better version of themselves. They began to save other villages, kingdoms from the Demons and monsters rampaging from everywhere. They finally discovered their strength. It''s just that, they didn''t put effort before because they were all geniuses.

    But now, those effort of their are finally being recognized for everyone to see.

    And then one day, the hero, Zeraph Nindine came back again. This time he was there for them. He recognized their capabilities and skills and their heroic deeds. So Zeraph Nindine tried to bring them into his own party.

    They were the first friends and allies of Zeraph Nindine.

    Three people also came by to join the party. Together, they were all hunting down thousands of monsters. And they were both hunting down monsters and demons raging throughout the entire world.

    Zeraph Nindine said that he won''t kill any players just to win the battle. He only wanted something to protect. That''s why he''s so insistent on becoming a hero. He said that was his goal and the purpose of his life.

    He''s strong because people needed him. And that''s why he took the hope of all people and became the hero that people needed.

    And that''s the story of how they met.

    "But I don''t understand how you know the name Ouroboros." I responded as their story finished.

    Rafael was the one talking for the team, "We were looking for him. Or... you. He''s been searching for the title of the Demon King for several years now. And once we heard that there was a new Demon King, we had to be sure that you''re Ouroboros. You... or him... I don''t know what to call Ouroboros. But he''s Zeraph''s worst enemy. I saw them fought once under the night. We couldn''t see anything. But all we could hear were the laughs of Ouroboros as they clashed with each other. Zeraph won. With his holy sword, Arranca, he stabbed Ouroboros in the heart. And he won... is what we thought. But he broke the laws of the living. That man... resurrected."

 Chapter 203: Coincidence

    Four months... we still couldn''t get past these basilisks and two dragons accompanying them.

    "Hey... are we really gathering an army here?" Feran asked.

    "Well, our goal was to complete the trials and get the attention of everybody... but we''re the only ones getting in the stage four." I added.

    "How about we try to do other things? I''m bored trying to fight those monsters every single time. The only benefit we get from fighting those monsters are our EXP growing and so does our levels." Neco joined in. "I''m at level 179 after those fights. I jumped like a hundred levels or something. It''s getting incredibly difficult. Did Zeta and Zieglind really finish this?"

    "Well, the hosts did say that the difficulty increased after they beat it. It might''ve been twice or ten times more difficult. Who knows. But we just have to do it either way..."

    "Hmm..."

    "I also think we should do other things to feel a sense of accomplishment. We have been failing hard... pretty, hard. Let''s take a break from entering the trials and let''s raise our adventurer rank for the time being."

    That''s what we just did and set off to find some more quest to do. We farmed more gathering quests until we reached the platinum rank. Ranking up was easy since we''re pretty known for the trials. So they know our strengths. We slogged through like two to three ranks and we can finally get some decent quests.

    Helga and Feran were taking escort quests. Aiding the merchants to get from other place to another. Despite its name and this location, the sky island is pretty huge. Most people here are not hostile. The pay of the escort quests are incredibly low because of that. But we don''t really need the money since Lam already gave us a generous amount. We only care about improving the ranks and leveling up.

    For me and Neco, we have been given a key by the guild. We''re already recognized as a sky island people. So we can get back here whenever we want using this key as a teleporter. And the other reason is, we finally got a mission that lets us out of this place.

    Our first mission is eradicating the monsters at the east of the sky island. Which was confusing at first since this island moves. But with a bit of searching, we found it. I don''t understand why these people care about the ground when they''re safe there. I guess we all have our own duties to do.

    The moment we got there, it was not just two simple monsters. It was a horde. A gigantic horde. This was a mission for platinum ranked? Then what about the higher ranks? But whatever it is, it''s going to be difficult. But we also saw some explosions at the back of the horde. There was like three people fighting them off.

    I opened up my inventory and equipped the Hou Yi''s bow. I aimed at the three people, "Eyesight Enhancement." It was like looking at a scope, I can zoom in and zoom out easily. And what I saw in the distance... "Precia?"

    "They''re here?" Neco then asked.

    "Yeah... I can see them from the back of the horde. But why are they here?"

    "Let''s go find out."

    The both of us flew to where they were. In an instant, Yefa was in front of my face ready to punch it but good thing she held back. But her punch was so powerful, it created a shockwave in which I was barely able to withstand from being blown away. "Rize... and Neco? Why are you here? Aren''t you supposed to be-"

    "At the sky island yes. But why are you here? This quest is specifically for the sky island''s adventurers. Why and how do you know this place?"

    "Herold knew where we could find this horde. It''s a spawn of the Tartarus. We can''t let it go."

    "Aren''t you... gathering up an army?"

    "I could say the same to you."

    "Well we didn''t know what to do to gather an army so we''re completing the trials and raising up our adventurer ranks so that the people would trust us. So that''s why we''re doing that quest."

    "For us... the normal monsters from the overworld are far too weak. Searching for artifact dungeons has been pretty difficult because Neco... raided everything. So it''ll take a year for those dungeons to regenerate. So the strongest monsters that we can find for now is... these. The monsters of Tartarus. We''re going to enslave everything that we can. The normal monsters just doesn''t cut it."

    "Then let''s help each other while we can. It has been months after all. What do we need to do?"

    "Don''t kill anything. Try to hold back as much as you can. Just put them in a state where they''re unable to move or do anything. Or just put their health under ten percent and that''s the best thing you can do."

    "Alright th-"

    "Watch out!" Yefa instantly appeared in front of us and punched the gigantic stone in front of us. It was huge and it was fast. To the point that neither of us could react except Yefa. With all her might, a single punch that sent shockwaves everywhere completely obliterated that giant stone that was in front of us. And in the distance, we could see a giant... thing?

    The structure of it were just stones and a giant glowing crystal on its head and chest. There were etched lines on all of its body and there, they were glowing with a color yellow. As if that''s powering up that giant monster.

    Its skin was rough, and looks like incredibly tough. It has four limbs like a human, two arms and two legs and it was standing upright. It was tall.Too tall.

    It wasn''t raising its foot up as it walked. It just drags its incredibly heavy body through the course sand creating huge ravines as its trail.

    It raised his hand and the horde below split into two groups. It was organized, something unique amongst monsters. Especially when most of the monsters below were ranging from demons to... angels?

    We all looked at Herold but his was just puzzled. "For how long I''ve lived, I have never seen any monsters or enemies like that. Well players can get the same look as those but... I haven''t seen angels as enemies before. Where did these things come from... and that giant rocky monster... The hell are they trying to add here..?"

    The giant stone monster at the distance began to run at us full speed. For a giant, it was fast. Way too fast than we''ve expected. I couldn''t believe it. It spawned in several rock spikes from its hand and began to throw it at us.

    Those projectiles it was throwing was fast. Incredibly fast. This is completely unfair for a monster like that.

    Yefa jumped to grab one of the stones it was throwing then threw it back right at the monster. The monster was knocked down by a single throw of Yefa and the armor on its chest began to crumble down. It stood up once again and the broken armor began to regenerate. "Okay... that''s a problem."

    The horde below began to move on their own, rushing to the front of the giant monster. The mages behind began to cast hundreds of buff spells to everything that they can inflict buffs on. Speed, attack boost and health gain were the only ones that I could recognize.

    "We have to stop them here. Rize, as far as I can remember, you can use that skill yeah? Try disabling all rock type skills on the vicinity."

    "Alright, I''ll try. Free-Form Barrier!" I set up a gigantic barrier that stretched out several kilometers both vertically and horizontally. "Law Breaker Number One! Rock type spells aren''t allowed!" But nothing happened. The armor on the monster is still there. A system message then popped up in front of me. [Not Enough Mana.] "I don''t have enough mana for it... I really need to improve my mana pool."

    "Then just cage them in here. A few kilometers from here, there''s a kingdom, and beyond that is Izgoy."

    "Alright! Law Breaker Number One! No one can destroy barriers!"

    The horde below began to bash the barriers with their weapons. The mages began to unleash gigantic blasts that damages their own troops. The demons began to scratch, pounce and do anything they can to break it but they can''t. They''re stuck here with us. And with this gigantic monster.

    The gigantic monster then began to detach itself from its limbs. Yellow colored electricity was the one holding them all up. Its hands began to extend. For how big it was, it was fast. Too fast. We didn''t even notice that we were sent flying to the other side of the barrier with its slap.

 Chapter 204: Bonds

    The cyclop''s eyes began to spew out laser of some sort. It burns everything it touches and instantly melts even rocks. "How should we fight this..?" I muttered to myself.

    But Herold heard it, "I don''t know, you''re the one who rushed in blindly. So now we got his unwanted attention."

    "That''s definitely helping."

    "Let''s first target the phoenix above. The moment we stop flying or moving, the moment we''ll all die. Those fireballs are dangerous. It''s already slowly digging into the ground."

    We flew higher trying to get to the phoenix. But it flew higher and higher until it stopped. Its barrage of fireballs on the ground stopped and began to face us. Herold was the first one to go in, cleanly evading the thousands of fireballs heading our way. It was attacking while it was moving, trying to get away from us. So we followed it.

    "Let me go in front!" The two of them made way and I flew to the front and they all went behind me. "Dominion! Devour them!" My shield opened its mouth and began to suck in all the fireballs the phoenix was shooting at us as we were following it.

    "Thanks! Blink!" Yefa began to close in on the phoenix. She began to reach for its tail and after a few seconds, she barely caught it. Stopping the phoenix from its tracks. Yefa jumped on the phoenix and ran up to the woman on the top of it. Herold joined in and began to hold its tail, preventing the phoenix from flying away.

    Yefa wound up her punch and let it all out with a single powerful punch that made even Herold to have trouble holding the phoenix in place. Even when we were behind her, we could feel the shockwaves of her punch. Her power really knows no bounds. But to our surprise, her punch was completely blocked by barrier of flame at the place where Yefa intended to heat. The phoenix''s skin began to light up in flames. And those flames began to form as it wrapped around in their bodies.

    The phoenix is trying to keep them there and kill them with the fire, but I''m absorbing all of it and I already got my hands full so helping them will be impossible.

    Yefa''s strength was overbearing so she got out of that bind easily. "Stance Change, Tai Chi!" Yefa opened her palm and hit the Phoenix. The phoenix disappeared. Faster than our eyes could see. I looked around and Herold was nowhere to be seen too. I honestly don''t know what happened but the phoenix and Herold compleely disappeared.

    "Hey where are th-" Before I could speak, Yefa interrupted.

    "Don''t worry. They''re down there."

    Both of us flew down and saw the two of them were in the ground. Yefa pulled out Herold. "Argh... the next thing I saw as I opened my eyes were literal darkness... I thought I died."

    "Well, I hope the same could be said for the phoenix."

    We saw the phoenix twitch and the three of us instantly ran up and grabbed its tail. And just as we suspected, it blasted faster as it flew upwards.There were barely damage on its body so we were growing wary of it. I was the first one to notice something. "Wait! That cyclops will just walk over anything it sees! No one will be there to stop it!"

    "I''ll go! I''ll leave this phoenix to you!" Herold detached himself from the phoenix as we just saw him fall down on the thousand feet high we were continually going higher and higher.

    Then suddenly... the phoenix stopped. It flapped its wings trying to look at everything as if trying to search for something.

    Me and Yefa looked at each other and nodded. "Dominion!" I began to ready my shield for whatever skill this phoenix was going to release. Yefa slowly worked her way up to the phoenix''s head to kill it completely. The woman on the top of the phoenix didn''t even mind seeing Yefa there. So that means that human is just for decoration or something. That part of its body is indestructible so we just have to kill its head.

    Yefa raised her hand and the phoenix began to move. Yefa nearly stumbled on her feet so she grabbed the fur of the phoenix to hold on. The phoenix then dived straight to the ground, going speeds that we couldn''t even imagine.

    "Let''s get off!" Yefa shouted. But just as we tried to let go and let the phoenix dived by itself, flaming whips of the flames it controlled latched itselves to us. Dragging us down with it.

    It began to get incredibly hot. Way too hot. Our skin were easily being charred by the friction and this monster''s heat that''s enveloping our bodies. We couldn''t escape. The moment that we landed on the ground, my eyesight disappeared. I was blind. Completely blind. And this excruciating pain were felt throughout my whole body. Wherever I walk or move, the intense pain came back again and again like needles piercing me. "YEFA! AR-" I began to cough up blood. "Are you there!" I couldn''t hear myself so I just screamed and screamed. It was like a ringing sound on my ears. I didn''t know what was happening but all I could feel was pain everytime I screamed. I felt like my throat was being ripped out. "YEFA!" I began to scream even though it hurts incredibly bad. I couldn''t confirm if she''s still alive. "YEFA! ANSWER ME!" I screamed and I screamed but I couldn''t hear anything.

    Someone grabbed me from behind and I began to flail my weapon around. I couldn''t confirm who it was. But as soon as I did that, my whole body stopped. Someone then talked inside my head. "PRECIA! CALM DOWN!" It was familiar.

    "Who are you!?"

    "It''s me Zeta!"

    "Huh? Why are you here aren''t you supposed to be at the underwater kingdom?"

    "The place where you landed was a lake, connected with a river to the ocean. We instantly went here when we felt that the temperature of the water began to boil. Sea creatures were dying. And so... the place you''re standing right now was the lake itself. Completely evaporated by this... egg..? Is this a phoenix egg?"

    "The phoenix? It''s dead!? That phoenix will resurrect! Kill the egg!"

    "Wait that doesn''t matter, what''s the matter with you?"

    "I don''t care what happens to me! Just kill the egg! That''s not a normal thing!"

    "Cleanse!" Zeta casted on me and my blindness and deafness disappeared. I could see and hear again. "Now can we ta-"

    "Not now!" I shoved Zeta away and rushed at the egg to kill it. It was far too dangerous to be left alone. The woman on the top of the phoenix was suddenly in front of me and I was knocked away without me noticing it.

    The egg of the phoenix began to lit up in flames. The woman that knocked me away disappeared and reappeared on top of the phoenix like it was before. It was a curious sight. The phoenix flew high in the sky and began to drop down fireballs.

    "Dragon King''s Ice Seal!" The phoenix''s body suddenly stopped. The ice slowly crawled up on its body, completely surrounding the flames on the phoenix''s flaming body into a cold ice. The phoenix lost its air flight and fell straight to the ground.

    I just couldn''t expect how strong Zeta has gotten the time we all split up. I ignored that for now and ran to the phoenix and struck the icea with my sword and it exploded. The remains of the phoenix were gone. All that was there was the egg. The woman began to move in front of it again in an incredible speed.

    "Binding Light! Restrict Speed!" Zeta''s spell surrounded the woman''s body with light that kept her from moving anywhere. "Dragon Lig-"

    "Wait!" I stopped Zeta from doing anything further. "We were tasked for gathering an army so let me try something first." I walked up to the mysterious human, "Enslavement." [Low domination.] Is what the system showed me. Lam told me not to use this too much but this monster seems like a good addition to the army. It protects the phoenix''s egg. And if I get this then that means that I get the phoenix too. And this woman is stronger than that phoenix. "Soul Contract." My consciousness faded away and I was dragged into the neverending darkness, floating around endlessly and aimlessly as I tried to find her.

    After a while, I found someone crying. That woman was holding a dead bird. I reached out to her and her memories flooded in me. Someone... a man gave her a sort of resurrection potion? And she made the dead bird drink it which turned it into a phoenix. But in exchange, she''ll be stuck with that bird forever." But the feeling she felt wasn''t sadness but happiness. "This is the only thing that I have left. Rudy... I don''t care what happens to me. But as long as Rudy outlives me... I''ll be happy to die."

    "Then how about I give you other special people other than Rudy?"

    "Hmm... I don''t care what happens to me. As long as Rudy is with me... I''m satisfied."

    [Soul Contract formed.]

 Chapter 205: Tapped into the Power

    Seems like the Soul Contract worked. So this is what it feels being in a soul contract. I could feel whether the monster is close or far away from me. And I feel like... it''d do anything I ask of it. I need to think of a name for this... then... "Faye. That''ll be your name. Come out!" This time, she spawned infront of me disconnected from the phoenix.

    I hopped on the phoenix and Faye followed. "Take care of Yefa!" I still don''t know where she is but she''s in good hands.

    Zeta then jumped on the phoenix. "I''m coming with you." Zeta then pulled out something from his inventory which looks like to be a... trident? "Find Yefa and cure her. Hmm... I forgot you don''t know her. Just take care of any living beings that you see."

    "Come on!" The phoenix flapped its wings and flew incredibly quick. "To the cyclops!" The phoenix''s speed was too fast for us. It''s getting incredibly difficult to hold on. We barely caught this phoenix when it was still our enemy.

    "What''s this cyclops?"

    "Its a hybrid!"

    "Hybrid!?"

    "Yeah."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Well... see for yourself."

    The moment we got there, the place we were before wasn''t the same. The trees, the ground, the structures and the kingdom a kilometer away... They were all gone. It was a giant wasteland. At the distance we saw the gigantic cyclops fighting someone. It was Herold. With his quick maneuvers, he barely manages to dodge the amount of tentacles the cyclops is smashing everywhere... Well... it doesn''t look like that the cyclops is the one doing that. The tentacles looks like it has a mind on its own.

    Zeta couldn''t help but be amazed at what he just saw. "So that''s a hybrid? A cyclops with tentacles... I have to research more about this. And its gigantic size... I can feel that this thing is dangerous. And from here..."

    We could feel the winds of those tentacles smashing everywhere.

    A single movement of that tentacles sent shockwaves everywhere. Either destroying the environment by the sudden gust of winds that was extremely powerful, or simply attacking in random places hoping to hit something. That cyclops wasn''t right in the mind. Well, I can understand that since they''re not exactly the intelligent type of species.

    Herold by himself can withstood the amount of barrage of the whips of those tentacles. He goes in, unleashes stabs faster than my eyes could see and he immediately retreats. And those cuts that he just did were instantly regenerating.

    "That''s an incredibly scary regeneration. Especially for the cyclops'' size." Zeta then raised his trident, "Water''s Rage!" My sword and shield glowed and I could see Herold''s weapons glowing too. He looked over to us and immediately flew to us.

    With his swords raised, ready to kill, I ran up and blocked his attack. "Hey!"

    "Oh, Precia!" He lowered his weapons. "I thought you died from the Phoenix. And uh... Zeta? Fancy meeting you here. Are you the one that did this?" Herold showed his weapon to us.

    "Yeah." Zeta responded. "With the Water''s Rage, there''ll be millions of microbes inside that sword. Once you damage the enemy, they''ll continue to take small amounts of damage. And the best part is that the microbes will start eating the part where you wounded the enemy, preventing them from regenerating."

    "This is great. I don''t have to worry about anything anymore. Alright, thanks, I''ll be going now." Herold jumped off and flew straight at the cyclops.

    I then ordered Faye, "Faye, go support us from above! Let''s go Zeta!" The both of us jumped off and flew straight at the cyclops. And in the corner of my eye, I already saw a tentacle heading my way. I raised up my shield, "Immovable!" And fully absorbed the attack. I could only feel the gust of wind that was headed our way.

    "Frozen Field!" The ice started from Zeta then began to spread throughout the cyclops'' body. But its tentacles were too strong so it easily destroyed all of that. "Dark Star Fallen!" A meteorite filled with dark energy spawned out of nowhere and fell into the cylops'' back. A gigantic hole... maybe five meters of its flesh was completely pierced through by that spell. The cyclops'' movements stopped and so did the tentacles.

    "Did it... die?" I questioned.

    "I don''t... know. Keep your guard up." Just a few seconds after he said that, its back began to regenerate in a terrifying rate."

    Herold rushed in and took this chance. He held up both of his daggers up and let it do its own thing. As if like nothing was hitting the cyclops but more and more wounds were opening up on its back. Herold was disappearing and reappearing aiming directly at its vitals and joints.

    He started off with a giant slash on its back then went straight down and cut the tendons of the cyclops on its feet. Making it falter. The cyclops fell on its knees and it was completely unprotected from anything. Herold''s ferocious attack as he cross the kilometer long body.

    He disappeared completely. We couldn''t see him anymore. "So this is how powerful Herold is..?" Zeta muttered.

    "Yeah... to think that he has gone such lengths to the point that we can''t see him when the cyclops'' body is around a kilometer in height." I added.

    The first was its bottom body. Herold''s insane speed managed to cut of its legs simultaneously, chopping it into pieces for further safety so that the cyclops won''t regenerate.

    The cyclops'' regained its consciousness, shouting in pain as its voice was completely heard throughout the entire area. It began to cry and lash around like a baby. But each of these lashes serve more and power the longer it lashes it out. The mountains, hills, structures, living beings below, everything that was near it is pummeled to the ground.

    Hundreds of tentacles were heading onto Herold but Herold stood his ground and cut off any tentacles that was heading his way. "HAAAAAAA!!!" Each and every tentacle was cut perfectly as any of it gets even barely in his range, it''ll definitely get cut. "Million Rain!"

    "Suddenly, his movements slowed down..? Or not? It was like I''m seeing his movements before he even does it. There''s like an outline of his body showing the path of what he''s going to do." I couldn''t understand what was happening.

    "Huh!?" Zeta''s face turned into an amazement. "Million Rain, a class specific skill than can be unlocked at level 1000. It isn''t telegraphed moves that its showing. Million Rain mimics everything that you do with the same power and damage behind it. It mimics the action done by the user and repeats it. So that means that if Herold slashes a powerful swing once, it''ll get repeated a hundred times or even more than that depending on his mana capacity with the same power and no drawbacks."

    Herold swung his sword once and I saw at least twenty more afterimages that did the same thing. Everything that was infront of him got instantly obliterated. He moved away and trails of his afterimage can be seen. He started his berserker method again.

    He completely disappeared from our sights as he travels around the cyclops'' whole body, slashing everything open to worsen the wounds.

    All we could see were his after images slicing and dicing the things he also travelled to. A few seconds later, its arms fell off and the tentacles were trying to reconnect itself. But the spell that Zeta casted were completely preventing it. The cyclops had no more weapons at its disposal other than its eye. But Herold knew this and instantly destroyed the eye without hesitation.

    For his final performance, his attacks began to move faster and faster until the cyclops completely froze in place. The moment that he was done, everything fell apart as if its just realizing that it has been cut. This is the first time that I''ve seen how powerful Herold is.

    The cyclops couldn''t move, couldn''t do anything with its tentacles or even use its eyes to release skills... It was a completely one sided fight. But Herold wouldn''t have won if he doesn''t have anti-healing spells. But even though Zeta helped him a lot, his strength was still far beyond that of the cyclops.

    Is that what it means to be strong..? That''s... amazing. I couldn''t help but be amazed on the feat that he just did. "Woah..." If only I could get stronger, to the point that I won''t fall behind with anyone... that''d be the greatest feeling.

    Zeta scratched his head, "I forgot to help. I only watched. I couldn''t begin to understand how powerful Herold really is."

    "Is everything... over?" Yefa came to us with her body still heavily damaged by the phoenix.

    "Yeah. I think so. Alright, I''ll be leaving you now. Go do the jobs we were tasked to do. See you all later."

 Chapter 206: The Beginning of the End

    It has been several months since the attack of that cyclops and the phoenix. I''m researching about hybrid monsters. I''ve already gathered a great amount of army so I already did what Zieglind asked me to do. So I have all this free time to do my research.

    So as to what I found, hybrid monsters cannot spawn normally. They are a crossbreed between two different monsters by either using a soul fusion or forcing the both of the two mediums to breed.

    Soul Fusion is a type of method wherein the souls harvested or released from a living being gets fused with another soul. For the Phoenix that Precia got, it''ll be Faye and that phoenix. I''m pretty sure that''s a Soul Fusion since they aren''t forced together. Faye can come out of the phoenix whenever she wants so there''s that.

    The force breeding method must''ve been the cyclops. But what did it get fused with? As far as I remember, cyclops doesn''t have a regeneration ability.

    And those tentacles that are in its arms were powerful. Hmm... A sudden thought then came into my mind that I was not expecting at all. "Haha... no way..? Right? That''s... Hmmm... No, no. I don''t think so."

    I was thinking of the kraken, living under the sea water. A gigantic monster that looks like a squid. Its gigantic tentacles manages to create tsunamis in the seawater. Able to crush ships with its grip strength with ease. Its power is something to be feared. Is there even water inside Tartarus for that to happen? A breeding between a kraken and a cyclops? Hmm... the more I find something out, the more questions I have.

    But I have one more question that I have to solve right now. About Faye and the phoenix. If my theory is right and they were used for a Soul Fusion then that means someone must''ve taken the souls from them and joined them.

    The breeding method can be done naturally by two living beings. But for the Soul Fusion, you need to get their souls. And once a soul is extracted from something, their physical bodies won''t be able to move.

    Then does this mean that someone used both of their souls to conjoin and fuse it to form that monster?

    I''m tired of thinking of this. This is the first time that I learned about this way of creating monsters.

    "Zeta... I think something''s wrong with me?" Greta suddenly told me.

    I instantly got worried since she never told me something like this before. "Huh? What''s wrong?"

    "I''m feeling sick these days lately."

    "Just rest for the rest of the month or something. We''re already done with our quest. We''re just waiting for Zieglind for our return."

    The door then opened and several guards were outside. "My lord, the elders need you."

    "Alright." I replied. "Send some maids here to take care of Greta."

    I left Greta there to rest for a moment. I followed the guards to wherever they were taking me. And I was brought to the conference room. Some of the elders were all sitting around waiting for me.

    They all gave me the information they needed. It seems that they''ve noticed that I''ve been researching on hybrids for some time now and they''ve become curious on what the creation of it.

    I gave them the information they needed about Soul Fusion and breeding and they seem to take it well.

    About several hundreds of kilometers away from this place, they seem to have said that they found something interesting there. Similar to a hybrid. All of their scouts that was sent there didn''t return within the allotted time given to them so they went there themselves but only saw a figure of the monster.

    It was giant, around a few meters tall and it was said that the place where its resting is filled with bones from different species so going there would be incredibly dangerous.

    "I know you''re strong yourself. But this is a quest for the ruler of our kingdom. You must know how dangerous this creature is so that we won''t attract any unwanted attention." Is what they said. So they''re placing their hopes on me since they don''t know how powerful this monster is.

    I set off by myself and tried to find this monster they were looking for. They said that it was the east of where we were. So I began to search which took me some time. About several hours. I saw bones lying around formations of rock so I got ready. "Camouflage, Noise Reduction."Camouflage will make me blend to the environment to hide myself to whatever that monster is.

    I began to scavenge far deeper in the ocean trying to find where it was. After some looking, I found the next the elders were talking about. The nest was pretty big and they were right. Its filled with a lot of bones from different species.

    In the distance, I could see a gigantic hydra with several heads feeding on what seems to be a soldier on the kingdom that I''m ruling.

    I was going to go in but a giant shadow was over me. It filled where I was standing with complete darkness. I looked up and saw a gigantic monster. It had no face. It was just like a giant worm. And the front of it? Was nothing but a gigantic circular mouth.

    Terror was felt throughout my body.

    That absolute hideous form, its tentacles lashing out everywhere, it was completely disgusting. And terrifying.

    One word came out of my mouth as I noticed what monster that was. "Cha...rybdis..." But why is a god spawn here!? Thousands of questions flew in my mind but all I could feel at this time is absolute fear.

    I must run. I MUST. I need to. I NEED TO! I no longer cared for whatever quest Zieglind gave me or what the elders gave me. A god spawn is nearly impossible to be beaten or killed. And its Charybdis out of all the monsters. That hybrid monster, eating living beings wouldn''t be able to hold a candle to Charybdis.

    I no longer cared what is the aftermath. I just need to escape here. With Greta.

    I flew back to the kingdom but no matter how much faster I try to release myself, I felt like I was being sucked in by something.

    The Charybdis opened its mouth and I could see each and every disgusting part of its mouth. The triangular teeth, the disgusting flesh and the remains of the other things that was in its teeth. I couldn''t fly or move anywhere. And if I let go, I''ll be completely sucked in.

    A giant vertical whirlpool then appeared on its mouth, sucking everything that was near it. The hybrid that even the elders feared? Were nothing but a mere food for this god spawn.

    The Charybdis bit on the hydra''s head but the hydra instantly regenerated. The hydra tried to fight back by spewing out flames, ice and dark magic. And the hybrid that it was combined with was a fire elemental.

    It spawned it hundreds of other flame elementals and began to shoot fireballs at Charybdis. But the monster didn''t feel a single ounce of pain as their hits weren''t doing anything.

    The whirlpool got stronger and stronger, until the hydra got fully devoured. In an instant.

    That hydra was feared by everyone in the kingdom. But this thing was on another level. Even I, could feel the oppression, the fear, the absolute terror.

    Its disgusting appearance, its humungous body, its incredibly powerful skills... It was a monster, out of this world.

    I tried all of my best trying to get out of the whirlpool he was creating. But I couldn''t think of anything. "Teleport!"

    My eyes turned blurry then regained my vision back. I was back at the underwater kingdom. The elders then appeared in front of me. "That was quick." The head of the leaders stated.

    "We should run." I immediately suggested.

    This angered every single one of them. "What is this? Have I been gone from the surface for too long to the point that I don''t understand jokes!?"

    "You haven''t seen what I''ve seen. The hybrid wasn''t the problem. There was a predator there, far too large and far too strong. To the point that even if we gathered every single one of our troops we won''t be able to win."

    "What''s with this preposterous and over the top expla-"

    "THERE''S A GODSPAWN!" Everyone went silent. "A monster created by the gods. Its Charybdis... the devourer of the seas."

    "Wha-"

    "ZETA! ZETA! YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS!" Someone interrupted the elders.

    "We''re having a talk with the King! Show some respect!" One of the elders responded.

    "Its fine. The monster is still far from here. We''ll talk about it later. What''s this about?" I asked the one who was calling out to me.

    It was the maid assigned to Greta. "Greta... Greta is pregnant!"

 Chapter 207: His Power

    "I hate regenerating bastards like you!" Herold''s incredibly huge armory was seen here as he was switching out weapons every now and then trying to find the right one. He has a dagger, a longsword, a spear, a rapier, lance, mace, flail, sickle, greatswords... Basically anything that identifies as a weapon type, Herold has it.

    The most effective one on him is that greatsword. It was a perfectly balanced sword but its imbued with wind magic. A single swings knocks back that giant hunk of stone a couple of meters and breaks the armor surrounding its body.

    But its insane regeneration and reforming is nearly impossible to damage it. Its stone armor changes depending on the situation.

    "Holy Arrow!" The arrow on my Hou Yi''s bow took form into a bright yellow light. As soon as I shot it, hundreds of the same copy appeared, raining down on its body. Every single arrow pierced its body. The arrows stayed there for a second, then all simultaneously exploded. Revealing the disgusting flesh that was behind it.

    But that giant stone monster begins to regenerate itself. The color of its armor changed from a brown colored look to a more white one. "Just keep doing that! I''ll strike its flesh once you break it again!" Herold commanded me.

    I readied my bow and took aim. "Holy Arrow!" I short it and it multiplied itself to hundreds of itself. The moment it went and hit the monster, it didn''t pierce. It... reflected?

    Herold was already running in the moment I shot my arrows, but since it didn''t pierce, "Sh-" the golem''s floating hands clapped Herold as soon as he got in the monster''s range. The moment the monster took apart both of his hands, Herold fell on the ground below.

    "Let me try!" Yefa rushed in, "Explosive Fists! Change Stance, Tai Chi!" The hands of that monster was swinging and flailing around as it tried to catch her. But Yefa''s smooth movement managed to dodge every single one of it. She finally landed on the monster''s chest and a giant explosion ensued. Knocking the giant beast down on the ground.

    "She''s powerful as always." Precia flew next to me to watch Yefa''s rampage.

    Yefa began to pound on that monster''s chest. Several debris were flying throughout and flaming explosions were happening each time Yefa punched. Her sheer power was enough to create a massive quake followed by digging the giant into a ravine that she created from her power. The horde took notice of this and began to pursue Yefa. But she didn''t care at all. "ARGH!" She punched and punched the monster even when its regenerating its own armor. But then suddenly, her punches stopped. We can''t see it clearly from here but from where Yefa was, there were lots of blood surrounding her.

    "Arrow of Retrieval!" I readied my bow and shot it straight to Yefa''s back. The arrow latched itself to her and pulled her back to us. Yefa''s front body was filled with burns and blood was spurting out of her black gloves. "Yefa! Hey! Snap out of it!" Seems like she''s also unconscious. I remember that the Explosive Fists damages the user also. But she should''ve dealt enough damage to dig the monster''s body to lessen the impact... So why is she in this state..?

    "Look!" Neco pointed at the distance. The monster''s armor was fully healed back again to full. But this time, the armor its wearing changed into a color red.

    "My... attacks didn''t... work." Yefa''s last words as she fell unconscious again.

    "So does that mean that the debris that was flying wasn''t the armor but Yefa''s f-..."

    "...Maybe." Precia replied. "But this gave me an idea. The way the armor is changing, there must be a pattern."

    "What do you mean?" I asked.

    "When Herold struck this monster with his greatsword imbued with wind magic, its armor turned into a color green. You then hit it with your Holy Arrows, the moment that you destroyed its armor, its flesh was seen and the monster was preoccupied with regenerating the armor. And then it changed into a white armor. But the next time you tried to hit it with the Holy Arrows again, it bounced off of it. And the attack that worked was Yefa''s flaming fists that destroyed the armor. But when its armor began to regenerate in another armor, her attacks didn''t work."

    "So you''re saying that the armor that this monster is changing to counters whatever the element we throw at it?"

    "Exactly. Herold destroyed its armor with wind so it changed into an anti-wind armor. You destroyed it with light magic so it tried to counter your magic with light immunity. And Yefa destroyed it using fire magic so now its probably completely immune to fire magic."

    "This is why I hate fighting regenerative monsters like this... Anti-magic simply won''t work." Herold flew to us. Seeing his state, it seems that he isn''t seriously damaged. "If only Zeta is here with his weird microbes then we might be able to win this... Wait, will it even work with that stone skin?"

    "Let''s go, let''s try to fight this. Use different elements at once. Then Neco, use all of your skills to completely obliterate its flesh."

    The four of us flew straight to the golem. It just waved its hand and we''re already feeling a large gust of wind trying to knock us away. But we persevered and flew right at the golem. Right now, its just a giant target for us. I stayed back while they flew. I aimed my weapon, "Arrow of Brilliance!" A giant concentrated piece of arrow that''s heavily destructive. I shot it and its speed was as fast as the speed of light as it instantly went through its body without even making a single sound.

    But just as it was as fast as I destroyed a giant chunk of its body, its armor is changing again to a white armor. "Light magic doesn''t work!" Precia shouted. "Make the hole of the armor larger!"

    "Leave it to me!" Neco stopped and charged his daggers. His daggers'' length grew larger with the help of the dark magic surrounding it. In an X like form, Neco sent out a wave of darkness that pierced through its armor like it was nothing. Its armor fell onto the ground and the monster is changing into a dark armor now. "Dark magic doesn''t work!"

    "Giant Wielder!" Herold''s greatsword grew incredibly large. It was half the size of the golem and he''s wielding it like it was nothing. He held it like a baseball bat and swung with all of his might.The golem''s body then suddenly turned into a gold color and Herold''s arms suddenly spurted out lots of blood. "This bastard..! He turned himself invulnerable..."

    "Great Heal!" I casted and everyone''s wounds were better... for a moment.

    "YARGH!" The golem''s invulnerability disappeared and the aftermath of that greatsword imbued with wind magic threw the golem away right at the horde completely obliterating it all. "Well, that''s one for... many? I guess?"

    "Now!" I aimed my bow upwards to the sky, "Fallen Flames!" Then show the arrow up to the sky. As it fell down, it began to multiply again and again, slowly damaging the flesh of that weird golem monster.

    Neco then ran straight to the golem''s bare chest, "Thousand Slashes!" And instantly reappeared behind its back. The damage he dealt opened up the recovering armor and its flesh to the point that we can see a small bright light inside.

    "It must be the core! Let''s destroy it! Dominion, eat the magic particles around!" Her shield absorbed all life around her including the flesh of the demons, monsters and angels that the monster stepped on. "This is... too much!" She then redirected the shield right at the golem''s chest and her shield then emitted a giant ray of blue light that pierced through the monster''s chest to the other side. It completely burnt the monster''s flesh, revealing the yellow floating orb in the middle.

    The golem began to spew out yellow lightning everywhere. And a single touch of it electrifies and burns you seeing how the ground gets destroyed and the dead bodies completely.

    "I''m ending this!" Herold brought back his weapon and changed it into a new one. This time it was a sword... well not really... It was just the hilt of the sword. And the electricity of the monster were being absorbed in that hilt forming a weapon of pure volatile lightning lashing out everywhere. Herold sliced downwards, and suddenly, it felt like the world had stopped. "Reality Slash."

    Sounds everywhere felt like it disappeared. Only after a couple of seconds, everything returned. The golem''s body were then suddenly misaligned and the glow on its core disappeared. The moment that it fell, it was also the moment that we realized that Herold cut the stone golem in half.

 Chapter 208: Deep Thinking

    "How are the reforms of the other kingdoms?" I asked Lagrima.

    "Good. Nothing has changed that much. Its still the same thing." Lagrima replied.

    I let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the top of my nose. "For now, it''ll just be the waiting game. And I''m tired of playing that game. I haven''t done anything for the past six months and all I''ve been doing is sitting here."

    "Because that is what a king does."

    "I like the idea of being the Demon King, but its responsibilities are just a pain in the ass. I don''t wanna do this anymore honestly..."

    "Then what will you do?"

    "I''ll leave this place. I''ll come back in a few days."

    "But the order in this place will go out of control with you! Their Demon King!"

    "I''ll leave it up to you nonetheless. Rift, Open!" As if I sliced through reality itself, a portal appeared in front of me.

    "Hey Zieglin-" Lagrima tried to reach out to me but I jumped before he could do anything.

    "I''ll be back." I hopped on the portal and the world suddenly turned dark. I closed my eyes letting the flow of the portal teleport me to the place where I want to go. As soon as I opened my eyes, a bright white light was blinding my eyes. But it disappeared once I got fully transported back at the overworld. At Izgoy. At the same place where I left, the place where we all split up.

    I was about to go out but as soon as I touched the door, it was instantly incinerated into nothingness. I took a look at my arm trying to find what was wrong then I suddenly remembered that I was in Demon Form. "Dispel." Seems like I''ve been spending too much time in that form.

    I went outside and saw Lam standing in front of the door. "My, I thought this place is doomed."

    "Lam? Why are you here?"

    "Your entire aura was felt just a second ago, I was nearly suffocated by your power. Be careful next time."

    "Sorry, I will." So that''s how what the demons around me feel? Hmm... I never thought that.

    "So, what made you return? Are your quests finished?"

    "No, not yet. The hell is a bit busy."

    "Where''s lord Afal?"

    "...He''ll manage." I simply forgot. "I''ll call on him later. Contact all the Crimson Knights. We''re having a meeting. A week from now on."

    "I''ll do so with my message skill. Take your time here at the overworld."

    "Thanks."

    I took a walk outside and tried to calm myself down. The horrors I''ve seen in hell is horrible and unforgettable. And that''s coming for someone who have just seen it. And not experienced it. But nothing in my heart aches.

    I can look at their deaths like it was nothing. Not a single ounce of pity or humanity wasn''t present within my body. It won''t give me traumatic memories or feelings about it. But the sadness of not being able to feel anything is just hitting within me. Again and again.

    I''m no longer human.

    That''s why I wanted to take a walk, like I was a normal person. "[Shapeshift] Za Fa Rah Ma Ga!" I changed my face into a more different face with a different hair color.

    I can''t believe it... The old me would''ve slapped me right now. That man who wanted to get out his job is finding a way to get back to that.

    A search for normalcy from the man that wanted this world in the first place. How laughable.

    I was once the man who hated pain, now I want it.

    I was once the man who wanted to feel his life to be unique, now I want normalcy.

    I was once the man who wanted to fight yet now I''m sick of it.

    I could be as well saying... I wished to not be here. I wish that I was still back there.

    Waking up to an alarm clock at seven AM in the morning, drinking my coffee, brushing my teeth, showering then heading off to my boring work. A seven AM to nine AM of work... Then going home in that room where no one is waiting for me but my bed.

    The cycle repeats... but that''s how I was supposed to live until I was given this second chance. That I thought I wanted but... never needed in the first place.

    Fighting...

    I need to continue fighting... fighting and fighting just to undo all these things I''ve done and everyone will do in this world. I''m tired. At least I''ll have all these free time.

    I spent the next seven days just being with everyone. Being a nobody. The warmth that I felt was nothing of the fire in the battles I fought.

    That''s why I need to defeat Ouroboros, so that his plans won''t affect the people of this world.

    That''s why I need to defeat the Tartarus tower so that the monsters won''t spawn.

    And that''s why I will go up against any god to end this cycle of battle royale. This isn''t something that one should experience or live to. This cycle is nothing but a curse. Not a blessing or a second life.

    I could no longer feel pain but I could feel their emotions. Their happiness was deep engraved into me.

    Their smiles was something I hated.

    Because I was jealous of it. Their naiveness was something I yearned for. How could they live on like this, not having a care in the world. Was it because I hold too much information to the point that I know every possibility that could happen? I''m pretty sure that was the reason.

    But even though I hated their smiles, I couldn''t hate them. They just give me a reason to pursue my goals. To fight for peace that I yearn. Someday, I''ll get that normalcy that I once threw away for this stupid fantasy world that I never needed. Since in the first place, I never needed this fantasy world, all I needed was company in my own lonely world.

    "Sire, they''re here." Lam instantly saw through my shapeshift.

    I looked at the villagers around me and let out an exasperated sigh. It seems that the week of normalcy I had was the best ones that I''ve lived yet. But no matter what happens, I am still that monster. The monster that needs to fight for freedom. "Hmm... interesting. Alright, I''ll go to them now." I replied.

    I changed back to my old form then moved into a more secret location then opened up a Rift Portal to hell and dragged here Afal.

    The both of us changed into our normal forms and went on to the conference room to talk about our progress. It was a happy moment, seeing them all there all again after all these months.

    It gives me life and some sort of happiness inside that I have someone beside me. "Welcome back everyone. Our goals aren''t still done but we''re already half a year in. So I wanted to hear everyone''s results. I also wanted to hold this meetings since Zeta and Greta just got married."

    Everyone clapped for the two of them. But it seems that they had something to say. So Zeta was the first one to say something. "Everyone... thank you for the applause, but I have another thing to say to each and everyone of you."

    Greta took a deep breath then rubbed her stomach. "I''m... pregnant."

    Everyone''s baffled face suddenly turned into a happy one. The girls ran over to Greta while the guys went over to Zeta to congratulate them. But something in me wasn''t right.

    I felt a silent rage slowly raising up through my body. Questions like, how can they fool around like this when there''s a war slowly going on? Getting married before a giant war? But no matter how much I hated how they can just fool around in the middle of all the things that was going on, I was merely jealous of how much freedom they have.

    I desperately want that freedom.

    And they have that. And I won''t take that away from them. So the only answer that I shall take is this. I love them too much for this decision for me to make. So the only way to protect them is this. I won''t take their freedom away. And the normalcy that they have. I''ll give it to them.

    I am supposed to feel happy when I heard their news. But no... as much as I love them, I need to say this. So say it! SAY IT! I NEED TO SAY IT!

    No matter how painful it is, I need to protect them. In my own way. I need to. "Zeta, Greta."

    "Hmm?" The both of them looked at me.

    Ah, ah. I never thought that I''d say this. "I strip you of our family name and the slave contract. Leave. You''re no longer part of the Crimson Knights."

 Chapter 209: Goodbye

    Zieglind called out to us, "Zeta, Greta."

    "Hmm?" The both of us looked at him.

    "I strip you of our family name and the slave contract. Leave. You''re no longer part of the Crimson Knights."

    "..." Everyone''s happy faces suddenly turned into a surprised, sorrow face. I was just in shock on what he just said. This is completely unexpected. "H- hey now, that''s a weird thing to joke about Zieglind." Zeta tried to play it off.

    "..." Zieglind stood there with an unfazed face. He wasn''t doing anything but we could feel his intense pressure.

    No one spoke, until Rize did. "Hey Zieglind! What''s the meaning of this!?"

    "I said what needs to be said. This meeting is for the Crimson Knights. Zeta, Greta, LEAVE."

    It was like a spear that pierced my chest and someone just rips it out. "Wha-... We''ve been loyal to you for three years! We waited for you to come back! And now you''re just going to dispose us like we''re tools?"

    "What? Did you want a ceremony? A farewell party?"

    "You know DAMN well what she''s talking about!" Zeta tried to stand up for me.

    "I do. And what of it? Your journey ends here. You''re no longer a part of this group. I want the both of you to leave."

    "Zieglind! Stop that! What are you saying, they''re our allies and they''ve been loyal to you for three years! Stop this! Right? Everyone!?" Rize looked around trying to find validation from the others but no one spoke. "Yefa?" She looked away from her. "Precia?" She also did the same. "Anyone?" But no one said a word.

    Zeta was getting angry and confused about the situation. "FINE! If you want us to leave then you''ll have to force us!"

    "Is that so..?" Zieglinda looked Zeta in the eye fiercely. And in that moment, no one could see what Zieglind did but a loud thud was heard and Zeta was no longer in the room where we were in. "Now, leave."

    I desperately tried to find where Zeta was but he was blown outside. And I couldn''t see what Zieglind did. And that''s coming from a beast person like myself. "Zieglind! Tell us what we did wrong, none of us wants to leave?"

    "But I want you to."

    "Zieglind! You''ve gone too FAR!" Zeta rose from the ground below and was hovering in the air looking down at Zieglind.

    "Come, I''ll drive you out here myself."

    "Magus Armor! Trident of the Seas! Staff of Cataclysm!" Zeta''s near transparent cloak appeared, on his body. His trident with a three prong was sending out waves of water magic. And that staff was something that he hasn''t shown to me or anyone. I''ve never seen that dark staff.

    "Come." Zieglind taunted him without even changing into any armor or drawing out any weapon.

    "Dragon Lightning!" Zeta summoned a giant dragon formed with lightning. But this is the first time that I''ve seen how big this dragon is. His armor also changed into a much more volatile lightning armor when he casted that spell.

    "Dragon Lightning!" Both of their dragons clashed but without any effects or buffs, Zieglind destroyed his spell and Zeta did the same cancelling each other out.

    "Heaven''s Destroyer!" Countless meteors were falling from the sky.

    "Demon King''s Domain." Suddenly, the world around us changed into a pitch black never ending darkness. It seems that everyone is here also. "There''s people there and you try to pull of this skill? Barrier!" All the meteors fell into the barrier that Zieglind put up for everyone. His barrier''s strength was more powerful than the meteors that Zeta casted.

    "You were trying to discard us! I''m going to do everything I can within my power to prevent that from happening!"

    "And I''m doing everything in my power for that moment to happen."

    "Three years! Three years of complete loyalty! We were there for you for everything as I helped you with everything that you''ve asked. And right now, I still feel the same! I still haven''t repaid you. Greta hasn''t repaid you yet!"

    "I don''t need repayment."

    "You''ve saved us from the depths of helland at the lowest points in our lives. And now you''re not going to take responsibility for saving a life!?"

    "This is the decision that I have to do and have led to. Nothing will change my mind unless you beat me."

    "FINE! I still haven''t repaid you for letting me meet Greta, saving my life. I''ll return all of that to you. I''ll pay you for everything that you''ve done for me. You''re the reason all of us are alive. And taking that loyalty away from us!? You were the reason why we kept on living!"

    "I see."

    "ARGH! Heavenly Call of the Lightning Dragon King!" Clouds were summoned from above and thousands of lightning strikes created a cage for us all. Those lightnings then slowly formed a head, then a body, then finally a tail. This dragon was giant, far bigger than anything I''ve seen.

    "Hmm..."

    "Dragon King! Lay waste on everything!" The dragon roared and began to spew out lightning from the ground. As soon as it hit the ground, it began to spread.

    "Barrier." Zieglind shielded us all and faced the monster by himself. "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" Zieglind summoned a small flame that turned into his demon sword. "Demon Form!" A beacon of light shot up to the sky. It was a purple flame emitting intense heat. His body changed of that of a demonic being. A core in his chest, horns, his skin was no longer there but swapped with something even more ominous looking.

    "[Forbidden Lightning Seal] Za Ra Me Ur To Be Go!" The Forbidden Lightning Seal, able to imbue anything with lightning with ten times the rate. "Dragon King! Summon a lightning barrier!" The dragon king then set up a giant globe of circle around its body and Zeta''s body. "RAIN TERROR!"

    Zieglind flew up to face the Dragon King. And it was spewing out lighting at Zieglind. But he was just unfazed. I could see blood going everywhere but Zieglind has no intention to back out. "Hell''s Retribution." His sword disappeared and turned into that small light again. He grabbed it with his hands and his hands began to intensely glow in a purple flame. Zieglind punched the barrier that was shielding the dragon and instantly broke it. The dragon was destroyed in the process too. The shockwave of his punch even shocked Yefa.

    "I WON''T LET IT END LIKE THIS! EYE O-"

    Zieglind teleported in front of Zeta. "But I will." And punched the shield that was around his body destroying it and sending him flying.

    "Argh..." Zeta was throwing up blood so I rushed over to his aid.

    "That''s the deal. Leave this place."

    "Why do you... want us to leave in the first place!?" Zeta was shouting as his body was aching. I couldn''t say anything nor do anything. I know it from the start. This was my fault. I could only hug his body as they talked.

    "That''s for you to figure out yourself. I don''t want to see any of you ever again."

    "This declaration of yours was something that came out of nowhere. So why did you want us to leave! TELL M-..." Zeta had a realization.

    "This is enough. I have nothing more to talk about. Dispel." We were all back at the castle.

    Zeta detached himself from me and stood up. "ZIEGLIND!" He then grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Is this about the baby!? Because if so I won''-"

    Zieglind punched Zeta in the face down at the ground. "Complete that sentence and I will kill you. Right here, right now."

    Zeta began to tear up, "Then you''re saying that in the first place we shouldn''t ha-" I couldn''t help but let out tears as everyone watched this scene. I knew it from the very start. Zieglind was trying to protect us. And this baby.

    Zieglind punched him in the face again. "Do you know how MUCH I ENVY YOU TWO!? I''m giving you two the option that I never had in the first place! I''m giving you freedom, detaching the both of you from this world that we live in. A place to start over. With a child that you two have to care for. And you''re saying you want to throw that away to repay me? Well here''s news Zeta, I DON''T CARE WHAT I DID FOR YOU. All I care is how much I love the both of you to the point that I can''t let you take with me on this journey. I don''t need your repayment. I don''t need anything at all. So leave. This is the best I can give you."

    Yurid came out of Zeta''s body. "..." And went over to Zieglind''s side.

    "Zeta, while I still can and while there''s still time. I want you both to leave and start over. I want you to have the life that I want. So Zeta, Greta... thank you for everything and... goodbye."

 Chapter 210: Farewell My Journey.

    It was like the feeling of your chest being ripped out open. I wanted to do more. Serve more under his lead. He has given me so much but I have given nothing in return.

    He saved me from that hellhole in the black market, he gave me the chance to take revenge, he gave me the motivation to get stronger and he let me meet Greta in this lifetime. But was that a mistake that I didn''t expect?

    Right now I''m doubting my love for Greta. This all happened because of that child. That child was Zieglind''s reason to kick me out. I wasn''t even on planning that but it just happened.

    "For an intelligent man like you, you''re incredibly, stupidly dumb." Yurid was inside of me, talking to me.

    That''s it! Yurid can help me. She''s stronger than me but she just needs mana. "Help me Yurid, I''ll defeat Zieglind and earn my place again!"

    "No Zeta. I agree with his decision. And you should too. Enjoy your life with Greta. That''s the best gift you''ll ever had."

    "What are you saying Yurid! I came to get you so that I can stay by his side and repay him. And at the same time take revenge for our master!"

    "You already killed him didn''t you?"

    "I already did but the one who ordered him is who I want to take revenge on!"

    "Ouroboros? I see. I won''t blame you for that. I also feel that way. I will kill that person by myself."

    "That''s why help me! So that we have a better chance of killing Ouroboros! Once we''re at Zieglind''s side, we''ll easily kill him!"

    "Did you forget what I said? I will kill Ouroboros by myself. Zeta, your journey ends here."

    "Yurid..?"

    "I''ll stay by Zieglind''s side. Just live peacefully." Yurid detached from my soul and summoned her physical form.

    "Yurid! What are you doing!?"

    "Sorry Zeta. You need this. You need to accept what Zieglind gave you. A life that he wished he had." Yurid then flew next to Zieglind.

    "Zeta," Zieglind began to speak. "While I still can and while there''s still time. I want you both to leave and start over. I want you to have the life that I want. So Zeta, Greta... thank you for everything and... goodbye." He turned around and left the room. Everyone was silent. While I was here on my knees, trying to remember all the times he saved me and the times that he gave for me.

    I couldn''t do anything for him. Not a single thing. He keeps on saving and saving but the one he saved couldn''t save him from this sorrow of this world. I want to repay it back somehow. That''s literally all I want.

    Greta hugged me as to ease the pain but all I can feel now in just emptiness. He gave me the reason to live and suddenly all of that was casted away into nothingness.

    Greta helped me stand up and we began to walk away at Izgoy. A final look as we both let out tears. We''re no longer part of that world. And we can no longer repay the person that gave us salvation.

    "I''m sorry Zeta... this is my fault." Greta leaned on my chest.

    "No its not..." I couldn''t blame her. Even if I wanted to. Three years disappeared in a blink of an eye. Our loyalty, our pledge and everything that we wanted to do. Its... all gone.

    We both wandered around the world for the next week. We had nowhere to go, nowhere to go back to. A few days after that, Greta''s condition worsened. It seems that the baby is nearing. Beast people have a faster time to grow a baby than humans.

    I bought a house far in the kingdom of Germogorn and settled there as normal citizens. I was there not as an adventurer but a fisherman. So that I could have some time to clear my head.

    Few days pass and Greta''s stomach is now larger than before. Because of that kid.

    From this day forward, I hated the baby that was growing inside of Greta. That baby was the reason the both of us didn''t have anything to go back to.

    I can''t help Zieglind. He''s going to cut me off his life for good if I ever did that. This was his decision and all I can do now is obey that. That''s the least I could do.

    BUT WHY!? Why am I getting punished for this... accident!?

    I was only happy when Greta said that she was pregnant since I thought our relationship has gone farther than that. I thought... I thought I wanted it. But the way things are going now... I''ll only raise this kid to be hated by me.

    Greta definitely sees through my anger and frustration... But she never says anything. She''s just there silent... I couldn''t say it straight to her face but this kid... was a mistake. It was a simple mistake.

    A few more days pass and Greta''s condition worsened. I''ve called doctors around the town and it seems that her due date was near so all I could do was stand by her side and wait.

    They gave me potions and herbs and what Greta needs to take. She was there on the bed laying down incredibly exhausted. "Zeta... Do you regret... having a baby?"

    That question of hers in that weakened state broke my heart. But I have to be honest. "No. I just hate that that kid was the reason that we didn''t get to repay Zieglind."

    "I... see." A sorrow face went on Greta''s face. "I know how you feel... And I hate myself too for it."

    "This isn''t your fa-"

    Greta put her hands on my face. "But no matter what happens will you promise me something?"

    "Sure..."

    "Will you love this kid?"

    "I''ll try." I couldn''t agree to that. I already hate it when it still isn''t even born. That kid was a mistake and is a mistake.

    "ARGH!" Greta began to shout in pain. "It''s... here! Call them!"

    "Got it!" I ran out and began to call the doctor that I hired. She rushed over to Greta and began to help her. I couldn''t bear to see her in that state. In so much pain so I went out. Just patiently waiting. Uneasiness worked up throughout my whole body trying to wish that she''d be fine.

    After a few hours, the doctor went out, "The delivery is a success. Congratulations mister."

    "Thank you." I let out a wry smile as I couldn''t be happy at this moment. But I just went in and saw Greta holding the baby.

    Her pace was pale and her body was extremely exhausted. But the moment she saw her child, tears came out from her eyes. "Zeta... our child... she''s beautiful... And yes... its a girl."

    "Wow..." I began to shed tears but I didn''t know why. I had to hate this girl. I have to. She''s the reason why Zieglind banished me.

    "Hold her Zeta... please."Greta stretched out her hand to give me this baby.

    I grabbed her and the torrent of tears coming out of my eyes couldn''t stop. Why..? Why am I feeling this way? This overwhelming happiness? Was it because of her beautiful eyes that she inherited from her mother? Her smile that gave me peace? It was like holding something so fragile that I don''t want anything or anyone to hurt her.

    This conflicted feelings of mine disappeared and just turned into love. This feeling of happiness... this peace... I couldn''t contain it anymore. I let out a cry that if a man would see me, they''d call me a wimp. But I didn''t care for it.

    This is the first time in my life that I''ve felt so happy. So successful. So... fulfilled.

    The baby grabbed my finger with her tiny little hands and I felt like I could die today and I wouldn''t mind it at all. I thought I hated her... She was the reason I was casted out... But the words that came out of my mouth... "I... love her." Were the true feelings inside me as I saw her.

    In the end, Zieglind gave me another reason to live and helped me gain the peace that me and Greta wanted for a very long time. How can I ever repay him? This happiness... this is too much. Am I really allowed to have this? "Zieglind... thank you... thank you..." I held her tightly with an embrace. As if I could never let her go.

    "What should we name her?" Greta asked me.

    "Even if its a memento... Lin. Let''s name her Lin. Taken from Zieglind''s name."

    "Lin huh... that''s a great name."

    "It seems that you''ve finally realized what Zieglind had to do." Yurid was inside of my head. Which caught me off-guard.

    "Yurid!?" I asked.

    "Zeta... protect your child and Greta. That''s what our master would''ve wanted. Take a rest now. You no longer need to fight. Live in peace... That''s Zieglind''s farewell gift to you."

    "Yurid... Zieglind... everyone..." I couldn''t believe it. I was surrounded by people who I love so much and care for me.

    "I''ll assist Zieglind in his journey. Zeta... live well." Yurid''s soul came out of my body but this time it was smaller than her normal size. And flew away.

    "So you''ve left a part of your soul with me... Thank you... Yurid... everyone... thank you... I love you all so much."

 Chapter 211: Looking Forward...

    That meeting with the Crimson Knights was just... silent and fast. We all garnered up information and I noticed that none of them wants to chat so I just ended the meeting there.

    I could feel a slight bit of contempt from Rize''s emotions. But for the others, they understood my actions. They hated the outcome but they couldn''t say anything. I didn''t know if it was because of fear or they simply hadn''t think of an alternative other than kicking him off.

    All of us dispersed once again and I headed back into hell.

    A few weeks pass and the expansion of my control over hell is now expanding. I already gathered two kingdoms here and a portion of the Death Reapers.

    "Are you sure that you want to stay here?" I asked her.

    "Yeah... Zeta''s journey might''ve ended, but not mine. I was created for the sole purpose of destroying Ouroboros. So I''ll be sticking around you." Yurid replied.

    "If you''re going to be a revenge driven dead weight, I''m going to kick you myself."

    "You can try."

    "No... you."

    "Hmm... tough guy. But either way I won''t be a burden."

    "...Fine. Then prove yourself. Capture one kingdom and I''ll let you in."

    "But you let the other three get in without this trial of yours?"

    "Its because I needed them."

    "Hmm... alright then. But you have to do something for me first. I need some mana. I''m a tool, not even a living being. My mana can''t naturally regenerate."

    "Sure, I have a lot. I doubt you can absorb them all."

    "Hmm... Mana Sap!" She then began to take my mana for herself.

    "Status." A thousand mana per second. A few seconds later, she drained about fifty thousand worth of mana out of me.

    "Argh... ARGH!" Yurid began to shout in pain.

    "What''s hap-" I then remember where my mana came from. It took a toll on my mind when I was first absorbing the memories of those two combatants... But she absorbed everything pretty quickly. So their life must be flashing before her eyes.

    "This... the greatest mage and the strongest... swordsman!? Why do you have these memories!?"

    "That''s when I was away, training with Herold..."

    "I once stole your mana but... I never experienced something like this. Was it because it was too little before?"

    "Just... calm down and look at their life as a movie."

    "What''s a movie!?"

    "Okay I forgot this world is set in a medieval setting... That''s my fault, I''m sorry. But think of it as a play. Just calm down and listen to them ramble about their life."

    "Got it!" Yurid sat down and began to meditate. In an instant, her shouts of pain stopped. Her head was incredibly clear and she''s merely watching the life of those two flash before her eyes. She learns quick at a fearfully fast rate.For the first few weeks of absorbing their mana and trying to view their life.

    After a few minutes, the wry emotion on her face was gone. She''s now just seeing how the old two was fighting or listening to their stories. A few hours later, I was just there, inspecting her. This is a dangerous technique that can shatter one''s mind. I nearly died to this but Herold saved me countless of times. So if I ever have to drag her out there using a skill, I''ll do it. He''s Zeta''s accomplice so I''ll do anything for her. Then a few more hours, I could no longer feel the danger and Yurid opened her eyes. "Done?"

    "...Yeah." Yurid looked at herself but nothing changed.

    "Mana Search." I was insanely shocked. Her whole body is mana itself. Its not flowing in veins or anything, it''s just simply her whole body that is mana itself. So that''s why her mana capacity is abnormal. Well, I know mine is abnormal with my mana capacity but I had to kind of cheat for a bit to get this. But her... she was made by her master.And looking at her now, the mana around her body began to pulse. It seems that its evolving as we speak.

    "Let me try... Crystal Weapon, Crystal Fortification!" Yurid opened her hand and a giant towering spiky sword appeared.

    It was imbued with frost magic and as I touched it, my hands on the Demon Form which I currently am right now, has sent out ice on my hands but soon disappeared because of the additional skill. Flames of Shroud, the flames surrounding my body. Which grants 70% resistance against cold, lightning and dark magic. And grants an additional 40% resistance to the rest of the elements. "So? What did that show?"

    "The strength of my weapon creation. And the strength of my power. Magic Break!" Her ice sword began to show cracks out of nowhere and spreads from the bottom to the top. Then after that, it was completely shattered. "Learning the greatest mage''s skills are amazing."

    "You also learned their skill while trying to view their memories?" So it can be stolen from me if I get my mana drained.

    "Now I really want to try this. Alright, follow me!"

    I went with her wishes and flew right to the nearest kingdom near us. This wasn''t governed by anyone since this is a playground for the demons so that Yurid can let loose.

    The place was on fire, it was like a furnace spewing out flames every second. Demons were laughing happily as they feast on whatever meat they were eating. Their shouts and laughter stopped once they saw us.

    They began to shriek at us loudly.

    "Hehe... watch me!" Yurid flew in front of their kingdom. "Hey you ugly ass freaks!" And that got all of their attention. "Bow to me! Or something... Ah screw this." She started blasting. "Crystal Hail Fallen!" Thousands of ice spears were suddenly formed at the sky. All of it fell down and as soon as it hit the ground, it spread like WILDFIRE.

    The burnt ground disappeared and it was like a frozen field. The lava got frozen, the enemies, the demons everything got frozen at her disposal. They couldn''t move or do anything. It was just a permanent freeze throughout their entire body.

    "Call of the East!" A sudden gust of wind appeared and blew away all the ice off their bodies and on the environment. But in exchange, all of their bodies were sliced with small cuts.

    "Wounds Amplify!" Suddenly, the small cuts on their bodies grew worse and larger to the point that some of their limbs fell off due to the sheer amount of damage she just inflicted.

    "Alright, time to end this! Darkest Descent!" A giant orb of darkness appeared at the top of her hands. She then waved her hand down and the dark orb descended down on the kingdom obliterating everything with it.

    The demons below couldn''t do anything. They were all just there as fodder. Training for Yurid''s ever growing power. "I''ll need to your sap your mana every now and then. My mana capacity also upgraded with this."

    "I told you to capture a kingdom not completely destroy it." I let out a sigh.

    "Well at least now you can see the capacity of my powers."

    "Haaa.... I guess that''s fine. Yurid, you''re now a part of the Crimson Knights and I bestow to you my last name."

    "Yurid Reysh? That sounds ugly."

    "Sometimes, I just wonder how Zeta kept up with you."

    "Well, we did spend two years in isolation."

    "I see..." I then noticed something in her eyes. A single tear was there. "Yurid..?"

    "Ah sorry. A part of my soul came back. It seems that way."

    "A part of your soul? So you''re not a full machine?"

    "I was once a human but the master saved me."

    "And what do you mean by your soul coming back?"

    "I left a part of my soul on Zeta. I know it''ll weaken me in the process but I didn''t mind. In the end Zeta finally got over everything. He finally knew what your intentions were."

    "Hmph. Took him long enough."

    "Hmm... you''re jealous aren''t you?"

    "I remember now why Zeta was so scared of you. You see through everything don''t you? And combined with your obnoxious personality..."

    "I''ll just pretend I didn''t hear that."

    "Haa... well you''re not wrong. Sometimes, I just wish I was in his place. I''m happy for him."

    "I know you want to. You can mourn if you want."

    "Even if I wanted to, I can''t." Well, no matter how much I mope about my current situation. I can''t do anything about it. The fate that I have is much more bigger than what I want. And I will do anything to save this planet. I''ve grown accustomed to its inhabitants to the point that I''ll do anything for them. This is my life now. And I can''t do anything about it. But for them, I can do something."I hope Zeta can enjoy that life. I will never be able to get that anymore. Since... I''m no longer human."

 Chapter 212: Repeated Loss

    It has been several weeks since we let go of Zeta and Greta. I still hold anger and contempt against Zieglind. I know I shouldn''t have these feelings since he gave us everything we wanted but... The way he threw out Zeta was something I heavily disagreed on.

    The mood of my team is still sour since Zeta and Greta left. Well... it was a great loss. He''s the one who made most of our plans with Zieglind. He''s the one who protected us in a lot of situations and its just sad to see him go.

    Everyone is trying to hide their face as their clench their teeth from his departure. Helga and Feran are just silent. But they understand our sorrow. They haven''t spent a long time with Zeta but they know how great of a man he was.

    But on to other news... Me and the others have been joining this trial for a long time now. We''re all now at level 300 or more. For me I''m 347 and the others are leveling up faster than I thought. Zieglind and Zeta completed this at around... level 100 or something? So I still don''t understand how we''re losing right now.

    The difficulty went up, but its more than we expected. But we finally got into the fourth trial.

    "Rize? Are you ready now?" Precia asked me.

    "Yep." I stood up and followed Precia as we call Feran and Helga on there rooms.

    We then all headed to the trials and signed up as we always do. Right now, our morale might be low, but our resolve is stronger than ever.

    The game starts out the same as usual. Thousands of hellhounds appeared. But they were all taken care by me.

    "Rain of Arrows!" I then shot up a single arrow straight at the sky and once it hit a certain height, it began to clone and split into thousands of pieces.

    "Flame Gate Open!" Feran opened up a giant portal in the sky horizontally. The moment those arrows passed through that gate, the arrows got imbued with fire magic and as it hits the ground, it spreads throughout the entire arena.

    Hellhounds might be incredibly resistant to fire, but the arrows combined with Feran''s fire magic, it made easy kill in the first round. All the contestants were unharmed so we moved on to stage two.

    Stage two, the all out war between two factions. Hundreds of contestants halved and fighting with each other.

    We made quick work of everything. Feran to open up several gates in the air, different elements. Even our allies get buffed with it.

    The mages shoots magic projectiles into the enemies'' side and once it passed through Feran''s gates, it''ll be imbued with magic. Even if it contradicts with each other. Ignoring the laws of magic.

    Fire and ice combined freezes the enemies on their tracks and inside that ice, there''s a small, spreading fire that surrounds them, burning them inside while they can''t move from the ice''s freeze.

    Rock and water slows down enemies and randomly gets dragged to the middle of the puddle that this combination does.

    Light and dark magic consecutively sucks them in the middle and then the light magic chains them so that they can''t move.

    Fire and Wind magic creates a tornado of fire that shoots out random small fireballs throughout.

    And so much more Feran has to offer. I thought he''d be useless at first but his enchantments are incredibly helpful. If our capabilities are 100%, then Feran being here is about 500%. He contributes so much to the team without us even noticing it.

    And these gates have so much complexity to them. If our allies, or even us, passes through this gate, our weapons will be imbued with magic too. Just like what he did before with those arrows. But if I go in the gate... and I did with the wind gate, enemies will be knocked away once they get near me. The fire gate sends out a pulse of fire every five seconds that burns enemies. The dark gate drags the enemy closer to the one imbued to it. And rock gate creates spikes behind us that retracts back to the ground once an ally is about to hit it. And there''s so much more creativity in his skills that I don''t even understand how.

    Feran''s powers is growing incredibly strong. To the point that we won''t be able to keep up with him. And with his unrelenting support to us... we got through... immediately.

    A short break and we were taken to a small place where we ate our food even when we don''t need to since we defeated all those monsters and enemies within 30 minutes. And there''s 50 people left.

    They were all staring at us weirdly, some were amazed, some were annoyed, but we didn''t mind. All we have in common now is a single goal everyone is waiting for. We''re going to complete this trial once and for all.

    We went out and faced the enemies that we had absolute trouble with. These basilisks...

    "Mental Fortification, Negate Mind Control!" Helga casted on all of us. "Geez, do you really need me for this?" Two spells that counteract the basilisk''s intense gaze. Precia achieved this when she got level 100 and level 200.

    "Of course we do. Let''s end this right now. I don''t wanna see these ugly creatures again." Neco added.

    Right now, Neco is the strongest part of our team. His damage combined with his speed makes him untraceable. He swoops in, appears in just a millisecond then disappears completely. And his enemies doesn''t even notice that they were already killed.

    He danced within the pack of basilisks heading towards us. It was like seeing a thick string line in the battlefield flowing through everywhere.

    "Enhanced Senses, Third Eye, Speed''s Eye, Wind''s Guidance, Mana Search!" Feran casted five buffs on himself. "Berserker''s Attack!"

    A bright light appeared from the battlefield but no one was there. But a basilisk''s body was suddenly sliced in half and its remains were blown away. Neco stopped from his tracks and looked at Neco. "Was that... you?"

    All of us looked at Feran and couldn''t believe it. "Yep." He followed Neco when we couldn''t even see him. "Five sense enhancements and I can barely follow you. And this skill... Berserker''s attack is a spell

    "Hmph." Neco continued on with his rampage, like an invisible spirit in the battlefield. Heads and bodies were flying everywhere. Feran''s enhancements combined with Neco''s absolute fast speed were something to see. It was a work of art. Precise enhancements, fast movements, and the only thing we can see is the line that was on the battlefield. Like a ghost that comes and go.

    The spectators, the commentator and even the contestants were all silent. They were looking at an art piece being created in front of them. And us too were amazed. We just hit level 300 and something inside us changed. We got stronger.

    And following Zeta and Greta leaving... Our goals need to be stronger. Far... stronger than anything we''ve seen. We have to do this. For Zeta and for Greta. That''s why we must fight and fight. Because after everything is over... We''ll all reunite as we always did. But this time, its going to be all about peace.

    No more heartbreaks, no more pain and no more battle to fight. We''re only going to continue on living because that''s life. And we''ll end this. End everything. As the fight against Ouroboros comes closer and closer.

    Neco and Feran''s rampage stopped and after the silence, comes the applause. Everyone was pumped up. Excited to see if there''ll be a new reigning champion. Everyone cheered and shouted.

    The remaining contestants laughed, shrugged or got annoyed. But either way, they all left the arena and left us there. Well, they really didn''t do anything. So even if they win, its all stolen glory and they all knew that.

    So its just the four of us... facing this monstrosity again once more. Feran applied multiple layer of buffs on all of us. And we couldn''t believe how much spells he can cast this time. Before he''s only allowed to use at least twenty or less but this time... he''s been casting mana without even worrying about it. So his mana pool must be amazing.

    But enough of that, this is the time where we face these dragons again. We''ve been here twice and we''ve lost. So we won''t let that happen again. We won''t fail. We definitely won''t!

    "Rize!" Neco called out to me. Everyone then looked at to me too.

    "Mhm." We then watched as the five dragons summoned up from the ground. Dark Elemental Dragon, Fire Elemental Dragon, Wind Elemental Dragon, Light Elemental Dragon and a Frost Elemental Dragon... And the most dangerous one of them all... "Law Breaker! Disable all fire spells!" The dragon who gave us the most trouble. "Now, let''s do this again!"

 Chapter 213: Final Trial

    The five dragons roared and the crowd got hyped up even more. This is the final trial that we all have to do for our quest to be completed.

    "Alright let''s go!" I pulled the string of my bow with all I''ve got and loaded a single arrow on it, "Dragon Devourer Arrow!" An anti-dragon weapon. I specifically aimed at the fire dragon and shot it. Its intense speed and force managed to melt the ground as it travelled. It pierced through the fire dragon''s chest and to the other side. But its still not dead. Dragons are incredibly resilient. "Neco, Feran! Now!"

    Neco rushed in and the two dragons noticed him. The Wind Dragon shot out a tornado that blasted anything in its way and the Light Dragon began to charge up a beam. "Dark Absorption!"

    "Dual Dark Gate Open!" Feran with his impeccable timing, opened up a dark gate which combined with the tornado and the Light Dragon''s beam. As the dragon''s spells passed through the gates, its now imbued with dark magic.

    And with this in mind... Neco absorbed the magic. Both the tornado and the beam of the light dragon and imbued it into hisdaggers. The other one was a roaring tornado of darkness and the other one was glowing with a dark purple light around it. "Annihilation Rush!" And then... he disappeared then reappeared. The elements no longer imbued in his sword. But the fire dragon behind him froze and multiple sources of straight lines appeared on the dragon''s body. It fell on the ground completely sliced up. And no one saw what he just did.

    The crowd roared in laughter and in amazement. But the fight isn''t done yet. The other dragons were enraged and was ready to go. The frost dragon flew up to the sky and summoned a gigantic magic circle in the sky. It was filled with patterns of language that I don''t know. And that magic circle was like... a gate.

    Frost Giants, hulking monsters which summons ice spikes. Frost Pain Elementals, a monster that has no mind but only an ice as its body, able to freeze and inflict ice damage on whoever touches them, has also an ice breath. Frost Spirits, an upgraded version of Ice Spirits, able to mimic the appearance and spells of anything it possesses. Frost Dragonlets, small versions of the Frost Dragons, less firepower but still incredibly dangerous.

    The stadium got larger, around five more times. It was a much more larger battlefield and a projection of our battle was up in the sky being shown to the people. The other four dragons did the same.

    The Dark Dragon opened up a purple magic circle in the sky and spawned in hundreds of monsters. Faceless, a monster that drags anything down at the ground, then leaving them there to be devoured by the Void Spiders. The Void Spiders are spiders that can pass through the ground and can create tough webs that most people wouldn''t be able to get out, they also have an incredibly ugly appearance. Chupacabra, but this time its imbued with dark magic. Its eyes were fierce and intimidating. Chupacabra monsters are practically vampires, they drink and get drunk on blood which will give them a lot of benefits. And finally... Dark Sources... a floating cube that connects its tendrils on a host and powers them up.

    The Wind Dragon let out a giant tornado and as soon as it dispersed, a gigantic magic circle appeared. Wind Sylphs... monsters that empowers anything in its vicinity with wind magic and heals them. Treants, tree monsters that amplifies the defense of anything that was around it. Fairies, able to summon dangerous winds, as powerful as the Wind Dragon but can be taken down easily. And the most dangerous of them all... A single Wind Crown King. The owner of the Wind Dragon.

    The Light Dragon then did the same and summoned a magic circle of its own. Holy Books, monsters that looks like a book. But in reality, they''re powerful enchanters and healers. They can cleanse most weak spells known. Holy Gladiators, a mindless, controlled army of Gladiators. In mounts, with spears, lances, sword and all varieties of weapon. An army that can feel no pain and will do everything its owner wanted. The perfect army. The Ruined Sentinels, golem monsters that can control light magic to a high degree combined with their ultimate defense. And finally, two Fallen Angels. Monsters that can resurrect as long as their master is alive. And they''re carrying two greatswords that sends out a wave of light magic every time they swing it.

    We didn''t know that they had the capacity or power to do this. Last time, we tried to disable fire then head straight to the fire dragon but we got knocked out by the tornado of the Wind Dragon and then the Fire Dragon spewing fire while we couldn''t do anything. So we dropped out like that multiple times but... "We''re in a lot of trouble right now aren''t we..?" I just couldn''t believe how powerful they were. Are we really this helpless against these monsters?

    "We''re going to continue to lose so I''m sick of that. I''m going all out." Neco then began to channel a lot of mana and it created a wind to the point that we were being knocked away. "I''m tired of fighting these monsters. So I''ll go all out! Soul Transmutation!" Both of his daggers began to merge with his arms and root like darkness slowly spreading on his body. It was like a dark murky layer of darkness that resembled a thick violet poison. "Every part of me is a blade..." Spikes..? Or blades as he called it, appeared on his joints. Horns appeared from his forehead. And he got taller..? No, his feet were upright to the point that his souls were the only thing touching the ground. He took a step forward and disappeared.

    "That''s insane." Feran suddenly said out of nowhere. "Multiple layers of senses and I saw what you all saw. He just... disappeared. But at this form... I can''t sense him with anything. He has no... mana."

    The battlefield was silent. As if time has stopped itself. At this moment, we could feel Neco''s absolute terror as he rampaged throughout the battlefield. Not a single trail was left. We could only hear the sounds of steel slowly but surely going through the flesh of something. The scraping sound, the silent shrieks, metal clanging... he was just there... a ghost of death. And anything he touches... dies.

    If I was at the monster''s side right now, I could only imagine the fear of heads flying everywhere while you''re there trying to find out who''s killing them. It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

    Neco reappeared and the armor surrounding his body was burning, especially on his feet. "I still need to practice more huh..." We were just confused on what he just said. That feat of what he just did surpassed all of us. To the point that even Feran couldn''t see it with his own buffs to himself. "I''ve left some trails. Its not enough." As we looked on the battlefield, he only left some trails of his feet marked on the ground. Well, he was moving too fast that he literally burnt his feet due to his speed.

    A second later, the monsters the dragons summoned fell on the ground. Their weapons and armor cut through, their heads were flying and just... no one... nothing was left alive. Neco keeps amazing us more and more as we continue to evolve in this place.

    That''s why for me as the first member that Zieglind recruited, I won''t get surpassed. I put my Hou Yi''s bow inside of my inventory and began to change. "Overseer''s Light!" Wings grew out from my back, and an armor, forged by angels and the fire used from hell. I see and hear everything. "Bow of Heaven and Hell, a combination of good and evil. Angel Rush!" A single arrow manifested at the bow and all I had to do was pull it back once and a giant concentrated mana appeared at the tip of the arrow. And my body was screaming, telling me to let it go. And so I did. A single arrow lunged at the wind dragon.

    It pierced through its defenses and lunged straight into its chest. Hundreds of angels appeared behind me and took aim. A second later, they released their arrows and headed straight at the dragon. It repeated and repeated until it was dead. "Angel Rush!" A single arrow manifested again at the bow but then I thought of something, "Rain of Arrows!" I aimed straight at the sky and the arrow split in multiple copies and fell on the dragons. Rain of Arrows lessens the damage for the arrows to split but the power of my arrows now are much stronger, able to pierce through their defenses.

    Angels were summoned behind me again and this time, the hundreds of them began to multi target all of the dragons, shooting them all to death. The firepower that I have has gotten stronger... I won''t let anyone down again!

 Chapter 214: Grand Finale

    All we could hear was the deafening cheers of the crowd as we took those dragons easily. This skill that I''ve got was something I got from achieving level 350. I was given a choice on what path I should take when I saw that message from the system.

    -Choose Path-

    [Holy Path]

    A high continuous damage path. Your free skills when redeeming level up will change to this path and will lock the other path''s skills.

    [Dark Path]

    A concentrated, slow damage path that deals massive damage. Your free skills when redeeming level up will change to this path and will lock the other path''s skills.

    And I chose the first one. I want to support everyone on the rear so I chose that. But to think this is this powerful... My efforts are finally showing. I won''t get left behind anymore.

    And so we''re here... on this fateful day. Finally finished everything. We''ve gotten the attention of everyone. Their trust and their unwavering encouragement for us.

    We''ve finally beaten these monsters that we were struggling to get even near to. Everything has finally ended... And here we all are in the final battlefield. We already won. But it is still not finished.

    "I''m leaving. Goodluck to you two." Helga suddenly announced.

    "Same. I''m an enchanter! So what do I even do here?" Same with Feran.

    The two of them left the battlefield and left the two of us here. The crowd went silent. And then, Neco offered something. "Listen Rize... we already know who will win in this fight Rize. So I''ll give you the first hit. And once I dodge it, I''ll go after you."

    "Haaa... fine." Seems like he''s confident that he''ll win. "Dispel." I broke down the Law Breaker. "Barrier!" I casted a small barrier around us both.

    "Why even bother making a barrier around us both? And this''ll break easily with a single blow."

    "Can you though?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Law Breaker Number One! Disable all dark magic!" Using the barrier, the radius of the Law Breaker becomes smaller so that the mana cost will be minimized too. The dark armor and the coating of dark magic on his daggers instantly disappeared.

    "Cra-"

    I quickly shot a single light arrow, "Binding Light Arrow!" and strapped his feet on the ground, he couldn''t move nor do anything. He was just there. "Looks like I win. I won''t get overtaken by a newbie."

    "I can accept my loss Rize since I was naive but uh... C- can you do something about that?"

    "About wh-" A could then see a bright light behind me. But then... I forgot something. The hundreds of angels behind me took aim. I couldn''t do anything to stop it. "Dispel!" I immediately dispelled all of my skills activated and began to run in another direction but Neco was still there, waiting for the binding light to disappear. But it wasn''t fast enough. A barrage of bright light followed and I couldn''t see anything. A consecutive amount of attacks followed.

    I was wishing for him to be fine there. Everyone was just silent. The fog dispersed and it revealed two of the guards putting up a shield. "That''s enough. Rize Reysh wins the trial."

    Everyone''s heavy heart dissipated when they saw that Neco was fine. I was also worried too but it seems that everything was fine. I looked up and thanked the guards but I noticed something strange. There was a crack in the air of some sort? I didn''t saw well but I guess it wasn''t anything serious.

    We were brought to the place where the caster gave us everything we needed and the items that the reward gave us. The Flower of Zeratria, a vial of a weird green potion thingy..? It was said that this was named Potion of Life or something. Neco instantly took it from my hand. He apologized after but it seems that he needed it. No one argued since we didn''t know what that is.

    After all that, we''ve been given some artifacts here and there that is specifically made for us. We registered as a team so even if one of us gets through everyone will still be rewarded. For me, I got the Quiver of Elements.

    [Quiver of Elements]

    An infinite source of arrows. Can''t be given or traded. Can be easily imbued with magic.

    For Feran he got this bracelet. Which is pretty amazing since he''s pretty weak and useless in combat.

    [Bracelet of Imbuement]

    Link this bracelet up to five people. Once your health is below 70%, you''ll be randomly teleported to one of the five people that you''re linked to. Has a range limit of ten kilometers. Has a one hour cooldown per teleport.

    Neco got the Raging Feet, which is an overlay equipment that doesn''t need to be equipped. It can be applied to the feet without taking off the boots.

    [Raging Feet]

    An overlay equipment that gives the user more speed and allows the user to leave a trail of continuous damage depending on the element.

    "What does the continuous damage do..?" Feran asked the host of the trials.

    "Well as we can see in the fight with the trials, you''re mainly using dark magic. You can imbue this with a dark magic and you''ll leave a trail that deals dark magic damage to anyone standing on it and slowly sink enemies into the ground. It depends on what element you''re using." The host immediately replied.

    And finally, Precia got the beautiful tiara.

    [Tiara of the Goddess]

    All healing spells will now take effect immediately.

    "Hmm..? What does this mean?" Helga asked. "Its beautiful but I don''t understand the use."

    "Take the regeneration skill for example, it regenerates 5% of maximum health points per second for the next ten seconds. But if you equip this, you''ll regenerate 50% of the maximum health instantly and the waiting time for the next ten seconds will be gone. Its the same with other spells." The caster said to her.

    "Regeneration is a simple basic heal spell that you can get at level 20... And you''re telling me its better than Great Heal that recovers a large portion of health with this item!?"

    "Yes. It seems that everyone is happy with their results. I have to congratulate each and everyone of you."

    A system message then popped up saying that we got bonus rewards. But no one is saying anything about the key... Maybe its just me since I finished first place? But apparently this unlocks a gate for the next trial... I''ll hold onto it for now since I''m still exhausted with this battle and... I can''t do anything by myself. "Alright everyone, let''s head back!"

    All of us went back to the same old inn and we were all greeted with congratulations. Everyone was having fun, beers and bottles were flying everywhere. Laughter was the thing that was heard throughout the whole night.

    We did it. I still can''t believe that we did it. After all those failures and losses, we managed to pull through. Somehow. This just proves that we finally have some use for him.

    ...

    ...

    Two days later, we finally went to the guild and we were instantly greeted with congratulations by the front desk and everyone. "Congratulations! Your fight with the trials were exceedingly amazing. No one could''ve done that feat so we''re promoting all of you to the highest rank we can offer. Monarchs!" A black, obsidian plated badge was given to us. A symbol of the sky island with our names below it. "You can now take any quest available."

    "Thank you very much!" It seems that things were going well. I don''t have to worry about anything. We''re now finally going to get much more decent quests so that we can raise the favor of this kingdom to our side! "Can w-"

    Someone then barged through the door and guards lined up. A single noble? Or maybe a royalty went through holding a message. He then gave me the scroll that was on his hand.

    The Reysh Party, I''ve seen your heroic deeds and your contribution to this island.

    Eliminating a quest that wasn''t meant for you, doing low level tasks despite being strong,

    And finally, doing something that none of us could do.

    Defeating the trials that sky island has to offer despite it being incredibly much more difficult.

    I would like to ask for your party to take a visit to my castle and hopefully we can be more friendly

    And get to know each other.

    Thank you for your service.

    Signed by: King Herayu Turvasz

    We finally got the attention of the nobles... We''re going to play by their hands first then coerce them into helping our kingdom... Everything is going to plan as expected. "Tell the king I accept his message."

    Murmurs were going all around the guild, everyone were just shocked and was in awe. But we just ignored that. We''re finally moving forward for all of this.

 Chapter 215: Izgoys Prosperity

    "Alright I''ve got to admit. That''s... a lot." Herold was amazed by our work. Well... we have been diligent.

    A ten kilometer of a house filled with... monsters. The appearance is pretty ugly and big but we only made that for temporary housing. But we just caught more monsters... and more, and more until we were forced to expand again and again.

    "Uh... how many... exactly?" Herold timidly asked.

    "...Maybe around hundred thousand..?" Yefa answered.

    "And these are just the fodders right..?''

    "Yeah... We have a separate place for the stronger monsters."

    "And you still have the soul bound monsters... Uh... you planning on taking the world?"

    "Hah, I don''t know. This is something that Zieglind asked of us so we just complied."

    "Hmm... I see. So what will you do now? Will you get more monsters?"

    "I think we''ll take a break and help Ortov fix this ugly house."

    "Hmm... alright. I''ll be going now. Make sure you keep all those monsters in check."

    In a span of seven months... we gathered around a hundred thousand fodder monsters and a quarter of a hundred thousand stronger monsters that are more capable.

    This temporary house has scared off the villagers in Izgoy so we had to assure them for several days that everything was going to be fine. So I left them Faye and the phoenix to guard the place. Everyone was hesitant at first but they all grew fond of Faye and the phoenix.

    Faye''s phoenix can heal most wounds so it was a must for those who are hunting food for the people and the ones who were mining if they ever got into an accident. So Faye was immediately loved by everyone.

    Next up, I put Zaref the Zombie Talisman user. Everyone mostly stays away from him but he doesn''t really care. He puts up protection talisman all around Izgoy and spends most of his time researching with Lam. The both of them seems to work well.

    Zaref last month put up a giant array of protection at the middle of Izgoy which took a lot of space. But it worked after countless trials. It seems that it was his first time seeing how much he redid that array of protection. But it worked. Yefa punched it once with all her might and there was already a crack. But this amazed Zaref seeing how its a hundred times more powerful than Xend material. So Yefa''s strength is no joke.

    I appointed other monster guards which were all around Izgoy just scouting and defending. I told them to only intervene in the fights if the people are in dire danger. I don''t want to stop Afal''s small elite units from becoming stronger so I just let them hunt on their own and train on their own.

    ...

    ...

    So a few more weeks pass and we''ve been helping Ortov get whatever he needed. Which took us at least three weeks to complete. We have...expanded. To the point that Izgoy is barely known right now. Izgoy''s size went up by at least ten times. Our whole kingdom is so huge that we cut off the forest that we used as a cover for our base and replanted all of those outside.

    We didn''t have Helga so we had to place it all by ourselves and the help of some mages then used the healers in my army and Afal''s elite units to fasten the place from growing.

    Hundred thousands of monsters and I thought that it would be difficult to rule but no. Its easy. They all seem subservient and incredibly loyal so I don''t need to worry about anything. So the only thing holding me back is the people. They still seem to be hesitant to get even over the gates that divided Izgoy and the homes of the slaves that we built.

    They aren''t really saying much about it but they seem to be incredibly scared. So I just gave up on it for now and we''ll figure it out later.

    ...

    ...

    A week passed and thousands of people were coming through which was pretty weird. Apparently it was because of me and Yefa. We bought thousands worth of materials from several places. But Lam specifically told us to buy them in several places so we did. But we only bought materials from five places... And since we have so much money, we all blew it away on those five kingdoms.

    Lam was pretty angry since the goal was to spend at least 5% of the money that he gave us to one kingdom then move on to the next so that we won''t get noticed by royalty or nobles. I can understand it but it seems that we didn''t get his message that clearly.

    So we had no choice but to let them all in to the newly built Izgoy. They first went to the place where Izgoy started. But once they passed through the gates to the monsters that we enslaved, they instantly ran away. Some didn''t and wanted to actually set up a shop here. I just agreed and let him do what he wanted. The townspeople didn''t like it at first but they soon warmed up when they notice that the new shop established is a cooking shop.

    So now, they can have more variety of food. Everyone was happy so I went on to a small journey to find more people who are able to cook and would like to cook for our place.

    We really didn''t care about money that much so I put up an insanely high salary fee per month of a hundred gold which thousands immediately took. But we had to pick the best one so I just asked Lam to do it for us.

    In the end, we got about two hundred people cooking. So that''s about... 20,000 gold per month. We''re still in the millions from selling and trading, the treasury of this place when it was swarmed with undead and we still have some backup things in case everything goes hairy.

    Gold isn''t really much of a problem but nothing good can be really bought with gold so we aren''t really focused on that right now.

    Ortov and his team then began to make more houses for people to live in from the amount of people I''m just bringing in.

    Yefa is the one mass hunting right now for food so that we can go away for like... something like a year and they''d still be good.

    After a week, we noticed something strange. Some of the enslaved monsters weren''t eating their food. So I asked Ortov to divide the place into districts so that we would know which place to distribute food to.

    And Ortov moved everything easily so we no longer have that problem.

    So for the next move... I had Yefa join in with the people in the mines to speed up the process. And they stopped at three kilometers down. Lam told us that the Xend materials aren''t found that deep so digging straight down will be just useless effort.

    It took several days for the mages to cover up the gigantic hole with dirt.

    The mine got restarted in a far away place so that it won''t damage Izgoy that much. Yefa helped everyone with mining and distributed the Xend materials for everyone to cash in at Lam.

    All those Xend materials were then headed on to the next project.

    Ortov then placed layouts of the gigantic thing surrounding the place. It was a wall. A gigantic tall wall, about twenty meters tall. A giant railroad was then forged on top of it going all around the wall and was equipped with cannons and ballista.

    All they had to do was put up the wall, make a gate then finally, layer the Xend material all over the walls and on the houses of the monsters.

    We''re growing slowly and I''m already happy about the results. We can finally move on and do other things.

    Herold then suddenly contacted me, "Precia, you there?"

    "Herold?" I asked. "This is a bit out of schedule."

    "I know but I need you. There''s several reports. Five more monsters appeared. It was the same as Tartarus monsters but... different. I can''t exactly pinpoint it but there''s so many..."

    "What!? It hasn''t been that long isn''t it?"

    "I know but, I''m here right now with those white monsters. And they''re raging throughout the whole place. So I know this will be much to ask but I need you here right now."

    "Alright I''ll be there."

    "Get Yefa too. And get the other people from the sky island. Contact them. This also caught Zieglind''s attention. He''s here... right now."

    "I see, we''ll be there within an hour!"

    I immediately got ready and went to get Yefa and contacted Lam to use the message skill on Yefa. Something must be going on. For Zieglind to be there without notice... this is something serious.

 Chapter 216: Troubles Cooking...

    Monsters of a white color... Shining in a bright radiance of yellow. Use the element light and moves in a very coordinated pattern, very opposite of the demons of Tartarus that we''ve fought so far... What... even are these monsters... I couldn''t help but ask so many questions but by the looks of Herold, it seems that he doesn''t know this too. "Herold... I know that you don''t know the origin of these monsters but do you know what they are?"

    "Most of them." Herold then began to explain these gigantic monster that we''re looking at.

    Eye of Judgement, the two eyeball that promotes neutrality and equality. It doesn''t attack anything. It only attacks when something releases an extensive amount of bloodlust, or will attack someone or something.

    Right now its spewing out light blasts of lasers on the ground. I''m guessing there are insects having a conflict down there...

    Valkyries, the true ones. A giant monster in a form of a human. Its white radiance illuminates everything in the vicinity as if sun was shining on it. Three giant Valkyries, each holding a hammer and a shield layered with a barrier. They were roaming around but doing nothing. When the valkyries move, their feet drags so the ground they''re on gets formed with a deep hole. Looking at how far they went...

    They''ve been avoiding multiple and countless kingdoms and the people there have told us that they were sent by the gods to protect them from this war.

    But I call that crap. They''re the ones sending monsters here. So what are these monsters doing here..?

    "We''re here!" I looked back and saw Precia. With everyone else.

    "It seems that our reunion has come a little bit sooner than I expected." I replied.

    "What''s with the emergency!?"

    "We''ve got three valkyries and two eyes of judgment. And they seem to be... not doing anything as of the moment."

    "Where?"

    "There. 10 kilometers away."

    "I can''t see that far."

    "Hmm... Let''s just wait and observe it for now."

    We stayed away from those monsters for several minutes trying to figure out what it wanted. There were two kingdoms in front of them and all of it avoided those. But the eye begans to shoot. I guess Herold is right. It can see anything than even resembles remotely close to conflict and it''ll just start blasting.

    We all then agreed on what it would do if it got near us. They were a kilometer away from us but it looks incredibly big.

    Half a kilometer and it suddenly stopped. For a split second that I closed and reopened my eyes, all I could see was a giant bright light and as I tried to move back, I couldn''t. I looked back and there was a giant wall behind me.

    "I was knocked away? This quick?" There wasn''t any noticeable damage on my body other than scratches. It seems that bright light was like a fast laser or something.Suddenly, One valkyrie leaped and swung its hammer at me. "Come, Gauntlets of Instability!" Fire wrapped around my hands then turned into a hard solid gauntlets. I immediately punched the hammer away redirecting it to the ground, creating a huge crack in the ground. "Not even a warning?"

    Two more valkyries followed and swung their hammers at me. I couldn''t parry or dodge both of those so I raised both of my arms and took the blow head on.

    Lasers of light pierced through my skin and to the other end, creating a hole in my legs. I couldn''t hold on and faltered due to the lack of support on my legs and I was crushed by these two valkyries'' hammers.

    I barely heard any noise since I lost my sense of hearing the moment I was smashed. "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" A single light flickered in the darkness where I was crushed. I grabbed the flame and it turned into the Demon Sword that I was used to using. "Demon''s Rage!" I lightly stomped my feet on the ground but cracks appeared everywhere and shot up a blazing hot of lava upwards to the sky, lifting the heavy hammers that was placed on top of me.

    I then used Dance of the Demons multiple times to blink to the very top and got in front of their faces. "Hell''s Retribution!" I converted the Demon Sword Acabar to a small flame of light and overlay it on top of the gauntlet. "HA!" And directly punch the valkyrie in its head with all I''ve got.

    It was like a nuke within my hands. The explosive power of that flame combined with the tremendous boost that I''ve got from these gauntlets, my hand were nukes itself. And I''m completely immune to fire damage so these explosions doesn''t mean anything.

    After a single punch, the flames overlaying my gauntlets returned back to the Demon Sword Acabar and the only thing I could see was the body of the Valkyrie falling to the ground with its head blown away into smithereens.

    I stepped back as soon as I heard the swing of two giant hammers coming my way.

    "Argh." My whole leg got torn off by those Eyes of Judgement.

    "Limb Restoration! Regeneration!" It was like a root going out of my leg and restored the previous state of my legs. I looked around and saw Helga using her book. It seems that she''s the one that healed me. She then signalled over as she clapped her hands together and bowed.

    Is she... saying sorry?

    Now that I''ve noticed, they aren''t moving there at all.

    Herold signed an okay sign. It seems that he''s using me as a bait.

    But this is... interesting. These valkyries and these eyes... they don''t care about them. They''re only attacking me.

    I then used Dance of the Demons to rush over to them. "Afal, I''ll use your body for something. Will yo-"

    "You don''t need my permission my lord." Afal cuts me off.

    "Not even letting me finish huh. Alright, let''s try this." I grabbed him on his collar and dragged him with me to where the two valkyries and two of the eye of judgement were.

    The eye of judgment stopped shooting at me.

    One of the valkyries swung its hammer at me but once I put Afal in front of me, their swing suddenly stopped.

    And I was hit from the back and was sent flying away with Afal. "Alright, I didn''t count that in mind. But right now... I can get the gist of it." I threw Afal straight at one of the valkyries. "Don''t do anything!"

    The valkyrie dropped its weapon and shield and used both of its hand to protect Afal from colliding with it. This valkyrie then shot out a laser beam from its eyes and Afal suddenly disappeared from its hand.

    "Wha-" I was just completely shocked. "Afal! HEY! AFA-"

    "I''m fine my lord!" I looked back and he was back with Herold and the others. "It seems that I''ve been teleported."

    "I... see... Alright, that''s good." I got worried for a second there. An insurmountable amount of rage filled inside of me and I need to let it out.

    I dodged the lasers of the two eyes and teleported in front of the valkyrie. "Savage Slash!" Five instantaneous quick slashes that defy reality.

    I didn''t even see it myself, I just let my hand do its own thing. The valkyrie''s split head fell on the ground sliced up completely.

    I then teleported to the eye since I was getting annoyed by their lasers. But they instantly teleported away the nearer I got. "Demon''s Bind!" Three chains went out of my hands and it locked to the valkyrie and the two eye of judgement.

    I raised my sword, "Million Shot!" Combined with the explosive power of these gauntlets with my sheer strength, I practically pierced through the eye with ease and all it left was a giant flaming ravine on the ground a hundred meters deep.

    The valkyrie snuck up behind me and swung its hammer on me. But I acted quick, "Hell''s Retribution!" The flames of the Demon Sword instantly returned back to me and coated my gauntlets. I punched up and there was a giant beacon of fire that shot straight up to the sky, melting and destroying the hammer this valkyrie was carrying.

    I then flew up more and punched its head into nothingness.

    Now the eye is safe and alone, I teleported in front of it and it tried to run away. But with the chains on my hand, I keep dragging it with me.

    Knowing it doesn''t have anywhere to go it gave up and accepted its death.

    I let out a sigh since that was exhausting since I have a lot of questions while I was fighting them. I didn''t know what they are or what they were. But something in me tells that these creations are dangerous. "Alright let''s go ba-"

 Chapter 217: What?

    I raised my guard up but I was still sent flying to the ground. The tree of them ganged up on me and I couldn''t do anything so I just raised my guard up.

    It was like their hammers were slamming down a nail down to the ground as they take fast alternate turns.

    "Come, Shield of Greed!" A molten dark shield, etched in the linings of the flames that I was using. A weapon forged from the sword but both exist at the same time. I took on the hits these three were dealing at me and absorbed it with the shield.

    It capped up to the maximum limit and all I had to do was parry. And so I did. I raised my shield and the three enemies were blasted away. This is a function of the Shield of Greed, it can absorb and reflect.

    I waved the shield and it cleared out the dust that was in the air so that I can take a good look on who just attacked me. And it was... "The valkyries?" I remember blowing their heads off. "Its... not there. Their heads?" I took a closer look and I was right. I did blow their heads off. But how can they move?"

    "Zieglind!" Precia called out to me. "There must be a core somewhere!"

    "Core..?" I dispelled the shield and coated my gauntlets again, "Hell''s Retribution!" I rushed in at the valkyries.

    "Their chest! Try there!"

    A single punch to their chest and I managed to crack open their bodies. It was hollow but it was tough. But I managed to get through somehow.

    I then found a single floating orb inside of them. A yellow one and it was releasing mana acting as joints in their body. I went deeper in their bodies and punched this yellow orb.

    It was tougher than their body but I managed to destroy it with a punch of these gauntlets.

    Their whole body was then destroyed and torn apart the moment that I destroyed that orb.

    The remaining two valkyries didn''t mind it and just rushed at me as if nothing happened. With their hammers and shields, they were protecting their chest while they were attacking me.

    I easily dodged as they swung those heavy slow weapons. The coating on my weapons disappeared and returned into the Demon Sword. Its been a while since I used his sword style but... "Fleeting Silence." The valkyries stopped their movements. "I guess that''s done." Then their bodies fell apart with their cores being broken. Not a single sound was heard during that moment. I''m getting better, using the sword art and the skills of those two people.

    I went back to them and dispelled everything I have activated. "Good job." Herold exclaimed.

    "Thanks. Precia, how''d you know that there''s a core?"

    "Well, we found the same enemies but they were just stone giants." Precia replied.

    "Stone... giants?"

    "I don''t know what they''re called but they''re giants. They have an incredibly tough armor. We have some right now in Izgoy, tamed by us."

    "You caught some..? Alright, let''s go. Let me see these monsters. Rift Open!"

    [Place does not exist.]

    "Hmm?" I was genuinely confused by that message. Izgoy right? Rift Open works by imagining a place and then opening up a portal so that you can traverse from here to there. "Has something happened to Izgoy? My portal doesn''t work there."

    "Ah, I guess you''re unfamiliar with it now. There''s some small changes." Precia explained. "Let''s just fly to there."

    "Hmm... alright. After I check those monsters, let''s go back here. I want to see where their trail leads. Waypoint!" A beacon of light appeared from the sky and down in the ground below. It was like a waypoint that you see in games where you''ll see how far you are at the waypoint and it''ll stay there until you remove it. Just a marker if we ever need to go back here.

    We flew back to Izgoy and I couldn''t help but cover my mouth. "Uh... you sure this is ours?"

    There was a giant wall surrounding Izgoy. And another section of Izgoy on the far right. I couldn''t help but question how fast our place was growing. I didn''t know that this was Izgoy in the first place.

    There were ballistas and cannons on top and several monsters guarding the place. As soon as we got near the place, the monsters raised their weapons. Are they enemies or are guarding?

    "Don''t worry about them. They''re with me. Continue your work." Precia commanded and the monsters obeyed for some reason. I guess all these monster that she has is really under her command.

    As I looked over the place, I could see legendary creatures everywhere. Fire Monarchs, a phoenix? Cyclops and... is that a dragon!? I mean... it is a baby one but to think that they caught a dragon is impressive in itself.

    We went on and opened the gates which for some reason is guarded by five gates coated in Xend material. It seems that the people here are worried over the monsters so they asked for this to be made. Or maybe this is a decision made by Precia and Yefa.

    We went in and holy crap it is a den of monsters. I couldn''t believe how much variety of monsters are here. And they aren''t attacking each other or anything. Just... leaving peacefully like normal people. It was a sight to behold. "How many are here..?"

    "In the hundred thousands... we don''t exactly know how many there are. But uh, here it is. The district of the elites. Here''s where the strongest monster we caught are. And that''s the giant that I found." Precia pointed.

    "This is soul bound to you right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then don''t mind me." I jumped on its chest and equipped, "Gauntlets of Instability!" I pierced through its chest and ripped its core out.

    "Zieglind what are you-"

    "Don''t worry. As long as the core is still alive, it''ll be fine." I took a good look at the orb. "Mana Search." It was brimming with compressed mana. There should be around 10,000 worth of mana in a single orb.

    "The orb doesn''t do anything by itself. Once its core has been taken, its body will either teleport to get the core inside the body."

    "I see... then what if... Inventory." I put the core inside my inventory and the body instantly disappeared.

    "Where did it... go?" Everyone was confused.

    Same as me. I then took off the core inside my inventory and the golem instantly spawned in again. "Oh... this is... interesting. Precia, Yefa, monsters that have a core will be able to put in the inventory and can be brought out like an item. Anyway, I''m done checking. Let''s go back and look at where they came from. Rift Open!"

    We teleported back to the place I put a checkpoint on. I removed it and went on our way to find out where they came from. The holes they left were deep and easily noticeable so our journey to where they went were pretty easy.

    Halfway there, we saw multiple tracks. So this means that most of them are still there doing something. It seems that they moved in packs and then dispersed at a certain distance away from where they were.

    We didn''t let their numbers discourage us so we went.

    And journeyed on to find it.

    Only to discover something horrifying. A scene that I didn''t know would happen. "Herold... explain... what the hell is this..?"

    "I... I don''t know. I have explored this world... not everything. But for a structure this large and incredibly important for this world... I would''ve known it." Herold replied.

    "A giant white tower releasing monsters on the world... what the hell is this... isn''t this the same... ISN''T THIS THE SAME AS TARTARUS!?"

    "What the hell is going on... are they seriously creating more chaos in this world... just for their enjoyment!?"

    "Those gods... damn it... What the hell are they trying to do now... First they added Tartarus for no reason... They don''t know who Ouroboros is... What the hell even is happening right now..? I have so many questions that I need to answer."

    "We first need to analyze this structure. The monsters they released are strong, but not as strong as Tartarus monsters. But the downside is that they can regenerate infinitely as long as their core is intact."

    "True... This is weaker but more trouble some to kill... But that''s not the answer I was looking for but what is this tower..."

    "Its so similar to Tartarus."

    "Similar..?" I then had an idea... "If Tartarus is a place for demons and this tower for the angels and other things... then that must mean they''re the opposite. Like heaven and hell. So if this is Tartarus... for hell... Then that means that this tower right here is... The Tower of Babel."

 Chapter 218: A New Tower

    I immediately ordered everyone to leave except for Herold. I couldn''t risk everyone dying here today

    "It looks like the same structure as Tartarus so you calling it the Tower of Babel doesn''t seem crazy... Its shape and structure is the same except for the design." Herold was taking a good look at the tower.

    "The Tower of Babel is a tower in my previous world. As a counterpart of the Tartarus. Its a place where unity and harmony exists while in Tartarus chaos and rampage exists. Its the complete opposite." I replied.

    "If this is truly the counterpart of the Tartarus then we''re in big trouble. We already saw how powerful those enemies are."

    "I agree. They may be weaker than demons but they can resurrect indefinitely as long as their core is intact."

    "And we don''t know how long this has been up. But we saw the trails right? They''re everywhere. So that means that it is spawning monsters like Tartarus does."

    "When we got to this tower, there were trails left everywhere going in every direction."

    "Yes there was."

    "So there should be a lot by now. And it released five monsters our way. And those five were as strong as one demon that Tartarus releases. So it should be releasing five monsters every four months."

    "That''s... reasonable. And Tartarus releases every two months now. Their spawn rate has increased."

    "And you''ve been fighting it with Yefa and Precia?"

    "That''s what we''re doing while you''re gone. Most of the monsters they caught was from Tartarus too."

    "Then we might be ready for Tartarus."

    "No. Not yet. You''re all too naive about this. Those monsters being released doesn''t compare to the real ones in Tartarus. Those are the lowest of the lowest. The cast away because they were too weak. We''re still having trouble with those. If we go in right now, we''ll get past several floors then die on floor ten. I can guarantee that."

    "Hmm... Alright, then let''s gather information that we currently have right now. What monsters did you see when you were fighting with Yefa and Precia?"

    "We encountered a horde followed by the giant monster Precia showed to you. Tartarus doesn''t release hordes but it couldn''t have been the Tower of Babel too."

    "What do you mean?"

    "That horde was a combination of both demons and angels."

    "...Hmm." A combination of demons and angels. "How large was the horde?"

    "It was around the twenty thousands. It was instantly wiped out when the giant fell on top of the horde killing everything."

    "Well, we know who can control that much demons and angels despite the both of it being completely hating each other."

    "I was suspecting that too."

    "This is good. He''s already making a move. Ouroboros himself. It seems that our meeting is getting closer."

    "We must prepare for everything immediately."

    "Alright. I''ll be gathering everyone now. It seems that we must make a move now."

    Herold and I split up and he goes on to do whatever he needed to do.

    I began to examine the changes at Izgoy. It seems that the people hasn''t forgotten about me and welcomed me easily. I began to spend some time with the villagers and hear their thoughts about the change. Some didn''t mind it as long as they aren''t forced to coexist with them.

    I ended our conversations there and gathered all the Crimson Knights in the room where we all left. And I was the first to strike up a conversation. "This isn''t the time that I was expecting to meet everyone. I was to let it run for about three more months but the rise of the new tower is dangerous."

    "What''s that tower anyway?" Yurid asked.

    I nearly forgot that she''s a part of this team now. "Its the same as Tartarus."

    "I''ve searched multiple countless categories just now and I haven''t heard the term Tower of Babel or a tower being similar to the Tartarus. Do you think this is man made?"

    "No. I''m sure its made by the gods. The structure, the design and its cycle of monsters... Its all nearly the same. By the way I wanted to ask, Feran, Helga, did you cast an invisibility spell on everyone?" My eyes have a special thing that lets me see invisible things so I can''t differentiate the difference between an invisible being and not.

    "Uh, I don''t think so. My sister and I didn''t cast a single spell in that fight. Except for her restoring your limb." Feran replied.

    "Thank you for that. But, why did none of the monsters attacked you?"

    "We were curious at first but we all decided to just let you fight it. It seems that you''ve been raring to go considering your expression on that... fight."

    "That''s true..."

    "Halfway into the fight, we were about to engage but Herold stopped us. He then said that it seems that none of the monsters are interested in us. Only you."

    "Only me huh... Why is that?"

    "Its because you''re a player. Those monsters passed by multiple kingdoms and left them all unharmed right? They seem to be targeting players only. Those eyes are neutral since they attack anything that is fighting but those valkyries, yeah they''re only targeting players."

    "This changes everything. Then that means that if we go in the Tower of Babel, I can just distract the monsters and then let you all fight them and barrage them with so much stuff. It won''t attack you, only me. And I''m confident with my speed."

    "So, when should we do it?"

    "Not now. We still have a lot to do. I know that we''ve been working for the past few months... But we really need to move on. Because this... this is just the first phase of our plan. Precia''s team, how many have you gathered?"

    "Around hundred thousands. My estimate is around 130,000 or more." Precia replied.

    "Good. Yurid, the sea kingdom?"

    "Hmm... I doubt that you''ll be able to rule them now. Since you know, Zeta left. Zeta and Greta were the rulers of that place. But before he left, he gathered around 90,000 troops over there. And we also found something... Disturbing."

    "What is it?"

    "We found a godspawn underwater."

    "Judging by that title... its a being made by the gods?"

    "Exactly. Its... name is... Charybdis."

    "Charybdis!?" I thought it would be kraken or something because that''s an easier thing to kill... but Charybdis? "That''s a problem... What happened to the sea kingdom and everything else?"

    "Everyone panicked of course. No one knew the Charybdis but once Zeta showed a projection of what it was, horror took over their faces. They called that that monster was from a legend in their educations while growing up. So convincing them to leave was easy. It was also at the same time as when Greta got pregnant so everyone packed up everything they had and immediately left. We didn''t get the attention of the Charybdis but its slowly eating up the sea as we speak. Zeta and I visited the place of the Charybdis but once we got there, it was just pure emptiness from several kilometers around it. There was no corals, fishes, monsters or anything. It was just there, alone surrounded by thousands of bones from different creatures."

    "Do we have to worry about it right now? I know how powerful Charybdis is so I''m not confident that we can still beat it yet. Charybdis is a gigantic monster that can suck anything so facing it head on is incredibly dangerous. So I need to know if its a danger. Immediately."

    "No, not yet. It seems that there''s no immediate trouble. And besides, if the oceans and seas gets sucked in its stomach, then we might find more treasures."

    "Hmm. Rize''s party, how many did you get?"

    "We''ve gotten the approval of the 50,000 units of the sky island. And we beat the trials so we have an extra Flower of Zeratria and a vial that Neco took." Rize replied.

    "Send the flower to Lam. For the vial, you won that so just use it as you will. Alright, it seems that everything is in order. So all in all according to your estimates, we have around 180,000 units. I''m removing Zeta''s army here. We can''t control the sea kingdom without him. If we''re adding the units I''ve gathered from hell it would amount to 2,580,000 units."

    "Wait wha-"

    "So now that the first phase of our plan is done... We''re going to move on to our second phase. This is going to be tough but we have to do it. All the kingdoms, we''re going to take over everything. But there are some rules that we must follow. No killing and don''t attack unless attacked. We''re going to take everything by force or by politics. It doesn''t matter. As long as you don''t kill, we''re going to be fine and the plan will go on."

 Chapter 219: Plans for the Future

    "Hold up Zieglind, are you sure that you want to do that? That''s basically taking over the world at this point!" Precia joined in.

    "Wait a minute, Zieglind has over two million units ready to go by his command?" Rize suddenly interrupted.

    "Hold off on the questions for now. The pace you all have been going by has exceeded my expectations so there''s nothing to be alarmed about. We''ve established a large amount of army now. The moment I saw the numbers of demons I have under my control, the gathering of the armies were already finished. The rest of the time used was how you all would use it to improve yourselves. I''m impressed." I was not lying to cheer them up because of the numbers I gathered.

    At first, my army count was at 900,000. Everyone was disagreeing on how much Lagrima just chose a random person to take on the title of the Demon King. So, a lot of demons left. Leaving me with 900,000.

    Hell was a battlefield of a never ending battle. There was no order, but only chaos. This place wasn''t ruled by government or anything. It was only ruled by power.

    Demons are cowardly but strong. That''s why they can easily submit and overcome. They grow stronger on cannibalism or eating the souls of one another that''s why they go up through ranks. And I''m using this system of theirs to gather up more and more units.

    Me and Lagrima were blasting through countless cities. Hell was like an infinite space. We haven''t looped around the whole place yet and we''re still finding more and more kingdoms in hell ruled by monsters that I haven''t seen or known before.

    So the moment that I knew that the place was incredibly huge or maybe infinite, I began to start my plans on taking over.

    I sent out the death reapers in a hunt in the whole underworld to kill anything it sees but leave the demons alive if they want to submit to me.

    I haven''t use slavery skills on them, but it was easy. Demons only had one thing on mind and it was power.

    So all I had to do was show my power at them.

    I began to run around while doing whatever Lagrima wanted me to do to reform the entirety of the place. So for fighting, I head off and destroyed their castle and the kings that were sitting there. It was just a repeated cycle from there and that''s the fastest way I got to gather more allies and demons.

    Maybe this is the reason why Ouroboros is so fixated on this title. No one can just go and leave in hell unless you''re a god or the demon king.

    The benefits I can think of if he got this is the easy way of dominating other enemies with numbers and power. The demons here are cowardly so they''ll easily submit. But if you promise them great power, they''ll do anything for you.

    Secondly is the space of hell itself. Ouroboros cannot act indiscreetly and silently when his army becomes too big for him to handle. A giant example of this is the serpent union. They got discovered too easily because of their numbers. But here in hell, he can just toss everything here and it''ll be impossible to find if they don''t know how to get here. With the Demon Sword Acabar, getting here and out is incredibly easy and seamless.

    Third, the generation of materials. Hell has a lot of materials that I haven''t seen before and I''ve seen some that are tougher than Xend material. So it can block skills and spells from those who are level 60 and below. Or maybe even more. They can upgrade their own structures with this. That''s why I''ve been asking people to mine it but they''re having difficulty mining it so I have to manually go there and mine it myself. I''m going to give Lam these materials afterwards and if he doesn''t know, there''s always Ze-, Yurid there to examine it herself.

    Hmm...

    For the fourth and final thing that I can think of is obviously the power. Being in this form has greatly increased everything on my status. And the hundred sets of skills... And I haven''t used everything yet. And its still going strong.

    Yurid then said, "We can take care of the taking over kingdoms but not killing anyone is going to be difficult."

    "We won''t have allies if they''re dead. Chances of betrayal will just increase if we just kill mercilessly." I responded.

    "So basically we''re doing the same thing the Serpent Union did."

    "...Exactly. But this time, they''ll be free to do whatever they want. The only thing we need from them is help. If we need it, they must go no matter what. In theory, if a single kingdom has around 20,000 troops, and if we made at least five kingdoms friendly with us, then it''ll be 100,000. But we must not be so merciful too. We must inflict a little bit of fear and a lot of loyalty in them. And that''s the thing that we need."

    "I can see where you''re coming from. Alright, I can agree with this plan. When do we start?"

    "Tomorrow, everyone can start. You don''t need to split anymore. I''ll be staying here for the time being. Being in hell is annoying seeing how there''s nothing in there but a giant wasteland of lava and flames."

    "I shall tell Ortov to ready your room my lord." Afal suddenly joined in.

    "Alright, thanks Afal."

    The night passed by in a peaceful manner. Until I suddenly got a call from Herold.

    I immediately answered it and asked, "What''s the matter?"

    "You need to come here. Right now. I want to show you something." Herold then said.

    "What''s wrong? Where are you?"

    "I''m at the Tower of Babel right now. I just discovered something."

    "Got it, I''ll be right there in an instant. Teleport!" As soon as I opened my eyes, I was in front of the Tower of Babel. A message then popped up that was saying that the message skill has ended.

    "You''re here. Look at this." Herold then walked in front of the door of the Tower of Babel. The door was giant, and there was two statues next to it that looked like valkyries. Herold placed both of his hands in front of the door and suddenly, sparks were flying everywhere.

    "Herold! What are you doing! You said it yourself, we can''t go in yet!"

    "I know! Just WATCH!" Herold began to push it all he can but the door won''t budge. And the lightning sparks that were coming out of the door were damaging him. He detached himself from the door when he discovered that he can''t open it or anything.

    "It won''t open?"

    "Inventory." Herold then brought out a gigantic hammer out of his inventory and began to bash the door. Shockwaves were sent everywhere and I can barely stand from the wind it was releasing. I knew Herold is going all out right now trying to open the door.

    "What''s happening..?"

    "Its the same as with the valkyries. It won''t notice you if you''re a non player. But what if you Zieglind tried to open this door. If it really works as we thought it then this can only mean one thing. And you know it yourself."

    "Yeah." If I''m the only one that can open this door that means all the Crimson Knights cannot join be in taking over this tower. So that means that I either have to go in alone or find other players to join me in this journey. But I won''t trust any player in this world. None of them are trustworthy. But going all alone especially in a tower that rivals the Tartarus... This is absolute trouble.

    "Right now I''m hoping that it won''t open for you. So the only theory we can have is that this open on a scheduled time. So do it Zieglind. Let''s see how much the gods has sent us calamity."

    I placed my hands on the door. And just as I was to think on what I''d do, I felt like my arms were incredibly light. "Wha-"

    "GOD DAMN IT!" Herold held my hand and flew at supersonic speed away from the Tower of Babel. "Please don''t work... please!" Herold was flying around.

    But I felt like my whole body was being dragged away by another force. "What''s happening?"

    "Damn it, it doesn''t work! Alright, Zieglind, defeat the gate guardian of the Tower of Babel. And once you defeated it, don''t use the key to open the giant gate. Run back! I repeat! Run back!"

    "What''s happening!?" I then noticed that Herold has begun to become slower and slower until he came to a complete stop and was trying to pull me on his side. It seems that something is pulling me.

    "I REPEAT ZIEGLIND, DON''T GO ANY FURTHER!"

    "Ah-" Herold lost grip of my arm and I was instantly dragged back to the Tower of Babel.

 Chapter 220: The Taste of the Tower

    The place was dark and empty. So this... this is what the inside of a tower looks like?

    I was transported here forcefully as soon as I touched the door of the tower. I didn''t know what to expect so I called on, "Demon Sword Acabar!" The small flame lit up a small part of the room and as soon as I grabbed it, it transformed into my weapon.

    I began to walk in front of me seeing how there''s no progress from the last ten minutes. As I walk deeper and deeper I saw a small light. "Demon King Form." I flew to where the light was and it became bigger and bigger until it turned into...a gate?

    A silhouette was there. It was giant, it was smaller than the gate but it was still large.

    [Tower of Babel Floor 1: Archangel, The Gatekeeper of Heaven]

    [The Tower of Babel is a new addition to the world of Pandir that solely protects the people of the world. Refusing to attack any species unless they have the title of, ''Player'' attached to them. The Tower of Babel is a challenge based tower in which only players are allowed to enter.]

    [Tower of Babel Floor 1: Archangel, The Gatekeeper of Heaven, Quest Details Floor Details and Rewards]

    [Quest Details]

    Defeat Zeraftaye the Archangel.

    [Floor Details]

    Floor Size: INFINITE

    Number of Enemies: ONE

    Number of Bosses: ONE

    [Rewards]

    [Tower of Babel''s Key]

    A one way key out of the Tower of Babel. Can be found in Floor 1, Floor 10 and every 10 more consecutive levels after that.

    [Archangel''s Wings]

    A fallen Archangel marks the chaos that will usurp on the world.

    Items that I''ve never seen before, an enemy that I haven''t seen before... What the hell is going on with this tower.

    The so called Archangel began to lit up in a bright light.

    "Holy crap. Alright." I couldn''t believe what I''m seeing right now.

    Its radiance illuminated the entire place. The halo and the circle behind it has a volatile lightning running through it. As soon as she showed me her wings, it was just magnificent.

    Six wings, three on each side and it was shining incredibly bright. But then... something weird happened.

    Its a sensation that I haven''t felt in a long time.

    Pain.

    Its difficult to describe after not feeling it for so long. But it just felt... weird and uncomfortable.

    I took a look at myself and saw that my skin were burning away just from feeling the Archangel''s radiance and brightness. It wasn''t too painful but... its like a prickly feeling on myself.

    [Pain Receptors turned on.]

    And the system just alerted me. This is going to be tough. I forgot what''s the feeling of being in pain but I know this is going to be difficult.

    The Archangel''s book dispersed into a million pieces of light. It raised its hand and reached for the pieces. It then began to reform into... a giant sword?

    Its light managed to pierce through my defenses and the tingling pain suddenly got worse. It then suddenly threw its sword at me which caught me off guard. But I managed to blink away from it using Dance of the Demons.

    A giant wave of yellow barrier then slowly came running to me. I slightly touched it but my whole body was lit on fire. Good thing I''m in Demon Form or else I would''ve been down feeling the pain.

    I could feel my body burning but I''m still being damaged by it. Is it because the element used is light? And this forcefield fire?

    Either way I need to end this fast and return. I have the gist of the towers now. I have enough information.

    The Archangel waved its sword three times and then stopped. Three waves of light waves that came from her sword suddenly were being sent everywhere.

    I blocked one that was headed my way. The other two waves was it trying to predict where I''d move huh. Interesting. I need to get closer without being blown away or set on fire with that shockwave. "Demon''s Bind!"

    Chains came out of my hands and tried to find their way.

    "Holy Purification." The Archangel then said.

    "It spoke!?" That skill that she just used obliterated my skill, cancelling it out.

    I need to distract it somehow and get close to it. Otherwise I''ll just be playing in its games. "Million Shot!" I held my weapon in a spear like stance and threw it with all my might. It was obviously faster than me so I just flew straight to the Archangel.

    It blocked the million shot but I could see a small wound opened up in its hands. It seems that it had trouble blocking it.

    I dispelled the Demon Sword Acabar and released it again to teleport it in my hand. As I swung it, the Archangel''s insane reflexes blocked my attack.

    A giant shockwave of wind was sent out in several directions. I then used Dance of the Demons to teleport around its body.

    I tried attacking its legs first to falter it, but it blocked with its giant sword. Next was the joints in its body, all joints that I know of but as soon as I teleported, I just get block and get counterattacked with a light beam that does a small damage. But still damaging.

    This won''t work, if speed doesn''t work, then absolute power will. "Demon''s Rage!" I stomped the ground and cracks appeared which then sent up flames up, higher than the Archangel. But the Archangel was just immovable. It was there taking the flames. Well I didn''t really activate it for the damage, but for distraction. "Gauntlets of Instability!"

    Dark pure energy of fire manifested into my hands and I could feel the power surging in me. "Hell''s Retribution!" The Demon Sword Acabar changed into a pure form of energy and I coated it with the gauntlets.

    I punched the Archangel but it blocked it again with its sword. But this time it took a step back. This is the first movement that it did in this fight. "Not so one sided now is it!?"

    I then punched everywhere, as long as my fists could reach this Archangel, I''m going to go all out. The monsters here are no joke and are incredibly powerful. So I don''t have time to gauge how powerful they are.

    The Archangel finally took an action. It waved its hand but I didn''t understand what that meant. I continued rushing on but then I felt something in my stomach. It was slowly digging in my body. I looked down and saw a spear of light piercing through my body.

    "Crap. Crap. Crap." This is the first time in years that I''ve felt pain and its way more intense than I''ve thought. I know I''m going to be fine but this pain... this''ll break me. I still have a lot of health and the damage this monster dealt to me is only five percent. But at this rate I''ll just be stunned with the pain unable to do anything. I have to remove this...

    "Pulse of Anger!" It usually burns armor easily but since its flames... it can burn the mana of a spell. It immediately burnt off the light that was in me and I was forced to just bear with the pain.

    I punched the Archangel again but this time I can see cracks on the sword. This made me incredibly happy that I''m doing at least some damage. I knew they were tough but I didn''t think they were that tough.

    It can take full blows from me with ease. But I just need to persevere. I flew up to the sky and then dived straight down. "Fallen''s Wrath!" I managed to land a huge attack on the Archangel''s body, seeing how there''s a giant wound in front of it. But I wasn''t done yet. "Demon''s Uprising!" A single concentrated of beam filled with fire shot up to the Archangel.

    It stumbled and fell and it couldn''t move its body.

    The Archangel tried to fight back by swinging its sword everywhere creating a shockwave that''s enough power to push me back. But I persevered and punched its sword one last time, completely breaking it.

    I equipped the Demon Sword Acabar once again, "Soul Burner!" Flames wrapped around my body disappeared and was redirected into my sword.

    As I plunged the sword deep in its head, flames were rampaging throughout everywhere like a volatile electricity out of control.

    The Archangel did not make any noise or move around but I can see the light coming out of its body.

    After a while, the light disappeared and I dispelled everything that was on me. The fight was over. For a monster from a tower that was the same as Tartarus, it wasn''t that difficult. I thought it''d be since the level requirement is 10,000.

    [Phase 1 Complete.]

 Chapter 221: Wrath of the Gods

    "Phase... One? What''s this..?" Just as I said that, the dark place suddenly lit up again. I looked back and the destroyed body and light were suddenly all flowing back to the body of the dead Archangel.

    I was panicking, I don''t want to fight this crap again. "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" I rushed to the Archangel but I felt that something was stopping me. I slammed through an invisible wall in front of me. "God damn it, I don''t need this right now!"

    "Savage Slash!" A five combination technique that''s extremely powerful that uses speed and strength in perfect harmony. I let the blade do the work to the point that I didn''t know what I was doing.

    I could feel my blade going through the wall. So I knew it was destroyed. But once I tried to rush in again, I was stopped yet again. I touched the invisible wall if I did at least some damage but it was flawless. There was no cracks or uneven thing. Its like I didn''t do anything.

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    Several system messages appeared in front of me which confused me. I know I have a lot of firepower right now but I have never encountered anything that I couldn''t do damage on. This is something new and unique that I haven''t seen yet.

    "Swords of Impalement!" An army of flames were summoned behind me. Mindless, painless and powerful creatures under my command in a phalanx formation and they were all using spears. They all rushed in as I commanded. Once they hit the wall, the one in front will be teleported to the back and then it continues on and on as an infinite cycle, keeping the momentum and power behind it.

    But once they bashes through the wall, the flames gets dispersed from their bodies and they die. But the infinite regeneration they have is slowly draining my mana, but it seems that they barely do anything too for this. So I don''t know what to do.

    Do I just watch as this thing transforms and ascends to a new level? I didn''t know what to do. So I just stepped back and dispelled the swords of impalement and watched the Archangel reform its own body.

    "I nearly forgot... This is just a game for them is it... Leveling, system, monsters, party, guilds, dungeons, challenges and this part... Uncontrollable plots of the game. Haha... this is what they call free will?"

    "I will destroy everything they have and they will ever have. And I won''t just stop there."

    The Archangel''s transformation ended and a system message popped up in front of me.

    [Archangel''s Wrath - Level ???]

    [A being, closest to god. With its radiance, holiness, beauty, body, power, intellect and unyielding loyalty to their creator, they''re the being closest to the perfection of a being.]

    The Archangel raised both of her hands in front of her as if trying to reach for something. A bright light emerged and she grabbed it. Summoning two swords this time. It looked like it was heavy and immovable. But she held it with ease.

    "You done?" I held the sword with both of my hands and began to flew to the Archangel.

    But then I saw a small blur on its hands. I stopped to check on what it was. But suddenly, I was sent flying.

    "ARGH!"

    It was a giant wave of light that headed my way that came out from its sword.

    Three more came out and I managed to dodge it.

    That wave was thin and nearly impossible to see in front. But when you''re at the side of it, its incredibly large. Its at least millimeters in thickness but its incredibly huge.

    "Mana Search!" Looking at it with my bare eyes is just going to hurt my brain so I just began to look at the highly concentrated mana formations that were happening.

    I began to run while dodging the barrage of attacks of the Archangel.

    But it seems to have another thing in mind. "Storm Holy Rage!" Lightning imbued with light came running down throughout the entire area.

    It was lightspeed and powerful. My eyes could barely follow the intense speed of what was happening. My instincts may be great but they''re not great enough.

    "Lightning Body!" Lightning emerged from my body and as if it was a perfect fit for me, flames wrapped around the lightning, merging with it.

    I moved a single step and I didn''t notice that I was in front of the Archangel.

    Its instincts and reaction time were so fast that when I got there, the blade of the Archangel was about to fall on me.

    I took a step back and I was back a hundred meters away from the Archangel.

    [Gained skill, Demon''s Volatile Rage, gains the abilities of the lightning body imbued with the Demon King Form.]

    I forgot about this, ability of the Demon Sword Acabar #78, Elemental Absorption.

    [#78 Elemental Absorption, gains perfect control over an element once you absorb enough samples. The element will be merged with the Demon King Form and gain Elemental attributes and skills that will be applied to the Demon King Form.]

    So this means that the more I absorb the more I can get skills... I''ll have Yurid do something for me.

    "And what is that that you want me to do?" I heard someone from the back of my head.

    "Yurid?" I faintly remember her voice.

    "Yeah its me." Yurid appeared in front of me first as a silhouette of light and slowly forming in to her normal form.

    "How are you here!? The Tower of Babel only allows players inside."

    "I hid in your soul."

    "I think the gods already know about that and should''ve taken countermeasures."

    "I don''t know if I''ve told you this before but I''m just a tool. Just like the clothes your wearing underneath that form. I''m not a non player or a player. I''m just a tool. A weapon. Just like any object."

    "That makes sense." I didn''t want to pry in too much. "But wait, did you really just choose to come out now?"

    "Well a weaker someone under me isn''t really fun to follow now is it?"

    "You really had to choose this dire moment to test my strength?"

    "Yeah pretty much. And this is a good place to study abo-"

    The two of us noticed the light waves coming our way and dodged it.

    "Just follow my lead!" I ordered.

    "Yeah, yeah!" She replied.

    "Million Shot!" A charged up long range attack, I started off with that.

    It hit an invisible barrier which it managed to break through easily but it obviously lost some momentum in the process, dropping down once it broke through.

    A flicker of the Archangel''s barrier appeared three times then disapleared which i''m guessing-

    "Its barrier is down! Go all out!" Yurid then shouted.

    "Parade of the Demon King!" A giant arena of flames covered the two of us... Wait, three? "Yurid! Get out! Only me and an enemy can be here! This spell affects others too!"

    "Didn''t I tell you!? I''m a weapon, YOUR weapon! I''ll support you from the back!"

    "...Got it!" I rushed in, "Hellfire''s Chakram!" A circular flames that was following my body, burning anything that was near it.

    Parade of the Demon King burns of 1% of health of an enemy for as long as they''re in this cage. And that 1% of life will be sapped and stolen to go to me. But their defenses against fire will take factor in this too. So right now the damage I''m dealing to it is... 0.05%. "Yurid! How many minutes do I have to endure if it loses 0.05% of health per second!?"

    "What''s with that random question?"

    "Just... do it!"

    "Argh, fine... 33.3 minutes! Around 2000 seconds!"

    "Alright I have to survive that long then!"

    "Judgment Day." The Archangel set up a giant beam of light between the two of us. I was confused at first but it began to get bigger and bigger. I had to run.

    I stepped back and instantly got near Yurid. I grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away.

    "Trichiliocosm, Perfect Barrier!" Yurid then set up a barrier in front of us. "Go behind it!"

    "WHAT!?" The light was far too large and was overtaking everything. Its even keeping up with my speed!

    "JUST DO IT!" I stopped in my tracks and walked behind the small barrier that Yurid made and braced for the impact of the light.

    It hit Yurid''s barrier but her barrier was completely immovable. Not a single shake or crack appeared.

    The light disappeared and I could only see where the Archangel through the light she was emitting. It seems that we''ve run very far. That was just a fraction of the Archangel''s power and I would''ve been in serious trouble or dead without Yurid''s help. For a dungeon... This first floor is incredibly difficult and unfair. "What now..."

 Chapter 222: Archangels Judgment

    I dragged Yurid back to where the Archangel was.

    "Yeah can you not do that again?" She immediately said.

    "What? Why?" I asked.

    "Have you heard of whiplash?"

    "...Fair enough."

    I sensed the incoming light attack of the Archangel and jumped back in which Yurid did the same. The Archangel then opened up a cloud in the sky, "Retribution of the Gods."

    Three magic circles appeared from the sky overlapping each other. It then began to slowly move away from each other and form a triangle. A giant gateway then opened, like a portal, and hordes of creatures came out of that portal.

    They seem to just be normal creatures that dwell on the land in the overworld and some unknown creatures around.

    Centaurs, Gryphons, Lizardmen? And other monsters that normally spawn in on the overworld. But they''re, a little bit different.

    "Now I''m rethinking my life choices. Especially on why I chose to go with you." Yurid suddenly said.

    "What?" I was just confused by her rambling.

    "Oh you idiot, that''s a mythical army genius! Laced with their magic imbued armor and weapons, they''re as strong as players. You get the idea now?"

    "Shining armor equals strong?"

    "Really? That''s the thing you got from that?"

    And then, the trouble came out from that portal. Ten valkyries came out but this time they all had different weapons, equally distributed among them. Books, bow, sword, hammer and greatswords.

    They all moved and rallied in packs.

    "Staff of the Gatekeeper." The Archangel then summoned a giant stuff as tall as it is. A single wave of that staff came falling down on what seems to appear to be dusts.

    I touched it and nothing seems to happen.

    "Zieglind..? RUN!" Yurid suddenly said.

    "Wha-" I was then knocked down from a bolt of lightning that came out of nowhere.

    "Do you really have to question everything!?"

    "Thunderbolt Storm." The Archangel then began to randomly spawn in lightning everywhere. "Lightning of Death." It raised its hands and lightning bolts came out from its finger. Ignoring who it even damages.

    The two of us easily blocked it using the bodies of the army the Archangel spawned in.

    I grabbed a gryphon and held it against my face blocking the Archangel''s attack. I was being damaged, but very small increments. But once it hit the monsters, it seems to not do anything. I took a look at the gryphon that I used to shield myself with, but it seems that it didn''t really get damaged with.

    The gryphon looked at me and tried to bite my head off so I just threw it straight at the Archangel.

    The Archangel did another Lightning of Death but it was too fast for me to move away, good thing Yurid''s barrier came in time. "They''re immune to light and lightning! Their armor is pretty tough."

    "I know!" I began to dodge the random lightning strikes from the sky and the lightning the Archangel was releasing.

    "What now!?"

    "What do you mean what now?"

    "Yeah right! We can dodge these lightning say I don''t know... FOREVER!?"

    "Yeah, yeah, right, right. Can you set up a barrier? Something that will last for a long time?"

    "I don''t think so! That Perfect Barrier earlier took a lot of my mana!"

    "How much exactly?"

    "A lot! But I can still hold on for a few seconds!"

    I rushed over to her side and grabbed two of the monsters that were just wandering around and blocked us of the lightning the Archangel was spewing at us. "Now!"

    "Mirror Cube!" A glass like cube appeared, protecting the both of us.

    "Seriously? Glass? That''s like, the most brittle thing you could''ve put out."

    "Its reflective dimwit. They''re using light and lightning and everyone who at least once go to school knows that light easily reflects on a mirror."

    "Hmm. I see." Lightning struck the cube we were in and I put my guard up just in case but the lightning just reflected back on random directions. Same with the light beams the Archangel was shooting at us.

    "Go on! Do what you gotta do!"

    "Yeah, yeah got it. Come, Shield of Greed!" A shield forged from the Demon Sword Acabar but they both can exist at the same time. "Shield of Greed absorbs and reflects so this''ll be useful."

    "Is that all? My Mirror Cube is melting by the way!"

    "Boots of the Trickster, Berserker Helm, Seal of Armor, Pants of Eternity." A full set of the armor that''s with the Demon King Form.

    Boots of the Trickster that gives me faster speed and phasing through objects. But not spells. Berserker Helm that increases the damage I give out the lower my health is up to 1000%. Seal of Armor, an unknown armor that I still haven''t seen the effects but I know what it does. Pants of Eternity, allows the user to amplify the effects of an armor by up to five times the effect.

    These are just the powers of these on the surface since they have more than that. But just by equipping this, I know that I''m far stronger when I was in base form of the Demon King Form.

    "Zieglind, you finished? I agree with you, using a glass is very inconvenient since I have to repair it every damn blast!" Yurid complained.

    I took a look at myself, "Yeah I''m done. Bring it down. I''ll leave the horde to you."

    "Gotcha! Dispel!" Yurid took down the barrier and I immediately went over to the Archangel.

    Three slashes faster than I could react but I just took it all in full head on. It swung its sword again but this time I can see the path its going to take.

    Berserker''s helm ability, I can predict the path of an attack for one second in the future. And with my reaction time, I know that it''ll be enough time for me to act. I raised up my Shield of Greed and the sword of the Archangel was deflected away. But its sword rises up once again. But this time I blocked with my sword.

    The intense power of the Archangel was enough to bring me back. We were both equal on power. "Corruption!" Bonus strength and some damage. I knocked the sword downwards and I ran down the Archangel''s arms straight up to its face.

    The face looked at me and shot a beam of light from its eyes.I put up my Shield of Greed and it began to absorb the light that was coming. But the beam was far too large for my Shield of Greed to all block. So I was taking damage in the process.

    I didn''t care anymore and it was excruciatingly painful just being in front of that light. So I just ran and charged in while holding my shield up. I jumped up to avoid the laser which in exchange cost me a lot of damage and pain, but I released the stored energy in the shield to reflect it back to the Archangel, destroying the thin layer of barrier that was surrounding its body, seeing how there''s like glass fragments that shattered everywhere.

    The Archangel was stunned and stopped attacking.

    I dispelled the Shield of Greed and held the sword with both of my hands. "Fallen''s Wrath!" I dived down on its head sword first and it dug incredibly deep.

    The Archangel began to scream in pain. But I wasn''t done there. I held the sword tightly and rotated it a complete 90 degree and cracks appeared on the Archangel''s body. The cracks grew larger and larger until flames ran out like a flamethrower were all throughout its body.

    I removed the Demon Sword Acabar and jumped off of the Archangel and watched as it crumbled and exploded into a thousand pieces...

    "Infinite Whirl!" Yurid was still there fighting the horde, summoning up a giant whirlwind sucking in every monster that was in the vicinity. "Meteor Strike!" A giant ball of flaming meteor came flying down to the ground. "Eh?" But suddenly, all the monsters disappeared before the meteor hit the ground and exploded.

    "Yurid!" I called out to her.

    "Are you do-... Is that you Zieglind?"

    "What?"

    "Look at yourself."

    I glanced down and looked at myself. I was covered in a bright light and a message was on the side of my screen that I didn''t even notice.

    [Gained skill, Light''s Reformation, take on the properties of light and control it freely. You can move through the light, but only light that you''ve spawned in. Your size will become whatever the size of the light''s path you''ve created.]

    "Oh... I didn''t even notice this..." I must''ve absorbed enough light from that fight from the Archangel''s eyes. A system message then appeared,

    [Tower of Babel Floor 1: Archangel, The Gatekeeper of Heaven COMPLETED]

    [Rewards]

    [Tower of Babel''s Key]

    A one way key out of the Tower of Babel. Can be found in Floor 1, Floor 10 and every 10 more consecutive levels after that.

    [Archangel''s Wings]

    A fallen Archangel marks the chaos that will usurp on the world.

    "Let''s go back."

 Chapter 223: Revolution is Coming

    "Is that everything?" Yurid asked.

    "Yeah I guess so." As I said that, the bright white light coming from the door were opening up slowly. The place it opened was dark, and I couldn''t see through it. Not even the illuminating light of the doors couldn''t pass through it.

    "The... its the void. I''m guess this is sending us a floor higher."

    Pure darkness, not even light passes through. I don''t want to touch it out of curiosity since I know what''s going to happen when I''m about to do that thing. "I guess that''s our cue."

    "Of course that''s our cue. If you dare enter that door, I will either grab your neck and drag you out of here or leave this place myself."

    "Fine, fine." I looked at the door, opposite of where the next floor''s door was. It was just a dark circular portal opening up outside. I looked at Yurid and nodded.

    "Let''s go back. I''m tired of this place."

    We both walked to the portal silently. But before I went in, I stopped for a moment. "Go on. I''ll be there."

    "You better not go to the next floor."

    "No I won''t don''t worry."

    Yurid passed through the portal and once she touched the darkness that was inside, she disappeared.

    I looked back at the portal that was connected to the second level of the Tartarus. I''m so close yet... so far at the same time. I beat the first boss of the tower yet there''s still this fear implanted onto me.

    Now I understand the fear and the overacting about safety of Herold. The Archangel was powerful. Extremely... powerful. I didn''t feel too... overpowered by the monster. But I still felt fear. And the pain that I felt in that fight made me realize... How little my existence is.

    I just continue to fight and fight since that''s the only thing I''m good at. And... I''m doing this for my future. A place to live peacefully with everyone. That''s all I''ve ever wished for.

    When I came to this world, I thought it''d be fun. The words leveling, system and monsters just popped in my mind. Realizing that, ''holy crap I''m in a game.''

    A game, that''s all it was in the first place. I played the game... I played and I played and I played until I''ve come to the point that... This life sucks in every way. It was as if reaching for a happy ever after that was never there in the first place. This place is just... a never ending battlefield. Everything was preset and only the player''s choices matter.

    And now, I made a difference. I controlled my fate for once and the direction the gods have planned for us. I made a difference. I beat the first floor of the unbeatable towers. And that''s a step of many steps.

    I made a difference.

    I looked back at the portal to the exit. I took a step forward and darkness enveloped my body and then as I open my eyes, I was back, in front of the Tower of Babel.

    "You beat it!?" Herold then suddenly asked.

    "Y- yeah." I didn''t think that he''d wait here. "We beat it."

    "What!? Congratulations! This just proves that you all are nearly ready. But not for... the Tower of Babel. But for Tartarus. The strengths of these two towers may differ, but what you can do here, you can also do here."

    "I guess so..." I sat down and dispelled everything I had. I then opened up my inventory and showed Herold the key to the Tower of Babel.

    "So this... this is the key of the Tower of Babel?" Herold took it from my hands and began to inspect the white keys of the tower. He then walked up to the gate of the Tower of Babel and inserted the key in the hole.

    "That''s going to be difficult. Getting out of there I mean."

    "I know. But I can handle myself. I have been battling through hundreds of years. And a gatekeeper won''t be a trouble. More than... an annoyance." Herold turned the key and something clicked. But... nothing happened.

    "Hmm..."

    "What?" Herold tried again and the click of the door was heard but it wouldn''t budge nor open. Herold tried again and again and several clicks was heard but nothing was happening.

    "It seems that I''m the only one, a player who can enter that place."

    "You must recruit more players Zieglind."

    "No."

    Yurid then spoke, "All right I have to butt in, but yes. You do need to have more people supporting you Zieglind."

    "No. I won''t bring any player with me in that tower. If its any of you I would accept. But no player can be trusted."

    "I know that. But you charging in there would be suicidal. We just finished the first floor of the tower and you needed my help. So I suggest for you to get more players. Since once you go in there, you''ll just die."

    "Players can''t be trusted. None of them. This game of the gods is just one giant inevitable death to all 999,999 of us. Only one can stand on top. If I bring in... one or more than that in the Tower of Babel and we all somehow cooperated until the end... Then what then? This battle royale will not finish. It will just be prolonged because of the conflicted feelings that we will all get. The show must go on. And it won''t end unless only one of us is left alive. So getting players to our side is just meddlesome and a waste of time. I''ll just need to kill them later." I changed into my Gazer Form and flew back to Izgoy.

    Everyone was questioning me but I told them that I''ll explain everything later. Everyone went ahead and got some rest and so do I.

    I called everyone in the meeting room, same with Herold. I began to explain everything. "We found a new tower. Similar to the Tartarus. As you all know, we''ve confirmed that its the same tower with some differences here and there. Its named Tower of Babel, the complete opposite of the Tartarus. So what''s the difference? The Tower of Babel releases monsters at the world but at a faster rate than Tartarus. But these monsters won''t attack any of you. They''ll prioritize hostility, demons and... players."

    "How long exactly do they release monsters here?" Precia asked.

    "Half of the time of the Tartarus so... around a month? I''m not sure. But that''s the conclusion we''ve gotten so far. And we also discovered something. The Tower of Babel doesn''t allow non players to enter. Only players and..."

    "Weapons. Just say it clearly." Yurid then said.

    "But wait, how did you confirm this?" Helga asked.

    "I entered." I put it out bluntly. I couldn''t hide it and lying will just be too bothersome.

    "What!?" Everyone said in unison except Herold and Yurid. It seems that they didn''t expect that. They were rowdy and began to ask many questions on how and why. So I began to explain more about this.

    "Only for one floor. I tried to enter myself and tried to scout the early levels and then just leave after all that." Herold explained. "But when I touched the door, it didn''t open or budged. I used everything I had but the door was just plain indestructible. So I called on Zieglind. The moment he touched the doors of the Tower of Babel, it was like the tower accepted him. It opened and no matter how much I tried to pull him out of there, I couldn''t do anything. He was just dragged in the first floor of the Tower of Babel."

    "Exactly." I added. "The enemy that I encountered is a gatekeeper. And this gatekeeper was an Archangel. A being closest to the gods. And... me and Yurid were able to defeat it."

    "An Arch-" Rize was about to talk.

    But Neco interrupted. "Wait, you just told us that non players can''t enter. And yet Yurid was there with you?"

    I let out a deep sigh and then said, "I told you. Weapons are allowed in the Tower of Babel. And... Yurid is one of them. She''s not any species or anything. She''s just a doll and... she''s considered as a weapon. But she has her own thoughts." I took a glance at Yurid but she just seemed expressionless on the outside. I know it must be tough being called by that but everyone needs to know that. And I don''t have to dig through her past to know more about her. "So now that the world is now continually changing and changing... We must act. I''ll explain everything again with Herold in here so that anyone can pitch in their ideas."

    Its time... For a revolution against the gods. This isn''t a battle between men versus men. Its now a battle against the gods. And they will all fall.

 Chapter 224: I am the Hero.

    I''m Zeraph Nindine. A nerd otaku. Nothing much achieved in life. Heavily obsessed with anime and manga. So much that I ruined my other jobs.

    I was just a normal guy living under a roof all alone. No one to take care for me or no one to take care of them. My room was screaming the nerdiness and what people call, "an otaku."

    My whole life, I didn''t have any friends, all my closest family died and all their money went to me. So I''m sitting in that room with millions in my bank account from their wills. They were all successful. And I was not.

    And I thrived from their deaths.

    I used their money to buy any pleasure that I could buy. Multiple streaming channels, buying cars, a decent house for me to live in while I use 50% of that house for my collection. Figurines, poster, pillow cases and everything that you can think of. But not people. I hated anyone that was by my side.

    Everyone was just... boring. No one understood me. No one understood how great the stories of people becoming strong after being so weak after a long time. No one understood how great heroes were. No one understood how beautiful that woman is.

    All they could say was, "You like these hand drawn creatures?"

    I distanced myself away from the people that came to get me. Was it from their conscience and how much they pity me? Or was it the money? I didn''t care to get the details. I was only focused on myself and the shows that I was watching.

    I created countless stories. Countless journeys. But all of that... I came to a realization that none of those journeys... Would ever happen to me. Not a single one of them.

    I realized that I wouldn''t be in a world of magic, I realized that I wouldn''t be able to save anyone, I realized that I won''t get the woman of my dreams, I realized that all my life... I wasn''t able to do anything that I wished.

    But no matter how much I faced those thoughts... I just smiled happily and walked over to my chair and sat down and watched as the protagonists of my favorite shows achieve their goals. I was happy. That at least I get to watch them grow. I was there in their journey somehow. And that''s all I needed.

    But then... a bright light opened up as if breaking the fabric of reality. It opened up on what seems to be a dark place and was an endless void. And a... creature appeared. It looks like a human. But it doesn''t have a face, ears or anything. Just a black silhouette of a human.

    "You want a reset button? For a chance to get the journey you truly deserve?"

    These words shook up my entire body. I slapped myself three times trying to know if I''m going crazy and looked around. But only to see this creature.

    "You want a story? Journey? Fights? Battles? Be a hero? Die and I''ll give you what you wish."

    I was smiling. I didn''t care what would happen to me on the other side. But I felt like I had to take it. No matter what.

    I looked back all my whole life and I called sitting down for 14 hours everyday a journey. I didn''t want to return to that. I want to feel this journey. I want to be someone or something big. I wanted that desperately.

    "I acc-" Before I could answer, this so called got stopped me in the middle of my speech.

    It laughed menacingly, "But there''s a catch mortal. You''ll be there not as a reincarnated being to live your life as free as you want. No. You''ll be there as a contestant. A contestant in a battle royale."

    "I don''t care what''s on the other side! Just bring me there and I''ll figure everything out myself."

    "Keke... HAHAHA! Interesting, interesting! Good, good. I don''t have to explain to you the rules or anything. As my contender, go wild." It held out its hand in front of me and summoned up a sword in a stone.

    "What... is this?"

    "Your condition. You must die before you ascend to this world. So Zeraph Nindine, this is the result of waiting and despairing for a long time. A NEW LIFE!"

    "So... what do I do?"

    "I know you''ve been waiting all your life for this. And I will gift it to you. Zeraph Nindine... you are the chosen one. Draw out the sword that only you can pull and stab yourself. This is the only way you can ascend to the other world to fulfill your destiny."

    Chills ran down my spine and I had a disgusting grin on my face. All my despairs and suffering are all ending. I can start over. And that''s what I desperately need.

    Like a hero resurrecting for a good cause, I drew the sheath out of the stone and raised it. I grabbed it with both of my hands and took a look at it.

    The god spoke again, "You and this sword will meet again. But as for your first time meeting, you must bid farewell."

    I took one last look at it and closed my eyes. I flipped it over and stabbed myself in the stomach. The unrelenting pain that I felt was unbearable. But I didn''t feel any. It was like an adrenaline rush that I couldn''t feel myself dying.

    Because I''m getting reborn. I''m going to get reborn as a new man and there''s nothing more I want than that.

    I wanted companions who are extremely loyal and would come to follow me through my journey, I wanted someone to love me and I wanted to slay a dragon or something. All those legends and stories that I''ve heard... I want to them all.

    As I closed my eyes and waited for my death, I could no longer feel the hard surface and the sword that was impaling me. It was like I was lying on dirt. I can feel the grass and everything. I opened my eyes and see the distant horizon filled with trees and in the corner of my eyes... A giant castle... with a wall surrounding it.

    My excitement couldn''t be contained. As I looked around at the open field. A portal opened up again and the same god came out of it. "Welcome. To the world of Pandir. How does it feel?"

    "Different. And exciting." I couldn''t say anything more than that.

    "So I won''t explain anything to you as you said. But you must choose one out of the million classes out there. What class do you want to choose?"

    If its talking about class then that means I get to be the swordsman or anything. "I don''t care! I just want to be a hero!"

    "Hero huh... One stubborn fool. Well then, welcome to the class, Void. You are nothing. You are no one. You are just a weak old person who managed to get here. And its up for you to change that." The god aimed his hand at me and my whole outfit changed into what seems to be a leather armor and a pocket of gold in my hands. But I had no weapon.

    "Weapon?"

    "A hero starts out weak isn''t it? Good luck Zeraph Nindine. I hope you entertain me." The god opened up a portal again and exited through it.

    So... this is it. My new life and a new journey. I took a look at myself. I''m weak. Frail and incredibly unathletic. So I have to get up and move. And live the life that I was promised and live the life that I wanted. "Alright. Let''s do this. Zeraph Nindine, the mighty hero has come to the world of Pandir. And he''ll take the world by storm."

    I then ran to the nearest kingdom. That''s what I''ll call it from now on seeing how we''re in the medieval age. Everyone has swords and all weapons. And no guns! This is great! I don''t have to worry dying to one thing now.

    As I was passing through the kingdom, I saw some people cooking. And I was shocked to see that they were using magic to heat it up. Not flames from gas or anything... Just... pure magic coming out from their hands.

    Everything that I want and ever wanted was all in this place. I was getting more and more excited for the secrets of this world.

    And I have some plans in check. The first stop that I have to do to get more allies... is...

    Wait, do I have enough money? I checked the pocket money that the god gave me and in there was around a hundred gold.

    I guess that''s fine. Pretty small. Or is this world using tier based currency? I''m so excited on how thing will turn out.

 Chapter 225: Shes... The One.

    The smell of alcohol, sweat... The voices of laughter, intellectual conversations and fighting... This atmosphere and this place. Of course its a must for every fantasy! Its a bar!

    There were people everywhere and I felt like I was out of place. I thought I was ready for this but... I haven''t had social talk with anyone in like 10 years!

    Uh... Does online chat count?

    "What would you like for today?" The beautiful maid in front of the bar asked me.

    "Uh... juice!" I have zero tolerance against alcohol so I don''t know what to do.

    The woman just looked at me confused but soon brought out a juice for me.

    I was planning to get a new companion but my horrible social skills didn''t work. So I just sat there silently until the night came to no avail. Not even being able to talk to anyone.

    I was just simply intimidated by the big hulking muscles of men and the women that will be able to kick me out of this tavern with a single kick. I couldn''t say anything.

    I just paid the juice with a gold and left and they seem to be panicking when I gave them the gold. Was it too much or something? Argh I don''t even care.

    I began to just wander around this place. I don''t even know where I am right now. As I was walking around for what seemed hours, I found a staircase leading downstairs.

    This should''ve been the time that I''d say, ''NOPE.'' And just mind my own business but as I promised to myself, I''d do anything. To restart the life. And this is my own adventure.

    So with my absolute confidence, I just went down the stairs and there was a hallway. Filled with torches. I just walked through the hallway and just walked and walked until I found a person in front of what seems to be a door. "Welcome." Is what he said.

    "Hello." I responded.

    "Please come with me." He opened the door and walked inside and looked back at me.

    I scratched the back of my head and stood up straight. "Alright." I followed him inside and it was just complete darkness.

    He snapped his fingers and the whole room was illuminated by candles. Cages that seems to go on for forever. The room was big. It was like it was an infinite space. And every single one of those cages were filled with... monsters and people.

    And I know every single one of these from all the games and anime that I''ve watched. Wolves, goblins, orcs and some other humanoid species like beastmen and... elves.

    Golden silky hair, pointed ears, her body''s perfect as it was curvy. But her whole body was filled with dust and dirt and her eyes glowed in red. I couldn''t help but be fixated and unconsciously said out loud, "Beautiful."

    I wasn''t lying. It wasn''t something that I never usually say. But I couldn''t help but just admire her beauty.

    Even though she was covered in dirt and the clothes that she wore were basically rags. I didn''t care for it. She was the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen.

    "Do you like that one mister?" The man asked me. "That''s an elf. And not just an elf, she''s a royalty. We got a good haul of elves because of the raid and the betrayal of their family."

    I ignored him and looked at her. I placed my hands on her cage, "Name... give me your name."

    But she didn''t respond or anything. She just looked at me. The man got angry and brought out a whip out of nowhere and magically, it wrapped around her neck and her face were forcibly dragged in front of the cage. "SPEAK ELF! He''s asking for your name!"

    "Let go, if I''m going to buy her I don''t want her to be damaged."

    "I apologize." The whip that he has on her neck disappeared and the woman tried to grasp for air. "Give him your name you damn slave."

    "...Dahlia Edelstein." She replied as she was coughing trying to inhale the air.

    I didn''t care about my morals. Or anything at all. I didn''t care if I was committing a crime or something. I just wanted to know her. "I''ll take her."

    The man slightly smiled but then frowned. "I''m sorry but she''s a new stock and she''s a royalty that was just captured a day ago. So her price is still high. But if you really want her... I''m afraid she''ll cost 80 gold."

    "I don''t care." I grabbed the pocket of gold that was strapped around me and gave it to him. "Release her."

    "Mister this is a lot more than 80 gold!" The man smiled but I didn''t care for it. "But alright," He then pulled out the keys from his pockets and opened up the cage. She was scared from getting out but the moment the man took out the whip from... something? Dahlia complied with him and instantly got out of the cage. "Transferring ownership..." I then felt something in me. I felt something change. "There we go. Now she''s your property. Do you want anything el-"

    I ignored his words and grabbed her hand. I then ran away while I was pulling her with me. I wanted to travel with someone. So that I can see the world with them and I can show them the world. And there''s no other one better than her.

    For the first time in years... I didn''t only meet someone but fell in love with them.

    It was like love at first sight.

    And under the stars of the night, we were running.

    "Where... where are you taking me?" Dahlia meekly asked.

    "To see the world!" At this time, I didn''t know what I wanted to tell her but my mind and mouth were like the same. They just blabber everything I think about. My awkward social skills disappeared. And I thought I could converse with her.

    "To see... the world?"

    "Yes!" I was excited. Extremely so. "I''m a traveler from a very far away place and I just got here! Before I was just wandering aimlessly and I want to be a hero! And you''re my first companion!" I had no idea what I just said. But its just the adrenaline rush that was running throughout my entire body. Everything is just slowly getting realized by me. I''m in an another world. A fantasy, magical world. And my journey is finally starting. I wasn''t scared or intimidated. I was simply... excited.

    I didn''t care how powerful enemies are or how weak I am. Because in this world, I have a chance to change all that. I wanted to be a hero that slays a legendary dragon, a symbol of peace and something more than that.

    I wanted to be someone special. Someone that everyone can depend on and someone that can answer their prayers.

    And all of that, starts with her and me.

    The first step of many steps. "That''s why you need to stop worrying! Being with me doesn''t make you a slave, you''re free! That''s why everything that you and I will own we''ll own together!" I didn''t notice it at first but it seems that we''ve ran out of the kingdom I was in and I was out in the plains. I stopped and looked at her. I just couldn''t believe how beautiful she was. "Don''t look at me, look up at the sky!"

    "Huh..? Free..?" She looked up at the sky and saw the endless horizon of stars up there. She stood there for a couple of seconds until a drop of tear came out of her eyes. She looked back at me and wiped it with her hands. She looked at it and the tears couldn''t just stop flowing.

    Then suddenly, everything just hit me. I saved her out of a whim. Not knowing what that place is. It was a slave market. And everyone that was put there surely had a difficult time from before that point. And each and everyone of us surely had a difficult past to get from this point.

    It might''ve been inappropriate but I didn''t mind dying here today. Or being imprisoned for life. It was the first time in my whole lifetime that I cared about someone. And loved someone this much. I hugged her and waited for her to calm down.

    After a while, she calmed down but then, I felt a chill from my spine. I didn''t know what it was. But as I let go from the hug, I looked around and rustles from the bushes from the nearby forest were heard. I began to grew wary of what was happening.

    I began to look carefully at everything that was going on. It was dark and scary and we could barely see anything from the darkness... But then, goblins emerged from the bushes. "Wha-"

 Chapter 226: Our Start

    Weapons... weapons... crap! I don''t have one! Argh... I used up all my gold on Dahlia... How do we get out of this situation... I don''t have anything. "Crap!" I held Dahlia''s hand and began to run away. But I felt a strong tug as I was pulling her hand. She didn''t even budge.

    The air around her suddenly got stronger. Green light was coming out of her hands and the wind became stronger and stronger the longer it was on her arm.

    "Dahlia!" I began to lose grip of her as I was being blown away. But Dahlia''s grip on mine wasn''t.

    Imagine being outclassed by a woman in terms of strength... I told to myself.

    But that wasn''t the most surprising thing. The wind that was she was... doing something with is starting to take form in a shape of a book. "Nature''s Catalyst!" Vines came out of her hand accompanied by beautiful pink flowers with so much petals were slowly wrapping around the book.

    I had no clue what was going on. But it was magical... and beautiful.

    The vines and the flowers disappeared as if like a glass shard being broken and inside of that was a beautiful green book that was surrounded by the same kind of flowers and vines.

    The book opened on itself and hovered in front of Dahlia. "Gale Pierce!" I can see the wind taking shape into a spike like formation. All those spikes then launched themselves into the goblins hiding and revealed in and out of the bushes.

    It was such a magical moment. Like a hero protecting his heroine. But in this case, I''m the heroine.

    I could hear the shrieks of the goblins in the bushes as the wind spikes kept forming and forming shooting themselves onto the goblins body and killing them.

    Every goblin was killed within a matter of seconds and the rustling in the bushes disappeared.

    Dahlia''s knees weakened and shell to the ground. I barely caught her as she was falling. "Hey! Are you okay!" I hope that wasn''t one of those final attacks or something...

    "Yeah... I am... I am." She sat up and coughed a little. "I just ran out of mana. Those shackles that we wore back there was preventing us from regenerating mana and I''m... a mage. So regenerating all the mana naturally will take me for a while."

    "So you''re going to be alright?" I still couldn''t help but be worried about her health. Well she just recovered and got out from that cage.

    "Yes."

    "Oh... that''s good..." I was so relieved. The first person I''ve ever seen in years... I couldn''t bear to lose her. She''s also my first companion so if she dies that''s pretty much bad luck.

    A bright light then shone through the side of my eyes. And as I looked at the source of the light, it was the su...n? I didn''t know if I would still call it the sun since this is a different world. But either way, the star that was far in the horizon was shining. Illuminating the whole place and the whole world with its light.

    Dahlia fell asleep on my arms and we''re still pretty dangerous being here and dragging her back to the kingdom is impossible... I''m just gonna exhaust myself. And I probably wouldn''t be able to drag her there with this weak body. We''re like pretty far away from the kingdom.

    I placed her body down in the grass and stripped the cloth that was on the bodies of the goblins and used it as a mattress.

    "Hmm?" I noticed that my status went up some EXP just for doing that? I ignored it for now and just scavenged the forest for some food. I ignored the fruits that I haven''t seen before and just picked the apples that I could find. I began to find sticks and rocks on the ground.

    I took them from the ground and went back to where Dahlia was. "Uh... Crap... the only survival guide I know is what I learned from games... Uh..." I needed a weapon, just to fend off the monsters. So I grabbed the thin rock, and grinded it on top of the stick.

    Okay... some from the game that I saw... stone axes has like a split on top of the stick and that''s where the stone will go.

    I spent some time waiting for Dahlia to wake up and making this axe. After a few hours, I finally managed to make a cut deep enough for the stone to get stuck to.

    I pushed and pushed and it was pretty difficult to bash it in but it managed to work somehow. I needed some rope or some type of binding tool for me to use this so I scavenged the bushes and ripped it from there.

    "Where''s the plant fibers or something... I thought they''re just in the bushes? Those rope like things... Argh... It seems like I literally have no clue on what I''d do here." I just grabbed the body? Of the bushes and wrapped it around the axe trying to bind it for it not to fall off. Well... its better than nothing. I need to protect myself and Dahlia if those goblins come back here wanting for revenge. I did steal the items of their dead comrades for me to use later. So this axe would be a help. Even though it might break on several swings.

    I swung it several times and it seems to not fall off. Good... That seems nice. A system message appeared in front of me but that wasn''t something that I was surprised about. I saw something from the corner of my eye

    A bright light then was enveloping the whole axe. I immediately dropped it and let it go of the fear that there might be another enemy around us. But when the light disappeared, the axe that was one just a part of a bush, stone and a stick were turned into a full... AXE!?

    The handle was perfect for my hand and it felt like it was sanded down by something. The edge was sharp for it being just a stone axe. I swung it at the tree and for my very weak arms, I managed to cut deep. Using a stone axe! I was confused. Until a uh... ''system?'' message appeared in front of me.

    [Gained skill, Crafting, immediately refines, reinforce and create things depending on what you''re crafting.]

    "How did I even get this skill... I haven''t leveled up yet..." Just as I said that, a new system message popped up in front of me.

    [Skill Discoverer, unlocks skills from all classes and undefined classes depending on what you''re doing.]

    That''s interesting! This is cool! This really just feels like a game.

    Excited as I was, I entered the forest again and started to chop down some trees. My first tree took me about half an hour as I was taking breaks every swing. My stamina isn''t really that great seeing how I didn''t exercise and ate that much food in like years since I was just focused on playing and watching stuff.

    But with that in mind...

    [Gained skill, Logging, dealing damage on a tree is now five times as powerful when using an Axe.]

    I won''t get EXP to level up or something but I can get more skills. This is great! Now I can discover more skills then just get stronger from then on. I began to unlock more skills that I doubt I''d use in the future but the more I unlock, the more I can use.

    So I became a Herbalist and made myself some potion... I don''t really do much. I just mix and match and its that easy. I also became a digger and digging things will be fast for me... I don''t know what I''m going to use that for but I''ll get what I can.

    There are so many things to discover that I''d get drowned just by experimenting with this world... And I''ll continue to learn more and more and get stronger and stronger every single day.

    Good thing I start out the weakest! Of course this''ll be a legend when I become a strong hero!

    A weak young man transported into another world started out with nothing and became the strongest hero this world has ever seen!

    Yeah that''d make a great story.

    I went back to where Dahlia was and it seems that she''s waking up. She looked around as if trying to figure out what was going on. "Its not a dream..."

    "Dahlia?" I dropped the Axe and sat in front of her.

    "Oh... nothing much. So I''m free from that cage..."

    "Yeah... you''re free now." I didn''t know what to say so I just said the things that were on the top of my head.

    "What do we do now?"

    "Let''s move. I wanna see more of this world."

 Chapter 227: The Holy Sword Fragment

    It was like something that came out of a fairy tale book. The two of us just wandering around the world and slowly falling in love with each other. We both began to understand that and accept the facts.

    So we travelled and travelled all around the world. The both of us getting stronger and stronger. And then one day, we faced an enemy that we couldn''t get over.

    The only thing we did everytime we faced it was just run in but we just lost over and over and we just both teleported away just to survive.

    "Do you really need to get there Zera?" Dahlia asked of me.

    "...Yeah." I took a look at the emblem on my hand. It was pulsing. In a bright white light. I covered it with the gloves that Dahlia made for me. "Sorry for pushing you to fight with me in this stubborn journey."

    "Wherever you go, I''ll go with you and-"

    "Whatever I do, you''ll be there with me. I know." The both of us smiled at each other and laughed. I looked up at the ceiling of the bar and took a sip of the alcohol that was in front of me. "Maybe its time. To recruit more people."

    "Why aren''t you recruiting people in the first place?"

    "Well... I didn''t want anyone getting in our way..."

    "...Alright." She''s too embarrassed to talk about it. "Who do you have in mind? Or do we just recruit some random people?"

    "B..." I just remembered a word from my head and I remember those group of people. "Bladedge..?"

    "Oh! That group! They were the ones who were saving people here and there right?"

    "Yeah. And I briefly remember them from the fight that we did several months ago against the kingdom. Those players leading a kingdom were pretty aggressive. Good thing we drove them off before things escalated."

    "That''s the plan then!"

    We spent the next week tracking their trails. It seems that they''ve also been going all around the world trying to find the Bladedge party. But a week in, we didn''t come to them. They came to me.

    It seems that they''ve also been tracking us and once they learned that we were finding them, they immediately stopped what they were doing and hunted for us.

    Rafael, Rael, Lily, Lila and Tas. The five of them are a small party and has been spreading peace throughout the world. And it seems that we''ve inspired them to fight back or something according to them.

    I asked them to lend their powers to me and they all accepted pretty much easily.

    I wasn''t expecting that quick agreement so I just revealed why I''m doing this.

    Holy Sword of Arranca, the weapon that I currently have right now is just the first piece. Its the hollow existence of the sword. Its the sword. But its not complete. This is the same sword that was used to kill myself and head straight to this world.

    Its the same appearance but there''s still a lot locked. Like around eighty or ninety more skills locked from this sword. So that''s why I''ve been exploring the world finding the parts of the weapon. But this time, its guarded by a dragon.

    I''ve never been more excited in my life. I can finally face off a dragon. A level 993 dragon. And I''m fighting it with an incomplete weapon that''s better than anything that I currently have right now.

    Once I complete the sword, I know I''ll be an unstoppable force and will bring peace to the world. And I''m completely ready for it.

    Everyone understood my motive and what I was about to do. So they all agreed to do it. So a few weeks from now, we''ll all head there. But I need to know them more so that I can trust them more. So I asked them a few things, "Where were you going to go if I didn''t try and find you?"

    Rafael was the one who answered, "We were going to Itz. Its far from here but we''re there to meet an old friend. And check if he''s still there."

    "Old friend?"

    "Yeah. Someone in our group picked a fight."

    Lily then coughed, "Yeah, someone." And another cough. "Someone."

    Everyone laughed except for Rafael. "I mean, the two of them just stole our prey! Anyway... we got into a fight that escalated and all of us lost against the two of them.

    "The five of you lost against two people?" I was just in shock of what they said. They''re pretty strong seeing their feats right now.

    "Yeah. One of them was a player. And the other one his companion. And that was one of the reasons we wanted to quit this adventuring thing. People were... getting stronger really fast. That man arrived not even a month or something and yet, our years of practice just disappeared like that."

    "I never noticed that." I have been getting stronger incredibly quickly. And I didn''t notice how difficult it was for people to get stronger.So those EXP boosts that the system was developing was real huh...

    "But when you saved us from that kingdom, you helped us to get even more and more inspiration and to just follow what our dream is. To be the best adventurers out there."

    "I didn''t think that I did that much."

    "You did. And we''re all here thanking you about it."

    "Alright, let''s stop the serious talk. Let''s get a drink!"

    All of us went to the nearby kingdom and ordered any food and every drink that we can buy until each and everyone of us passed out. I was never an alcoholic guy but seeing how I won''t die from it with the Drunkard skill that I discovered, I have no more worries.

    A few weeks passed by and we all went to the dragon''s den. An altar holding the fragment of the sword was there. And the emblem on my hand were pulsing even more, sending a burning and itchy feeling on my hand. "That''s the real deal."

    All of us fought the gigantic dragon. A fire breathing dragon who can summon several minions by his side. Apparently it was an Elemental Dragon so the fight was difficult.

    Tas''s durability was the key to this fight. He immobilized the dragon several times with his taunt skills or something which enabled us all to focus the fight. And with Lily and Lila helping us from the back, I didn''t have to worry about anything.

    The fight lasted for several hours but we all persevered. Somehow. I was all beaten up and tired to the point that after the fight, I lay flat on the ground. "That was exhausting."

    After a few minutes of rest, I stood up and walked in front of the altar. Everyone was there watching me from the ground. I grabbed the fragment of the sword that was on the altar and put it close to the sword. It began to merge and... Memories in me began to flow...

    "Epimetheus! Wake up! You damn mongrel!" Someone was yelling at... me? I looked in front of me but it was a face that I haven''t seen before. "You and your wife opened the damned Pandora''s box! Do you know how idiotic you both are!?" The man was incredibly angry. But I didn''t know who he was and the people that was around him.

    "It was a mistake! It was given to me by Zeus!" I was... talking? I don''t even know if this is my body that was... talking.

    "You go down to Pandir you stupid freak! Go with your damn wife!" The man who was talking to... this body? Kicked me off on what seems to be clouds. And I fell and it felt like hours... or maybe even a day.

    A voice then came to my mind. "Find it... Hephaestus'' creation... Save... Pandora... please... save her. I left the fragments of the Holy Sword of Arranca all over the world of Pandir... Dungeon near the Tartarus... Dragon''s Den in the artifact dungeon near the Tower of Babel and in the Elven Kingdom... Find it and save her."

    I was snapped back to reality and I fumbled off the altar but I was saved from falling by Dahlia. I opened my eyes and looked around then asked, "How long was I out?"

    Dahlia then responded, "You just touched it now."

    "It felt like hours there... Or maybe even a day." I sat up and scratched the back of my head. As I opened my eyes, I saw that the skill list of the Holy Sword of Arranca is nearly all unlocked.

    "What did you see there?"

    "I don''t know... but I know something now. I found the next fragment. But I don''t know the location. But I know where its supposed to be found."

    "Where?"

    "Elven Kingdom or something. That was the voice that I heard inside."

    "...I... I know where that place is."

 Chapter 228: Heavenly King

    We took a month to rest and just wander around before we go to the place that the guy in my dreams just said. I spent the rest of that time being with Dahlia and trying to understand more of the people of the Bladedge party. Or what was once the Bladedge party.

    They were welcoming and open people and they told us their stories and how everything worked before the arrival of the players of the world. And I can understand why they were discouraged at one point.

    Orcs were considered one of the most strongest enemies and needed ten people to at least kill one. But now they''re just throw away monsters... Fodders.

    Dragons were mythical and didn''t exist. But the moment we arrived, most dragons awakened from their sleep and began to wreck havoc all around the world.

    It was just acompletely different world.

    Thousands of mythical stories in this world just boom. It just all awakened.

    The sea kingdoms appeared, dungeons appeared, new monsters appeared, Tartarus, the mysterious tower that required an incredibly worrying high level is now releasing monsters on the world. Dragons, giants and other mythical creatures began to emerge from their own graves and so much more.

    One world, two divided stories from our arrival and before our arrival. It was something interesting on how this world worked.

    ...

    After our discussions, we finally got ready and began to head to the elven kingdom.

    I was pretty worried with the ominous dream I had when I got the holy sword fragment but I set that aside for now and calmed myself down. Once I get this sword, I know that I''ll be able to change something and become powerful more than I''ve ever known.

    So we all set off with out head up high.

    Dahlia was the one leading us and she instantly teleported all of us on what seems to be... a forest of some kind. She then did something that we didn''t hear or see her do because we were all confused on where we were and we''re all trying to figure it out.

    But the moment we looked at Dahlia, we saw a portal open in front of her. And we can see a giant kingdom in the portal on the other side. "I don''t think you remember Zeraph but... I''m an elf. Well... welcome to my home." Dahlia stepped in the portal and she immediately appeared on the other side.

    We followed her and we were on top of what seems to be a mountain. We began to look around trying to figure out this beautiful place.

    The kingdom was huge. And calling it huge was an understatement. It was like a continent by itself. And they were like ants in our perspective seeing how many people there are on the ground. We couldn''t believe it.

    There maybe hundreds of thousands of people down there or millions or something. We didn''t know but we knew that they were a lot.

    We began to walk in the gates of the kingdom and all stares were at us. The guards let us in easily when Dahlia said her name. It seems that she''s still recognized here.

    We didn''t stop for any bars or anything. Not even an inn or a weapon shop to keep check if we really have more things to do or to get for second measures. But instead, we all went straight to the gigantic castle in the middle of the kingdom.

    Dahlia stood in front of the guards but the guards put their weapons in front of her trying to stop Dahlia. We were all confused but we didn''t say anything. But the guards'' expressions changed and they immediately retracted their weapons. "W- w- welcome, M- Ms. E- Edelstein! W- w- welcome back!" They were stuttering on their words and they immediately let us in. I had lots of questions but I didn''t want to ask it in fear of Dahlia getting hurt by her own past.

    The moment we got in, all the maids, butlers and guards were incredibly silent and everytime we passed them they just gave us a slight bow and then ran off. It was weird but we didn''t question it.

    We finally got to the throne room and we saw someone cleaning the throne. As soon as she noticed us, she dropped the items that were on her hand and a single tear came out of her face. "Dahlia!" She then ran over and hugged Dahlia. She held her up high like a baby and a mother.

    "Arka! You''re still here!?" Dahlia were also crying as she saw Arka.

    "Dahlia... you''re alive. I''m glad you''re alive..."

    "How''s... everything?" I felt like Dahlia was scared to ask that but she still kept up a courageous face.

    "Everything has been great!"

    "I can see that. The kingdom has grown... significantly well since... the raid."

    "Yeah." Arka, then brought down Dahlia to the ground to talk to her face to face. "I couldn''t believe it! So you''re still alive! Oh... first it was Precia now its you! I''m glad both of you are still alive."

    "Wait, Precia... sister is alive?"

    "Yeah! She was the acting queen for around two years here when all of the Edelstein family died. Well... when we thought all of the Edelstein family died."

    "Where is she! I need to see her!"

    "She... left. A week ago. I wish you could''ve seen her. She faced some... things too. But she''s good now. She grew up to be an amazing woman. She set off with her friend named Rize."

    "RIZE!?" The Bladedge party suddenly shouted.

    "Oh, sorry." Rafael apologized. "Was her name by any chance Rize Reysh?"

    "Yes. That''s the name Precia was going too. Changed her name to Precia Reysh for some reason." Arka replied.

    "Zeraph! That''s the guy we were talking to you about. I forgot his name since it has been several years now... But his last name was Reysh. You can find Dahlia''s sister if we track down Rize Reysh. We were going to until you invited us into your party."

    "Where''s this place?" I asked.

    "Itz, its far from where we were earlier but we can just search there. The king of Itz knows them and us so it''ll be easy finding them."

    I took a look at Dahlia and held her hand. "We''ll go there. After all things are done. We''ll find your sister there."

    "Thanks Zeraph. Anyway Arka, we came here for one reason. I need that unknown stone that our ancestors found. Its the same... as this. Imagination Projection!" A single light came out of Dahlia''s hand and an imagery of the stone that she was talking about appeared in the sky.

    "But that''s... a treasure of the Edelstein family." Arka then said.

    "But Zeraph''s the rightful owner of that stone." Dahlia looked at me and nodded. Trying to signal to me to show it to Arka.

    "Come, Holy Sword of Arranca!" I summoned up the holy sword in front of Arka and its illuminating light, shone brightly upon the whole place and then disappeared, showing the glorious form of the sword. I also showed her the emblem that was on my hand. "Its pulsating and for me I can feel it burning. Its near this place. I just know it."

    "...Alright. I trust you Dahlia." Arka left the room and came back with the stone that they were talking about.

    I grabbed it from her and the Holy Sword began to act independently on itself. The two materials merged and a bright light overtook the whole room. And as I opened my eyes, I was in a completely different place. "Dahlia? Dahlia! Where are you!" I began to shout trying to find out where they are.

    But the completely white space was something... unsettling.

    "You''ve done well collecting all the parts Zeraph Nindine." A voice came from everywhere. "A human, born from nothing, has been given something. Life. But he used it wastefully. Spending the rest of his life on worldly things. And that is you Zeraph Nindine. And that''s the reason why I''m hesitant on giving you the true holy sword."

    "Why!?" I asked.

    "The Holy Sword of Arranca symbolizes power, great strength and true heroism. A man who casts away all the need of a human. You only have one job. And that is to serve and protect those who can''t protect themselves. Can you do that? You were once a nobody. You are still. But once I give you this, you will be something far greater than the inhabitants of this world. The Heavenly King. Will you promise me for you to use the rest of your life protecting those who need it and cleansing the filth of this world!? ZERAPH NINDINE!"

    "I promise! I came here to this world as a nobody. Trying to relive this life. And I will do anything to not repeat my past life. I want to be something bigger and to be a symbol!"

    "Then... so be it."

 Chapter 229: The Reason Behind it All

    A radiant light burst out of my chest and emitted lasers of light everywhere. I could feel something wrapping within my arms. But as soon as its done, I felt like I lost my arm.

    It was the same with the rest of my body. Light that''s painful and powerful enough to melt my skin wrapped around and the feeling from my own body disappeared. This was... different. From my previous armor that I''ve got from temporarily unlocking the Holy Sword.

    But this... this is in another level.

    The status, the hundred skills, the passives, bonuses, active skills... It was like a long receipt in front of me. And it felt like none of it would end.

    The light finally disappeared from my body and I can finally take a good look at myself. White, gold laced armor, shining beautifully. Words couldn''t describe how awesome this looks.

    But then, a system message appeared in front of me. [Choose who to bind this sword to.]

    "Bind?" I was just confused. I wanted to ask whoever was talking to me but I noticed that I was back at the castle with Dahlia and everyone. They were all shocked to see me.

    Dahlia ran up to me and gave me a hug. "You did it."

    "Yes... yes I did." Just as I said that, we then felt a mini earthquake..? Is that what should I be calling these occurrences?

    We dismissed it but the quake returned again. This time it was far more violent and the whole castle was shaking.

    A guard was running towards us and then said, "M- M- M- Ms. Arka! T- the kingdom! Its under attack by unknown units!"

    Dahlia looked at me, "I guess this is your first quest as a hero."

    I smiled at her, "It sure is. Come on everyone, let''s do our jobs."

    We all went outside and saw three portals opened up at the top of the cliff and endless hordes of monsters were spawning there. And the thing that we feared, the Serpent Union is here.

    We didn''t think that they''d act this fast after all those things that just happened between their raid back at the previous kingdom.

    The Bladedge party was still pretty frozen up from seeing the Serpent Union but they all stood strong and drew out their weapons.

    The supply of monsters stopped and all the three portals closed off. But the monsters were like a small kingdom itself. Their numbers stretched far into the distance and they were all hungry for combat.

    All the elves below were panicking and running to their homes while the guards even though they''re scared, they''re running up to the walls and mounting on their cannons and ballistas while the workers below are setting up weapons on the roads of the kingdom if they ever break through.

    Panicked as they may, but they still have order and is still managing to keep their emotions in tact to help save the kingdom.

    I looked at Dahlia and we both nodded at the same time. I held up my sword up high and the brilliant radiance of the sword illuminated the whole place. "God''s Smite!" Two words and a beacon of light came falling down from the sky.

    First it was a concentrated laser that penetrated one enemy but soon, that laser grew thicker and thicker, devouring anything that was near it. Purely exterminating and burning them out of the existence.

    Just with that, at least twenty percent of their army disappeared. And none of the environment was damaged. Only those monsters.

    I began to feel what was the feeling of having this much power. It wasn''t malicious intent, but the feeling of being grateful. I can now protect those who are with me and those who needs protection. And I''m going to use it the right way. "I may not be an elf, but I sure do know who to protect!"

    I had everyone''s hope placed on me. And I will use their hope in me to use as power.

    I was like a bird who soared in the skies. No one can touch me. It was like a performance by me and everyone was just watching as I rain down countless judgments on the enemies below.

    I became the light that overshadowed the darkness below.

    "Illuminating Ray!" Thousands of dispersing light shot out from my body and homed into the enemies below, piercing through their chests and ripping out their hearts and heads.

    I began to rain down on the armies like they were all ants. Like they were absolutely nothing. Garbage.

    But I didn''t mind who I was killing. Because I knew I had to pass on judgment. Because if they''re here invading the elf kingdom, then they''re sure to kill and pillage. So they should''ve been prepared to die too themselves.

    After a while, it was over. I was still trying to figure out my powers so I accidentally let five of them go. I didn''t care for who they were so I returned back to the elf kingdom. But one of the people who escaped within my grasp returned and opened up another portal.

    A man emerged from the portal and suddenly, all of my senses were telling me to run. People from the elf kingdom began to faint for no reason at all. Maybe its because due to fear.

    But once I looked at him, he showed power and great strength. Far stronger than I am. Far... FAR stronger than I am.

    I blinked once and as I opened my eyes, he was in front of me.

    Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run.

    I had to. I had to.

    I have never been more scared my whole life.

    I fought a dragon, an entire horde just now, thousands of monsters.

    But this... man- monster... This monster was just on another level.

    I blinked again but this time he disappeared. I looked back to check on Dahlia and he was in front of her.

    I didn''t care what I was going up against, but I won''t let anyone take Dahlia. "GOD''S RAY!" A simple blast of laser that only targets enemies while healing allies. I directly shot at Dahlia and that man simply blocked it with his bare hands.

    Damn it... is the Holy Sword still not complete..?

    Then I remembered, the binding thing. "Holy Sword Arranca, bind yourself to Dahlia!"

    "What''s this!?" Dahlia asked.

    "Don''t ask, just do it! The sword still isn''t complete!" I looked at the man and he seems to have stopped moving and wouldn''t do anything.

    Dahlia accepted the binding and suddenly, light was enveloping her body.

    I was ready to cancel the bind if that man would intervene but he seems to be just standing there, waiting for the binding to finish. And if this finishes, then the sword will be fully completed.

    But I never thought that it''d be the worst mistake of my life.

    The light that was enveloping Dahlia disappeared. With her.

    I could feel the surge of power flowing into me but I couldn''t find Dahlia. I took a look at my sword and I can feel our heartbeats beating at the same time.

    "Ze...raph..." I heard her voice inside of my head.

    I began calling out to her, "Dahlia! Where are you!? Dahlia!?" I tried calling her again and again but she won''t respond. I fell on my knees just taking everything what I had just done.

    I killed her... in exchange for power.

    I killed her.

    "This... this is your fault! DAMN IT!" Yellow aura surrounded my body and were all redirected to my sword. I slashed my sword upwards and a giant beam of light came out of it in which it struck the man and sliced his body in half. I wasn''t satisfied at all. I killed Dahlia. Because I was scared. Because I was afraid. Yet... he died so easily.

    Is what I thought but just like an illusion, his body regenerated back to normal. I couldn''t believe what was happening.

    The man disappeared and reappeared in front of me. He summoned up a weapon and was about to kill me but Tas rushed in front of me, "Immovable!" And deflected the attack of the man.

    The other members of the Bladedge party surrounded me. "Focus Zeraph! The world still needs you!" Rafael and Rael said in unison.

    "We need you still Zeraph!" Tas included.

    Lily then said, "I know you''re confused on what happened to Dahlia but you must look at the present,"

    "We need you right now the most! So that''s why you need to sta-" As Lila said those words, as if the world turned upside down for me.

    I blinked for a millisecond. And as I opened my eyes, their heads were gone. The man was holding their heads on his palm like it was a small ball and crushed their heads one by one in front of me.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

 Chapter 230: I Need Your Help. Please.

    "I thought you were having fun killing my minions. Why is that when I killed yours you turn into a hysterical kid?" The mysterious man said as his whole arm was covered in the blood of my former comrades.

    I didn''t know what was going on. Just a second ago we were laughing and came here to get the fragment. Then suddenly everything just went south.

    Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?Why? Why?

    I felt like I was going insane.

    In just a matter of seconds, everything that I had, I have lost it all. The Bladedge party... I promised them something greater. At the peak of everything if they journey with me.

    Rafael and Rael, the combination brothers, Lily and Lila, the best support of their team and Tas, the vanguard who kept them safe at all times.

    I could only imagine how much they trained to get to that level. While I''m still alive just because I was spoonfed by the gods above. Giving me this power...

    But in exchange for them? No. Not at all.

    I would sacrifice this power just to bring them all back.

    This is the first time in years that I''ve conversed and had a close relationship with anyone. And its all gone!? Within seconds!?

    Years passed by and I didn''t even get to say goodbye.

    I banged my fist on the ground again and again out of frustration as the man watched me.

    I stood up and waved my sword which sent out a large shockwave that managed to split the cliff in half. The man began to look back to take a look at the cliff.

    I swung my sword again and again but he manages to dodge every single one of it with ease.

    "You hold the Holy Sword of Arranca yet you''re still this weak?" The man then menacingly laughed.

    "This is your fault..." I couldn''t contain my anger. "Everything that I have... you took it all away like it was nothing."

    "You took what''s mine. Killed my army. And when I kill yours suddenly its unfair? You people are interesting. Then let me ask you, how many people have you killed?" I ignored his ramblings and swung my sword in a speed that I''ve never gone before. I was chasing him as I was swinging my sword again and again but he doesn''t even get hit.

    And even if I did manage to hit him, that part instantly regenerates like it was nothing.

    And yet he''s still talking like nothing''s happening. "You killed how many... hundreds? Thousands? For what? Of course we know why. Its for your goals and satisfactions. And you know what? I''m not blaming you. Since I''m the same." He didn''t have a weapon equipped but as soon as he waved his hand, a giant vertical wound opened up in my chest.

    No weapon... it was absurd. Far more absurd than I thought.

    And now... I get it. How small I am in this world. I thought I had become invisible from getting this power but I''m still that weak man living alone watching and playing games on that laptop. I was... nothing in front of real monsters.

    And to think that I sacrificed the only friends I had and the person I ever loved. I''m a monster too... I threw them away. I couldn''t protect them. Hero my ass. I''m just a pseudo one.

    "Zeraph... can you hear me?" It was a familiar voice... no. It wasn''t familiar. I know that voice. I thought I already accepted my death so I just sat there waiting for the man to kill me, but as I opened my eyes, I was in a place where only light was everywhere.

    "Is... is that you Dahlia?" I saw her smiling in the distance. "Dahlia!" I ran over to her but she suddenly raised her hand.

    "Don''t..." I didn''t understand what that meant.

    "I''m sorry... I didn''t think that was going to happen when I activated the bind."

    "That''s not what I meant. I don''t blame you one bit. When we were travelling together, I''m not shy or afraid to say that those were the best years of my life. If you get near me, you''ll cross the line and I won''t let you go here yet. I''m... still alive. I guess."

    "I don''t care Dahlia! As long as you''re with me, I don''t mind going anywhere."

    "Don''t come here! Right now I dragged you in here just for a moment. Right now we''re inside the Holy Sword of Arranca. And... its host is you. And me. But they just need a catalyst to unlock the full potential of the Holy Sword. And it''ll only work if the catalyst allows it. Which means... me. If you put others here I''m sure they won''t agree. Haha... So don''t worry. I''ll be here, inside the sword. Guarding and watching over you with the millions of souls inside this sword. You still have a role to play in this world Zeraph. You aren''t a hero yet. You must live. And I''ll help you achieve that."

    I then saw my hands disappearing from myself and turning into dust. "No, Dahlia! I need to be with you!"

    I then saw a single drop of tear came out of her eyes. "Zeraph..."

    "No, no, no! Dahlia! Please, I just want to be with you!"

    "...I love you." Oh how much I would love for you to say that to me again and again. How much I wished all of this wouldn''t have happened. If I could sacrifice everything that I have just to get you back, I would. I''d rather be living as a farmer with you in a far away land than getting all this power and in the end being all alone.

    I let out tears and shouted with all I''ve got while I was disappearing from her world, "Dahlia! I will find a way to get you out of here! I promise you that! I promi-" I then woke up back from where I was and I jumped back, barely avoiding the attack of the man.

    "Something changed." The man noticed.

    I wiped off the tears on my face, "What''s your name? I want to know so that I can curse you when I die."

    "Ouroboros."

    "Ouroboros huh... I see." I took my stance and looked him straight at his eyes. "You know what, I still have to live. This is something that I promised with the person I loved."

    "Hmm? What nonsense are y-"

    "Teleport." I instantly got out of that place.

    At first I was relieved. But as soon as I laid my whole body to rest at the open plains of where I first went camping with Dahlia, a truckload full of emotions just came ramming at me.

    It was at first the realization. Until it turned into tears... Into crying and into a baby''s bawling. I can''t do anything but look forward.

    But the weight that they left me will make an impact on me for as long as I live.

    This is the reason for my journey. I travelled throughout the world to search for resurrection spells. But nothing appeared.

    I began experimenting on monsters but nothing.

    I tried killing my familiars over and over again and waiting for them to revive but there''s nothing.

    It has been so long since I last heard her voice. And I miss it so dearly. But I know she''s in there. Somewhere. And I''ll drag her out of that place.

    And for the last ingredient that I thought that would surely revived her, I met him there. Zieglind Reysh. We fought the Lich and I reached a certain height of power that I haven''t seen before. My armor upgraded into a form that I haven''t seen before. And I lost against him. Well, I was just using my previous armor that I was using before I got the Holy Sword of Arranca and I was holding back in the fears of attracting the attention of Ouroboros.

    The Phoenix were a member of the Lich that we fought but it didn''t drop anything. Just EXP but no items. Not a single feather of it I got. I thought I''d be able to revive her with it.But its just useless.

    I can''t do this thing by myself. I will beg or do anything as long as someone helps me or if someone has the resurrection spell. I need it. Greatly.

    "That''s why I''m turning to you. Because you have her by your side. I want you to help me and I will help you. I don''t care about anything. All I need is to resurrect her sister. Dahlia Edelstein. I don''t care if you''re the Demon King or anything else. As long as you help me find a resurrection spell, I will fight alongside you. As equals. Nothing more nothing less. How about it, Zieglind Reysh?"

 Chapter 231: Unwanted Help

    It was just a random day when we were all doing our tasks. But then I heard from Yefa and Precia that three of the kingdoms they''ve been keeping an eye on has been overtaken by someone according to the people and there''s no one ruling it.

    Which was incredibly weird.

    But it happened again and again. I sent out Helga to inspect if there''s any curse placed upon the kingdoms they discovered and ruled but there''s absolutely nothing. No hallucinating spells, mind controls, curses or anything.

    I didn''t know if someone was helping us behind the scenes but I need to know who this is. For them to go under my radar and take over kingdoms we specifically targeted, they must be powerful or just incredibly sneaky.

    It has been months since we started that operation and it has been a year and a a half since we all reunited after that Fafnir incident. And yet there''s still thousands of mysterious I would love to solve right now. But time is running out. Ouroboros, Tartarus, Tower of Babel and... Zeraph Nindine. That man is full of mystery.

    And as Lagrima said it, two opposite sides of the coin. He uses the power of the light while I used the dark magic. But something about him bugs me. It felt like he was holding back by a lot in that fight of ours when we were fighting the Lich and the other enemies.

    That fight was surreal and weird. It was something indescribable. I need to get to the bottom of this.

    "Is that so?" I then heard someone from behind me.

    "Hmm. Who are you?" I asked.

    "This might remind you." They then threw a sword in front of me. Which I was shocked to see.

    The sword glowed in a beautiful color of yellow and white and by just being near it, Lagrima was getting worried about me and asking me to not hold back if we ever fight. But I knew who this was. "Zeraph... Nindine."

    "Correct." He then walked in front of me.

    "Come to me, Demon Sword Acabar." A small flicker of light emerged and transformed into my weapon. Zeraph picked up the Holy Sword that was in front of him. And then I remembered something that Lagrima told me. "Holy Sword of Arranca."

    "You even know what this is? Then you must know of its functions and how it turns complete?"

    "No. I do not know what that is. But enough of that, what did you come here for?''

    "I''ve heard from countless kingdoms that you have been overtaking them. And I wanted to see your progress. Eleven kingdoms within a month. That''s impressive."

    "And? What of it?"

    "I was going to kill all of your henchmen and then you. Until I realize what you were doing. You''re specifically targeting kingdoms that have been raided by the Serpent Union and using their broken wills to reignite the flames that''s in their hearts to use them as part of your army against... someone. I have to commend you, well played. You singlehandedly garnered over 230,000 units within a month."

    "What are you going to do with it?"

    "Nothing. As long as you don''t harm the people of this world I won''t do anything. But I just wanted to ask, what are you going to do with all those people? Seeing how this place... What''s it called again? Izgoy. Yes, Izgoy, seeing how this place has a separate district for hundreds of thousands of monsters, what army would you need to have that much firepower. Or are you just being overcautious?"

    "No. Its for an incoming Holy war. Its going to be a large scale battle against someone."

    "Large scale? For an army as big as yours, there should be another big shot out there that''s also well known. But I haven''t heard of anyone like that. And why would it be a holy war in the first place?"

    "We''re fighting three different enemies. The Tartarus, Tower of Babel and Ouroboros. I don''t know if you''ve heard these three but I need to do it."

    "...Hmm. Ouroboros huh."

    "Do you know him?"

    "...Yeah. Kinda. I came here for another reason but I need you to hear this right now. I need your alliance with me."

    "Alliance? Not help?"

    "I won''t travel with anyone again. I''m only asking you to lend your hand for me. And I''ll lend you with my help."

    "And how will you help us?"

    "I already did. The three kingdoms that you just captured."

    "So that was you?"

    "Better come in prepared than nothing."

    "What will you get from this alliance? Three things, information, revenge and power. I want to attain more power and take over Tartarus and that new tower. Ouroboros took something from me. Something very dearly. And information. On anything regarding a resurrection spell. And that''s everything I need. I will sacrifice anything I have to just get that resurrection spell. Even if I had to abandon my power. You? What are you planning for this massive scale of an attack that might even ruin this planet."

    "Freedom."

    "Freedo-"

    "Haven''t you noticed? All of this. This isn''t caused by something random. Everything that is happening here are events that the gods has caused. Tartarus, a monster spawner that feeds the world with its creation. The new Tower of Babel, only us could enter. All of these people below that are non players, they''re you, and we are they."

    "What are you planning to do?"

    "Kill all gods. That''s what I''m fight for. I''ve seen it all Zeraph. The deaths, the agony, the pain. I''ve seen it all. And I''m tired of ignoring it just to move forward on my own. All people here are just fillers for our story as the players. But I''m willing to end that. Everyone should have free will. If they keep monitoring us and keep on just manipulating their fates to feed their amusement, its a fate worse than death. You are not in control of your life. So, why do you need to cooperate with me?"

    "...Here''s why."

    Zeraph Nindine told me all of his stories. Dahlia and Precia being sisters and we just found them at different places at the same time.

    The stories of him travelling the world with Dahlia. It was all a love story you''ll expect in a fantasy world.

    The fact that we all fell in love with a non player just holds the fact that they need protection. We need to protect them and give them the life that they truly deserve. This world is something that we desired.

    Something that we yearned for.

    But just analyzing how many people we have ruined to just get this chance breaks me. Without even knowing it, we killed people that didn''t do anything wrong.

    People who haven''t sinned.

    People who haven''t lived.

    People who lived.

    They all died because of our whims. Because we wanted to draw ourselves bigger into the picture without knowing the consequences.

    We killed billions. And now that I realize that, the more I''m tempted to bash the heads of those bastards above keeping us in this place.

    The fact that they used this planet and inhabitants as fillers for their amusement... Its just... wrong. They have lives, they have stories that haven''t been told. But all of that just disappears because of the whims of the gods.

    And both me and Zeraph understood that. "That''s it. Mostly."

    "I see." That''s all I could say.

    "And I faced Ouroboros."

    "...What is... How powerful was he?"

    "He doesn''t die. I tried and I tried but he just won''t die. I saw my sword go through his body. And I felt it. But it was like I''m fighting an illusion. And he disappears in the battlefield like a shadow. It was frightening."

    "How?"

    "I don''t know. If you close your eyes, he''ll disappear or something. But I can''t follow him. Even with my reflexes. And he killed all of the Bladedge party without a weapon. Just his hands. He''s an overpowered being. And he''s also the one that made me kill Dahlia."

    "At least now I have some information on Ouroboros. I just have to gather more and more army strength and we''ll strike."

    "So, will you let me in on this alliance. Even though you''re the Demon King and I''m the hero, I don''t mind this. I''m no longer a hero, I''m just a man filled with rage and revenge."

    Zeraph Nindine is a capable fighter and I''m sure that he''ll be able to help us in the future. This was a weird proposition by him and I don''t have any reasons to refuse. But if we ever fight as the two finalists in the Battle Royale... I won''t hold back against him. I will kill him myself without any hesitation. This is all for my goals. Just a selfish reason to rescue everyone from this world. "Sure. Welcome to the team Hero."

 Chapter 232: Forward, Where We Move

    The overtaking of several kingdoms has been smooth sailing so I don''t need to do anything to help them. I''ll just leave it up to them.

    Since I have nothing to do, I guess I can study more about the demon spells that we found in hell. Decoding it with Universal Language is pretty... difficult. Its like I''m a guy who knows all languages but doesn''t understand math equations. Math is a language but its something very different because of the complicated things behind it.

    And I''m trying to decode the books that Lagrima himself couldn''t even discover. "Well, I was just fooling around most of the time!"

    I''m about to give up since the complexity of these books are something out of my league. So I had an idea that Lagrima was hesitant on. But I don''t really care anymore since we just need to upgrade our firepower even more.

    I''d give away all the skill secrets of hell to... Yurid.

    Seeing how intelligent she is, I''m pretty sure that she''ll be able to decode those books. So that''s why I called her over. And she''s up for the challenge it seems.

    I brought out my Demon Sword Acabar, "Rift Open." And opened up a portal straight to hell. I dragged her in with me and she took a good look taking everything in.

    She let out a sigh and we went on our way to the castle.

    The towering monsters just walking around the depths of hell, hordes of imps flying all around, thousands of demons just walking and flying in a single direction.

    "Where are those demons going?" Yurid asked.

    "They''re going to play around or something. In short, they''re gonna cause another havoc at another place. Its our new way to expand and grow fast." I answered.

    We walked until we finally got to the Demon King''s Castle. Well, my castle. Everytime I just look at it, its just incredibly cool.

    And it seems that Yurid thinks the same too. "It really reeks of, ''I''m evil come to me muahahaha!"

    I just looked at her weirdly with that weird laugh.

    She couldn''t take the embarrassment, "Just say something damn it!"

    We went in the castle and we were immediately greeted by the succubus neatly lined up on opposite sides of the path to the throne. I told Lagrima to just remove them but he doesn''t want to so I just let them there.

    Yurid had a smirk on her face. I was worried but she didn''t say anything. But I could hear her laughing.

    I wanted to ask her what was that about but somehow I don''t want to know.

    We went in the library inside of the Demon King''s Castle and I''ve never seen Yurid''s eyes light up so much. "I don''t know anything about these books... none at all."

    "And you''re happy about that?" I asked.

    "Can''t you see? I''ve read about a million books by now and the knowledge I gathered surpassed everything that you know. I know every language without your skill, I have knowledge against all curses and poisons and their antidote counterparts. Right now I can boast about being the smartest of them all. But in this single place, after thousands or maybe a million books I''ve read, I''ve never heard any of these books in all my life." Yurid then ran up to one of the books and opened it for her to read. "A language that I don''t know... HAHAHA!"

    I didn''t know what to do or say in this situation since she''s already incredibly invested in the books. I just left her there and while I was going out, I heard that menacing laughter from her. "Nope. Rift Open." I returned back to the overworld and I''ll just fetch her tomorrow or a week from now.

    Since that''s done, I can just leave it up to her to memorize everything that was there.

    And I''ve got nothing else to do.

    But I want to do something alone. I need to gauge up how powerful I am. But before I do that, I''ll need to take some preparations.

    I told Lam that whoever asks for me, to tell them that I was just hunting some artifact dungeons and so on.

    All the gold in my inventory and everything in my inventory except for my familiars, I gave it to Lam. I also brought myself a petal of the Flower of Zeratria just in case.

    Since that''s done, I don''t have anything to worry about anymore.

    I did once and I''ll try to do it again. Since I finished the first floor of the Tower of Babel, I want to check it out. The first floor of Tartarus.

    So I opened up a portal in front of the Tartarus and stepped in and saw the towering giant of this tower surrounded by flesh and tentacles wrapping around to the top.

    Without hesitation, I walked up in front of the doors of Tartarus and opened it. The whole place was dark so I took a step forward... and fell.

    "Demon Form!" I changed into demon form and tried to fly. But I just noticed, I didn''t fell down. I''m being dragged down. I couldn''t fly or anything. So I just closed my eyes and let wherever I''m being pulled into.

    A few seconds, later, I was then dragged into a place where darkness surrounded the entire place. And the only light source was the burning door behind that monster shadowed by the light behind it.

    "Perfect Vision." Using this skill, I can see in the dark and fixes my eyes to be the perfect eyes for a human. I can see like the whole place is lit up. And when I saw the monster, I took a step back.

    A three headed monster with the body and face of a dog. Leashed by the chains that was binding him and the door. Its loud roar echoed throughout the entire place. They began to bark and move around trying to get out of the bindings they were in.

    A system message then appeared in front of me,

    [Tartarus Floor 1: Cerberus, The Gatekeeper of the Underworld]

    [Tartarus is a tower made to challenge high leveled players and parties to cooperate to increase their fighting power. Tartarus grows stronger every battle royale as leveling gets easier every cycle. Tartarus has been in Pandir for about 21 Battle Royales. Hasn''t been completed by anyone.]

    [Tartarus Floor 1: Cerberus, The Gatekeeper of the Underworld, Quest Details Floor Details and Rewards]

    [Quest Details]

    Defeat Cerberus.

    [Floor Details]

    Floor Size: INFINITE

    Number of Enemies: ONE

    Number of Bosses: ONE

    [Rewards]

    [Tartarus'' Key]

    A one way key out of the Tartarus. Can be found in Floor 1, Floor 10 and every 10 more consecutive levels after that.

    [Triple Synergy]

    Able to use up to three spells at the same time with three different elements. The weakness of elements such as fire and water will be ignored while using this skill and will allow the two elements to join together to form a new skill.

    [Cerberus'' Leash]

    A broken leash marks the chaos that will usurp on the world.

    Same system message as the one in the Tower of Babel with twisted words and a skill called Triple Synergy that I''d love to get.

    I looked at the Cerberus and it began to bark at me, jumping and doing anything it can to break free.

    I walked closer and drew out, "Come, Demon Sword Acabar!" I want to end this quickly. And I won''t hold back. "Gauntlets of Instability, Boots of the Trickster, Seal of Armor, Berserker Helm, Pants of Eternity." I held my sword up high and aimed it at the Cerberus'' head.

    I don''t want to fight this. I just need to prove to myself that I can do this. Alone. And I''ll do everything I can to win. "Uncontrollable Power!" Just as I said that, my hand began to shake and aiming became difficult.

    Uncontrollable Power is a skill that allows me to gain strength farther than I could handle. If I could feel pain, I would''ve probably dropped my weapon right here and just feel the agony in my arms.

    Its a skill to destroy your own body to gain destructive power. And I''m willing to take that risk.

    Before I attack, I ran away from the Cerberus about several kilometers away. I then ran back to Cerberus and using the momentum, the buffs in my arsenal, I can go all out. "MILLION SHOT!" I threw the sword out of my hands with everything I''ve got and when I threw it, I was knocked so far because of the shockwave that it caused.

    The sword hit the barrier around Cerberus'' body but it easily pierced through that and ran straight through its head to the point that only the hilt of my sword.

    I walked over to see if it was really dead. But the moment that I got closer, the Cerberus began to move and the Demon Sword Acabar fell of of its head.

    [Phase 1 Complete.]

 Chapter 233: Gatekeeper

    Of course this wouldn''t be easy. The Archangel also had this Phase one ending or something. Damn it.

    I rushed over to the Cerberus and unleashed all the skills I can. But within my first swing, I felt something immovable.

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    [Immovable Object]

    I knew it. I can''t do anything while its transforming.

    A loud howl followed as the Cerberus broke from his chains.

    It leaped an absurd amount of distance in which I could barely react to so I just raised my sword up in a hopes of reducing the damage, but the knockback of his attack managed to blow me away.

    As I was being flung, I dug my sword in the invisible ground below and it seemed to work as it stopped me from my flight. I then began to run at the Cerberus but it seems to be waiting for me.

    It started off with a flame breath, but it was imbued with dark magic. That flame breath was the same as the one that the manticore that I previous fought.

    A single concentrated skill that focuses on a pinpoint accuracy and absolute power.

    But its just a fast laser and doesn''t track at all so its easy to dodge. I stepped to the side and as soon as I did, I couldn''t move my feet or arms.

    I looked over and I was covered with ice. And flames were coming out of those ice slowly crawling up on my armor.

    "Damn it, shouldn''t I be immune to fire..." Its making some damage on my armor and to myself.

    Maybe its because of the ice element so my skill ignores the immunity against fire.

    This is tricky...

    So that Triple Synergy earlier combines skills ignoring single element immunity and resistances... Isn''t that... a bit too strong..?

    "Cocoon''s Rest!" A skill that wraps around my whole body in an indestructible coffin and heals me. I can''t do anything while inside it other than be frozen there for three seconds.

    It was enough time for me to completely avoid their attack and remove that ice and flames that were covering me.

    I broke out of the coffin and started off with a, "Assault Rush!" A move that uses my momentum and continually multiplies the damage the faster I am by about two times.

    I stepped back to gain some ground and ran and ran to the Cerberus.

    It then began to spew out flames on the ground, I decided to be careful and step to the side even though I''ll lose some speed.

    But good thing I did that since the fire that they spew out had ice underneath it covering its appearance.

    A new element appeared and it seemed to be... some form of liquid?

    It was dark, murky and it seemed to be overwhelmingly weird. I didn''t take any chances so I dodged whatever the other head of the Cerberus threw at me.

    I finally got near and their faces and as I stretched out my hand for my sword to reach them, I couldn''t pierce through their thick skin. So I just ran and ran with the Cerberus on the tip of my sword as I was carrying it.

    I still couldn''t pierce so I just activated another skill. "Hell Drop!" A skill that binds my sword to the nearest enemy and once I hit them, it''ll stick as long as the buff is active.

    I then grabbed my sword with both of my hands and in a hammer like motion, I swung the Cerberus down to the ground, pummeling them over and over like a madman.

    The effect ended and as soon as my blade lost its grip on the Cerberus, it stepped away from me and unleashed combinations of spells against me.

    Spikes rose from the ground imbued with that weird liquid.

    "Mana Search!" I began to find where those things are spawning so that I can dodge it.

    Three spikes appears every intervals but these spikes are spawning in free form. Meaning that it can change directions even if one spawned in.

    A single spike doesn''t just move in one direction, it twists and bends like its clay. Keeping the hardness and sharpness despite it moving in all directions.

    And as time passes by, the spikes just keep on growing and stretching and bending making it incredibly difficult to dodge. So I had to just gather it in one direction so that it''ll reset back to one spike. So I can finally counter attack.

    So I flew up to the sky and as expected, all the spikes began to converge into one spike following me as higher as I can go.

    I stopped once I noticed that its all conjoined into one ice spike covered in a weird liquid.

    So I rushed over to the Cerberus controlling the spikes and as figured, it can''t follow me and I don''t need to dodge anymore. I just need to fly fast.

    "Hell Dive!" My sword morphed the handle into a longer version and it looked like I was holding a spear.

    I dived right straight to the Cerberus but all I met was a wall of ice in front of me. The weapon reverted back to a sword and I instantly destroyed the wall of ice. It revealed the Cerberus spewing out that weird liquid on me.

    I couldn''t dodge in time so all I could do was block it.

    The liquid surrounded my body and suddenly, steam came out from my whole body. I took a look at myself and its slowly corroding my armor while my sword isn''t even faced by it.

    But the bigger problem is that my flesh is also being corroded and being slowly eaten by this liquid.

    I don''t really have to worry about my armor breaking since its just an armor formed using a skill. But the cooldown is pretty long. So I''ll keep it as long as its fine.

    "Cataclysm!" The same skill that Afal uses is also in my arsenal of the hundred Demon King skills. It summons down a horde of meteors up in the sky ravaging the entire battlefield.

    And it did just that.

    The Cerberus didn''t have any means of escaping since the spell is a large scale spell. And even if it did which the Cerberus tried, he can''t. "Demon''s Bind!" Chains summoned from my hand and it attached itself to the running Cerberus.

    It couldn''t run or do anything but just wait as the thousands and thousands of meteors just came falling down on it like it was a practice target.

    The Cerberus howled and howled as it was drowning in pain. "I''m not one to see my enemies suffer so... I''ll end this."

    The Cerberus was incredibly weakened and couldn''t stand by itself. Its legs and arms were broken and the heads were panting and trying to do anything it can to run away or fight back.

    "Hell''s Retribution." I imbued my gauntlets with immeasurable power. "Uncontrollable Power." And another layer to use it on them.

    I could see cracks on their skin and I could no longer feel the barrier that was on their bodies. So they''re wide open now.

    I started off with the first head, and I punched it with all my might. The sheer shockwave of that punch was enough to blow me away but I managed to stand still somehow. But after that punch, all I could see was a clean destruction of its head.

    "Hell''s Retribution, Uncontrollable Power." I did it again. To the next head. The last head began to whimper but I didn''t care for it. So I did it again. "Hell''s Retribution, Uncontrollable Power."

    "YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I let out a loud battle cry that echoed throughout the entire floor. I couldn''t contain my excitement. I then looked over to see if it was really completed.

    [Tartarus Floor 1: Cerberus, The Gatekeeper of the Underworld COMPLETED]

    [Rewards]

    [Tartarus'' Key]

    A one way key out of the Tartarus. Can be found in Floor 1, Floor 10 and every 10 more consecutive levels after that.

    [Triple Synergy]

    Able to use up to three spells at the same time with three different elements. The weakness of elements such as fire and water will be ignored while using this skill and will allow the two elements to join together to form a new skill.

    [Cerberus'' Leash]

    A broken leash marks the chaos that will usurp on the world.

    I did it. I killed the gatekeeper of Tartarus. I can do this. I can finally fight back against those gods above. I finally proved to myself that I am strong. And I can do this. I just need to hang on a little bit more.

    More preparations, more backup plans. I will not let this war end in a failure. I will prepare everything I can until we strike. I don''t care how long it takes. In the end, its all worth it.

    Freedom for everyone... Its near...

    I''m nearing the end.

    And this is just a single step, but its a step more than before.

 Chapter 234: Journey to the South

    I walked off the gate that was behind me and used up the key to exit the place. I have never been so happy seeing the sky.

    Everything is just... according to plan. Everything seems to be going well so I don''t have to worry about anything.

    I just noticed that when I got out of the first floor, the time here has been turned into night. So that means I''ve been away for a pretty much long time and has been fighting that damned dog for several hours.

    Now, time to test out the rewards. "Fireball, Ice Spear, Wind Enchantment." Three basic spells of three different elements. They all combined into one creating a flaming ice spear enchanted with a wind element.

    I threw it lightly and it just blasted off due to the Wind Enchantment and the fire isn''t going out even with it. As soon as it hit the trees in the distance, it was covered in ice and was burning down due to the fire.

    Triple, perfect, synergy. I have now perfect control on the three elements. So my magic right now probably is stronger than Yurid or Zeta.

    Now that my control over magic is gone... I guess its time to practice... swordplay.

    Me getting used to the sword is practically because of my nerdiness. I have a collection of swords pretty much in my previous life and I was just roleplaying trying to mimic their moves. But its just all mimicry.

    My swordsmanship is basically just about power. I have no technique. Its just pure power. And the things that I''ve gathered from that swordsman is still not enough. Its just skills, not techniques.

    So I have to improve myself in that aspect.

    I began to think on who I should turn to. Afal might be a good choice but... I don''t know about him. He''ll just let me do whatever I want and call it amazing or something. So he''s out of the question. Precia and the others are busy. Yurid might be knowledgeable but not proficient in that area. ...Zerap-. Nope. No way. I don''t want to get included with that nutjob.

    "So I don''t have anyone to turn to..." I then remembered someone. The way their blade slices through bodies like it was butter, that graceful swordsmanship that prioritizes speed over power and the fluidity of their movements... I remember her... "Hidetaka Mizuki."

    She might be able to help me. And I remember her from being in south. Well, since I told Lam that I''ll be gone, I better use up the time that I still have.

    So I start heading south looking for people who knows where that place is. The first kingdom I went, I acted like I''m from there so I spoke in a broken language to help them guide me.

    The first one was a bust so I just continued on heading south. "Minimap, Open." I opened up a minimap to take track of where I''m going and it seems to be revealing places I''ve been to so that''s good. This really feels like a game.

    I began to fly to the other kingdom to the south and began to ask where that place is and it seems that I''m just hundreds of kilometers away from that place. So I must be near.

    So I flew and flew until I saw something pink in my minimap. "No way... is that... Sakura Trees..?" I flew faster and as soon as I can see the place, I was just amazed on how beautiful it was.

    It was a forest of Sakura Trees. It was something out of this world since its so damn beautiful. I can''t believe it.

    I landed on the ground and began to walk slowly to take in all of this beauty. Its so large and from here I can see the houses on the trees and on the ground. And as soon as I went close to their base, ten people just surrounded me.

    In that time, I could''ve killed them all but I didn''t since I''m pretty sure they''re just guards. And it seems that they''re covering their whole face and body with cloth while pointing their weapons at me. Ninjas?

    The man walked closer to me and sheathed his weapon. "This place doesn''t allow outsiders to just come here. Leave, before we have to take action."

    Since Mizuki is the one who got chosen to participate in the trials... people must know her here. "I''m here for someone."

    The man looked at his comrades and they all sheathed their weapons. "Who?"

    "Mizuki. Hidetaka Mizuki."

    "...Hmm... If you''re really here to meet Lady Mizuki, we would let you in. But we heard that line a hundred times wanting to meet with her. Leave, before we really have to kill you."

    Since Mizuki is known here... then they must know of his old man''s sickness. And that''s why she entered the trials. "Inventory."

    "What are you doing!? Everyone, ready your weapons!" Every unsheathed their weapons and pointed them at me.

    "I''m here to help." I then pulled out a petal of the Flower of Zeratria and its blinding light emerged and soon calmed down.

    They took a good look at the petal I was holding and had a revelation. "We apologize! We didn''t took anyone seriously since they just wanted to meet Lady Mizuki so we were on guard most of the time!"

    "No worries. Just lead me to where Mizuki is." I brought the petal back in my inventory.

    I followed the man in their territory and some people were still on guard with me but the man quickly reassured them about me. Far deep in the forest, there''s a large flat land where a giant kingdom resides. They have no walls, but its just in the middle of the forest, like they just cut the trees and built there.

    Its such a beautiful place and I just couldn''t believe it.

    After walking for a while, I arrived at the castle of where Mizuki is in. The guards in front opened the gates for me and a maid was waiting to deliver me to Mizuki.

    I followed her and saw Mizuki sitting in what seems to be a tatami mat, on her knees underneath in front of a low tea table. She looked at me and I saw her shake for a second and put the tea on the table.

    In that kimono of hers, she was incredibly beautiful. Before in the arena, she was hiding her feminine charms since female warriors are discriminated here. But this time, she''s just... herself.

    The maid beside me bowed and immediately left the room.

    I didn''t know what to do in this situation so Mizuki just pointed at the pillow in front of her asking me sit with her.

    The maid came back with tea on her and put it in front of me and refilled Mizuki''s. She bowed again and left the room.

    The unwavering silence was making me uncomfortable. It felt like we were sitting there for ours. Mizuki let out a sigh and then asked, "What did you come here for? And how did you get in?"

    "Well, I came bearing a gift." I responded.

    "I''ve said it before with other people, I''m not interested in marriage."

    "What?"

    "What."

    "PFFT-" I covered my mouth as it was disrespectful to do that and tried to compose myself. I looked over to her and she just had a confused look. "Inventory." I opened up my inventory and brought out the Flower of Zeratria. Well, a petal of it. "I came to give you this." Its bright light managed to alert all the guards nearby and in an instant, almost a hundred of them are here with us. But I wasn''t worried since none of them poses a threat. They all unsheathed their weapons when they realized what I was holding. "I heard you were having some trouble and wanted to desperately get this so I came here to give you this. The rewards of the trials in the sky island is a flower of this. But a single petal is enough to heal anyone. And I''ve tried it with my ally so there''s nothing to worry about."

    "That''s... the Flower of Zeratria?" She breathed in and out for a second to regain her composure. With a lot of people here, I''m pretty sure she''s being treasured. "Very well then. I shall accept this gift. Everyone, leave us be. The ninjas that went to our side bowed down and instantly disappeared. "Thank you. For this. I will put it to good use. You will be sent to a room by my maid. I''ll go ahead and try if this really works on my father."

    "Alright, I''ll be going now. I still have some things to discuss with you, but you do what you must." Its time to gather some knowledge on swordsmanship. I will finally learn how to do this.

 Chapter 235: Ragefire Act

    How exactly... did I get in this situation? Let''s see... I travelled from Tartarus to here by searching for it by asking people about it in different kingdoms... I got stopped by the ninjas of the village... But once I revealed I just wanted to help Mizuki by showing the Flower of Zeratria, they let me in and I showed the same thing to Mizuki so that I''ll be giving away this petal as a bargaining tool for her or someone to teach me about swordsmanship.

    Mhm. Mhm. Everything sounds good and that''s how exactly how it happened.

    So... what part led up to Mizuki being on top of me in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!? "Uh... Mizuki?"

    Mizuki didn''t say anything but she immediately went in for the kiss. I immediately pulled away from her and I could see her blushing. "Uh- uhm... Teleport!" I then find myself back at Izgoy.

    I teleported at the very top of the castle so I''m pretty sure no one would notice me. I laid myself down and looked at the sky. "What?" I was just... confused. Well, I can''t back out now. I used up a petal of the Flower of Zeratria so I have to continue this until the end. "Mass Teleport." I waited for eight seconds and I was back at that room and that place.

    Mizuki was wearing back her clothes. "First time getting rejected, its a bit painful."

    "What was that about?" I was just confused.

    "Well... you''re the first man I''ve ever accepted with a gift. And here, its a sign of marriage. Do you not know that?"

    "I didn''t-" I had no clue they''re living like this. Haa... this just made things complicated. "Look, I only came here to use the Flower of Zeratria as a bargaining tool. Remember when we talked back at the trials? I wanted to learn about swordsmanship."

    Mizuki had a red blush on her face and she instantly disappeared on the room. I didn''t expect for things to be like this... I just wanted to learn about swordsmanship. Man...

    Now there will be an awkward moment every time I see her. How can I forget that...

    Mizuki then returned and I was about to greet her but she had a sword in her hand. She immediately rushed up to me and I felt like I''m being rushed by six people.

    Six katanas appeared like an illusion, "Come, Demon Sword Acabar." A single small flame then manifested into my sword. I raised my guard up trying to protect myself but I didn''t notice that she was attacking in front of me.

    She''s already behind me.

    Even though if she went full force, I wouldn''t have been scratched by that. Its the techniques I needed to learn. "What was that about?" I asked.

    "Hmph." She then looked away and went out of the room. "My father will be the one teaching you. Goodbye."

    I felt like I angered her somehow. But I guess I found an instructor.

    The next week was spent when the whole kingdom was celebrating the recovery of Mizuki''s power. I didn''t felt like I was there and I desperately wanted to leave but that old man has been dragging me to drink with him. "I didn''t think that I''d be allowed to live again." We were secluded in a room where no one could hear us except us. The outside were everyone partying and just having fun. "I''d like to give you my best appreciation. Pick an item in our treasury, I know it won''t be enough but please, I''d like for you to get anything. Just in exchange of bringing that medicine."

    "I didn''t do much." I reasoned since I only came here to learn swordsmanship.

    "No, I insist. You really saved me. Mizuki is still... young. She''s still not ready to seat in my position and out of all my children, she''s something exceptional. All my sons left the village because they didn''t value tradition and wanted to just fool around. Well, I can understand them..."

    "I see."

    "Sorry for rambling to you, I just wanted to say how thankful I am. I still have the rest of my life leading this kingdom as an emperor. I can''t place that burden on her. She still has her life there."

    "That''s great of you."

    "Anyway, I heard you rejected my daughter?"

    "Ah... haha... yeah..." Don''t tell me he''s that overprotective father because I will run away right now.

    "I see. Well, you did just came here bearing gift not expecting that so I can understand. But try to get to know each other. I don''t mind giving her to you seeing how you manage to complete the trials of the sky island. And the people would love to be with you since you did save their emperor''s life."

    "I''ll... think about it." I have never thought that much of love but there''s a war that''s nearing. So... I won''t be able to experience that for a long time.

    "But enough of that, is there anything I can do for you other than the gift in the treasury? I know you didn''t come here to ask for my daughter''s hand in marriage because I''m willing. But you rejected her so that''s out of the question."

    "I need to learn swordsmanship. I''m not using my sword right as I''m just swinging it and the only thing that''s good about me is my strength."

    "So you need to learn techniques?"

    "Yes. That''s all I need."

    "Inventory." He then pulled out a katana. He equipped one for himself and gave one to me. "Swing it once so I can get a gauge of your knowledge."

    "I see." I held the katana with both of my hands and swung it in an overhead slice. The wind that I created managed to destroy the wooden planks on the floor and the table in front of us were flying everywhere.

    "Horrible. Absolutely horrible." Is what came out of his mouth. "You do have power yet you''re not using it correctly. You can multiply your power further more if you just know how to swing your sword. But you''re not. You''re flailing it around." He let out an exasperated sigh, "It seems like this will take a long time."

    "So, will you teach me?"

    "I will. Having a student as powerful as you is incredibly rare. Now, just to refine your horrible stance and technique will be amazing. By the end of this month, you must be able to do this. This will be something that you need to practice everyday." He took a stance and suddenly, the atmosphere around the room changed. He raised his sword and it looked like there''s afterimages following him. But he''s moving incredibly slow. I didn''t know how that happened. He the swung in the same overhead slice and six after images of his hands followed and the ground pulsed violently. "Now, let me teach you all about this."

    I spent the next month learning this move and all I can say is that it was incredibly difficult. And this is just for me to practice to increase my strength and speed. I can say that it was working. Two weeks in and I could only do two pulses.

    It gives an incredibly huge strain on my hands as I was always vibrating. It was a surreal sword art but when I tried to use it on my other skills, it was absolute perfect. I used the skills from the legendary swordsman and implemented it.

    My arms were literally burning after I tried it and I couldn''t use my hands for an hour since my bones broke from just using it. But it did work. I nearly made a mess of the training ground but it somehow worked.

    So I continued on grinding and grinding trying to master this and as the first month passed by, I went up to four pulses.

    The old man was surprised on how fast I got to four pulses so he immediately set me up for the next training.

    He said that since I''m a man, I''ll have to use their Ragefire swordsmanship and the Moonlight swordsmanship can only be given to women. Like Mizuki. I just agreed and he immediately showed me the first art of that.

    "First Act: Calm Rage." He then disappeared and reappeared and thousands of cuts where everywhere all around the ground. He then showed it again but this time inside of a room. "First Act: Calm Rage." Thousand cuts went through the entire room and it seems like he didn''t even move. The whole room was flaming down.

    He said that its a defensive spell when enemies get too close. And I can see why.

    He then showed me the next one.

    "Second Act: Illusion of the Flames." Twenty slashes on the wall but it didn''t cut through. But then a second later, it all exploded and has been cut cleanly like it was nothing. "Its a delayed spell that you''ll be able to stack if you continue to release this act again and again."

    I''m finally honing my swordsmanship.

 Chapter 236: Swordsmanship Results

    The training was rough for the next three months. I''m not neglecting my duties at Izgoy since I''m contacting everyone every week to see how they were doing and to just reassure them that I''ll return.

    I trained and I trained and I can finally flow my sword like a normal guy. I know I''m not using a katana like them but it works with this sword. Somehow. So I just went with it.

    With my single attack, I can send out about four illusions followed up with three strikes if they manage to dodge it.

    My reflexes has greatly enhanced too, same with my speed. And that''s not wearing my full armor set.

    Mizuki''s father then wanted a spar with me. He knows that I''m stronger than him but we''re going to fight using techniques so I''m limiting my strength and we''re both using wooden swords.

    We both had a stand off until we both disappeared and reappeared for a giant clash at the middle.

    Her old man slid the blade off my blade and bounced off and was about to perform a stab attack. I backed off but what I didn''t realize that that was a feint.

    He grabbed his weapon with both of his hands and was running towards me like holding a knife from his side.

    I had to cheat a little bit, "Teleport." I instantly got behind him. And overhead swing. He raised up his sword but I used the training method that he thought me.

    An overhead swing that mirrors several times. He completely blocked it but he wasn''t left unscathed. It seems to have tired his hand.

    He suddenly rushed at me and I felt like I was fighting a hundred men and I couldn''t find where the attack was going to go.

    "Second Act: Illusion of the Flames." I blocked like twenty of them but there''s still attacks coming from all sides. I can''t block.

    Before his blade could reach my neck, he stopped.

    "One point for dad." We both looked at the direction of where the sound came from and saw Mizuki watching us.

    We both stepped back and faced each other again. "Third Act: Relentless Flames." The whole place was then lit up in flames and using this ability, I can move around within the flames. "Fourth Act: Unwavering Flames" This skill makes my flames immune to everything and can''t be extinguished. It only works for about a minute but its a minute enough for me to traverse through the flames without worrying anything.

    I sped up and jumped through one fire to another while dashing and attacking as he stood there in the middle blocking everything.

    The first slash I did was aimed at his hand to disarm him, but he completely did a full reversal in which he parried it off perfectly.

    I did the same again and again but this time with multiple feints. Eleven illusions I summoned and he was a bit surprised but he did the same and summoned up the same number as mine, deflecting everything.

    He then began to counter attack. A hundred illusions appeared behind him.

    I stepped back instantly using the castless movement, Fifth Act: Silent Stomps.

    But this madman followed me with his insane speed. I couldn''t block anything. He disappeared and reappeared behind me. I landed safely.

    "354 points for my father." Mizuki then announced.

    I didn''t even notice it but my whole body was injured. What was that attack..?

    "Final Act: Grand Finale." The old man then said. "You use up everything you have for an instantaneous attack."

    "That''s... amazing. Its so powerful." If he had the same strength as me he could''ve killed me. My body did get tough so blows against him wouldn''t be dangerous.

    "I''ve been holding you back. By a lot. You''re far stronger than me and all we''ve been doing is practicing you to learn techniques without applying strength. So, come with me. I want to see something."

    He then ran away but I followed him and Mizuki did the same. We ran to the point that we were outside of their territory and was faced with several mountains in front of us.

    The old man just looked at me, "I want to see the monster that I created."

    "I see." It seems that he wants me to let loose. "Stand back." They both stood back a couple of hundred meters around me. "Demon Form. Come, Demon Sword Acabar." My body changed and a small flicker of flame appeared in front of me. As I grabbed it, it turned into my weapon. I won''t hold back. "Gauntlets of Instability, Boots of the Trickster, Seal of Armor, Berserker Helm, Pants of Eternity. Uncontrollable Power."

    My full armor was in sight and they were just standing behind me, not saying anything. Relentless Flames. With this, I can run from one end of the flame and teleport to the one behind from where I started to create a momentum for me to launch of. It was like running through a portal in front of me but I get teleported to the portal behind me. It was like I''m running far but I''m still in one place. But I wasn''t done. I wanted to see if Triple Synergy works. I imbued the flames with dark and light magic and it worked.

    The system then popped up to show me the additions and buffs that came with it.

    So I ran and ran until I gathered enough momentum. So I dispelled the third act skill and ran to the mountains. "SECOND ACT! ILLUSION OF THE FLAMES!"

    I didn''t stop or anything. I felt like I was walking on air and everything that was near or around me was getting cut off.

    The first slash I did, I felt like I was free. I didn''t have anything restricting me so I just went with it. My arm turned into a whip-like structure as I unleashed my wrath.

    "Perfect Parry!" The old man suddenly stopped my movement which shocked me. I was practically swinging with my full strength and he managed to block it? "That should be enough. Look around."

    "What?" I looked around and noticed the burning plains... Plains? Wasn''t there a huge chunk of mountains he-... I didn''t notice it at first but this was my doing. I cleared out a mountainous place with just a couple of swings.

    "I did make a monster. Haa... you''re one dangerous guy you know that?"

    "You''re... a demon? And the demon king at that!?" Mizuki then looked at me fearfully.

    I didn''t even notice that I was still in my Demon Form. I should not have taken this out. That look on her face... It was just... unsettling for me. "..." I couldn''t say anything or protect myself since its the truth.

    She then drew out her sword and took a stance. "Father, get out of there."

    "I''m sorry about this. I know you don''t mean no harm but our kingdom is pretty hostile against demons." Mizuki''s father then stated.

    "What!? Father! Don''t let him run. He''s the Demon King! Once we kill hi-"

    "Enough. He saved my life and that''s enough."

    "A demon saved your life!"

    I couldn''t take this conversation anymore so, "Cooldown Reset. Teleport." I instantly went back to Izgoy. Well, I didn''t learn the final act or anything else but the fact that I managed to somehow learn swordsmanship should be enough.

    But seeing Mizuki''s face as she me was... painful. Trembling hands, her mouth clenching her teeth and that horrified look on her face. It seems that I won''t get to see her or her father any sooner.

    I can understand it. I''m no longer human like them anyway.

    Someone then contacted me. "Lam?"

    "Goodevening my lord. Preparations are done. What should we do?"

    "You''ve captured most of the kingdoms?"

    "Indeed. We have captured everything in this continent and the other two nearby continents. The name of Izgoy has been spread throughout the entire world. We''ve already gathered a lot of people."

    "Alright, bring them everyone here. Contact Herold, Zeraph Nindine and the rest of the Crimson Knights into the meeting room."

    "I shall do that. When would you like them to be contacted?"

    "Contact them now to make their final preparations and a week from now, call them again."

    I ended the call with Lam and looked at the sky. Its near... the war is near. I no longer have to worry about anything. After Ouroboros... I will defeat Tartarus and the Tower of Babel.

    Everything will come to an end.

    Freedom will come.

    And I will be the one to give it.

    Gods, goddesses or even spawns of evil... I don''t care who comes to me. I will break this planet free of the chains that the gods put on this world. I''m no longer that office guy. I''m now something closer to that of gods.

    This planet I protect and the seats of the gods above I conquer.

 Chapter 237: The Flaming Battlefield

    I let everyone have their own parties and have breaks. I didn''t join since I didn''t want to ruin the mood. Well... the war is coming anyways.

    I was at the top of the tower watching over the people from below having fun.

    "To think that most of them will be dead by our first conflict." Lagrima came out of my body.

    "I know." That''s all I could say. Since I know what exactly he''s saying.

    "Are you sure you don''t need more time? Once we start this war there''s no going back. The balance of this world will shift against you two."

    "I know. But the longer this game goes on, the more this world suffers."

    "And what you''re going to do is going to help that?"

    "...No."

    "Even the Crimson Knights... death is a possibility."

    "I know."

    "This place and the entirety of the world..."

    "I know."

    "Are you sure you''re ready? Because in war... there are casualties."

    "I am ready."

    "Good. As long as your our leader and you accept all the possibilities of failures and the sorrow that comes with it, we''ll be placing all our hopes in you, oh Demon King." Lagrima then disappeared and went back in me.

    "Zieglind." Someone then called me from behind. "Is it time?" It was Zeraph.

    I looked at him straight in the face, "Yeah. We can''t afford to waste anymore time. The impact of the Serpent Union on the world might''ve helped us, but it did destroy the will of the non-players. If we just continue improving, we''ll just take up more time and their suffering will just go on for a much longer time. I''m being forced to fight right now."

    "I can understand. I''d like to have revenge on him."

    "Revenge? Such a weird thing for a hero to say."

    "Demon King and a Hero teaming up, I think that''s weirder."

    "Heh. Either way, we really need to finish off Ouroboros and the rest of the players."

    "I know. I''ll be waiting for us at the top."

    "KYAAAAAAAA!!!" A loud female voice was then heard in the party. I looked over trying to see what was going on but they seem to be looking in a single direction.

    I looked over to where they were looking and I saw hordes of monsters coming their way. "Telepathy, connect me to Precia." A second later, she answered. "Is that ours?"

    "No, its not! What should we do?" Precia replied.

    "Damn it."

    "You''ve been making a lot of noise by capturing those kingdoms. It seems that Ouroboros knows what you''re doing." Zeraph then said.

    "So he''s starting off with a pre-emptive attack. He''s a good one. Precia, listen, ready all units that we have. Use all the traps, we can''t afford Izgoy''s walls to get tainted by those monsters. We can just replace it. Ready Afal''s units on top of the walls and use up all the canons, ballistas and everything that''s there."

    I jumped down to the ground and I saw that everyone is still panicking. "Sleep." All the non-players in town suddenly fell asleep and the elite soldiers with Afal suddenly got worried. "Don''t worry. Your friends and families are fine. I just put them into sleep. Its easier than them panicking and guiding them. Neco, grab all these people and bring them to a safe house.

    "Gazer Form." I then flew over to where the elite units are. I was on top of the wall and behind us, Precia and Afal are gathering their entire armies. I could also see Yefa in the distance opening the gates and releasing the monsters from that side.

    I looked forward and took a look at the army of the enemy. Even with my increased vision, I can''t see the end of the line. Maybe its at hundreds of thousands or millions of enemies. "Demon Form." I changed into my Demon Form and everyone from the elite unit that Afal made didn''t even flinch or was shocked. He did raise an amazing group.

    "Cataclysm." Hundreds of fireballs appeared from the sky and came hurling down on their army. Hundreds of meteors came falling down again and again until the whole battlefield was filled with smoke. "Dispel. Gazer Form."

    But they all emerged harmless.

    I then noticed several mages from the back being carried by what seems to be a wagon as they were casting at the same time. Its a unified magic. "I''ll be going in first. Back me up."

    "Yes!" Without even asking questions, they immediately answered. You really did a great job Afal!

    I landed in the middle of their pack and they all immediately hounded on me. "Come, Soul Scythe. Third Act: Relentless Flames." I summoned up flames everywhere and then activated, "Fourth Act: Unwavering Flames." The enemies were catching on fire so I began to teleport everywhere as long as fire exists and then slice of their necks while I''m at it.

    "First Act: Calm Rage." Those who dare to go far closer than what I want gets immediately cut down.

    My sword was flowing like water and was unleashing power like an uncontrollable fire. It doesn''t care what''s in front of it, as long as its something, it can be cut. That feeling was just amazing.

    Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh... That''s all I could hear as the clean cuts was heard.

    A stab from the heart and I could feel their hearts stopping. A slice on their arms and I could see it flying. A beheading and I could see their dumbfounded face before their head falls down to the ground.

    "Second Act: Illusions of the Flames." Hundreds of monsters began being cut down. So I had to speed this up.

    Using triple synergy, I imbued my flames with dark and ice magic. Freezing them with ice magic and using the dark and fire magic to slowly kill them. "Ninth Act: Flaming Steps." A trail of fire and combined with my triple synergy, I created a freezing, burning ground from behind me as I move. It was working, but I possibly couldn''t pass through the enemies while they''re in front of me right?

    I could use phase to pass through them but I want to try all of my sword skills. "Eight Act: Flowing Flames." I began to run at full speed and everything that was around me were getting sliced.

    Their body parts were flying everywhere. This skill doesn''t need accuracy. I just have to run fast and swing fast. And then I had another idea, "Lighten." It was like my body wasn''t even there. I blasted through their army in an insane speed and the radius of my blade increased, taking over a single line with a single swing. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

    But I still couldn''t see their army thinning. I sliced and I sliced but they just kept coming and coming.

    Time to end this. "Dispel, Demon Form. Come, Demon Sword ACABAR!" A small flame emerged and as I grabbed it, it turned into my weapon.

    "Tenth Act: Hell Slice." Flames rose from the ground and cracks appeared from the ground. Suddenly, the enemies suddenly has wounds open from their body.

    One of them suddenly died. And then another.

    And I was just standing there, using my absolute focus. Moving faster than I could comprehend, as long as my blade hits something, its enough.

    Two enemies died. And then it turned into ten... into hundreds... into thousands until everything around me died and all that was left was a one kilometer gigantic hole that was cleanly sliced.

    Everything around me was burning and the cracks on the ground were melting. I stood atop of that battle field alone as I see the bodies of the enemies falling from the hole when the bottom is just lava.

    But in the distance, I saw ten people opening up a portal. I won''t let them. "Boots of the Trickster. Infinity Ground." Infinity Ground is a spell that allows me to walk everywhere. So using this, I traversed the giant hole that I created and ran over to the ten people in the distance. "Eight Act: Flowing Flames." I began to attack everywhere and the range of my weapon grew larger and larger.

    "Tsk. Barrier!" A mage from their side put up a barrier but it only took me two hits to completely destroy it.

    I instantly beheaded the mage who were opening up the portal but a man carrying a huge shield went in front but I easily melted through his shield.

    An extremely confident man then jumped behind me. He was fast, but not fast enough. I stopped my technique and swapped for the next one, "First Act: Calm Rage." His body was torn and was sent away flying.

    Three more people joined up, "Illusion of the Flames." But I instantly killed them all with just the movement of my blade.

    I left one alive and they were incredibly scared. I pointed my sword at them, "Everything you know. Spill it."

 Chapter 238: Holy War Begins

    I looked around to see if there were any enemies left. None. They were all eliminated. I took a good look at her and it seems that she''s preparing a skill. "Translocation." She disappeared then reappeared from where she was. Translocation is a skill that brings back to that space anyone who leaves it. It seems that she teleported.

    "My lord." Afal showed up out of nowhere. "That was amazing swordplay."

    "Mhm. Can you interrogate this person? Do whatever you want." I then dispelled the skill and handed her to Afal.

    "What the hell even happened here..." Zeraph with Herold just arrived at the scene. "Did you do this?"

    "More or less. Dispel." I reverted back to my human form. "Have you seen any other armies near this place?"

    "No. We didn''t." Herold then said. "We just rushed here. But, I did find some news. Several armies are moving and declaring war on the kingdoms that you overtook."

    "Wha- damn it. Telepathy," I connected to all of the Crimson Knights. "Move quickly, the armies of Ouroboros are moving towards the kingdoms that we all overtook. Just go, in singles. We have a lot of kingdoms, losing one of them will break the morale of the rest. I''ll leave it all to you!" That should be enough. From where I''m standing, I could already see all of them moving in split directions.

    I was about to go protect one kingdom, but suddenly, knives, spears and swords came flying out of nowhere towards us. Of course we all easily avoided it by jumping away.

    We searched where it came from and we didn''t notice it, but we''re all surrounded.

    "People that has gone under my radar. Interesting." Herold then brought out his weapons and armor from his inventory. A meteor then came fall upon us but Herold jumped and absorbed the mana of that skill and made it disappear.

    "Archangel Form." A bright light covered Zeraph''s body and soon emerged into a white armor, shining brightly. "Come, Holy Sword Arranca!" A small light was then summoned and as soon as he grabbed it, it summoned the Holy Sword. The sword looked like it was pulsing and was emitting light.

    "Demon Form." Flames wrapped around my body and soon disappeared changing me into my strongest form. "Come, Demon sword Acabar!" A small flicker of flame appeared and as I grabbed it, it morphed into my weapon.

    "Hold up... look at them carefully. The top of their heads."

    I then noticed that they all had the same icons on the top of their heads... "THEY''RE ALL PLAYERS!?" I couldn''t help but just be shocked.

    He has gathered so much players... Ouroboros is a mysterious man.

    They were all in sync of each other''s moves. Good thing I have a bonus skill that lets me steal their status if I kill them, this''ll just boost me even further.

    "Blinding Light!" Zeraph''s skill emitted a bright light that temporarily blinded the enemies.

    I took this chance to rush at them, "Eight Act: Flowing Flames" I began to attack while running blasting through their backline. They were surrounded by barriers so it was difficult blasting through.

    It was abnormally tough, but I could understand. They were all players and has been practicing and getting far stronger than the non-players of this world. To break a single barrier, it takes me five seconds.

    With my speed, I could care less about strength. I just sliced and sliced but I could only kill three players and there were hundreds or maybe thousands of them here.

    I backed off, "Mana Search." And noticed four points and each of those points had several players and there''s a high concentrated field of mana there. And they all seem to be connected from a line. I looked up and saw the growing ball of darkness that was growing. "Zeraph, Herold, look up."

    "Damn it." Herold immediately jumped up trying to burn the skill, but he was suddenly dragged down to the ground. The players were aware of our every move.

    So I''m going to brute force through it. "Gauntlets of Instability, Boots of the Trickster, Seal of Armor, Berserker Helm, Pants of Eternity. Uncontrollable Power." Armor I summoned was automatically equipped and I took a stance.

    This is a stance that was specifically used for katanas but I just have this gigantic sword by my side so there''s no helping it. I lowered my body like I''m going to run and my right foot was a foot away from my left one.

    I sheathed my weapon like I''m sheathing a katana on my side. "Sixth Act: Silence of the Flames." Thousands of bodies were then sent flying, their whole bodies cut and the whole ground dug up. I could see my right hand trembling, it seems that it was too much for my body.

    I looked around and all the players were pretty much amazed and are in shock of what I just did.

    Zeraph then joined in and rushed at the enemy. He then stopped in front of them which just left the players dumbfounded. "Do you follow Ouroboros?" He suddenly asked.

    Which made me and Herold dumbfounded too.

    The players then casted hundreds of skills against him.

    "So that''s a yes?" His sword began to pulse aggressively and started to be covered in light and fire. He swung his sword which cut through their bodies while they were all inside of their barriers. All of their bodies were just flying everywhere. "Justice served." It seems that he''ll only attack anyone that brings harm to this world. He''s a total crazy dude but I guess he''s helpful.

    Herold then went on to the other side and I still can''t get over how aggressive his style is. Up close while ignoring the skills that are being thrown on him. Because if he detects anything within his range, he immediately burns the mana off of it and destroys the spell itself.

    "YARGH!" He begins to destroy barriers and pierce through it with that Brightburn weapon.

    Within seconds, he just disappears and reappears in the battlefield killing unsuspecting enemies with a single slice.

    And finally, we all split up and destroyed all the mages in the four points to stop whatever they were creating.

    It still stayed there but Herold quickly got rid of it with his Brightburn.

    "He already gathered that much people? And he''s attacking in different locations..? What is he trying to do..." I couldn''t help but just be curious on what''s going on.

    "I don''t know about you but the way things are going, he''s building up a large army but for what... That''s the thing that I''m more curious about." Zeraph added.

    "Tartarus. I''m pretty sure. He''s building an army for that place." Herold then said. "Since the Tartarus is still standing and far more stronger than before, that can only mean one thing. He failed and didn''t clear out the Tartarus before. He wants something from that place. But I don''t know what it is."

    "Pandora''s... Box?" I then said.

    "But why would he want that?" Zeraph asked. "Once the Pandora''s Box is gone, then all the evil in this world would be gone. But what he''s doing is basically the same as that. He''s just spreading his villainous activities everywhere."

    "Pandora''s Box is the amalgamation of evil and there is stored the most evil and the most strongest spirits. Pandora''s Box is the seal placed upon them that the gods were even afraid of. So they sealed those evil away. Now that in this world, its open. But the monsters here aren''t really matching up to the gods and how powerful they are. Its because its spread throughout the world. So, in theory, if all the evils in the box gets concentrated into a single point, which is Ouroboros himself then..."

    "He''ll gain power equal or greater than the whole monsters in this world combined and all the evil it has."

    "He''s weaponizing it... the power that the gods themselves were scared of."

    "But why..?"

    "I don''t know about that but I''m pretty sure its because he wants to kill all gods and... become one himself. So the very key that he needs is more people. So that''s why he''s attacking us right now."

    "This... this is insane! He''s trying to go against the system!"

    "I am trying to go against it too. But I won''t sacrifice this world for it. I have a goal far greater than him. I''ll let this world rest. They''ve been suffering for too long because the gods wanted entertainment."

    "So, what do we do now?"

    "We strike fast. We no longer have time to just sit here and train to get stronger. Its time to act. All my plans are in order. We just have to do it. Zeraph, Herold, you go find where his base is. The players might know it. Seeing how there''s a lot on his side."

    Now, the Holy War has BEGUN!

 Chapter 239: A Higher Being

    He dived into the hundred thousand army by himself. Most people would call him a fool. But what I saw was curiosity. He made the whole battlefield his training ground as he wasn''t going all out.

    He sliced through their army like it as nothing. Every second, a head flies and another one follows it... and another one... and another one... It was like the dance of the demons. But the ones that are getting killed are the demons themselves.

    A single swing of his sword, death follows. As he moves, a trail of bodies were left. As he breathes, his dominance on the battlefield increases.

    For the first time, it wasn''t smiles that I saw on the demon''s faces. It was fear. They were just there, suffering in fear, knowing that they can''t get away. The moment they realized that he was near them, the last thing they see is his unwavering eyes filled with curiosity as he toyed with the battlefield.

    "Zieglind..." I couldn''t believe how powerful he got. We knew he was going out to do something, but I didn''t think that he''d even get even more powerful. More reason to follow him.

    I ran up to him after he completely massacred the whole battlefield, only leaving one alive. He then gave me the orders to extract information on this human but something suddenly came up.

    It seems that their army has been split into multiple places. So I need to go out there. I put the human in a bind in a locked room. This room can hold up to high level adventurers so breaking out would be impossible.

    Made in Xend and made by Ortov.

    I ordered the elite units to guard Izgoy and prioritize the people. I then flew over to the kingdom of Urza. And just before even landing there, I could see in the distance thousands of soldiers.

    "Hand of Fury, rain down on my enemies, Cataclysm!" I had to use this while I''m not seen since they blocked it when Zieglind casted the same skill. I was pretty confused on how he has this skill. But I didn''t mind.

    I then saw something flash in the air in which I immediately run since I noticed that they were skills aimed against me. "Mana Search." I began to look for sources of mana to see where those mages are, and the same with before in Izgoy, there''s four sets of mages creating a concentrated... ball of mana?

    I didn''t know what it was but the mana they''re giving that ball is abnormal. Its at 30,000 mana right now according to my calculations but I don''t know how much it really has right now. But I''ve got to stop this army and whatever they''re doing.

    I landed on the ground and I was suddenly jumped and surrounded by these people. "Wave of Pain!" I waved my hand as if I''m holding a sword and a wave of red colored wind sent out debuffs on enemies.

    [Pain Wrath, inflicts damage every second in which the pain and damage multiplies by 50% lasting for 10 seconds.]

    I know they''re taking damage but it seems that none of them can feel any pain.

    "Supernova Blast!" A single concentrated flames appeared and exploded melting everything in its way. I was unharmed but everything that was around me was completely melted into nothingness.

    "Perfect Barrier."

    I didn''t know who did that, but suddenly, invisible walls came from every direction and I couldn''t escape. I tried to run or fly but somehow, I couldn''t. I was just stuck there until all the walls closed in me. I banged on the walls but nothing was happening.

    "Fire Lance!" My strongest penetration skill, I aimed it at the barriers that was surrounding me but it just bounced back at me.

    My whole body felt my own skill against me. It was like all my defenses was broken and was penetrated through by my own skill. "Dispel." Good thing I still have control on it seeing that it just disappeared as I said that.

    Using mana search, I could see that they''re supplying the wall with mana. Since everytime I hit it, the mana slightly decreases and then it begins to refill. So I need to just hit it with something far more destructive... but it has to be a physical attack. If I use a skill, its going to bounce back.

    "Gazer Form, Come, Deathdance." I summoned up my weapon and thrusted at the walls with everything I''ve got. But I''m doing incredibly minimal damage since the regeneration of the wall is faster that I can damage it.

    Damn... Gazer form is practically useless... It seems that I no longer have a use for this weapon and armor. It might''ve helped me before, but not anymore.

    I then equipped all of my artifacts that I own and punched the barrier. It did more damage than Deathdance.

    But in this case, it regenerates still too fast for me to completely destroy it.

    I looked outside of the glass barrier and saw that the concentrated mana is growing and growing and I can''t do anything to stop it...

    If only I can gather enough power and release it... Like merging...

    Merging...

    Merging...?

    [Equipment Merging, merge two or more items on a single equipment to increase its abilities and add effects.]

    That''s it! If I merge myself with my artifacts I can gain all of their effects while boosting myself. But equipment merging only works on items or equipmen-...

    I keep forgetting it. Well, they''re the reason why I always forget where I came from. I''m... not one of them. I''m a weapon, an artifact. "Equipment Merge."

    If I was the me before, right now I would be filled with despair. But after spending time, knowing how the human heart works, knowing emotions, feeling pain and knowing what someone leaving in your life felt, I knew I had to protect all of those.

    Good or bad, that''s what makes me one of them.

    That''s why I''ll be their weapon and their shield. People may call me monsters, but as long as they accept me, I''ll continue fighting and fighting. I''ll surrender myself as a monster, but the humanity that they gave me, it just made me feel... human. For once.

    The weapons melted into a single core and then it merged with my body.

    [+90,000 Strength]

    [+32,549 Health]

    [+1,000 Stamina]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    Several more windows of messages popped up and I could feel myself ascending to a higher level than I am right now. I couldn''t believe how far I''ve gone and has gotten stronger.

    I''ve also gotten several skill... It felt like it would go on forever. This may make me look like less human... But I don''t care anymore. I''ll use this to further even help out my lord. I will become a monster that the enemies will fear and become a being higher than them.

    I will become stronger and stronger as long as I can be useful. That is my duty. And that is my goal. So that''s why, enemies like this... they aren''t enough to cage my power.

    I grabbed the barrier and it felt like I was holding rubber. I squeezed it and everything instantly broke.

    I looked at my arms and I saw that its continually spawning fireballs and is being condensed into my gauntlets. I aimed at the sky and suddenly every fireballs that I generated shot up to the sky and everything turned dark.

    Suddenly, something fell and as soon as it landed on the ground, it exploded. The mages stopped their casting and began to spawn in barriers around them.

    As quick as I could, I just ran and as soon as I saw a shadow, I grabbed it. Not knowing I killed all of them within an instant.

    I searched for more enemies but it seems that there isn''t any left. I''m left with this mana filled thing that I don''t know what it is.

    I took a look at my hands and I could see fireballs swirling around and imbuing my gauntlets with fire and increasing its strength.

    I aimed at the giant ball of mana and shot out every fireball that was stored and it was instantly destroyed.

    It seems that I''m done... I helped. That''s a good thing.

    I then got a call from Zieglind. I accepted then asked, "My lord, is there something wrong?"

    "Are you done there?" He then said.

    "Yes I am."

    "Great work. Did you see some mages creating something big there too? It was like a concentrated piece of mana."

    "There were some mages that was doing just that. I''ve already destroyed the source that they were making."

    "Alright. Good job. Come back here. Defend Izgoy, and fortify our defenses. You''re the warlord of this kingdom so do everything you can. The three of us will be leaving and will be helping the others."

    "I will do just that."

 Chapter 240: Nephilim

    "Get out! Protect the kingdom!" I opened up the gates that was holding hundred thousands of monsters. "GO!" As I saw them heading out, it was like a flood of monsters and the amalgamation of our efforts.

    The ground shook everytime they stomped their feets as they were running. A few minutes later, I emptied out the whole separate kingdom that we built for the monsters.

    I rushed over to the scene to join the fight with the army but all I found was a blood filled battlefield where only Zieglind was standing.

    I was just... confused. I looked around trying to see the reaction of the others but they just had a smile on their faces. Did he... do all this? I couldn''t believe it. There was... there was an army here. I just left for several minutes... Wha- wha- what?

    Zieglind then contacted us all. It seems that other armies are moving in other kingdoms. Since all these monsters are already out, I can''t really leave them here and bringing them all back in will take a long time.

    I hopped on to the back of the phoenix that Precia tamed and led the army into the next area.

    By the time I got there, the kingdom was already destroyed. "WHAT!?" It seems that our travel has gotten incredibly slow because I have an army behind me. Damn it, this is a lack of judgment and completely my fault.

    We all arrived there and I could see that this army is far bigger than the ones back at Izgoy. And what''s that magic ball thing..?

    I then saw something falling out of it... which looked like... monsters?

    And they''re falling like rain... The generation of those monsters are too fast! No way... this will take over the world within months... This is impossible! "Everyone! Let loose! Kill anything you see!"

    I then jumped over to where the mages are, "Stance Change, Tai Chi!" I started off with a punch but there was something hard that was protecting the mages from inside.

    I looked over at that mysterious ball filled with mana and its just creating more and more monsters. I need to stop it immediately!

    I rushed over to the spawner but my attacks seems to do nothing. Its tough.

    And I didn''t even notice it but thousands of the monsters that were spawning were jumping on me.

    But suddenly, the whole battlefield were in a sea of flames. I looked up and the phoenix were raining us down with its fireballs and simultaneously... healing me?

    I got a little damaged because my power got rebounded back to me when I couldn''t destroy their barrier. But this sea of flames... its healing me... "Thanks Faye, Rudy!"

    The phoenix let out a loud shriek and went on to flood the whole place with its fire.

    I then felt a sudden surge of power through me. I looked back and the shamans that I captured where dancing and creating music amidst this chaos.

    I felt like I was faster, stronger and far more durable than ever.

    The mages from the back ranging from goblins, lizardmen and the other countless creatures that we capture were helping me fight off the enemies.

    It seems that I''m not alone this time.

    Alright, I think I can use this here.

    Its pretty destructive and is the same set of armor that Zieglind once used... but this time most of its negatives have been removed.

    "Nephilim Armor!" A bright light, and the darkest dark light shone on my hands. "Oh yeah there... it is... ARGHHHHHHH!!!"

    The unrelenting heat of the left gauntlet, and the demon gauntlet on my right hand piercing in my skin and taking over. The concept is the same with Zieglind''s armor but this time... everything is concentrated with my fists. All of my energy is getting redirected here.

    The armor was split in half perfectly. My left side was shining in a golden white armor and the right side being in a completely black and red armor.

    "HAHA! Still painful as.... EVER! DAMN IT!" I could then feel my stamina being regenerated. I looked back and ten healers were focused on me. They then casted dull pain on me but it doesn''t even make the pain less painful than it is. But in exchange for this pain, I''ll be stronger than ever.

    My body feels so heavy because of the blood that I''ve lost so my speed is the same as that of a normal person.

    But from this place... I can still punch... "Unlimited Reach! Stance Change, Boxing!" I started off with a left hook and it sent out a shock wave that sent me and the enemies flying. I broke one of the mage''s group''s barriers but in exchange, the intense pain, I couldn''t take.

    I''m going to destroy my whole body at this rate. That''s why I need to end this fight fast.

    "Mana Search!" I need to get rid of the strongest enemies first then move on to the mages. I then saw multiple readings of people gathered in different places.

    It looks like... it forms a diamond. Four points and there''s multiple people with high mana capacity. So that means that the mages are there and they''re the ones spawning in these monsters. But why... I still don''t understand why. There''s multiple points as Zieglind said but why did they suddenly appear out of nowhere? Are they targeting us because they noticed our movements..? Argh, no time to think about that. Just focus on the situation.

    I looked over at the spawner and its spawning so fast to the point that its already fighting off most of my army... its numbers are insane. But the strongest monsters I have won''t back down that easily. And I won''t too.

    "Grit your teeth Yefa... you can do this... you can!" I punched the ground and it immediately sent me flying up in the sky into the direction of the mages. It hurts so bad I could cry but I''m so close to killing these people.

    I readied my fists from above. I know there''s going to be a tough barrier but I believe in myself that I can get through it. So that''s why I readied my fists and dived into the mages.

    Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

    I didn''t know how many that was but I felt like my insides were destroyed. But it was slowly regenerating due to the healers that were supporting me.

    One down.

    I punched the ground again to send me flying to the other one... and another... and another one... until I killed them all and the spawner closed.

    Even thought I couldn''t see my fists, I know it was battered, destroyed or maybe even minced. I seriously don''t know. But I still have duties to do.

    I can still fight.

    "Mach Punch!" A single accelerated straight punch, breaking the speed of sound and using the strongest power I can accumulate.

    Everything that was in front of me... gone. In a blink of an eye. Enemy or foe, it doesn''t choose anything. As long as it can be destroyed... it''ll just break and break until it is done.

    I couldn''t feel my wounds anymore... I''m running on adrenaline right now. Good thing that the shaman are there to heal my wounds... It seems that I''ll live.

    I took a good look at the bodies and it seems that I really didn''t let anyone go. The mages were carrying staffs and I took it upon myself to touch it. And my mind control negation effect cancelled it out.

    I immediately threw it on the ground and broke it.

    "Analyze." I took a good look at the staff and it did bring some amazing benefits. But it can mind control someone and someone is using it from afar by... something I don''t know. Nevertheless, I got some good information. I will put this to good use and I''ll share this with everyone.

    I began to scavenge the other bodies and ordered the monsters to guard the whole area so that I can search for more. No one is contacting me so I guess I''ll find some more information.

    The weapons the monsters being spawned in the portal are the same with the staff. It instantly activated my mind control negation and so much more.

    I began to question who is or what is controlling these monsters. And why are they setting up points like this in several places.

    But in the end... I really didn''t succeed. I have killed. A whole kingdom. I failed this mission.

    I can''t believe that my poor judgment led up to this... failure. I hope that I don''t let down Zieglind or anyone that capture this kingdom.

    I''ll make sure to avenge everyone that died here and accept my failures to further improve myself. I will be a much better person and a stronger person so that I can stand beside the one that I love.

 Chapter 241: Godspeed

    Hmm... that was... unfair. He''s fast. Faster than me. How did he do it. Those fluid sword movements, his attack speed, his movement speed...

    Its faster than me using a light armor with a dagger.

    How did he do it... Was it like this... or this... or this..?

    It moves with an unimaginable speed and as soon as it comes into contact, it just cuts through cleanly.

    "Everyone, there''s been movement of the other armies like this in the kingdoms that you all captured. Saving the kingdom is a priority, move out!" Zieglind then interrupted my concentration.

    I then ran up to the nearest kingdom I could find and I got there within a single minute. But its still not enough. Zieglind could''ve been here within seconds.

    How do I attain that power... I''m an assassin... I shouldn''t lose a battle of speed against a swordsman.

    I need to eliminate these monsters faster... and better than he did.

    I snuck up and took a look at what was happening and I analyzed the whole situation. "Area Mapping, Entity Locator, Event Locator." A map opened up in front of me and then there''s dots which highlighted the specific parts of the area.

    White ones are neutral monsters like pigs, cows, chickens and more. Blue dot is me and if there are someone with me right here in the Crimson Knights, they''d be marked blue too. And the red ones are the hostile enemies.

    Even locators mark the points in the map where something is going on and a vague description of what''s happening.

    I clicked on one of the encircled one and it said, "Mind controlled creatures that are making the whole surface a hive." I clicked on the other three points and it seems to be the same. I brought out binoculars from my inventory and saw that there were mages directing energy into a single point. Same with the other three points.

    Hive... it means a place where something is being gathered... Are they using it to summon something or bring something here..?

    Either way I''ll end this. "Shadow Travel." I submerged down in the ground and rode the walls while I can see them underground. I went under where the mages where and was about to jump to kill them there which should''ve caught them off-guard.

    But there''s a barrier below them too..? I tried attacking it but its tough. Tougher than any barrier I have seen.

    But I still haven''t been seen so all of my stealth passives like bonus damage won''t be activated yet.

    I''ll make this place my training ground. "Inventory." I opened up my inventory and brought out a message skill. "Connect me to the Crimson Knights." Everyone then accepted and I began to talk. "I can''t destroy these barriers. But I can hold them off. I need some help."

    Ten minutes? Or maybe five? They might be here within those times. And this time, I''m going to challenge myself. I''ll kill everything here except those mages within that time limit.

    "Lightning Body." This exhilarating speed...

    I ran and ran and attacked as soon as the enemies entered my strike range.

    One hit to their necks, poison, paralyze, bleeding and burn will be applied. That''s why I only need to hit them once.

    But this isn''t enough.

    This exhilarating speed... the way I cut through the wind... the way I dance on the battlefield... This isn''t enough.

    I have to be faster... faster! Faster than him! "Windtalker!" A buff on top of a buff. "Lightspeed!" And another buff.

    My speed tripled but this is not enough. I''m as fast as him. But its still not enough! Faster... I need to be faster!

    Speed is all I''ve got. That''s why I take pride in my own power. I won''t let anyone surpass me. Not even you Zieglind!

    "Dark Trail, Flaming Feet! Acceleration! Sprint!" I won''t get overtaken by him. I won''t! The only thing I have to be the best at is my speed.

    I then saw something in the distance... like a light. I ran and I ran as if trying to grab it. And as soon as I did, a bright light covered my sight and I could only see a message in front of me from the system.

    [Gained skill, Godspeed, combine five or more speed boosting skills that amounts to 10000% movement speed boost or more from your base stats. Has two sub-skills,

    ||Godspeed||

    Grants 10000% movement speed boost. Anything more than that will add +100 damage every 10% more.

    ||Invulnerability Speed||

    You''re immune to all crowd controls.]

    The light disappeared and I looked at myself. I was like... I had no body. It was like... I was just... a silhouette of a human being. And my body was replaced with the elements I infused with earlier. I could see the dark, fire, ice, wind and the other energies I created flowing inside me. Its as if my mana is for everyone to see.

    My whole body was transparent and the elements were the only thing that can be seen.

    It was such a weird feeling. But somehow, I felt like something in me changed.

    Huh... why was everyone slow. I didn''t understand. Those spells. They''re targeting me or the enemies behind me?

    I slightly touched the head of the monster and it suddenly exploded.

    Everything around me was... slow. Incredibly slow. What''s this feeling.

    I was running like I wasn''t restricted. I was like in a bubble space of my own speed. Slow... everything''s so slow.

    But why does everything I touch suddenly explode... Ah... it seems that''s it.

    They''re not slow. I was just too fast. And something faster than the speed of light hitting something... of course normally it would obliterate something. I retracted my daggers and touched the faces of the monsters.

    It was like I was stuck in time and it was raining puddles of blood.

    This speed... I''ve ascended once again. ONCE AGAIN I''ve gotten incredibly stronger.

    I didn''t know how fast I was going at the real time. But in my space I''ve counted about ten seconds to kill all these monsters.

    It was no longer a battlefield, but a bloodbath of an ocean. And now, I felt power that I could destroy the barrier of those mages. And I did try.

    I brought out my daggers and then attacked multiple times and I did manage to break it.

    Looking at their faces, they seem to be so incredibly invested on chanting their spell. Not even knowing they would die right here.

    A quick slice to their necks and their spells instantly stopped.

    I then went on to the next one and did the same.

    And to the next one.

    And to the final one.

    I guess I should leave that one to them. I deactivated the godspeed and then I felt an intense sharp pain throughout my body.

    I felt like my stomach was being twisted apart. What was going on... I took a look at my status and it was saying that I''m hungry, exhausted and dehydrated? Why did this happen to me?

    Is this a curse that will happen if I kill those monsters or a curse for stopping their stupid ritual..?

    No that''s impossible. If that happened the system should''ve given me a warning or a message. So what the hell happened...

    Is it godspeed?

    I''ve moved too fast?

    I felt it before, that I was going hungry, dehydrated and easily exhausted. That''s why I switched over to stamina training. But the faster I got, the more I felt even more worse.

    So the more I speed up, my body loses its nutrients because my body can''t handle it?

    It seems that I''m basically a black hole.

    Argh... this hurts.

    But I have to keep up a brave front when they get here. And the first one to arrive was Herold.

    I acted like nothing was happening and pointed him to where that big ball of mana was.

    "Inventory." He then pulled out that weapon that sucks out mana and destroys it. He then stabbed the ball of mana but he''s having quite a difficult time. But after a minute, he made it disappear. "So... care to tell what happened here?"

    "I just killed them all." I replied.

    "Then why is the whole place charred. And those charred places looks like... footprints."

    I looked back and saw the destruction I made. It was like a burnt battlefield. Every step I took, it was like I''m moving at super speed. "Things... happened."

    "Are you using Godspeed?"

    My eyes widened at his question. "How do you know that..?"

    "Here''s a tip that you need to know. Use it only when you''re going to initiate an attack. Godspeed is an incredibly powerful skill but its useless if you keep running around. You''re going to destroy your body at that rate. While in Godspeed, you won''t be able to feel a thing or feel the effects of hunger, dehydration and exhaustion. It will kill you. I have an ally that once had that skill. Just... be careful on using that."

 Chapter 242: Impending Doom

    Woah... that was amazing. I couldn''t believe that Zieglind did all that! I was just standing by the side and was about to shoot my bow but I couldn''t. I wanted to see how far he''d go.

    But he sure had went over my expectations. It was like I was just seeing light pass through the horde and a second later, that light blasted through everything.

    And then I thought to myself that, we''d be facing enemies like that.

    For most of the time, I''ve been useless and all I''ve been doing to help is due to my Law Breaker skill that I''ve mastered. But after I use it too much, the mana backfires on me leaving me defenseless and useless overall to the team.

    I have to find alternative ways so that I won''t be left behind. I''m the first ally that Zieglind got after all. I don''t want to disappoint him!

    "Everyone, there''s been movement of the other armies like this in the kingdoms that you all captured. Saving the kingdom is a priority, move out!" Zieglind''s orders then suddenly came to mind.

    It seems that the other kingdoms are being attacked. Time to go. "Arrow Teleporter." I imbued my arrow with this buff and aimed at the east. I shot my arrow and wherever it landed, I was teleported to there.

    I continued repeating this until I sensed something with my mana search as I was going there.

    Four points of high concentrated mana gathering and its all connected to one source. I don''t know if they''re draining or imbuing mana. But either way I smell trouble.

    I hid behind the trees and scouted the area. I then saw that monsters were spawning out from that ball filled mana over there. I didn''t know what was happening but I''m pretty sure that the four points that I saw was all about them supplying mana to this... spawner thing.

    I closed my eyes and began to even search for more if there''s anything underground me or anything that was behind me. But good thing, there''s not. It seems that they''re not that organized in terms of keeping their army.

    So their goal must be just spawning in a lot of monsters from that mysterious ball.

    Alright, time to go I-...

    I think... I won''t do that that this time. I need to be sneaky, somewhat undetectable. I know that''s the job of Neco but these days, he wants to go in and rush by himself and killing the enemies without them noticing.

    I want to support them from the back since I haven''t really done much in terms of that. If I continue going like this, I''ll just beknown as that girl who uses Law Breaker.

    I don''t want to burden them if I run out of mana or my spell has used everything.

    I still want to support them.

    That''s why I''ll try to just eliminate this whole place without being detected. Or else, I''ll just fail again and will just be a dead weight to the team.

    I then thought of something... crazy. I don''t know if it will exactly work but I''ll do anything to get even stronger. I didn''t waste those years I spent with and without Zieglind just to be carried to success!

    I then imbued my bow, "Rain of Arrows, Arrow Teleporter!" I shot it straight to the sky and just as I expected, it multiplied with the effects of the Rain of Arrows. I then next casted, "Full Control!" I stopped the arrows in mid air using telekinesis and then, Delayed Shot, Arrow Teleporter!" And I shot it from where I''m standing straight up to the sky. I then opened up my inventory and grabbed the weapon that Ruz and Ruf specifically made for me.

    They said that it was their best work yet so I have a lot of expectations about it.

    This is what they call a hand crossbow. Its firing properties are faster than a bow and arrow drawn by a normal human and it automatically reloads with just a little bit of use with mana.

    But with a little more infusion, "Rapid Shot, Instantenous Shot, Combo Shot, I can increase the speed of reload and shooting of this weapon twenty times. Its weaker than me using a bow since this is dependent of the string used.

    I guess I''ll ask them next time for me to use Hou Yi''s bow and make it to something like this.

    "Dispel Full Control!" I dispelled Full Control and all the arrows came flying down. I aimed my hand crossbow in front of me and began to shoot. It then released on what seems to be just like a flood of arrows because it just kept on shooting at full force again and again.

    One arrow landed on the ground and I was instantly teleported there. I was just holding the hand crossbow and was just shooting.

    I teleported next to a monster, and once I got teleported, the arrows began to rapidly shoot, piercing through its flesh and to the another one.

    A new arrow then landed on the ground once again, I teleported there and shot. I ten teleported to the other one. To the othe one. And to the other one. It was like an infinite cycle of teleporting and shooting.

    No one can see me. And I don''t even have to aim. I just hold my crossbow and where I land, it''ll be near monsters so I''ll just be fine either way.

    I was circling around throughout the whole battlefield and none of the monsters could see me. I teleported everywhere while attacking wherever I can without giving a care about what''s going to happen to me or the enemies.

    I held my weapon, and I just let it do the work. And once I stopped teleporting, "Dispel Delayed Shot." And I was instantly teleported back to where I was from where I started. A perfect go in, get out tactic.

    "URGH-" I slightly vomited since that was too much for me. I couldn''t handle going that fast since the scenery around me changes and it was just such a weird feeling. I didn''t know how I held on.

    Seems like I''ve killed most of the monsters there but they''re jsut going to keep on respawning again and again so there''s no time to waste. I have to do this myself and end this here.

    I opened up inventory and brought out Hou Yi''s bow. "Astral Conjuring!" It was as if the constellations in the sky connected and was about to unleash any moment now.

    This is my strongest move and my power that I am proud to call mine. "STARFALL!"

    I let go of the arrow within my bow and let it fly. As it was flying, a dragon formed and dived deep on the ground causing an explosion. but it wasn''t done.

    It moved quickly, and destroyed anything that was on his path.

    Barriers, monsters, terrain, nothing was there to prevent him. Everything was at his mercy.

    As for his final attack, he flew to the sky and dived back down sending out a bright light that illuminated the whole place and killed everything that was near it.

    I took a look at my mana and it was nearly depleted.

    I did it. I can finally help them. I don''t just have to sit there and activate law breaker... It seems that I have grown a lot ever since I met Zieglind. I won''t betray that trust that he gave us.

    I stood up and looked around if there''s anything useful... but there seems to be nothing. I think I''ll go back and defend the base.

    I then teleported back to Izgoy and was about to hold the base if anything ever comes through. But in the distance, I saw Zieglind, Zeraph and Herold fighting some people.

    I was about to run to them but the elite guards that Afal made are suddenly stopping me.

    I aimed my bow at them, "What are you doing?''

    The man in the middle then spoke, "Lord Afal told anyone to not interfere with their fights. Its also the wish of Lord Zieglind."

    What are they trying to do now... There''s about... twenty of the enemies there. And using Mana Search, I can see it. Their concentrated mana. Its all redirected in their weapons hoping for a one hit kill.

    I sat back and watched the fight as it went on. I stood ready and shot any remaining armies at the distance.

    First it was just some goblins and orcs... nothing special. But then one turned into two, two turned into four, four turned into eight to sixteen, to thirty two and more... and more... and more until the whole forest that we set up as a barrier for Izgoy was destroyed.

    Revealing hundreds of thousands of armies or maybe even... Millions.

    Those weren''t any normal enemies either. They all average a level of... one hundred. A level enough to kill us all.

 Chapter 243: Soul Collector

    Argh, cleaning this up will take a long time. We were called to protect the nearby kingdoms from falling down due to the armies attacking everywhere. It was a pretty tall order seeing how we all split up.

    I haven''t found alone for a long time so this is a nice change of pace.

    I was scouting the whole area first trying to figure out certain points here and there. I saw some mages gathering some energy. I was just trying to figure out how to approach this.

    I then remembered Zieglind''s performance earlier which I''m not that surprised. He did grow strong. Extremely powerful. But I wasn''t surprised in the least.

    It just made more... have more goals to achieve. I just don''t want to fall behind. In all of the battles, I haven''t been successfully doing the work that I was intended to do in the first place. That''s why I will take pride in what I do and further hone it.

    I won''t be left behind again.

    For the past months that we have been training and gathering monsters more and more... I wasn''t just taming them and then caging them. I have been experimenting a lot and I can say that all of it was a perfect success.

    I discovered a skill when I leveled up to level 543. "Soul Tap." Those I''ve killed, I can store their souls in a bottle.

    I then went on to Lam to discover what this meant. But all it does is just add the existing characteristics of the monsters into something.

    I was pretty disappointed at first but nothing can be done. But then... I tried combining two souls and I''ve created a new species.

    Apparently, this is a skill exclusive to the Valkyrie class. The class that I got once I got the gazer form for Zieglind.

    They harvest souls to deliver it to the heavens above.

    But in my case, I use those souls to further improve myself.

    I first tried applying it to a weapon.

    Using a goblin soul, I attacked a dummy with a dagger with the goblin soul inside of it and a system message popped up, [Rope stolen from Training Dummy.]

    I was amazed seeing how the effects are absolutely amazing. So I tried more and more monsters to use for the weapons.

    I asked Ruz and Ruf to make me hundreds of weapons and hundreds of armor so that I can try the effects of the souls of the monsters once I imbue it with the armor.

    Orcs gives the enemy hunger and dehydration status for several seconds but it then reverts them to their normal states.

    I tried going up a higher level of monsters. First, wraiths, imbued within the weapon, applied a ''harvest'' effect on the monsters. Once I hit them again, they take extra bonus damage.

    So I was pumped up to gather more monsters to use. So I hunted and hunted while also capturing some that I don''t need.

    I gathered a large collection of souls until I found the perfect combination for my whole set.

    I gathered every Xend material I could get from Lam and all the other ingredients was bought in the sky island. I got Rize to do it for me since she has access to that place.

    After forging for a long time... Ruz and Ruf told me that this was their best creation. The ultimate armor they forged and a rarity that was attached...

    [Ancient]

    The rarest and most powerful rarity out there and these two blacksmiths made it for me. The next thing I had to do was put all of the monster souls inside the weapon.

    I put wraith, bonus damage if I continue to attack, mimic, able to transform the weapon into another weapon using the base stats of the said weapon, dragon''s head, I just bought the 10,000 gold dragon in the city far away from here and killed it. It was an elemental dragon which was incredibly powerful. This rock dragon gave invulnerability on my weapon. It won''t be broken and its toughness is unparalleled. And final the final one, banshee''s soul. It ignores all defenses except for barriers and such.

    For the armor... It was a beautiful thing made by the both of them. Its a silver colored armor with a combination of red.

    Instead of the typical pants, they gave me a skirt. And it looks like a skirt that you see on weddings seeing how large it is. Apparently, it fits me like a princess. I was about to hit the both of them but I couldn''t ignore how well they''ve done for me. So I just accepted it.

    I added a bunch of monsters in the whole armor set from tens of monsters and I equipped it.

    And the best part of this armor, its a living being. It doesn''t speak or anything but it listens to my commands. "Equip."

    Parts of it flew and then equipped it on myself. And finally, the best thing that Ruz and Ruf made according to them... is the wings.

    I couldn''t fly while I was equipping this since I told them about the Gazer form so they tried to make their own. And they succeeded. A feat that they thought were impossible.

    The flight speed that they made was slow. Incredibly slow. It was like gliding but not really. But they''re nearing the completion of that. So that''s why I grabbed a wind spirit that we found at the top of the mountains on the east and applied it on the wings and I could fly like I was in Gazer form. Unrestricted, and fast.

    I held the sword that they both made me and as I was just thinking of what weapon I''d like, it instantly changed into a scythe.

    I held it close to me and rushed to the ground, "Gathering Storm!" A wind magic that gathers everything towards me in full force.

    None of them could escape or run away. They were trying to, but the sheer strength of the wind prevented them from doing that. "Giant Slayer!"

    My weapon grew considerably large and with just a single swing, I reaped through their bodies like it was nothing.

    Several mages on the distance. I wanted to change to bows but I don''t know how to shoot. So I instinctively changed into a javelin in which I threw straight at one of the mages to cancel their casting.

    I rushed over to there and grabbed the javelin and changed into a sword and shield, "Taunt!"

    I gathered all the attention of the mages. Taunt forces enemies to attack, but they can''t use spells or anything against me for a short period of time that they are taunted.

    I took on their attacks head on and I could barely feel a thing. I then notice that my armor was shining. This was due to the effect of the slime. I gain increased regeneration but that''s not all.

    The damage I took from the last five seconds, I can give it all back to all the enemies that were around me. And so I did.

    Everything around me was knocked back and some died due to the waves. This has a long ability cooldown since it needs to recharge back, but its a safe guard to keep me away from enemies if things go crazy.

    Whatever those mages at the points that I''ve seen they''re doing, I''m sure it isn''t good. So I''m going to ignore these monsters and head over to there.

    There''s a tough barrier barricading their casting and I was suddenly encased in a transparent cube of barrier.

    Using the ability the night stalker monsters gave me, I easily phased through their barriers. I killed them from the inside in which stopped whatever they were doing.

    I did the same to the other ones which was pretty easy and I didn''t really do much.

    I killed the rest of them and I tried to harvest souls but I couldn''t get anything. It seems that these monsters are... being controlled?

    But those mages are humans and some are... elves.

    So they were all puppets? It seems that I have to report this.

    I travelled back to Izgoy and I saw Rize was there. I was about to go near her until suddenly, arrows were suddenly launched at me. I looked around and saw that Izgoy was surrounded by monsters.

    None of this is ours. What''s going on..?

    I flew over to Rize and asked her about it but it seems that she had no clue either. I went to Lam next and told him to contact the rest of the group.

    I then saw in the distance, Zeraph, Zieglind and Herold fighting off that horde. I was about to go there until Rize stopped me, it seems that they don''t want us to go. Let''s just support them from here.

    What is happening right now..?

 Chapter 244: The Two Little Devils

    I helped Helga and Feran defending the other kingdoms. It wasn''t really much a bother. It seems that they were using cursed magic. I did also sense a faint mana of puppeteering which was... interesting.

    Whoever did this, they''re intelligent enough. The setup of these every armies spread throughout the world, it was perfect.

    Its the perfect army, they can''t feel or do anything. They''re all moving autonomously and without giving a care for their own health so that means that they are remote controlled from somewhere. But where...

    To control a lot of these monsters, finding the source should be no problem. But for some reason, its just really difficult to pinpoint the locatio of where they''re controlling these bunch of monsters.

    And that''s not the only mysterious part of these armies. The spawners spawned in demons. But they''re not from hell. I can confirm that. So that means that it isn''t under the jurisdiction of Zieglind.

    But those are demons... so that means they''re coming out of other places. But where...

    Well, either way, if those are just our enemies, there isn''t really anything to be worried about. They all seem to just be fodders so it was easy killing all of them.

    I brought Helga and Feran with me back to Izgoy but as we were travelling back we then saw something insane. It was like the whole forest that they built to protect themselves from intruders... they were all toppled down.

    The trees, the buildings and all the fake stuff to keep Izgoy hidden... gone.

    They were being overrun by enemies we landed on top of the castle in Izgoy and everwhere.... They were millions of monsters that we coudn''t understand why they''d suddenly invade us.

    Was it due to their confidence in their numbers or is it because something or someone is controlling them.

    I gave up on questioning my thoughts and just tried to help. "Cloud Creation, Magic Mystify." I spawned in a small bubble of cloud, I then asked Helga to imbue it with her regeneration and healing magic.

    "Regeneration, Dull Pain!" Helga then casted.

    "Entity Filtering, Cloud Disperse!" I then threw the cloud into the sky and as soon as it reached the required height for it to use, it then began to expand exponentially. It then began to rain. But with this rain, its basically recasting Helga''s healing spell but a bit weaker depending on how many its healing.

    For this one, its 50% weaker but its enough to boost our fighting prowess. With the entity filtering, I filtered out every enemy and only allowed everyone in the party that I''m in to get the buffs that me and Helga made for them.

    "Flag of The Warlord." I then asked Feran to give it some buffs. This will automatically gives buffs to anyone who is at its radius. I told him to not include high level buffs since its going to be wasted.

    He then added small attack boosts, speed boosts and stamina boosts. These spells and buffs do not stack with each other, so if this gets a 50% reduction with the high level spells, its just going to be a waste of mana.

    So I flew to where the other two were and asked them about the details. It seems that the three of them over there, Zieglind, Zeraph and Herold doesn''t want their battle to get hindered by anything.

    So our enemies are the one that''s attacking Izgoy huh... This''ll be more difficult than I thought.

    "My, my. The ones that protected the kingdoms on the other side are still alive? How capable. It seems that they''ve destroyed the spawn vestige too."  A woman''s voice was then heard from behind us.

    I didn''t notice it at all. And just by looking at her, I could feel the absurd amount of mana swirling through her body.

    "Lavenzla, your plans failed. You said it was flawless." A man''s voice was heard next to the woman.

    "According to my data, there shouldn''t be anyone stronger than lord Ouroboros is there? Or anyone equal to him. I knew he was the only one that can destroy those vestige spawners, but to think that these... Huh? Arakarn! Look at their heads!" The woman then pointed at us.

    "They''re... non players..? How did they get incredibly powerful..? We must send this message."

    "Wait, they''re too powerful to be left alone." The man named Arakarn then pulled out a weapon out of nowhere. Can barely be called a dagger for how long it is.

    He disappeared and reappeared in front of me. But there''s also someone there in front of me. "What... are you trying to do?" That voice... it felt familiar.

    But what''s that form... it looks like... several elements inside of him. Like he''s the embodiment of those select elements.

    This man then brought out his own dagger.

    Arakarn couldn''t get out of his grip. "What the hell are you..? Let me go!"

    The mysterious man raised his dagger and then it suddenly disappeared. The next time I saw it, it was inside Arakarn''s stomach. The sheer shockwave of the blast nearly knocked all of us away.

    A large hole was formed and we could see through Arakarn''s body. But somehow... he doesn''t have a heart or anything. He didn''t release any blood or anything.

    Arakarn dropped down at the ground and silence filled the whole place.

    "Dispel." The one in that mysterious form was none other than Neco. His hands were shaking and it looks like he''s going to drop anytime soon.

    I''m pretty sure that it wasn''t shock to killing him or anything. I think it was... something else. I checked his status using a skill and there''s a lot of discrepancies here and there.

    Starvation, dehydration and so much more. Wait... where did he even come from? And these symptoms... I read it somewhere.

    I''ll look on it later. But there''s something wrong with him.

    "I can''t believe you beat Arakarn just like that." The woman named Lavenzla then said.

    "You just had your ally die and you''re calm..?" I replied.

    "Well the two of you I''m pretty sure I can handle by myself. And this pretty boy right here seems to be incredibly... exhausted." She went in front of Neco and then flicked him off the nose which knocked him down to the ground. "Godspeed huh? I remember our lord Ouroboros using the same skill. But what a shame, you can''t use its side effects."

    "Rize!" I then casted, "Illusionary Wall!" Between us. Everything that passes through that on her side will turn invisible and will be unable to be detected by mana search.

    "Mhm!" Rize stepped back and began to unleash barrage of arrows with her new... crossbow? I didn''t know what it was but it was something attached to her arm.

    "Eyes of Truth!" Lavenzla suddenly destroyed the illusionary wall that was in front of us.

    It seems that I''ve underestimated her. I need to keep her away. It seems that she''s focused on getting near us. "Wind Surge!"  A large blast of wind came out of my hands but she had something in mind.

    "Rebound!" A small barrier was formed and the magic was then knocked back at me.

    "Dispel!" Since it was a spell that came from me, it was easy to dispel. "Damn... Hurricane Tem-" I stopped my casting since I saw someone in front of me. Arakarn..? Why is he in front of me?

    I looked back and his body wasn''t there. I was confused.

    "YURID!" An explosion formed in front of me and we were both knocked away. I was then blasted into Rize''s arms.

    What are you doing!? Is what I wanted to say but somehow my voice didn''t come out. I took a look at my arms and nothing. I couldn''t move it an inch or anything. I then looked over at Arakarn... the one that I thought was dead.

    His chest was burning with dark flames but he doesn''t seems to be bothered by it.

    No... NO! HE''S... NO!

    I took a look at myself and saw that my chest has also has a hole in it. NO! MY CORE!

    "I told you didn''t I... I was just surprised that you beat Arakarn. You never killed him in the first place." Lavenzla then explained. "This is a blessing that our lord Ouroboros gave us. Our heads gone? It''ll be restored. Hands? Feet? Our hearts? It doesn''t matter. With his blessing, everything is possible."

    "Gah... damn it. This feeling of pain is still uncomfortable to me. Its been a while since anyone other than lord Ouroboros hit me." Arakarn''s flames on his chest disappeared and suddenly... its all recovered like nothing happened. Resurrection. A skill that''s forbidden and impossible in the first place. A skill that only gods could use. But how... why are they using it like its nothing!? "That felt... refreshing and unique." Alright. Now tell me, who was that bastard that hit me?

 Chapter 245: Meeting the Immortals

    "Where did these monsters come from..." I thought we killed all of the monsters in the vicinity. But these monsters just came out of nowhere.

    And their statuses... They''re all level one hundred and above. Enough to kill us all here if we ever suffer an attack from them.

    "This feels... familiar." Herold then said.

    A basilisk stared at us and we just stared right back at him at him which instantly caused it to flee to the backlines.

    "Mind control monsters... they aren''t effective on you two right?" Zeraph then said.

    "I don''t think so. I replied. Well, either way, I don''t really want Izgoy to be destroyed. Range Increase, Skill Range Increase, Reach Increase." I casted several skill range increase on myself to widen everything. "Entity Filtering, Demon King''s Domain." I only teleported the hostile enemies myself and others in my party so that the people in Izgoy won''t be dragged here.

    We were then transported into another place wherein darkness seemed to stretched for forever. But in this very plains place, standing here should be a problem. "Hell''s Mimicry." It changes the surface of the demon king''s domain into the fiery pits of hell. Its just a mimicry so the real hell won''t be damaged.

    This way, we could have cliffs and higher vantage points so that we won''t get blasted with their spells on the ground.

    "Hmm?" I then noticed an alert on my screen. Two members suddenly dropped their healths below 40%. Which was odd. I looked around trying to see what was going on and I saw Rize fighting two enemies there with... other two people on the ground? "I''ll be going there. Don''t ask me why." I immediately left the scene and went with Rize.

    A large killing intent was felt and I instantly changed into demon form with my Demon Sword Acabar out.

    I blocked his attack. He was fast, about equal to me. "Sprint. Lightning Body." He was running as he was attacking. Passing through me with a lunging attack and immediately running away.

    It came from everywhere. From my left, right and from above and below. He can phase through anything and instantly go back. I needed to stop his assault or I''ll be a sitting duck with Rize here. "Barrier, Elemental Transfusion, Lightning Blast!" A barrier coated in lightning, should be enough to keep him at bay.

    It sends lightning to anyone who dares to attack it or go near.

    "Rize, what''s going on here?" I asked her.

    "That woman named Lavenzla, it seems that she''s a mage, but that man that was attacking you earlier is named Arakarn, he''s the one who... took something from Yurid." Rize replied.

    "Where are they?"

    She hesitated to point it, "There."

    Damn... seems like they''ve got roughed up. But something was weird... Neco''s situation is just him being starved and dehydration and other else. It looks like there isn''t much physical attacks. So who did this... that mage?

    And Yurid... I''m not worried since she''s a weapon so she doesn''t exactly, die permanently, we can just ask Zeta to repair her for us. Well, considering if he knows it. But her insides are hollow and I''m guessing that there should be a core to supply her.

    "Mana Transfusion." I tried giving her mana but nothing seems to work.

    Either way, they really need to get out of here. "Banish." A skill that allows to kick people out of my domain if they aren''t allowed to fight or can''t fight.

    I sent them outside so they''d be allow to be saved if people from the Izgoy notices it.

    "Boots of the Trickster." I equipped this to further increase my speed.

    I was about to take a step forward but then,

    "Frost Pain." Lavenzla, the woman then planted my feet on the ground with her frost magic.

    Arakarn instantly got up to me and I was about to wave my sword.

    "Disarm!" My weapon suddenly got dropped onto the ground by her spell.

    I couldn''t block Arakarn''s heavy blows.

    I took on his blows until the sword returned to me. "Hellfire''s Chakram!" I melted off the frost spell that was casted on me and the chakram around me hit Arakarn away from me.

    Using Triple Synergy I conjured a wind spell in my hand. "Wind Rupture." If its just wind, it usually just sends out random wind everywhere and then sucks them near to me. But if applied with other elements... Dark and light...

    The single orb of wind in my hand were suddenly changed into a roaring fire of dark, light and wind magic. It then send out waves of different elements.

    Arakarn could barely react seeing how fast it was sending out waves earlier. A wave hit him and suddenly, he disappeared for a moment.

    And then reappeared in front of me.

    Due to panic, since I didn''t expect that, I swung my sword which only knocked him away. But another wave of my spell hit him and he disappeared again. And reappeared in front of him.

    I was just confused if this is the effect of Triple Synergy and wind rupture.

    "Skill Details."

    [Wind Rupture]

    [!!!Triple Synergy!!!] Light, Dark, Wind

    [This skill, releases waves of magic everywhere. Once hit with the wave, the Dark and Light triple synergy activates. It briefly banishes the player into nothingness. The wind magic then places the enemy in front of the caster.]

    This is a pretty dangerous skill, I''m a mage myself but I don''t want any enemies getting close to me. I stopped the casting and for my final attack, I stabbed him right in the chest.

    It easily pierced through his chest. I kicked him off and aimed for the other one named Lavenzla.

    "What magic was that? This lady wants to know." Lavenzla began to run away as I was getting close to her.

    "Million Shot!" I threw my weapon with all my might at her.

    "Perfect Barrier!" She then summoned a barrier that was the same with Yurid''s. Its impossible to get through that.

    "Ignore Requirement! Teleport!" I ignored the requirements of the teleport and allowed The Demon Sword Acabar, to teleport to pass through the shield.

    "Morph!" She then instantly morphed into... a fairy? Small, and brimming with light as she flies away from the scene.

    The sword returned back to me, I aimed at Lavenzla, "Demon''s Uprising!" A small orb of fire manifested and a beam of laser came out of it.

    Lavenzla barely dodged my shot and I then felt something behind me. I looked back and saw Arakarn''s dagger penetrating my skin.

    I moved forward to try and escape him but suddenly, I felt sluggish, but it isn''t hindering me that much. I was also taking damage but its very little.

    I kicked him away and backed off and checked my status. Paralyze, Bleeding and Slowness debuffs were applied on me.

    But what I''m curious about is how''s he alive. But either way, he should be dropping dead by now. Just holding on to his life. I don''t really care about him that much.

    Now... where is Lavenzla... I looked around but Arakarn snuck up behind me again and stabbed my back. This time, I''m really ending it.

    I grabbed his head and sliced it of and threw it away. He''s just annoying at this point. And I''m not one to let my enemies suffer.

    I was about to fly away to find wherever Lavenzla is but I just felt a sudden grip in my leg. It was Arakarn''s. I kicked it off but then, black aura came out of his decapitated neck and slowly crawled towards its head.

    Once it connected, it then reattached to his neck and he instantly stood up like nothing happened.

    "What?"

    I was confused... very confused. I didn''t know what was going on. The giant wound that should be on his chest should be there but now... its gone. Like nothing happened.

    Did he just... come back from the dead multiple times with no cooldowns in between?

    What the hell? That''s... impossible. That should be impossible. In the first place, resurrection should be impossible... How do I deal with this.

    It was problematic dealing with him or that woman right now. I grabbed Rize and ran away. I''ll let him deal with my own army. "Rift Open." I then spawned in a horde of demons his way.

    Just around ten thousand so that my army won''t thin out. I doubt they can kill him but he''s immortal or something... I really need to understand how he just did that.

    The power to control life and death... I thought only the gods are allowed to do or use that power. But apparently... not.

    "Zieglind... this is trouble." Herold suddenly contacted me.

    "What is it?" I asked as I was running away from those two.

    "Those monsters... the reason why those monsters felt familiar."

    "What is it?"

    "They''re from Tartarus. All of them."

    "...WHAT!?"