《Unusual world》 1 Prologue: Breaking The Void In the beginning, there was something, in the end, there was still something. It had always existed and will exist long after the last black hole dies out and the universe returns to silence. An eternal constant whether you exist in it or out of it your still apart of it. It''s hard to change that but, it is possible. It has given birth to countless worlds and endless dimensions each connected each unique in its own way. As well as godly beings capable of destroying worlds with a thought. Far off in an obscure pocket in the universe, a place not even the most advanced civilization could gain entry even if they had trillions or years. A battle between dozens of mystical figures was ensuing. The battle raged on for hundreds of millions of years which was only a blink in front of beings such as these. Their forms were more abstract than anything else always shifting and phasing in and out of existents. Every collision would create the birth of a galaxy teeming with life that died out faster than you could blink but, existed for eons to them. Sparks capable of engulfing the sun in a true blazing inferno that contained traces of the law of fire flew out and were one of the most insignificant of events that happened as these Goliaths clashed. Every now and again one of these beings would perish, truly dying and being erased from the universe. At a battle on the scale of this besides victory, there would be no other outcome. For what could have possibly motivated such beings to start this battle to the death amongst themselves it is obviously not something for lowly mortals to question. How could we compare to them those who have reached the pinnacle of existents? How could our words carry any weight let alone reach their ears? As their battle raged on stray blasts constantly shook the very fabric of space and time eventually reaching a place were even beings such as those would tread with the utmost caution and respect to the thing that resides there. As it has existed since the beginning of the universe born right alongside it at the same time. Respect is all you can show just as if you were face to face with death. For even death would have to show its respects in front of such a thing because while death may reap the souls of even deity''s when they perish and was the firstborn it was stillborn inside of the universe, how could he possibly go against it. From that dark space were light had never touched in all of its existents there was silence, perfect silence just like how it likes. The souls that slumber there couldn''t even twitch as they awaited to rejoin the realm. Here is where a soul is truly supposed to go when they perish, other places such as heaven and hell were formed from the collective consciousness of intelligent life forms. Through that, they have become a representation of what they love and fear through that they obtained the power laws and birthed creatures in their domain. Some have grown so large that the souls of even the most lackadaisical of believers would be drawn into its domain. But, compared to those places this one is far purer, other places while powerful can not be compared. It matters not if a soul reaches this place or not but, it is only here where a soul can truly be scrubbed clean of its past or other influences before it is reborn. You may be able to obtain the same result from other sources but, you will be tainted in some way. Cleansing a soul is a long drawn out process, no steps could be skipped. Weaker willed souls could fade out being wiped from existents. Strong ones could take a millennium to be cleansed or more. In this domain, the first ripple to ever be produced in its existence jolted the primordial being that resides there awake. From that one ripple came hundreds then thousands. Space appeared to be like a lake that suddenly got stuck with a massive earthquake. It was those other great beings their battle inadvertently disrupted this ancient existence''s domain producing cracks in it that spread in every direction. Their power even combined could never compare to this thing that resides in absolute silence but, dozens of them combined could damage the space he resides. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. With a shrill shriek that can leave entire galaxies void of life the keeper of this domain witness the formed cracks suck away millions of soul at once. In an effort to stop what was happening. It used its power to repair the space around it as fast as it could which was hundreds of times faster than a nanosecond but, thousands of souls still escaped his domain and that event stirred up all the souls that remained here into waking up. Using its will it drove all the souls back to sleep and its domain regained its silence. Yet, this being could not go back to sleep it was howling in anger. Being suddenly woken up that was bad enough but, the worst part was having thousands of souls escape his clutches because of that part it can never sleep until all the souls are brought back. Something it couldn''t do, while it has the power to easily force them back it knows the laws of the universe better than anyone. There is a process that must be followed, it can beacon there return yet, direct force cant is done. It can only gaze at them through a hairline crack that is left in its domain as it waits. Not before bringing havoc on those foolish godly beings for what they had done. Since beings of such might are no longer protected by the will of the universe they can only protect themselves, it was able to descend its conscience upon them. 2 Something Unusual, Something New As the sound of space tore apart he awoke, a small translucent soul so weak it looked as though it could be blown away by the smallest gust of wind. Silently Bobbing up and down as if on water, the soul was confused and a bit frightened. Suddenly waking up from a strange loud noise and only seeing darkness on all sides left its mind in wondering. "Where am I?, who am I? , why can''t I see anything? what made that sound? What are those other noises in the distance, what''s that rumbling? why is everything shaking?" Question after question went on in his mind but, he had no time to find the answer to any of them because next to him a bright light that came from the crack in space was shining on him as he was forcibly sucked out from the darkness and was now surrounded by white. "What''s going on? Can somebody please explain?". Left in complete confusion the little soul may not have received any answers to its predicament but, it did finally have a chance to see something else besides white and black. As the blinding white light faded away it was replaced by an endless sea of green trees down below and a blue sky above. Such a marvelous scene would make anyone''s heart skip a beat just like it did his ... Wait a second? "Why don''t I feel my heart pounding? Shouldn''t I be cold this high up in the sky? Shouldn''t the air be thinner this high up? Also, why am I not falling? Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Finally having the time to look around he finally started to discover answers to some of his questions. "I''m a soul but: why, how, when?". These questions were starting to way down on his psyche as a massive explosive sound happened behind it. Turning around and gazing up he saw another miraculous scene there was a massive crack in the sky leading to someplace unknown shooting out thousands of stars shooting across the sky. No not stars taking a closer look they were souls thousands upon thousands of them blotting out the sky with there brilliance even though it was the middle of the day. There were souls of all sizes averaging 2-3 times bigger then an average fist some were really big the size of a person''s skull each had their own unique color and feel. I kept watching the dazzling light show before me that''s when I saw it. It was a soul just like the others I could tell that much but, this one was awe-inspiring it had to have been the size of at least 10 cruise ships. It made the other souls look like insignificant specs as it passed bye. That soul made me curious and frightful. "I mean like seriously how do you even get a soul that big? I wonder what kind of person he would be? Maybe I should fly over and talk to him? Wait can I even talk like this? Ugh ... I really have too many questions to answer". Not really knowing what to do next or wanting to be alone the little soul decided to try and follow the group. Turning out to be quiet a difficult task for a soul as small as him. He wasn''t half as fast as the others and started to lag behind eventually losing them completely. All alone without any direction to take this little soul just flew in any direction for days on end without stop, observing the strange landscape that had forest that never seemed to end, giant colorful crystals that grew like trees themselves, floating islands, rivers that did not seem to obey logic, and vast mountain range that curved around the horizon when suddenly he started to feel tired. "Tired how could that be I''m a soul?" Getting confused again the little soul started to look at itself self it noticed it was a tad bit smaller than before and even more translucent. "What how could this be? I''m shrinking, am I going to fade away?". Getting scared, little soul tried to think of a solution to his problem. After a few minutes of contemplating he finally came to a reasonable conclusion. "I''m a soul right, so don''t I just need a body." Feeling as though that was the right thing to do he went down to the forest bellow and started searching for a new body to call his home. He immediately found a weird-looking blue insect with wings and a hard carapace. It was releasing a cool stream of air from its mouth every time it breathed. A bit interested in it and not wanting to die out because he was picky about what body he took, went out and touch the bug with his spirit body and immediately regretted doing that. The insect retaliated hard, it flapped its wings that looked like crystal carved from ice and release a jet stream of frosty air from holes on its side. The cold air it shot out froze every tree and plant within 100 meters even he felt the chill even though he was a literal spirit. It was only ice all around him as trees started to shatter while that blue insect laid there proudly. He immediately flew away but, not without paying the price for his ignorance. His soul grew weaker and now he could feel his existence slipping away. He haad to find a body quick or it will be the end of him. 3 Your Misfortune My Salvation Freaking out about his situation little soul tried to calm down and think logically. "shit what the hell was that? Bugs aren''t supposed to be able to do that it froze such a large chunk of the forest in seconds. Can all bugs in this place do that? If they can I''m fucked, if not then maybe I have a chance to take one of their bodies for my self. I hope that cicada looking thin was just the oddball out in this entire forest. Well even if it wasn''t I''m still going to have to find me a body soon" Moving away from the frozen part of the forest little soul quickly found a new creature, well more like a dozen they looked like gray baboons with fur that shined with a metallic luster. They howling loudly and thumping their chests "maybe I can take over one of their bodies? Their not releasing any cold from their bodies like the last one". But, not wanting to get injured again like the last time he decided to wait and observe. Quickly finding out he was right to do so the baboons he was watching started to leave the area they swung from branch to branch so fast they were creating sonic booms with every swing. It was like seeing a ninja create after images. Were ever their paws grabbed the bark from the tree would get completely ripped off. Some trees even toppled over from the shock waves, he was left their completely stunned his mouth would have dropped open if he had one. "What the hell is going on why are insects and other creatures able to do these things?" it just isn''t right floating in the air for a few minutes in utter disbelief little soul heard a strange snapping noise looking around for the source he found it was coming from the frees. Upon closer inspection, he saw the trees sprout new buds and branches at an amazing rate. Before long the entire area he was at was restored to its former state. While the broken branch and leaves that fell off before turned to dust. "Amazing simply amazing are all the trees able to do this?" wanting to confirm it little soul flew back to were that blue insect was to check. A bunch of trees was still frozen but, he still saw some new branches poking out and one of the trees that shattered had already grown back. "How is this possible?" the more little soul saw of this world the more he couldn''t believe it. It was absolutely amazing the stuff of dreams. He got lost in thought for a bit but, was forced out of it when he was suddenly in complete pain. It didn''t last long only a few seconds but, that got his mind back on track. He could fade away very soon if he doesn''t find a body. Scouring around for hours it was already the next day. The sun rose up from behind the mountain range illuminating the little soul but, the light from the sun hasn''t lifted the fog of despair off of him. He had been searching erratically for a body to take over all over the place only to be met with utter failure as the creatures in this world are too bizarre even for his standards. There was a swarm of bees that turned the ground around them into lava, a bear the size of a hill with crystals growing out of its back that could make earth spikes shoot out of the ground and even swim in it, a snake that teleported from shadow to shadow and so many other strange things. He couldn''t take over any of their bodies even if he tried he learned his lesson from last time. As little soul''s spirit grew weaker he pondered "is this it, am I going to die forever? I was thrown in here with no explanation and now I''m going to die here". The soul that now looked like a small flickering flame in the wind sadden by the gravity of his situation now floated there in the air above the trees awaiting to die. When finally he heard the key to his salvation. It was a thunderous boom that brought with it the crash of lightning and the miserable cries of some poor soul. About to die anyway little soul decided to take a look, where the smoke rose from the burnt trees and grass around it he witnessed a majestic golden electric wolf feasting on its prize for the day. It was a man, an old man chard a little from the lightning strike turned a bit brown on the rest of him. He was now dead and had had his guts torn out and limbs eaten by the wolf. The beast was done feasting on its pray after 30 minutes and promptly ran off. The body was left there a complete mess bones gnawed at and broken, guts have been eaten and spread all over, skull and brain crushed, still quite a bit of flash left on the body guess the man must not have been that tasty. But forget about that this was an opportunity little soul was going to fade away and needed a body the body may have been beaten up beyond recognition but, it was a body none the less. Not wanting to waste a second more little soul entered the mangled body was he was going to have to fight for his life. Upon entering the body little soul discovered the previous owner''s soul was still not gone. It was incoherent and a bit crazy promptly from the shock of death and not being able to accept it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The soul has wailing when it suddenly discovered my presence and attacked me in a blindly furry. I try to dodge battles between souls were different then battles between people, me and him both were weak souls me especially, I might as well be a malnourished child trying to fight a fully fed one. We have little in the way of form and presence so trying to through out something like a fist at this point is nonsensical. So what do you do? What else besides wait, observe, and try not to fend off. Little Soul may not have ever fought another soul before and didn''t really know how but he did know one thing he was not a complete idiot. He had been a soul for a few days and could kind of tell how that old man''s soul was able to attack him. "Is that it? could it truly be so simple for me to dish out an attack?" little soul had been watching the old man''s spirit chaotically attacking him and was able to guess how he was able to do it despite the old man not even being a spirit for 40 minutes. The answer was his rage, hatred, and regrets all coming at him like a storm. "Are you kidding me are you telling me emotions was the key, all it takes is for me to be angry I can be angry I have plenty of anger in me. Being tossed in this place with no clue as to why, being the smallest soul of the group, no being able to keep up, then being left while they went knows were, and almost dying for not finding a body". All the experiences that little soul had been through the past couple of days made a force that he had not felt before swell up inside him gush out. It was unusual to control at first but little soul quickly came to realize was that force was a part of him like another limb that could bend and shift in every direction. He had not mastered using it but he got the basic principal down just like that old man''s soul point and shoot. Both of the souls clashed head-on and little soul quickly realized he was loosing. They may be using the same ability yet, the power output wasn''t the old man''s soul was normal-sized about the sized of a fist mine, on the other hand, I was like a bloated looking candle flame the size of a golf ball. "Dame if this keeps up I''m definitely going to loose I have to try something else but, a frontal attack is all I''m able to do," thinking for a minute little soul thought of something, he had been copying the old man''s soul who had gone made without reason, for what? Spreading out my spirit when I have so little will only get me killed. Why don''t I condense it instead? The old man''s spirit is indeed larger and more powerful but what is all that power if you don''t use it right. Spreading out your spirit may seem like a good idea and sometimes it is but now it''s just a weakness course that old man did not know his attacking aura is paper-thin I doubt it would even care in that crazy state its in. This is my chance to win in a hurry I drew back my spirit while the old man charges forth. condensing most of my energy down into one point was a bit challenging so I wasn''t able to do it perfectly but it didn''t have to be it only had to reach. I couldn''t multi-task so I wasn''t able to set up a shield to protect my self from his retaliation. As the old man''s spirit drew closer a beam of light shot forth it wasn''t straight and had obvious imperfection but it was devastatingly effective. It parted the old mans relentless attacking him dead center. His soul was in pain it wailed in fury but it did not dissipate it forced the spirit beam back with its soul body and tried to resist. "He was pushing my attack back in the most insane method I have ever seen". Seeing this was not panning out as he had planned he opted to do something just as insane as him maybe even crazier since he couldn''t last forever. He stopped shooting the beam and bum-rushed him as fast as he could float over there while following as close behind the energy as possible as it quickly receded. As he made my way next to the old man''s spirit he was able to feel the madness radiating off him. But, he guesses doing what he about to do without any proof it would work would make him even crazier right. As his spirit body floated next to him he did the stupidest thing possible he forced his way inside his spirit. It was like putting hot oil in boiling water the reaction was explosive. The old man''s spirit exploded and scattered into little specks that just hovered there he had won but not without paying for it. His own spirit suffered it was flickering so much it looked like I was having a spasm. "Is this it, am I going to die fighting so hard for a half-eaten and charred mangled corpse of an old man just to die in the end?." 4 New Meat Sui "Is this it? I don''t want to die, I can''t die now definitely not here". Struggling to the bitter end little soul squirmed all over in pain letting out shrieks that sounded like nails on a Chalkboard. Swaying from side to side up and down until he bumped into a soul fragment from the old man. As the soul fragment entered his body it fused with him alleviating some of the pain and making him feel hungry. The feeling of hunger as a soul is completely different from physical hunger. His soul body was squirming in joy as he began to feast on all the fragments around him. "What is this feeling, this taste, this energy surging through me? It''s like the first drop of water when traversing the desert alone, its the feeling of your first real meal I don''t even think a mother''s cooking could compare to the assortment of flavors that this soul contains". As the little soul feasted on the old man''s shattered soul his own soul grew bigger, he was no longer dying. His soul finally grew to the size of a regular one once he was done consuming the old man. As had never felt like this before he wondered if this was how every one of those other souls felt, he pondered over how that gigantic soul must feel and how he would feel if he was as strong as that. Little soul wished to engross himself at this moment for as long as he could, that is when his soul body started pulsating with the rhythm of a beating heart. It was synchronized with the heart in the body he was inside. This body was now his he could sense it, the blood pumping in his veins, the twitching of his fingers. All five of his senses were off because he just got control of the body, his hearing was the first thing to come back he listened to the swaying of branches in the trees along with squawking of birds. He could hear and see perfectly fine as a soul somehow, he Didn''t know how though but, this time was different because he had a new body it even had that new body smell, iron, and wet dog. "What? Must be the blood and smell left by that wolf". But, the little soul didn''t care he had tasted victory, it left him with the flavor of blood in his mouth as he was gaining more control yet, it was a small price to pay. Relishing in his achievement little soul saw the light through his new eyes. As the blurry image became clear he just realized how much trouble he was in. When he decided to take over this body it was out of desperation he never thought about what that actually meant if he took it over. Little soul could see his heart beating in his chest, his torn open chest. His heart was exposed to the world along with the rest of his vital organs as they lay spread on the ground as his blood flooded out of him. It was horrifying for him not because of the horrendous sight but for the pain, he knew that was soon to come and it did. It was hard to describe feeling painful of course, a trauma that will scar him for the rest of his life most definitely. To understand the agony he is going through imagine a man and you holding a hammer, now imagine taking that hammer and smashing that mans balls with it repeatedly, don''t forget to keep eye contact the entire time while you do it. Now you can somewhat feel what little soul is going through his even his balls have been ripped off and is currently a foot from his body. Snot was dripping from the nose of the old figure little soul now inhabits and tears as he constantly gasped for air, trying as hard as he could with a lung that had claw marks on it as blood filled his throat and his eyes turned bloodshot. Little soul tried to leave the mangled corps but he couldn''t he was bound to the body. "why am I always on the verge of dying can''t I get a break". The pain was excruciating little soul wanted it to stop he wanted the wounds to heal for his body to become a hole. In response to this desire, he felt a faint connection all around him. It was the bits and pieces of his body still left the wiggled a bit but they didn''t move. Seeing this little soul enveloped in pain felt a bit of hope, he used his only still hole left arm and slowly flicked up a piece of himself. Every movement was excruciating but he had to do it the pain wouldn''t end otherwise. Tossing a piece of himself on his stomach little soul saw it do absolutely nothing. "No please work I beg of you" still nothing happened. Not wanting to give up little soul decided to take a different approach he tried reaching out with his soul body it was difficult this new body of his was more like a prison than a new home. It was constantly pulling him back in, after all his effort he could only force his soul out 3 inches from the tip of any point of his body, it wasn''t much but it was enough. He grabbed the meaty chunks with his spirit found the spot it was going to go and moved it over there. Then nervously attempting what he thought about. Little soul used his spirit to try and attach that part of his body. He had no other options this was all he had, forming his spirit into as thin a thread as he could muster attempting to attach it to the rest of him. Little soul took his time, after about 20 minutes little soul could feel an as strong connection with that piece of him. He was happy he found a way to make the pain stop now all he had to do was endure this torture and reattach the rest of him. Crawling over to each piece of himself, flinging it on to his belly and attaching it with the soul threads he made. This went on for hours by the time he was done with the last piece of himself the sun was setting. Little soul didn''t have any energy to move how could he, he used his own spirit to reattach himself making his soul shrink to less than half his previous size. It was all made into the spirit threads covering all over his body. Half of the little soul''s body was eaten which sucked but was still workable for him. He looked like a half-eaten corps that had its extra skin pulled to the side to cover his missing bits. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. You could tell there were air pockets under his skin were flesh was missing but, at least little soul wasn''t in as much pain anymore, it was more like an irritating itch. he had gray disheveled hair, wrinkly skin, and no teeth in his mouth just his gums. the original owner of the body lost his teeth years ago. now little soul could not chew only drink and eat soft food. His body was kind of toned but its more because he is old and skinny instead or ripped from working out. The missing pieces of his guts were luckily not critical to him functioning. It was a weird balance this body of his had to maintain. He could take a lot of damage enough to kill a person, ripped in half, torn to pieces and still live but, in that state, the question remains would I even want to? Would I always be able to pull myself back together? What if I was burnt to ash by that swarm of flaming bees could I still reconstruct after that? Will I die forever or remain a pile of ash blowing in the wind?. How much could the benefits of being a walking corpse bring? I still feel pain, cold the heat of the sun so besides not dying from critical hits the benefits aren''t much. I wonder if its the same for all those other souls that came here with me."I guess I should get moving I''ve been here for so long but to were? Hmm ... O that''s right " Thinking for a bit little soul remembered this body belonged to a human meaning there must be others. Having a destination little soul got up as he released a ghastly grown then set off in search of humans. He wanted to rest he was super tired but any fool would know his body would attract the hungry looks of other animals it was only through luck none came for a bite of him. 5 A Fools Journey part 1 Little soul stretched his body you could hear the crackling of his bones as he rubbed his stiff joints. He did not know how to use this body despite knowing he was a human as well before he became a soul. so he did a few exercise movements to get familiar with his new body. Little soul wanted to adventure out to find humans then remembered just how huge and strange this forest was. Before he was a soul flying above the treetops, creatures ignored his existence fairly sure because they couldn''t even see him as a soul. They didn''t even retaliate unless he tried to take over their bodies. "So why was this man out here? What gave him the confidence to come out here alone?". Little soul checked himself patting down everywhere. His clothes were made of old leather, not the highest quality, either way, it was completely unless now. Burnt and torn apart by that electric wolf, I might as well walk around naked. little soul found a curved dagger on his thigh it looked fairly decent and used and handle a bit rust but still, this could not have been all that old must have had. A dagger and leather armor would only serve to get this old man killed. Not finding anything else on this body of his little soul decided to have a look around the area. he soon discovered a backpack in the bushes not far away. He opened the backpack to discover water, food, bandages, Scrolls, a flintlock pistol with bullets, and two bottles with an unknown red and green liquid. Along with a knapsack hanging on the outside. "Jackpot!" this is exactly what little soul was looking for. He inspected the items starting with the Scrolls he discovered once he unfurled them they were filled with strange writing. He didn''t understand a single symbol on the paper. They look so strange an ancient like something you would find in the ruins of an old city. the symbols were obviously handwritten and not by a professional. lines were messy on some parts you could tell how unsteady the person''s hand was who wrote this. But it''s still filled you with awe with its intricacy. the weird symbols were written in a circle with squares and triangles all over, Little Soul couldn''t make heads or tails what it''s all meant. He put down the scrolls and move towards the gun instead. He counted 30 bullets, not a whole lot but it was better than nothing. The bullets also had carvings on them with those same weird symbols he found on the scroll. inspecting the flintlock pistol and found the exact same symbols. "This is so strange why would he carved these symbols on the gun and bullets and draw them on the Scrolls?". Knowing he was not going to get any answers sitting there Little Soul continue to inspect things with items. He uncorked the red bottle and smelt it, it smelled sweet but tasted bitter in his mouth. he only drinks a few drops worth but that was enough for him to discover the effects of the potion. He was amazed by what this potion could do it healed a bit of the damage on his body mostly around his lip. He hurriedly put the cork back on and carefully stored the potion away. He wanted to save it for an emergency. Seeing what the red potion could do he wanted to see what the green one could do so he uncorked that one too and drunk a few drops worth of the green potion discovering it did nothing. A bit disappointed he put the green potion away just like the red one. Having a decent enough grasp on the items he had little soul set off on his journey to find more humans. Little soul walked through the bushes bobbing and weaving through Vines and cobwebs. It was getting dark so the air was Cooling. He could feel the cold breeze on his bones, they slipped through the gaps in his skin he stitched up with his soul threads making him shiver to his core. People who saw a half-eaten body walking around the middle of the woods at night would be scared of it and run away. But the little soul was more scared of the things in the woods than anything else so looking like this and being what he gave him no confidence to him. He took each step with caution, he knew what was out there creatures so fearsome and strange they make any grown man shriek in fright like a girl. So with the backpack on his back, he walked as silently as he could not want to draw the attention of anything out there. In the dead of night, he looked up at the stars through the gaps in the trees marveling at the site that always gave him a wondrous feeling each time he looked at it. It''s a Sky not his own on a world he knew nothing about. yes, it was scary but when going to someplace unknown when wasn''t it. this world filled him with an equal amount of inspiration as much as it terrorized him. Little Soul remembers his old world, he can remember all the things that they had built. He knew the amount of knowledge they had, he knew how industrious and creative they all were. Most of all he knew how much that world sucks the life out of you. You worked endlessly every day in some schools learning how to go to work for someone else. The chances of making it big becoming rich were slim to none. This world on the other hand while it had tried to kill him more than he would have liked it gave more hope to him than his old world ever did even though he couldn''t remember his old life, he felt as though this one was already better than his old one. Marching through the forest in the dead of night Little Soul heard a noise behind him. It startled him making him worried about what creature could be prowling out there wanting to see what he tasted like. Little Soul was on full alert he grabbed his curved dagger in his left hand and took out the flintlock gun it is right. As he prepared for what was going to come the sound got closer and closer hearing the wrestling the bushes the breaking of twigs as what hid stepped closer. The snarling beast got closer and closer till he could see beating red eyes through the bushes. The beast obviously was here for him so Little Soul pointed the flintlock pistol he had then opened fire. The gun could only fire once before it had to be reloaded so little so quickly got into a fighting stance with the dagger. He didn''t know how to use the dagger effectively but that wouldn''t stop him from trying to save his own life. The beast let out an angry snarl as it''s got hit before jumping out allowing its figure to be illuminated in the Moonlight. It was that blasted electric wolf, little soul could hear the crackling of lightning every time the wolf shook its tail or took a step. It was angry but, worst of all it was hungry. not wanting this new body of his two to be lunch for that wolf a second-time little soul would fight with all he had. The wolf howled when the howl came so to did a ferocious lightning bolt followed by thunder. little soul wanted to dodge but he couldn''t the iron dagger in his hand attracted the lightning towards him it''s struck the dagger making his arm spasm forcing him to let it go. Unable to use the dagger against this wolf and him not being in a position to reload the pistol he decided to run as fast as he could. As he ran the wolf gave chase it was not slow that''s all it was quickly catching up and what happened in his jaws within a matter of seconds. Using what little time he had little soul desperately tried to reload the flintlock. Putting an iron ball with runes carved on it down the shaft and then pointing it at the wolf and firing. He was lucky this wasn''t like the traditional flintlocks on Earth or he would have most certainly been eaten by now. The bullet grazed the wolf''s face it wasn''t much but, it was enough to make it slow down for a few seconds giving the little soul a bit more breathing room as he reloaded the flintlock again. Angered by little Souls retaliation the wolf chase after him the murderous Fury. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Little soul sensing the jaws of death closely behind him you turned around once more while running and fired his second shot. The wolf not as stupid as little soul thought it was beginning to zigzag making little soul miss his second shot. Finally making some headway the wolf was close enough to little soul to bite his butt releasing a horrific jolt throughout little soul''s body. As the electricity course through little soul''s body, he became stunned unable to move little soul started cursing his luck. As little soul''s body was once again becoming food for this electric wolf he began to realize something was wrong. 6 A Fools Journey part 2 little soul''s body was being eaten once again by the same wolf, he can feel the stench of its breath the pain and his limbs as a wolf tour them off. As it made his way into his guts clawing and ripping out chunks of himself. But something just didn''t feel right, the pain was just as unbearable as when he first obtain this body but it felt more like a repeat than anything else. he tried grabbing the wolf by its throat forcing it off but it didn''t work. The wolf was too strong it was a bit larger than a regular one it even felt like it weighed over 200 lb and little soul could feel its rippling muscles under all that fur. But it all just seemed odd to Little Soul. he couldn''t put his finger on it but it just didn''t seem real. It looked real, it felt real, smelt real but something was still off. Curious about what was wrong little soul tried something he tried forcing his spirit out of his body. He still couldn''t leave his body by much but it was enough for him to discover what was really going on. It was all a lie, he was wrapped in vines that continued to grow all over him. lying on the damp floor he saw a giant red flower hanging above him releasing a red gas as it continued to wrap around him tightly. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Not wanting to become food for this thing little soul urged his body to move. This plant may have been able to fool his senses but it cannot fool his spirit. His body may have still been under the plant''s hypnosis but Little Soul only had to look at the world through his spirit to see it clearly and move his body effectively. Little soul used all his might to move his arm toward his dagger. His skin tore off a bit as there were thorns on the vines. Ignoring the pain and pushing through little soul managed to grab the dagger on his left thigh. Then he began hacking and cleaving his way to freedom. The vines secreted green goo as the giant red flower hissed at me and bear its sharp fangs. Little Soul was startled by this site he never expected a plant to have such sharp teeth. The plants monster ripped itself from the ground and began to swing it''s a Vines at little Soul''s body like whips. Dodging as best as he could little soul was still overwhelmed. The Vines were coming from every direction hitting his body hard. A normal person would have succumbed to the pain and keeled over, luckily little soul was not normal. He still felt the pain and didn''t like it one bit but, he knew he had to grit his teeth and bear through it if you wanted to come out of this alive. little soul tightened his grip on his dagger and swung it fiercely at the vines with the technique of an amateur. he was only able to cut one out of every five Vines which wasn''t a lot considering there were still 20 of them pelting him every second. Seeing close combat was getting him nowhere little soul decided to get some distance between him and the plants monster so, he could pull out his gun and shoot it. Doing just that he ran away while having his back whipped ferociously by dozens of vines that tore the skin off his back destroying the patchwork he worked so hard on. His back was a mess when little soul was out of range of the plant''s monsters whip-like vines. He then proceeded to pull out the pistol in his pocket and fired, he received quite the shock when he did. The gun was not normal the bullet inside was not normal. When he fired the bullet tore through the air reaching its target and exploding the flower bud making its teeth shoots out everywhere. As the bullet tore through Bellflower it also bore a hole through the tree behind the monsters plant. "This is insane what kind of gun is this, it has as much force as a cannon behind it yet such little recoil" little soul admiring his new favorite toy almost forgot the plant monster still wasn''t dead. It was wriggling in pain slamming into the ground it looked pathetic. Wanting to put it out of its misery Little Soul reloaded the flintlock pistol and aimed at its wide stem near the base of its roots and fired. Blasting the whole top part off and burrowing a hole in the ground. All the vines wiggled around energetically for a bit before falling to the ground with a loud thud. "This is amazing simply the best, how does this gun have such power despite it being so small? could It be the gunpowder? the metal? or maybe these strange symbols?" Little Soul was happy with his new weapon but now he wanted to inspect the plant monster because it was the first creature he could fully inspect without it trying to kill him, well not anymore at least. After inspecting the creature Little Soul discovered it''s as much like a normal plant despite its huge stature, ability to think, a large amount of glucose it produces that drips like blood, razor-sharp teeth, hidden Bean size eyes on the flower petals and it''s a strange ability to hypnotize its prey. That''s what interests little soul the most, he saw it releasing gas but experience it was all so real. If anyone else besides him faced this creature they might have died. Well one of those other souls that came here with me should have been able to do the same thing probably. With that said he did think of some flaws with that gas the biggest flaw was that when he can use the gun it was nothing like how it''s was in real life he guesses because he never actually used that gun before. So it''s was imitating guns he was familiar with on Earth not the kind of ones on this planet. so, the flintlocks real ability did not translate over in the hallucination. Yet, that did not explain the plant''s ability was I the one generating the illusions or was the plant somehow able to enter and manipulate my mind? If so how far does its ability go? This is quite informative to him but he wanted to know more so he grabbed his curved dagger and started cutting up the stem of the flower discovering something interesting inside. 7 New discovery Inside the monster''s stem was a smooth spherical gem it radiated a soft light as little soul held it in his hand. "It''s so beautiful why would this plant Monster eat this" little soul inspected the green gem but could find nothing strange about it on the outside. so you tried injecting his soul into it to see if there was any difference. When little soul did that the gem burnt his soul a little. "awe ... how is that possible?" when little soul touched the gem with his soul he could feel something inside. "It''s still alive ... that plant monsters still alive inside this gem. Could it be like me a Wandering soul trapped in some vessel?. Do other creatures have these too if so do I?". Little Soul dove into his body in search of a similar gem inside him. That''s when he found a small red Speck even smaller than a bean. The light it gave off was insignificant compared to that plant monsters gem same with the size the two were in completely different leagues of their own. This interest Little Soul to no bounds but, he could not study the gems further here. The forest was too dangerous, he thought he was being careful yet, he was still drawn into a fight. Before setting off little soul decided to tend to his wounds. Yep, three broken ribs, two of his fingers were broken, a fracture in the back of his skull, and skin was torn from the thorn field Vines. The wounds hurt a lot they made him groan in pain. The wounds wouldn''t have been able to kill him but healing such wounds was hard on Little Soul. He had to use the threads that he made to stitch up such wounds and that whittled away at his soul. Little soul popped his ribs back in place then use his soul threads to keep them there. He used them to fix his skull and straighten his fingers. He then proceeded to walk over to the vines checking them all to see if there were still loose bits of his skin on them so he could patch himself up. Once he was finished little Soul''s stomach started to grumble. He had not eaten anything since he got this body. knowing he was surrounded by danger and that it was not going to get any safer anytime soon he decided to sit down and eat something from his backpack. since this old man''s body had no teeth he could only eat soft foods and liquids, which there were plenty of. most of the food was in some kind of paste form but he didn''t mind. he smacked his lips and sucked on the spoon as he was eating it was weird eating without teeth the first time. The food tasted like bananas not little souls favorite but it''s not like he had many options. It was nice eating for the first time in who knows how long. Little soul let out the happy chuckle of an old man as he bared his toothless gums to the world. With his belly filled he decided to move out once more. This time he used his soul to perceive the world as to not be drawn into another illusion. He can also use his body''s eyes so it is like having two people keeping watch at the same time. he had only been walking for about 30 minutes in the when he saw dawn break "what its morning already, how long did that plant monster have me in its grasp? It only felt like a few minutes". Astounded by this little soul realize just how deadly Illusions were. Walking further through the forest little soul heard something in the distance. It was sound rushing water, walking toward the sound he discovered a wide river flowing through the forest. He saw no animals around the river which was a bit strange but I guess it just meant he was lucky cause all the animals around here were far stranger. Little soul looked at himself noticing all the blood and how he reeks. so, he decided to go over and wash himself up. Next to the river, he dunked his hands in cleaning his forearms and face. Then took off his tattered clothes and backpack, he had his loaded gun nearby the river as he washed himself clean. The water was cold it got into all the gaps in his skin as it dripped down his body. As he was washing himself little soul saw his reflection, the reflection of an old man with white dirty hair and rough wrinkly skin. That''s when he noticed he was drowning. When little soul witnesses his own reflection in the river he became enchanted. He jumped into the river to save himself from drowning in the river. "How in the world did I think I was drowning, this makes no sense" fighting against the current he made it back on land when his leg was grabbed by a scaly blue hand. The hand wanted to pull him back into the river and it almost succeeded. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Little so grab the edge of the riverbank, shoving his fingers deep into the Earth as he clawed his way back onto land then kicked away the blue scaly hand and that had a hold of his leg. With his leg free little soul ran toward his gun he placed at the riverbank. That''s when three ghastly figures popped out of the water onto land. they look kind of like humans but were uglier, smellier, had fins and gills, long claws and we''re blue. They bared their sharp teeth and fangs at me as they hist. I made my way to the loaded gun picked it up, quickly shooting one of them in the chest. The monster closest to the river got shot now it had a large hole in its chest as it flew backward into the river and got whisked downstream. The rest of those fish-men things jumped back startled before lunging right at me. I had no time to reload or pick up that knife. so, I dropped the gun and tried to punch at one of them to the left of me, it dodged and clawed at me. I barely managed to avoid it before the second one came rushing at me. 8 In The Buff "Filthy, drowners why did I have to run into them now of all times all I wanted to do was wash myself up in the drowning river. wait? drowners, how do I know what these things are? And the river how do I know its name?" The second drowner rushed at Little Soul, forcing him back a step almost making him fall over in fright. Regaining his footing at the last second little soul blocked with his right arm receiving deep gashes from the drowner''s sharp claws. The wound burned, the claws of the creature had acid leaking from the tips. The acid festered in his wounds slowly turning his blood black as blood dripped to the floor and wisps of smoke rose. Holding his arm in pain, he was continuously Clawed at as he seriously thought about running away. Having his flesh ripped from his body was one thing he knew you could piece himself back together that way but, if his entire body was melted away that was an entirely different story. In his hesitation he found a drowner throwing itself at him. He was forced down and pinned to the ground as the drowner wanted to rip his throat out. Little Soul grabbed the drowner''s arms not wanting it to Claw at him and melt more his flesh away. Then proceeded to knee it in the stomach at an awkward angle giving him enough room to kick the drowner away. Right after he was met with the exact same problem the second drowner immediately jumped on him as well. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. It cut a long gash in Little Soul''s chest as they both tossed and turned on the hard ground next to the drowning river. Little Soul was having enough of this got angry really angry he has only been met with death at every corner since he got here. Fueled by his rage little soul manage to forcibly pin the drowner on the bottom of him. He had his knee on the drowners right arm the other knee on the drowners chest as he had a firm grip on the drowner''s left arm. His rage blinded him as little soul repeatedly punched the drowner in the face. Even as the second one came behind him and started clawing at his back. He kept punching over and over even when the drowner stopped moving that''s when he shoved his hands into its stomach ripping it open. Drowners'' flesh was softer than humans, it may have had scales but they didn''t cover much of its body. With a crazy look on his face, Little Soul grabbed one of the drowner''s ribs from in its body in twisted it out. when the bloody rib snapped off little soul quickly turned around and slammed it into the gut of the drowner that that was constantly clawing at his back The creature yelped in pain but, it screams fell on deaf ears as little soul grabbed the creature by the ankle slamming it into the ground as he stabbed the rib in the creature''s stomach once more before piercing its throat. It gargled on its own blood about to die but before then he lifted the rib once more and stabbed it into the creature''s eye ending its life. With a dark twisted laugh, Little Soul slowly started to cry as he continued to laugh before braking down and fully sobbing. He knelt over the body fully naked covered in blood with the rib he tore out of the drowner''s body still in his hand. Before curling up in a ball next to the body and continued to cry he didn''t even care about what the acid was doing to his back. He did that for about 15 minutes before he stopped. Out of tears, for now, little soul got up slowly, ever move was constant pain for him. He could not stand up straight because the acid from the drowner''s nails destroyed his back. Turned it black and exposed his spine and the back of his ribcage to the world. The acid from the nails of the drowners was not as strong as he imagined it to be. It couldn''t melt his body but it still damaged him seriously. Slouched over he slowly made his way toward his curved dagger and knelt beside it. He knew what he had to do the wounds we''re too bad to stitch together with his soul threads. Picking up the blade he started to cut out the corroded parts of his body. For some reason cutting off your own flesh hurt more than when someone else did it. It took him over five hours to cut everything off, his back was the trickiest part he had to move his soul around and pop it out of his body to see what he was doing. When he was done he was sitting in a pool of his own blood large parts of him was gone, his back looked the worst it looked like someone just ripped off his skin there with their bare hands. Laying in front of him was his corroded skin black and bloody. Too much of his body was damaged he is now missing to much flesh to move around effectively. Knowing this little soul glanced over the drowner body next to him and had an idea. "Those things look human enough, may not smell like them and are blue not to mention all the other problems but, I guess that doesn''t matter all I need is their flesh". With his dagger in hand little soul steadily made his way to one of the drowner''s bodies and stared to carefully carve it up as best as he could. 9 Revered Magi Carefully Little Soul carved up the body of the drowners trying to match the size and shape of the pieces he was missing. The flesh smell like fish with blood gushing out everywhere but he continued to slice away at their bodies. When he had finished both the bodies were showing bone and their skin has been removed. He messed up a couple of times cutting the pieces too much which would have resulted in him having to use more of his soul to stitch the body together. but he got the hang of it after a while. While carving up the drowner''s bodies he found two more blue spiritual crystals inside their chest. they were a lot smaller than the plant monsters crystal but, still bigger than the one he had in his body. He tried touching the crystals with his soul like he did the other one and they burnt his spirit just the same. Not in the mood to inspect the crystals any longer little soul proceeded to reattach the body parts of the drowners onto himself starting with the smaller pieces. reattaching the different pieces on himself took a little under an hour because he was already used to it. There were clear differences from the drowners flesh and his own human body but, that didn''t matter much he didn''t want to keep the drowners flesh on him any way he was thinking of switching it out with something else because while the drowners resemble humans its body is more closely related to a fish. Reattaching the new flesh numbed all the pain little soul was experiencing. He thought about using that red potion to seal up gaps in his body so he''ll appear more normal that''s only when he found a more suitable creature. Fusing with the drowner''s body would make him appear strange and might scare away the other humans. "When I was fighting those drowners their names popped into my head even though I had never met them before the same thing happened with the river. Could it be that old man''s soul? Have I assimilated it into my body that''s why I know some things from this world? If that''s true then I should be able to use his memory to find a human town or something". Little Soul thought long and hard repeating what he wanted to know inside his head trying to draw something out when suddenly like an epiphany he got a vague idea of where he was "if this is drowning river then in the distance that must be the Gorgon mountain range. Gorgon isn''t that Greek, no must just be a coincidence. The Gorgon mountain range is west and the drowning rivers in the south that means I''ve been heading in the wrong direction. I have to go Northeast to find a human town or something, that''s about three days away or so from what I can tell from the memory fragments". Now having a general idea of where he is and where to go Little Soul was ecstatic. He immediately rushed to the river to clean off all the blood on his body. When he knelt down he saw his reflection in the water again "oh my God, I''m drowning!!". Diving into the water to save himself, little soul, quickly sunk to the bottom and was getting whisk away by the water current. he had forgotten what the river could do in his excitement. He was beginning to hate that damn river. *** A few days ago In the middle of the day, the space above clover forest shattered creating a massive tear that sucked in all light around it emphasizing a grave foreboding to all who could witnesses it. This event did not go unnoticed, whether it was the elusive being sitting in the highchair of the Morpheus Council, the creeping eyes in the depths of the inverted pits, the colossus beasts who rule the sea, the monarchs of the skies or the fallen draugr king in the frozen tundra. Many powerful beings who you would rather stay invisible to drew their gaze toward one single direction at the same time. ... Eclipse association, Delmar city At the Eclipse Association''s branch tower located at Delmar city in clover forest. Acting manager lord Nisus Bel a rank 3 magi suddenly froze. His office was a massive filled with all kinds of ancient-looking books and scrolls with new ones as well, marble pillars that reached up to the high ceiling there was exquisitely decorative flooring pattern, paintings depicting ancient battles as well as one of himself which hung behind him as he sat behind his desk. It depicted him as a middle aged man with short dark hair. His eyes were green and glowed as if there was a light inside them. He had the look of a scholar and looked exactly like the man currently sitting at the desk despite the painting being over 500 years old. "What is this feeling I never felt anything like it, could it been an attacked by those accursed elves. no, even when I was surrounded by some of their strongest warriors I never had a feeling like this before". Unnerved by this Nisus contacted Velar kadyn his second in command through the towers communication system establishing a psychic link. he was also a rank 3 magi and a trusted ally of his, as far as a mage would trust another person with their life that is. "Velar you felt that didn''t you, that terrible feeling it made me shiver all over. Very few things can do that to me these days. Do you think it could have been a rank 4 magi or magical creature?". "Nisus, of course, I felt that dreaded aura, everyone in the tower could the rank 2 and below magi less so but, they could still feel something. Whether it was a rank 4 cataclysm I have no idea, I hope not if its a monster we might not be able to reason with it. If its a mage let''s hope he or she is not planning to make this place their battle ground. The pantheon of valdora may be able to regulate such monsters but, their regulations mean nothing if one of them throws all care to the wind". "I know all that but, it does not change the fact that something strange is happening in clover forest rank 4 creatures have not been spotted in this area in thousands of years and a rank 4 magi should have no reason to come here it''s like a wasteland to them". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "How should we handle this then?" "Assemble a group of magi to inspect clover forest for anything strange. We can''t keep this hidden anyway everyone who isn''t a regular mortal already knows and the other clans will be doing their own investigations as well." "I''ll be right on it" After that, the mental connection severed Nisus walked toward his floor to ceiling window a bit worried for what''s to come. 10 New Home part 1 A few days after Little Soul fell into the river he was running for his life from three huge Orcs. clothed in leather armor and wielding iron weapons both axes and swords. The weapons and armor looked a bit worn out but it''s only added to their fierce image. "Come on every single day something wants to kill me. All I did was take a leak in a bush how was I supposed to know those things were sleeping there. Those big green ugly bastards ... oh shit one of them picked up a tree". Over the past couple of days, Little Soul has met constant danger. there were all kinds of strange beasts he had to avoid, luckily during his journey through the forest he stumbled upon the dead body of a gray fur color gorilla. He used its flesh to reassemble his body, the gorilla had a massive hole in his chest. Whatever killed it also ate the crystal in its chest but left everything else why? Don''t those creatures need to eat why would the crystal be more important to them?. After stitching the Gorillaz flash onto his body he also used the red potion to seal the pieces together wasn''t all too perfect but he looked a lot more normal than before. If anyone asked about his weird body he can just make something up later. "oh my God" while running little soul saw the org that pulled the tree out of the ground that was twice his body length Chuck it at him like it was nothing. Seeing it coming he rolled in a different direction avoiding the tree from crushing him, as it crashed into the ground he then kept sprinting away. "Don''t those guys get tired they''ve been chasing me for most of the day if I wasn''t a soul inhabiting this body pushing it to the max I''d be dead". Running for his life little soul notice something in the distance above the trees it was a wall a massive wall it had to be over a hundred stories tall for him to see it''s so clearly even from this distance. "I''m saved I can have those guys fight these things". Happy about finally finding a way out from this mess of his he pushed his old butt to run even faster than he was already. He felt like his lungs were on fire thighs hurt his feet hurt and he is beginning to get light headed but, he pushed through with his goal in sight. After running for a couple of minutes little soul found himself exiting the Forest into an enormous clearing that expanded an entire 20 mile distance from the wall to the forest in every direction. There was only dirt not even a blade of grass for miles except for behind him and behind him, there were still three Orcs chasing him. "What''s going on I thought that these trees couldn''t be destroyed they should have regrown instantly this clearing is clearly not normal". Not in a position to think about it he just put it all in the back of his mind and focused on running for his life. He still had 20 miles to cover before he''s safe. ... Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Memorial wall, Delmar City At the top of the memorial wall which is over 130 stories tall three armed guards equipped in exquisite armor could be seen laughing and having the time of their lives. "Trent looks at this old man he''s running faster then captain Tusk when he has got the runs". "Well if you have ever eaten his wife''s food you know why he spends most of his time in the toilet Trevor." " I know what you mean Trent Captain Tusk might as well just make the toilet his office and lead us from there, hahaha I can picture it now". "That would be one of the best days of my life Derek but, still wouldn''t beat a night with Miss Sally". "Sally you''re still hung up on her, you know it''s never going to happen." Derek replied. "It''s been how many years and you still haven''t even talked to her more than 5 to 10 minutes even then it was just basic greetings". Trevor said with a look of pity for his friend. "Screw both of you me and miss Sally will be together forever then we will open up a restaurant together above ground right on Kings Road just like I know she always dreamed about". " Whatever you say Mr.romantic but, shouldn''t we do something about that guy he might die soon". " You''re right Trevor, I completely forgot about that guy. Derek, you''re the only decent sharpshooter I know within reasonable walking distance making you the best in all the lands so, care for some target practice". "In walking distance, oh screw you I''d be the best archer in the city guard if it wasn''t for that blasted woman ... uhh, whatever just give me room". Raising his magic longbow Derek fired three shots simultaneously. The bow needed no arrows to fire it could create them by itself. When it fired 3 splendidly glowing arrows shot out, they cut through the air at supersonic speed. ... 20 miles away Little Soul was still running for his life with all he had when 3 glimmering lights caught his eyes. "what is that?" he only saw the light for a second before he heard three explosions behind them. Turning around while still running he saw three dead Orcs lying on the ground with no heads, blood splat out of their bodies dying the ground red. "What the hell was that?". 11 New Home Part 2 Confused about what happened but not complaining Little Soul let out a joyous shout before sitting on the ground dead tired. He had been running most of the day and had no idea how many miles he had traveled. Yet, he didn''t care because the end was literally in sight for him you can finally stop running away from things trying to kill him and lead a new life in this old man''s body. Little Soul rested for about 20 minutes before getting up and heading towards the three bodies. He wanted to collect the crystals inside their chest he had no idea what they are used for or if they had any value but, they contained traces of the Souls of the previous owner. That interest him a lot since he was a soul inhabiting a body. Retrieving the crystals was slightly difficult, the three Orcs skin was quite tough he had difficulty even piercing their skin with his dagger. Even with all his body weight, it was still difficult to shove his blade inside and slice down to get a big enough hole to shove his hand inside. it took him a while but he got all the crystals. his hands were bloody so he grabbed one of the ogre''s cloth armor pieces wiped the blood away his hands were still a bit red but he didn''t care. The Orcs had iron weapons with them but they were too big and heavy plus little soul had no use for them. proceeding on his way towards the massive wall in the distance he could barely make out other people also walking towards the wall. "Oh thank God there are actually people here that means this wall really was made by humans and not a group of other creatures like orcs". It took Little Soul a few hours to reach the massive wall by foot since it was so far away, at least the ground was flat for him which made it easier. when he made it to the wall he was stunned by how huge it was. "who in their right mind would make a wall this big? what do you even need it for? I saw what was out there but still the things over a hundred stories tall". The wall was embedded with the gigantic statues of men in robes clasping their hands almost as if in prayer with their heads down and faces covered by their hoods. The statues looked identical they were dozens of stories tall and circled around the entirety of the wall which spanned on for miles. The wall appeared to be both a mixture of stone and metal there wasn''t a single bit of rust on the metal and if you were to touch it would feel no heat even if it was left out in the blazing sun. The entirety of the walls was carved with many runes far more intricate and complex than the ones found on the gun little soul found. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. everything was so Grand and amazing especially the main gate it was so massive it was like it was built for a giant it was less than half the size of the wall about 50 stories but still where have you ever seen such a stupidly massive gate. Why do they even need it that big? The gates had many carvings on it depicted a story little soul couldn''t see the whole thing but, he could see the bottom parts it was the end result. The gate depicted hooded figures rising up amongst the masses shining like the sun as they drive away the dark and horrible beasts of twisted nature that cowered before these men as they rush back towards the woods to hide. "Geez, I feel like the guy that made this is overcompensating for something of his down below... hahaha. everyone knows you can''t take history at face value especially if something is over-exaggerated is this mess". Walking further toward the gates I see many guards clad in white and gold outlined armor a lot of them carried swords other Spears, one guy had a hammer three times bigger than my head and another with a shield so huge and thick it should be impossible to Lift yet he is walking around with it on his back with no problem. "Geese what is with all these guys are they all bodybuilders or something". Questioning the freakish strength of every one of the guards near him little soul was stopped by one of them. " Hult you cannot enter the gate yet" a towering man with a stern face walks up to personal stop little soul. "Hmm, so I can understand their language must be that old mans soul at work again" He looked to the side seeing other people walking through past the guards no problem. They were wearing armor pieces and carried weapons, some even hulled carts full of dead creatures. A bit worried as to why one of the guards would signal him out of everyone else little soul started to sweat but kept his cool. "Why are you stopping me did I do something wrong?". He says in the voice of a decrepit old man even some of the words he said did not come out right because he had no teeth. If he was in trouble little soul was going to milk the old man card for all it was worth. I mean come on who would cause trouble for a defenseless old man? "No sir but, you have in your possession three monster cores that don''t belong to you. As you know as the law states in Delmar City any creature killed by a city guard of Delmar is the property of Delmar City. so, please hand over the 3 monster cores in your possession and you may be on your way". So that was the problem ... wait if it''s their property then they killed those three Orcs chasing after me but how? I was still so far away from the wall of the city. What kind of weapons do these people have? No sniper from my world could do what I saw? Then again this isn''t my world and here a pistol has the force of a cannon I guess that makes sense. Not only that their communication system seems to be good too despite these guys dressed like it''s the medieval days. Knowing these things is helpful to little soul so he can blend in and live here easily. "There is no need to get all serious with me, young man. I know the rules I was just retrieving the monster cores for you guys to lessen the workload on you all". little soul said everything with a straight face without breaking character at all then smiled showing the guard the bums in his mouth. The guard looks at the toothless old man it was obvious from the expression on his face he did not believe a single word that the old man said. "Whatever just hand over the monster cores and you can be on your way". Little Soul was a bit displeased by the guard''s obvious lack of trust in him. "He should know that I have yet to break a single law in this world in all the time I''ve been alive which was not much but, it was better than most other people I bet". He really wanted to tell the guard off but, he bit his tongue opened the bag and handed him the cores to not cause a problem for himself. While rummaging through his bag the guard saw three other cores. He could tell what two of them were in an instant they were the most common two drowner cores small blue not worth much but the other one beside it was bigger and gave off a soft green light. "An advanced apprentice-level core lucky you". Little soul heard what he said and was shocked but not surprised since he well the Denizen of this world " you know what this Crystal is just by looking at it?" "Obviously I can''t tell what kind of creature you took it form without an appraiser but, from the glow, I can tell you took it from an advanced Apprentice level creature. which is an achievement all on its own for someone like you. Don''t know it''s real value but you should get at least 50 magic crystals at the Eclipse association trade center". "50 magic crystals" little soul had no idea if that was a lot or not. Since he didn''t know this world''s currency. "Ya, or you could trade it to someone who is desperate for this kind of crystal in your possession but the only types of people interested in the low-grade Crystal you have will be Magi apprentices and everyone knows how broke they are. "Magi apprentice what the hell is a magi?" Little soul commented to himself. "Thank you but, I must be on my way". "Alright you can pass through the seekers'' gate now" Seekers gate what a strange name but that''s when a memory surfaced from the depths of little soul''s conscience. Which frightened him to no end when he realized what he had to pass through. 12 New Home Part 3 Seekers gate also known as the truth seekers gate was built by Magi thousands of years ago when the wall was first erected. The gate had one simple purpose to inspect everyone and everything that passed through it. This was not a simple scan it can look deep into a person''s body and even inspect their soul to see if they are truly denizens of this world. It can gaze through pocket dimension items and inform the Delmar guards as well as Delmar''s head Magi of any abnormalities. All citizens and visitors must go through the gate if they wish to enter Delmar City. All who enter through The Seekers gate is subjected to a deep scan through their body and belongings except Magi who shall only receive a lighter scan. In the event of an emergency, the Seekers gate is also able to bind down the target carrying contraband or violation in of Delmar laws. "oh, shit! fuck fucking shitting, did I already say oh shit? Fuck!, this is not good really not good, how the hell were they able to design a gate like that? A better question yet how the hell am I going to get through it? "This was not fair all the shit he had been through just to turn away at the door. Also, why is it Magi get such preferential treatment? It''s just not fair. Little Soul was visible agitated because of the sudden shocking information he was not able to conceal his worry to the guard that was still next to him. The guard now suspicious of the old man who was hesitant to enter through The Seekers gate decided to probe a little. "Is everything all right sir you look a little pale. How about an escort from the looks of your clothes you must have been through one hell of a fight with all those creatures out there to obtain those cores. If you were with a team they must have been whipped out for you to return here alone with an advanced monster core. Little Soul really not liking the way this conversation was going simply wanted to back away from the gate as soon as possible. "There''s no need for that young man I''ve been through my fair share of fights I can handle myself. Oh dear, it seems I have dropped my money when I was running from those Orcs. That''s all I had for me to survive the rest of the month. I absolutely have to go back and retrieve it". Little Soul trying to turn around and leave was promptly stopped by the guard''s hand. "There is no need for that you have an advanced monster core on you as well as 2 drowner cores. With the money, they will bring you can live a decent life underground, in the slums of outer district D or if you really want to save money stay inside Memorial wall and offer your services to Delmar city". So 50 magic crystals are enough for one man to live a decent life or enough for one family? Also how long can that money potentially last me, is he judging me by my age if so will the money last 10 years or 50 maybe a few weeks or a few months? Even then he only says I can only live in poor areas so 50 magic crystals still are not much. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. little soul putting those questions in the back of his mind finally responded to the man "That is all right you need not trouble yourself I will just search around where I was being chased. You can continue your job I can find it soon enough". "There is no reason for you to go risk your life for a few drachma. When you have magic crystals it makes no sense. Look at yourself some of your skin has been damaged and falling off even your armor is heavily damaged. I could not in good conscience let you go back out there such a condition".The guard said while smiling heroically but, was laughing deviously inside. "Stop refusing I insist, you need to get to a clinic things like this cannot wait". Little Soul had only met this guy for 5 minutes and was already hating his guts. He had thoughts to rip the guard''s throat. "Ripping out his throat my god that''s a bit extreme how did I arrive at that conclusion so fast? Mans giving me trouble but killing him would be far worse for me ... I must just be really sensitive because of all the things I''ve been through making me easy to trigger". Either way the amount of emphasis he puts on that last sentence showed if little still continued to resist going through the gate the guard was going to stop playing with him. "Whatever you say I''m already so old I can''t keep pushing myself like back in the good old days" little soul said reluctantly. "Wonderful let me escort you inside so you can get to that clinic". The guard grabs the old man by the shoulder gently as he escorted him inside the gate toward his Doom. 13 New Home Part 4 Walking towards the massive gate Little Soul couldn''t help but see his life flash before his eyes. It was so short and so pathetic, he didn''t even get to do anything and now he was going to be captured, killed, or experimented on. He had no idea what these people would do to something like him. When he finally set one foot on the brick road and cross through the gate little soul could feel something crawling all over his wrinkled skin. It made him shiver it was like thousands of little ants marching around on him. He took each step with a heavy heart awaiting to be thrown on the floor and captured at any moment. The feeling of ants marching on his skin change to that wiggling worms that started to burrow deep inside him. He could not stop it they went further and further inside his body it was quite unsettling. He could feel whatever was inside him twist and turn behind his eyes, in his brain making their way towards his Crystal core. The worms began surrounding his core but, they didn''t enter it he didn''t know why but it didn''t change the fact that they already invaded his body inspecting every inch of him even his soul. He could see what was in there next to him and didn''t like what he was seeing one bit. it was a form of energy but, it was strong and mysterious. He couldn''t understand why but it gave off the feeling of reading old manuscripts with the wonder of being inside of an Egyptian tomb. The energy that went through his soul made him feel cold far colder than what that blue cicada made him feel. To this stream of energy, he was completely naked no piece of clothing could possibly conceal himself or his secrets. "Alright, you can be on your way then".The buff guard next to Little Soul stated. "What?" shocked out of his stupor by the guard''s remark little soul finally realize he had already crossed through the massive gate. "How do I not get caught? Is the gate broken or something? I am literally a walking patchwork of different creatures and a dead old man. How could that thing possibly consider me someone born in this world or not the slightest bit suspicious". Shocked by this development Little Soul completely forgot to answer the guard when he spoke. The guard seeing the old man''s blank look decided to promptly leave and get back to is work not wanting to deal with him anymore since he was apparently clean. " I got in ... woohoo yeah" so happy about passing through the gate without getting caught little soul started to dance a little. The other people passing by probably avoided the deranged old man doing a jig in the middle of the road. Finally inside, Little Soul could have a good look at the city on the other side of the wall. Taking in a deep breath he got a good look at the city around him and his new home. If he had to describe it all in one word it would have to be poor. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. It''s wasn''t what he was quite expecting but at least the city wasn''t entirely shit. Before he used to live in a high tech advanced world which was all fairly polished so in his mind coming here is kind of a step down for him. All the streets have been paved with a gray brick they''re were even brick houses and factories which was great. meaning these people have already been through or currently going through the Industrial Revolution. There were cars on the road not entirely like what he saw in his world they had a similar appearance but we''re more old-timey like the earlier models in the 1920s. There weren''t many of them driving around only about two or three in the area after a couple of minutes. Mostly he saw horse-drawn carriages or hand-pulled carts. The air was filled with smog from the factories nearby making Little Soul regret taking in that deep breath. Behind him, he could easily see the Colossal wall and the many homes built inside protruding out of it. There were so many he couldn''t count them all there are so many different kinds of pipes, smoke, and steam coming out rising in the air the houses have filled the entirety of the wall that expanded on for miles into the distance. He could see people through the windows that were on the wall. Somewhere out on their makeshift balcony having a good time braiding their hair, doing laundry, or just messing around. "My God that''s got to be a safety risk or something". There was a sea of people on the streets the men were wearing suits or something more casual like a white shirt and tweed pants while the woman wore simple long skirts and a top or a nice dress. Not many of them were heading towards Seekers Gate though. Little Soul wouldn''t blame them its dangerous as all hell out there. Little Soul was being pushed and shoved by all the people around him as he tried to explore the city. "let''s see the walls massive, the city''s super big and filthy, towns probably infested with rats too, everyone in town is a dick ... hmm yup, just like the cuties back on my planet. This place reminds me of New York in all its glory". laughing loudly and slapping his thigh the weird old man on the street started catching people''s attention and making people want to avoid him even more. Stretched and yawning Little Soul wanted to get some sleep. He had not slept once since he got here he did not need to sleep as a soul and it was too dangerous to sleep in that forest. He had no idea why that old man even bothered bringing a sleeping bag. "I guess it''s time for me to go home and get some sleep". Realizing the stupidity in his sentence the old man can only curse out loud "shit where does this old man live?". looking up the little soul could see the sun beginning to go down. He had spent most of the day running away from Orcs and walking here now after all he''s been through he has no idea where he lives. "No please Sun, I beg of you don''t go down I don''t even know where I live yet. Knowing his attempts of pleading with the Sun were futile Little Soul became a bit depressed because now he''s going to have to sleep on the streets in the cold. "Why does the world hate nice people?". 14 Wandering Souls Eclipse Association Mage Tower, Delmar City On the same day, Little Soul arrived in Delmar City Lord Nisus Bell was in his office signing a few documents on his table. When suddenly you''re the knock on his door. "You may come in" seen entering the room was Lord Velar holding a glowing orb in his hand that kept changing color. It looked like he captured a rainbow in the sphere. "Nisus the task force I had assembled has discovered the source of the disturbance a few days ago". putting down his paperwork Nisus looked at velar " that''s great news now then tell me what did you find". He states as he leaned back in his chair. "The source of the disturbance was a large cluster of Souls. We found them more than a week''s journey away from Delmar City. " "Souls, how could there possibly be a large cluster of wandering souls here? could some magi have set them loose here or is it another strange phenomenon as a result of that bygone era? " I cannot fully confirm nor deny this was purposely done by a group of rogue Magi or just another new thing our world has decided to plague us with but this might actually be a blessing in disguise". "A blessing what do you mean explain yourself?". "look for yourself and you will see" velar handed the colorful spear two Nisus. As he inspected it he noticed what was wrong with the souls inside. He was flabbergast because there were thousands of different souls but, thousands of souls alone would never make someone like him speechless he could reap that many lives in a sing breath. What astounded him was that not a single soul belonged to their world. "Velar this its a gold mine with all these souls we could concur so many worlds. The number of resources this will bring the Eclipse association will be endless". Before Nisus could start daydreaming Velar popped his bubble". "That is exactly what I thought when I first discovered the souls, the same with the other magi around me. That''s when it turned into a race to collect the most souls any none aggregation pact we had was immediately put on hold it was a complete free for all, a few rank one magi ended up dying. We ended up losing three rank 1 magi the loss was not great but it still stung. After I collected as many souls as I could in the area things finally settled down giving me the chance to inspect the souls I captured fully. That''s when I discovered there were no plane coordinates on any of the souls I captured". Velar had a look of disappointment after saying that. "What no plane coordinates we lost 3 magi and got nothing" Nisus furred his brow in pain getting a headache from such a loss if he got the coordinates then it would have been more than worth it. "I don''t know if any of the other magi got lucky either way we were only able to harvest a small amount of them. There are possibly many more wandering souls still out there". Hearing this Nisus saw hope "than what are you still doing here go back out there and collect more souls". Sternly stated as he slammed his palm on the table. "I left many capable magi to collect the souls outside so you need not worry, the magi set to manage their clan''s side branch here are at best rank 2 not many have the liberty to set a rank 3 magi to look over a place like the Eclipse Association. I doubt those clans even felt the need to send a rank 3 magi over only sending the bare minimum per the agreement. Even then the people set to manage the area might not even have a chance to leave, having lower rank magi do it. The reason I came back was because of these souls'' uniqueness, you see while inspecting the souls that I captured I also discovered they act like parasites. They are capable of possessing living things and objects just like normal souls can but unlike a normal wandering soul, they are bound to whatever they possess. Another abnormality is their sentience usually a wandering soul goes mad becoming uncontrollable these souls all have a clear mind. In addition, which is the worst part since these souls have no plane coordinate, they are somehow able to obtain the plane coordinates to our world making it as though they were born here". What Nisus shot out of his chair when he heard the last part "that is extremely bad those things could invade the city and we would not know". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Velar already knowing how Nisus would react simply continued "that''s exactly why I came back these things are a potential threat, how big I have no idea. "We should increase security at Memorial wall and have the guards detain anyone that appears suspicious trying to enter even if they don''t get a response from the seekers'' gate. Also, anyone who gets detained for any reason has to answer questions about history, geography, the latest trends and other stuff like that. Anyone who fails has to be checked by an official Magi before they can leave. He doubted anyone of those Souls would be of those souls could answer those questions about the world so soon. Nisus didn''t like what he heard one bit, if the souls could change their plane coordinate then it would be almost impossible to find one if they take over a human body or the body of something else. He could dive deep into a person''s body and enter their core finding them out that way but, regular humans will die if someone does that and it''s not only against the law to inspect a magi''s core unless they were convicted for something highly offensive by the Morpheus council or in violation of contract with their clan but dangerous too. No magi would willingly let someone inspect their core or their body. Trying to do so would only make you a powerful enemy or get you killed. "I will make a report to the chairman about this incident. Return to clover forest and collect more souls a few of them have to contain plane coordinates. I will also be experimenting with these souls while you''re gone then I''ll interrogate them see what these souls know. Poor things maintaining their sentience even after death only to suffer more because of it".With a devious grin, Nisus begins laughing maniacally. 15 A Path Forward Part 1 Delmar City, Clover Forest Two weeks later If you tune out the hustle and bustle of the town around you and focus your attention on William Street down at district D you''ll find a small bakery field with freshly baked delicious Goods. with two teenage workers at the counter. "Slow day again ain''t it Timothy," he says while fanning himself because of the hot weather "I''m not complaining to Max fewer people means less work" Leaning on a walk while eating one of the expired pastries Timothy suddenly belches. "Dude you know you''re not supposed to eat any of the merchandise the boss is going to kill you if he sees you again".with a visible look of worry on his face Max hopes Timothy would listen to me. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Relax these are the three-day-old ones that didn''t sell they were going to get thrown out anyway, "with a relaxed expression Timothy disregard everything Max said. "Think our boss is going to care he is still going to tear you out for lazing around and eating his stuff. You know he is just looking for a reason to fire you. so, can''t you for once at least act like your a good employee. like seriously what am I going to do if you get fired". Max stairs at Timothy sternly and Timothy stares back at him. They are both trying to make the other back down by using their stairs. "Alright fine you win I''ll throw out the pastries will that make you happy its just a waste of good food".He threw his hands up in defeat and begrudgingly left the store counter to throw out the three-day-old pastries. "Thank you" Max replies victoriously. " yeah, yeah whatever" Timothy''s voice is muffled as he was in the backroom stuffing trash bag full of expired pastries. In the back alley behind Pete''s bake Shop, Timothy could be seen throwing a large sack into the trash as he went back inside. Not long after Timothy left a rugged old man could be seen rushing towards the trash bin filled with expired pastries. It was Little Soul he had been living on the streets ever since he got to Delmar City. He still had not figured out where he lived. "Score I hit the motherload this time" he was visibly excited as he enjoys the meal. Little Soul had run out of food a little more than a week ago. living on the streets wasn''t easy for him you have no idea where to go and had no money. He managed to find the eclipse Association Trade Center that the guard at the memorial wall was talking about but they wouldn''t let him in. They said he was too filthy to enter and they were right. Even a place that deals with skilled professionals that bring them parts of different creatures and monster cores every day has standards. The only clothes little soul had were the same clothes that the old man got killed in. It had blood stains on it, broken and ripped now it even had some stains from who knows what while he was living on the streets. He had lost his sleeping bag of about a week ago it got stolen by another homeless man when he wasn''t looking. Little Soul tried to chase him down but he lost them in the crowd of people. He slept in Alleyways away from prying eyes on a cardboard box as a bed and some trash to keep him warm. It got to the point he eventually thought it was only a matter of time before he woke up and found himself spooning a raccoon. "where did this old man live? I''ve been walking around so long yet no memories are surfacing. In my world, there are always so many stories about a brave hero getting whisked away to another world. He always gets the girl and everyone loves him so why is none of that happening to me?". Depressed he decided to take his dinner for the day and find somewhere quiet to eat. ... While walking down a less populated sidewalk little soul and the other people around him heard an explosion beneath their feet. It wasn''t that loud but it was loud enough the catch everyone''s attention. There was murmuring all around people were wondering what was going on. There was another booming sound but this time it sounded like thunder. The sound was crisp and clear yet it most certainly didn''t come from the sky. " What''s going on? Does anyone know?" these were the questions repeatedly asked. The thunder kept booming again and again seemingly more violent each time. The noise was coming from under antique shop when suddenly it exploded. The explosion completely leveled the shop. The area where the building stood was engulfed in flames some people even hot caught on fire a bit. A huge pillar of smoke rises up into the sky while one of the other buildings next to it was catching on fire. People were screaming in fright trying to keep their distance from the burning buildings. Even Little Soul could feel the heat coming from the fire. When suddenly a person came running out of the flames breathing heavily and his left arm injured. He was wearing a brown trench coat and brown pants. Following closely behind was another man wear blue jeans a leather jacket a white with shades he was covered in tattoos from that went all the way up to his neck. He was carrying another man in his left hand dragging him by the collar on his shirt. As he walked through the flames calmly as if the flames did not even hurt him. "Stay back you psychopath," the coated man said with genuine fear in his voice. As he creates a fireball in his hand and chucks it at the other man. The guy dragging the other man didn''t even bother dodging. He took the fireball directly it exploded with the force of a grenade. The man in blue became engulfed in fire, the explosion kicked up dust but it was not enough to obscure the burning man. As Little Soul thought the man to be dead he saw the burning man lift up his right hand and flick outward. It created a bolt of lightning that pierced through the other man''s chest hitting the wall of the building on the other side of the street. He spasmed a bit before falling to the ground. Little Soul had no idea if that man was dead or not but, he didn''t care. "Magic that was magic it had to be there can be no other explanation. I can''t believe it magic actually exist in this world. I have seen all the strange creatures and environment but I can explain that with science. This, on the other hand, is entirely different". Little Soul could feel tears forming in his eyes. why wouldn''t he cry after what he had just seen after what he had been through? To truly know that this was the world for him. He didn''t need to second-guess it, this was magic. What so many people in his old world long for what they dreamt about but could never bring to forwishen. This let him know it was all worth it. He knew what he wanted to do, who he wanted to be it was a magician. He bet no one else ever felt they''re calling so clearly before. "Hay you sir" grabbing the shoulder of the closest person next to him on the sidewalk he began trying to get answers". "What is it?" the lanky middle-aged man said trying to be as polite as possible to the old man just as he was raised. "Who is that man in blue over there?" quickly stated without any form of restraint by the old man. "Can''t you tell just by looking it is an official magi from the Order Of Peth. Their tattoos are a dead giveaway". " The Order of Peth I see and there is that word magi again so that was what it was referring to". The old man''s eyes got wider in the realization of the things he was oblivious to. "What do the people in the order of peth do?" Surprised by that question the middle-aged man looked at him in confusion " are you by any chance feeling ill everyone knows that the order of peth is a group of punishers. There a clan that stands on their own but also outsources their skills to other Clans and is allied with the Morpheus Council so their punishers are given special permission to hunt down other rogue Magi or handle any other strange phenomenon dealing with magic. Little Soul was extremely enlightened by all this he must know more. 16 The Path Forward Part 2 Little Soul could see the questioning look that man was giving him since but he didn''t care he simply wanted to know more. "What are the people there like?" this was an important question because someone that joined the clan, Guild or whatever you want to call it typically as people of a similar mind. "What they''re like? well um ... I''m not entirely sure since I''m not a magi or anything like that but I did hear a few rumors. They say everyone there is a masochist or something similar. They are a unique breed even amongst other Magi. Not only that I hear all of them are super strong even amongst Magi of similar rank and their tattoos have a weird ability. Their selection process and training of future Magi are said to be really hard. They''re willing to accept anyone but out of a hundred people who apply to be a magi''s Apprentice 10 might pass and out of those 10 only one might become an official Magi. Even amongst other clans their methods, entry rate, survival rate, and success rate are brutal". Little Soul was not expecting to hear that but at least he heard good news Clan was willing to accept anyone so he had a chance. You could see the light shining in Little Soul''s old eyes if you looked closely enough. "Do you know how to become someone like him a mage". He didn''t hold back at all when questioning the lanky man. His childhood dream wielding magic will come true. "They say there''s a bunch of different ways but all of them are hard especially for people like us. You could join a clan and they invest in you afterward you have to serve them for a hundred years or so it depends. You could become a rogue magi but, I highly don''t recommend that it''s far harder than the other way. You could also get lucky exploring a ruin and obtaining some ancient magi''s legacy but, that one has a one in a billion chance of happening. But, knowing all that''s meaningless if you don''t have the talent for magic". While waving his hand dismissively to the old man he had a knowing look of regret on his face from a shattered dream. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The old man took in every word that missing a syllable "how do you know if you have the talent for Magic?". "That''s easy the Magi has already popularized the usage of crystal balls that could show a person their affinity and talent for Magic they can be found at any Park, School, or government office. You can go to the Nightingale park right now right up the road there should be a crystal ball next to the swing set. He then pointed in a direction to the closest crystal ball he knew of at the time. Little Soul was visibly happy that a crystal ball was so close to him. "One last question do you know how to cast magic?". The lanky man was truly wondering why this old man was asking him all these bizarre questions shouldn''t he already know the answers to them? " I don''t know how to use magic but, magi have officially released a few beginner books so some people could have a head start like meditation and stuff like that. Their so cheap even poor people like use can buy them using for a few drachma instead of the usual magic crystals. You could find them in any book store anything a higher grade than that is tightly locked up by the magi especially grade 1 knowledge and above. You want anything like that you might get lucky at a black market but unless you know some people there is low chance of success". Every sentence filled Little Soul with energy, he felt like a kid again experiencing Christmas for the first time. "Thank you, truly thank you words alone could not convey the gratitude I feel" In a perfect 90-degree angle little soul bowed. The lanky man was weird out by this old man now bowing him after answering those simple questions. Some other people even looked over at the two with questioning looks but, didn''t say anything. "Come on there''s no reason to do that It''s not like I did anything special" scratching the back of his head in confusion he tried to get the old man to stop. "But you did you pointed me to the direction of the path that I must walk and for that, I am truly grateful this comes from the bottom of my heart". Still bowing in a perfect angle little soul notices something in the corner of his eye it was that magi that can shoot lightning he was going to leave. Little Soul could not let such a great man leave without asking one question to him. Seeing this he quickly stopped bowing and took off in full sprint as fast as an Olympic runner toward that magi now dragging two people on in his hands. He shoved the people in front of him out of his way. Ran past the still-burning building and prostrated himself on the ground behind the magi as he was walking away down the road dragging those two people. Shouting loudly " oh great magus I wish to gaze into the abyss of magic please tell me what must I do?". These words were said as tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks. Stopping and turning around what he heard the old man the Magi was silent for a good moment starring at the old man looking at him directly in the eyes before he spoke. "What is your name?" "My name well it''s ugh ..." Little Soul was at a loss for words when it hit him. "The names Desmond Gillies sir" "Well than Desmond let me tell you that the path of magic is a long and difficult one where you can experience death or Madness at any moment it is not for the faint of heart and it may not be something you could handle". This was said without a lick of emotion in his tone. But, he did not care what it was had to face if magic was not made for him then he will make it work for him. Selling his soul to a devil becoming a hideous fiend of twisted proportions was all worth it to him because this was magic he was talking about he would gladly die to obtain it. To experience what superheroes and villains did in all those TV shows he watched, and books he read. Now that he has a chance of making it real he''ll never stop pursuing it. That''s why he listened intently to every word the man who''s walking the same path he will be pursuing the future. "But, while there is little hope are you becoming a mage it is not entirely impossible. I Have seen many strange things in my LIfe so the probable of you because a mage is still there even despite your condition". The Magi said no more as he walked off a little further down the street. He did not even turn around as the old man slammed his head hard into the ground thanking him for his words of wisdom before bursting in a loud flash of thunder. The old man was still prostrating himself until the great magi left. When he stood up he had some scraps on his forehead from slamming and his head into the pavement. "What did he mean by my condition?" The people on the sidelines we''re discussing to each other about the weird old man who actually dared runup to magi and Live. From the crowd, the lanky man who he had been discussing with previously started shouting at him from the crowd. "What the hell do you have have a death wish old man" he shouted with obvious fluster. He looked over in confusion at that statement "death wish?". 17 Crystal ball Looking at the crowd of people Desmond could see them getting rowdy. For what possible reason he did not know. "Jeez, how could me ask a single question attract more attention than all those buildings getting burnt down? I think someone is still inside that one isn''t anyone going to help her?" Turning his head to look at the burning building where he could still hear the screams of a woman crying out for help before looking back at the crowd of people. More specifically, the lanky man he talked to earlier. "Why did you say I have a death wish?" asking in a calm manner. lanky man was taken back but how oblivious he wants to his own actions "You just ran up to an official mage out of the blue and started questioning him yet you still asked that. A magus is able to kill a normal human and get away scot-free most of the time there is not even a trial. There is also the chance that the adept could decide to drag the entire crowd into your transgressions. The rest of the crowd started joining in throwing some slander in while they were yelling at the old man. Desmond saw this knew what they were feeling but didn''t care he had something more important things on his mind, magic. "I am quite sorry I never meant to bring any of you any harm it was just that I had never been so close to an Adept before. I have no idea when I''ll get the chance again so I had to take this one". What he said was honest but, didn''t care if any of them accepted his apology. There were people in the crowd who were still cursing at him but, he just lightly put his hand on his chest bowed a few degrees and left. He couldn''t hear the screams of that woman anymore but, he just kept walking towards the direction that nice man pointed towards putting the thoughts of that women''s screams behind him. ... Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. I got lost a little on the way there the park was not just up the road he had to ask a couple that was passing by where to find it. It took me 30 minutes to reach the park. It looked like your typical park grass, trees, benches, a statue of the supreme magi were your suppose to bow your head submitting to their greatness. After finding the park now I was stuck waiting for a group of brats to stop playing with the dumb thing. They weren''t even interested in looking at their magical talents they were just messing around. Its a major problem in every generation people are born with something amazing around them yet disregard it without a second though its blasphemy. If their parents weren''t so close by I would have already chucked them like a football to the other edge of the park. It took them 10 minutes to leave before getting scared away by my old man glare. "Finally, my love, my life, my precious" the second those kids lift he rushed to the crystal ball. It was the size of a bowling ball a bit dirty since it was for public use in a public park. There was a plaque next to the crystal ball it had a lot of texts on it explaining how to use and what was shown in the crystal ball meant. The plaque stated to operate the crystal ball simply put your hand on it. "wow no having to concentrate or in with magic energy these Magi are really trying to keep it simple". Following as instructed I placed my hand on the ball. As I did so the ball lit up showing 20 lines inside the ball the plaque stated that''s those lines show your level of magic talent. you need to reach the 10th Line in order to have the talent to become a mage. Everything below that even if your magical talent has reached the 9th line means that it is almost impossible for you to become a Magi. Most likely the highest you will achieve in your whole life is Apprentice Magi. So, all I have to do is reach the 10th line It sounds easy enough. As I look into the ball I see a white light in the center showing my affinity for magic. "Yes, this is so cool let me check white means I have an affinity with nothing". Desmond became shocked by this since the other colors were all aligned with something. Red meant fire, Blue meant water, cyan meant ice, Black meant dark, Green meant plant, and there were a whole bunch others as well. Most people had a mixed affinity for things it was rare to have only one affinity let alone none. "That stupid old man why doesn''t this body have an affinity to anything? Does this mean I can''t practice Magic? He got a bit worried then his gaze landed in another line of text. Stating having no Affinity is neither good nor bad it meant you could absorb any elemental particle in the air without suffering backlash but, you will never be as strong as someone who has an affinity for the said element or absorbs it as quickly or efficiently. "Think the Lord I can sill practice Magic" as he was worried about his chances if practice magic the small white light finally moved. It expanded passing the first line and second before stopping at the third. You have got to be kidding me only up to the third line does this mean I will never get to be like that guy who blew up that building? "No, wait something else is happening there are bubbles". Looking over to the plaque again he realizes the bubbles are very bad. You got to be kidding me why must there be bubbles? This meant that my spirit was damaged but when could my spirit have possibly been ... oh right. I dove into that old man''s spirit and exploded didn''t I but, I feel completely fine. A strong spirit is very important for someone to cast magic it helps control the spells and attract elemental particles toward you. If someone tried to cast a spell while their spirit is damaged they have a large chance to blow themselves up. They even wrote the warning in big bold text for the blind and the stupid. Could that have been the problem that magi said had? To be able to look at someone and know that they have a problem with their soul instantly its just so cool. "Well, that''s disappointing but, how could my soul be injured without me knowing?" Desmond took his handoff the crystal ball dove into his body focusing fully on his soul, changing what he saw into complete darkness. He was inside his body checking his spirit for any abnormalities. "So that''s the problem" his soul was the size of a fist again since he did not need to use his soul threads anymore to keep his body stitched but, he saw small cracks on his spirit so small they could easily have gone unnoticed. That not good how am I gonna repair my soul? If I don''t fix this I''ll never be able to perform magic ... Yes, that''s right I can just eat another soul. I can''t take humans that will cause many problems, do they have something small I can kill like a chicken? There has got to be some less threatening animals out there. ... As Desmond left the park in dissatisfaction he headed towards the closest bookstore he could find it was he got lucky and the store was fairly close to the park. There were a lot of stores close to the park it appeared to him areas like this are considered good real estate. The brick buildings were getting taller and nicer in this area. Before the tallest building he had been only two stories tall here, it''s about 3 or 4. He could see some really tall ones in the distance about 10 stories or more but he was too far for him to walk over there just to look at a few buildings plus he didn''t care, his world had the same thing by the dozen. The insane wall they built was more interesting to him than that. ... Making my way toward the store I saw a sign that read Hunter''s Bizarre it was a peculiar name for a book store. The store had big glass pane windows stacked with books in front of it with what looked like a logo of werewolf grasping the moon it was an interesting design choice. 18 Hunters Bizarre Part 1 Trying to enter I see the door was stuck, the store was most definitely open it''s just the door was being stubborn. I use some strength and the door flies open almost making me fall over. I quickly regain my composer and enter into the store realizing this place is actually someone''s home. It was filled with books on both sides they were piled up to the ceiling a lot of the books were lined with dust making the place feel even more stuffy. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The wooden floorboards creaked with every step I took. Light from the other room illuminated the hallway, proceeding forward I caught a whiff of something that smells like steak. It honestly made me feel hungry for the past 2 weeks I hadn''t had the best meal. Most of it coming from trash or something people leftover or forgotten while eating a meal at some restaurant that had tables outside. The best meal I had managed to scrounge up was from that Bakery today. The trash bag is still full as it hangs on the side of my waist looped around my belt. As I going to the other room see the source of the smell it''s a look like a Ram''s leg but I could not be for sure since this is not my world and all the creatures here are strange. Eating the leg was a man that appeared to be in his forties. He had no shirt on just a vest not hiding any of the scars on his body. There were a lot of scars on them I''ll look like they came from something different some big some small some look like burn marks others from gunfire. He had a full head of long wild hair making it look like he had his bed take care of his hair instead of a barber. His dark brown eyes were darting between a small portable TV on the counter and an unrolled scroll in front of him. He looks too focused on what he was doing to even know I was here. "What do you want?" without even looking at me he asked. A little flustered at first by the surprise question I stuttered a bit before saying "Yes young man I''m just curious about the prices on magical books for beginners". The wild looking muscular man still didn''t even look at Desmond''s Direction as he continued the conversation "getting them for your kid are you, the introduction into magic book set is 100 drachma or 1 gold mine". "There appears to be some confusion the magical books aren''t for some kid there for me I''m going to train to become a magus". Hearing what the old man said the rugged man looked over at him " you''re kidding right". Desmond not knowing why the Bookseller would say that simply spoke the truth about how he feels "Listen up young man I would never kid around about magic it is the love of my life why would I not pursue it". "Well for starters you don''t have much magic inside your body just by how old you appear I can tell your talent in magic is shit. Even someone with the most mediocre talent in magic can absorb the element energy in the air passively but, your talent looks to be even worse than that which is why you look so old". Without holding anything back he listed problems Desmond didn''t even know he had. "Young man regardless of what problems I will face It will not deter me from pursuing Magic". Desmond stood his ground on the subject straightening his back and puffing his chest out a bit in response. "Stop calling me young man I''m at least 3 to 4 times older than you I can smell you''re only about like what 60 or 70 years old". While pointing at Desmond he had a clear look of annoyance on his face. Desmond was puzzled by what the clerk just said: "What do you mean by you can smell how old I am?". The clerk cracked a huge grin obviously going to get a kick from what''s about to happen next. "Oh, what I mean Is this" with great speed the clerks face contracts and expands the left half stayed normal while the right grew thick black fur as black as the night that looked like it was getting blown by the wind. He had a massive jaw on the right side of him that showed off his glistening teeth. His eye grew bigger and turned yellow, the whiskers on his face twitched as he snarked at me barring his fangs. I stumble back terrified crashing into a pile of books behind me causing me to fall to the ground with some books following. This was my first time seeing something like this that was not on TV plus what I was seeing was real. "So still want to call me young man, boy?" he let out a weird sounding laugh while his face was transformed. I was still on the ground shocked by what I saw stammering every word I said "werewolf your an actual werewolf" He was still laughing his ass off when suddenly his big wolf ear picked up making him stop laughing "damn it". 19 Hunters Bizarre Part 2 By the Hallway next to Desmond, he could hear someone running from the far end. The person slid across the floor in a rush almost missing her intended destination. She grabbed the edge of the doorway stopping herself before she slid to the other end of the hall. "Ragnar, what do you think you''re doing? Transforming in the middle of the shop, scaring the customer are you trying to drive our business into the ground. The woman was furious, It even looked like her long pure while hair was lashing out behind her. "Seraphine just stop and listen to me now, it''s not what it looks like he wanted to know how I could tell his age just by smell so I showed him meaning that ...". the half transformed werewolf Clark didn''t get to finish before he got a thick book thrown into his face. Making him fall off the stool groaning in pain." does it look like I want to hear your excuses it doesn''t change the fact that you are scaring our customer". in a furious tone she lashed out at the werewolf man. The woman was beautiful she had fare ebony skin that seems to contrast well with her white hair, red eyes, pointy ears, and luscious curves seen through her black dress. She also had an average stature and was thin with small breasts. She looked in my direction extending her arm to help me up. Her hand looks so frail but she had a strong grip " are you okay? I''m quite sorry about my husband I know he doesn''t act like it but he is a nice person". I was slow to answer because I was mesmerized by her beauty " it''s all right he did no harm only give me a small fright that''s all. as I stand up I put myself down moving that dirt and dust on my clothes it didn''t make what I wore any less dirty though. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. looking at the woman I just had to ask "by any chance are you in the elf?". I say while rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment because she''ll probably think me weird to ask such an obvious question. She looks at me gently with their beautiful Ruby eyes "yes I am, I know elves don''t have the best reputation in the world neither do werewolves and my husband did scare you but, please don''t let that deter you from shopping here". "What? no, never I could never be prejudiced just based on someone''s race or religion. It''s just that this is the first time in my life I have seen elf or werewolf in person. so, I was caught off guard you see. I happen to think elves and werewolves are wonderful people it''s just that most people don''t spend time to get to know them so, they described the whole based solely on the actions of the few". "I mean don''t elves protect the forest and worship nature spirits what''s bad about that? While because werewolves lose control during the full it gives them a bad reputation. Desmond wanted these people to know accepted any and every kinda magical creature or beast of any nature. He had no clue of the kind of prejudice that existed in this world but he would not let it influence him. "That''s nice to hear but elves don''t protect the forest or worship nature spirits just so you know. while it is quite disliked by many to worship any kind of deity or Idol we all still worship the Moon. besides that, we''re more likely to cut down forests and set them on fire than anything else. I have never once in my life heard of an elf worshipping a tree. I don''t know where you heard that from but it''s simply wrong". She was still smiling at Desmond not blaming him for his ignorance. "Yeah and not all werewolves lose control during the full moon. That''s only for half-blooded werewolves or someone that''s been infected with our genes. pure-blooded werewolves like me don''t suffer from that. We can transform at will anytime we want and are typically far stronger than our half-blood brothers and sisters. Those like me can even choose if they want to infect them with the curse of a lycanthrope". Ragnar added as he got up from the floor. "I''m sorry it''s truly my mistake I did not mean to offend either of you for my ignorance". Desmond then hung his head in shame or his probable offense. seraphine waved off what he did and started softly laughing "it''s truly all right someone as accepting as you are is always welcome here. so, tell me what is it you wish to buy". "oh right, I simply wish to know the prices of Magic books sold in your store you see I plan to train and become a great mage". That wasn''t a lack of hesitation in what Desmond said. There was obvious shock on the woman''s face "do you have any idea how hard that is 90% of the people on this planet can''t perform Magic out of that 10 percent 70% of them wind up dead or stuck at the level of an apprentice Magi. Yes while the Magi are a super elite group of people that control the entire world of Theotera the chances of you becoming one are slim to none. Even if you did have good enough talent to be nurtured by a clan you still wouldn''t get into Twilight Academy. Clans only send apprentices with the best chance of becoming Magi there you would most likely be sent off to a resource site for most apprentices that''s a death sentence. Even then Twilight academy''s death toll is only 30% lower than at a resource site. In the world of Magi, they claw and scheme their way to the top. There are no friends only foes and who can give you the most benefits. Magi aren''t known for love or having a kind heart many of them will sacrifice their own children for an inch more of progress. You would need the luck of a god to become a mage, even then only high-ranking Magi have a say in anything in the world. lower rank Magi have to bow their heads submitting to them. For good reason too every single one of them is super powerful and has strange abilities. Are you absolutely sure you want to study to become a mage?". Seraphine looks at Desmond directly in his eyes as she saw his eyes twinkle brighter. "Yes, a thousand times yes after what you said I wanted even more. There is nothing that will stop me in my Pursuit of Magic. I don''t care if I am used cast aside in the end so long as I get to experience that feeling hold it in my hand and they do, to become a real magician". 20 Hunters Buzzare part 3 Seraphine kept staring at Desmond as she suddenly sighed "well it''s not like I could stop you anyway with that kind of blind devotion to magic you''ll fit right in with all those other magi if you ever make it that far that is. I''ll get you that introduction into magic book set for you now. "Wait, I only wanted to know the prices of those books I don''t have any Drachma on me to buy them at the moment". Desmond was saddened by how he was unable to buy those books right now but, he had to find his home first and get cleaned up so he could exchange those monster cores for money. Seraphine looked straight at Desmond "judging from your armor you must have just come back from clover forest so you must have gotten some kind of magical plant or monster core out there you can just use that to change for the books". Desmond''s eyes grew wide in surprise "I can trade my monster cores her". "A lot of stores don''t except monster cores or herbs for trade because of price fluctuations but you can here. You also may wind up taking a loss if you trade your monster core directly to us or we will end up on the losing end of the deal and not make a prophet but me and my husband have been doing this for years so it''s gonna be hard to try and scam us." she really does not want to let this sale go, she really is one hell of a salesperson. I nod my head in agreement It''s not like I could have used those monster cores to do anything with so trading them for Magic books is most definitely worth it to me. "Alright just give me a second to get them" I get down on one knee open my bag and take out the 3 shining monster cores which I hand off to seraphine. She takes the cores and inspects them "let''s see two small blue cores there beginner apprentice grade and most likely drowner cores. Only worth about one mage stone for the both of them you need 40 for them to equal one magic crystal still it''s more than enough to pay for that introduction into magic package. The second one Is advance apprentice grade it''s in good condition I don''t know from what creature but about 50 magic crystals on the low end". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Hubby mind taking out that new appraisal device I just bought" she through my monster core at Ragnar who caught it with one hand. "Alright just give me a second" from under the counter he pulled out a wide black slab that had white carvings on it the same kind that are on my gun and bullets. The carvings glowed when he placed the green sphere on it. "It appears to be from a sleeping death plant its worth I would say around 100 magic crystals. How In the world did you manage to get a monster core like this? Sleeping deaths are quite hard to kill for creatures below the level of rank 1 their one of the toughest even with a group. They may have a weak defense but they always put everything around them to sleep and then trap their prey in an illusion that is hard to break out of without the right potions. Since potions are so expensive there is basically no profit when hunting these things which is why so few even bother to do it". Ragnar had a look of suspicion when he looked at me it made me feel uncomfortable. Since it was not something I had to keep a secret any way I just told him so he would not think I stole the thing while leaving out the important details and changing some things around I even took out the gun and knife I used and showed It to him. "An enchanted flintlock with enchanted pullets the guns an old model worth about 300-400 magic crystals and the bullets about mage stones 10 each looks like even some of the runes are losing their power but it does explain how someone as weak as you could defeat that thing so easily. The knife is about 100 to 150 magic crystals it only has one active not passive basic enchant making it sharper when you inject mana into it". To think you would get lucky enough to spot one of those things from a distance and shoot its stem before it could even spot you now aren''t you lucky. Ragnar handed me back my things as I asked him about the enchanted knife" This knife was gifted to me by an old friend but I have never used an enchanted blade before can you tell me how I inject my magic into it to activate the runes?". "You must really suck at using magic to not even know how to do that. Listen up since everyone has some amount of magic in them well most of the time that is there are still those rare chances someone''s born without magic. Everyone unconsciously releases Magic in every action they do. People who train in magic can stop that flow of magic from leaking out. That''s why at times you can find traces of magic on some of the greatest artworks in history or even fined some on your food when you''re eating at a restaurant even if the person is not a mage. Injecting magic Into something is easier than people think since we''re always doing it. It''s just hard to switch it from passively releasing it to actively releasing magic. So, what you need to do is simply focus by feeling the flow of magic inside your body and directing In a way that feels comfortable to you. It helps if you imagine your body as a vast lake and you have a channel going from that lake up to your arm to the weapon". Ragnar took back the curved dagger he handed to me to demonstrate what he said. As he held the weapon in his hand it glowed a soft light. The light was very faint though only comparable to a wisp of smoke. He then took out a block of wood from under the counter placed it on the table and cut it in half as easy as cutting through a steak. So there was still some resistance but, he ended up cutting it fairly cleanly in half. My eyes grew wide after seeing this "this enchant is amazing it''s so powerful". "No, it''s not its one of the most basic ones there are a bunch of things out there you could never hope to harm with only something like this" Ragnar shook his head feeling as though that old man''s chances of becoming a mage had just worsened. Desmond thought that these people were very useful they kept telling him all kinds of things he needed to know for free. It was all general knowledge but it was still things he did not know so he thought about making the most out of their kindness. "I remember you were reading a scroll when I first walked in. I happen to have a few scrolls given to me for my protection but he forgot to tell me what any of them did so I can''t use any of them until I know their effects can you please identify them for me". I then go into my bag and takeout 5 rolled up scrolls and hand them to him. He proceeded to unfurl the scroll place it on the table and turn it towards me while placing his finger on the top right corner. "You see these words up here it''s modern Frazik, not ancient Frazik like how most spells are written or spoken in so you should be able to tell what the scrolls are yourself this one says, Earth Spike surge. It creates a wave of earth spikes en every direction from the ground in any location you want within 30 feet that shoots up and stabs your enemy. You also have one that says magic needles a lower level spell compared to magic missiles, acid splash, low-grade invisibility, and firestorm, that one''s not actually half bad. Except for firestorm which is an advanced apprentice spell the rest are at an intermediate apprentice grade. Activation requires no magic there are three ways to activate the scroll even tear it up, speak to spell name, or read the incantation. just so you know no one does the last one it takes too much time". He told me what all the scroll''s effects did and their effective range. He then handed me back all my scrolls I put them away and right after that his wife seraphine walked up to me with a pile of books wrapped up in hand. " Your Introduction into magic book set is there anything else you need". She had a sweet smile on her face as she asked me that. I looked at the books she brought me the were not that thick as I had expected that''s when I noticed this book set did not come with some important ones that he needed to know about magic. "Yes, this book set doesn''t seem to come with a book on how to read ancient Frazik, or how to read runes. There is also no book on how to make a magic circle, cast spells or a book about magical plants or creatures". "Those books are not included in the public book set. A book on how to read ancient Frazik is only 10 magic crystals, the book on how to read runes is 30 magic crystals, the book on the basics of creating a magic circle is 40 magic crystals, the book of magical plants and creatures depending on the one you want around 20 magic crystals. spellbooks we are not allowed to sell anything beyond Beginner Apprentice Grade and depending on the kind of spellbook you want it''ll be between 20 and 100 magic crystals each". I still did not know the value if magic crystals but if I treat every magic crystal I see like 100 dollar bills than I start to get a sense of how expensive everything is. "I want the book on how to read ancient Frazik, ancient runes and one book with the most information about magical plants and creatures. I would also like a book about the history of Theotera and a map of the world, a map of the clover forest and a map of the city". I''ve been lost and stupidly walking around for far too long I really need those maps. "We don''t have a map of Theotera but we do have a book with a map in it for 3 magic crystals. Those 2 other maps are only 200 drachma (or 2 Gold Mines). Will that be everything you wish to purchase". She said with a smile. "Yes, that''s all I would like to buy today. I may not know the true value magic crystals I can still feel the sting in my pocket. My piecing together everything I know about prices in this world currently it''s no wonder that guard said Magi apprentices are broke. She started to walk off to grab my books when I suddenly stopped her. "Wait a moment, please I am a bit lost currently can you direct me toward the underground" I have been searching all around for where I lived yet no memories are surfacing so either I''m missing an obvious clue or this man used to live somewhere in that place they call the underground. "Sure I can help you, see we''re currently on the intersection between District D and C called morning road. If you want to reach the trains heading Underground you''ll have to go towards the tall Bell Tower in the distance. You''ll see it if you just look up the bell towers signifies the train depot in this area". She quickly answered my question before promptly leaving grabbing my books and handing them to me. "That all comes out to 68 magic crystals and 200 drachma (or 2 Gold Mines) your change is 31 magic crystals and 19 and 3/4''s of mage stones and since mortal money does not transfer well with the money magi use you have the option of 99 Attic talent''s and 98 gold mine or you could buy more books". The lady was a splendid sale man as she told me this. So, magi don''t accept those bills I keep seeing as payment "can In open a tab here and put that money in it I plan on coming back there are still more books I need to buy. Just give me 800 Drachma (8 gold mine)." Carrying all those bills in my picket would be annoying anyway. Magic Crystals are apparently a better form of payment anyways. "Of course you can, may I have your name please" "My name is Desmond Gillies" She had taken my name down and hands me my money in a leather pouch. The magic crystals were the length and width of my finger making them annoying to carry. They were light blue and looked like they had a rainbow inside of them. The drachma was in paper form like dollar bills just yellow and had pictures of mages on them. They ranged from they came in the form of 1, 10, 20, 50, and 100 bills. They''re even able to put pictures of themselves on their money magi really are full of themselves I can''t wait to become one. After that, I leave the store with all my books in tow heading toward that train depot to find my home while looking towards a bright future. 21 The underground Morning Road, Delmar City Inside the Hunter''s Bizarre Seraphine was picking up some books that had fallen when Desmond crashed into the pile behind him when she heard her husband Ragnar speak. "You know that guy was lying to us right his heart rate was way off almost every time he spoke most of the things he said were true but the important parts weren''t" Ragnar was back to eating his meal and watching TV as he spoke to his wife. Seraphine looked over at Ragnar as" she continued cleaning "of course I know that you think my skills have dulled just because I have been living an easy life behind these walls". "Of course not it''s just that guy was a little weird you know, he had the faint smell of a human corpse but a strong smell of a drowner and an iron back gorilla. I highly doubt he''s undead in disguise but the probability of him betraying his teammates for that sleeping death core is still a strong possibility".Ragnar was remembering the things he smelled when Seraphine broke him out of it. "Its none of our business what he did, who he is, or what he wants to do. I''m far more dangerous than he is, I''ve done worse things and so have you. So, stop prattling on about him you sounding more like a khajiit than a powerful werewolf" Seraphine had a teasing look on her face as she looked back at Ragnar. "Take that back" Ragnar raised his voice in frustration with the woman''s teasing. "If you want me to stop then stop being so worried for nothing scaredy-cat" she was having so much fun teasing the poor werewolf she couldn''t help but laugh". ... By the time desmond reached the train station in the area he was sweating, carrying a bunch of books, a trash bag fool of food and walking everywhere all day was not easy for him. He would like to have hired a cab but he had no idea if that existed in this world. "This is the most I''ve ever walked in my entire life, I may not remember my other life but I have a feeling I didn''t go out much". crouching on the ground breathing heavily next to the entrance of the train station surrounded by a sea of people that kept entering and exiting the train station. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Most of the people coming in and leaving were kind of dirty. Some people were covered in dirt from head to toe like they just got out of a mine, other peoples hands were still black from grease stains from working with machines. A lot of them wore denim overalls or coveralls either striped or not just a single shade of blue which seemed to be the most popular color at the moment. Their clothes had wide open lapels for holding tools or nails and some wore a newsboy cap on their head. There were even others who looked like me geared up to go to clover forest and kill some creatures. Some had better gear than me others were worn out from years of use. The station I saw was pretty big it had to be to support the huge flow of people that wouldn''t stop coming. It wasn''t as stupidly massive as the wall they built it was more normal size just like any other train station but, it was still pleasing to the eyes. A high ceiling, stained glass, statues of magi and a few different kinds of people like an archer, swordsman, a monk for some reason, a man playing the flute, an assassin, a man that tamed a lot of beasts behind him, a karate master. Every statue was beautifully carved they were all the work of a true master. I admire what I see for a bit as I regain my strength then I went in. I thought I had to buy a ticket or something but it looked like the trains were all free to ride going the underground. There were a ton of people waiting for the train just like me I blended in with the crowd beautifully so I didn''t look out of place at all. The trains never stopped coming when one got packed up another one was following closely behind it. It took me a few minutes to finally get on board the train, the entering thing was filled with people the air smelled sour like a gym locker room. I was pressed against another man who had been sweating all day. His shirt was damp and "oh god ... I think some of his manly juices got into my mouth". I hack constantly, needles to say it wasn''t a pleasant ride. The ride was long for me it only lasted 10 minutes but with that man constantly dripping on me and the other people not helping the situation at all it made the ride that much more unbearable. I almost didn''t get to see what the underground looked like for the first time because of them. It''s a good thing I didn''t miss it because what I saw was wonderful the underground was an absolutely massive underground multi layered cavern that was an entirely different city on its own Delmar City was actually a multi layered city. The lights from the hundreds of thousands of homes, electronic street lamps, and gigantic glowing crystals protruding from everywhere illuminated the city driving away the darkness. There were massive natural pillars at least 400 meters wide that went from the bottom all the way to the top that I could not see clearly because it was so far away. People apparently also made their homes inside the stone pillars as well. From what I could see they carved the exterior making a smooth fine finish then burrowed their way inside. There were so many floors in each of the pillars, all lit up with light bulbs. It was one of the most dazzling things I have ever seen, despite all its danger this world makes up for it in its beauty and wonder. This seen dug up a memory deep in my soul "I can remember where that old man lives, finally!". I was so happy since that meant I didn''t have to live on the streets anymore fighting birds for food or taking it from the trash. When I got off the train I thought the air was going to be stale since I was underground but, the air was pretty fresh. Well, not that fresh since I was still next to the trains but fresh enough. The train station underground was an exact copy of the one above ground. Since there was nothing for me to see in here I went outside heading straight towards my home I took so long to find. The streets were paved with brick just like above ground, you could even tell this place had some history just by looking around. The architecture is a bit older than what I saw above ground for some of the homes. There are a lot of food stalls everywhere selling things for a few oboli or a few Drachma so, I guess street food is reasonably priced if I think of every Drachma as a 1 dollar American bill and oboli as pennies. Then food is actually cheaper here than were I use to live It was like 5 dollars for a gallon of milk and 6 for cereal. A lot of people over there would kill for these kinds of prices. Thinking about my old world actually hurts me a bit, I guess I should, for the most part, forget about it and focus on what''s in front of me. "Hmm ... If food prices are low doesn''t that mean the magi do a decent job running the government? They will apparently kill any normal person without batting an eye which sucks especially for me if I accidentally piss one off but since 90% of people don''t have the chance to become a mage I guess I won''t run into one anytime soon. I guess you really have to take the good with the bad in this world. ... A few feet across the street As Desmond was Walking through the crowd to his new home he unknowingly catches the eye of someone dinning at a food stall who knows the old man who''s body he now inhabits. 22 Warm welcome part 1 While enjoying a bowl of fried noodles and mole rat meat a shady goon wearing a brown 4 button tweed collar tailored vest and light brown trousers noticed an old friend of his that disappeared over half a month ago. He almost dropped his bowl in delight at what he saw. "Clement stop eating that honey glazed howler wing and look over there you see him don''t you". Ross pointed at the old man that had beat up leather armor holding books and had a trash bag attached to his waistband. Clement Green wore a similar set of clothes as Ross but his was dark green. He looked at the guy walking down the street for a bit before asking "ya so what''s special about him". Ross Wagner wanted to smack his partner for saying such a thing "are you blind or just stupid that''s the guy our boss wanted us to keep tabs on all this time. His deadline is almost up and he doesn''t want the guy to run away. You know the same guy we lost track of over 2 weeks ago and would have gotten shot for if our boss found out we lost him. You can''t possibly be that thick in the head that you can''t remember someone just because they wear different cloths". There was visible rage on Ross''s face. Clement had a look of stupefaction as his brain started working again " Son of a bitch its that guy, why the hell do you still have that bowl don''t you have a few words to say to him too?". Both the men dropped what they were holding then followed closely behind the old man through the crowd. ... "I made it" Desmond wanted to burst into tears at this point it took him so long to reach this place. On the way he saw a bunch of strange people that absolutely delighted him a man that looked like a dwarf from fantasies in my old world, a bipedal lizard, a normal looking woman with four beautiful insect looking wings on her back, a few men and woman with goat horns some even had hooves for feet. This place has so many different kinds of races walking around but how is it so many of them look like creatures from my world''s fantasies and myths. None of them existed on my planet so how could we have depicted them so accurately over the years. could we have come here at some point or could they have come to my old world? This is all very strange but, I honestly love it There''s so much to explore here. My home was a small apartment complex with about 20 residents inside it was 4 stories tall. It looked like a long rectangle, the building had glass windows with iron bars on them to stop thieves from coming in and what looked like an A/C unit at the top. The neighborhood honestly looked like any other low income community except for the giant glowing crystals ever were with the occasional old fashioned car driving buy there were less of them down underground than above. It didn''t give me the safest vibe for some reason. I went up to the main door in the front of the building It was a heavy duty door just like you would see at a public school meaning it was an ugly and crappy door that didn''t work all the time I had to wrestle with it just like I had to do at the Hunter''s Bizarre before I decided to just kick it open. I lived on the third floor of the building there was no elevator so I had to take the staircase. The apartment was in the middle of the hall on the right side It was numbered 3-12 as I approach the door I hear music coming from the door across from mine it sounded familiar to me. The music brought back one of the old man''s memories that I didn''t like It was about the landlord that stays in the apartment across from me his name was Oleg. I didn''t have the key to that room so I was gonna have to speak with him anyway. I approach his door instead of mine when I hear the music he was playing in his room suddenly cut off, "he always did have good ears" I sigh reluctantly. The door swings open but, it was stopped by the chain attached to it. That''s when the face of the landlord could be seen looking at me from the other side a little surprised. He was human, pail skin had a ruff beard and mustache, a colorful button shirt half open revealing his hairy chest as he looked at me like he was sizing me up. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "well look who I have here Desmond Gillies you don''t call, you don''t write, you don''t pay rent. I was this close to kicking you out you know, had a buyer lined up and everything". He had his index and thumb close together as he demonstrated how close I was to being kicked out. "I was at clover forest while I was there I lost my apartment key can you please open the door for me". I really want to end this quick my memory tells me this guy is unpleasant to talk to. The Oleg opened the door allowing me to see his skin tight pants he was wearing as he leaned slightly back as he stood at the door making it look like he is kind of shoving his crotch at me."sure I can just pay your rent, I don''t run a charity and your 2 months behind". I don''t really have much care for this world''s money anyway since all I want is to study magic plus I need to learn more about the value of things so, I hand him 1 magic crystal and gauge his reaction. He looked like wasn''t expecting me to hand him a magic crystal "Is this for me so kind of you, you know as a landlord I''m only allowed to accept 10 mage stones to cover your stay for 1 year any more than that 1 would have to think your trying to bribe me, a bribe I''m willing to accept just so you know". So, it takes 10 mage stones which is half a magic crystal to cover a person''s stay for 1 year but, why 1 year? Those people at that book store said I could get 50-100 magic crystal for only 1 advanced monster core. That''s like 200 years of rent such math would never work out unless not everyone is capable of killing those things out there and the weapons and other tools were equally as expensive or even more. Makes sense you can''t spend money if your dead and because magic exists here and they have those overpowered guns yet it''s still so dangerous than what do the really dangerous beasts that they''re scared of look like? A better question yet how did that old man afford all the stuff in my bag? He got killed so easily yet he is loaded where did he get all that money? 23 Warm Welcome Part 2 Desmond looked at his landlord and grinned "sure a bribe why not let''s call it that, can you open the door for me now". The landlord snatched the crystal away as fast as he could probably in fear I would go back on what I just said: "I always knew you were my best tenant always so considerate of me if your planning on doing something and telling me to look the other way say no more". Right after getting my money he starts singing a different tune, its nice to know people can be bribed no matter what world you''re on. Oleg when back into his home picked up his keys and opened my door before going back to his apartment. Oleg wait "I need a new set of keys how soon can you get them for me". He turns around after hearing me "I''ll need a few days the guy I usually have is closed for now just don''t lock your door when you go out till then". He then shut the door and went back to playing his music loudly I just know I''m gonna hate that song. Stepping into my apartment it was fairly quaint not big but not small. When I entered it was into the living room there was a window looking out to the street I was just walking on, a table in the middle what looked to be a newspaper a sofa on the left and a small CRT TV. I constantly feel like I''ve been sent back in time instead of another world. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The bedroom was on my right it had a bed, a nightstand with a few memorabilia, a closet full of clothes, the bathroom was inside my bedroom it was small only a shower toilet and sink. My kitchen was on the left side of the living room it was plain-looking a few canned goods in the cabinets and a mini fridge you typically see at a hotel. The place was quaint but it was better then the street now I could finally practice magic. I place all the stuff I was carrying on the table in front of me. Despite me being a bit tired I sit on the couch Pick up the first book In the pile titled Path Of A Magus. I was going to start reading it when someone came knocking on my door. "Come on can''t the universe just give me five minutes of piece to study magic". I lazily get up to answer the door, open it only to find a glowing fist right in my face "What?" I got punched hard. The force from his fist was somehow able to send me flying, I landed on the table in the middle of the room. The table was sturdy enough not to break but my nose wasn''t it was bent awkwardly to the right. I held my nose in pain as blood flowed out of it the punch also managed to disorientate me making the room spin resulting in me falling off the table to my left on the ground next to the TV. "Whoo, That''s what I''m talking about man it felt good. Hay Ross, you want to hit him too". Clement turned his head with a large grin on his face waiting for Ross''s reply. "Of course this old shit almost got us killed both its only fair we return the favor" Ross walks in the room with Clement following closely behind making their way next to Desmond still in pain on the floor. Ross makes his way next to Desmond circling around him blocking his view of the TV while Clement stood by Desmond''s feet. "Remember us you old bastard, you gave us the slip a little over 2 weeks ago I honestly thought all that stuff you said to our boss about taking on his debt and making everything right again was all a bunch of bull. I was beginning to think maybe it was all a ruse to buy more time so you could break you, little friend, out or maybe you somehow managed to break the contract you signed and weren''t going to come back to pay what you now owe. Giving your self enough time to escape so you wouldn''t be killed for his mess. It scared the bloody daylights out of me ... Hay you listening to me". Desmond stops holding his bloody nose as he looked at the man named Ross standing above him "who are you?". Ross looked at me "who am I?". His foot then begins to glow as he kicks me so hard he almost dislocated my jaw. I spit out blood and if I had teeth they would have been kicked out. "Have you got dementia old man, I work for Vincent Marino his holiness himself and the man you owe money to. I, on the other hand, am Ross Wagner your fucking baby sitter for the next 2 days until the deadline is up". He gave me another kick right in the gut making me curl up in a ball and cough up some blood. Feeling like I got the gist of what was happening and seeing as I was going to get beat up anyway I just had to ask him. "It looks like your right I really do have dementia mind refreshing my memory by telling me how much I owe". I look him right in the eye and give him the best smile I could muster showing him my bloody gums as some blood leaks out of my mouth. That only managed to piss him off even more as he kicks me repeatedly harder every time "you owe 2,500 magic crystals you dumb shit". He didn''t stop kicking me after he told me and at some point, his friend joined in as well both their feet were glowing as they repeatedly kicked an already beaten and bloody old man. I could get to my gun or my knife even if I started a fistfight with them I know I would lose that glow on their body meant they were using magic. It was some kind that obviously enhanced their physical strength. That''s why I didn''t put much thought Into resisting the duo. "Jeeze I''m not even that old man has been dead for a long time already yet I''m suffering for his problems. Its that boss of theirs that''s the problem I don''t know if he lent the money to that guy or if he''s a drug dealer who lost his product but whatever he''s doing he''s doing it wrong. Not to mention the genius that got into debt to such an obviously bad group of people not to mention that stupid old man who took on that other guys debt". I feel like this is a 3-way race to win who''s the biggest idiot award out of the 3 the one that''s winning I have no clue. They keep beating me for a little while longer when my landlord Oleg comes walking in the open door. He sees what is happening and tries to stop them "hay, what do you think you''re doing to my favorite tenant get off of him before I ...". Both of the guys stopped beating me for a little while when Oleg showed, they then turned around took out there revolvers and pointed them at Oleg he froze on the spot. "you know what I was paid to look the other way anyways". He then promptly tries to leave the room. I call to him in pain "Oleg help me please" Oleg keeps walking away not turning around while answering me "nope I wasn''t paid to deal with this I was paid to look the other way" he then entered his home and closes the door, I could hear the door locking while I''m lying on the floor. I had no idea as to what I was hoping for anyways when I called him. "Alright, that''s enough while I hate you I don''t want to kill you after you finally got back but I also don''t want you to go running off again so Clement break his leg. I got shocked when he said that I may be able to repair the broken leg but I will still feel all the pain. "what wait no please listen". They didn''t listen Clement picked up my right leg while Ross held me down I try kicking them away to no avail. Clement placed my leg on the table his right leg glowed as he brought it down like a hammer. I can hear my bones clearly snap me scream only mad the 2 of them laugh. My leg was bent in an upward angle I could even feel bone fragments dig into me. The pain brought me to tears while the ones that did it to me were crying tears of joy. "stop crying now I''m not a bad guy look hears a low grade healing potion" he opened the potion I thought he was going to give it to me but instead he pours it all into his mouth swishes it around like mouthwash and spits it back into the bottle. "Here you go that will fix you up nice you will still have a limp but its better than you are now". He said as he laughed "let''s go Clement". Finished with me they both move towards the door to leave. "Remember now 2 days well come pick you up and we will be watching you" he waved me by like an old friend as he closed the door and left. "Fucking hell" I try to use my soul threads to fix my leg but there was a problem it wouldn''t work. 24 Somethings wrong I''m still lying on the ground leg broken, some ribs almost broken too, and I had fractures all over my body. Those guys were gentle enough not to cause any serious damage that would be able to kill a person but it didn''t matter I was still beaten black and blue. In one of the worst kind of situations, I could imagine unable to heal. I thought I could rejoin myself from most things unless I was completely turned to ash. These are by far the least severe wounds I have ever received so my cant I heal? Seeing nothing with my old man eyes I us my soul instead, instantly I find the problem. There was lingering force I''m assuming magic because what else could it be, found all over my body. Every time my soul touched it it was like putting my hand over rising steam there was just some essence to it that corroded my threads. "You got to be kidding me magic can do that, what''s the point of having a body like this if it''s completely useless. I get no real special ability and my only saving feature is useless against magic". I start laughing at the cruel joke that is my rebirth which only serves to bring me more pain. At least I noticed the magic that seeped into my body was disappearing, it took a long hour till the remnant magic finally dispersed giving me the chance to snap my broken leg back in place. It''s always a painful and blood-filled experience every time I do something like this. Things never want to go back to how they were so I have to jab around, twist and pull till things are in place. Besides the pain, the worst part about everything is that now my floor is covered in blood and now I have to clean it up. I stand up slowly my body Is still in pain I can mangles limbs and bone fairly easily with my threads its not surgical precision but it gets the job done I didn''t use it to numb the pain for my bruises because that would be a waste of my energy that would heal over time. I walk over to my door normally and peer outside one of those guys was standing at the end of the hall leaning on the wall. He looked at me sending me a message with his glare I close the door in response. I then walk over to my window and see the other guy standing on the other side of the street smoking while he looks at me through the window. So, I close the blinds on him "well I''m completely trapped, I got to pay off the debt of someone I don''t know and don''t give a flying fuck about, yay me". Let me think I don''t have the money they want, I also have no idea where to start even getting the money they want, clover firest is a possibility but ill just end up a mangled mess again if I go there. Meaning in two days one of these likely scenarios is about to play out, scenario one I get taken to there boss than killed on the spot for not having his money. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Scenario two I get taken to there boss get tortured then killed for not having his money or my favorite one scenario 3 the complete unknown because I''m in a completely different world and I have no clue what they do to someone who owes them money. Maybe I can play dead ofter they kill me, put myself together again when they dump my body somewhere else and then find a new home. Wait, no that''s not going to work because of well magic. Since I can''t heal when someone uses magic that means I could really die I only walked off all those other attacks because none of my enemies could cast magic. "That means I''m screwed" fuck this if I can''t think of a solution I might as well just learn what I''m up against. I first went take a shower because I''m literally covered in my own blood, I find that it''s still weird lathering up my old wrinkly body. I have gray hair and gray pubs my junks decent enough I guess but, I think ill never really going to get a chance to use it. It hurts soaping myself every time I brush against my wounds both the new and old ones. There''s still discoloration on different parts of my skin from when I cut up that ape and put parts of its body on mine. Its flesh was heavier and denser than humans so I could feel the subtle difference when I move. After words, I clean the mess in the living room using a rag from the kitchen then sit down to learn magic. 25 Magic Sitting down on the couch once more I pick up the book Path of a Magus and start reading it before some other shit distracts me. "So, this Is what a mage is here its amazing" magi are those who study everything unravel the secrets of the universe and gain strength from absorbing the wild elemental particles in the air. Through the manipulation of the elemental particles that they absorbed in their body magi are able to utilize that force to create what''s known as magic. By using magic circles created from the combination of runes, Glyphs, symbols, and ancient Frazike magi can change the meaning, lesson the cost of casting a magic spell, and also change the property of their magic. Runes were not created by man they represent the language of the world Theotera they are created by its will and influence all things. Glyphs are the depiction of the force or entity you are trying to draw power from. Ancient Frazike was created by humans after years of interpreting other powerful languages, like dragon toung, the language of demons, Elvish and a few more. In hopes to gain power like them. Ancient Frazike has the power to manipulate the forces of the world because it contains traces of plane laws like other languages. The symbols like a circle represent a closed circuit and keep magic from shooting off anywhere. A square represents the most basic elements earth, water, fire, and air. While a triangle represents 3 entities yourself, the world Theotera, and the third is interchange because that spot once represented a specific god or some other being you believed in but it no longer does because all the gods are dead. I stop after getting to that part for a bit "what do they mean all the gods are dead aren''t gods just created by our hopes and imagination so how can they all be dead". That part confused me but the book provide no explanation. A few basic fields people take in magic are abjuration, conjuration, divination, transmutation, evocation, enchantment. The things magi are able to do branch off heavily from these fields to the point it like their not following them at all. Every mage is able to perform spells from every field with constraints being the affinity for the magic you have when you are born. This heavily dictates the path a mage will walk down their life talent shows how far a mage is able to walk down that path. Talent is an indication of a souls strength a weak soul will have difficulty attracting elemental particles to them and fusing it with their body that''s why a basic requirement for someone to become a mage is to reach the 10th ring those below it have almost zero chances to break past apprentice grade. Reaching the 10th ring shows a person has a 10% chance to become a mage. Rings 5-9 shows a chance of around 4-6% anything below that is 3 percent or zero. "Jeez, why are the percentages so shit, is it really that hard?".This worries me but it does not stop me from my pursuing my goal. If you attempt to focus on a branch of magic you have no infinity for even if you have good talent will stunt your growth making you unable to reach the peak of your potential. There are many kinds of mages in the world elemental mages, warlocks, body refiners, summoners, seers and more. Most of them are self-explanatory but warlocks are those who obtain strange abilities from a patron of some they may or may not be a believer of a said patron but have entered into a contract with it. Bloodline adepts are also considered warlocks they gain abilities from the bloodline they possess they have a much easier time advancing in rank than other magi and don''t need to train to raise their rank if they do not wish to simply rely on time to do so. Bloodline adepts are inherently stronger than regular magi both physically and magically. They relying on the purity of their blood to get stronger as well as magic. Each Bloodline adept family has a high archy were those with the purest blood and are the strongest rule the clan. Each bloodline has different abilities and caps at different ranks because of bloodline shackles. Body refiners are not like warriors, monks, or archers that practice Chi they are adepts that focus more on physical strength and are highly resistant to magic. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. There are 9 ranks each rank is significantly stronger than the previous one. The grades start at beginner apprentice, intermediate apprentice, advanced apprentice, then peak apprentice. Peak is not actually a grade it simply refers to someone who is at the threshold of advancing. Advancing is very difficult and gets harder every time. There are 5 major bottlenecks that a person must overcome at ranks 1,4,7,8 and 9. Rank 9 immortality is the ultimate goal of every mage and any other person that steps onto this path in their life who wish to stand at the top and obtain the truth about everything. "That''s a lot to take in at rank 9 you become immortal won''t you get bored or at least mad. I doubt I would handle it well if I somehow got that far, now let''s see how I actually begin to train". 26 Magic Part 2 In order to develop your magic you must first master meditation through that you will attract the wild energy in the air. A strong spirit boosts meditation speed and efficiency, you must then saturate your body with the energy accumulated filling every part of your body with its energy. Then direct that energy into the center of your core were, you will inscribe the five basic runes into your core. It will be impossible to increase the amount of magic in your body or cast a spell until this part is complete. After completion you will be considered a beginner apprentice mage to advance further you must inscribe the next set of runes, there are 15 that must be inscribed for that one. An advanced apprentice must inscribe an additional 24 in there core completing array than have their spirit reach the max their body can handle to prepare for the advancement ritual. "In total, it''s telling me I have to inscribe 44 different runes on that crystal inside me I''m following what they''re saying but my core is so small how am I gonna fit them all". I ponder over how I''m going to do it than decide to just try meditating and see how it goes. The book said I could sit or pose in any way I want magi skilled enough in meditation can do it in their sleep. "In my sleep you say, man, I got to learn that" I try the basic meditation technique on my old world sitting cross leg, hands folded, closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths and cleared my mind of all thoughts. I took the meditation very seriously more serious than any test or the first time yo confess to your love. A full half an hour passes and nothing happens is it because meditation is a state of being I must fully let go to feel the magic around me. Two hours pass by I''m still meditating People have always said it''s hard to let go of your worldly possessions this must be what''s happening. Five hours pass it''s dark all around me there is nothing but darkness my butt hurts from sitting on the floor for so long I want to scratch it but I resist the urge. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. 6 hours have passed honestly I''m currently wondering what kind of TV shows they got on her I mean they managed to develop a TV. After 8 hours I had no idea when I started feeling stupid but I wasn''t thinking about it because I was already long asleep in an upright possession with the couch supporting me up. After a good night''s sleep, I wake up with some drool on my face, walked to the bathroom to take a leak than look at the mirror to gaze at the powerful mage that I have become "I look like shit". Honestly, why did I have to be stuck in an old man''s body if I had known I would have chosen something cooler or someone handsome at least well it''s not like I was drowning in options at the time. Besides that why couldn''t I feel the magic in the air flying towards me as the book said? It told me that through meditation you must use your spirit to attract the elemental particular than guide it toward your core to inscribe the runes. so why is meditation just as useless as back in my world. The instruction was so simple to just meditate and use your spirit, that when it dawned on Desmond the key to practicing magic "spirit the book said it so many times but I kept missing it meditation was just for people to get in tune with their spirit that''s why so many have a hard time and couldn''t get past the basic stage. They couldn''t utilize their spirit but I am not like them I am one". But, why couldn''t I see any magic In my spirit form I should have bumped into a few elemental particles when I was flying but I got no stronger. I also remember feeling it at the seekers'' gate but I couldn''t see it, is it because my soul was too weak then and is still too weak now or is it because both souls and humans have different ways of getting stronger. That might explain it in my soul form I got stronger by consuming another soul while as a human I need to inscribe all these runes and feel the magic In the air which is a hassle I really hope I can still consume other souls. I try poking out my soul to see if I can see any elemental particles in the air but I saw nothing. So I then extended my soul out of both of my hands I still can''t extend it far but using my soul to constantly make those threads so I can force my body yo keep going improved my skill. Making covering both my palms with my soul easy work allowing me to flap my arms in the air wildly till I hit something. It looked like I was having a sissyfight with the wind. It only took a few seconds before it felt like I hit something. I couldn''t see it but I could tell it was small and had a life force like a living person. This filled me with joy since only caught one, for now, I decided to make it my practice tool. I directed the spec up my arm toward the bean-sized core to see what would happen. I could feel the spec getting closer to my core about to touch it and when it did I got launched backward ripping the bathroom curtain and slamming me into the wall hard. I slumped down on to the toilet with my legs hanging out, that hit knocked the wind out of me. "Oh ya I completely forgot my soul is damaged isn''t it " I laugh at my situation then let out a little grunt of pain. 27 World of Theotera I stand up crack my back realizing I should just stop trying to interact with elemental particles for now. Going back to the living room I decided to try reading up about the kind of world I live in instead. Picking up a book with a rather thick spine I started reading its contents which game me a big surprise. Theotea is a world created by the primordials that were born from chaos, it was the first world before they created everything else. As they birthed the other gods such as the titans they had them stay on Theotera. It is here were all gods once stayed for a time, the primordials eventually left Theotera never to be seen again even by their children. The titans abandoned by their parents walked the world creating tsunamis, typhoons, and earthquakes with every step. Over time they gave birth to other Titans and gods such as the first Olympians. The story of the Greek gods is a long and well known one where there are tales of Uranus who got castrated by Cronus a ploy made by gaia in anger for imprisoning the hecatoncheires. How Cronus usurped Uranus position later having it taken by his son Zeus who freed his brothers and sisters from his father''s belly. How Zeus started a war against the titans known as the Titanomachy. When Zeus won the war he sealed the titans away in Tartarus claiming the title his father once had further split his power by sharing his domain with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. If this book only said those things it would be simple for me to wrap my head around but it didn''t. It claimed there were more gods besides the greek ones that said the world was created in a different way than they were all born differently. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. This book was a mix of Norse, Egyptian, Aztec, Hinduism, Christianity and so much more. The book wrote them as actual people instead of mythical gods, the way they all interacted with each other was so confusing I had to give up on that part. The book said elves were created from a drop of due created from the moon, man was sculpted from clay, other beings were mad from a drop of gods blood or some other special way but, it also stated we were all brought hear from different worlds. There was so much going on in the book I''m not surprised they couldn''t give a definite answer. But all that mess meant nothing to the mess that I read near the end for some reason over 400,000 years ago all the gods started killing each other. Named by magi the war was called the clash of the fallen every single god, not even the ones who were passive and stade out of the war was spared. They were hunted down and gutted their blood flowed like rivers bringing even greater changes to the land that was all ready morphed from their relentless clash. Beings of such might have to restrain themselves when they walk the earth but none of them did result in strange phenomena happening that have lasted even to this day. A few things that have happened as a result of there clash is fog that will trap you in the dream of a long dead god, the whispers of your own shadow that will drag you into the plane of shadows as some other strange thing possesses your body. The petrified mountains were you could still see different gods fallen army frozen in stone but the clash of their weapons could still be heard resulting in the death of anyone who can not resist the booms from their clash. The era of upheaval is a time of great peril resulting in the deaths of many both people and beasts alike especially those who were devout believers of those fallen gods. Many of them had their eyes set on fire and blood boil some directly exploded. Some lucky others that survived the fall of their gods were able to resist not dying or going crazy latter on. Keeping the human race and many others from going extinct. When the war ended the humans realized all the gods they worshipped were dead and the world the lived in was now insanely dangerous. Humans were never as strong as the other intelligent species nor did they have their power so eventually a few brave humans set out to study the secrets of the other races learning what they could and sharing it with others. Until one day the humans stumbled upon the knowledge of one of their dead gods. This was what sparked the human''s rise to power resisting the horrid creatures trying to devour them birthing the first magi. 28 Idea "You have got to be kidding me what kind of bizarro world did I end up in "what I read surprised me greatly I mean a world where the gods actually existed was nuts but a world turned upside down from their fighting Is even crazier. During their clash Asgard crashed into mount Olympus, the titans got freed from Tartarus, seeking their revenge against the gods. Even the moon was destroyed from their fighting, It looks completely normal when you first look at it but, on the other side of the moon its nothing but a massive grave This world is nothing but an old battlefield were ancient and powerful treasures could be found any were even after so many years have passed the problem is getting to them and staying alive long enough to enjoy them. Truly nothing was spared from their intense clash the only reason the place all races live is so safe is that the magi had erected a barrier to keep most of the chaotic god''s energy from seeping through. They control about 20% of the surface world which is massive but, when its compared to the rest of it its nothing. The defiled lands are said to be forbidden but people apparently enter all the time in search of treasure. The treasure from the safer areas has long since been taken leaving only the more dangerous areas to explore which is instant death for any without sufficient strength. So its more of an enter at your own risk type deal since no one is going to stop you and no one is going to come to your aid. As I look at the map in the book of Theotera I truly realise how massive this world truly is I''m currently on an island in between the coast of the Magi Empire also known as the Starling Empire in memory of Joseph Starling the first-ever magi to be born the most powerful in his time alive and the man who lead humanity out of the dark. The Island is also next to the kingdom of the elves Solaris is a progressive kingdom they mainly trade metal, magic, and non-magical tools and machines. The Island is on is closer to the Solaris kingdom meaning it should be in their possession but the magi have control of a huge or mine on the Island. it is there they also built a Mining city known as Delmar City. "If I was those elves I would definitely not be happy about that, the more I learn about magi the more I see how daring these guys are. Going into a neighboring country''s waters and taking a piece of there island, are they scared of anything". Actually, I don''t even know If I can call this an Island That place called the Gorgon mountain range I saw is apparently way bigger than I originally thought It despite it looking normal from where I stand It takes about a month to reach it from here and that''s by airship. It''s quite unnerving but, also exciting a place built by gods and meant for gods it''s not even a place we are supposed to exist on but people thrive here anyway. "There so much danger here but I guess I should focus on the bright side of things if what''s in this book is true then that means god never abandoned us he''s just dead. If I could tell all their believers on earth I bet they would be so happy to know the truth". I can picture it in my head now being hoisted in the air with people praising my name as their sacred messenger. A man who removed all doubt in the world bringing peace of mind to all who not privileged to the truth. I stop my self from getting lost in my own dilutions and focus on a pressing problem that I have, staying alive. Tomorrow those guys that beat me up are going to take me to there boss his holiness, Vincent Marino. From what I could remember about that man after those guys kindly jogged my memory is that Vincent is nothing more than a low grade crime boss that started out as a loan shark that recently stepped up to drug trafficking. He doesn''t control much when you compare him to other bigger more deadly gangs in the area but it doesn''t change the fact that he is still one of them. The man has around 30 plus guys on his payroll who he has ties with I don''t know. I have to prepare for the worst possible outcome, Looking at all the weapon I have the 5 scrolls, Earth spike surge, acid splash, magic needles, low-grade invisibility, and firestorm. In addition to that, I have 27 enchanted bullets, an enchanted knife, and an unknown potion that I forgot to ask those people what special properties it has. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. If it comes to the worst scenario where I have to go out in a blaze of glory in an epic shoot out with over 2 dozen people the scrolls and gun would be nice two have. But I highly doubt they would let me walk In there carrying all kinds of weapons. Even if I do get in a shoot out with all those guys if they have the same bullets as me I''m screwed plus they most likely have better aim than me. I''ve only fired a gun 3 times and only hit them all because my target was either close to me or very big. There''s also the problem of close range combat they must be skilled in that as well. Thinking of this I pick up the enchanted knife trying to see if I could activate it. I may not be able to practice magic for now but that guy did say most people do have magic in them they just have difficulty turning it on and off. Since I already confirmed that I do have magic in me and because I''m not currently exploding, releasing the magic that I all ready naturally have is not a problem probably that is. Testing my theory I grab the knife and attached a spirit thread to it since I''m guessing this is how people probably direct their magic anyway. Doing so I try forcing out some of my energy the same way I fought that spirit. Channeling it down the tread I managed to make it glow softly. "A real magic weapon I can''t believe what I''m holding in my hands". This enchanted me I could take my eyes off of it, Getting close I inspected how the runes glowed and the wisp of smoke like energy. I did this for a few minutes before I start to notice I was getting tired even sweating a little. So about 5 minutes is my max, I don''t even need anyone to tell me that''s shit. I just hope magi are those stupid kinds of mages that can only cast 3 spells than need a week to recover needing protection from the group for the rest of the journey. That would really destroy my wish to become a mage. I guess that doesn''t matter as much as finding out a way to take some weapons with me and I think I might have an Idea. 29 The Boss part 1 Todays the day there coming, those guys haven''t stopped watching me once. They stood in the same spots that I saw them 2 days ago, worrying some of the tenants and scaring Oleg. It impressed me actually I didn''t know if it was their hatred for the old man that''s long dead that kept them going or if people in this world just had a crazy amount of stamina. The only reason I could run, so far is that this body is more like a puppet on strings for me. I may feel everything this body experiences even want to rest after I do something exhausting, but I can push it past its limits. As I wait for those two men on my couch I hear a knock on my door with the very few possibilities it could be I get up to open the door when It was suddenly kicked open. The door swung open spraying some wood chips on the floor. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "What do you think you''re doing making me wait so long out there don''t you know that rude" Ross strutted in like he owned the place along with his partner Clement questioning my hospitality skills. If I thought I had a single chance of running I would have already left, but I didn''t which made me grimace inside. "you''ll have to excuse my lack of etiquette I don''t entertain guess much" with a reluctant smile on my face I go with the flow not wanting them to beat me up again. "Shall we go then I think Vincent wouldn''t want to be kept wanting" I try to hurry them along to get this long day I''m about to have over with when Ross stops me. "Hold it right there your not going any were till we check you for weapons" I look at them with indifference on the matter "ok" I hold up my hands as they check me. They pat down my gray long sleeve button shirt checking the collar and cuffs. Right after they checked my dark gray pants and black shoes. Then my mouth, hair, they even made me take off my pants to check my butt. The door was wide open the entire time if someone walked by at this time it would be a very hard situation to explain. With them find nothing and me feeling violated they take me outside down the street a few blocks were they had a red 1920s style car waiting. For them to have a car despite me seeing so few of them speaks volumes about these guys, whoever says crime doesn''t pay is an idiot. They shoved me into the back Clement squeezed in with me while Ross drove the car. We were driving for about 20 minutes going past many vendors, stores, homes, and apartments. I thought they were taking me to one of those pillars in the distance but we changed direction before we got there. A little while after that we arrive at a 2 story office building, they push me out of the car take me to a door at the back and lead me inside. There were not a lot of people inside I only saw 3 at first. They stripped me naked doing the inspection I already receive all over again. My third leg shriveled up a bit it was really cold they give me back all my stuff again after they were finished before Ross and Clement took me downstairs. We walk down a bit where I see a door reinforced with metal and had runes carved on it. Looking around I realize the whole hallway was filled with those runes the poor lighting in the hallway just hid them a bit. Cleveland knocked on the door with a hatch that slid open. A dark skinned man looked through I don''t know the proper term to refer to this man''s ethnicity because I''m fairly sure African-American or something similar will not work with how mixed this world is. "it''s us we brought Desmond he is right here" Clement points at me while Ross pushed me forward the man on the other side looks at me for a bit before closing the hatch and letting us In. That when I see four other people It was the dark toned man, a man with a mullet, a woman with a scar on her lip, and who I can only assume is the boss. He was a bit fat more on the lines of being chubby, he wore a tailored 3 piece dark blue suit while he was smoking a cigar I could even see the five o''clock shadow on his face from where I stood. "Desmond sit down it''s been ages since we talked" Vincent Marino pointed at the leather chair in front of him with his free hand. Ross pushes me forward a bit forcing me forward". "Ross come-on there''s no need for that the man can walk just fine enough on his own. Desmond please pardon my colleagues it''s my fault for not being able to control them". Vincent Marino spoke with a kind tone when he spoke with me before he waved at the dark skin man at the door. "Otis closes the door will you". Hearing his boss Otis that''s closed the door locking it tight. Now I''m sealed in a well decorated room surrounded on all sides with 6 people. Otis was by the door, Clement and Ross moved to the wall furthest from me standing a few steps away from Otis instead of the 2 couches with a dark wood coffee table in the middle. The thin woman with a scar on her lip was on my right standing next to an empty cell that was embedded into the wall. The guy with the mullet was to my left leaning on the wall the rooms a decent size so it would take about 10 steps for mullet man and scare face to reach me when I site down 15 for the rest. Their boss was sitting down with another Iron door behind him 2 feet away from him. As I approach I could see runes carved on his table. With the layout of the room as it is and a door directly behind the boss even not knowing anything about runes, I could guess what they did. As I approach the boss''s desk I purposely trip myself self making it seem as though it was because of my nervousness. Allowing me to stop myself from falling by placing my hand on the edge of the desk and give it a push. I did all this so I would know the weight of the desk in case shit hit the fan. Vincent pushed his desk back in place as I sat down in the soft chair ready to hear what he had to say. 30 The Boss Part 2 Vincent looked at me like you would an old friend as we spoke to each other "you all right there''s no reason for you to be so nervous with me. Here have some dwarven wine everyone knows they make the best alcohol". He picks up two glass of wine fills one cup for himself then places the other in front of me. I look right at Vincent''s face as I tell him "I''m fine, let''s just get this over with". "Getting right down to it I like that all right than Claire bring Ingram" Vincent looked to his left at the woman with a scar on her lip who was wearing a pants suit. She gave him a slight nod before she walked off into the backroom behind Vincent. It wasn''t long before she returned with an almost completely naked man with a black sack over his head with a loincloth for pants. His hands and feet were chained he was covered in freshly made wounds on every part of his body that blood still dripped from. He was missing fingernails, fingers, and a few toes it looked like they starved the man as well because his ribs were showing while his gut was sticking out a bit. I had never seen such cruelty in person before so I was a little upset but more worried when I tell him I have no money. All this made my heart race with worry, fear, but also excitement it almost as if I''m developing some kind of thrill for stuff like this which is bad, I really don''t want stuff this to become my guilty pleasure. Claire walked the chained up man named Ingram into the cell next to me. He made muffled sounds every time he stepped forward it made me wonder what kind of hell he had been through while at the same time I didn''t care. While I may be sympathetic I didn''t know the man nor do I plan to. It''s going to be difficult saving my own ass let alone someone else. When Claire put Ingram into the cell she than removed the sack on his head letting me see the person who brought me all this unnecessary trouble after I just started this new life of mine. He looked like he was 15, but In this world where someone who looks like there 5 could actually turn out to be someone grand-dad or grandma, it''s hard for me to tell. His face was filled with pain but when he looked up he started crying tears of joy because when he saw me he saw hope. Looking at his face brought no joy to me but a distinct displeasure than a burning rage not because I could fully see what they did to his face. The boy''s ear that got cut off, the few teeth that got pulled out, and swollen eye gave me no concerns it was the few memories that came flooding back that pissed me off. The stupid boy Ingram found out that old man and Vincent us to be friends he then used that info to join Vincent''s crew. Ingram never told that old man what he had done if he did I doubt he would have allowed Ingram to join Vincent gang. After joining Vincent gang he got greedy the little power he got when shoving losers around and money got to his head. Eventually, he got addicted to pixie dust and skooma he took some for himself and even sold some for his own profit until he got caught. Vincent and that old man may have had a past but that was years ago. People change and Vincent most definitely did it was only out of the kindness of Vincent''s heart and what little history they had that the old man was able to take on the that idiots debt. Since that old man is dead I''m left with this huge mess, uhh ... I wonder if I can talk my way out of this. Vincent took a sip of the wine in front of him as we got to discussing the matter at hand " I''m quite sorry about that you have to see this boy of yours like this Iknow you took care of him like he was your own son, but I had to make an example out of him you understand its apart of the business". "Of course I understand I would have handled it no different if I was In your shoes" "I''m glad you understand now if you would be so kind as to hand me my money then you can be on your way with that pile of trash". Vincent gestures over to Ingram as he takes another sip of his drink. "I don''t think I''ll be doing that, you see I had some time to think allowing me to realize something this is not my problem. Ingram stole from you he knew exactly what he was doing if he wanted me involved with this he would have told me well before the day he came to join up with you". Ingram had a look of utter shock from what he heard not wanting to believe a word of it he struggled and started banging on the iron bars trying to say something to me but couldn''t with his mouth still gaged. Claire came and delivered a swift kick to his face forcing him to fall back on the floor shutting him up. Vincent looked at me with surprise on his face definitely not believing what he had just heard "that''s cold-blooded Desmond even for me saying all that while the guy was in the room no less who would have known you had it in you. So, what was the point of all this coming here convincing me to not kill him, taking his debt onto yourself than abandoning him when the deadline is up". "It was a moment of weakness I thought I meant more to him now I''m showing him what he means to me". With absolute calm, I tell him outright that the kid means nothing to me hope he will just kill Ingram already and leave me alone. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "That''s nice to know, but you signed a pretty severe contract witnessed by Theotera and if you remember what it said failure to uphold payment will result in a few possible outcomes but my favorite stipulation is that you relinquish all your rights to me and hand over your will fragment. It doesn''t matter if you had a change of heart or not the contract is binding". Vincent was having himself a good laugh even his goons were having themselves a good chuckle. A contract witnessed by the world such a thing is possible here what''s the point of sending people to look after me then. Hmm ... didn''t Ross mention he was afraid I broke my contract while he was kicking my ass. Either way, this is really not good for me it''s impossible to get his money even then I didn''t think he would care. Vincent finished laughing took another sip of his drink then looked right at me "let''s see what I could do with you I don''t need a slave and I would actually like to make some of the money Ingram took from me back so let''s see. Selling you to a magi for experimentation is an option but your just like any of the other dozen test subjects they have. I could also harvest your organs than sell those you never know who would need them, this is a tough decision. Vincent was thinking for a bit when the guy with the mullet suddenly spoke: "hay boss why don''t we just use his body to ferment that new drug". When Vincent heard what Nick said it was like a light bulb went off in his head "that''s brilliant I completely forgot about that". "You have got to be kidding me what kind of drug needs to be ferment in a person''s body". While I was sitting there listening to what they were possibly going to do to me I just couldn''t take it anymore I started laughing loudly. I was holding my stomach while laughing everyone was looking at me laughing louder and harder than they ever did in confusion. Confused as to why Desmond was laughing especially after what he heard them talk about he asked him"what''s so funny". Me still laughing showing my toothless gums reply "THIS!". Without warning and before everyone in the room could fully process what they were looking at I pointed a blood covered gun in between Vincent''s eyes and pulled the trigger. BANG!!! 31 The Boss Part 3 A resounding boom reverbed In everyone''s ears as Vincent Marino got launched backward by the force of the enchanted bullet. The world slowed down In everyone''s eyes you could make out clear signs of shock and anger on all of Vincent''s subordinates as they simultaneously reached for there guns. If you looked at me you would see my crazy eyes and the biggest grin in the world while fresh blood dripped from my chair onto the floor as I pull out another blood-covered item from inside my guts. "Why did I do that whats wrong with me I shouldn''t have shot him there could have still been some wiggle room for me to talk my way out. Killing those monsters outside is one thing but a fellow human how could I cross that line so easily. It was like my mind just went to the darkest place it could find envisioning the worst possible outcomes than just acted". There was still a big grin on my face but I was beating myself up inside for what I just did. It''s far too late for any regrets now I have to follow through on this shit show I just started. I unfurl the scroll In my hands, having no time to rip it I say its name out loud, "Earth Spike Surge!". The scroll In my hand-activated instantly burning up then turning into dazzling little lights, the ground beneath my feet bulged upwards before coming back down creating a wave spreading outward that shot out over a dozen earth spikes in all directions. No one was prepared for my attack and neither was myself, I was just making it all up as I tried to not get killed. The earth spikes shot out at a modest speed, not fast enough that it was impossible to dodge but still slow enough that you could follow it with your eyes as it was coming at you. If everyone wasn''t already caught off guard I''m not sure if that spell would have hit anyone. Claire used her left arm to stop the spike from hitting anything Important that decision completely mangles her left arm tearing it in half making it hang by only a few strands of flesh as blood gushed out from her new stump, but that quick thinking saved her life. Nick had a strange blue glow on him, he managed to completely dodge everything with the grace of an acrobat. Ross punched the earth spikes coming at him same with Clement they both turned the earth spikes into rubble. Otis didn''t have to do anything besides moving an inch to the right, the earth spikes spread out too far making them much less effective. The scrolls'' effect wasn''t ideal, but it was good enough to buy me enough time so I could slide over vincent''s desk and hold my ground. A bit of my blood spilled on the desk and some more splashed out when I landed but to me having stomach cut open and guts spilling out could be considered a superficial wound. Cutting open my own stomach hurt and shoving all the weapons I had inside myself while having to walk around with them in me was very uncomfortable yet, in the end, I''m happy I did it despite me screwing everything up by shooting Vincent. It was the weirdest lapse of judgment I ever had. While on the other side of the desk I realize there wasn''t even a need for me to flip it over the desk was like a small fort. The Inside of the desk was reinforced and had 5 Glocks attached to the sides. Despite it getting hit with a bunch of bullets there wasn''t even a dent just a few scuff marks. Everyone kept shooting trying to kill me while Claire crawled behind the couch to my left. She was wrapping a bracelet that was on her right hand on her new stump, the bracelet glowed softly tightening around her arm stopping the bleeding and numbing the pain she was experiencing. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Afterward, she joined the rest of her crew trying to kill me with a burning vengeance. I, on the other hand, was admiring my five new friends that already came full of ammo. My aim may be worse than theirs, but now I have enough ammo for some target practice. "Vincent you glorious bastard it''s not even my birthday and you''re showering me with gifts, you really shouldn''t have" as I finished thanking Vincent lying next to me I peer over the desk getting a quick look than I firing a few rounds at everyone around me. They all quickly take cove, Otis and Claire are hiding on the couch to my left, Nick and Clement are on the couch to my right. Ross managed to kick up the coffee table in the middle of the room before I could shoot him and used that as a shield. I kept firing at Ross thinking I could shoot through the would only to sadly realize two things. The coffee table was enchanted like my desk and the bullets me and everyone else were shooting out weren''t. "Dumb it Vincent what kind of cheap ass gang boss are you that you can''t even afford to buy everyone enchanted bullets" I kick Vincent in his side as I crouched back down to avoid the gunfire. Every enchanted bullet may be worth a year''s rent for a lot of people and there might be a harsh regulation on the usage of enchanted bullets and weapons in the city, but I wouldn''t care the enchanted stuff are way better than the regular stuff. As I was lampooning to myself ross picked up the coffee table and started moving forward. I shoot at him but the bullets all bounced off so, I quickly reload my flintlock and fire that at him. The shot forced him to stumble and blasted a huge indent in the wall when the bullet got diverted. Dust from the brick spread around a little yet it was far from enough to make any one of these guys leave. The clamor drew the attention of the 3 other guys upstairs I could tell some of them had some thoughts to open the door. None of them did because the would have been exposed and an easy target even for someone like me. I get up to fire a few more shots at Ross in an effort to slow him down when I hear a click behind me. That sound brought shivers down my spine as I turn around I see Vincent with an angry look on his and a small shining double-barrel Derringer aimed right at me. I lept at Vincent trying to stop or at least divert his shot only to have my left arm blasted clean off "FUCK!! he is using enchanted bullets" 32 The Boss part 4 On the cold hard floor I tousle with Vincent, I bit down hard on his right hand holding the gun while also smacking him in the face with the bottom of my Glock. I may not have had any teeth making my grip on his hand not ideal, but it was enough to keep him from shooting me again. His body started to glow as he began to overpower me. Seeing that I was going to lose in a contest of strength I stop using my mouth to hold his arm back. Opting instead to flip my body around and wrap his right arm with my legs. This gave me the freedom to aim my gun under Vincent''s chin and unload the remaining bullets I had in the gun into his skull killing him for real this time. As I get sprayed with Vincent''s blood I see what was most likely the reason as to why Vincent was still alive even after getting shot in the face with an enchanted bullet. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. It was a broken silver chain he had hidden around his neck it sparkled a bit as it kept breaking apart. I wanted to take a look at his chain when a dark silhouette appeared out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head in panic I saw it was Nick, he caught me with my guts hanging out literally. His revolver was locked right on me as he shot me 6 times in the chest. My throat filled with blood as I started to gasp for air Nick managed to shoot my left long twice. I gargled in pain spitting out as much blood as I could before falling backward on the ground. Blood flowed out as I laid there still Nick didn''t approach my body until he finished reloading his gun. Finished reloading he stepped closer towards me everyone else thought Nick already killed me so they stopped crouching behind the furniture waiting for Nick to confirm my death. He kicked away the gun I had next to me while he still had his gun aimed at me He started to kick me a little to see if he would get a reaction receiving none he started to lowly crout down next to me which was exactly what I wanted. With nick so close he would find it difficult to dodge. With him In place, I finally attack, with a strained voice I active the magic scroll inside my body "Magic needles". Nick had a look of fright when he saw I was still alive and even more so when he heard what I said. Nick tried to move away from me, but the scroll was already burning inside my guts I would have been worried if I didn''t know magic scrolls burn cold, not hot neither are they able to activate another magic scroll next to it just because it was activated. Upon the spell''s activation 50 splendid needles formed from magic shot out of my stomach they caused some damage on there way out but nothing major to me. Nick, on the other hand, looked like a pincushion he was so close not a single needle missed. He slumped on the table backward dead all of his companions saw this and quickly got back to cover. I was coughing up blood on the floor as I was rummaging around my own guts searching for something. It was that healing potion Ross spit back into he did all that to be a dick to me now he is saving my life. He would probably kill himself knowing he''s the reason I can keep going like this. I would like to attach my arm but the healing potion is not that good and the magic from the bullet is still lingering where my arm was blasted off. I use my soul to locate some of the bullets stuck inside me and shove them out than I drink a bit of the healing potion and apply some on the area my arm got severed. The potion took effect quickly stopping the bleeding of my arm and repairing some of my organs. I can fix the rest of my body with my spirit threads except the spots where magic is still lingering only potions can help me fix that for now. Healed up I pick up another gun ready to keep fighting when I heard Otis shout something "everyone switch to your enchanted bullets and kill him already". I could tell they all agreed with Otis because I could hear then changing out the bullets of their guns. "Why can''t I ever catch a break". 33 The Boss part 5 Crouching behind the desk I pull Nick''s body to the ground and search him for more ammo. His bullets weren''t the same for the gun I was using so I took his revolver, there were mostly normal bullets on him, but he did have 6 enchanted bullets hidden in his innermost pocket. I did the same check on Vincent he had a small double barrel Derringer pistol with on shot left and a fully loaded custom made silver desert eagle that was engraved with a floral design. I look at my new gun with wide eyes "My god it really is my birthday" this gift really boosted my option on Vincent if he was still alive I would be singing him praises right now. Arming myself once more with my remaining 3 Glocks, 1 revolver, enchanted flintlock and all the ammo everyone provided me I feel like I''m ready to take on the world. Ross moves closer towards me worried about him I try to shoot at him, but his friends kept me at bay with their covering fire. Being shot at with enchanted bullets is way scarer than being shot at with normal ones. The force from the bullets kept pushing the desk around I had to use the bodies of Vincent and Nick to keep the desk from moving too much. Seeing this get me no were fast I rummage around my guts again in search of a magic scroll I look through what I had left and seen the perfect one for the job. I had my flintlock and Glock ready for what I was going to do, next I activated the scroll by tearing it up aiming for the ceiling when I did. The scroll lit aflame forming a green ball of acid that shot upwards and exploded on the ceiling. Raining down acid on everyone below except me since I wasn''t In the splash radius. Ragnar told me that the spell acid splash was while considered an intermediate spell is versatile making it useful In many situations and that the acid is strong enough to melt stone. So you could imagine the kind of reaction I would get from people who were very familiar with this popular spell. Some of the acid landed on them but they were quick enough to angle the furniture to protect themselves which is exactly what I wanted. I started with Ross he picked up the desk above his head while still slanting it towards me but it was enough. His actions left a gap big enough for me to unload my Glock into his legs. He screamed in pain as he lost his grip on the coffee table and falling down on a pile of acid that corroding away the floor and now eating away at his back. He tossed and screamed for help, but none came his friends were cursing my name as they watch him flop on the floor. I didn''t stop there aimed my flintlock at the tilt sofa to my left shot it and blasted the tilt sofa over there heads leaving them completely exposed. They both were in bad positions with nothing close so they take off in different directions while firing at me, Otis was running to were Clement was and Claire was running towards me. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. I swapped guns for another Glock then aimed for Otis instead of Claire since having 2 people shielding themselves from me using the coach again would have been annoying to deal with. Hitting a moving target was harder so I missed my first 2 shots then I got lucky and hit him in the knee Otis almost fell over, but his body glowed and he was regaining speed. I shot every bullet I had In the gun before he finally stopped running yet he was still not dead just collapsed on the floor. Claire had already made here way to me in the time I took to bring down Otis she was crouched on the other side of the desk. She quickly made her way to the other side turned the corner ready to shoot me only to discover I was gone. She thought I made my way around her turning around in panic only to discover nothing. She checked all sides but saw nothing she was starting to get worried when she heard a noise. Claire promptly turned around and shot in that direction. She heard a groan of pain she knew it was me after firing a few more shots she heard a tumble. That damn woman managed to shatter the same spot on my leg Clement and Ross broke when the came to my home and beat me up. The enchanted bullet didn''t hit directly but the force from it caused he damage to spread on my already broken leg. I only used my spirit threads to fix the problem so all the damage was still there I just ignored the problem and forced my self to keep going. The other bullets didn''t hit me, but my leg would take a bit of time to stitch together time I don''t have. On the floor still invisible I aim the Glock in my hand at Claire''s remain arm making sure she doesn''t shoot me again. It took me 6 shots to finally cripple her other arm after that I shot the rest of the bullets in her chest as she started to slump down I land a luck shot in her eye blowing her brain out. With her dead I now only have to deal with clement, Otis is bleeding out on the floor and those 3 guys outside are trying to break the door down. Even though the bullet didn''t hit me I can still tell traces of the bullet''s magic is in my leg so, I can''t heal it for a bit. Clement now having to fight me alone had enough he got mad and enhanced his body as much as he could and drunk the contents in a brown flask making his veins pop out of his body. Enhanced by magic and whatever he drunk he picked up the coach and charged at me with it. I tried shooting him with the Desert Eagle to no effect the gun had too much of a kick for me to shoot properly with one hand. Making me miss entirely or hit the coach in a bad spot. He slammed down the partly corroded coach on the spot he thought I was hard, making me cough up blood. He almost broke my ribs with that attack I groaned in pain as I try to push the coach off me only to see Clement pick it up again and slam it down repeatedly. My Invisibility was useless I coughed up so much blood you could easily tell where I was. Clement pick up the coach again to continue his onslaught the moment he did I used every ounce of strength I had left and lunged at him he saw me and brought the coach down again. I swear I could hear my back breaking, but it didn''t matter because I had already won. I had a firm grasp on Clement''s left ankle seeing this Clement tried slamming my skull into the ground but abruptly stopped because we were no longer fighting physically instead we were having a battle with our souls. It was a different experience from what I had experienced before I think because Clement was still alive my vision and senses were split. I could see and experience everything from my soul''s perspective and my physical body. It''s like trying to play 2 different characters at the same time I''ve done something similar already when I poked my soul out to guard myself against falling into more hallucinations, but Clement most certainly has not. 34 Wonderful Feast Part 1 This was a battle on two fronts Clement''s body kept twitching around trying to find his footing as inevitably fell over. His soul was in a complete panic he kept switching between control of his body and soul so much it looked like he was experiencing the worst case of lag I''ve ever seen. I could see his constant attempts to stabilize himself, but I would never let him. With my experience as a soul and the constant times, I had to heal myself by manipulating my spirit thread. I gained enough knowledge to far outclass Clement yet that didn''t mean this battle was going to be easy. Clement''s soul Is stronger than that old man it didn''t give off an aura of madness like that old man''s soul did when he died, but I could feel its strength. His soul was brighter than mine probably because his was nourished by magic. That doesn''t worry me though despite my body being broken I have the upper hand in this battle. As my spirit invades Clement''s body I release my spirit threads usually when I stitch my body together I only use one or two now I''m using five. There''s no need for me to be delicate with Clement''s soul So I send my threads at him from all directions. Despite this being my home ground Clement has practiced magic a bit making him able to resist me to an extent. His soul released a burst of energy destroying my threads trying to approach his soul was like trying to touch fire with my bare hands. He was enraged Clement tried to get free from me by kicking me in the face in hopes I''ll let him go. He broke my nose and kept kicking, not giving in I tightened my grip and started crawling up his body. I can release the threads from any point of my body outwards a few inches making it so the connection never breaks so long as I have physical contact. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Using his body to pull myself out from under the coach I make my way to Clement''s face and start punching him. He tried to fight back and push me off him, but he found it difficult with his consciousness fading back in and out as I relentlessly attack his soul. My threads glowed with my spirit energy as I cut through his wave of energy and whipped his soul directly. This caused his physical body to spasm, having your soul attacked is not a pleasant experience. This left me free to punch him in the face directly resulting in his soul lagging behind from the shock of his physical body becoming damaged and his physical body unable to do anything because the shock from his soul being attacked was too great. This one sided exchange continued for a bit until I decided to shoot him ending everything for good. His face saw bloody from me constantly punching it while my fist was sore with some skin missing on my knuckles. I grabbed the last Glock that I had in my pants with my bloody hand and shot Clement in his right eye. I would have shot him in the mouth but he enhanced his body so much it would have taken a few shots to kill him that way. When he died his soul went absolutely crazy chaotically released its energy, but I did mind because this situation was exactly what I wanted. With Clement''s soul having lost all reasons and him just dying seconds ago I seized the opportunity and slammed my threads into Clement''s soul and pushed out as much energy as I could directly into him causing Clement''s spirit to explode. I was ecstatic not only because I got out alive but, also because this meant I get another meal. The fragments of clement''s soul surrounded me like stars in the sky wasting no time I eat up everything around me. Every fragment was a different flavor some were spicy others sweet compared to that old man I can consider this a real meal. With ever fragment I grew stronger and bigger it was a wonderful feeling. By the time I finished eating Clement''s soul my own soul grew more than twice what it was previously. "look at me now, I''d like to see those other souls leave me in the dust now". My snicker made my soul bob up and down in joy afterward I drew my soul back into me. All that raw power I got gave me goosebumps so happy about everything I didn''t even mind the pain that came when I had to snap my spine back in place. The threads numbed the pain in that area so I could Ignore my back problems for now. My leg and arm still need a few more minutes for the lingering magic dissipate. Looking at myself entirely I see just how much of a mess I am. I''m missing my left arm, right leg broken, stomachs cut open even though it was self inflicted it still hurts. My guts are still a bit torn up from activating magic needles inside my body not to mention all the fractures and broken bones I got from Clement smashing me with the coach. "This can not continue fighting like this is going to get me killed the only reason I won Is that no one was expecting me to have all those weapons stored inside my body or just shoot their boss with so many people around In a sealed room. Hell even I wasn''t expecting that". Finally getting a moment to rest my ears tune Into the sound a door beeing slammed into "oh ya I forgot about those guys the sound of the guns firing must have drowned them out". Getting a migraine thinking about how I''m going to deal with them I shift my focus who is somehow still alive despite me unloading an entire clip inside him. "He has been bleeding out for a while now so he should be dying very soon" I was getting comforted in that fact until my ears picked up him softly mumbling under his breath. 35 Wonderful Feast Part 2 I don''t know how long he had been doing it for, but as I Look back over I could see something strange going on with Otis. His blood is moving it formed into a strange shape straining my eyes trying to get a good look I make out his blood formed into a magic circle. Unnerved by this I take aim at Otis with my Glock firing every bullet I had at him intending to stop whatever he was doing to no avail. Most of the bullets hit him yet, Otis somehow still clung to life. The spell activated shooting forth a mass of meaty tendrils that came from I don''t know were barreling right at me. With my right leg broken I use my left to support myself as I move out of the way The meaty mass landed on Clement''s body picking him up and tearing him apart, each tendril grabbed a different part twisting and pulling raining down guts and blood on me. Then each tentacle formed a dozen mouths biting off different parts and ate it. The gnawing and crunching sound of bones and the squishing sounds made as Clement''s brain was flung and pulverized scared me. Not wanting to be next I take the few 2 rounds left in my Desert Eagle and shot Otis one bullet hit in his stomach the other one his neck. Seeing that monstrosity finished with his meal and that I''m going to be next I pull out the small Derringer I took from Vincent''s body out of my pocket and fired the only enchanted bullet left in the chamber. The meaty mass lunged at me wanting to eat me luckily it was slower than a bullet. The enchanted bullet tore through Otis splitting him in half and splattering him on the wall the meaty mass was affected by the death of Otis it hissed loudly before toppling over in a wave of blood and meat that covered me. Everything Otis summoned got sucked into the ground leaving nothing behind not even Clement''s body that it ate. Despite me being covered in that monster I found my self clean when it left it was all like a bad dream. That left plenty of evidence lying around to prove it was not. Alone, at last, I hope myself over to Otis''s body to eat his soul since he just died it would be easier for me. As I maneuver around the acid spots hopping on one leg and make my way toward Otis''s body to eat his soul I see Otis''s soul is far more chaotic than Clement''s when he died. I think of a reason then come to a reasonable conclusion it was spell backlash. The beginner book for magi had a segment on it if a spell is forcibly stopped, fails, or if some attempts a spell beyond what they can handle. They could wind up attached by there own spell, get a headache, suffer internal or external wounds, have parts of there body corrupted morphing into some hideous creature, have there soul damaged, or just outright die. What you suffer mostly depends on 3 things the strength of the spell, the strength of the magi, and environmental factors. Damage or interference from enemies is included in environmental factors. In short spell backlash is nothing fun and should be taken seriously Luckily what happened to Otis can''t spread to me what he suffered while severe left no kind of side effects that could hurt me. If something remained I would have to abandon eating this soul which I would hate to do because I''m not the kind of guy who''s too high and might to not take something just because it''s free or cause someone else could use it more. I''m as shameless as they come I would skip the line at a soup kitchen and pretend to be a woman if it would get me off a sinking boat that even a quicker. In this world, I would gladly do all those things if it to save my life sure or study the mystery of magic without question. While thinking over things I shove my threads into Otis''s soul he barley resisted before exploding. His soul was actually stronger than Clement''s it would have proved troublesome to fight him the way I normally do. It''s a good thing he was weakened so much or I would have to face off against In my perspective a bolder. His soul was well formed it was smooth squishy yet felt sold, but in my opinion it was quite lacking I saw a bunch off different souls when I first came here besides that one stupidly big soul many of them were terrifying to look at some were comparable to houses then there were those souls the size of bolling balls that could crush those souls. "Honestly I don''t think size is everything to evaluate the strength of a soul there''s something more yet how do I obtain it and become like them". Questions like these will have to be put on hold for now because I''m getting annoyed by that constant banging those guys outside are doing. I walk to the door in a huff with a scowl on my face, sliding open the latch on the door I looked at one of the men who jumped back when suddenly met with my glare. He was holding a makeshift battering ram along with two other guys one even had a crowbar. "what do you want do you want? You have been banging on this door for the last couple of minutes hurry up and get off my doorstep before I make you regret it". I berated them like the old man I was there was obvious confusion in the air when they saw me answers the door and heard me speak. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. One of them eventually shouted at me while pointing his gun at me "what the fuck are you doing old man? We heard a lot of gunshots were''s Otis and what happened to Vincent and the rest of the people in there?" I look directly at the trio not hiding anything "There dead I killed them all now if you don''t want to join them I suggest you leave this is your only warning". All of there faces quickly turned pale before long the rest of the group had there guns in their hands ready to shoot me. Seeing them toss away my gift of life to them so quickly I only had one word left to describe them all "fools!". 36 Wonderful Feast Part 3 Looking at these three idiots reminded me of something making me wondered if I should call them the three stooges. "No, The Three Stooges were funny these guys are just sad". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. No longer having a reason to converse with those three dimwits I close the hatch and speak a phrase that would make those three shit themselves if they heard it. "On this day I vow we shall meet again in the promised land". After I spoke that phrase the door glowed as the sound painful screams and sorry filled moans came from the other side with the occasional explosion it wasn''t long before all sounds on the other side stopped. I waited a few minutes before opening the hatch to check on their bodies expecting some danger I take out my last loaded gun the revolver I took from Nick. Then I opened the Iron door it slid open with a creak as the smell of burnt flesh and blood filled my nose. The magic runes and circles visible on the walls were all trap spells an obvious warning to anyone who walks down here. Those guys have been here for who knows long and died never considering where they were standing or wondered if someone else would learn the trigger phrase. Keeping my distance just in case I shoot all of them in the head twice then reload before confirming they were dead. The three of them looked terrible I''m not even sure their mothers could recognize them. I took more interest in their souls than there appearance though. Them just dying means an easy meal for me and it was wonderful ever soul was a new experience it brought me endless joy I simply couldn''t stop. After I ate the three fools'' souls I than moved to Ross and consumed his than Claire and them Vincent''s. The more I ate the hungrier I became my soul craved more it wanted something to truly fill it. Getting almost lost in my hunger my ears pick up some noise. Snaping my neck up I see it was Ingram still tied up and gagged "how long has he been watching me? Dumb I keep forgetting all the little details, wait why am I not happy about him being here? this means food". While I had my little international monologue In my head I was staring at Ingram with hungry eyes. It was quite unnerving no matter how you look at it I was like a beast hunched over Vincent''s dead body, a beast that just spotted his new pray. With the magic now gone from my body, I snap my leg back in place ignoring how everything was not lined up properly or the bone fragments digging into me. As I walked towards Ingram with tourn clothes, covered in blood from everyone in the building except his and a limp that just made it look like I was just trying to swagger as I had a big smile on my face. The cell was locked, but I knew Claire had the key I took it from her body so me and Ingram could have a little chat. The look I witnessed on Ingram''s face as I opened the cell was mixed with a bit of fear, but mostly sadness. That fight I had was pretty dangerous yet something tells me he wasn''t afraid of that. After removing his gage I heard Ingram speak for the first time. "Thank you Mr.Gillies you saved me I promise I will never do anything like this again I sware" Ingram was crying as snot dripped from his nose as he spoke which slurred his words even more because his swollen face and busted jaw already made it hard to discern his words. Having to interpret what he was saying caused me great pain, but it had to be done. Leaning in close to him I put my hand on the right side of his face with no ear as I say. "Quiet down Ingram you fool what in the world made you think I came to help you" Ingram had a blank look when he listed to what I said. "What do you mean you''re not here to save me you killed Vincent and 8 of his men why would you do that if not to help me". "Why you say, do you not remember what Vincent said he was going to do to me, it was all obviously for my own benefit and do you not remember what I said about you did you think I was joking you''re already dead to me. How many years had I taken care of you wiped your ass with a smile and fed you only for you to throw shit on me? Go on tell me HOW MANY YEARS!!". Ingram began to ball his eyes out even harder as he strained his voice to speak "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean for any of this to happen. This isn''t what I wanted please let me make it right I can change". "You say you want to change be a different person yet all I ever hear coming out of your mouth are things about you. You don''t love me if you loved me then you would have thought about the man who only wanted to make something good out of two worthless pieces of shit to make a real family a father and a son. You are not my son your just a stranger to me now". Crying even harder with strained breathing Ingram tried to speak as clearly as possible "No, I will not accept it that''s not true I do love you. You raised me as your own when you never had to you may have been an orphan yourself so maybe that''s why you took me in out of pity knowing what it''s like having nothing. But, I don''t care what the reason was for because it was the best time of my life you are my father and I am your son". Looking at Ingram I scratch my chin "that''s quite touching however you seem to be forgetting something well two things actually as I said already your not my son just a stranger meaning it doesn''t matter if you die a dog''s death or not. I will not care just like any other person on the street doesn''t care about the person''s life walking next to them. The second thing you forgot is that your already dead to me if you''re still confused by that then let me give you a hint". Reaching into my pocket I bring out my loaded revolver and aim it right between Ingram ''s swollen teary eyes with a cold distant look on my own. Ingram tried to speak once more "father" Bang!!! I wouldn''t let him, I put 2 more rounds in his skull for good measure. Fresh blood spilled out covering a good bit of the cell floor a dark reflection of my self could even be seen in the blood. I eventually stepped in some of it as I made my way over to eat Ingram''s soul. 37 Wonderful Feast part 4 As Desmond entered Ingram''s body he saw there was something different about Ingram''s soul it was dark and gray. His soul was so bleak it made him feel sad just looking at it. "What''s going on it''s like I''m watching someone crying" Desmond knows all souls were different yet he had never encountered a soul like this. Ingram had suffered months of torture at the hand of Vincent for what he did waiting for that old man to come to rescue him. The physical and physiological anguish he went through is not something many people can endure and come out unscathed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Even after lasting all that time clinging on to that thin thread of hope he had it severed when he was told by the man he regarded as a father he was abandoning him. The man he cared for the most no longer loved him back to prove it he even ended Ingram''s life with his own hands, how could such a thing not break a man. Desmond understood this he was just amazed by the changes it brought to Ingram''s soul. The force of Ingram''s soul came charging at Desmond''s soul it made the space the two resided in feel like taking a swim in a marsh. The energy around Desmond was thick enough to be cut with a knife which was Impressive because Ingram''s soul wasn''t all that special. "Interesting despite his soul being so lackluster he could mobilize much more force than I could at that size and the aura he is giving off feels eerie. It gives off a sense of danger that I didn''t feel from the other guys I consumed. Even all around me, I can hear Ingram''s screaming in pain, begging for forgiveness, and him crying all around me. Could this be it how a soul gains different traits through life experiences?". Ingram''s wails grow louder as the inexperienced fool somehow manages to consolidate his power into a misty figure of himself as he comes charging at me with fingers that turned into daggers. "Fuck you I can''t even do that yet, you just died and you''re pulling off stunts like this I call hacks". Desmond was a bit peeved by Ingram''s cheat like skills, but he wasn''t worried because he was far stronger than Ingram was now. He had already consumed the souls of 8 people today each of those souls was stronger than how Desmond originally was. It took him little effort to push back Ingram''s advances with overwhelming force. His soul shined bright like a lightbulb driving away Ingram''s energy and laming into his apparition. It tried to pushback only to get destroyed by another wave of Desmond''s spirit energy. Having suppressed Ingram, Desmond wrapped his threads around Ingram''s soul tightly, he wanted to see what would happen if he poped a soul this way. Ingram resisted too much forcing a stalemate even though Desmond was stronger so he condensed his energy just like he did in his first fight as a soul. When his energy was finished charging he shot out a thick blue beam that was far more powerful than his first time shooting it right at Ingram. While it did look nice and powerful there was no shortage of people in this world that could simply flick it away. The blast pierced Ingram''s soul expanding him like a balloon till he blew up in a big explosion. Use to the scene of a soul exploding Desmond disregard looking at it and rushed to eat Ingram''s soul. While eating Ingram''s soul Desmond got the shock of his life "what is this the flavor it''s absolutely out of this world. It has a perfect salty sweet taste yet as refreshing and juicy as a freshly plucked peach on a summer morning. No, I''m wrong this is the first drop of milk you drink when you are born. No, yet again I''m wrong these flavors they keep changing It is not one thing, but everything. Could this be the reason why devils again demons collect souls and inflict so much pain and torment on them? Is it all for this taste and the power that fills your body. Truly eating something like this could bring joy to even the bleakest of lives. I absolutely must have seconds is there more? Looking around Desmond was disappointed to find nothing. Done with Ingram''s soul Desmond swaggers over to Vincent''s body and tips his invisible hat to him. "My thanks to the chef I may have added the finishing touches but you broke him. If it wasn''t for you I may never have feasted on such a soul. While you weren''t the greatest of men you proved to be a gift to us all a gift that just keeps on giving even in death. For that, I give you the praise deserving of a good man no, ... My mistake a holy man. That is what they called you his holiness Vincent Marino it truly was a fitting name for you". While thanking Vincent for the meal Desmond suddenly snapped awake "what in the world am I doing? why would I be thanking this man after all the terrible things he did to Ingram. Oh my god, Ingram, I get that he may have noticed something was up when I couldn''t really answer any questions about the shard past of him and the old man, but I could have just avoided him and never talked with him again that would have made sense I didn''t have to kill him. Life is precious ..." Without warning, Desmond started to laugh "what''s going on why did I start laughing all I was talking about was the value of life" Once again Desmond started laughing even harder "What''s so funny that I keep laughing everyone deserves the right to live a life free, happy and ..." the sentence couldn''t even be finished before Desmond started laughing again. "What''s going on with me it''s like I''m missing the joke, but I keep laughing anyway". Thinking he knew the problem Desmond walked towards Claire''s dead body then started speaking "I took this life in self defense I didn''t enjoy ... *snicker*, I didn''t enjoy... *snicker* come on you can do it. I didn''t enjoy ... *snicker* " Desmond couldn''t hold himself back any longer the harder he tried the funnier it got " oh my god I have to stop It''s too funny I''m going to make my self pee". Soon he found himself on the floor laughing his ass off while hold in his stomach occasionally he took a look at the people he killed and laughed some more. It was all like a joke to him a joke that got better each time you read it. 38 Burn It To The Ground Done laughing Desmond picked himself up than dried the tears from his eyes "So eating other people''s souls does have some kind of effect on me that explains why I said all those things to Ingram there must be a bit of those people fused inside me. That means what I said was really what that old man must have felt well the twisted version anyway it''s not like he was in a good state of mind when I ate this soul just like all the others. It was nice though I really needed that who knows how long its been since I last laughed like that". Taking a look around Desmond soon found his missing arm it took him only a few minutes to reattach it back to him with his threads. Feeling curious and seeing no one to stop him Desmond went towards the Iron door in the back. It was a replica of the one in the front without the hatch to look threw the door was already open going through Desmond saw a ten meter long corridor. He felt something wrong before receiving the answer to his unease. The hallway was a trap just like the one in the front only difference was that the magic circles were hidden and this one would automatically attack anyone who didn''t say the right phrase beforehand. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Having eaten a bunch of people who knew the answer Desmond had no reason to feel fear "I walk through this stream as I would the valley of death with a gun in my hand and my cigar lite alight". Having said the phrase Desmond walk forward unimpeded towards Vincent''s storage. He saw a brightly lit up circular room with a bunch of empty cells lined up on the walls that look like they haven''t been cleaned in a while. There were chains attached to the walls of the cells a bed made of straw and a bow I assume would have to be the toilet. There were three doors made of wood to the left, right and center of me. "The door to my left was filled with nothing but cleaning supplies ironic considering how filthy everything was in her. The door to my right was some kind of makeshift torture chamber I don''t think this was what It was used for previously I considered this because there was a grand piano in the corner. Unless they planned on torturing Ingram with there terrible music I see no need to have it there". Desmond felt this all must have been a special add in to accommodate Ingram the room was fairly bare a chair and a table with straps could be found in the middle and another table next to everything with a variety of different tools. Everything was covered in blood including the floor. Seeing nothing of interest Desmond left to the final room inside he felt everything he did was worth it. The room in the center was another storage room that rows of different stuff magic books, magic Crystals, guns, ammo, potions, magic ingredients on a shelf literally labeled magic ingredients, and a stick he could only assume were a magic wand. In this world, while there are artifacts and tools that can increase your strength using them is optional because there are people that could obliterate an army with or without magic items. Looking around Desmond saw a red potion that caught his eye it looked like the other healing potions he drank just bigger and it looked like it had a rainbow inside when held to the light. Since it looked and smelled like a healing potion Desmond drank it. The potion was much higher quality than what he had drunk before it completely repaired all the wounds on his body bones and all making him feel like a newborn baby. While inspecting things further Desmond found a pile of magic scrolls and next to that a pair of black gloves they looked normal, but to be in this room they couldn''t be. Putting on the gloves made them tighten they now perfectly fit Desmond''s hands. Touch the gloves gave made him think he was touching metal they were soft and easy to move in. Tapping the gloves some more they suddenly burst into blue flames, seeing his hands suddenly lite on fire startled Desmond he soon regained his composer seeing the flames were not hurting him. "Amazing magic is so cool being left in this world was the best thing that has ever happened to me". Fuelled by his love for magic Desmond started to check and store away everything he wanted away in the chests that were in the corner of the room. A few of them were empty most were filled with magic crystals the empty chests were filled to the brim with his spoils. While storing away some of the books some of them caught his eye one was an introduction on how to create golems there were also a few books on all those traps he had seen in the hallways. The third thing that caught his eye was a book on Illusions Desmond remembered how he was caught in that plant''s Illusion. He was completely under that plant''s mercy unable to do anything and may have been stuck that way if he couldn''t poke his soul out. The Drowning river was completely different it was somehow able to enchant those who stare at it too long the same if you see your reflection in the water. "Illusions and enchantment if I learn these two things won''t I be untouchable" interested in the Idea Desmond searched for a book on enchantment only to find a book on lesser summoning and telekinesis instead along with another book on how to train your mind and a book with the next set of Intermediate runes I''m supposed to carve into my magic crystal. "The introduction into magic package I bought already had the first five runes anything above beginner grade is regulated and kept out of reach from the public. Then how did these guys get this stuff". Not getting an immediate answer Desmond just came to the conclusion people who live on the other side of the law all have there ways. Finished packing everything away Desmond wondered how he was going to bring his winnings home. He knew going out the front door was a stupid Idea plane and simple who knew who would see him he didn''t even know if he would make it a block before getting robbed. Looking around Desmond had a sudden sense of familiarity with a wall In the corner. He moved a rack that was in the way placed his hand on it then spoke in a language he didn''t know. The wall that was perfectly smooth with no kinds of hints to tell what it was in actuality was a secret escape tunnel. Knowing what to do Desmond took everything he wanted then traveled deep into the tunnel that reconnected with the cities second sewer system. Were he stacked all the goods at the end of before adventuring forward In search of a landmark. It took him a while till he found a manhole that came out into an ally way on the corner of wrinkled burrow and wood line. Not bothering to judge the tasteless idiot that came up with those street names Desmond went back underground to Vincent''s hideout leaving his pile of treasure were it was yet not before stripping naked, leaving his bloody clothes on the floor, then tearing open his body once more to remove all the Items he had brought, and drunk another healing potion to seal himself back up again. Then Desmond went back inside the storage room filled with guns, cases of bullets, and some knifes Desmond while standing there butt naked spoke a phrase that completely collapsed the tunnel behind him. Returning the wall to normal never to be opened again after that Desmond left that room and went towards the closet with the cleaning supplies in it. He remembered seeing prisoner garments in the corner he quickly changed into them. Taking the cleaning supplies Desmond cleaned up whatever blood lead towards the now sealed wall. Then he went to the other room with the dead bodies set up the scene just how he thought it out. In Desmond''s hand were two magic scrolls the last magic scroll he had brought with him and an anti-divination scroll. He tore the anti-divination scroll first, after burning up and dispersing in beauful lights the scroll look like it had no effect, but it did. Then he tore up the scroll firestorm all around Desmond flames started to spread. Igniting the bodies and furniture turning everything around him into an inferno. The flames ignored Desmond, he had a brief window of invulnerably to the scrolls magic since he tore the scroll. Walking off from the burning hell he had created Desmond closed the iron door keeping the fire from spreading to the back rooms there he picked a comfortable looking cell and stabbed himself in the gut with a throwing dagger he found in the other storage room. The stab was not too deep and hit nothing critical it was just good enough to be believable. Than Desmond chained himself to the wall with no key in sight as the fire spread and burned the building to the ground. 39 The Investigation Part 1 2 Days later Gathered around the burnt down building that was Vincent Marino''s base where dozens of men and women dressed in matching black and gold adorned uniforms they were the DCPD (Delmar City Public Defense). They were thoroughly sifting around what remained of the chard building in hopes of stumbling upon more clues. Not far down the road was a black 1920s styled lone strider designed by golden gate auto company''s best designer Masuda Satoru. The car parked on the other side of the street from the building along with a bunch of other DCPD issued cars. Stepping out of the car was a man with short blond hair that blew in the wind, blue eyes, goatee, and an unremarkable build. Walking towards the crime scene he was told to investigate he stumbled upon his Districts captain Haley Marsh. She was wearing her captain''s uniform adorned with many badges instructing officers on what to do. Knowing someone was approaching her Haley turned around to see who it was "Leon you finally decided to grace us with your presence. Now that you are here mind doing some detective work". Leon Keller had a questioning look on his face as he asked "Captain Haley what are you doing you typically don''t come out to any crime scenes". "That''s true I don''t, but this one is a little special I had to see it personally before I could make a decision on whether or not to hand this case off to the Eclipse association and let them send some magi to handle the case. Maybe we will get lucky and they will employ The Order of Peth to do it, despite how insane everyone there is they are good at what they do.". Captain Haley handed detective Leon Keller a folder filed with photos and a detailed account of everything that they were able to find out so far. Captain Haley than instructed Leon to follow her as she leads him to the basement. Leon looked through the information he was given as he received the summary from Captain Haley "here''s what we know right now two days ago there was a huge fire that originated underground spread then burnt down this building that belonged to a known loan shark in the area and suspected drug dealer Vincent Marino. It took two days to clear away the rubble when the rubble was clear the group clearing it away found something. After that, they called us in we arrived here a few hours ago. Vincent Marino along with 7 of his companions and one other person Identified as Ingram Jensen were found dead. All of them died in various ways mostly they died from being shot multiple times. One guy got blasted apart another fell in a puddle of acid created from the spell acid splash. There were also signs of the spell Earth spike surge being used only one person got hit with it a woman at the age of 137. When the killer was finished with there job they took everything of value of Vincent''s then left yet, not before setting the place on fire. The fire was caused by an apprentice level spell firestorm because it is a common low grade spell anyone could have used it narrowing our search down that way useless. Which might have mattered if the people who committed the crime cared in the slightest bit about letting people know who did this". Inside Vincent''s underground office Leon saw a Grotesk seen 9 chard bodies laying in various positions on the floor being examined by other officers. What caught his eye most of all wasn''t the dead bodies it was what was carved into the wall in the middle of the room. It was a depiction of a pair of sharp teeth holding onto an eye that looks directly at you in its jaw. Surrounding the image carved into the wall was the face of one person pealed off from one of the bodies on the floor that was all burnt black from the fire. The pealed off face belonged solely to Vincent Marino everyone else faces were untouched. When Leon saw that he could not help but mutter under his breath a name that strikes terror into those who hear it "Secret Visage". Everyone In the world knows who Secret Visage is they are a very big organization of rogue magi that appeared over 10,000 years ago. They have suspected ties with many powerful people and can be found dealing in every facet of crime imaginable. They have in recent years managed to completely wipe-out an entire city of 20 million and successfully assassinate a rank 5 magi as just a reminder of there power. Secret Visage is chaotic in everything they do to this day no one has figured out a pattern to there actions. There an organization that is neither a terrorist group or a group of Revolutionary they have no discernible goal greater than wanting to watch the world burn. Ever since they appeared a saying developed because of them whenever anything goes wrong in the world Secret visage is nearby. Leon looked uncomfortable as he took a look at everything around him "Captain if this is actually Secret Visage there''s no way I''m doing an indebted investigation I have a wife to think about you know". "I don''t expect you to, just look around you while everyone is doing their job collecting any kind of evidence they can you can clearly tell no one wants to be here right now. Secret visage is no joke the chances of them killing any of us if we look too deep in them are high. All I want for you is do a quick investigation of one person who was able to survive". With a look of surprise on his face, Leon asked: "Survive someone was able to survive an attack from secret Visage". Nodding her head Haley replied with a firm "Yes, while what happened here is a possible attack by Secret Visage it was most likely just a new recruit since the only spells used were apprentice level ones. It''s not the first time something like this happened its rare, but on occasion, there are cases where you can find Secret Visage sending out apprentices there grooming out on missions. We tried using deviation but it was useless unless you can find a high level mage or a skilled seer to dispell it. We also tried contacting the souls of the deceased, but the killer took care of that problem as well. Leaving us to do things the old fashion way until I get the chance to dump this case on the magi". Having a clear understanding of what happened here Leon Keller took a gander at Vincent''s office, the bodies, and the rest of the rooms in the place. Allowing him to Come to realize what kind of person Vincent Marino was. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Not wanting to spend anymore time than he had to on the case he was given Leon took a closer look at the file he was given "no way, they only got the case a few hours ago yet they already finished compiling everything they even got someone to look into the survive''s background and question his neighbors so quickly. They''re just waiting on me and a few other things so they can send it to the Eclipse Association and not have to deal with the case anymore. I''ve never seen such high efficiency before when they heard who we were possibly dealing with it must have scared them all into overdrive". Leon had a sense of relief now that he knew everyone was thinking like him because while he may be a man that would uphold justice to the best of his ability he knew when something was out of his depth. "That''s good than all I have to do is have a chat with a man named Desmond Gillies at Newport hospital and not think about this again". Wanting to put an end to this job like the rest Leon hopped in his car and drove off towards Newport hospital. 40 The Investigation Part 2 Newport Hospital, Delmar City Underground On the second floor in the third wing at Newport hospital was Leon Keller he was walking down the hallway towards room 2-53 the same room housing his cases only survivor and current suspect Desmond Gillies. Remembering what he read in the file he was given Leon started to repeat the info to himself in preparation for the questions he was going to ask Name: Desmond Gillies Date of Birth: N/A - suspected age between 60-80 Sex: male Height: 5''10'''' Race: Human Parents: N/A Siblings: N/A Eye color: Brown Hair color: Gray "The info shows that he is an orphan left here by his parents when he was a child. Also, he is suspected to be a descendant from the Loran Isles which makes him descended from the ancient Romans making him a red blood like me if it''s true". Leon didn''t take any of that info to heart he only remembered what was relevant. Walking further down the hallway he spotted a room at the end of the hallway that had two officers guarding it. He showed both of them his badge before entering, the two officers keeping watch already knew Leon so they just let him pass and from the looks of the two of them they were ready to let anyone pass if it meant saving themselves. Leon wasn''t surprised anything having to do with Secret Visage is like playing with a lit stick of TNT and expecting not to blow up. Entering the room Leon saw an old looking man dressed in a plain white garb the hospital makes all there patients. The man was cuffed to the bed''s railing as he looked out the window. He kept looking out the window taking in the beautiful sight in front him it was the bustling view of the underground shining brightly as it always does in the middle of the dark. Brought to life by the roars from engines as cars went flying by and the beat made from hooves striking the paved road as they drag a carriage filled with people too lazy to walk or those too drunk from wine inside to move. With hoards of people carrying on there day both young and old, beast and man mingling together in harmony. Leon saw this and kind of wanted to let him look out the window a little while longer but he had a job to do "Excuse me Mr.Gillies my name is Leon Keller I''m a detective with the DCPD I''m here to ask you a few questions about what happened at Vincent Marino''s place were we found you locked in a cell and stabbed in the gut with a throwing knife". Leon took out his badge again then showed it to Desmond he than took out a strange looking bell which he placed on the table next to Desmond. Leon also took out a pin and a small notebook he kept in his pocket to jot down notes. Desmond was still looking out the window for a few more seconds until he slowly turned around to face Leon. "Mr.Keller if it was not for the quick response of the brave man and woman that protect this city I may not be alive today. I might have been stuck there for 2 days but when I think about how such a place could have been my grave 2 days with a knife in my gut is nothing. So please ask any questions you wish I will answer to the best of my ability" Desmond had a lively smile on his faced as he bared his gums at the detective. "That''s nice to hear, but please just call me Leon I hate having to go through any kind of honorifics and stuff like that". Desmond had no problem with that since he hated doing that too, in response to Leon Desmond just nodded to him in agreement. "Great, now before we start I must inform you the bell I placed on the table works as a lie detector normally we would not do this but since this case has possible ties to some very special people we are given special permission and can bypass some red tape. Passing the lie detector will not help you in any way but failure will force me to formally detain you until we get everything sorted out. Do you understand everything that I have said to you if not I can go through it again or I can get someone else"? Desmond looked at the small bell on the table than at detective Leon with a smile "I understand completely ask me anything away". "All right then" Leon started off asking Desmond a bunch of basic questions like is your name Desmond Gillies, were where you born, where do you live and other things like that the bell didn''t ring once the entire time. "you''re doing excellent now tell me how did you end up in a cell under Vincent Marino''s base" Leon looked right at Desmond as he waited for a reply. "I owed Vincent Marino money it wasn''t me who accumulated the debt though it was a boy I called my son his name was Ingram. Ingram joined Vincent''s gang without my knowledge eventually he got addicted to pixie dust and skooma. His addiction got so bad he ended up stealing and selling stuff from Vincent Marino. It took a while for me to find out what happened when I did I begged Vincent to let me take on Ingram debt. The amount of money he wanted was so much I couldn''t make that much no matter how hard I tried. Even when I went to clover forest to hunt all I met was failure so on the deadline I sold myself to Vincent In exchange for Ingram freedom Vincent excepted my offer. He said he was going to use me to ferment some drug inside my body then I was thrown in a cell. He was a foolish kid I took care of him when he had nowhere else to go but I loved him nonetheless do you know what happened to him?. I was unconscious when they brought me here". Leon had a sympathetic look on his face as he told Desmond "Ingram was found dead in a cell shot in the head with his hands and feet bound his body along with 8 others were burnt up by a spell called firestorm". Desmond''s eyes became watery as he looked like he was on the verge of crying while his whole body shivered "I knew it I just didn''t want to believe it all those gunshots and screams I remember hearing it all". Leon looked intrigued "I know this is hard on you but tell me what you know" Desmond looked at detective Leon with tears streaming down his eyes as he replied with one word "ok". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. 41 The Investigation Part 3 Desmond dried his tears than continued telling detective Leon everything he knew " I was locked away in a cell in the back before everything happened so I did not see the fighting all I heard was the gunshots and screams of other people are they died one by one in the other room. The fighting didn''t last long until that man decided to come into the other room. I never saw his face or any other discernible features he was cloaked head to toe in black and wore a mask made of wood carved with the face of a demon on it. Detective Leon fervently jotted down everything that Desmond was saying " what happened after that?". "When the man with the demon mask came in he immediately saw me then threw a knife he somehow pulled out of thin air right at me. I thought I was going to die and so did he. so he left me alone and proceeded to ransack the place let the place on fire and left I was playing dead on the floor in the cell the whole time". Leon glanced at the magic bell that''s had not rang once then continued writing down what Devin told him " is there any other information you can remember that may be of any help" "No" Desmond replied "Alright than were almost done I just need to ask you a few questions about history, geography, and a few other misalliance stuff" Desmond found what Leon said quite odd "why do you need to ask those things it has nothing to do with this situation" "Its something that we have to ask everyone that gets arrested now or is acting suspiciously it only started a few weeks ago so not surprised you don''t know. Either way, I have no choice one the matter also if you get too many answers wrong I am required to immediately detain you until you are cleared of your suspicion by official magi". Leon asked Desmond a few more questions and what he felt he had enough thanks Desmond for his cooperation and left. ... Alone in the hospital room again Desmond had a sigh of relief, while that magic tool that Leon brought did scare him a little Leon would never get the truth out of Desmond that way. While Desmond is the one piloting the body it was never his, to begin with, the body is simply a convenient vessel and home for Desmond. Ever since his soul got stronger he has gained much greater control over his body to the point switching facial features is a sinch for him. His ability to control his body like that allows Desmond to have amazing acting skills. But, the trick that allowed Desmond to not set off the bell that could detect lies was him drawing back his spirit huddling it away deep inside him. This shutdown Desmonds body completely even his heart stopped beating this left Leon to interview a lifeless corpse. By using hundreds of spirit threads Desmond effectively maneuvered his body fooling detective Leon. "Finally gone now I can get back to what I was doing before". While Desmond has been chained in the cell Underground and cuffed to the hospital bed he has been doing two things one was thoroughly inspecting his soul along with his body. the other was experimenting with the new ability he gained. After feasting on all those Souls Desmond could now see all the magic flying around him. He wanted to try cultivating again but he knew it was a bit risky. That''s why he spent most of his time inspecting his soul and trying to master his new sight. "Maybe I should try learning what Ingram did and give my soul more of a physical form that does sound nice, but I can''t do that here who knows what kind of monitoring system they have set up here". Left with little options Desmond sat in bed watching the world around him change color and flash as frequently a disco ball and strobe lights. ... Eclipse Association, Delmar city Sitting at his desk in the Eclipse Association mage tower was Nisus bell Delmar City''s strongest magi, manager, and guardian overseer. Nisus was rubbing his temple trying to relieve the headache he had after finishing today''s documents when a knock came from his door. He wanted to be left alone right now, but he knew to push his work back would only leave him with more the next day so he reluctantly let the person in. "Come in" Opening the door was lord Velar Kadyn in a three-piece black suit, he was holding a newspaper from Titled The Astral Messenger as he approached Nisus. Velar slammed the magic newspaper on the table that had moving pictures and words advertising different things. "Nisus did you learn about what happened over at the Elven Kingdom Kingdom and the Magi Empire" Nisus looked at Velar while still rubbing his head " of course I have it''s one of the reasons why I have such a migraine" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I just can''t believe what''s going on right now the rank 5 dragon Heilbron that guards the elves western side has gone completely wild. From the looks of things, The Thorn Mountains has already turned into an active volcano range, it doesn''t look like Heilbron is gonna stop anytime soon so it won''t be long till Solaris Kingdom''s west side Is a sea of flames. Not to mention what happened at the Starling Empire''s Coast almost half of the Loran isles sunk into the sea millions of people died no one knows the cause right now all they know it was not natural. "That''s what pains me so much only those that are rank 4 and above can cause that much damage. So, many things are happening all around us and I know you can see it too we don''t even have the right to know let alone participate for one reason alone we are too weak. Many people see us as strong they are all mistaken it is only when you come this far that you become enlightened on how insignificant you are. It is only at rank 4 that we have the right to call ourselves cannon fodder. Anything below that is just Mages in training. back in the day when the God''s we worship walk the earth ranks 4 were everywhere, they were the most common soldiers filling the ranks. It was only those truly devout soldiers that had received the blessings from there god and rose to the ranks 5 and 6 that actually mattered in battle. While powerful they were all nothing, but slaves completely at the mercy of their ''God''. Their nothing like Magi they had to have their power gift it to them they could only have it rise the whim of who they serve. The death of the Gods was the best thing that ever happened in this world because of that humans found the path the true freedom and enlightenment. We use that knowledge to break free from the shackles that are the crystal cores inside of us all. So that we may walk our own path in forge our own destiny. Velar nodded his head agreeing wholeheartedly with what Nisus said: "Oh by the way what information did you manage to gather from those souls found in Clover Forest?". 42 Strange Turn of Events Part 1 Nisus leaned back in his chair as he began to explain to Velar what he had found when examining the souls. "I have not finished examining all the souls at the moment, what I have managed to find out about them is quite interesting. All the soul that popped up in Clover Forest does not have any knowledge of how they got there. They seem to have been sucked into some tare in space which brought them all to our world. Each soul is completely different they all come from various planets, planes of existence, and alternate dimensions. Were ever all those souls were it scrubbed most of them clean of there plane coordinates, but not all of them making our loss of only 3 magi well worth it. Even if we had to kill off a thousand magi to get these souls the Eclipse Association would still prophet greatly. My probing also shows many of the souls suffer from memory loss this partly reduced the size of there souls, but by not much, the size decrease is quite negligible. The amount of the soul''s memory that is lost is not tied to the size of the soul. There are souls In that orb you gave me that are on the verge of extinguishing yet, still, they fully retain their memories. While another similar soul 40 times the size of the previous one I examined completely lost its memories it was unable to speak just scream incoherently every time I jabbed at it. Another thing is that these soul are just like you said before parasitic. They require a host far more than regular wandering souls or they will completely fade away. As you already know a soul that has managed to stick around long after there death becomes wandering souls, wraths, ... ect they normally have no need to inhabit a body so they don''t fade away. I latter damaged a few of the souls to see how they would be able to heal that damage. I was not surprised that they were able to heal just like every other spirit type entity by consuming other souls. You know how difficult it is for a person to heal their soul if it''s damaged don''t you Velar" Velar nodded at Nisus "of course you could spend dozens of years to your whole life trying to repair your soul that''s why magi take many steps to guard against such things. Spirit type entities have the easiest time repairing their souls. While there are spells that a mage could use to do the same thing even more efficiently none would do it unless they had no other options because of the potential corruption you would face. Even if you managed to burn away a soul''s consciousness something would still linger around polluting you". Nisus agreed with what Velar said than continued " these souls retain the ability to devour other souls even after they inhabit a body. If a soul inhabits a person''s body and keeps doing that you know what''s going to happen?". Velar looked at Nisus not stumped in the slightest by the question " if a soul inhabits a body and keeps eating other souls while in that body they will explode. This happens because the soul grew too big to fast the body they possessed most likely would belong to someone weak without a strong body there is no way a big spirit could reside inside. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. That''s why magi increase there vitality as much as they can so they won''t end up dying from there own power. If these things also just focus on only eating souls it would cripple any chance they had of advancement such a barbaric way of gaining power is fine when you don''t have a body, but if they do that there just digging their own grave. Such actions are only Viable till they reach rank 3 I suppose". Nisus nodded in agreement again "This would not be a problem for normal spirits but these are different they would still be bound to the first body they inhabit. Even if those souls managed to escape the confines of whatever or whoever they inhabit there would be little point unless its an emergency for them because the new body would most likely be too weak, or incompatibility since they would have already gained traits from the last thing they inhabited which would limit there next choice, or both. When these souls possess a body they obtain full control the wounds they receive from non-magical weapons are negligible it only damages the vessel there inhabiting at the time. So trying to kill them that way will not work you need to use magic or chi the same thing warriors use. Stabbing them with a normal magic knife would ensure actual damage but it won''t kill them the same as tearing them apart even if you use magic to do it. The weak ones won''t be able to pull themselves together when attacked with magic the strong ones are different there resilient and can force out the magic still on them. To effectively kill them there are many ways I recommend just setting them on fire to kill them if you''re short on time, but it has to be fire created from magic. Its the connection they have with the thing they''re attached to that keeps them alive even though they should be dead. Injecting their body with foreign magic beaking whatever connection they had with what they possessed than a simple stab to the heart or brain would kill them then. You could also purify the body in a ritual like how we do when we want to chop down a tree and kill them then. There are many kinds of weapons and techniques you could use to finish them off. You coul also just directly destroy the soul if your able to". Velar looked at Nisus unfazed by what he heard "so what your saying is these guys are super easy to kill you just need the right tool. I''ve fought many mages with far stranger abilities and far more stubborn to kill than what I heard". "While interrogating the souls I did face one problem there apparently trying to hide something from me. Everytime I try to force one of them to speak about it they steel themselves and endure anything I do to them. There scared of something what I do not know but what ever it is they find it more terrifying then me which is a grave mistake on there part". "Nisus the thing there scared of is most likely the cause for what brung them here so if were find what it is than we can figure out why all these souls are here". Nisus agreed with Velar once more "but you must know were the true value of these souls lye. I''ve tested it and it seems these souls are able to change there plane coordinate to match that of any world as many times as they want. They only need to either eat a soul from that world or possess an object that originated from there. I think you can guess what that entails can''t you?." "If I''m following your train of thought then that means that we obtained a potentially disposable army of easy to manipulate rank 3 mages that we can groom by force-feeding souls and a little training. With them being able to change their plane coordinate on a whim they can effectively avoid the suppression from the world''s will allowing them to use 100% of there power making them the best invasion force imaginable. That means that the rate at which clans everywhere concur worlds will increase 1000 fold and since we were right next to where it happened we obtained a powerful and priceless army for free. Nisus lapped the table as he laughed because he was spot on "we did practically nothing and now we''re going to be showered with gifts. Not just us everyone in the clan I heard the chairman already started receiving all kinds of offers for only a hand full of the souls we got". Nisus was happily celebrating when someone else knocked on his door. He let the person in to see it was his secretary "what is it?". Nisus secretary who was a rank 2 mage bowed showing his respect to Nisus and Velar before speaking "I have urgent news an envoy from The King of Beggars has arrived here requesting an audience he is currently waiting in the lobby". Nisus had a look of surprise on his face as he jolted up from his seat "The King of Beggars envoy, this could be troublesome". 43 Strange Turn of Events Part 2 The King of beggars is a world renown rank 6 powerhouse who stands closest to the top in the world. He is one of the best a true prodigy that started his rise from a complete shit hole. The man should have died a hundred times over just from living where he was. He was constantly ill and malnourished to the point he was mostly skin and bone, but he resisted by fighting against his fate allowing the man to become a legend. His rise was as glorious as a shooting star he stole the amulet of aurora an Item that holds knowledge personal inscribed by a fallen god, managed to transcend the limits of his power and kill a rank 4 cataclysm when he was only rank 3 a feet never before recorded in history, ripped out the oracles right eye which he now wears around his neck, the expanded the area in which we inhabit, and obtained the shattered scepter of Anubis. "There are things for which a person could admire and fear The King of Beggars, transcend his limits and killing a rank 4 would have been enough to scare a person making them fully consider you a threat including me. The difference between ranks is not simply a lower rank mage could usually never beat a higher rank one especially when the battle is between a rank 3 and 4 the difference between the two is massive. Since such a person even bothered to send an envoy to a lowly rank 3 magi it could only be for one thing." Nisus took a second to think then he straightened his back regaining his composure " you may guide the messenger in". The secretary bowed again then left the room returning soon with a hooded rat the size of a human. Nisus wasn''t shaken by the envoy''s appearance he already knew that the King of Beggars constantly subjugated the ratmen. The ratmen are a cynical race that is ruled only by the strongest in their group. How the King of Beggars managed to make a race of self serving giant rats that have no qualms with killing another one of there own simple for not moving out of the way fast enough is unknown to everyone. Why he did it that''s an easy question the ratmen have an innate ability at birth to manipulate poison and spread disease in addition to there high birth rate. They are the last kind of enemy a nation''s army would want to fight because they would end up sick from a sudden plague as they are drowned by a sea of rats. The ratman approached Nisus while the secretary left the room the ratman''s arms hanged out of his cloak in front of him having his sharp claws in full view. His whiskers twitched constantly as he sniffed around the room the raman stopped inspecting the room when he arrived in front of Nisus. "Greetings lord Nisus Bel my name is skern one of The King of Beggars messengers I am here to collect half of the souls that you obtained a few weeks ago on behalf of The King of Beggars. Hand them over to me quickly right now so I may be on my way". The ratman squeaked ever now and again as he spoke bluntly. Nisus wasn''t insulted by the ratman''s lack of etiquette the whole ratmen race is known for how impolite they are "Skern while I am pleased to know I have something that can interest someone as great as the King of Beggars the thing he wants is not mine to give away. If he wishes to obtain some of the souls in my possession he will have to speak with the chairman of the Eclipse Association". Nisus stayed as polite as possible to the ratman even though it was at rank 3 like him he knew he could easily kill him if he needed to. The only reason he stayed polite was out of fear of accidentally insulting the person he represents. The ratman snickered as it squeaked "Your chairman has already agreed to loan out half of the souls in your possession so hand them over". Skern extended his paw waiting to receive the souls Nisus had. Nisus raised his eyebrow after what the ratman said "the chairman already agreed, but I haven''t received any reply from him confirming this" "That''s because The King of Beggars and your chairman finished making the deal 5 minutes ago. When the ratman finished speaking Nisus felt a rise of energy behind him it was coming from the crystal ball on his desk meant for long range communication. Nisus approached it then he placed his hand on it. He only had his hand on the ball for a few seconds, but it was enough to have a full conversation with his chairman. Nisus turned around to look at the ratman "Alright I will get you half the souls now return to the lobby I''ll be there in a few minutes". The ratman didn''t make a fuss about being asked to wait in the lobby he just sneezed shook himself a little then left. Velar turned to Nisus wanting to question him "what did the King of Beggars offer to make the chairman give up half of the souls we have". "I don''t know, but apparently were only letting him barrow half so we will get them back whenever the King of Beggars is finished with what he has to do. It''s not just use who is doing this the King of Beggars has apparently approached everyone who has these special souls in there possession". "what do you think he could want them all for such these souls while special shouldn''t interest a rank 6 that much?" Nisus closed his eyes as he began to think "I heard a rumor that he was trying to advance so maybe he believes the key to his advancement is hidden with these souls". Velar was a bit speechless he had no idea what it took to advance to rank 7 the same for ranks 5 and 6 since the amount of rank 7s walking around could be counted on a person''s hand it gave a clear indication of the mountain the King of Beggars was trying to scale. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. While Velar was standing there in thought Nisus had already teleported to the Eclipse Association''s vault and brought back what he needed. Only Nisus and Velar have the ability to teleport around the Eclipse Association''s tower because they hold the highest authority anyone else that tries would be automatically attached by the mage tower. Nisus than went to the lobby where the ratman was waiting while holding a rainbow orb that kept changing color. It contained half the souls Velar and his squad had collected but of the souls that contained a plane coordinate just as his chairman instructed. He hanged the orb to the ratman who inspected it and left without saying anything. When the ratman left Nisus sighed " this is exactly what gave me that headache all the powerhouses in the world are moving in the background and I don''t even have the rite to know until its to late". 44 Strange Turn of Events Part 3 3 Days later Mink Street, Delmar City On Mink street in Delmar City is a building styled after a grand Gothic church that had clear signs of no expense being spared in its construction. The building was made of polished stone clustered columns kept its enormous structure standing tall as its sharply pointed spires reached for the heavens. Intricate sculptures of man, beast, beastmen, winged humans and more lined the walls displaying both horror and beauty as it all shined in the moonlight. Walking up towards the building by following the path laid out with large stone slabs and up the staircase was a cloaked man who kept his features well hidden. He was calm and composed as he made his way to the heavy wooden front door of the building that he opened with ease. Inside the building had a similar style to outside statues of different races was on each side of the building, a mural was on the ceiling of the main room it was embedded with gold and precious gems that all came together to tell an old story. Ribbed vaults decorated the ceiling of the hallways while every room that its influence could reach was illuminated by the light from the moon that changed color as it was reflected through stained glass. The man walked through the main hall that had no chairs just long heavy triangle prisms made of metal on the floor. The prisms were rusted and stained with blood from those who kneeled on them before. The prisms were all placed in front of a mirror to reflect the one causing you pain in your life. The man skipped all this and headed to the basement as he opened the basement door where he was met with a room set up like an office. There were no dividers just a couple of desks with files on them. In the distance, he could see a man that looked like he was in his 20s that had on a white button shirt, black pants with straps on it that he had hanging to the side of him. He was reading a book that covered his face only his black spiky hair popped out from behind the book as a fire was burning in the trash can next to him. The cloaked man didn''t bother talking to him or say anything about the fire burning in the trash can next to him he just wanted to make his report to priest Revon than leave. At Revon''s office, the cloaked man knocked on it and waited after receiving a reply he entered. There he saw priest Revon rank 2 magus manager of The Order of Peth''s side branch in Delmar City he was wearing dark mage robes that shimmered every time he moved. Revon had a smooth bald head and a handsome face with piercings on him. He had a lip to ear piercing on the left side of his face, a piercing on his right eyebrow, and another small one on his nose. He was writing up some documents when he stopped to speak "your back early Raynard how did your mission go". Raynard took off his hood revealing himself to be a dark toned man with light brown eyes. He had a stern face and his muscular build could faintly be made out through his cloak. "The mission you gave me was a complete waste of time Secret Visage wasn''t the one who killed Vincent Marino and set fire to his base. Someone just made it look like that to make people look in a different direction. The whole was executed by someone who is most likely not even an apprentice level mage". Revon cuffed his hands together and hung his head in disappointment "that''s a shame and here I thought we would be able to have some fun around here. Those guys at the Eclipse Association forced us to take the mission with everything they had they even paid extra on to of the premium amount I gave them all in advance too . I never thought there was someone brave enough or maybe just stupid enough to impersonate Secret Visage. So what are you going to do now?". "I''m going to take a quick break and wait for the next murder case related to Secret Visage to show up. It should be happening soon there''s no way Secret Visage is going to let someone use there name freely and let them get away". Revon nodded in agreement "so you''re not even going to try to find and protect the guy". "No there''s no point Secret Visage won''t show up if I''m there and will kill him the second I''m not. That fool brought this on themselves so I might as well make them useful". "What about the chance Secret Visage does nothing?". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "If they do nothing then I would have to buy a drink for the person with the god defying luck. Either way, this case doesn''t even reach an official adept level so there''s no point in keeping it ". Revon didn''t care what tactics his clansman used so long as they got the job done and didn''t cause a huge problem for the clan and himself anything was acceptable. "alright give your file to Drew let him file it and I guess let the DCPD know they can investigate the case without worry or whatever I don''t care just get out". Shooed away by Father Revon, Raynard went over to Drew and slammed a file on his desk. Drew didn''t even bother looking at the file he just threw it in the flaming trash and kept reading Raynard knew what he did, Father Revon knew what hew was most likely going to do, but no one cared. This is The Order of Peth and truly efficiency at its finest. 45 Strange Turn of Events Part 4 Home at his apartment building wearing some cheap clothes he got at the lost and found section. Desmond after having to wait at the Newport hospital cuffed to a bed for so many days let out a long awaited sigh of relief. "The DCPD people let me go because of lack of evidence and because the case was no longer theirs they had it transferred to a different group of people. Since the doctors already gave me some surgery because I accidentally nicked something when I stabbed myself and since I was healthy as a man who just got stabbed they let me go. The funny thing about this world is surgery is very cheap I asked them to just give me a healing potion, but it cost 150 magic crystals for the cheapest one". Desmond berated himself for chugging down those healing potions like there was no tomorrow he did that till he was in front of the door to his room. Where he saw it was closed shut with some rope and a nail, Desmond shook his head at the shabby work done to fix his door then removed the rope and walked in. His room was a mess he could tell it was the DCPD because he didn''t think Vincent''s gang was built much on close ties and loyalty plus he had never heard of officers that fix the place up when there done searching it. "At least they didn''t ruin my books" Desmond turned on his magic sight and took a look around his place to see if he could find anything with magic on it. He could tell if something is magical or not even guess the strength of the magic inside something depending on the intensity of the glow around the item in question. After walking around Desmond found nothing just the glow from the magic Crystals he had hidden under his bed along with the 800 drachma (8 Gold mine) which the DCPD definitely found. He was happy that at least nothing was taken before Desmond could celebrate his small victory he heard someone walking in his living room he wasn''t surprised to see it was Oleg. Oleg was Dressed only in a pink bathrobe and fluffy slippers the hair on his body was still wet the man clearly just got out of the shower. Whiffs of steam rose up off his body while drops of water dripped down his legs moistening the floor beneath him making this hairy beast of a man look as wild and untamed like the Amazon Rain forest. His gaze locked on Desmond when he entered the room like a hunter who found its pray "Desmond fucking Gillies what the hell man? You come back after weeks of not paying rent, get your ass beat up in my apartment building, have 2 men stalk my halls for days scaring my tenants they even break my door. Then I have my place raided by the DCPD asking question after question to me and everyone else that knew you. Only for me to find out you got into all this shit because of Vincent Marino. Aren''t I a good landlord I buy a big and beautiful A/C unit for all my tenants I even have a cellphone booth attached to the building. So why do you insist on bringing me all this trouble? Desmond with his mouth wide open not believing what he was hearing "That A/C unit you bought has never once been turned on in all the time I''ve been here". "that''s because I only turn it on when its hot outside" "It''s hot right now and that cellphone booth you''re talking about was put in for public use by the city" "it''s attached to my building which means that I own it. You know what I don''t need to take this kind of harassment I want you out of my building you are to much trouble". As much as Desmond wanted to punch Oleg in the face he needed a place to stay "Now there''s no need for that I just got back from a stressful situation so I lost my temper a bit here take this it should help make things up". Desmond handed Oleg 10 magic Crystals Oleg looked at them with a bit of greed in his eyes but refuse. So Desmond took out another 5 magic Crystals Oleg took longer to consider, but still refused that''s when Desmond pulled out another set of 5 Crystals. There was clear hesitation from Oleg since Desmond was essential paying a years rent for 40 tenants which is more than Oleg makes a year. After fighting it over in his head Oleg accepted Desmond''s offer. With the minor problem solved Desmond told Oleg to fix his door and to get him his new key. Oleg said he would get everything Desmond wanted in a few days and for him not to make a racket now that he''s back. Oleg went back home loudly shutting his door and immediately turning on his radio playing the same music Desmond now began to hate. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Alone at last so much stupid shit keeps getting in the way of me practicing magic. I''m not having any more of that, nothings gonna stop me from learning magic now". Ready to immerse himself in the world of magic Desmond prepared to first take a shower because it''s been almost a week since he last has done that. In his bathroom Desmond looked at his old wrinkled self in the mirror tired of all the things that''s happened to himself "look at me why couldn''t I be young and beautiful time is a cruel mistress everyone else so lucky had a better affinity with magic at birth so you get to stay young longer than me. It must be the same for you too such a handsome face and that silky smooth long black hair with those piercing dark eyes even your skin is flawless your like a newborn baby. Yet, the trick is your probably way older than me maybe you''re some kind of 1000 year old hermit who collects teeth in his spare time". It took Desmond a second to register what he was saying with what he was seeing, when he did he turned around to see no one standing behind him. Still, he could see clear as day another man standing behind him in the mirror "Oh Shit!" 46 Mirrors Image Desmond stared directly at the man shown inside his mirror as afraid as he was Desmond tried to speak with him "hel ..." before he could even speak Desmond felt something grab his neck. The man in the mirror had his right hand raised towards Desmond it was at that moment he felt someone grab his neck hard. Desmond found it hard to breathe as the invisible force chocked him even harder, he tried using his hands to pull away what was there, but Desmond only grabbed air as he was being strangled harder. The man in the mirror lifted his right hand that was still in a grabbing position and Desmond lifted up with him. Desmond was dangling in the middle of the room despite for air kicking and flailing his arms around while the man in the mirror watched. Seeing that Desmond could only handle a little more of that kind of torment the man in the mirror left the bathroom mirror. The mirror above the sink rippled as the Mirror Man''s full body came into full view his mage robes were studded dark gray with an outline of black. He looked at Desmond with indifference as he willed Desmond''s flowing body closer to him. "You were the only survivor from the attack on Vincent Marino''s base correct tell me everything you know. Who dared pose as one of us to fraudulently claim to be a member of Secret Visage is a sin that can be cleaned with only death". The Mirror Man loosened the hold he had on Desmond''s neck allowing him to breathe a little. With fresh air in his lungs, Desmond tried to scream for help, but he was quickly strangled again shutting him up for good. "Trying to scream for help isn''t going to work" with that said the Mirror Man swished his finger in the air a bit which made the room shimmer a bit in Desmond''s eyes. Desmond had no Idea what the Mirror Man did, but he felt it sealed his fate. "There now no matter how much you scream no one will hear you" the Mirror Man looked at Desmond struggle as he chuckled "well don''t get too comfortable I know I''m a great host and all, but you did try to call for help and I don''t like that". With a simple flick of his wrist, all the fingers on Desmond''s left hand were broken. Desmond couldn''t even scream out in pain because he was still being chocked. "Well come on then out with the answer already I have other people to kill they don''t always do it for me". He loosened his grip on Desmond once more he started sobbing pleading with the Mirror Man to let him go it was truly a pathetic sight. Desmond may have toughened it out when inside the Clover Forest and when he faced down Vincent and his crew, but he was completely out of his depth against this guy. Desmond''s ignorance of the world shielded him from the overwhelming suppressive force of the people who really run the world the magi. After eating those souls Desmond was enlightened a bit on his position in the world and some of the terrifying groups like Secret Visage who people have nothing nice to say about them. He knew of the kinds of things these people have done and was going to happen to him now that he upset them. The Mirror Man was getting bored of the old man''s plea to let him go, drowning out the noise he looked at the watch on his wrist and became upset when he realized he had gone over the time limit he gave for himself. "That''s enough, *Sigh* I always do this I have to stop playing with my victims" The Mirror Man rubbed his brows than looked Desmond in the eyes. The Mirror Man''s eyes flashed than he spoke again "Tell me what you know, who killed Vincent Marino and impersonated Secret Visage?" The Mirror Man''s voice sounded like a beautiful melody to Desmond it had the same warmth you would get from your family it was the voice of someone you could trust like an old friend. In a dazed state Desmond spoke, "it was me I killed Vincent and his crew, cut Vincent''s face off nailed it to a wall and carved the symbol of Secret Visage on the walls". The Mirror Man was a little surprised the powerless old man did it all but overall didn''t care it just meant one less trip tonight. Breaking out of his daze Desmond realized what he had said he tried to stop the man by groveling at his feet. But, The Mirror Man was having none of Desmond''s shit so he tightened his grip on Desmond''s neck even harder than he was before. Knowing his end was coming Desmond wanted to at least go out like a man and not as a sniveling coward. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. With much effort Desmond extended his right hand flipping The Mirror Man off as he struggled to say his last words "Fuck you, you wanna be Jedi". Desmond felt a bit of accomplishment in what he did in his last moment alive. The Mirror Man, on the other hand, was scratching his head in confusion "what are you doing, and whats a Jedi?" The Mirror Man just write what Desmond did in his last moments off as the actions of a senile old man moments before death. With that said and done The Mirror Man waved his arm around tearing apart his arms and legs he even severed his head from his body and ripped open his stomach spilling his guts out. It was a quick kill that only took him 5 seconds all of Desmond''s body parts and blood floated in the air not a drop of blood even made it to the ground. The Mirror Man than slammed all the body parts on the wall of the bathroom shower than he conjured a bunch of knives that shot into the severed body parts. One of the knives was shot down Desmond''s throat pinning his head to the wall. His face remained twisted from disbelief not from his sudden death, but from him just realizing no one on this planet knows what a Jedi is the sacrilege. Still in disbelief Desmond''s vision darkened as he closed his eyes while the Mirror Man left through the mirror, but not before carving the symbol of secret Visage on Desmond''s forehead. It is there Desmond stayed pinned to the bathroom wall by dozens of blades while the bathroom was reduced to a bloody mess. 47 No More Time passed by slowly, outside everyone continued on with their day and across the hall, Oleg was blasting his music in everyone''s ears just as loudly as he always does. No one knew what happened in Desmond''s room and they never will. After a few hours, the blood that spilled out of Desmond''s body onto the walls and down the drain dried. The bathroom was still lit up brightly from the light bulb on the ceiling. It fully illuminated Desmond''s body as he stayed pin to the wall a gruesome mess. Any sane person would believe this man to be dead but he wasn''t. it was only a small subtle movement, but Desmond''s eyes started to twitch. he activated his second sight that allows them to see Magic. he had been waiting to make sure the mirror man was actually gone. After he confirmed the mirror man''s departure he started to move again. he focused and in mere moments Desmond conjured hundreds of Spirit threads that extended to every part of his dismembered body. His limbs started to wiggle around full of life once more, but no matter how much he jerked his limbs he could not unpin any of his body parts from the wall. unwilling I to give up Desmond wrapped his threads around one of the knives hitting his leg to the wall and forced it out. the mirror man made the knives appear out of thin air but the knives themselves were not magical. This made removing them easy for Desmond to pull out of his body. it took a considerable bit of his strength and concentration to pull the knives out freeing himself. the Blasted things hurt a lot going in his body for Desmond and it hurt just as much coming out. each knife made a cleaning sound as they fell on the floor of the bathroom splashing more of Desmond''s blood around and glistened beautifully from the light coming from the light bulb. With each limb and his torso free Desmond began the reattachment process. he wasn''t going for perfect this time he just needed to make sure his limb stick together so he could get to work. while reattaching his body parts Desmond lamented over his situation. He hated his luck because it was his shitty luck that has been keeping him in a constant cycle of pain. now though it seems he owes his luck an apology because the mirror manfully had the capability to kill Desmond. If it wasn''t for his urge to finish Desmond off quick he most likely would have gone for Desmond''s soul. Secret Vistage is a powerful organization, the Magi in this world are powerful, and he is just one man with no friends and no one to back him so what was he supposed to do besides the only thing he could. With his limbs attached Desmond didn''t dally he got up and started moving great speed to tear the mirror off the wall. he didn''t break it because he thought there would be no point in that. if the mirror man could enter through the bathroom mirror then he could enter through fragments of it. Desmond placed the mirror on the floor so no light would show into it then he turned off the light in the bathroom. along with the rest of the house before he moved to cover every reflective surface he could think of be it the light bulb, TV, table, chair, and more he was taking no chances. Desmond knew the kind of situation he was in that he was probably being watched by the DCPD and maybe Secret Visage as well. but he couldn''t really think of that now he was fucked no matter which way he looks at it. his body was a complete mess and he knew he most definitely couldn''t stay the way he was. so he stitched up the mark mirror man gave him making it less noticeable. then he grabbed them thickest clothes he could find in his closet and than set off for the stash he had hidden away in the sewers. Desmond didn''t need anything else besides a potion and some of those books. He didn''t like doing such things Desmond never wanted to do such things but this is where fate brought him. he only wanted to study Magic in all its beauty gaze into the unknown and let people know that he made it here. that he had seen what few have and most never will. Now he is disgusted becausenow he has to reduce his love to nothing more than a tool to kill. Desmond never sought out Magic for power, but now he must because without it he will never get to see the truth of everything and what lies beyond what are our eyes could tell us. Desmond took some money from under his bed before he left. When Desmond did leave his apartment he took a bizarre route trying to find a cab. Honestly, Desmond felt little point in what he was doing because when there''s magic involved where could he possibly run to when he doesn''t even know the basics of magi or stealth tactics. How could he possibly even think of hiding when these people are capable of finding him galaxies away. After a while of walking an empty carriage drove past Desmond''s location. He waved the Coachman down in hopes he was for hire luckily he was. Now with a ride, Desmond''s Journey will be a Swift one. He told the coachman to go to the corner of wrinkled burrow and Wood line Street the same place his treasure is stored. It took around 20 minutes for Desmond to arrive there. he paid the Coachman 20 drachma even though it didn''t cost that much the rest was a tip. Desmond doesn''t have as much love for money here as he would on his old world for him the only thing of real value was Magic and anything that allowed him to study it. Desmond checked around him for any prying eyes finding none he preceded Underground. It was a long walk in pitch darkness, but it was no problem for Desmond he activated his magic sight allowing him to see the magic swirling around in everything around him lighting up the world plenty. After a while Desmond found his hoard in the same spot he left it just covered in rats. He didn''t know if it was the blood from his clothes that attracted him or the smell from the magic ingredients. Not in the mood to consider the thought process of rats Desmond shooed them away than started searching for another healing potion in one of the treasure chests. He quickly found another potion like the special one he drank before. It had more magic swirling around it than the normal ones. Desmond didn''t wait he chug down the whole thing. his bones realigned as his black veins regain their previous color. Muscle tissue clinged together reattaching itself to his other severed parts. The way potions work in this world is truly spectacular it replenished his lost blood and somehow knows where everything is supposed to go. It''s almost like the potion has Intelligence of its own. Reveling in his new vigor Desmond tried searching for the books in the chests only to suddenly cough up black blood. He held his chest in pain and started curling up on the floor more black blood leak from his nose some came out of his eyes Desmond knew what this was from a memory fragment from those souls this was a magic poisoning from drinking too many potions. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. 48 Magic Poisoning magic poisoning happens when too much foreign magic builds up inside a person. the healing potions may be beneficial to people but drinking them in large quantities over a short period of time results in the potion damaging the host body and in extreme cases killing them. the amount of potions a person can drink before they become poison varies greatly. a person with a strong body and High magic resistance can drink more conversion than a person with a weaker body and low magic resistance like Desmond. to remove the effects of magic poisoning you must remove the toxins from your body. this can be done in many ways but Desmond doesn''t know any of them. So Desmond''s only option is to take the long way around the problem and endure through the pain. leaking black blood through his orifices onto the floor Desmond was curled up in a ball finding it hard to breathe as he coughed up more black blood. holding his chest Desmond found the connection to his body weakening a bit his movement slowed down as his body became sluggish and screamed and in more pain. his painful shrieks were heard by only the rats that kept him company. some of his veins turn black and his skin seemed to become a shade paler. while it does hurt this was the least amount of pain that Desmond had to suffer through. he found this little bit of pain laughable compared to what he already endured. Desmond knew the effects of magic poisoning would last a while without the proper way to remove it. so he waited about 30 minutes to fully get use to the effects of magic poisoning before he started taking what you needed and heading home. giving up was a bit challenging or him with the connection to his body weekend by the magic poisoning Desmond moved with the grace of a drunk man at a bar. stumbling his way over to the chest Desmond started rummaging around for what he came for. The books on illusions, magic traps, intermediate rune set, and a few others. Desmond look through some of the books and realize a problem he didn''t know the basics of creating a magic circle that was at the book store Hunter''s Bizzare. realizing the problem Desmond took out 200 magic crystals from the stockpile he had in one of the chests and placed them in a sack that held some magic mushroom ingredients which he already throughout. filled up on everything he could carry Desmond returned home. he didn''t leave through the same way he came in case someone was there waiting for him. he left through a much further manhole cover. there were people walking around but not many Desmond waited there until the coast was clear when it was he quickly left the area and took a coach back home. the ride home was quick on the way Desmond constantly coughed up more blood, but he was just happy nothing happened when he went to retrieve those books. back home to his dimly lit room that had the windows, tables, and any other shiny surface completely covered with whatever he could find that''s been lying around Desmond felt sad. looking at what his life has been reduced to anyone would feel the same. being forced to cower in fear of any reflective surface and the looming danger of a powerful Mage organization back to have committed worse atrocities than Hitler. while still being a probable suspect in the murder of Vincent and his crew. "All I wanted to do is practice Magic how did things turn out like this" depressed by his situation Desmond shoved his sofa next to the door to make sure it was closed. then took a long needed nap he didn''t even think about cleaning the blood stain bathroom because he was going to focus all his energy tomorrow''s Adventure exploring the World of Magic. *** 6 months later inside room 3-12 Desmond was sitting cross-legged in an upright manner focusing every bit of his attention on what he was doing. he had been in the same position for hours doing the same thing he had always been doing every single day for the past couple of months. he had released hundred of his threads into the air in all directions sifting through the wandering elemental particles in the air. it took Desmond two weeks to rid himself of the effects of the magic poisoning. since then he has been diligently meditating allowing him to absorb the particles in the air. most of the magic particles in the air where the sale of blue, black, brown, and green this correspondent with the elements water, dark, Earth, and plants Magic. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. normally a person can not wildly absorb whatever kind of elemental particle they pleased. if they try to absorb something that didn''t correspond with their Elemental affinity then they would suffer a backlash. since Desmond had no affinity you didn''t have to care about that fact. Desmond''s threads whipped around wildly it wasn''t using the same tactic many plants and creatures in the ocean used. by letting describes whip around wildly he is able to use that as a sieve to catch any of the elemental particles in the air. this brought him great success every particle he struck was guided towards Desmond''s body where he repeatedly filled up every cell full of energy until his body could hold no more. then use that energy that he had stored in every spell to carve out the beginner 3D mage runes. doing this what''s harder than Desmond''s first imagined besides having to overcome his poor artistic skills Desmond could never mess up. the margin of error allowed when carving runes on your core is small if he did make a mistake there was a big chance of him damaging his core and being stuck in the same spot forever. the danger inconstant warnings that the Magi stipulated we''re Justified. Desmond has been a soul puppeteering an old man''s body for a while now this gave him a big advantage over normal Apprentice Mages yet, he found inscribing runes on a person''s core difficult. since Desmond score is so small and that he has to inscribe 44 different runes on it in a complicated three dimensional pattern despite that should speak volumes about the difficulty of what he''s doing. time ticked by as Desmond finished the last rune he needed to carve into his core before he could start absorbing Magic to increase his magic Reserves. this is quite the sense of moment for Desmond you would have allowed no mistakes. he cut off all other senses focusing entirely on his core. When the last part of the rune was connected Desmond felt a ripple in his body. The ripple spread outwards attracting all the elemental particles like a magnet to his core. tears formed under Desmond''s surprised face when he accomplished his goal "I did it I''m officially a beginner apprentice mage woo-hoo" 49 Beginning Magic In his dimly lit living room, Desmond sat on the floor only the feeling of glee and the strange power of magic coursed through his body. Desmond, after he accomplished inscribing the 5 beginner runes on his core, started to remember all that he had been through the past 6 months he was here. Despite the mirror man never showing up again Desmond never stopped fearing the possibility of him suddenly popping up to finish what he started. That''s why his room was always dark and why every shiny thing in his house was covered up with something. Desmond also thought that the DCPD was watching him which made him not want to leave the supposed safety of his room despite knowing any mage could just stroll in anytime they pleased. He only went out when he needed to buy food or other things. His training in magic resulted in Desmond acquiring a large amount of extra energy that needed to be burnt off so inside his apartment he was constantly working out. He found it hard to sleep until he was completely tired even after that he would still find time to study all the books he bought and looted. In the past 6 months, Desmond has made multiple trips to his secret stash moving all the books and a few more magic crystals to his room. During one of the trips, Desmond noticed a book on how to create magic circles which saved him 40 magic crystals and a trip above ground. Desmond never really did an in-depth account of all the things he looted so he was happy to find that book in the stash. After Desmond finished learning a few magic tricks Desmond planned on returning to Hunter''s Bizarre to buy every beginner grade spell book he found useful. Desmond was a bit tired from just finishing the fifth rune but he was also to pumped up to finally cast magic to care "all right let''s do this". He had studied every book diligently far more than any student on earth ever did on a subject for school. Going through every line of text and scrutinizing every detail was torture by its self for Desmond. Since the whole, while Desmond had been practicing and studying when he realized something he did not really see before it was that mages aren''t stupid. While In his old world people depicted mages as wise old men with pointy hats they made them seem like bumbling idiots most of the time especially when science was involved. The mages here are basically all interdimensional scientists with the power of a nuke at there fingertips. The stuff they know about science would completely force earth to rewrite what they know about things. In preparation to cast spells, Desmond has been writing notes as he confronted his old enemy in a bid to overcome its math. Magic needs the user to have a complete grasp of every spell there trying to cast any lack of knowledge would result in gaps in your own spell. Which could result in complete failure during casting and glaring weaknesses that an enemy could exploit. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I''m ready" taking in a deep breath Desmond attempted a simple light spell that was given as an example for free in the book set he bought he took every step slowly as to not mess up. First, he pushed his energy outwards keeping it all locked in place inside his hand then he began to draw a circle. The circle waved around making it look like it was going to disappear so Desmond used his left hand to stabilize it making it solid again. He also drew a square inside the box as well symbolizing the 4 basic elements and that was it. He wasn''t doing a complicated spell so he didn''t need anything fancy. Pushing his energy out towards the magic circle in the air was easy so was the step of condensing his energy because the way he controlled magic is with the user''s soul. Since Desmond has been doing complicated things with his spirit already there was no way he was going to be stumped by a spell as easy as the one he was casting. It took a minute, but it finally happened the first spell Desmond has ever cast and the thing that illuminated his future. Conjure light may be a simple spell no better than a light bulb yet nothing could make Desmond happier than what he held above his hands at that moment because that small light didn''t just drive away the darkness in the room, but also the despair he felt in his heart. The light of hope shined brightly in Desmond''s eyes which only made him hungry for more. "If I can do this than I can do anything" wanting to try another spell Desmond quickly got up and rushed for another book of spells only to have his legs give out partway there. Desmond crashed to the ground where he quickly fell asleep. When you just finish inscribing runes on your core your suppose to rest after to consolidate power Desmond''s inability to wait resulted in him expending what little bit of energy he had. Which wouldn''t be a problem if he was experienced in using magic since he wasn''t he couldn''t handle the expenditure knocking him out cold. *** A few weeks later Hunter''s Bizarre, Delmar City In the rackety old stuffy book store that had dust lined on the pile of books that stacked to the ceiling was Ragnar. Dressed in a dark open vest that revealed his bare chest and the scars all over his body, striped gray pants, and his usual disheveled hair. He was serving a strange customer the man wore a long coat that covered his feet and hands, his collar was popped up, and he had a top hat on his head. His face was completely shrouded in darkness even if you brought a light to his face the light wouldn''t be able to piece it. Only Smoke came out of the darkness where his face was supposed to be every time the strange man spoke. "Its been so long why did you even bother giving up adventuring there are so many places to explore, treasure to steal, people to kill. That''s the life for people like us always out constantly on the hunt for something exciting. You can protect your elf girl on the road and not have to really on these walls. Even if it''s more difficult for you you have got to admit your life would be more exciting that way. Think about it that should put the spark back in the sack she should have gotten bored of your same lame old moves already". Ragnar, while he didn''t like what his old friend was saying, didn''t try arguing with him because he knew what the man was all about and what he was trying to make him do. "Say whatever you like I made a promise so I''m keeping it and stop trying to piss me off I''m not going to fall for any of your tricks. You always try to start a fight with everyone you find interesting or strong. Everywhere we went you were always causing the most problems when we were at the inn in Thoen you immediately found the areas local gang and shot their leader before we even got to check in to the rooms. Your poor excuse for turning our already long and dangerous journey into a sudden shoot out was I was gathering information on the area". "In my defense, I was how could we possibly go on a journey without knowing the area" "We were just passing through the town our destination was a whole continent away. Not only that you opened a portal to the fire plane while a portal to one of the nine hells was already open creating a battle no one had control over, and freed a lich with his ghost army from his imprisonment. All that is only the beginning of the kind of shit you have done I don''t even know how any of us manage to stay alive with you around". "I did all that because it was fun and it''s not like what I did was completely bad we benefited greatly every time I took the lead" the strange man laugh hard blowing smoke into Ragnar''s face. Ragnar was displeased with his friend''s sense of humor and what he calls help "Just take the package and leave". Ragnar handed the strange man a small package that got sucked into his coat. When the strange man took the package from Ragnar he heard someone opening the door he didn''t remember the person''s face but he would never forget a smell. 50 Not Seeking Strength When Desmond walked into the bookstore for the second time he wasn''t expecting much to happen just a quick purchase and a quiet walk back to his home. Only for him to get the shock of his life when Desmond laid eyes on the strange man completely covered head to toe in a long dark coat. The man had a presence that struck fear into the weak willed as he exhaled plumes of smoke that coiled around him and spread across the floor. When the strange man turned to face Desmond he felt his heart skip a beat as all around him the clustered walls filled with books started to cave in. Try as he might Desmond found standing difficult as the wooden floor rotted away and snapped beneath his feet making him fall into the deep dark below. In an effort to stop what was happening to him Desmond used everything he had. He knew it was an illusion he had been stuck in one before this one was just more sinister. He tried to look past everything with his soul to overcome the illusion to no avail. By using his magic Desmond fused it with his threads to make them stronger than he extended his threads every were to feel the world around him. His success in finding the floor brought a wide smile to his face as he regained his balance and took a single step forward which brought him back to the real world. Desmond was breathing hard after being thrown into a sudden illusion he was even sweating a bit. The strange man stood there a bit staring at Desmond and so was Ragnar. Both of them were surprised Desmond was able to free himself from what he was under let alone so quickly. The strange man looked at Desmond for a bit before shooting out puffs of smoke out of the darkness where his face should be. "Interesting you were able to overcome the illusion you placed yourself under and so quickly to it looks like you got some skills. From the look of things your just a beginner Apprentice level and you advanced not long ago, didn''t you? You have quite a strong spirit for someone at that level and your control is quite excellent. Don''t get me wrong though you control is good, but only at an apprentice level. You''re probably in your 70s with such a strong spirit and only trying to become a mage now meaning your spirit strength was inadequate before. To increase the strength of your spirit is tough especially with most likely no help so tell me young one how did you do it?". Desmond was at a loss for words he was completely analyzed in less than a minute by a strange man that gives off nothing, but warning signs making him unsure of what he should say or do. Ragnar knowing what would probably happen if his friend takes to much of an interest in Desmond decided to step in "That''s enough you have no reason to pry into his life you''re just trying to start something again hurry up and leave already" The strange man only turned towards Ragnar for a brief moment to let out a puff of smoke than he turned back facing Desmond. "I''m only making friendly conversation with this man that''s all isn''t that right new friend". Desmond was kind of afraid of the strange man so he reluctantly agreed "that''s right just a normal friendly conversation since we''re having a friendly discussion can you tell me what you did to me?". Desmond was amazed by how big his balls have gotten recently the man in front of him was clearly dangerous yet for some reason he still asked him a question instead of keeping his distance. He was yelling at himself in frustration those souls didn''t only make him less have empathy and emotional control, but they messed with his sense of reasoning as well. The strange man blew out puffs of smoke as he chuckled "I did absolutely nothing to you everything that happened was the result of what you did to yourself. Don''t ever fool yourself into believing that someone as weak as you can lay your eyes on the strong and come out unscathed. If I wasn''t suppressing myself to the maximum do you really think you could have broken out of the Illusion you placed yourself under let alone still be alive? So I guess you could say I saved your life, now tell me how will you repay me for saving your life?". Once again Desmond didn''t know how to answer the strange man in front of him he had only wanted to buy a few things with the sack filled with magic Crystals he had on him. Nervous Desmond answered anyway "I do not know how I should repay you". The strange man stood in place not moving an inch as he considered Desmond''s answer "you don''t know then tell me what do you know?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I don''t know what you mean by that" Desmond answered a little flustered. After breathing out a big puff of smoke the strange man spoke again "I want to know what your sure of you must be sure of something? why did you step on the path of a mage if you were not sure of something or hoped for something better? Did you do it for money, power, woman, men, family, friend what is the reason what are you sure of?". Understanding what the strange man wanted to know Desmond answered "I did it for love" "So for the love of a woman than or your family" "No, I sought out magic not to gain riches, power, or anything else like being surrounded by a group of beautiful women. I love magic, it was love, at first sight, I love it for what it is a doorway into the depths of someone''s imagination and the unknown" "So it is a selfish desire and agreed for knowledge that leads you to become a mage" Desmond didn''t falter when admitting his dream to learn magic nor will he regret it " yes, what I pursue is a selfish desire, but it is one I walk with pride". The strange man looked at Desmond with a cold stare scrutinizing every detail about him till he spoke "all right then I will help you with your dream who among us is without sin anyway I know I''m not so I will let you ask one request of me" Desmond was shocked by what he heard especially Ragnar who had let the conversation go on because he didn''t think his friend would mess with someone who was only at a beginner apprentice level of strength. Him offering any kind of help is no good to everyone involved he knew he had to stop what was happening immediately. 51 Promise Ragnar shot up from his chair, slammed his hand on the counter, and shouted loudly "that is enough". Ragnar looked at Desmond worriedly wanting to warn him about the guy in front of him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "You can not accept any kind of help from this guy he is always planning something that results in everyone getting screwed over. So if you want to live to see tomorrow stay away from this man as much as you can". Ragnar gave a clear warning really hoping Desmond listened to what he had to say. The strange man simply blew a big puff of smoke after listing to what Ragnar said "You make me look like some kind of bad guy. I promise I''m not trying to trick anyone here all I want to do is lend him some aid If you still don''t, believe me, I''ll even swear it on my heart. The strange man then took out his hand from his coat he was wearing a tightly fit worn-out leather glove. In his hand was a red human heart still beating just as lively as it would in a person''s chest. The strange man took the heart in his hand swearing wholeheartedly that he was telling the truth and wasn''t scheming anything. "You happy now Ragnar for people at my level words have a great deal more strength than normal that why they can become a binding force that''s why we have to watch what we say. If you don''t trust me even after that then I''m going to start thinking you just don''t trust me as a person. What about me could possibly scream untrustworthy?". Ragnar had an angry face as he snarled at the strange man with sharp teeth speaking only one word in response "EVERYTHING" Putting away his heart and puffing more smoke out the strange man turned away from Ragnar once more "well that''s not for you to decide now is it if you stop me here there is nothing stopping me from finding him again later." Ragnar snarled and barked at the strange man, but he ignored it. The strange man disappeared from where he originally stood to reappear behind Desmond in a blink of an eye. He leaned in close to Desmond''s ear and spoke releasing a cold wind down Desmond''s neck "So what do you want from me? if it''s within reason it''s yours". Desmond was startled away the man moved faster than he could see yet not a single bit of the smoke spread around the room showed a trail for the path he took. Answers to what the strange man did form in his mind and possible ways to counter him if possible, but then Desmond realized how stupid what he was doing actually was. The same thing happened again Desmond he knew this was a complete repeat of before whenever he pursues magic something or someone steps in his way it happened with Vincent than the mirror man and now the strange man. The only difference is the strange man is offering to help Desmond break out of the loop he keeps finding himself in. But, the price he would have to pay would probably be very great. The smart thing to do would be to completely turn down the strange man''s offer, but Desmond knew he is still a target for Secret Visage and after reading all the books he had at his home knew how terribly outclassed he was. All Desmond wants is to study magic, but he knows he will never get the chance to do it with someone dangerous he couldn''t handle popping up every single day. So, he decides to do something stupid enough to make even the town idiot look like a genius he accepted the strange man''s offer. "What can you give me?". The strange man released a soft chuckle while Ragnar slapped his face at Desmond''s stupidity and blatant disregard for his clear warning. "I can give you many things you just need to ask" the strange man stood in the spot Desmond once stood unmoving when the sound of a coin falling sounded through the store. The crisp sound became many than a flood. Without warning a tidal wave of gold, magic weapons, gem, and other items filled the room rising up to Desmond''s knees. The scene was so dazzling it made Desmond tear up because the light shining off the many items in the room shined directly in his eyes. "Tell me what you want you can even have all this gold if you desire it" the strange man stood still waiting for Desmond''s reply. Desmond activated his magic sight looking at all the treasure around him many of the things around him gave off more magic than he has in his whole body. He then looked at the strange man and Ragnar who both had no magic coming off of them which could only mean they both were hiding their true abilities from him. Desmond thought for a bit then said what he wanted " I want magic books on charms and Illusions I only have one book on illusions, but I soon realized it was useless without more knowledge on the subject and I simply have no books on charms". Desmond said what he wanted hoping with all his heart what he does here doesn''t bit him in the butt later. "I see you want to become an illusionist quite risky, the problem Isn''t that illusionist are weak well they are especially in the beginning stages just like seers it''s just that illusionist are so annoying people choose to kill them first. Finding a strong illusionist is rare just like finding a strong seer because people kill them off before they mature. Are you sure this is what you want you only get the one chance?". Desmond was kind of faltering on his decision after what he heard, said yes with a weak looking sile anyway. Mostly because he knew if he had the power of illusions and charms it would give him something he lacked ever since he got to this world control. Whether it is control of an enemy or a way to escape with illusions he could do it all. "Fine then" the strange man scoffs a bit at Desmond while he searches for what he wants "your greed really does have no bounds you seek knowledge yet not power not realizing knowledge is the closest thing to power. I wonder how long it will take until you lose sight of your dream and seek only power this world has a way of making people do that you know". Desmond wanted to refute with him, but he already knew what he said was true not long ago he started pursuing magic simply for magic itself self now he needs it to protect himself so he can keep chasing after his love. 52 Monkeys Palm The strange man Rummaged through his coat he made all kinds of bizarre noises when he did it made Desmond wonder what he had hidden under there. He throughout a bunch of bottles, sacks filled with bees, and other strange things. The strange man searched through his stuff for some time with no luck of finding what Desmond asked for "where did I put those books I know I have them hidden some were". He searched a little bit longer until a monkey''s palm fell out of his clothes. The strange man used some kind of spell to make it levitate closer to him as he inspected it. "I forgot I had this on me that makes searching easier" Desmond didn''t know what he meant, but Ragnar just shook his head as he muttered the word idiot''s under his breath. The strange man used the monkey''s palm and made a wish "I wish for all the books on charms and illusion spells that I own to be teleported in front of me" one of the fingers on the monkey''s palm curled down when he finished making his wish and immediately after over 2 dozen books popped up out of no were toppling over onto the pile of gold on the floor. "Carm and illusion magic isn''t what I''m skilled in so I only have scattered knowledge on the subjects, but it should be more than enough to get your foot in the door". Desmond was surprised wish granting items actually exist in this world even more so that the strange man would waste a wish on him. "why would use something that powerful on me?". The strange man while sucking back all the items he throughout except for the books Desmond asked for answered the question with another question "Why would I use trash to help trash is the same reason I do anything, who really knows? Cursed monkey palms aren''t that useful plus they always distort the user''s intended wish in some way. Now that you have your books you can start working off that debt you owe me". Desmond wasn''t sure what to say after that "debt I thought you did this to help me". "Don''t you remember I saved your life would you really let a life debt go unpaid. Before you were unable to repay me, but after some time you will that''s why I helped you". Ragnar''s face turned into a wolf as he bared his sharp fangs at the strange man "you said no tricks remember" Ragnar hated that he let his friend do what he pleased with his customer, but he also knew what he said was true nothing was stopping him from doing the same thing in the middle of the street or Desmond''s home. So he thought he might as well watch over everything to make sure his friend didn''t cross a line. The strange man looked over at Ragnar breathing out large plumes of smoke "I never once went back on my words nor did I use some trick to hide the true meaning. I spoke plain and clear I help him on his path towards being a mage so that he may reach the point he can pay off hid debt. That was the deal whether he accepted or not he would still owe me his life for my the kindness I showed when sparing his". Ragnar and the strange man argued for a bit after that while Desmond was crouched on the floor stacking all the old books the strange man gave him. Desmond let out a long sigh while stacking books the joined into the argument those two were having about him. "Please stop Ragnar I accept whatever payment this man requests of me. If magic is involved I will do whatever it takes to learn more". Ragnar turned to Desmond while snarling than said: "the last thing you want is to be in debt to this man you never know what he really wants". "Regardless I still accept I''m not exactly in the greatest position to refuse help from strangers no matter how shady they are". The strange man laughed "see Ragnar there''s no problem here I''ll even tell the man what I want right not to ease your mind". He then turned to Desmond and said in a cold tone "A life for a life I want you to grow up big and strong climb as high as you can up the bodies that pile up beneath you then add me to that pile. When you become interesting or strong enough I''ll come to seek you out. If you can not manage to do that than you can also find a way to entertain me, but I warn you I''ve done many things in my life so finding something I haven''t done that may be hard. This is a simple request don''t you agree?". Desmond was a bit shocked by the request the strange man made, but he already agreed so he can''t back out. "You want to have a battle to the death or for me to find some way to entertain you" The strange man shrugged his shoulders "you said it not me, now let me mark you so I can find you when the time is right. This mark will also give you a bit of encouragement when you''re down on your luck and thinking of backing out of our deal by doing something stupid like dying too early". The strange man''s coat parted away inside was nothing, but darkness and giant meaty raven claw bigger than my whole body with talons that were blacker than night. He extended a talon to my forehead than drew back what was probably his leg back into his coat. Ragnar was mumbling to himself in anger before he spoke again "making that same request to people why don''t you walk up to a rank 4 magi if you''re looking to die so much. No one has been able to complete your request in how many years yet you still give it to people what do you even want them to do?". The strange man looked at Ragnar and puffed smoke in his face than replied not saying a thing to anyone than left out the front door that seems to always be stuck. The room was quite only Ragnar and Desmond remained it seemed as though it was going to stay that way until Desmond spoke. "Ragnar was that man a magi" Ragnar looked at Desmond than through a book at him that knocked him on the floor. "You should have listened to me now your involved with him and to answer your question it''s both yes and no. He is a strange guy that is hard to understand he is a treasure hunter that''s all I''ll say on the matter" Desmond rubbed his butt that was in pain from suddenly getting knocked on the floor "fine don''t tell me can I at least buy some books than". "What you got isn''t enough" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Of course not I need spells for all kinds of situations that''s why I would like to see all your beginner grade spell books and any books you have on the human anatomy". 53 One Step Further Not wanting his wife to know he turned down one of the few paying customers they had he went to the back of the shop and carried out a bunch of beginner grade spells. The spells were weak and nothing special, but they still brought a big smile to Desmond''s face. He looked through them and picked out what he thought was useful "I''ll take the spells, produce flame, mage hand, produce water, control flame, gust, shape stone, shocking touch, shape water, chill grasp along with those 3 human anatomy books and a book on the city laws while i''m at it than I''ll be on my way" Desmond smiled at Ragnar, but stopped when he Ragnar said the price " that will be 750 magic crystals". Desmond was stunned it wasn''t that he didn''t have that much it was that the prices were insanely high for magic related items. "Why are prices so high" Ragnar shrugged stating simply it is not mages don''t like to spread their knowledge to people who are not mages themselves, those who are not in the same clan, commoners, and royalty. Royals have an easier time acquiring magic books and ingredients because they are typically richer than any normal commoners, but are no better than leaches in the eyes of official magi. Royal also typically have a higher chance of having a kid with a good chance to become a mage because they marry others with strong magical affinity. Desmond partly knew this but he still felt the pricing for beginner grade spells was obsered but had to agree with the mages tactic. Doing things this way forces people to join there clan even reduces the number of rogue magi running around. Desmond paid for the books with the large sack of crystals he had he felt a sting, but not much because he still had a little over 8,250 left from looting Vincent''s place. He was just worried how fast all that money would disappear when he tried to get better spells. Remembering the other reason why he came to this book store Desmond took out a green potion he had for a while but forgot to have inspected. Ragnar only needed a glance to confirm the potion was used to cure weak poison since its a general variety it doesn''t really cure the poison just weakens the affect of the poison. Desmond asked if it could be used to combat magic poisoning Ragnar''s response was full of mockery. Only high quality and expensive potion can work agains magic poisoning inflicted from other potions or environmental factors. He advertise Desmond to purchase a technique that drives the poison out of a persons body. Looking at Ragnar''s strong disheveled stature Desmond knew what he had to ask next "excuse me, Ragnar, one last question can you please inform me of a place to train. I seem to be lacking in regard of actual combat skills and would like to improve. Magic is nice, but if someone gets to close I''m a dead man". Although Desmond only wanted to focus on magic he was not arrogant especially after all that danger he found himself in 6 months ago. Ragnar didn''t want to help, but he still did anyway "there are a bunch of places you can go to train you can find notices at the Eclipse Association trade center. They offer classes for free if your a member and a small fee of 3 magic crystals a month for none members. But if you want the best training go down to the city guards training camp in district B you can join there reserve units. That are just a bunch of citizens that get called to man the guns on the wall when a war for ownership of the city breaks out they don''t do much besides that. Its been a few decades since the last one, but you should have enough time to train there and leave before your forced to fight in a war. There have been people trying to abuse the system because we have had peace for so long. Getting good training than leaving immediately after to hunt in clover forest that''s why to sign up cost is 10 magic crystal and there is a 10 year wait before you can quit. Which is a problem for people trying to get the standby salary of a reserve soldier and not really commit to the job. The people who are living a rent free life in the city walls are also reserve soldiers, but only one member of the household has to be so hey can stay in the walls. Overall still great place to train. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Desmond thought his options over a bit, he wanted the time and freedom to practice magic still he knew how weak he was and the idea of making powerful friends in the military seemed very attractive to him because they might be able to scare the mirror man away. "Already I''ve decided I''m joining the city''s reserve thank you, Ragnar". Ragnar had a tired look on his face as he waved off Desmond''s thanks and watched him leave the store with all his books in hand. ... Desmond felt as though his arms were going to break when he lugged all those books back to his room. A sense of pride and accomplish filled him when he saw his new stack of books, but Desmond didn''t stay to read over everything as he wanted. Instead, he took out a map he bought, traveled all the way to the surface and headed towards a train station in a carriage that was on route to district B. 54 Training Camp The ride on the train to district B took a full hour it was a long ride on a train for public use so it wasn''t the nicest yet the scenery was. When the train passed by the towering apartment buildings, clock towers, and monuments inside district C Desmond didn''t think much of it. when the train headed out of district C Desmond eyes stayed locked outside the window. Between district C and B was hundreds of acres of farm and grassland with people working in them it wasn''t that Desmond had never seen farming done before what caught his eye was the big white obelisk''s scattered everywhere around the farms. They released large amounts of magic energy over a wide area that gets soaked into the grounds. Finding out the way they increased food production was interesting for Desmond because the amount of human labor used was minimal the farming was done by golems that sent the goods off to factories to be processed. A passenger on the train even informed him that the obelisk act as a bug repellent in addition to speeding up plant growth. Finding out what kinds of things magic could be used for made Desmond happy. His joy lasted the whole train ride to the city guard training camp where he disembarked at district B''s train station which was much nicer and bigger than the ones at district D and C. The train station had marble floors and Decorative stone columns with warriors and giants etched into them. Desmond saw this and knew immediately what it all meant "it looks like the class divide here is much more obvious they don''t even try to hide it". Desmond looked at everyone wearing a fancy suit or dress looking as fashionable as possible like they were going to a banquet or a ballroom to dance. Then he looked at himself wearing brown trousers, a caramel color shirt, and a pair of stucker plain shoes. Desmond had nicer clothes in his closet he just didn''t feel like wearing them even if it was to fit in with the fashion trend. All those layers of cloths would just make him sweat through them then he would be forced to use his magic to dry his armpits every five minutes. With that thought in mind, Desmond started looking around at all guys around him who are most likely dying in secret to get those constraining clothes off. While doing this Desmond started laughing at those fools going through such discomfort for the sake of fitting in. It''s fine some of the times, but if you take it overboard like everyone is doing now there''s simply no point. Passing through the horde of fashionable fools Desmond arrived outside where he saw the buildings were nicer. They had a bit of resemblance to homes in the Victorian era on earth while also mixed with another style Desmond couldn''t identify. The streets were wider in district B than the other places he had been there were even more cars driving on the road. Desmond hailed a carriage that was a bit nicer than the one he had seen at district D even the coachman was dressed nicer. He didn''t doddle long before he set off towards the city guards training camp. The ride was smooth and only took another 20 minutes to arrive at the city guards'' training camp. The training grounds were massive it covered a few acres and had from what Desmond could see there were 20 different brick buildings that littered the place, multiply different fields for various things, and even though Desmond wasn''t at the gate he could still hear explosions. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Desmond knew he wasn''t the best at taking orders or giving them, but this was necessary so he wouldn''t end up torn apart again by someone like the mirror man. Inside of the city guard''s training grounds, Desmond came across a peculiar sight he knew many of the city guards were bodybuilders, but what he saw was ridiculous. There was a long row of people pulling huge warrior statues across miles on a dirt field. Each statue was about the same size as the one of Abraham Lincoln in Washington. When Desmond saw the kind of training they were doing at the camp he started having second thoughts about joining, but eventually, he forced his butt to the main building to talk to their secret at the front. The main building was decorated with pictures of various soldiers, medals, trophies, and the magi empire flag. Which were two swords plunging into the earth with a book open in the middle. Desmond made his way to the counter where brunette secretary in a pants suit was sitting down talking on the phone with someone. Desmond waited a few minutes till she was done before speaking to her. "Hello miss my name is Desmond Gillies I''m here to apply to join the Delmar city reserve unit may I know how I might go about applying and any info you may have on the unit along with potential benefits" Desmond spoke clearly with the composer of a gentleman to the woman. The woman served Desmond with a sweet smile as she explained everything as best as she could. "Thank you for your consideration in joining Desmond City''s reserve unit before we proceed further may I see your ID''. If Desmond was asked that question a few months ago he would have been stumped and had to aquerdly ask were to get a new ID. In this world ID''s are placed inside a persons body which a person can summon out anytime they want. The seam that the card was placed was so well hidden and small Desmond had a hard time locating it even when the info popped into his head. After summon his ID that had his picture, name, address, and a bit more info on it Desmond thought about how much of an easy time he would have had finding his home if he knew how to do that earlier. Checking Desmond''s ID the lady went on with her introduction "As you might already know the reserve unit is a special unit only used in a time of need when Delmar city is attacked by a large wave of monsters or under siege when we fight for ownership with the elves. The reserve unit does not fight directly in battles they are all stationed inside or on top of the city walls where they are responsible for managing the guns and cannons. Everyone is trained on how to do this inside the camp and will be brought to the walls to run practice drills. The training session isn''t long for the reserve units it only lasts 4 months after that you are only required to come train here 3 times a week. As a member of the reserve unit you will be official seen as part of Delmar city''s military so you are allowed to use many of our facilities that required military access and when you are apart of the military if you break laws within Delmar city you may not be subject to a regular trial but court marshaled instead. The yearly salary for a reserve unit on stand by is 7 magic crystals and when you are called to duty your pay ofter the battle could range from 100 - 500 magic crystals depending on the situation". Desmond was stunned by the shit pay even if the reserve unit doesn''t do anything for long periods of time why would people be ok with such a salary. "Madam can you tell me the salary for official soldiers". The lady quickly replied "regular soldiers Depending on their Military rank, skill set, and depending on whether they are at apprentice level strength or have broken through to rank 1 makes their salary differ greatly. Mages often get paid a much higher salary than others especially if there potion grandmasters, golem grandmasters, seal masters, good at division, and other professions as well. Those below rank 1 receive around 100 - 1000 magic crystals a year, at rank 1 the salary is around 20,000- 500,000 magic crystal crystals a year, rand 2 salary is 1,000, 000 - 25,000,000 a year, Rank 3 salary is 50 million - 250 million. There are no rank 4''s in Delmar City they are typically leaders of large clans or the main combat unit of super large clans. Money doesn''t interest them anymore and you would have to really piss a clan off for a rank 4 or anything higher to come after you. Desmond felt the salaries these people were getting were crazy you can get a decent home for 1 mage stone a month yet there are people that rich walking around. "What do they even spend that money on hell what do their houses look like? How is their economy not broken, where do they even get the money to pay all those people?". In light of this new information, Desmond wanted to dig up Vincent from whatever grave he was buried than punch him for being so poor. "If you wish to join there is a vetting process so you will have to wait 2-3 months for a reply while we dig into your background". Desmond didn''t mind he had nothing to hide except the thing about those people he killed, how he is just a random spirit taking a dead old mans body for a joy ride, how he impersonated Secret Visage, then almost got killed by a member, and how he is most likely still on their hit list and will come after him again when they find out he is alive. The more Desmond thought about what he had to hide the more worried he got about the inspection. He talked with the woman about a few more things than signed up, paid the registration fee and left the camp "3 months guess I should get back to practicing my magic". 55 No Choice City guard''s Training grounds, Delmar city In building 13 room 146 is the office of Captain Tusk Pascal Rank 1 warrior and currently ground zero for a heated argument. The people walking in the halls often slowed down or stopped completely to listen in on what was happening inside. "I refuse there is no way I''m doing that" furiously shouting at his higher ranking officer without any care for rank was Derek Foster Rank 2 archer and first lieutenant directly under captain Tusk. He was dressed not in his military issued armor instead he had on a black and white military outfit with gold trim. Derek was furious after hearing what he was instructed to do by captain Tusk he knew the decision he made would potentially have major consequences, but what Captain Tusk told him to do was no better than a demotion. "You must reconsider" Derek shouted with great force as he slammed his hand down on Captain Tusk''s desk almost splitting it in half. Wood splinters flew out in every direction a few landed on Tusk''s tan face as he looked at him with a stern expression completely unmoved by Derek''s aggressive refusal. "The decision is final you can refuse as much as you want, but it won''t change the fact your in charge of training everyone you are assigned in your reserve unit. You will bring them to the peak of their potential, you will make them all reach the standards expected of the Delmar city guards, and you will comply or you can resign". Captain Tusk stood up and shouted those words so loud not a single person in earshot missed a syllable. Captain Tusk pascal and first lieutenant Derek Foster had a stare down for a full minute before Derek turned around and stormed out the door which he slammed hard enough to break Tusk''s wall. With Derek gone captain Tusk slumped into his chair drained of all his energy. It wasn''t long before he had a glass of alcohol in hand as he checked to see how fast he could finish off a glass. While Tusk drunk his sorrows away a beautiful beast woman with cat ears and long black hair walked in wearing similar clothes to captain Tusk''s and Derek''s except her clothes had more medals of honor and another that Displayed her rank. She was Andrea Briggs Rank 2 archer and lieutenant cornel in the Delmar city guards. She walked in with her hips swaying as if she was trying to seduce a person it took only a few steps before she was in front of Tusk who was still drinking in his chair. "looks like that went well don''t you agree" Captain Tusk put down his drink and spoke politely to his superior officer "may I ask why did you make me do it rivalry or not you are a lieutenant cornel he would have had to listen to you". "This problem he is causing is not that simple it would be if he just accepted a higher position befitting him as a rank 2 archer, but he is stubborn. We are a military, not a clan so the amount of favoritism we can show towards a person has to be minimal. Letting Derek stay under you as a first lieutenant so that he could work side by side with his friends is already as much favoritism as we are allowed to show. But, as you know people don''t like to see a lowly rank 1 bossing around a superior rank 2 it messes with the social construct our society has put in place. Derek is a very skilled soldier who skyrocketed in power than at the young age of 90 he reached rank 2. He has a bright future and is very likely to reach rank 3 possible rank 4 if he is nurtured correctly many people want to see that. His refusal to not advanced further is respected because he has the strength of a rank 2, but since what he wants is causing so many problems I have to coerce him to change his decision since directly asking him isn''t working I''m left with indirectly". Captain Tusk knew what everything was all about he just wanted another way "So we are just going to keep sending him bad jobs to do until he either quits or caves in and accepts the promotion". Andrea nodded giving Tusk all the confirmation he needed to know. Finished with what she had to say she left Tusk''s office giving Captain Tusk the opportunity to finish the bottle of alcohol on his broken desk. *** A few months later Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Underground inside the sewers Desmond was surrounded by pitch darkness on all sides if a person placed their hand in front of their face they would not be able to see a thing. This was no problem for Desmond he used his skill to see the all magic floating around him. The mash of colors shined brightly and twinkled even as it flowed in the sewer water making even that disgusting mess beautiful. Desmond wasn''t in the sewers to admire its beauty he was there practice the new magic spells he learns. He has been coming down to the sewer testing his new spells whenever he was finished meditating to increase the amount of control and familiarise himself with everything. A skilled mage can create a complex magic circle in an instant Desmond still struggled with making one that fast, but his diligent practice was not for nothing. He was now able to draw out a circle in the air very quickly and depending on the spell launch it within one or two seconds. If video games have taught him anything it meant he was a complete noob that will get instantly wrecked by anyone to close to him, anyone with a gun, and a bunch of other things. Not to mention the possibility of losing focus on a spell in the middle of battle. His fears where not without reason ever since Desmond arrived in this world he had met so much danger it was almost like some outside force was causing it. Having such a long time of piece it is almost like the quiet before the storm. 56 Everyone Starts Somewhere In the sewer with the area around him being illuminated by his magic sight, Desmond was waving his hands in the air as fast as he could casting the spell produce water. Which simply collected the water in the air and condensed it into a ball of water that could be sprayed out in a stream. The spell was good for nothing more than making drinkable water when you had none, but Desmond would never drink the water he had just produced because he was in a sewer making the freshest water source the piss and shit filled streaming by next to him. With the ball of water in hand Desmond cast another spell he had learned shape water this allowed him to change the shape and state of the water from liquid to ice, or make it evaporate. Making it a great spell on hot days when you need something to dry your sweat. Desmond combined the two spells forming a water shaped blade than froze it turning it into a blade of ice. He then grabbed the ice blade and chucked it at a rat passing by while at the same time activating the spell gust. Giving it enough thrust to skewer the rat this scared the other rats in the area, but they always come back so he was not worried. Not long ago Desmond''s aim was terrible he couldn''t even hit a still target, but after a few months of practice, he was good enough to hit a moving rat when they weren''t paying attention. Desmond has also been experimenting with other spells like shape stone which let him mold earth like clay and harden it again. None of Desmond''s creations were beautiful or detailed enough to be called anything other than trash. That didn''t discourage him he kept at making things with the spell like polls, spikes, spiked rocks, shuriken, and hammers. His philosophy was if he can make something bleed he can kill it, if his weapon was pointy, sharp, or heavy enough he can kill something with it, but if he meets someone like the Mirror Man again he is going to get killed so run like a bitch. It was a simple code to live by and one Desmond planned on following to the letter if it meant he got to immerse himself in magic longer. The kind of spells a person can use follow science fairly closely except for the high level stuff and more abstract fields of magic which he can''t even get the chance to see at the moment. All this allowed Desmond to have an easy grasp on the concept of magic allowing him to perform low grade spells fairly easily. How electrons and ions change and interact with each other to the different shifts in matter where all things Desmond had known and understood, but to truly perform magic you have to understand a much deeper meaning in everything. Understanding that is the key and what Desmond is after so he can create his own spells. Many magicians customize their own spells the spells provided in books while usable are tailored to the person who made it. This can increase the consumption of magic when following how a book does things. Also leave a person open to attacks from an enemy because if another mage sees someone else''s magic circle they will most likely instantly know how it works ahead of time. Giving them the opportunity to counter the spell or if they are strong enough alter the spell in the middle of being cast warping it against the caster or something else. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. That''s why mages keep their magic circles hidden from other mages and add fake runes, glyphs, along with other miss leading elements. Desmond knew this from all the books he had read, but didn''t dare try any of that because of all the potential danger that follows such actions. He knew he was too weak and too ignorant in magic to try any of that stuff doing so would only result in his own death. That''s why Desmond stuck to the simple things at his level like using the spell mage hand to grab rats from a distance than bring them close to him and taser them to death with the spell shocking touch. Desmond had been tasing rats in the sewer for a while he had so much fun with it at one point he pretended to be a sith lord like emperor Palpatine as he shocked the rats to death. While laughing maniacally in the sewers and shocking rats to death Desmond started to talk to himself "if I become a powerful mage and decide to write an autobiography there is no way I''m telling anyone about this. I''ll just say I was fighting trolls or I was being baptized in the blood of dragons by the dragon god making me his stepson. Something as corny as that is way better than the truth." Finding no more rats to torment Desmond moved on to testing the beginner grade spells in the field he was planning to specialize in illusions. Illusion magic is complex magic that has many moving parts. Desmond can only cast the beginner grade spells in the field of illusion magic along with all the other fields since he has not finished carving out the intermediate grade rune in his core. A mage must first reach the peak magic capacity and spiritual strength for whatever level they are on before they could proceed further. Desmond''s spiritual strength far surpassed what a normal beginner grade apprentice would have because of all the soul''s Desmond ate. Letting the only requirement left to fill was increasing his magic capacity to the peak of beginner grade which took Desmond less than a month to do because of his strong spirit. The thing that always takes a long time for him is the inscription of runes because the margin of error allowed is small and becomes smaller the higher a person''s rank is. A normal person would take many years to increase their spirit strength which can be improved through meditation, training, and life experiences like life or death combat. Carving runes on your own core is difficult for everyone even high ranking mages. Making Desmond''s lack of speed on something that complicated to do normally. 57 Illusions An illusion is the distorted perception of what someone or something views the world. Through the manipulation of the senses, a calm lake can become a burning field of lava that fills up your enemy''s lungs with carbon. Making it impossible for someone to breath as their flash gets turned to ash while they are forced to face down a fierce Dragon. To their surprise was nothing more than a small caterpillar. Illusionist analyzes and manipulate the world they are best at bringing absolute control to even the most chaotic of battlefields. Intrigued by the concept Desmond''s goal is to become one of those masters of manipulation in hopes of bringing some stability to the chaotic life he lives. In the dark sewer, Desmond cast the first spell he learned illumination brightening up the area showing it to be just as filthy as when he looked at everything with his magic sight. Desmond wanted to look at the illusion type spells with his own eyes so that he could see what other people were going to see if he cast the spell on them. The first illusion type spell Desmond was planning on using was a simple, but fundamental one that is indispensable to an illusionists arsenal the beginner apprentice rank spell produces sound. Sound is what gives an illusion power it lets people know a sword is swift and dangerous. Just like an arrow when it is released from a bow and screeches through the air to kill an enemy. Sound can do many things it can communicate tone, build atmosphere, and give the illusion of movement by tricking you into making you see more than you are. When creating the magic circle Desmond added more runes and a glyph than he usually used before with any of the other spells because sound wasn''t a fundamental element it was the vibrations through the air. So a spell like that needed to be precise the magic circles work similarly to coding on a computer. The runes, glyph and everything else were what you input than the spell cast after the framework of a magic circle was completed becomes the output. It is a simple way Desmond goes about trying to understand magic to not hurt his brain. Without correctly putting everything in the spell a person is trying to cast could have unfortunate consequences. While aiming at a wall far away Desmond flicked his wrist hoping to get the sound he wanted. Down the sewer, a jarring sound was produced that resemble nothing coherent or meaningful. Not discouraged by his over three hundredth failure over the past couple of months Desmond became elated when he heard the sound he wanted a single drop of water. Just like how you would normally hear it he could tell that the sound had problems even though he was not a professional yet. There was no rhythm, depth was wrong, it was a still repeat that felt out of place, only believable if someone didn''t pay attention. Having success in that Desmond went on to practicing a few other beginner rank illusion spells that bent light, changed smells along with the other touch based spell he learned chilling grasp. He did this till he was too tired to keep going, simply kneeling on the floor was all Desmond could do till he got his energy back. Running out of magic was a big problem Desmond faced in the future. It plagues every mage video game avatar or not it is a solution that must be solved or it will lead only to death. There are many solutions to this problem a common one is to absorb the magic energy in magic crystals or mage stones. Meditating is also a solution but no enemy worth worrying about would give the person there trying to kill enough time to do any of that. So mages have to come up with other solutions. Desmond wasn''t worried about that problem because the strange man he met at Hunter''s Bizarre unknowingly gave him the secret to his salvation. ... Back home to his dark unlit apartment Desmond''s eyes fell on the book that will most likely end up saving his life more than he can count. It was a thick book bound in aged leather from some kind of creature. Strange runes more complex than anything else he had seen before was branded on to the cover. The book had no title or anything else to identify who wrote it, but the knowledge that was written inside was priceless to Desmond. The book can teach a person about an advanced form of enchantment. It''s similar to regular enchantment just like how you would make a magic scroll, but instead of just a magic circle on a piece of paper that contains a spell. This other brach shows how to give a magic circle life turning it into complex work of art. Depending on the enchanter''s skills It will look the same as any photo or painting with hundreds or even thousands of runes contained in each line. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. This type of enchanting was a lot more complex than Desmond originally though it was. On the table in the living room were stacks of papers covered in cheap black ink. The stacks were all Desmond''s poor excuse for enchanting. He had been practicing his drawing skills for months with little improvement he knew it was going to take a long time to get good enough to do what the book required, but it is something he will gladly spend his time doing. Next to that stack was the books on how to strengthen a person''s mind and telekinesis. A strong mind is necessary for any mage, it allows you to keep spells active under pressure and increase brain activity. Allowing a mages mind to process information like a computer their all still human though so emotions and many other factors could lead to human error. No one is perfect even those who are praised as gods. Through training in magic or chi, a person''s mind becomes stronger regardless. Desmond read that having a strong mind could improve the quality of his illusions that''s why he wanted to study the field a bit. In his study he discovered strengthening a person''s mind wasn''t easy either. He makes time to practice, but it will be a while before he can even do the most basic of things. Studying magic is a long and dangerous road completely different from all the flowery bull Desmond remembered his homeworld made him believe in where everything was handed to you. Exhausted Desmond went to sleep in his bed because tomorrow he had to be ready for his first day at the city guard training camp. He had already been through the physical, background check, and one on one interview. While they found out about the incident with Vincent they were not able to find out the truth. Desmond had his new suit in the closet and was ready to train so he could protect himself when he needed to. 58 Dodge Part 1 City Guard Training Camp, Delmar City At the city guard training camp out in a dirt field early in the morning at the crack of dawn was Desmond. He was dressed in a plain black and white military outfit with no gold trim since cadet uniforms do not have those. Along with two dozen other private rank soldiers who were all lined up in 6 rows, equally spaced out, and had their hands behind their backs. Everyone was absolutely still no one made a sound as their eyes followed the drill sergeant who stood in front of everyone. His uniform had a couple of badges displaying the mans rank and was well ironed their wasn''t a single wrinkle on his all white suit. Why someone would wear an all white military outfit when training people Desmond didn''t know. The very idea of doing something like that seemed stupid to him. As the brawny drill Sergeant with combed back hair that looked to be in his 30s stood in front of everyone. His strong gaze made everyone tense up even more as everyone listens to what the drill Sargent had to say. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Good morning squadron 23-B6 I am you drill Sargent Joe Freeman welcome to the first day of hell. Before we start I would like to say when you address me I don''t want anyone calling me by any other stupid thing you can think of you all will refer to me as sir Freeman or sergeant Freeman only. Now while I may be the one teaching you worthless pile of shit I am not your actual commander. Your actual commander is not here and is not going to be heard because and I quote he has ''anything better to do than train those useless pile of degenerates'' and you know what I think he is right". Sergeant Freeman than walked towards one of the people in the row and started to yell at him. "You their what is your name and reason for joining the military reserve" The man had a soft complexion like he had never experienced a day of work in his life. He saluted as fast as he could and replied: "my name is john moss I joined to help support my family, sir Freeman". The reply was quick and to the point, but it still got him yelled at by the Sargent. "To support your family, what about the families of all the rest of the people in Delmar City. What about the families of your teammates you selfish piece of shit?". John tried to reply, but was told to shut up by sergeant Freeman because he already had enough of shit. Freeman then went to the next guy who had freckles on his face and a little chubby than most of the other people, but everything was distributed well balancing things out. "What is it you want you fat son of a bitch?" The chubby man saluted just like the other guy then said "My name is Roy Fox I joined the reserve unit because I thought that ..." without any warning, sergeant Freeman headbutted Roy than grabbed him by the shoulders and kneed him in the balls as hard. Roy dropped to the floor holding his balls as he winced in pain. "I do not remember asking you for your name nor did I ask about what you were thinking. When you are on a battlefield you do not have the time to think. What you must do is follow orders as they are given when they are given do I make my self clear". Sergeant Freeman didn''t give Roy the chance to respond because in that moment he spotted dirt on his shoes. It was dirt that got kicked up by Roy when he fell to the ground. After seeing dirt on his shoes at that moment Sergeant Freeman''s mind was calm like the surface of a lake. That rippled Just like when someone chucks a stone into it stirring the muck beneath. To Sergeant Freeman, it was the same calm collective response that he would give to anyone at that moment, but to everyone else, it was something they would never forget. Sergeant Freeman kicked Roy straight in the jaw while he was still on the floor in pain from being kneed in the nuts and kept kicking him for five minutes straight. With his shoe bloody and private Roy Fox still on the floor screaming in pain Sergeant Freeman finally calmed down. While Sergeant Freeman was beating Roy no one moved from their spots to help. Whether they were afraid of being next or not didn''t change the unanimous decision everyone had in their heads at that moment which was not to mess with Sergeant Freeman. Sergeant Freeman cleaned off his white leather boots with a handkerchief than explained himself "you might be wondering why I viciously assaulted private Roy just now so let me explain. Just in case you dumb fucks are somehow just as blind as you are stupid. I am wearing a white ceremonial uniform I wear this to honor the event when I ceremoniously kick your ass for dirtying my uniform. Now if all of you can put together what a white uniform and dirt field means than I think we can begin. I was going to go to each and every one of you so I could get to know you and introduce my foot up your ass that way, but I have already heard every bull shit excuse for joining the military reserve unit anyway. So we are just going to start training so I can see which one of you sucks the least, now get running!". Sergeant Freeman blew a whistle that geared everyone into motion. Scared of the Sergeant no one lagged behind as they started to run around the complex. "What are you idiots doing you forgot private Roy get your butts back here and take him with you. If one man doesn''t finish then no one does". Sergeant Freeman started shaking his head as he felt he was going to end up swallowed by everyone''s stupidity. 59 Dodge Part 2 Five hours after Desmond and his group started running most of the group found it hard to stand. Somewhere more fit than others, but even they had difficulty standing up straight. A lot of people wanted to sprawl on the floor yet no one did out of fear of Sergeant Freeman. The sweat from their bodies made their uniforms stick to them tightly. Desmond was able to push his body past its limits because he was just controlling it like a puppet. Yet, it didn''t mean he liked the feeling of his lungs on fire or when he gets light headed from all the exercise. He was impressed by everyone''s tenacity knowing full well if he wasn''t able to kick his body into overdrive whenever he wanted he wouldn''t be able to keep up. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The entire group stood up in a field huffing and puffing gladly taking their 10 minute break until Sergeant Freeman came and ruined it. "Good it looks like you fuck nuggets are all awake and since private Roy is no longer limping around just as limp as his dick would be when he sees a beautiful woman. I think we can move on to the next exercise of the day before we finish off with another run around the facility. We will only be doing light training to build up your stamina than we will move one to muscle training. While at the same time teaching you uneducated fucks what discipline is, I will not let any of you hold a gun until I can make sure none of you are dumb enough to shoot yourself in the foot with it or your subordinates. So you hear that first day only 3 exercises and up till now, only one person got the shit beat out of them. This is the best and most relaxing day any of you will ever have under my command so enjoy it and don''t forget to praise me for being the kind and compassionate person that I am". In unison, everyone saluted Sergeant Freeman thanking him from the bottom of their hearts as they proceeded onto the next exercise of the day. Sergeant Freeman brought out hundreds of rubber balls than explained the exercise "today you will be learning a fundamental and mandatory skill that will save your life, but no one ever fucking does it because they''re a bunch of fucking idiots. The skill I am talking about is how to dodge. You may think it''s simple and you may think its something you have a firm grasp on just like you do on your dick when your girlfriend leaves you, but you will be surprised of the number of idiots walking out there that forget how to dodge because they''re to busy shitting themselves in fear instead of getting their assess in gear. The only person in the world you should fear is me and the only other thing you should fear is when I break my foot off in your ass. That is why we will be doing this daily until you are able to dodge without thinking. You will learn how to dodge a variety of different this both long and close range. Since you will mostly be getting shot at anyway I decided to have some fun and start with teaching you how to dodge projectiles. Now let''s see which one of you will be the first practice target." Sergeant Freeman looked around until his eyes fell on Desmond. "For all that is sacred in this world why in the world why is someone like you here? You look like a shriveled pair of ball sacks you old fuck. You have long passed the time to have any sort of midlife crisis so why are you here now?". Sergeant Freeman got up close to Desmond''s face as he yelled at him, some spit even flew on Desmond''s face. In response to the Sergeant''s questions, Desmond saluted than replied, "I am here because I have recently noticed how much of a worthless piece of shit I am sir Freeman. So, I came here in hopes of bettering myself to one day be useful". Desmond had a cold sweat hoping he wouldn''t get beaten up by Sergeant Freeman for five minutes straight like the last guy. He had extended worse, but he still didn''t like the pain. "You think I need you to tell me that you''re a piece of shit I have eyes, so I can already see that are you trying to tell me I''m blinded". "No, Sergeant Freeman sir". Just like private Roy, Desmond got head butted in the face. He stumbled a bit but didn''t fall or kick up any dirt that could have landed on Sergeant Freeman''s cloths which he was most happy about. "It looks like your reflexes are complete shit, get your butt to the front right now you will help demonstrate how things are done". Sergeant Freeman pointed to the open field as he shouted at Desmond to hurry up. Desmond was forced to stand in a wide open field all alone while the Sergeant instructed everyone on what was going to happen. "listen up everyone I am going to launch these balls at that idiot right their his only goal is to not get hit. If he does than for every time he gets he gets another lap around the facility on top of the run he is already supposed to do and the same goes for all of you". Ready for what was coming Desmond thought it was going to be easy to dodge the ball thrown at him. Until he blinked and found he was now looking at the sky. The ball thrown by Sergeant Freeman was enchanted to accelerate once thrown and return to the hand of the person who threw it. On the floor in a daze Desmond was getting yelled at again by the Sergeant and forced to continue. Every ball was thrown in a straight line, but Desmond failed to dodge any of them. Every time he thought he dodge one ball a wall would pop from the ground rickashaying the ball towards Desmond. He was pelleted from all sides relentlessly that''s when Desmond realized what the first day of training was for. It wasn''t to instruct anyone just break them down so the Sergeant could work with what was left. 60 The crew Five months later In the time Desmond spent living inside the barracks at the city guard training facility he has had a grueling time. The training provided wasn''t designed for ordinary humans it broke your bones and forced people to bend in ways they didn''t think possible. People had their Spirits broken and when they thought it was over Sergeant Freeman came to break them some more. It was a time of hardships as Desmond was trained on how to effectively use a gun, dodge, hand to hand combat, grappling techniques, survival skills, knife fighting, and other things. Everything was overseen by Sergeant Freeman who stomped on the skull of the person who didn''t get things right and punished everyone else equally as hard for that person''s mistakes. Trips to Memorial Wall was taken regularly to instruct everyone on how to effectively use the guns and cannons that the military reserve will have to operate during an attack. Memorial Wall is massive it surrounds the entirety of Delmar City. While Desmond was standing at the top he was truly amazed by how he couldn''t even see the other end of the city despite the wall being over 130 stories tall. Every bit of the walls faded out into the horizon, to stay up on the wall and marvel at the world from up there wouldn''t be the worst thing. It was the kind of view that took a while to get sick of yet also showed you how trapped you actually are. Desmond found solace standing on top of the wall just as much as when he got support from his new friends. The training camp was tough it drew people together as everyone endured Sergeant Freeman''s assault. Strengthening bonds and building everlasting friendship threw the pain they equally endured. While at camp Desmond made a few friends because that they pushed each other forward and helped one another when they fell. They grew close fast John Moss the units designed pretty boy and go to if you wanted something smuggled into camp without the sergeant knowing. Was always a delight to be around he looked at the bright side of things, but there is also something very off about the man. Like he has been putting on a fake smile for so long that''s the only face he knows how to make now. Roy Fox is a strong willed, assertive man who loves music he has the aura of a natural born leader, but is not intrigued by the idea of becoming one. Than theirs lance Simmons the youngest of the group who is just as obsessed with magic as Desmond. Lance and Desmond''s similar love for magic is what drew them both together. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. While lance didn''t have the aptitude to be a mage it didn''t stop him from spending half of his life grinding away to reach beginner apprentice rank. While he doesn''t see himself as a soldier it didn''t change the fact he had no more money because he spent it all on any kind of magic knowledge he could get his hands on. Lance''s struggle with magic made Desmond realize how blessed he was to be able to eat other people''s souls and if he didn''t take Vincent''s things his financial situation would be a lot worse than what it was now. Probably forcing him to get a factory job that only pays workers 5 magic Crystals per year. It''s more than enough for someone living a normal life not seeking any kind of thrill past the walls or any of the other dangerous places in the world. Yet, if your someone who wants to be strong and be part of the group that leads the world than its far from enough. Those in power make it hard for those seeking the same power they possess to obtain it to control them and control the flow of resources. While what the high ranking people have may seem like a lot advancement gets harder every time for them. They also have to spend resources to nurture another generation who also need a lot to grow so even if they drain a hundred worlds of its resources it will never be enough. 61 Library In training room 34 inside building 5 was Desmond and the friends he made during training camp. The four of them were sparing with each other practicing disarmament techniques. Today was one of the days they didn''t have to train, but they all agreed to meet up every now and again to workout together. Desmond was facing off against Roy while lance fought John one on one. Roy and lance were both armed with knives while Desmond and John were unarmed. Everyone''s goal was too subdued their opponent as fast as they could to see who would get first place. Since Desmond was fighting against Roy who was three times his size he avoided trying to fight him directly. Every time Roy slashed and jabbed in Desmond''s direction he followed his training always trying to keep out of reach of the blade or redirected its entirety. Desmond wanted to use Roy''s big size and slow speed against him, Roy already knew his weakness so he tried his best to compensate for it. He kept his center of gravity low and feet planted flat as he forced Desmond to fight him how he liked. Desmond attempted to keep Roy at a distance, but he was about to go out of the ring so he pressed forward. Roy slashed towards Desmond''s face which made Desmond flinch making him block on reflex. Leaving a clear opening for Roy which he graciously took Roy punched Desmond in the liver. Roy''s bear like strength brought Desmond''s feet off the ground while in the air another punch was delivered to Desmond''s face. Sending him sliding on the floor Roy didn''t let up he wanted to pin Desmond for the win. Seeing Roy charging at him Desmond played the best card he had when Roy got close enough Desmond flipped overshooting out a bright white light. It blinded Roy for a moment giving Desmond enough time to try and sweep kick, Roy. It was a complete failure the kick was poorly executed Desmond didn''t put enough strength behind the attack and Roy was too heavy. Unfazed by Desmond''s pathetic attack Roy stabbed down in an attempt to give Desmond a killing blow which would give him the win. Desmond acted fast and grabbed Roy''s wrist with his left hand than activated the spell shocking touch. Suddenly having a few volts of electricity coursing through him Roy became completely stunned. With Roy stunned Desmond grabbed the grip of Roy''s fake knife he wasn''t letting it go despite being electrocuted. So Desmond slammed his palm into Roy''s gut and activated the spell gust launching Roy backward. Suddenly being shot backward made Roy lose his grip on the knife that Desmond now clasped tightly in his hand as he held it close to Roy''s throat. With a big smile plastered on his face, Desmond helped Roy up "looks like it''s my win, but you don''t have to worry a few more years of training and you will be on my level". Roy took delight in Desmond''s friendly banter not taking his lose to heart "if you didn''t have any magic there was no chance of you winning you know". "Try saying that to someone actually trying to kill you I doubt they would care. When you step out onto a battlefield you must be ready for any kind of situation". Desmond spoke with the wisdom that the less than a year of life had brought him and made it seem like a hundred. "Don''t try to get smart with me after just one win I still win 90% of the time when I fight anyone one of you guys". With a look of pride, Roy glanced over at the clock on the wall and sighed. "My shift is about to start at work I have to go". Many of the people who join the Military reserve unit do so either because they have no choice or to make more money on top of the job they already work. Desmond knew this and was happy he didn''t have to do the same while his assets would dwindling fast anytime he decided to buy more study material. He looked on the bright side of not having to go to clover forest and get torn apart again by all the ungodly monsters out there. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Desmond also looked towards the clock realize what time it was "Its about time I head towards the library and study some more again" While Roy wasn''t a mage and could only focus on developing his own internal energy or chi he still felt envious towards Desmond "what is it that you do exactly that you''re able to afford the entry price and hourly prices at the military library". The library at the city guard camp is open to any military personnel it is filled with all kinds of books ranging from beginner apprentice rank to rank 1 knowledge. The higher grade stuff is all kept in Delmar City military''s Central library that isn''t open to the public. Only high rank personnel and people that have ties with the military or the Eclipse Association that manage the city is allowed entry. The library at the city guard camp has a paywall of 2 magic crystal''s to enter and 3 magic crystal''s per hour after that to stay in the normal section. This doesn''t seem like a lot, but when taking into account most people don''t instantly remember what they see and how few people master things in one attempt the price and how you can''t take any of the books home becomes staggeringly high. The paywall was put in place to regulate people''s access especially those from the military reserve unit. Their yearly pay was 7 magic crystal''s the only time it went beyond that was when they were ordered to fight. Even Desmond felt the pain of such prices he had stuck to the beginner section which was 3 magic crystal per hour and 4 if you wanted to read anything that pertained to attack based spells. The intermediate section was the furthest Desmond was allowed to explore since he was only apart of the military reserve and not the actual military. It was 6 per hour there and 8 magic crystals if he wanted to see attack based spells. If Desmond wanted to get advanced knowledge he would need special permission from a high ranking officer. Desmond inwardly grimaced over his lack of funds if he wasn''t allowed to copy the books he read than he would have given up, but there was a catch. Even though you are allowed to copy and take a book home you are not allowed to sell the knowledge, tell another person about the contents of what you read, or purposely show it to anyone else. The conditions were written in on the soul contract Desmond sighed when he joined the reserve unit everything is enforced and overseen by the will of the world. While Desmond inwardly grimaced over his lack of funds because of how broke Vincent was he faced Roy and gave a simple reply "I stole it just like any normal person would". Roy just laughed off what Desmond said not knowing it was the truth. 62 Refuge Part 1 Roy slapped Desmond''s back while still laugh at what Desmond told him "I''m sorry for prying I''m just a bit jealous is all, not everyone has that much spare cash lying around especially me". Desmond gave Roy a look of understanding even though he was faking it "I saved up for a long time so I could read the book stored here there''s no reason to be jealous I''m just one man with an obsession. One lie after another escaped Desmond''s mouth as he assured Roy he was no one special. "I understand you''re not the only magic obsessed maniac wanting to become an official magi despite what everyone tells you. Once you reach rank 1 your life is no longer the same opportunities open up everywhere. Letting even someone forced to live in the underground live a life of luxury. Either way, I should head back to district C before those refugees arrive and cause a lot of traffic". Roy went towards a corner where his stuff was and started packing up his stuff Desmond followed a bit interested in what he said. "What do you mean by refugees were coming here" Desmond while cracking his back because Roy slammed him to the floor. Roy didn''t face Desmond he was focused on packing up to go to work "what you forgot the date already? The refugees from the Loran Isles are scheduled to show up today". Desmond vaguely remembers the geography of the world he had spent significantly less time studying that then he did magic. "So why are there refugees coming here?". Roy was shocked that Desmond didn''t know what was going on with the refugees "Desmond you do know about what happened to the Loran Isles right?". Desmond shook his head completely oblivious to what Roy was talking about. While Roy was stupified someone didn''t know about what happened a few months ago. "How could you not know half the Loran Isles sunk into the blood sea it was such big news a few months ago don''t you read The Astral Messenger. Millions of people died, it is only just recently the Magi Empire approved the transfer of refugees to different locations. Delmar City is one of them they will most likely all be thrown in the underground. So food, clothes, homes, and even jobs are going to be harder to get. It''s going to be worse for people who live underground and in district D or inside the walls because that''s where the city shoves all their problems". Desmond understood the problem it wasn''t something that could easily be solved with magic only a pen and some negotiation. He never focused on anything apart from magic for months partly because he feared the day the Mirror Man would return. So, he focused on developing his own strength to protect himself but it was a slow process. It has almost been a year since Desmond reached beginner apprentice rank and was almost finished carving the last runes in his core to rank up to intermediate. To many Desmond''s speed would be the equivalent to flying, but for him, it wasn''t enough death could come for him at any moment. He wanted to see more and do more, while Desmond was in thought his ears picked up on someone being thrown onto the floor. Looking over to the other ring Desmond saw lance lying face down on the floor while John stood over him smiling just as he always does. Their battle may have taken longer, but it was fairly one-sided. Lance is proficient in wind magic since that was what he was is most talented in. This allowed him to increase his speed a bit making him able to react quickly as he releases a flurry of attacks. All of that should have allowed for the battle to be in his favor, but John was better. His attacks were savage and precise, John doesn''t like to use his hands to fight for some reason. He prefers to use his legs to fight which seems limiting yet because John had a flexible body he is able to make it work. The fight was only long because of lance''s wind magic increasing his speed and throwing John''s kicks off. Getting kicked by John is like being hit with a sledgehammer lance could only bear the pain for so long before he finally gave in to the pain. As chipper and bright as always John consoled Lance "Come one get on up there is no point in staying down its not like you dropped a magic crystal on the floor so what do you expect to find". Lance sucked in a mouth full of cold air as he held his arms in pain "I''m not down here because I wanna be I feel like my arms are gonna break. What are your bones made of its like your hitting me with a metal pole? John scratched the back of his head smiling wide as he apologized to Lance for hurting him too much. Glancing over to the wall towards his right John saw Roy and Desmond packing up to leave getting ready to leave. "You guys leaving already", said John as he walked towards John and Desmond with lance following behind as he rubbed his arms. Roy replies "Ya its almost time for my shift at The Leaping Lizard I''m one of the chefs there" as he tosses his bag on his back and carries it with one hand. Lance''s thoughts were overrun with food as he was reminded Roy was a chef making him forget about the pain in his arms "you say you a chef but you never make anything for us or bring anything from your work, how cruel can you get?". "I''m sorry it''s not really my fault though I''m working all the time so I''m too tired to do anything on my break or days off. Plus it''s not like I own the place I''m not even allowed to bring home the leftovers people don''t eat". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Desmond thought about the food that could possibly be served at restaurants and was saddened by all the possible kinds of food he never got to try. He had been living off of the street food near his house which wasn''t that bad after you ignore the part where you''re basically just served a fried rat on a stick. It took a bit of bravery on Desmond part, but he got through it and was quite surprised by how juicy it was. Going to a different world and not trying every aspect of it is an unforgivable sin. Regardless if you''re being hunted down by a Mirror Man or not. "Roy you know he does have a point so how about this" Desmond took out one magic crystal and handed it to Roy. "Why don''t you by the best food your restaurant serves and bring it here so we can all judge your cooking skills for ourselves". Desmond showed Roy his gums as he gave him the crystal. "This is too much I don''t work at a fancy restaurant like in district B or A this amount can buy everything on the menu ten times over". Roy wanted to refuse but Desmond insisted "its only one magic crystal if it''s too much then buy whatever that can get you and surprise me with a bunch of tasty food. I expect a chef to have good judgment so don''t disappoint me". Desmond drooled a bit as he awaited the day of his feast. 63 Refuge Part 2 Roy Clasped the magic crystal tightly in his hand in agreement "If I didn''t know better I would have thought you were some kind of tycoon with the way you throw around magic crystals". "No one would ever apply to join the reserve unit if they where a tycoon Desmond is just a spendthrift just like lance". Lance rebuked John''s statement since comparing Lance with Desmond is like comparing the life of a young bachelor to a married man. "There is no way I''m anything like Desmond I might waste my money on a bunch of stuff related to magic, but I rarely buy them. Desmond once told me he practical purchased every book on magic he could get his hands on in a book store he goes to. There is no way I could do what he does even with the extra money I get from being apart of the reserve unit I only make about 11 magic crystal''s a year". John and Roy knew Desmond had some money to burn, but buying books on magic wasn''t a wise investment unless a family had someone gifted in magic. John a bit worried that his friend''s obsession would drive him to become homeless said "Desmond even if you do have some extra money on hand you shouldn''t waste it like this. I know you like magic but unless you have reached rank one magic crystals don''t come easy. Even that''s not enough to satisfy their needs once you reach rank 1 you need ten times the amount you earn to get all the things you would need". Desmond knew if he kept spending money the way he was it was all eventually going to run out. Buying the magic items and books he wanted was going to be expensive and working an honest job with a shit pay was also not going to happen. Killing someone and taking their stuff again wasn''t going to work the chances of him getting caught were significantly higher. Its all because he used Secret Visage''s name making the DCPD shit themselves in fear that he manages to make people not want to take up the case. Which he regrets doing, but had no choice in the matter so it inevitably lead to a visit from the Mirror Man. While his financial situation is a problem Desmond didn''t have to worry about it too much for one simple reason he came from Earth. Desmond has no shortage of stories to tell or things to invent that he could actually do even better on Theotera than on Earth because while their style is reminiscent of the 1920s from Desmond''s old planet their technology is far superior. When he was pinned to his bathroom wall by the Mirror Man Desmond had already thought about doing it. He found it hard knowing that the people around him have never seen or heard of the things he has. The act of sheding a tear to the works of true masters and geniuses is not pitiful or a sign of weakness it''s liberating. Freeing the people of this world from their own ignorance is how Desmond justifies stealing other people''s works and inventions. So that he would never end up in a similar position where he says his last words to someone, but they didn''t get the reference or joke he was trying to make. Having his last words written off by the Mirror Man scared Desmond to the point he made making sure everyone gets every joke he makes his life''s second goal. Desmond placed his hand on John''s should as he assured John everything thing was alright since he already had a plan. Almost forgetting to ask, Desmond looked over at lance and said, "you like magic so do you want to come with me to the library for a little study session I''ll pay?". Lance''s eyes lit up when he heard Desmond''s offer then they were filled with gloom "Thanks for the offer Desmond, but I have to get to my job at the Public Library in district B. Working there is the only way I can get into contact with magic books and not have to pay. What they have isn''t as fancy as the military but its better than nothing". Desmond sighed in sadness "its a shame I really needed someone to help carry all the stacks of papers". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "You only wanted me to come to carry your notes". Lance had a look of someone holding back their anger before they smack you over the head. "it''s the least you could do since I would be paying for everything if I carry everything by myself my back is going to give out before I get home It''s not like I have Roy''s crazy strength". Desmond pointed over towards a large stack of blank papers in a bag along with large jars of ink his finger drew everyone''s gaze in that direction as they shook there heads at the sight. John weakly smiling at the large stack Desmond had piled up simply had to know "how do you plan on filling all those?" "I can manipulate the ink with a water spell I learned while I was inside the library I found a few books on how to do the same thing just better. So now if you give me a book I can copy the whole thing in a few minutes I''m practically a printing press. The only problem is my trick can''t be used for enchanting yet because enchanting is more than just copying something down". "won''t you run out of magic in a few minutes your only a beginner apprentice so you shouldn''t have much magic". Replied Roy. Desmond waved off everyone''s concerns "it''s fine I regain magic faster than I expend it with that spell". With everyone but himself having something to do, John went back home while Roy and Lance went to work and Desmond stayed at the camp''s library. 64 Refuge Part 3 Bramble Street, Delmar city On one of the busiest roads in District C was were one of the liveliest restaurants in town stood, but it operated more like a bar than a restaurant. From the outside, the place looked clean and beautiful. Large stones and wooden beams made out the building''s outer structure. Seeing inside was a bit difficult because of the stained glass, but the laughter and cheer from inside could be felt outside. As you enter the restaurant through the heavy hardwood door your welcome by amazing smells and clapping hands. It''s as charming inside as it was outside. Round wooden beams support the second floor and the light fixtures attached to them. The walls were decorated with memorabilia from the owner''s younger days as he spent his time hunting down all manner of creatures. The restaurant was packed mostly with locals and a few refugees who were drawn in by the smell and sound. Several long tables were occupied by, what must have been different groups who bonded together over great food and company. The smaller tables had people who were singing and dancing only a few people seemed to mind more company. A large sweating figure working in the back wearing a chef''s uniform was Roy. He had just finished a few orders with help from the other workers in the kitchen so he rang a bell to call one of the waitresses. Quickly answering the ringing bell was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her 20s. She had scarlet eyes and long flowing red hair that waved about like fire in the wind. Sally Fox was known as a hidden gem in District C. Her smile brightens up everyone''s day making the already pleasant time spent at the restaurant that much better. Having a bunch of orders stacking up next to him Roy urged sally to hurry up "move faster theirs another set of food that''s almost done. The packed salt gobbler and fog sweet bome go to table 11 while the Strix crumble, dropheogus cake, brind frost lovebird, giggling cookies all go to table 23 on the second floor". Sally looked at Roy in confusion "But, brother the second floor isn''t my section". Roy was tired but he still had a look of understanding on his face " I know that right now your gonna have to do other people''s tables as well as your own theirs a lot more people in here than usual. I knew that when the refugees came here would be problems, but if this happens every day I''m going to die from exhaustion". Roy waved his hand in his face to he cooled himself down while sally got back to work. Despite the place being more full than usual sally didn''t grimace over it she worked happily serving every customer with a smile on her face. Sitting at table 9 all alone was a man wearing a casual dark blue button up shirt with black pants and shoes. He was well groomed just as he always was when he came to the restaurant with the oil in his hair keeping it slick and smooth. His clothes did nothing to hide his muscular figure or his strong shoulders. He was the kind of man that would catch any woman''s eye and even make men glance back twice. Just for a second look as they silently curse his very existence in their hearts while secretly yearning to be him. He was a regular at the leaping lizard never once in the past five years since he found the place did he miss a single day it was open. That man''s name was Trent Mason rank 1 archer who works as apart of the Delmar City guards. Roy looked out the serving window at the man and became a bit sad because he knew why that man always came to the same restaurant every single day and sat in the same spot for the past five years. It was because he liked Roy''s sister sally that man wasn''t the only person who liked sally it was just that he was the most persistent one of them all. It was a shame he was just as spineless as he was persistent when it came to confessing his feelings to sally. Roy uttered with the look of pity on his face "him again its the same everyday its like clockwork". Practically everyone who worked at the restaurant already knew the truth along with many of the regulars. A betting pool was even started on the day he would finally confess to sally. To help him out the regulars made a secret agreement to gave the man his own table that no one would sit at when he was there. Walking up towards the serving window hot and a bit sweaty was miss sally still with plenty of energy to burn. She walked up to her brother and said: "what''s next". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Roy waved his sister over closer as he spoke into her ear, "when are you going to date that man already I know you like him to. If neither of you makes a move then your relationship will go no were". Sally blushed as she called her brother an idiot and told him to stay out of it. Roy just let his sister snap at him then he handed her more food so she would leave. When she left Roy quickly took out a pin and paper, wrote something down, called another waitress over and handed the letter to her to hand over to Trent. The waitresses didn''t need an explanation she knew the story and immediately understood what Roy was trying to do. She handed Trent the letter and quickly left being handed a letter by a woman that wasn''t sally didn''t interest Trent, but he knew it would have been rude not to read it. So he did planning to let the woman down easy later. He thought he was going to read a love letter, but after reading the letter Trent paid for his meal and left the restaurant with hurried steps. Roy saw this and cursed himself for his failure, "damn it I spooked him that mans like a deer when it hears a twig snap". Roy was upset by his failure and so was the waitress that helped him, but both of them knew they would have another chance tomorrow. 65 Refuge Part 4 Simura Before Trent stormed out of The Leaping Lizard there were two women sitting together on the second floor of the restaurant. They sat in a corner of the restaurant that was less rowdy as they conversed a spirited waitress brought over a meal that they ordered. The waitress was sally she carried over their meal with one hand not spilling a thing a testament to her years of experience as a waitress. "Here you go one Strix crumble, dropheogus cake, brind frost love bird, and six giggling cookies. Will that be all or do you need someone thing else?". "We''re fine you can go" having received an answer sally left. The person who spoke was a beauty dark elf her red eyes would make you think her gaze would pierce through your skin, but instead, when her eyes landed on a person it made them feel a comforting warmth instead. It was Seraphine she had on a green dress made of high quality silk. The woman next to her was equally as beautiful she looked human at first glance, but when you inspect the closer you could tell she was a half-breed between a human and a lizardman. Many locals would simply call her a disgusting mix someone of impure blood that''s it simply crawl in the gutters and die. her eyes were light brown with slits down the middle. Most of her scales were covered but some crept up her neck there were none on her face. She wore a simple yellow dress that had Frills on the ends along with a pair of high lace boots that complimented her dress. If you listening I''m a conversation the two are having you will find nothing peculiar. The only thing that exited their mouths was gossip about their husbands, other wives, the state of the City or some other mundane thing. Besides binding finding two proper women like them at an establish as rambunctious as The Leaping Lizard. Anyone would just think the two were out on a simple outing, stumbled on the place and decided to try something new. Yet, when you remove the facade that the two placed around them. You would find the horror that lied beneath. All the laughing and joking around that''s you would have originally heard has reduced only to the loud crunching and snap of the woman in yellow eating a cookie. The only person with food in front of them was the woman in yellow as she munched down everything with much delight. Seraphine laid-back in the chair with her fingers crossed as she watched the woman in the yellow eat. "You should really watch what you eat Simura you''ll get a cavity or worse you''ll get fat". Simura happily enjoyed her sweets not minding what seraphine said as she made a giggling sound because of the effect of the giggling cookies. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Me get fat that''s quite funny if only such a thing were possible. If I were to get fat it would be from the baby my husband puts in me. You should know what I mean you have a husband too". "You know full well that my relationship is different from yours, very different". Simura twirled a fork in their hand as she replied, "different it''s true our relationships maybe a bit strange two other people, but in reality, it''s no different. Everyone else is the problem they find it hard to accept anything when something is a little different from the norm, you understand we''re kindred spirit". Seraphine chuckled, "being called Kindred Spirits by The Widow if someone heard that there is no way anyone would believe me". Simura placed a hand in the air signaling Seraphine to be quite, "there''s no need for honorifics between us few people know who I am or the truth about me as you do and out of those people even fewer get to live. What you have is an honor your skills are impeccable. It''s a shame what happened to you or who knows how high you could have risen". Seraphine snorted than took a piece of the Strix crumble from Simura''s servings and ate it. "Hay if you wanted something to eat you should have ordered something when that woman took our order" Seraphine ignored her and kept taking pieces out of Simura''s food. Simura slapped away Seraphine''s hand while Seraphine kept coming back for more. Annoyed Simura just gave up "fine just take it''s not like I wanted it even though I ordered it. Also, take this file it''s your next job get it done quickly you know the usual". Seraphine took the file and finished off Simura''s food then left the restaurants while giggling. Simura looked at the empty plates of food and became dispirited over not being able to finish off the food. "Why do people eat other people''s food instead of just ordering something for themselves?" Simura slammed her head on the table then went home to her husband. 66 Refuge Part 5 Walking home with a big smile on his face was John he had recently got off the train. He wore his Reserve unit uniform it was as neat and clean as the day he got it. The sun was shining brightly in the sky basking people in its warm rays. Barely any clouds were it was a perfect day that had perfect weather. While strolling down a familiar street John greeted a bunch of acquaintances of his that just as he always does when he sees them. He said hello to a homeless man who had a sleeping bag that looked a lot like the one Desmond had stolen from him. A group of kids that always played in the area, a woman who sold flowers at a corner of a street next to a bakery. Where John stopped by too great the same baker he always did who worked together with his son. John did this all with the same chipper and upbeat attitude he walks out of his home with every morning. With freshly baked loaves of bread in hand, John walked all the way towards the massive Memorial wall. Its massive size and intricate network of metal pipes that run throughout the whole structure like veins would intimate many people when they first see it. John wasn''t fazed by the sight of the wall or the jumbled mess of homes that protruded out of it. He was use to the constant shade that made you think it was dark when it was morning. The screeching sound the pipes made whenever someone took a shower or turned on the faucet. The clamor that his neighbors made through the walls. Even the air that the factories nearby made putrid didn''t faze him anymore. When John went inside the building he didn''t take one of the elevators because his home was close to the ground. John walked up the cracked stone staircase that had all types of writing on the walls. Then through a very long seemingly never ending corridor that went on for miles. There were apartments on each side every apartment looked exactly the same with a number to differentiate them. Some people decorated their doors to stand out while others just let the door stay plane. John walked down the long corridor that had pipes on the ceiling and hasn''t been cleaned in who knows how long towards his front door. He stopped the foot away from the door because he saw a man exiting from his home. John didn''t know the man but he knew what he most likely came to John''s house for. The man looked like he was a miner. He glanced at John but not for long before he glanced back down at his pants as he finished fixing his belt. The sweaty man walked right past John didn''t spare him a Second Glance while John with the loaves of bread in his hand still had a face. With the unknown man now gone John when''s inside his home. The place was filthy it didn''t have much besides a few basic things. A couch in the living room that was next to a TV on a coffee table. The living room was connected to the kitchen that had dishes piled high with a trash can that''s was full. straight across from the front door well a hallway that''s had three other rooms. One of the first rooms you would pass by was John''s parent''s room which was right across from the bathroom. All the way at the end of the hall was John''s room. Once inside John look to his right where are you saw his father sitting on the couch alone. wearing nothing but a tank top and his underwear as he watched TV. John''s father was a fat balding man whose love for gambling was only beaten by his love for alcohol. John as happy as ever announces his presence to his family when he entered the house. "I''m home, and I bought some bread" sad while holding the bread in the air shaking the bag so everyone could hear it. "Shut up, your mother just finished working. How do you expect me to watch my shows with all this noise?" John''s father didn''t even bother turning around you just took a sip of his beer as he flipped through channels. John didn''t say anything as to not disturb his father. He walked towards the counter in the kitchen to place the bread there. Not long after he heard a door opening and someone approaching behind him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Turning around to see who it was he wasn''t surprised to find out it was his mother. she was butt naked and dripping white stuff from her crotch on to the tiled floor. There was no need to describe how John felt when he saw his mother approaching him as she was. If someone imagines has their own mother doing the same they would get the picture. John smiled and greeted his mother who ignored him and went straight for the bread on the table. The smell of being passionately embrace was strong on her, but John was used to that too so he ignored it. Drawn over by the sound John''s mother was making John''s dad turned around to see what was going on. "what are you doing you''re getting the floor dirty. I didn''t take an arrow in the knee for this city to clean up this shit". Jean''s dad was a part of the Delmar City reserve unit, but one night while drinking he stumbled and knocked over a bunch of crates that had glass bottles inside them. one of the glass shards got lodged into his knee. Not having enough money because he''s drunk and gambled it away. he couldn''t get his leg fixed bought, so he forced John to join the reserve unit in his place in order to keep living in the wall. John''s mom sat down on a chair and started eating some of the bread. Then she told John to clean up the mess on the floor. John still with a smile on his face picked up a rag, got on his knees and started to clean up the splatter on the floor. When his mother finished eating she went back inside her room to sleep. while also leaving another white spot on the chair for John to clean up. While John was still cleaning up the mess his mother left him with a smile on his face. John''s father not finding anything good to watch on TV decided to head out the day. John''s father approached John and ask them for the money he made working as part of the Reserve unit. John expecting this already had the money prepared. John''s father took it''s put on some clothes then left most likely not going through turn the late that night or the crack of dawn. Finish cleaning John washed his hands then went to his room where it''s was pretty basic as well. The room had only a mattress, a telescope, a wooden box next to the telescope, and a closet. The mattress was old it was the same one he''s been sleeping on since he was a kid I was rocked to sleep by the sounds his mother made when she had customers over. Still with a smile on his face John took off his uniform and hung it up neatly. With out any cloths on you could clearly see John''s body and why he only wears cloths with long sleeves also why he preferres not to use his hands in a fight. John''s arms were covered in old self inflicted scares. Occasionally John would cut himself deep to focus on a different kind of pain instead of his life. On his back was a few burn marks that he got from his father smoking and extinguishing the cigarette on John''s back. Not having any money for health potions or surgery the wounds stayed and accumulated weakening the strength John has in his arm. Put on one of the few raggedy pieces of clothes he owned ands seeing it was still bright outside John decided to play his favorite game with his favorite toys. John took out a few handmade dolls he kept in the wooden box next to his telescope. Then he used the telescope to look at the families that''s he could spy on through their windows or on the streets. Then he started to play with the dolls acting out what he thought a real loving family would be like. John has done this for years always playing with his dolls and secrets in his room. Hours would go by and he wouldn''t even now. While playing with his dolls and looking at people through his telescope for some reason John started to sing. "I''ve been chasing rainbows to get away from here, I''ve been chasing rainbows to wined up back where I start ..." When John started to sing a Furious thumping noise came from the other side of the wall it was John''s mother. "Stop singing i''m trying to sleep" after that John when to back to playing with his dolls button silence still with a smile on his face. 67 Refuge Part 6 District B, Delmar City Inside of Hubert public Library in District B sitting at the front counter was Lance Simmons. He was secretly Reading a beginner rank book on magic. Usually, any book that contains anything about magic is kept locked up, but lance has been working at the library for so long that he already found a few ways around some of the rules. The library had the usual amount of traffic that lance always sees not to yet not too few. The libraries in district B were fancier than those in District D and C as well as the Underground. The library Lance worked at was three stories tall. The main hall where you first enter and where you check out things was circular. The floor was a fancy mostly white marble with black splashes everywhere. Looking up from the main hall you could see the other floors and the glass dome at the top. The library was beautifully designed and an easy place to work. Lance was overjoyed when he first got the job because it was only through luck he got to work in a place as nice as the Hubert public Library. There was no end of people who wanted the job lance now had. While Lance was still sneaking a peek at the magic book under the counter a well groomed man that had an air of confidence walked in. He wore a purple suit without a vest or tie he had his collar unbuttoned displaying a bit of his chest. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. His strong jaw and mysterious eyes exuded his strength as he charmed you with his gaze. The man had medium length black hair with green highlights in it an uncommon style choice with the current fashion trend going around. This was a man that demanded attention and got it when he asked. The intriguing man walked up towards lance, lance sensing someone approaching stopped reading and locked eyes with the peculiar man for the first time. A lot of questions formed inside lance''s mind, but he threw them all into the back of his head to service the man. "Hello, ser well come to Hubert Public Library, how may I be of service to you today" lance utter robotically and with grace from years of working in the same place. The interesting man looked at Lance with his dark brown eyes and smiled, "I have just come off a long ride on the nimbus airship. while exploring the town I wound up here and simply had to come in. It''s a good thing I did this place is so big and it has so many books its a perfect place for me to study". Lance listed to what the man had to say and already had a good guess on where the man came from. "Excuse me for asking, but are you a refugee from the Loran Isles?". "Yes, I am". Lance became a bit flustered and apologized to the man "I am so sorry, what happened to you guys was terrible. The isles suddenly sinking like that it must have been a traumatic experience". The man simply waved off what Lance said "It''s alright the Loran Isles wasn''t really my home anyway. So, can I start taking out books here today or not"? "Yes you can start checking books out today, but there is a limit that you can take per person. Books regarding magic we do have a few, but they are special and you can not buy or take them home plus a special library card is needed to be eligible to look at those books which are quite hard to get. Only 5 percent of our members possess that card". "I''m not interested in magic at the moment I''ll study that latter I''ll look into your world''s history and economics first. I would like to get started now so please get me a card as quickly as possible. Lance thought he heard wrong when he listened to the man "your world" as if he wasn''t apart of it. So Lance disregards it thinking it was a mistake on that man''s part. "Ok, that is a simple process I''ll just need your name and some ID. Even though your from the Loran Isles and not originally a Delmar City resident it won''t matter so long as your apart of the Magi Empire". "You want my name ... Hmm" at that moment the intriguing man couldn''t help but think about his past. "I''ve gone by many names me far more than most others, but now I just go by Eliot Row". After saying that Eliot conjured his ID in his palm the same way Desmond dis and handed it to lance. Lance joked around a bit and Replied "it sounds like you lead an adventurous life and it kind of sounds like you still eager for adventure. If even sea monster, traps, and an entire island sinking while your standing on it couldn''t kill you should try out married life. If she doesn''t kill you than the alcohol will luckily before you decide to do your self in if you know what I mean". Eliot understood what lance meant and it was true he did want to relive his glory days a bit, but he knew that was all behind him, but what he is now and what he does now will still be the same as his past because he will be a man that will shock the world. 68 Refuge part 7 City Guard Training camp, Delmar City Inside Building 12 room 132 was Joe Freeman he was wearing his pristine white uniform as he sat in the reclining chair with his fingers crossed staring forward like he hated the world. When he heard a knock on his door Sergeant Freeman snapped to attention and opened the door. He looked at the person in front of him with a ball shriveling glint in his eyes. The person who opened the door was Trevor Wilch Rank 1 archer he was wearing his military uniform had brown curly hair that hung over a friendly face. Scars that reach from the left side of his face to his forehead was an unforgivable reminder of an accident from their shared past. " What do you want maggot" Sergeant Freeman Uttered loudly in Trevor''s face. Trevor rubbed his ears after getting shouted at by sergeant Freeman than said: " Chill man you can cut the act I brought some food". He lifted his hand showed the bag of food he bought than brushed past Sergeant Freeman and entered the room. Sergeant Freeman didn''t mind Trevor coming in as he did instead replying "Sorry about that I was so in character I forgot to restrain myself". When Sergeant Freeman spoke it was completely different from how he usually does. If anyone of the recruits he has been terrorizing for the past couple of months heard him sincerely apologize to someone they would never believe it. Setting the food down on a table in the room than turned to freeman to say "Whatever just take that disguise off I never liked when you dress up like that guy you make him to terrifying to be around". Sergeant Freeman man agreed to Trevor''s request he then removed a ring he had on and turned back into Derek. He put the ring back into his pocket and sat back down where he previously was sitting. Trevor found a seat as well, gave Derek his food than got a drink "why can''t you just train the reserve unit without the ring your not that ugly I''m sure no one is going to force you back under the cellar. "Very funny your not exactly the best looking one of the group either. I do this because I know the kind of man I have to be when I train those guys and frankly that man is not me. So whatever hate or grievances they have it''s not with me, but Sergeant Freeman" Said Derek as he stuffed his face full with a juicy rib. "You know you don''t have to do this at all you''ve reached rank 2 at only 90 your future is bright anyone one of those fancy Clans would gladly welcome a talent like you. Even if you aren''t a mage a rank 2 is still a rank 2 mage or not their not losing anything accepting you Yet you stay in the military. I know it because you feel you can bring order and all that other stuff, but start thinking about you for once and stop thinking about us. Me and Trent have peaked where our chances of breaking past rank 1 is practically zero. Yet, were fine with it you don''t have to protect us so please stop whining like a bitch and take the promotion". Trent listened to his friend go on and on while not believing a single word she was hearing "Andrea got to you didn''t she, I knew this was going to happen". "Derek listen to me Andrea didn''t do anything I''m holding you back ... no sorry, we are holding you back". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "You guys aren''t holding me back we have been over this. Just like we said on that day when the building came down we will stick together till the end. It''s like I''m the only one who remembers this". Derek waving his rib in the air was getting defensive on the matter and was starting to raise his voice a little. Trevor rubbed his brow as he was getting a headache from Derek''s stubbornness "of course I remember, but what kind of friend would we be if we got in front of your success because of it". Derek and Trevor went back and forth like that for a while till Trevor stopped it. Derek tried to rebuttal but Trevor interrupted him "and before you say anything else me and Trent are planning to leave the city guard, our contracts are going to expire in a few more years. I was going to wait for Trent, but since your just such a relentless ass hole I couldn''t wait any longer". Derek looked at Trevor and then said something he wasn''t expecting to hear out of Derek''s mouth that day him agreeing. "You two are planning to quit, well that''s fine then". Trevor was about to burst a blood vessel when he heard Derek agree so fast and easily to what he said. "You have refused and fought over stuff like this for years why are you so fine with me and Trent quitting. Me and Trent talked it over for a long time before we decided and you just agreed in a second".Trevor furiously shouted at Derek. "I have stayed in the same position to protect you guys I couldn''t do that if I got promoted because the military would see that as me having favorites and giving you any kind of extra help would be wrong. If I tried anyway it would create a lot of problems leading to all kinds of things I didn''t want to go through. Trevor shook his head while cursing Derek''s name inside "so all this was for nothing". Derek nodded "as long as you two quit I''ll take the promotion so yup". "This whole thing was just a big wasn''t of my time you stubborn bastardy". Derek shook his head then asked, "where''s Trent isn''t he coming you guys said you were going to do this together". "We weren''t going to do it so soon today you just broke me plus just look at what time it is you know where he is now". Derek looked at the clock and knew where his friend was "right its that time of the day again so he is at that restaurant again the stalker". "Hay that''s mean you shouldn''t undermine a man''s hard work like that he''s the king of stalkers get it right next time". Both Derek and Trent started laughing and joking around about Trent when Trent walked in. Derek and Trevor were not expecting Trent to pop in at that moment but it didn''t stop them from laughing at him. Derek called to Trent "hay Trent did you get to smell her hair this time or did you keep watching her from a distance". Trevor was on the floor with his sides hurting from laughing so hard completely forgetting about the anger he felt because of the ordeal Derek put him through. While Trent didn''t need much context to know what they were talking about. "To hell with both of you, now shut up and read this" Trent pulled out a note and showed it to the two. Trevor with tears in his stares and short of breath ask " what is it". Trent replied, "A chances". 69 Unwanted Residen Morning Road, Delmar City Walking on Morning Road to Hunter''s Bizarre with much vigor in his step was Desmond. Yesterday he had just finished carving out the final rune into his core officially making him an intermediate apprentice mage. This advertisement brought with it greater control over his mana, a larger mana pool, and the ability to cast intermediate spells for apprentice mages. Desmond couldn''t cast intermediate spells before because he didn''t have enough mana in his body to do it. Plus casting spells above your grade has more cost than benefits so Desmond never even dared. Things have been going well for Desmond lately besides advancing he has also been able to successfully create a magic scroll. He enchanted the spell illumination on to the scroll it was nothing fancy, but it was his first success of soon to be many. Desmond had not been able to utilize the advanced branch of enchanting yet where he can give life to his enchantments in picture form. While he was patient Desmond was eager to try out an idea he had in his head with that enchantment technique he''s learning. If what he is thinking succeeds than he will not only make a lot of money but also become someone super annoying to fight even more so than an illusionist already is to people. While picturing his enemies playing in the palm of his hand, well mostly the Mirror Man Desmond found himself at the entrance to the Hunter''s Bizarre then entered. Inside he saw Ragnar wearing a blue vest with his long wild bed hair unrestrained, displaying his bare chest full of battle scars as usual. He was watching a popular drama TV show in this world called Mechanical Heart. It is set in a world where everyone is human, but their world is a bleak one. Their entire world is toxic and the pollution that the factories produce and dumb into the few clean water sources and onto the common folk don''t make things any better. The world has become so toxic that people being born with weak hearts have skyrocketed. Even the people born before the problem arouse were suffering from it as well. This caused the death toll to increase exponential the solution that the people in that world came up with was to replace everyone''s hearts with a stronger mechanical one. This stopped one problem, but it also created new ones as well. While the rich at the upper ring of society lived long healthy lives with hearts that could keep pumping for hundreds of years. The lower ring of society didn''t bask in the same glory their new hearts while better than their old ones were not as good as the wealthiest members of society. So with their inferior hearts, they eventually experienced problems, but unacceptable to afford the tune ups and spare parts their hearts broke. A faulty heart could cause problems with the mind making a person act out in strange ways or go crazy. It''s only when a person''s heart breaks do they actually die. Seeing the state of the lower ring a mechanic from the upper ring came down to fix the hearts of those who needed it. He even gave people who needed it piece of his own heart to keep theirs working. The man gave away so much he could started to suffer problems until he could no longer feel love. Desmond found out about the show through his friends when they all got together to enjoy the meal Roy brought over for them. The meal was quite good the different flavors and styles surprised Desmond, but not as much as finding out that even someone born in such a fantasy world could still dream like that. He wasn''t born into Desmond''s depressing world where you only live to work yet he dreams of a different sky. Maybe its because this is the only world he knows making this his norm the reason my he dreams of something more while not knowing how good he has it. Desmond didn''t linger on the matter since philosophy wasn''t his style instead he walked towards the counter where Ragnar was and chatted with him. "My word Ragnar do you own anything else besides a vest its all I ever see you wear". Desmond said in a joking manner, he has been to their shop so many times in the past couple of months it was hard not to become acquainted with someone like that. Ragnar was deeply engrossed in the show he was watching and didn''t want to miss a thing "shh ... It''s a new episode just take your book, leave money and go". Desmond knew Ragnar got like this, but he was a decent guy despite how he treats people. Desmond was going to search for the things he wanted when he heard hurried footsteps coming from down the hall the look of fear on Ragnar''s face as he uttered: "why are these walls so thin". sliding down the hallway with a heavy book in hand was Seraphine her sparkling white hair flowed like water as it draped over her shoulders. Her pink dress swayed a bit as she did just like her hair as her ruby red eyes locked onto Ragnar and chucked a book at him. Ragnar was prepared he caught the book skillfully with his right hand as he realized a second book was following closely behind the first. Unworried he caught that book as well till he saw a third book trailing inches behind the second. He caught that one my closing both hands clasping the third book with the previous books he caught. Only to see a fourth book coming at him which he caught in his mouth leaving him open for the dictionary which he gracefully took to the forehead. Slumped on the floor Ragnar got yelled at by Seraphine while Desmond was marveling at Seraphine''s throwing skills. He even considered asking her to teach him how to throw properly because Desmond knew launching rocks at rats can only go so far. Done yelling at Ragnar Seraphine apologized to Desmond just like the first time they met. Desmond didn''t mind at all he had gotten use to Ragnar over his visits to their store. Desmond was more interested in Seraphine as he made small talk with her "Ms.Seraphine it is so rare that I get the chance to see you your husband usually keeps me company I am pleased too once again meet you". Desmond spoke like a gentleman since that was the trend going around and since he liked Ragnar and Seraphine he''s the only werewolf and elf he knows in the city. Desmond had seen a few other magical races walking around, but he couldn''t really just stop and stare at them for hours. While he could people would start to think there was something wrong with him. That would bring unwanted problems that he didn''t want so he restrained himself. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "It is a pleasure to meet you again Mr.Gillies" Desmond was taken back he didn''t think Seraphine would remember him "So you remember me we only met once in all the times I came here". "I''m quite good at remembering people and it would be hard not to remember someone who accepted an offer from one of the shadiest people in the world. If you don''t mind me asking what were you thinking? If you said nothing myself and Ragnar would have been able to convince that maniac to drop whatever claim he randomly came up with". Desmond having a very short list of shady people he met knew who she was talking about "yes I would admit accepting anything from someone who gave of even a tenth of the number of warning signals as that man. Would easily earn someone the stupidest man alive award, but I am not in the greatest of circumstances. So even if you where to stop me I may have foolishly tracked the man down to accept his deal anyway. I could not take a step forward if I didn''t accept his offer nor would I have such a gracious option as taking a step back. Shady or no he offered a hand while I was surrounded by darkness. Accepting the consequences because of my actions is a part of life and apart of what will make me a great mage". Desmond knew he could die at any moment resistance wasn''t even an option for him against the Mirror Man. So, to avoid the extreme danger he had to take extreme risks. Desmond wouldn''t ever accept dying without experiencing all he could with magic. Seraphine tried to say something when a burst of deep laughter came from inside the walls as black sludge oozed from the ceiling and converged in the middle. As the sludge converged it spoke "Well said trash" 70 The Walls In the middle of the ceiling, the sludge converged into the shape of a man Desmond recognized. It was the strange man who Desmond owes a life debt to because he spared Desmond''s life. The strange man stood in the middle of the ceiling upside-down as he breathed out large billows of smoke that coiled around him. As he came down the ceiling long barbed spider legs crept out of his coat. Every step taken by the strange man-made a jarring sound that sent shivers down Desmond''s spine. The others in the room had an unpleasant look on their faces when the strange man appeared. As the strange man came from off the ceiling he spoke with his usual deep voice to Seraphine. "You guys really shouldn''t talk about someone behind their backs you know it''s not nice I have feelings too you know". Seraphine secretly holding back some anger reply, "your right, that''s rude of me almost as rude as someone coming out of another person''s walls without warning. Tell me what were you doing in there". Seraphine spoke sweetly, but tone conveyed conviction as she demanded an answer. The strange man kept no secrets as he spoke plainly to everyone in the room. "A few months ago while I was in the Defiled Lands fishing for thunderbirds on my boat in the middle of a cyclone I got bored. Being flung into the air in a raging storm created from the remnant chaotic energy from the clash of fallen gods gets predictable. That''s when I decided to come back and take up resistance here for a bit". After hearing what their friend said veins were growing on Ragnar''s arm and sharp claws sprouted from his fingertips. While Seraphine kept a calm expression on her face as she yet inside she had already snapped. While clawing at the counter Ragnar asked: "Are you telling us that for the past couple of months you have been secretly living inside our walls". Turning his head to Ragnar while puffing out smoke as the strange man said "yes". Ragnar slammed his fist on to the table asking "how I checked those wards every single day there has been no change". "I''ve been meaning to tell you about that you should really think about upgrading those. I say this out of concern as your friend there''s all sorts of weirdo''s running around out there". The strange man said with true sincerity in his voice. Ragnar replied, "I can''t believe you got bored of fishing in a cyclone and though living in our walls in secret was more fun. No, actually that does sound just like you". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. As the strange man spoke to Ragnar a dozen blades fell on to the floor the sudden sound of metal hitting metal. Startled Desmond as quickly drew his gaze to the floor finding the source of the noise. Desmond was perplexed as to why the strange man would suddenly drop so many weapons. No one else baffled by the sudden appearance of all the weapons scattered on the floor. Desmond only gained clarity when the strange man spoke: "Seraphine just because your a talented assassin doesn''t mean you''ll ever catch me off guard". "Assassin" that word slipped out of Desmond''s mouth he didn''t believe he was supposed to know about something like that. He was also sure everyone in the room forgot he existed when the strange man showed up. Desmond foolishly speaking alerted them all to his presence once more. As everyone in the room locked their eyes on to Desmond he felt his balls get sucked back into his body. Desmond was inside a book store with a werewolf, a strange man that could haunt the dreams of even a demon, and an assassin. Knowing information that he was not supposed to know the word fucked could not even begin to describe how much trouble he was in. As everyone was looking at Desmond making him clench his anus even tighter the strange man laughed breaking the tension in the room, but not by much for Desmond. "Oops, that''s my bad, well theirs no point of hiding it now. Yes, she is an assassin the kind that will take any job and gets paid money to kill people. Yes, she is very good at her job and yes you should be shitting yourself right about now". Desmond was literally about to do as the strange man said he could already fool something trying to poke out of his butt. While Desmond was on the verge of shitting himself Seraphine turned away from Desmond and gave the strange man a cold soulless glare. Seraphine''s face was expressionless and no one could see the face of the strange man, but you could feel the air in the room drop a few degrees as the two stared each other down. The stare down didn''t last long until the strange man caved "fine I''ll clean up my mess mom". The strange man said sarcastically. As the strange man took a step towards Desmond he felt as though he was going to lose control of his bowls. For some reason instinctively Desmond sought refuge behind Seraphine for protection, despite him knowing he was going to die because he knew her secret. As Desmond cowered in fear behind Seraphine the strange man''s footsteps echoed out towards his end. 71 Watcher As the Strange Man drew closer to Desmond fear took hold of him his knees buckled while his heart raced causing him to go short of breath. His short life would have flashed before his eyes if he wasn''t more focused on not soiling himself in his final moments. With each step, the Strange Man took the more Desmond found himself losing control of his body. Desmond was far more scared of the Strange Man than the Mirror Man there was something about him that shook Desmond to his soul. Resulting in him having sluggish movements like when he experienced magic poisoning. For the Strange Man to scare Desmond to the point of losing control of his body speaks volumes about the horrendous aura he exudes. In the time Desmond spent cowering in fear Seraphine stepped in front of the Strange Man stopping him. The Strange Man looked down on Seraphine just as you would a child, but these two clearly stood as equals. As Seraphine blocked the Strange Man''s way she spoke: "That''s enough there is no need for that". The Strange Man Puffed smoke into Seraphine''s face replying "all I''m trying to do is help fix a small mistake do you really need to look at me like that. Seraphine didn''t reply she only looked at him with dead eyes getting her point across clearly. The Strange Man only snorted than walked back to where he once stood. There was an awkward silence in the air as Desmond breathed a sigh of relief about barely escaping the jaws of Desmond once more. Seraphine turned around with a sweet smile on her face towards Desmond apologizing for the rude behavior of her friend, she even gave Desmond a limited time 50% discount in the store... Desmond just went along with the flow not daring to linger on the topic of what just happened. He simply purchased literature books and other books of popular genres that people like since Desmond needed to do a bit of research on that area before he borrowed the works of popular people in his world. The books were much cheaper than what he usually buys so Desmond didn''t feel a sting in his pocket when he departed with a few drachma. Seeing no one coming to kill him even after so much time had passed Desmond left just like any other day. As Desmond walked away from the book store with his new books in hand he turned around to see Seraphine waving him goodbye on the street. Not wanting to die for not waving back he did the same and went to hide in his poorly defended home that has already been breached before. ... Inside the Hunter''s Bizarre the atmosphere was just as bad as when Desmond left. When Seraphine returned the Strange Man asked: "Why didn''t you let me kill him or at least erase his Memorise". Seraphine no longer having the cold expression on her face she once had when talking to the Strange Man replied, "I didn''t let you because there was no need. I already investigated that man''s background. While simple there is something strange about him so killing him may bring more problems then they would solve. The same goes for wiping his memorize. Ragnar scoffed at Seraphine "the first time we saw that man you said to drop my suspicions because there was nothing to worry about now you''re saying there is something to worry about". "I investigate everyone who walks through that door as well as all our neighbors you know that". Breathing out a puff of smoke The Strange Man asked: "so what''s wrong with him why can''t I kill him". Seraphine answered "a few months ago a small gang in The Underground had 8 of there members killed including their leader Vincent Marino officially disbanding the group. The only person to survive the attack was a man named Desmond Gillies the same guy that just left. The report said he was held captive in a sell because he sold himself in place of someone named Ingram who he regarded as a son" The strange man puffed at a bunch of smokers urging Seraphine to get to the point. Seraphine not surprised by the Strange Man''s lack of care hurried the topic along. "The point is everyone there was dead but that man the ones suspected of killing Vincent Marino is Secret Visage. Their symbol was carved into there wall and Vincent Marino''s face was nailed to it, but anyone with a little skill can find out everything was cared out not by Secret Visage but by Desmond Gillies. The only reason he wasn''t caught was because Secret Visage''s name was attached to it". Ragnar and the Strange Man both asked in unison after what they just heard Seraphine say "how is he still alive". Everyone got what Seraphine was trying to say Desmond used secret Visage''s name yet still lives. "That''s, why killing him or doing anything else to him, is potentially very bad. Finding someone alive after Secret Visage attacks is rare. Finding someone completely unharmed after using Secret Visage''s name is unheard of in all the years they have existed. Meaning that man either has ties to Secret Visage, but I highly doubt it. That is stronger than he lets people believe a highly unlikely scenario, but not unheard of before or this scenario he has someone organization maybe even person backing him in secret. The number of organizations that make even Secret Visage second think killing someone can be counted on one hand. It is also unlikely, but not impossible the point is that man isn''t supposed to be alive yet is living a normal life and your going to watch him". Seraphine pointed to the Strange Man who recoiled back at such an insulting job. "Me watch him I''m a powerful rank 3 magi secret organization backing him or not he only has the strength of an intermediate apprentice. His growth may be fast enough to allow him to be considered a genius amongst other apprentices, but such a task is far below me I have better things to spend my time on". Seraphine says with no restrain as sarcastically as she can "like living in other peoples walls like some kind of rat". The Strange Man puffed smoke in her face while Seraphine smiled at her witty quip. "You''re going to do it whether you like it or not as payment for living here for the past couple of months. Me being exposed as an assassin will barely affect me because of the deal I made with The Magi Empire, but that doesn''t mean I would like to listen to those old men talk me to death". Begrudgingly The Strange Man asks "For how long" "As long as I say you did this because you treat everything like a game you always walk around not caring about a single thing", replied Seraphine. "Don''t try to lump me together with normal people you should know that already Seraphine. while others make piece and friends I make investments, its a shame this investment of mine is annoying me a bit, but he is shaping up to be more interesting than I thought so I''ll play along for now". With everything settled the Strange Man fades back into the walls leaving only Seraphine and Ragnar in the room alone. Seraphine looks at Ragnar and asks him to strengthen the wards, Ragnar didn''t need to be told twice he was waiting the whole time for the Strange Man to leave so he could do it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. As Ragnar was moving to strengthen the wards the walls spoke "it doesn''t matter what you do I''ll find my way back in regardless". The Strange Man''s words only wanted Ragnar to add another layer to keep his friend out. 72 Why Bother Trying For the past few days, Desmond has been inside his home waiting for either Ragnar, Seraphine, or worse the Strange Man to come and kill him. In that time he knew if they we''re not going to kill him so soon than they were at least watching him because it was only logical they would. Where ever Desmond goes something completely out of his control happens. Between what happened with the Mirror Man and what happened now it was hard to choose what was worse. In both situations, he is up against people he can''t even touch even the sweetest person Mrs.Seraphine is out of his league. She may look normal, but anyone who can stare down the Strange Man like she did and make him conceded is someone to not take lightly. There is no trick Desmond knows he can play and a large chunk of the spells he knows was gifted to him by the Strange Man. After going through all the information inside his head multiple times Desmond came up with the best and only strategy he can choose. Which is just don''t try anything it was a brilliant strategy Desmond came up with since resistance is futile and because he is most likely being watched. He figured out Doing everything the same, going to the Hunter''s Bizarre just like he usually does and staying away from the DCPD would most likely keep him alive. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. So that''s what he did knowing everything he didn''t was being watched by people he could never hope to touch. He trained in the sewers as well as the city Guards camp and kept going to the Hunter''s Bizarre like nothing happened. Desmond believed they were not expecting him to come back ever, but he did practically every single day. ... 1 Year Later After the mess at Hunter''s Bizarre a whole year past it was full of physical training, magical training, weapons training, and close combat training. After suffering through all that Desmond feels as though he now has some combat skill worth mentioning. His Diligence has boosted the number of spells he can cast and has gifted him a strong muscular body. While his still old and wrinkly no one could deny the gains he has made during his training. So, impressed by his strong physique Desmond risked his life and looked in a mirror just to see himself shirtless. The inhuman training Desmond was put through gave thick biceps, thighs, and abs that could only have been chiseled from stone. Constantly absorbing magic nurtured Desmond''s body so much he can easily lift 200 pounds and lift up to 400 when he enhances himself. Occasionally Desmond would rub old on himself just to admire how he looks even more. If anyone has seen an oiled up muscular old man that can punch a person unconscious than it''s easy to picture Desmond. The situation at the book store Hunter''s Bizarre has remained static while everyone there is nice to him and they treat him well Desmond still feels as though there is distrust. With each side knowing something about the other while one side having a clear advantage how couldn''t there be. Desmond knew they probably found everything out about him except for the fact he is a soul in someone else''s body. What he didn''t know was why they didn''t kill him already it wasn''t like they couldn''t. That question perplexed him and after a year he has not come up with a good enough answer so he dropped it. While Desmond''s life was full of hardships and impending death he knew today wasn''t suppose to be that day. Today was a day of celebration he is supposed to have with his friends because Desmond has recently finished writing a few books. Which he borrowed from other more talented people in his old world. It wasn''t the most honorable thing to do, but Desmond was in need of money and he never wants to be in a situation where no one gets his jokes again. He was down to a bit over 4000 magic crystals which would not help get him any of the advanced knowledge that he is seeking. Getting it from the city guards is impossible for Desmond and he wanted to get it soon since he is halfway with consolidating his power at the intermediate apprentice rank. As Desmond thought over the events that happened over the year while holding his chin he walked through the streets of District B. He was heading towards a meeting place Desmond''s friends chose beforehand so they can all splurge at a nice bar in District B. In celebration for Desmond finishing his books, he didn''t want them to waste their money on him, but everyone insisted. Desmond had some regrets telling his friends about his writing, but they were most likely going to stick him with the bill anyway so his feeling regarding that diminished. Even though the bar was in District B it wasn''t one visited by those of high society it was visited more by members of the city guards and some regular folk who wander inside. Despite not having to dress up at all Desmond still dressed semi-nice he had on a blue button up short sleeve shirt and black pants. His hair was recently done by a barber he had it done in a classic side part. Desmond walked down the street to the meeting location with his back straight and head held high feeling as though nothing could get him down. The streets were crowded and bustling with energy as everyone went on with their day. Different kinds of perfume was lingering in the air as people passed by him. All the different smells made Desmond cough he felt as though everyone around him was deliberately trying to choke him to death. As he got clear of them the crowd for a minute a man wearing a purple button up shirt and black pants caught Desmond''s eye. The man may have mostly gone unnoticed by Desmond, his black hair with green highlights may have drawn Desmond to give him a glance or two, but nothing more. What made that man stand out of the crowd of hundreds was an aura that made him glow. Desmond had never seen anything like it, but he instinctively knew what it was, it was that man''s soul. Everyone else appeared normal it was only that man who glowed in the crowd. Desmond swallowed hard as he guessed who that man was because he had seen so many others when he first entered the world. It was another soul like him Desmond didn''t know why he could tell the difference between everyone else, but he was happy that he could because that man was terrifying. Desmond would love to meet one of the other souls like him and get their story, but not from the man across from him. That man''s soul burned with a rage Desmond had never seen before not even Ingram''s soul after months of torture looked anything like what Desmond was currently seeing. Despite the soul''s ferocity, there was reason to it somehow looked tame. Desmond not wanting to meet that man tried to sneak away, but he was already found. The man in purple looked like a ferocious beast amongst sheep. Too stupid to realize a deadly predator was standing next to them to Desmond. Seeing the man in purple eyeing him Desmond did a reasonable thing and ran as fast as his legs could take him. 73 Lucky You Part 1 Without any bits of care, Desmond pushed and shoved every man and woman in his way to the side. some fell over others berated him with slander for his actions. Desmond paid those people no mind because unlike them he had a real problem on his hand. The green haired man in purple was trailing behind them. he too gave little care about the others on the street as he rushed towards Desmond. While running with all these that''s he had Desmond try tripping people and throwing nearby food carts on the ground. In an attempt to cause as much chaos as possible too slow the man in purple down. What Desmond did had little effect on the man in purple parkoured over every obstacle and kept on his tail. Desmond cursed his luck because today wasn''t supposed to be like this running for his life in fear from someone he doesn''t even know. As the two ran Desmond took a different route because the crowd of people wasn''t helping only slowing him down. Taking a right down a less busy street Desmond instantly felt the green haired man''s predatory stare burning a hole through the back of his head. While running Desmond remembered he was a mage the green head man scared him so much forgot something is basic is that. yet, regardless of that fact, Desmond felt like he shouldn''t confront that man. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. So, Desmond activated a few basic spells that let him run faster and a jump higher. he instantly picked up speed, but Desmond still felt it wasn''t enough to get away. so, Desmond ran towards one of the three-story tall building next to him and started to climb it. He can use the Shape Earth spell to create footholds allowing him to easily climb up the side of the building. Desmond scaled the building with much speed not afraid of falling in the least. when Desmond reach the top he thought he was safe, but realized the green haired man gave no fucks about Desmond being three stories up. The green haired man using no magic job is fingers into the Building made of brick and started to climb it just like Desmond. seeing the green haired man closing in fast Desmond didn''t stay on that building long instead he jumped to the other one. Even after all of that it still did little is slow the green haired Man Down. instead, it looked as though he was picking up speed. Tired of the green haired man''s Relentless Pursuit Desmond slow down a bit trying to get him within a 10 meter range when he did Desmond attacked. By compressing the air in the palms of his hands and shaping it Desmond created two wind blades. an intermediate spell he learned inside the city guard Library. The two blades we''re strong enough to carve up Stone. Desmond hoped they would be good enough to catch the green haired man off guard and kill him, but he was wrong. The green haired man avoided Desmond''s attack like a gymnastics expert. Desmond seeing the green haired man start to weave through his attack wanted to mess him up. So, he paused and slammed both of his palms on the ground and used another spell he learned Earth Spike wave. It''s similar to Earth Spike surge, but instead of having a bunch of earth spikes shoot out in a circle around the user. It creates a wave of them in one direction. The spell took a bit more energy then Desmond would like to expend at the moment but he did it anyway. As the spell activates a wave of Earth spikes comes shooting towards the green haired man who just finished dodging the wind blades. Seemingly Disturbed by the Dozen of Earth spikes forming and about yo come at him he crouches down low and performs a sweep kick. Breaking many of the Earth''s spikes before they even formed. Witnessing his failure Desmond jumped off the roof while still keeping hold of its side. By keeping hold of the side of the building and using the spell shape Earth Desmond was able to turn the brick into sand. slowing his descent as he quickly fell down the building and safely landed at the bottom. Gaining the lead Desmond was able to disappear from the green haired man''s site. having a moments of breather Desmond hid in an ally. Then Desmond activating invisibility spell he learned from the books he got from the strange man. invisibility spell wasn''t that great may be able to turn a person invisible but that was all. I still have to worry about smell, someone touching them, heat, getting wet, and sound. What the invisibility spell activated Desmond was taking no chances. he created a few illusionary foot prints that passed through the alley and kept going. While hiding in a corner the green haired man quickly made an appearance. Desmond didn''t make a sound as he watched the green haired man run past them. As Desmond watch the green hand man leave he got up and left in the opposite direction while still invisible. Making his way out of the alley breathe out a sigh of relief thinking the green haired man was gone. only to find him an inch from his face when he stepped out of the alley. 74 Lucky You Part 2 The thoughts Desmond had where he thought he was being crafty was quickly crushed when he realized the green haired man circled back around the building. Clearly already exposed Desmond stopped running from the green haired man and stood his ground. After taking a step back a strong straight punch was thrown out towards the green haired man''s face. Unperturbed the green haired man caught Desmond punch halfway with his left hand. Desmond had a smirk on his face when the green haired man did that because he had the spell shocking touch activated. Desmond thought if the enemy suddenly got shocked it would give him plenty of openings, but the green haired man endured the pain then punched Desmond in the gut with his right hand. Desmond not seeing any kind of magic radiating anywhere off the green haired man''s body believed everything would be fine. If he got punched by the green haired man only to have his calm face twisted with pain when he felt the punch in his soul. While Desmond took the plow to his soul he thought about exactly what getting punched in the soul felt like. To Desmond, it was the same as getting punched in the nuts. The punch rattled Desmond enough to break the invisibility spell he had on him. not letting one lucky blow get to him Desmond pushed forward and use all the knowledge he gained in the one year I''m training he had. In an attempt to take the green haired Man Down. As much as Desmond would like to say it was a hard-fought battle. We''re both sides where giving there all and anything could have tipped the scales of victory it wasn''t. Despite knowing magic spells the green haired man did not care about any of that. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The green haired man made Desmond look like an inexperienced child as they fought. Every one of Desmond''s attacks was perfectly countered. leaving Desmond completely open for multiple devastating blows that shook his soul. Whenever Desmond tried to use magic the green hat man would send his soul energy through Desmond''s body. Disrupting any kind of spell Desmond tried to cast which only left him open for another assault. Desmond thought he had gotten good as fighting even just a little bit, but this fight with the green haired man made him think otherwise. As the soul energy ripples through Desmond''s body, he realizes the green hair man is going easy on him. Despite each blow being ferociously delivered without any modicum of forgiveness when an opening or weakness is discovered. Desmond didn''t feel the threats of dying as he usually would when against a stronger opponent. Each blow was more precise and devastating than the last, but the green haired man''s goal was not to kill it was something else entirely. Desmond not snowing if you wanted to know that reason endeared the beating and fought on. While having his guard up Desmond urged the magical energy inside his body outward. Desmond wasn''t able to perform a spell when the green haired man was punching him and releasing his soul energy through Desmond''s body at the same time. So, Desmond attempted to break the cycle get that one second a breather he needed to deliver a devastating blow. Unable to perform any magic circles Desmond did something simple he had a large amount of his magical energy gush outward in all directions. It was like an explosion that pushed the air backwards. It was taxing on Desmond, but worth it because he got the chance he wanted. In the brief window, he was given Desmond cast two Spells at the same time. The maximum number of spells he''s able to perform. One of the Spells was a basic physical enhancement spell boar strength that increased Desmond strength by at least 50%. The second spell was Mage hand with both spells activated Desmond performed his ultimate technique. It was a straight punch that Desmond put all his strength into, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, he swinged his hip, leaned in forward and aimed for the green haired Man''s chest. The green hand man only caught off guard for a moment easily block Desmond straight punch as he did before. Only to see the evilest grin on Desmond''s face as he bared his gum''s to the world. There was no time to think it was already too late because the green haired man had fallen into Desmond''s trap. In the same moments of the green haired man saw Desmond''s unnerving smile all his old face. He also felt a pain in his chest more specifically his heart. The green haired man vomited out blood and gasp for air because his heart exploded in his chest. Desmond''s poorly named ultimate technique the Heartbreak took months to perfect. He tested it out on rats at first than attempted to kill things through multiple layers of wood and stone. The attack itself wasn''t anything fancy or special because the only spell actually needed was Mage hand. Which allows someone to grasp something from a distance since the green haired man had no kind of Magic on them from what Desmond could see. It meant he had no defense against Desmond''s ultimate technique. While Desmond did enjoy seeing his foe vomit Blood on the floor. He quickly shrieked back when he saw a ferocious glint the green haired Man''s eyes. Desmond forgot something important the green haired man was just like him so the body he was using was just a vessel and not really important to him. Exploding someone''s heart will usually kill them that''s was what Desmond was hoping on. Now he was wondering if he had anything in his arsenal to kill the man. He was never going to attach a spirit thread to the green head man''s body his soul was hundreds or even thousands of times stronger then Desmond''s soul. Which made Desmond Wonder just how that man got his soul so strong? What''s life could he have lived, what challenges and heartbreak he must have suffered through? While standing up straight and wiping the blood from his lips with a handkerchief the green haired man shouts at Desmond. "That''s enough". 75 Lucky You Part 3 Desmond being cautious took a few steps back and put up his guard than asked the green haired man a few questions "who are you and why are you chasing me?". The Green haired man didn''t answer Desmond immediately he instead put up one hand a sign to wait. He was still spewing out blood from his mouth when when he reached for a bracelet on his right hand and took of one of the beads. After removing the bead the green haired man ate it, not long after Desmond could see a blue light glowing in that other mans chest. Desmond guessed it was a different form of healing item because the green haired man started moving again with out problems. The green haired man breathed out a sigh of relief as he begun to conversed with Desmond "Out of every part of my body you could have destroyed you chose my heart. Do you have any Idea how annoying that is for me? Even though this body isn''t mine I can feel every bit of pain while I am in it. Haven''t you ever lost a body part if you did than you know what i''m talking about?". The was being sassy as he spoke with Desmond which he let continue because Desmond did know how it felt to lose a few body parts. Wanting to still get answers Desmond repeated himself again "Who are you and and why are you chasing me". The green haired man put both of his hands up showing Desmond he means no harm "you can relax my name is Eliot Row, I don''t listen to what the voices say if that''s what your worried about. I''m strong enough to resist the temptation since the only voice I listen to in my head is my own. Now me and him fight enough already so there''s no reason to add another". Desmond was not sure what Eliot was talking about with him talking about voices in his head he sounded like a nut case, but Desmond still asked him "what voices are you talking about?". Eliot looked at Desmond like he was probing him since he wasn''t expecting such a question from Desmond "are you telling me you don''t hear the voices, everyone else can so what makes you so special". This being the first time Desmond is receiving news on others like him he became filled with glee. "what do you know about the others?". "Since we have come here you have only stayed inside this city haven''t you?". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Desmond didn''t find any falt in his decision to only stay in the city for now out side the walls was fild with all kinds of strange things. Desmond noded towards Eliot who pinched his brow after finding out Desmondas situation. "ok i''ll tell you". 76 Lucky You Part 4 Eliot while fixing his cloths told Desmond "everyone that came here is pretty much doing there own thing. Some stayed together and formed groups while the less lucky ones where captured by the magi. I currently have no Idea what they are doing with the souls they captured, but I assume its nothing good". Desmond always had thought being captured and experimented on was a possibility if someone discovered him since many people don''t like things that are different from them. Desmond has also seen a few books that reference other mages experiments, so he knew they were no strangers to experimenting on souls, people, and a large number of other things. Desmond was about to ask another question when Eliot spoke first. "Now that I have answered your question I want you to do someone for me". Desmond wondering what it could be replied, "what do you want me to do?" "Its simple I just want you to look up" Desmond didn''t know why Eliot would request some thing so strange he though Eliot might try to attack him when he did. Then he remember Eliot still held an advantage over Desmond despite Desmond knowing magic. So, at the range they where at now Eliot could bring Desmond to his knees once more. Not putting any more thought into such a simple request Desmond looked up and only saw a blue sky, some clouds and the moon peaking out from behind them. After satisfing Eliot request Desmond saw a puzzle look on Eliot face. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "This is quite interesting, you really don''t see anything do you?". Desmond not knowing what Eliot was trying to get at asked him, "what am I suppose to see?" Eliot laughed at that question "You have no Idea how lucky you are, what your suppose to see is eternity. If lying to me you wouldn''t be standing up right now completely unfazed by whats up there". Desmond some what grasping at what Eliot was implying said to him, "What do you see?" "What do I see well that I''m not going to tell you partly because you destroyed my heart, but I don''t want to come off as petty so lets call it an intiation. Everyone else went through it I just don''t want to spoil all the fun you will have when you finally see it to. What ever is keeping you from witnessing all the wonderful things I am most likely won''t last long. So, enjoy this peaceful life you have been having and all that extra sleep because you''ll miss it". Desmond scoffed at what Eliot said because he has not been living a peaceful life at all so what can be worse than the life he has been living now. "Well then I think were both done here I was going to ask you if you where willing to join a little project that I typically do when I go to different planets, but from the looks of things you''re not ready for such a commitment." "You never even asked me so how can you tell?". "The reason I can tell Is because I''m a people person so I can tell you haven''t seen whats on the other side of the rainbow, but people can change I of all people know people can change. not into who people think or want you to be, but into who they have always been deep down inside. So, If you ever stop playing around and find out who you really are make some noise I''ll follow the bodies you leave behind or we will meet up again randomly who knows". Eliot then let out a crazy laugh confirming what Desmond already knew that Eliot was dangerous and he shouldn''t get involved with him. Yet, its not like Desmond has had any luck avoiding danger before so who knows what will happen. Desmond wanted more answers from Eliot, but Eliot didn''t care about Desmond just because they strangly wound up in the same place together. He only wanted to inspect Desmond''s character and Eliot was disappointed in what he saw. Eliot left soon after that leaving Desmond in the ally with more questions in his head than he got answers. 77 Universal Language Part 1 After the encounter with Eliot ended Desmond made his way to the spot his friends agreed to meet each other at. Late Desmond hurried to the location as fast as he could on the way there he had to stop to catch his breath multiple times. All because of the physical enhancement spell he cast on himself. Boosting a persons strength is not without consequences the same goes for many other spells. Hurrying with all he had Desmond ran into Lance who was late just like him. Desmond ran up next to him and said, "Late to a friends celebration it being small or not thats quite rude you know". Lance turned to his left and saw Desmond running next to him then replied, "haven''t you ever heard of being fashionably late if I get there to early then I would look like a loser". "Well then I guess I''m going to be fashionably late as well then". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Lance with a smirk on his face said, "you can''t be fashionably late to your own get together". Desmond replied, "If I can''t then I guess I''ll just have to start a new trend". Both Lance and Desmond started to have a good laugh at there situation and very soon they met up with the rest of their friends. Who where both annoyed by how long Lance and Desmond had them wait. Desmond and lance both apologized to the rest of the group, everyone was about to go to the bar when Lance stopped everyone. "Wait a little while longer don''t you guys remember that friend you said I could invited along." Roy and everyone else scratched there heads trying to remember who Lance was talking about. "Come on didn''t you guys listen to me when I said I wanted to bring along a friend I made at work. His name is Eliot he is a bit weird and likes the color purple a little to much everyday he has something on with that color, but he is an interesting guy. He was some kind of explorer the places he said he been to and the things he fought were so strange he must have spent a lot of time in the Defiled Lands". Desmond listened to who Lance was describing and felt like he knew exactly who Lance was talking about. "Lance by any chance could the full name of the person your talking about be Eliot Row?". Lance looked towards Desmond "Ya, you know him too" Desmond Waved his hand dismissing that notion "no its just that I accidentally ran into him a little while back and I don''t think he is going to come. He apparently had some kind of last minute business to handle". "What I went through so much trouble to get him to agree to" Lance visibly disappointed let everyone continue to the bar. ... A few blocks away on top of a 5 story tall building was Eliot Row he was observing Desmond and his friends from a distance. "What a small world this is we weren''t even separated that long yet here we meet again. Eliot looked at the group closer and was intrigued by what he saw, "Oh ... what do we have here those eyes that smile how fake they all are it reminds me of myself a long time ago. Coming here wasn''t without reward, Lance my boy you trully have some interesting friends". While closing his eyes and basking in the sun''s rays Eliot spoke once more, "you don''t have to keep watching me you know. I haven''t done anything to warrant suspicion nor do I hold any ill will towards anyone here. So, is hiding in the shadows really necessary". Eliot was completely alone on the roof from anyone elses perspective it would lok like he was talking to himself. Receiving no reply Eliot said, "Fine then stay where you are I don''t care" then he jumped off the building and left. Leaving only the shadows that bent and twisted in the light. 78 Universal language Part 2 Inside a popular bar visited by many of the city guards was Desmond and his friends. The bar had a cozy feel to it and had pictures and metals from soldiers on the walls. The pictures regardless if the soldier was old, retired, K.I.A (killed in action), or new was hung on the walls with pride. The owner was a former soldier who retired after many years of service, he also gives a 20% discount to all soldiers so its an easy reason why people frequent the place. Sitting at a large table packed with all kinds of strange food was Desmond and his friends. They where all drinking their butts off and eating their fill. Everyone secretly agreed to dump the bill on Desmond so why wouldn''t they enjoy themselves to the fullest. As one of the servers past by the table Roy stopped him while still a little tipsy from drinking and said, "waiter where having a celebration for my friend here, so bring us a bottle of the most expensive drink you have". The was waiter a thin man with combed back hair he took out his note book then said to Roy, "that is no problem currently the most expensive drink we have is Fire Dragon''s Breath it costs 100 magic crystals per bottle". Even if he was drunk Roy would never be drunk enough to buy something that expensive especially if it wouldn''t even last an hour. Snapping out of his stupor Roy said to the waiter, "on second thought i''ll just have your cheapest bottle instead". "So, you want a bottle of Gobelin Piss that sounds like its in your price range, one bottle will cost 20 Drachma. There is no need to be concerned its not actually Gobelin Piss inside the the bottle its just a name". "I wasn''t concerned about that before so what is inside the bottle if not Gobelin Piss?" Roy asked questioningly. The waiter shrugged his shoulders as he said, "I don''t know its not like I made it probably some other kind of piss, you should buy a bottle and find out". The waiter then penned in Roy''s order for a bottle of Gobelin Piss then asked everyone else if they wanted anything. Roy tried to tell the waiter he didn''t want any Gobelin Piss, but he was ignored. Desmond butted in and asked for a more reasonably priced quality drink for everyone at the table. The waiter listed a few different kinds of alcohol that people don''t buy because there to expensive. Out of the list Desmond chose a drink called Nymph''s Delight for 20 magic crystals. It was a sweet bitter kind of alcohol that turns your breath into a rainbow after drinking it. Desmond could afford every drink and food at the bar, but he didn''t want to waist his money on stuff like that. After taking the order the waiter left and Roy started to complain about him. "Does anyone elses think that guys a smart ass?" looking around the table Roy saw no one else agreeing with him. Lance said with a mouth full of popper fish to Roy, "you should be thanking him for bringing you back to your senses before you actually did something stupid like buy something you couldn''t afford". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Roy refuted what Lance said and told him "thats impossible no dwarf like me would lose there reasoning just because of a few drinks". Everyone stopped eating when they heared what Roy said while John got some food stuck in his throwt and had to spit it out. Not believing a word of what Roy mentioned John said to him, "you a dwarf do you even know what a dwarf is It would be more believable if you said you were a giant". The others agreed including Desmond everyone knew what dwarfs where there was no need to explain them, but Roy looked nothing like a dwarf. Roy was a husky man a bit hairy, but not overly so like a dwarf he looked more like a normal human then anything else. Roy wanting to settle everyones doubt explained that both his parents where dwarves, but they where not full blooded dwarves. Over the generation other things got mixed into their family blood line thats why both him and his sister don''t look like Dwarves. Desmond had questions about the science of all that, but he just let it slide because the physiology of thing on this world where most likely different then his old one. Now knowing that his friend was a dwarf Desmond asked him something, he knew it was a long shot, but he might as well ask him and find out. Waving at Roy to get his attention Desmond said to him "Roy I know that Dwarves are considered to be some of the greatest botanist in the world. A major change from the famed metal workers you''re race used to be because you''re race lost a large amount of the techniques you''re people developed over the generations. All because of the after math during The War of The Fallen, but I must know does your family have any of those forging techniques or any thing else i''ll gladly pay to copy it down". Even if the hope was small and even though he know there was most likely nothing there Desmond was still heart broken learning his family had nothing like that. "Information like that depending on what it is is next to priceless. I know that many clans have found all kinds of things related to ancient dwarven techniques and a few old households that have lasted a couple thousand years should definitely have some. Besides that if you want quality weapons and armor you have to go to the fire giants like everyone else". Learning that he could get weapon made by actual fire giants Desmond wasn''t nearly as heart broken as before because having things made by fire giants were way cooler than dwarves. 79 Universal Language Part 3 Leaning back in his chair with his full belly John said, "Roy if your sister is like you despite being a dwarf then what does she look like". Lance also curious said with a bit of flair, "Ya, you talk about here stalker lover all the time, but you never say anything about her". After downing a cup fill of Flint Mead Roy loudly belching in there faces then said, "my sister is taken by that stalker boyfriend of hers they''re both finally dating after so many years of waiting. If they didn''t do something soon I was planning to tie that man down and have a chat with him". Everyone was intrigued by the news Roy brought them, they heard about the full story from Roy and all thought the man would never get the courage. "So what happened" asked Lance ready for a good story. Roy scratched his head then told everyone the way both of them started dating was quite weird. Everyone that works at where Roy works only found out last weak that the two started dating, but they have been doing it longer than that. How it started baffled everyone and his sister wouldn''t tell anyone the truth. Leaving everyone involved felt cheated out of a good story despite how much time they invested into it. It was a pathetic conclusion to a couples love story, Desmond and the rest of the group where not as invested in the life of Roy''s sister like everyone else who goes to The Leaping lizard, but they still felt unsatisfied like everyone else. Quickly approaching the table with two bottles of quality alcohol on a cart was the same server they ordered from before. "Sorry to keep you waiting" after apologizing the server brought out the expensive bottle of alcohol Desmond ordered for the group. It was more than affordable for people who are able to live in district B, but since everyone at the table only had an income of 7 to 12 magic crystals. They wouldn''t be able to buy it unless they saved for a few years. There are many more kinds of dishes and drinks far more expensive, but they aren''t suitable for consumption by normal people. Knowing everyone was excited to drink the Nymph''s Delight the server offered to pour it for everyone and he did for everyone except Roy. When it was his turn he was served the bottle if Gobelin Piss. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Hey, what are you doing I don''t want this" Roy said while holding his cup in disapproval. The server looked at it and replied, "I''m just serving you what you ordered ser and here is a salad you look like you can use a salad. You don''t have to worry it''s on the house". The server then placed a plate of salad in front of Roy and left. Roy wanted to punch the server, but everyone else like him so they just told Roy to drink his Gobelin Piss and let it go. Roy was reluctant to do so, but out of curiosity, he took a sip to find out that the Goblin Piss didn''t taste that bad. In his opinion, it was better than the Flint Mead they bought before it. As the group continued to celebrate three guys barged into the bar while making all kinds of noise drawing everyone''s attention. 80 Universal Language Part 4 Desmond along with many other people looked over at the three men who barged in, started to whistle, shout, and bang on a nearby table. The three men were dressed in common clothes worn by many people you can find anywhere on the street. One of the men furthest in the back had a ruff beard and the look of someone who just got off work but still managed to find the energy to do what he found important. He had on what looked like tweed breeks with a matching vest. The other gentleman next to him had on a pair of pants that looked similar to oxford bags. Coupled with his knit sweater, cleanly shaved face, and calm demeanor he was a real looker. The one leading the three was still smoking a cigarette, he looked around the room judging every person there. His verdict has already been set, but he wanted to find the one person in the sea of idiots who will listen to reason. He also adorned a pair of pants reminiscent of oxford bags along with a pull overcoat. Having most of the people in the bar''s attention the man in front of the group that walked in started to speak. Just like any actor at a theater, he presented himself well, "ladies and gentlemen if I may have your attention. My name is Gresham Stokes and my associates Leopold and Robert would like to inform you all about a grave problem plaguing not just our city, but the entire world. For too long, this problem has gone untreated and if nothing is done to stop it, to stop them. Then the same thing a doctor decides to do when an infection spreads too far will happen to us all". Gresham walked further into the bar as he continued to talk while his associates got busy. The man Greshan pointed to as Leopold handed half of the papers to Robert. The man furthest in the back of the group half of the flyers that he was carrying. Then they both started to walk around the room handing them out to every person there while Greshan kept talking. "We the healthy, hard working, men and woman along with your children will be cut off. You know why don''t you, everyone here knows why? Its because the plague has already won, the plague has grown strong it doesn''t need us anymore the magi don''t need us anymore. They view us as either lab rats or pack mules they don''t say it out loud because they don''t have to". Gresham took a chair from a nearby table and stood on top of it so everyone could see him. "We are slaves the only difference between us and actual slaves is that we get paid PEANUTS! To dance around do tricks for the magi, prays the magi for their greatness, for their mercy. While they sit in their towers lording over us all just like the Morpheus Counsel lords over them". Interrupting the man''s speech was a tall tan man with a cap on his head he spoke without the slightest bit of a gentleman''s demeanor when he told that man to, "shut up, you trying to get us all killed for the shit your saying. Take you''re ''unite the people'' shit and shove it back up your ass that''s how you can really help the people". The man who made the first outburst stirred up the crowd, some started to bang on the table in agreement even hold up their drinks to the man for what he said. The man in the lead tapped his nose energetically as he thanked that man who just made the outburst for proving a point he was trying to make. "That right that is what I''m talking about that man yelled at me with such confidence and energy not scared of me in the slightest, but what you guys probably missed was the fear in his voice. Fear of the magi and the useless Morpheus Counsel. The Morpheus Counsel is the undisputed strongest force in the entire world". They can make rank 6 Demigods quake in fear forcing them to live the rest of their lives out as hermits on an asteroid at the edge of the galaxy. Yet, you know what those people those literal gods do with there power, absolutely nothing!!!". Gresham yelled loudly making him huff like he was out of breath then he said, "when we get sick, hurt, or die the magi could fix those problems with a wave of their hand. Yet, they do nothing with there power to help us it''s not like how it was before in the beginning when the magi first came into existence. Now they are greedy drunk on their own power, but the worst of all the magi are those in the Morpheus Council and the Pantheon of Valdora". As people booed and through food at Greshan telling him and his acquaintances to get out, but Gresham and the others he brought continued what they were doing. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Over 400,000 years ago the Morpheus Council was built with the singular purpose to protect the world. In that time no matter how many clan wars were waged or people died they did nothing. They have the power to do so much but prefer to stay locked away in that tower of theirs. The Pantheon of Valdora isn''t any better because they are the ones who changed everything they alter laws on a whim to suit their needs. I know you are scared of the magi, but there will come a day when you will never be again. The Purifiers will see to it everyone is free and no longer under the boot of the magi". As Gresham was still giving his speech Leopold was handing out pamphlets at the bar counter he came across a woman who was eye catching. She had silky smooth long black hair, her eyes were emerald green, a tail with black fur was wrapped around her body and cute cat ears were on the top of her head. She had her legs crossed while she sat at the bar table, her sharp nails tapped the glass in her hands. She only cared about two things at that moment her next drink and the one after that. Not even bothering to look at Leopold as she took a sip of her drink, normaly a person who sees a woman as beautiful as her would become infatuated, but not Leopold he only had the look of disgust. 81 Universal Language Part 5 As Leopold looked at the half breed beast, his disgusted look turned into disapproval not only because of what she is, but also because the bar would allow someone like that to come in and mingle with the rest of the fine folk here. Leopold''s insides were burning with rage, he knew demi-humans had no place living with humans. Yet, they lived with everyone else anyway because of some deal the great and powerful magi made a long time ago after they beat everyone else into submission. It was stuff like that which lead to walking freaks like the khajiit hybrid Leopold was looking at. Unable to contain himself Leopold uttered, "what are you doing here freak? You think you can waltz in here and buy a drink like everyone else. People like them have a hard enough time finding work in this city as it is, they don''t need cheap demi-human scum sitting next to them. Reminding them of why their family has to cut back on their food or why they can''t buy new clothes. You bastards offer to work for less stealing jobs from people that need it and ever since more of you came because of the Loran Isles incident things just keep getting better. In his anger, Leopold started to raise his voice as he said, "It was hard enough finding an affordable home already with the limited space this city has. All because of beasts like you some people have to live with three people per room other five. That''s no way to live and that''s why I mean it when I say if you want a drink you should be on your knees slurping it up of the floor like the rest of your kind you filthy animal". His tone and words clearly conveyed how repulsed he was by the khajiit woman, but the woman didn''t care she just kept drinking. Becoming more enraged because the demi-human woman was ignoring him Leopold shouted at her, "hey are you listening to me?". The woman didn''t respond she kept having one drink after the other. The bartender across from them who was serving the woman heard everything Leopold said but was going to do nothing about it. Not because he agreed with Leopold rather because he knew who the person he was talking shit to was. The bartender was just waiting a little bit longer to have a good show while hoping the woman didn''t make to much of a mess. Leopold''s shouting drew the attention of others from Gresham, seeing people paying less attention to him than they already were Gresham looked around for the problem. Seeing Leopold yelling at some woman in the back he asked him what the problem was. Leopold said to Gresham, "Don''t you see its a fucking demi-human why else do you think I''m pissed". Gresham seeing some of the people getting rowdy after what Leopold said quickly intervened because he knew not everyone had the same views. People needed time to open their eyes to the truth. "Gentleman please, now you must understand my colleagues have led hard lives they and I bet many of you have as well. We suffer at the hands of the magi and even our friends have been forced out on to the streets. Things like that leads to all kinds of different takes on a subject as sensitive as this one. Views of which every man and woman is entitled to, but aren''t because the magi don''t allow it. The Purifiers support you and whatever views you may have without judgment". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Out of the corner of Gresham''s eye, he could see some people starting to get up a couple of them had empty bottles in hand. Gresham wasn''t able to pacify the crowd he wasn''t afraid to fight the crowd he knew there was a high chance of that happening before he came to the bar. Leopold and Robert knew that two, but they followed him anyway to help spread the word about what was wrong with this world. Desmond heard what both of those guys said clearly and understood everything he needed to know. Desmond had no problem with people fighting for there rights, against any kind of injustice, or for higher wages, but what he couldn''t stand for was racism. Desmond didn''t support it in the slightest if Leopold hadn''t had that outburst of his then Desmond might have held a little bit of sympathy for there cause. While downing a glass of the Nymph''s Delight Lance burped then said, " Those Purifier guys have been making a lot more noise lately. Some of those Idiots even vandalized a few statues depicting the magi at a couple of parks. They speak of about overthrowing the magi, but I bet they don''t even have a plan if they did they wouldn''t do small stuff like that. Besides, how do you even go about dismantling what the magi have built". The rest of the group tuned into what Lance said and started to listen, " It can''t be done every clan is like there own nation each one is completely self sufficient, has there own army, weapons, and multiple other planets they can run to when things get bad. Normal people defeating them is like trying to understand the entire universe while you have lived inside a well your whole life, it''s simply impossible". John looking back and forth between the groups of people getting ready to beat up the three purifiers added to what Lance said saying. "Your right but despite them just blowing smoke out their butts they do have a large following along with many sympathizers. I see spokesman like them around Memorial wall all the time". John was about to say something else when he saw Desmond getting up and walking over towards the purifiers. "Desmond what are you doing?" John uttered to Desmond. "I''m just going to introduced myself to those fine gentleman over there," said Desmond as he pushed through a few people in front of him to be first. Seeing Desmond joining the rest of the crowd John asked the rest of the guys at the table "so what should we do now, join him". Roy still enjoying himself said, "if he''s gonna start a fight here we might as well participate before we get kicked out". Lance and John agreed, finished the bottle of Nymphs Delight without Desmond then went to back up their friend. 82 Universal Language Part 6 Gresham seeing things were starting to get out of hand hurried over towards Leopold, grabbed his shoulder, and told him to calm down. Gresham then signaled Robert letting him know it was time to leave. The three were about to go when out of the group of people enclosing on them an old man stepped forward, it was Desmond. Desmond had a fierce scowl on his face as he stopped the tree from leaving. Gresham didn''t approve of being stopped by some random old man who obviously didn''t understand the simple truth he was preaching earlier so he said to Desmond. "Do you mind moving, me and my colleagues were just about to leave". "Shut up, nothing would make me happier than to see you leave so you can go. My problem isn''t with you anyway, at the moment it''s with him" Desmond pointed at Leopold while giving him a look that stung like daggers. Gresham interjected saying, "Well if you have something to say to him it will have to wait until ..." "Didn''t I say shut up I heard you prattle on without end, so give me my chance to speak. Didn''t your mother teach you any manors or was she to busy giving head to put you through school. I''m sorry if she did because obviously, she didn''t get her money worth. Since after I told you to shut up you''re still talking like an idiot. Everyone is entitled to be one every now and again, but you''re just abusing the privilege right now". A bunch of the guys surrounding Gresham and the other two started to laugh some started to make fun of them too. Desmond ignored Gresham and said to Leopold very clearly to his face "I want you to turn around and apologize to that woman over there". Desmond wasn''t the kind of man who saw injustice and had to help, but because he hatted racism so much it lead him to this clich¨¦ moment. Leopold in his rage told Desmond, "why the fuck should I? Is it because your a demi-human sympathizer or is it because you love those mutated freaks". Desmond laughed at what Leopold said, he had no shame for his love of demi-humans. Desmond liked them much more than regular humans he even hopes to meet other strange and unique races. So Desmond said to Leopold "you think I would be ashamed to proclaim my love for demi-humans as if it was some unforgivable sin. While I don''t remember much about my earlier years I do know that I am a part of an elite breed of humans. Who have dedicated there lives to all manner of peculiar things that your normi mind could not even begin to comprehend. We have infiltrated the highest levels of the government, we could be your neighbor, your teacher, even a member of your own family. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Yet, you may never know, many of my kin have hidden the truth their whole lives and are capable of surviving months without any food or water.The can sustain themselves with only a drop of fresh mountain dew. Amongst the wide variety of my otaku brothers and sisters, there is a community of furries that is both loved and feared. They have dedicated every waking moment of there lives to furries and they will have my head if they found out I did not stand against you now for slandering something they hold, so close to their hearts". Desmond was absolutely serious about what he said, but everyone else didn''t understand a word. They just shouted in agreement to not look like fools in front of the people who did know. Others in the bar thought Desmond was saying he was apart of some kind of gang or organization that''s why they joined in to support him. Desmond''s friends that were standing close behind him occasionally heard Desmond talking about things they had no clew about. Even when Desmond explained it was difficult for them to get it, over time they got use to it. Leopold ignored what the disgusting demi-human lover in front of him told him then said, "people like you who support filth like her is why things will never change for the better. Look at how old you are, your magical talent is most likely just as shit as mine. People with no magical talent have no value to magi, but at least we are better than those beasts. You should be on our side helping to kick those abominations out". Angered by Leopold''s and the rest of the purifier''s views Desmond shouted, "that''s enough from you I am a tolerant person, but your ignorance is getting me mad. So, this is your last chance, apologies or else". "I''ll never apologize for speaking the truth to you or that demi-human whor ..." not letting Leopold speak any further Desmond gave him a much-needed uppercut while Leopold was talking shutting him up. Desmond discreetly activated the intermediate spell boars strength giving his punch the juice it needed to fling Leopold backward in the air a few inches. Landing him hard on his back on top of the bar counter next to the demi-human woman he hatted so much. Who was still downing drink after drink ignoring everything happening around her. The crowd of people surrounding everyone cheered with much delight their roar was the perfect music for what was happening. Seeing Desmond attack one of his colleagues Gresham launched a right hook at Desmond''s face. Desmond put up his guard blocking the punch, Gresham gave a few more good jabs before Desmond sides stepped to the right and punched Gresham in the stomach while he was still open. Coming to attack him on his left was Robert, but Desmond didn''t bother with him because John had his back. As Robert rushed to attack Desmond John gave him a surprise kick to the gut. Bringing Robert''s head down low enough for a follow-up kick straight in the face. John stood on one leg like a crane admiring his handy work that was Robert''s broken nose. Leopold took a full bottle from behind the bar counter and broke it the liquid inside burst out covering the countertop. The bartender just let him do it he didn''t own the place and was gonna have to clean the place after the fight anyway, so he wanted something good to happen if he was gonna have to do all that extra work. Leopold wanted to gut Desmond, but halfway to him someone to his left went behind him, reached out and grabbed his right wrist. Leopold was not in the mood to be disturbed by anyone else he was going to slash at whoever grabbed him. Only to find his right arm being forced to his back at a painful angle. That forced him to drop the bottle onto the floor breaking it. The person who had Leopold in that hold was Lance. He circled around the crowd to intercept Leopold when he saw him starting to get back up. As lance held Leopold''s arm tightly behind his back Lance tripped him slamming his body face first to the floor. Leopold''s face started to bleed as blood trickled down his face which got cut from the glass shards on the floor. Desmond saw the help his friends provided he even saw Roy standing in the crowd finishing off a chicken leg. He fought alongside them in spirit as he cheered with the crowd. A smile crept onto Desmond''s face at that moment because he was glad to have made friends like them. 83 Universal Language Part 7 The cheers from the crowd danced throughout the bar. Everyone was having a good time enjoying the fight as bets were quickly being made. A few people gathered wagering what little they had on who they thought they would win. "5 drachma on the man with the beard" "20 on the pretty boy over there fighting him" "I got 10 drachma on the old man he''s got a fire in him" People were shouting out their wagers at a man who was writing it all down while another man was collecting the money. It was beyond surprising how fast they managed to set everything up. Pushing through the crowd of people was Roy he wanted to make a bet as well. "Ha, put me down for 30 drachma on that Gresham guy he''s the one fighting the old man" Roy''s bet was quickly taken and he was given a number. He then squeezed his way back through to observe the fight. Desmond fought Gresham well he used his military training with great skill. He didn''t need magic to fight Gresham he only enhanced his body to make sure Leopold felt it when he punched him. As the two crossed blows Gresham was trying to dodge as much of Desmond''s punches as he could, but Desmond''s fists kept hitting him square in the face. When Desmond fought against Eliot and lost it wasn''t because he completely sucked at fighting. It was all because Eliot was too skilled of a fighter for Desmond to face off against. Desmond showed off his hard work over the year and a half of bone breaking training has brought him. He parried most of Gresham''s punches from hitting him his defense wasn''t perfect, but it was good enough for a bar fight. As Desmond deflected Gresham''s blows he managed to punch Gresham in the jaw. Jarring him long enough for Desmond to grab his head and have his face it meet his knee. Gresham''s teeth bled a little only enough to turn his teeth red, but more than enough to piss him off. As Gresham''s head flung backward from being kneed in the face Desmond at that moment found himself in a good position to grab Gresham''s arm. Desmond then turned himself around place Gresham''s arm over his shoulder and flung him over it into the crowd. It was like a group of dominos being knocked over as the people fell resulting in a table behind them all being flipped over. The food and alcohol on the table spilled onto the spectators including Gresham. The part of the crowd that wasn''t covered in food was happily laughing at those who were. While the other half of the crowd that had their clothes soiled angrily pushed Gresham off and back towards Desmond. Just as Gresham was about to fight he was handed a chair by someone in the crowd Gresham didn''t know him, but Desmond knew him it was Roy. Gresham accepted the sturdy chair while Desmond gave Roy a stupified look as he said, "what in the world are you doing Roy who''s side are you on". Roy told Desmond, "I''m securing my bet don''t be afraid to tap out". Desmond had many things to say to Roy for betting against his friend but was preoccupied with the now softly glowing chair coming at him. Gresham held the chair with both hands as he swung it at Desmond. The chair was being enhanced by Gresham''s chi, chi is the internal body''s energy. Most people who have no talent for magic choose to learn it yet, not everyone is able to master it. Using chi is slightly easier to use during the beginning stages, but just as hard to master as magic. Many people spend there whole lives stuck as a disciple. Never reaching the level of strength similar to a rank 1 mage, but mages are inherently stronger than those who primarily use chi. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Yet, there have been many exceptions where chi users have overshadow magi both in combat and knowledge. Resulting in fierce displays of strength from masters on both sides. Desmond knew that chi energy could hurt him just as much as magic, so he wanted to avoid getting hit by the chair as much as possible. Desmond backed away from Gresham every time he swung the chair wait for an opening so he could grab the chair from him. As Desmond attempted to dodge the chair once more he felt a hand grab his ankle. Looking down Desmond saw It was Leopold who was still on the floor being pinned by Lance. He used his free hand to give his partner the chance he needed which Gresham took with open arms. He slammed the chair into Desmond''s chest knocking him to the floor then at Lance''s head. Lance failing to dodge in time got smacked away by the chair freeing Leopold. The crowd was loving what was happening so was Roy, who knew the power one chair could bring to a person. While Desmond and Lance were still on the floor Gresham broke off two of the chair''s legs and handed one to Leopold who was almost on his feet. While Desmond and Lance were having some difficulty with there opponents because of Roy''s help. John was having a much easier time fighting Robert since John fought with his legs it gave him a long reach. Robert was pelted with kicks from all sides, not wanting to lose Robert endured one of John''s kicks to the gut and grabbed his leg. John had faced the same problem in close combat practice before. There were multiple things he could do to free himself, but instead of a safer more practical option. He chose to jump up high with his other leg and kick Robert in the face backing him up into the crowd that was still pissed about being covered in food. As Robert approached the crowd someone there joined in the fun and punched him in the face. Robert recoiled back from sudden getting punched from a random guy in the crowd opening him up for another kick in the back from John. Pushing him forward to receive a second punch from the crowd. As this cycle continued more people joined in to punch Robert some in the crowd complained about messing with the bets but were drowned out by the noise of fists pounding on flesh and every other chaotic thing happening in the bar. 84 Universal Language Part 8 Desmond and Lance picked themselves from the floor to continue facing off against Gresham and Leopold. Gresham not finished with Desmond swung the broken chair leg down at him. The chair leg glowed as Gresham infused it with his chi making it harder and hurt more when he hit Desmond with it. Desmond blocked with his left arm and followed up with a punch aimed towards Gresham''s face, but was interrupted when Gresham kicked Desmond in the stomach. Pushing him back a few steps leaving Lance to receive the brunt of there attacks. Even though Lance had to fight both Leopold and Gresham he resisted quite well. Leopold took a swing at Lance, Lance caught Leopold''s arm as it was coming towards him and held on tightly. Then kicked Leopold''s knee forcing him to kneel down in front of Lance. As Leopold looked up at Lance who was still twisting his arm Lance punched Leopold in the face bringing him back to the ground just like before. A second after Lance nocked Leopold to the ground Gresham landed a clean punch in Lance''s face. Gresham then grabbed Lance''s shit pulled him closer and was about to bring the broken chair leg down on Lance''s head when Desmond came back and uppercuted him just like he did to Leopold. Desmond didn''t stop his assault on Gresham he followed up with a punch to the gut. Making Gresham gasp out loud than pried the broken chair leg away with both of his hands. Gresham resisted, but lost his grip on it, Desmond with a firm grasp on the chair leg smashed it across Gresham''s head and struck him a second time with it. The second strike was off a bit Desmond wound up striking Gresham''s jaw-breaking one of his back molars. Blood escaped Gresham''s mouth some of it coated the chair leg that Desmond threw away because he didn''t want to kill the man. Gresham spat out some of his blood on the floor with some fragments from his broken tooth then continued fighting Desmond. Leopold had long since got up and engaged Lance who at the time had his knee firmly planted in Leopold''s gut. Leopold grabbed hold of Lance''s leg then used his body weight to bring Lance to the floor with him. On the floor, Leopold tried to bash Lance''s head in with the chair leg Lance narrowly dodged each strike by moving his head out of the way at the last moment. When Leopold brought the chair leg up once more Lance took the chance to wrap his arms around Leopold. The two tussled on the floor rolling over each other until Lance made it behind Leopold. Now In the optimal position, Lance put Leopold in a sleeper hold. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Leopold squirmed furiously as he gasped for air it didn''t take long before he stopped resisting completely. While lance and Leopold were fighting Desmond used John''s tactic and through Gresham into the crowd once more. They greeted Gresham warmly as the joined in beating him up. Eventually, all three of the purifiers were thrown out onto the streets by the crowd. The people who bet on them and lost were not gentle with them in the slightest when they kicked them out. Inside the bar was a mess because of the fight and many people were still sulking over losing their money. Some guys congratulated Desmond and the rest for making them some money. Roy was sad for losing his money but he still congratulated his friends. "That was a great fight maybe next time you guys could do what I say and throw the fight. I have bills to pay you know". Desmond listing to what his friend said walked up to him and punched him in the stomach. As Roy held his stomach in pain Desmond said, "if you want to make money then next time bet it on the right people. Why did you bet against us anyway?" While rubbing his stomach Roy said, "haven''t you ever heard of the underdog even though the chances of them winning were slim people still bet on them. Plus there was a higher payout if I chance money on him". Desmond just sighed at his friend''s betrayal then walked towards the bar counter where the cat woman was at. She was still drinking none stop like nothing happened, one drink after another went down her throat and the bartender kept giving her another. It was so autonomous Desmond thought they were both machines. Trying to get the woman''s attention he coughed loudly but got no response so he just spoke plainly. "Excuse me miss I would just like to say I didn''t start that fight because I thought you were some helpless woman. I did it simply because I hate racism to my core it has no place with me. I require no thanks I would have done the same thing if I heard them talking trash like that near me even if it wasn''t you". When Desmond stopped talking the woman slammed her glass on the counter and said to him. "I wasn''t going to thank you anyway I didn''t need any help. All you did was postpone the end of three dead men walking. If you want to be useful try paying my bill instead". The woman said as she faced Desmond with a sweet smile on her face. Desmond took no offense to what she said he was to busy geeking out over how amazing the woman''s ears were. They were so smooth and pointy the fur blended with the hair on her head. The tail wrapped around her waist was just as delicate and smooth. Desmond may not have cared about what she said to him, but he had secretly hoped the cat woman would be thankful enough to let him touch her ears. It was the real reason why he started the fight. Desmond may hate racism with a passion, but the opportunity to touch a pair of catgirl ears and tail supersedes racism. 85 Youve got this Desmond chuckled and agreed to the woman''s request to pay her bill. He called out to the bartender and said, "ha, barkeep whats this woman''s bill I''ll pay for it". The bartender looked at Desmond and scoffed at him after what he heard. The bartender then replied, "sure that''s no problem her bill is currently 23,700 magic crystals because of how high the amount is I have to request that you stay here till the bill is paid in full. Please don''t forget my 15% tip for giving such wonderful service. While you''re at it don''t forget to pay your own bill and for the damages to the bar". Desmond almost completely lost his cool after hearing that number it was more than twice he made when he robbed Vincent. "What in the world is she drinking for the bill to be that high?" uttered Desmond. The bartender told him it was mostly the Fire Dragon''s Breath that cost 100 Magic crystals per bottle. The catgirl had so many of them she basically cleaned out the inventory. Slowly backing away Desmond said to them, "you know what I am fully supportive in the notion a woman doesn''t need a man to take care of them so I think she''s got this". Just as Desmond turned around to leave he saw a charming man that carried a small book in his hand walking towards him. He had on a pair of glasses that dug into his combed-back black oily hair. His eyes were focused and stern, but there was also a gentle side to them. If he hadn''t worn his official city guard uniform and had a badge on his uniform indicating his rank as a major Desmond would have thought the man was a teacher. Because of the grueling training Desmond received from Sergeant Freeman Desmond instinctually saluted the high ranking officer in front of him. That man gave Desmond a node and stopped close behind the demi-human saluted her just like Desmond, but far more serious then and said: "Lieutenant Cornel Aundrea Briggs you are requested to report back to the city guard training camp immediately". Aundrea looked back at the man and said, "Vlad can''t it just wait I''m not done drinking I still have to do a little hunting after this too.". She drunk another glass of alcohol after saying that and the bartender served her another glass. Vlad shook his head and said, "No, it can''t this is an official announcement from General Emma Von Cooler everyone is being called back and besides none of the drinks here can even get you drunk so there is no need to keep drinking it". "Well, what else am I suppose to do I ran out of things to drink in my office and everyone else either hides their stash from me or only has something cheaper than this". Vlad adjusted his glasses then replied, "well you can find a new place and keep drinking latter right now we have to go" "Fine, but since your dragging me away you paying the bill". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Vlad shrugged replying, "that''s fine so long as it gets you out of here faster". The bartender told Vlad the bill, but he didn''t even flinch when he heard it, unlike Desmond. Vlad conjured a blue card the same way people summon the citizen ID that is implanted inside them. It was a universally accepted bank card from the Black Cauldron clan. It acts similar to a magic pouch, but it can only hold magic crystals. With the added benefits of wireless transfer of funds and access to a market only accessed threw the usage of the card. The card can only be obtained after someone has reached the minimum requirement of rank 1 and has a minimum starting balance of 100k magic crystals. There are different kinds of cards available depending on a persons rank. Rank 1 has a red card, Rank 2 has a blue card, Rank 3 has a Gold card, while rank 4 is black. A person rank is the deciding factor of what is available to them through the market. The bartender''s eyes shined when he saw the card, never in his wildest dreams would he think he would get the chance to see such a precise object let alone touch one. He handled the card with great care as he used a card reader to scan it. The bar had the card reader for a long time, but rarely did they get the chance to use it. After Vlad paid for Aundrea''s drinks both of them left completely forgetting about Desmond who was happy he didn''t have to keep saluting. "Why is it I keep running into such strong people anyone above captain rank in this city is typically rank 2 or higher and after all those books I read I''m fairly sure those two are strong enough to solo fight the entire U.S military from my old world. I never actually seen any high ranking people fight hell I haven''t even fought against many apprentice-level people. Besides that Otis guy, Lance, and a few others when sparing at the training camp. Whatever, I''m just glad I didn''t accidentally insult her or my already short life would have come to an abrupt end". 86 Not Again Nothing left to do Desmond walked back to his set and tried to enjoy himself again so he can enjoy his day. Desmond scanned the table, but couldn''t find what he wanted so he asked the others were the bottle of Nymph''s Delight was. The others in the group oddly looked at each other and came to an agreement through only there gazes. Out of the group Lance spoke and said, "we were wondering the same thing it was gone when we got here. We think someone snatched it when we were fighting when you think about it its the perfect crime". The others in the group nodded in agreement with lance. Desmond wasn''t happy about having his fancy drink stolen from him, not only did he barely have any, but it cost him 20 magic crystals which is equivalent to 200,000 dollars U.S from his old world. It took Desmond a while, but he eventually figured out the conversation ratio for magic crystals. 1 magic crystal is eventually to 10k, while 1 mage stone is 500 dollars, and 1/4 a mage stone is 125. "I can''t believe these people I give them a great fight and they steal from me they got some nerve". Lance patted Desmond''s should and said, "there''s no reason to be sad let them have it lets just buy another". Lance''s became quite parched as he secretly hoped Desmond would fall for it and agree. As Desmond shook his head he said, "I can''t there''s a limit I can spend on food going to the library practically every day is quite expensive. At the rate I''m going it won''t be long till I''m broke so I''ll have to call it a day for now guys". The group was sad that they couldn''t weasel one more drink out of Desmond but excepted it anyway. While Desmond did throw money away like there was no tomorrow all the things he was paying for were still expensive. With the little celebration of there''s coming to a close Desmond paid the bill if 20 magic crystals and 5 mage stones plus an extra 2/4 of a mage stone for damages. Then he said his goodbyes to his friends who promised to meet up again for sparing practice. As Desmond left the bar besides meeting those purifiers he found today quite enjoyable. He had himself a good meal, beat a few people up, and best of all meet a demi-human woman. He may not have got to finish his expensive drink or touched that demi-human woman ear''s, but the feelings in his heart right now is a high he feels as though he could ride for the rest of the day. As Desmond was walking on the street heading home a 1920s styled Lone Rider car came barreling towards him at a high speed. The car only stopped after Desmond''s skull smacked the windshield leavings spiderweb-like cracks all over it. Desmond''s body rolled on top of the car''s hood fell on the ground tumbling over ungratefully. At the helm of the car was Leopold heaving heavily as he looked forward at the blood-stained crack at the windshield with bloodshot eyes like a mad cow. Robert and Gresham were also in the car with him. Robert had his hands firmly gripping the back seat of the car as he said, "my word, Leopold that was not the plan at all. You have some serious anger issues, we have got to talk about this". Not in a listening mood Leopold turned around and said to Robert, "shut up and go get him". Gresham was sitting in the front of the car with a metal pole and bag of ice placed on the left side of his jaw were Desmond broke one of his molars. He put down the ice walked out of the car towards Desmond who was struggling on the ground. He looked him in the eyes then said, "remember me". Desmond only got a clear look of Gresham infusing the pole in his hands with chi strengthing it further as he struck him in the temple before he got knocked out. Gresham got a clear crisp sound from striking Desmond with the pole. It filled him with so much joy and relief he felt the same way a baseball player does when they score a home run that wins their team the game. The sound of Desmond''s skull being beaten in was heard and seen by many people on the street. Gresham paid little attention to them they were to stunned by what was going on to do anything. "Come on hurry up" Gresham''s words brought Robert out of the car both of them carried Desmond to the trunk and shoved him inside it. Then they made their getaway leaving all those witnesses still in shock and gasping from what they saw. Lance drove threw the streets in a hurry bypassing other cars making his way out of district-B. They drove threw acres of farmland for hours towards District-D eventually they made their way to a steel factory. During the trip, Desmond was bobbing up and down hitting the walls every few seconds the ride would have been the most uncomfortable one of his life if he was awake to experience it, but at least it couldn''t get any worse for him in there. When the tree got to the factory they made their way to the back of it where there was a separate, building detached from the main building. The place was completely closed off where there was no obvious place to observe them. Its there they parked the car, unloaded Desmond and pounded on the door of the building. The tree waited and a scruffy man cracked the thick metal door slightly. The door had a dangling chain that kept it locked. While rubbing his beard the scruffy man inspected the three then said, "what do you want". Gresham walked forward and said, "let us in we brought a demi-human lover to be sacrificed" The scruffy man opened the door a bit wider to look at Desmond who was still unconscious and being dragged by Robert and Leopold. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Good work" The scruffy man than opened the door completely, letting the three into the building where they threw Desmond into a cage handpick especially for him. The cage wasn''t big enough for a human only a large dog. It was the perfect place for a Demi human lover like Desmond, so when Desmond wakes up he won''t even be able to stand letting him trully feel like one of those abominations he loves. 87 New God Outside of the steel factory were Desmond was being held captive the area was loitered with workers. Even as the sun began to set on the place the sound of metal being pounded and the raging fire of the forges never stopped. People worked tirelessly at there jobs, they intended to keep the engines of there machines roaring and steel flowing threw the factory all night. To produce as much noise as possible to help conceal the dark secrets that the place held. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Amongst the workers were a few individuals that didn''t garner any suspicion. They looked just like the rest of the workers, but a bulge in the back of some of there pants betrayed them. The outline of guns could be shown, occasionally a weapon would pop out from someone''s side of one of the workers while they were working. While the weapons were briefly exposed a few workers could see the weapons sheen as the light from the burning forges reflected on to them. Yet, no one was unnerved by such a sight because they all were apart of the purifiers and in support of the momentous occasion that Desmond gets to be apart of. Just like how armed workers secretly guarded the main building there were those who walked around the facility while armed doing the same. Some were on the roofs pretending to work while submachine guns filled with enchanted gullets secretly laid next to there feet. Four people with submachine guns guarded the roof of the detached building that housed Desmond. Inside that building had many different kinds of runes lining the walls keeping any kind of noise from escaping the building. Even if someone placed their ear to the wall they wouldn''t hear a whisper. While anti-divination and anti-scrying kept unwanted eyes from seeing what no one wanted to be seen. Inside one of the lounge room in the back, Gresham was alone trying to relax after he had finished cleaning and patching up his wounds. He took a new bag of ice and put it on his cheek again and silently cursed Desmond''s very existence in his head. His jaw hurt a lot, but he knew he would feel better when he got to see Desmond get sacrificed. As Gresham sat still in a chair at the only table in the room a man with thick mutton chops walked in. His sideburns were so thick someone could easy to assume he spent his whole life growing them. He had worn a newsboy cap when he walked into the room and a light brown turtle neck. He was well groomed and walked upright unburdened just as a man in his posing would. As Gresham tried to ease his pain the man with mutton chops spoke out to him. "Gresham, I heard about the old man you brought here today, did he do this to you?". Gresham looked at the man in front of him and replied, "Mr.Cornel as ashamed as I am to admit it, it was him. He may have terrible magical talent and probably can''t use his chi, but he definitely knows how to throw a punch". "This is what happens when you underestimate someone just because they can''t do the same things as you. It is the same lesson we will teach to the magi when we are ready". Gresham nodded his in agreement as Cornel walked closer to him then handed him a piece of paper. Gresham took the paper from Cornel''s hand, inspected it then asked with a confused look, "what''s this?". "Don''t you remember how over a year ago we received rumors from one of our brothers in Norbury that they ran into a man who made contact with an actual god. Others over there have apparently attempted to contact that god as well. Because of there so-called success, they wanted to spread word of that god to the rest of our faction. That slip of paper is the location of the meeting place ". Gresham remembered that day, but he didn''t really believe a word of what he heard at all. He still was in doubt the whole thing is true. The purifiers have been trying to establish a connection with a god, actually any god they could get to listen to their pleas. So, they could be bestowed power even mightier than the magi. This would allow them to break free of their suppression and fight them on equal ground. Gresham shook his head as he said, "how could we possibly believe any of this, we''ve been trying to contact a god since before I was born. Hell even longer than that before the organization even became known as the purifiers. Yet, some guy just shows up and suddenly we found a god we can plead for help too". "I agree it is quite suspicious, but I guess you are gonna have to decide on whether this is legitimate or not. If you think that man can''t be trusted I want you to kill him. We don''t need any unforeseen problems popping up because he was just a rat for the magi". Gresham''s eyes got wider when he realized what Cornel said. "Are you telling me that guy who first made contact with the god is here in Delmar City?" "Yes, that is why I will be giving you some magical equipment to inspect him and a few things to guard against charming magic, you need to go now to not be late". Gresham wasn''t pleased that Cornel was telling him to go now because of his invested interest in Desmond. "Can''t you get someone else to do it instead I kind of want to personally see that guy I brought in die". Cornel had a dissatisfied look on his face after listening to what Gresham said. "Put your petty vendetta aside this is far more important than some random person you met on the street. I don''t have a lot of people I can trust to do this on hand at the moment so you''re going to suck it up and go there now. If this is real then our long-awaited revolution against the magi can finally begin. There''s practically no chance of us communing with a god tonight anyway so it''s not like you''re missing anything special". Gresham debated over going, but caved in and decided to go to the meeting. "If I''m going can I get a drop of a healing potion for my tooth it''s killing me". "No, you can''t you think those things grow on trees. If we were wealthy enough to spare a healing potion for every broken tooth or stubbed toe one of our members has then. We could have launched an assault on the magi decades ago. Now get you to butt moving its almost dark so people are starting to come in for the ritual sacrifice". Gresham grimaced over everything, but got up and left as he was told. 88 The Sacrifice Part 1 Just as Gresham left the steel factory with three other people in tow heading towards the meeting place. The already low hanging sun sunk into the horizon bringing with it not only night but also many devoted purifier followers. Some even brought there whole families including their children to learn and bear witness to what will lead to their salvation. From the tyrannical rule of the magi, ushering in a new era of prosperity for the oppressed people of the world. Rows of people gathered behind the steel factory this community of people conversed like any other. As they congregated to hold their ceremony, knowing full well that many lives would be ending that day. Children ran off to play with there friends ignoring their parent''s commands just as much as they ignore the guiding hand of Mr.Cornel. While more pious men waited at the door of the building greeting their brothers, sisters, and future purifier advocates with open arms. Everyone wore normal common cloths nothing fancy nor hoods to hide because there was no reason to be ashamed or to hide who you are from others especially god. That''s why people came in their work clothes with oil stains even tattered rags. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. They showed their truest selves as they sat on their chairs inside that building with walls made of stone and patted down dirt floor. Almost 100 trusted supporters some with their families sat inside the back building of the steel mill between multiple large blast furnaces that were turned off except for one. That blast furnace was built into the wall in the middle at the end of the room where all the chairs were facing. In front of the blast furnace was a stage that was recently constructed there for the event. On the stage was only Mr.Cornel and a woman with her hands and feet chained up dangling next to him in the air as she struggled to free herself. Tears ran down her face as she squirmed around hoping her pathetic form would garner enough sympathy from the people around her to let her go. Her hopes of leaving alive that day dwindle into nothing as she looked out at the fervent faces around her. They wanted to see her struggle to see her in pain, her feeble attempt only made what shall befall her more entertaining. ... Next to the stage laid many cages filled with people who huddled together for support crying as they bared witness to the girl strung up by her hands like a dirty rag. An experience all of them know they would soon share. While many of them cried none of them shouted out in protest or rattled their cages because the three guards near them would use the shock baton in their hands to electrify the cage shocking everyone inside. The guards wanted none of the sacrifices to disturbed Mr.Cornel with their constant whining. One of the guards while walking by the smallest cage in the line up for the umpteenth time noticed even after so much time has passed one of them wasn''t waking up. He could tell that the old man was still alive by how loudly he snored in his ears. Annoyed by the old man''s constant snoring the guard decided to give him a rather rude wake-up call. "Wake the fuck up princess" the guard shouted at Desmond as he jabbed the small cage Desmond was sleeping in electrifying it and shocking him inside. Desmond spasmed in the cage shaking it so much he flipped it over. He landed on his right side putting him in an awkward position when he finally opened his eyes and scanned the room around him. Desmond didn''t stay long on his side because moments after he opened his eyes his cage, was kicked back over by the guard that shocked him flipping him back upright. Being shaken around so much made Desmond''s wounds flair up. Different parts of his body hurt a lot, it was his head and back that caused the most pain. "What''s going on? Where am I? And why does it feel like I got hit by a car?" Desmond questioned everything around him when he finally recalled what happened. His confused face turned to anger as Desmond grabbed the cage door and shook it furiously. "Those sons of bitches I''m going to kill them" Desmond yells at the top of his lungs before his entire body was once again thrashed about in pain inside the cage. The guard had shocked Desmond once more for making to much noise. Annoyed by Desmond''s talking the guard in front of Desmond''s cage bent down to talk to him he said "jeez, It doesn''t matter whether your asleep or awake you can''t stop making noise can you princess. Keep that up and guess who''s going up next after that woman up there". Desmond didn''t need to think much to figure out what was going on, the biggest question he needed answered was how much danger was he in. That answer came quickly as he witnessed what happened on the stage in front of him. Cornel raised both his hands in the air wide and kept them there while the fire of the blast furnace raged behind him. The woman wriggling next to him pulled the chains keeping her bound with all her energy to no avail as Cornel began to speak. "Brothers and sisters today I am glad, I am glad because many of our friends still draw breath as they risk their lives rallying people against the magi. I am glad for the sacrifices that have been brought to us today, but most of all I am glad to see you all here. To see your children here, even though we hold these ceremonies in filthy inconvenient areas. To hide from the sight of those who would do us harm. You still come here when we call because you believe, you believe in a change that is the stuff of dreams, but let me tell you all this now it is because you believe and because you dream that we can keep fighting. For that I thank you, from the bottom of my heart I thank". Many people were touched by Cornel''s words they stood up and praised Cornel for helping them pave the way to a better future. Cornel let the crowd applaud him for a bit before he settled them down. "Please stop, today isn''t about me it''s about those filthy magi and how we are going to beat them. You all know how we''re going to do it so let me hear you say it". "Sacrifice" "Sacrifice" "Sacrifice" That same word was repeated over and over again as the crowd stomped their feet in their seats mimicking waring drums. They anxiously awaited blood and Cornel had full intention of giving it to them. "That''s right through sacrifice we will gain the strength to defeat the magi. They want us to think that all the gods are dead so we wouldn''t pray to them and gain strength greater than theirs. Over 400,000 years ago this is how it was done, devout believers like ourselves would pledge to one true God and receive boons for our continued worship and service. It is nothing like today were the magi keep everything for themselves to oppress the people of this world. We may not have been able to reach one of those gods yet, but it will happen and it won''t happen when people only sit with their heads down. So, stand up everybody, stand up and let''s begin the sacrifice". 89 The sacrifice Part 2 The rows of people stomping their feet jumped up from their chairs at Cornel''s command to participate in the sacrifice. Cornel was pleased with this sight, but the woman with her hands bound was horrified. She cried even harder and tried to scream through her gag for help despite knowing no one would come. As the chains rattled in the air playing the music of a desperate womans finally struggle another person walked onto the stage. He walked slowly with both his hands out infront of him, he was holding a ceremonial garb similar to to one he wore himself, but the one he presented to Cornel had a mask made from a mutated bulls skull. The skull mask had six eye sockets and four horns on its side, Desmond would be admiring how cool it looked, but he was preoccupied with finding a way to escape. He heard them chanting the word sacrifice loud and clear, Desmond had no intension of staying any longer than he had to after that. He looked for an exit and found it when he saw one of the men at the door opening it to let someone in. Desmond could hear the pounding of metal, roaring engines, and people shouting in the distance. Straining his eyes Desmond could see out side and confirm that he was in some kind of factory. It was night, yet their were tones of people working nearby. That information gave Desmond absolutely no comfort. It only ment more difficulties when he tried to escape. Desmond was no genius, but he wasn''t stupid either all those people, so close to something as crazy as what was happening now, yet no one noticed a thing. Ment unless the people keeping him captive used magic to hide themselves he was surrounded by enemies. When the door closed all the noise outside vanished, Desmond didn''t know if the building was built well or if they used magic. After activating his magic sight he still could not tell for sure what was keeping sound out. What Desmond could see was the six guards with automatic weapons. Desmond didn''t know how many people carried a gun which worried him, but one thing that did bring him comfort was seeing everyone around him was weak. They was practically no magic or chi on any of the people around him except for 4 people. The strongest person was the man wearing the bull mask, not because he had a high rank it was because Desmond could tell he was wearing enough magical equipment to shroud his aura from Desmond''s eyes. Amongst the other three enemies 2 were beginner rank and one was intermediate like him. Whether a person specialized in using magic or chi Desmond could not tell the difference yet. He could only see the amount of energy around a person to help distinguish their strength It was a pathetic sight to only see only four people that weren''t just normal humans amongst such a large group.Yet, Desmond didn''t complain in the slightest it only ment he had an actual chance to escape. No opportunity showed its self yet, so Desmond waited and watched the sacrifice from the sideline like everyone else. Cornel had finished putting on his rob and begun the ceremony once more, he signalled for a group of person with drums around their necks to come out of hiding. They wore similar cloths as Cornel as the went to stand in front of the stage at ground level like the rest of the people. The five drummers stood still and didn''t play they waited for Cornel''s command. Knowing that the crowd was eager to begin Cornel looked around and said, "Today we pray to Kali the goddess of destruction, time and creation. Let her divine light wash over us all as we honer her with this sacrifice. Now chant with me". Getting the signal from Cornel the drummers started to play fearsome a beat. They struck their drums hard creating claps of thunder with each hit. The crowd that gather felt each beat as the sound travelled through the air making them feel as if they were the ones being struck. This prompted the crowd to convolse as if possessed by a demons, as their bodies shook so did their spirits. Desmond couldn''t tell, but the drums synchronized the spirit of anyone who opened themselves up to the music. As the beating of the drums grew more intense the crowd of people started to chant word Desmond couldn''t understand them meaning of. The unified chanting created a strong gust of wind in the enclosed space. With the sound of the drums acting as the thunder and chanting symbolizing rushing waves, it was like a miniture storm was created inside the building. Dirt was blown every were in the air as the thundering drums and booming voices of the people got even louder. As this was all going on Cornel was chanting a different fraze as he approached the chained up woman. Cornel had his hand out grasping the womans chest while chanting a singular phrase repeatedly. "Kali ma shakti de" "Kali ma shakti de" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Cornel didn''t stop chanting that phrase even after he shoved his hand into the womans chest breaking his ribs as he pulled out her heart. Fresh blood flowed down Cornel''s arm out of the heart that was still pumping it out blood like a fountain. Cornel presented the heart to the crowd as he set it on fire, the woman was just barely still alive because Cornel kept her that way using one of the items in his possession. Signaling the same man who brought Cornel his rob, Cornel had him take the woman down. The woman that was once chained provided no resistance. She was in to much pain from her heart being ripped out all she could do was accept her fate as she was thrown into the blast furnace. Her final screams were overshadowed by the powerful wind and booming voices of the crowd. It was almost like nature itself was trying to show how insignificant she was. Seeing the womans chard heart crumble to dust in Cornel''s hand immediately got Desmond to work on his escape. He aimed one of his fingers at the bar and used a small high pressure stream of air to cut his way to freedom. 90 The sacrifice Part 3 The high-pressure air cut through the cage-like it was butter. Though all it would take was a single push to open the cage. Desmond didn''t do that yet because once he did he would have to fight off the three guards watching the cages. Desmond knew he needed to silence the three guards before they noticed him and called for help. It would be a difficult thing to do for a normal person, but Desmond had a simple solution. Reaching outside his cage Desmond picked up a pile of loose dirt. He clasped the dirt with both hands and began to mold it into three spiked balls. Desmond had a simple plan in mind, by using the shape earth spell Desmond could create weapons to silently dispatch of the guards. Without the guards around Desmond was free to burrow underground the building and escape without having to fight a large crowd of people by himself. As for the people left behind they would have to continue the ritual without him. Until Desmond could get the DCPD to bring an army of their own. Desmond wasn''t planning on calling the DCPD because it was the right thing to do, but because he wanted revenge. There were far too many people for Desmond to handle the way he was now. So, he decided to stick to his code and run like a bitch in the face of danger. Letting someone else fight his battles for him brought Desmond just as much satisfaction as if he did it himself. Desmond had no honor he always thought it was an excuse people used so no one would think they were stupid when they get killed. With his weapons in hand, Desmond waited for his opportunity to strike. The ritual was still going, thundering voices and strong wind filled the building. As Desmond waited for his chance, it finally came when the guard closest to him walked towards the other two guards to Desmond''s left. His large body blocked the view of the other two guards. With Desmond already crouched down low he was in a good position to kill those three guards. Seizing the opportunity Desmond used his arms, crawled out of the cage of his cage and planed to quickly dispatch the three guards in one swift motion, but in that critical moment, he found that he couldn''t properly turn his body or feel his legs. At the worst time, possible Desmond had just realized just how badly hurt he was when he got hit by that car. He had minor fracture''s on his bones, but the worst thing was that his spine was dislocated. Most people would be fucked over by such an injury, but Desmond just needed time to put it back in place, time that Desmond did not have. The noise Desmond made when he pushed open the cage didn''t go unnoticed, the sound of the cage door hitting the floor was tinny. Barley noticeable amongst everything else going on in the building but was loud enough to make one of the three guards glance over. Shock was plastered on his face when he witnessed Desmond sneaking out of his cage. "How did you get out" the guards abrupt shouting made the other two guards turn around to witness Desmond as well. With things quickly spiraling out of control Desmond pushed past his disability to silence the guards. Desmond forced his body in an upright position, infused the spiked stone balls in his hands with mana making them much more deadly than normal when he launched them in the air. The guards only saw blurry things rushing at them or nothing at all. Desmond threw the balls using the spell gust making the balls move faster and hit harder. The training Desmond had been doing for almost 2 years paid off when he saw part of one of the guard''s heads explode. The other two couldn''t think about the sudden death of their partner because they were equally fucked. Blood spilled out like water as the guard that was standing in the middle knelt in a pool of his own blood that was quickly forming underneath him. His throat had been completely smashed, the spiked stone ball was spiraling when it was thrown, so it was lodged in his throat wrapped tightly in his flesh. He tried to stop the bleeding by clasping his throat tightly, but it was a futile attempt. If he didn''t die of blood loss then he would have died from a lack of air or choking on his own blood. The other guy didn''t fare any better he died practically instantly, the stone ball crushed his chest and shot out through his back. The tree of them died quickly, seeing how pathetically easy those three died made Desmond more thankful for the kind of body he possessed. Desmond didn''t spare any time to morn over the lives of the three he killed. Not because he lost all respect for human life yet, but because Desmond wasn''t going to waste his time on that when he knows he should be escaping. Sparing no time Desmond turned a deft ear to the other captured people and started to dig. The dirt spread apart easily at first, but became harder to shift the further he dug down. Everything was going smoothly the howling wind helped conceal Desmond''s actions as he burrowed underground. The other prisoners pleaded with Desmond to take them with him, but Desmond would never take such a risk. He could barley ensure his own escape having other people around to alert the guards would help no one, but the purifiers. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. So, Desmond continued to ignore the other prisoners and when the whole was big enough for him to fit he collapsed the tunnel''s entrance. Making his stance on taking anyone else with him clear. The faces of the other prisoners were filled with dismay as they witnessed their best chance at escaping leave without saying a word to them. The well being of the prisoners was the last thing on Desmond''s mind as he tunneled underground to freedom. 91 The Sacrifice Part 4 Digging a tunnel underground with his bare hands wasn''t easy for Desmond all he had were weak beginner level spells to shift the tightly padded dirt. Desmond was trying to mimic the same bear he saw in clover forest that could move around on land like it was swimming. He thought it would be simple, but there were a lot of steps involved. Besides having to soften the soil and crush rocks in his way Desmond also had to harden the soil again so he wouldn''t get buried alive. There was no air for Desmond underground his lungs felt like they were going to explode as he endured the pain of suffocating. Every movement used up a constant stream of Desmond''s magical energy as he crawled out of the building. While such a thing would spell death for most Desmond was fine in such poor conditions. That turned suspicious when a sweet smell caught his nose. Desmond was underground surrounded by only dirt, grave, and occasionally insects yet, for it to suddenly smell like a meadow was quite strange. Things only got stranger when smoke seeped through the dirt, Desmond thought he was under that open furnace for a second, but knew that was impossible. Desmond went in the completely opposite direction of the furnace to dig under the wall. Plus the smoke smelt good and not like a burnt body Desmond also felt no heat around him so what was happening made no sense. Getting worried about what was going on Desmond decided to poke his head out to see what was around him. Desmond couldn''t use his magic sight to see if there were people around him because he was under too many layers of dirt. Even the Desmond believing he should be out of the building and fairly safe he still decided to create a stone spike to stab someone with just in case they got to close. While Desmond did still have about 80% of magic left in him to fight people. He was a cautious person and wanted to save his magic just in case because he didn''t know what he would have to face next. As Desmond got closer to the surface he could hear the muffled sound of people chanting and a low rumble. "I see, so the walls were just built well, but they don''t block out all the noise, that''s why they did their sacrifice ritual at a steel mill". Believing to have a clear enough understanding of the situation Desmond crawled all the way to the top. He was about to break threw the last layer of dirt when a foot burst through and hit him in the face. The man who''s foot was suddenly stuck the ground was equally as surprised as Desmond who discovered hadn''t traveled outside the building, but somehow found himself in the middle of it surrounded by a bunch of purifiers. The man who got his foot stuck fell out of synchronization with the group causing a chain reaction forcing everyone else out of it as well. There were confused faces everywhere, but people quickly discovered the source of the problem. "Look theirs some creepy old man underground" the woman''s words informed everyone of the strange situation including Cornel who rushed off stage towards the prisoners. He looked at the mess Desmond had left behind in his attempt to escape with a grim face. "Damn it Gresham brought us an apprentice mage and didn''t even know it. Every mage gets magic sealing cuffs placed on them. Those idiots should have checked, now I have to deal with their mess". Before things got out of hand Cornel took control of the situation "quickly capture that animal fucker, not only has he taken the lives of three of our men, but he sympathizes with the demi-humans. The goddess Kali will be pleased with us when we offer that man as a sacrifice". Cornel''s words got the crowd riled up and the armed guards to converge on Desmond''s location. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "When did I become an animal fucker?". Desmond had litter time to think about minor problems like that. The guards were converging on him quickly and couldn''t create waves of earth spikes to kill people because he knew that wouldn''t kill everyone only use up a large amount of his mana. Which would put him in an even more difficult situation than he already was in. Having little options Desmond made an obvious choice and took a hostage. He grabbed the foot of the man who planted his foot in Desmond''s face then started to drag him underground. The man screamed for help as he was quickly being pulled underground. The people around him grabbed hold of his arms as they tried to pull him out of the ground. The guards with automatic weapons helped as well by pulling on his leg, but Desmond was twirling around in a circle as he dove deeper underground giving him a lot more leverage than everyone else. Cornel not going along with Desmond''s games walked towards the center of the crowd and told everyone to move away. As the crowd backed away including those keeping that man from being pulled under. Cornel made one of his rings glow with a soft light then he performed a chopping motion with his hand which created a wind blade that cut the man leg off. Blood gushed out of the man''s leg with no end in sight, not wanting another one of his own die Cornel cauterized the wound before to much blood came out. The man screamed in pain after during the whole process, but Cornel didn''t let it happen for too long. He activated another one of his rings that put the man in a deep sleep. So, he wouldn''t have to endure any more pain even after being abruptly dragged away by the crowd. Desmond wasn''t expecting some to suddenly chop off that mans leg so, he was still in a daze wondering where he stood in terms of negotiating power. Cornel enlightened Desmond on were he stood when the eye sockets of the mutated bull skull mask that Cornel wore glowed three different shades of colors blue, green, and red. The eyes were almost as bright as the stream of fire that Cornel breathed down into the tunnel Desmond created. Desmond had no place to dodge or do anything else as he was enveloped in flames. 92 The sacrifice Part 5 Desmond was being cooked alive in the tunnel from the constant stream of flames. In distress he flailed his arms wildly as his entire body was being burnt up. Unwilling to succumb to the raging flames Desmond pounded his arms on the sides of the tunnel. Collapsing it onto himself the dirt helped put out the flames and cool the rest of his body. Desmond sustained mostly first degree burns, but his arms, head, and shoulders had second degree burns. Parts of his clothes were burnt from the flames as well as the hair on the top of his head. Desmond took great pleasure in cooling of his body with dirt. He rolled around in it wanting all his problems to go away knowing full well it was a fools dream. "Ok, I the point now god I won''t start stupid fights just to touch a cat girls ears. So, do you mind lending me a hand?", Desmond pleded with whatever existence he believed in, but his situation didn''t change in spite of it. Wether his god ignored him or died along with the rest of the gods he will never know. The pain from his wounds festered with the slightest movement, so Desmond mobilized his spirit threads to neutralize the pain. Magic from Cornel''s attack lingered on Desmond''s body, but unlike before Desmond''s spirit is many times stronger than when he first encountered that problem and he has a decent control over magic. Allowing him to expel the remaining foreign magic on his body. Danger was all around Desmond and he had no plans on facing it directly. He wasn''t sure as to how he ended up in the middle of the room it was a mystery he planned to solve after he escaped. With his exact location know Desmond attempted to dig for his freedom once more. He dug as fast as he could straight in one direction taking no turns. More sweet smelling smoke seeped through the dirt the more he dug. After digging for what he thought was a reasonable distance Desmond tried poking his head out once more. He was care full this time and poked his head out slowly. Only to find out in the end he was 10 feet from were he was originally. Some of the purifiers had shovels and were digging in the spot Desmond original was. They looked at him with a bit of surprise and hate in their eyes. While the six eyes of the mutated bull skull mask Cornel wore glowed varying colors as he spat out a stream of lightning from his mouth. The lighting struck Desmond hard he felt his blood boiling inside of him as he convulsed. His skin peeled and cracked as marks from the lighting strike was burnt on his body. Desmond felt as though he had no control over his body as he sunk back underground. The purifiers tried to reach Desmond new tunnel before he closed it again, but Desmond forced his body to move how he wanted. Giving him enough control to collapse the tunnel once more. Being struck my electricity is much more deadly than people think. Cornel struck Desmond with enough electricity to shut down his body and kill him. Which would have happened if Desmond was a normal person. Cornel didn''t want to waist time playing peekaboo with Desmond, but since he had no way to burrow underground like him he had little choice in the matter. "Everyone spreadout and give and announce his location if you spot him. He isn''t going to be able to leave that easy the mystic items side affects are affecting him". All of the purifiers immediately did as Cornel said and spread out to find Desmond. Desmond was like a cornered animal adventuring above was dangerous for him, but staying underground was proving to be fruitless. He some how kept getting lost despite only having to dig straight. The only hint to the weirdness happening around him was that strange sweet smelling smoke underground. Still not giving up hope of digging his way out Desmond turned around to go back down the tunnel he already made. As Desmond went back underground he inevitability found out digging his way out was not going to work. A look of confusion was on Desmond face after he found another tunnel he recently made along with a dozen others. Desmond had unknowingly been digging a large network of tunnels each tunnel looped around in different directions and every tunnel was filled with a sweet smelling smoke. Desmond didn''t know if the smoke was a spell the purifiers used to keep their prisoners from escaping or something else. All Desmond knew for sure was that he was trapped unless he could think of a way out. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Fuck this if I can''t dig my way out than i''m gonna shoot my way out". While his idea was indeed foolish Desmond had little in the way of options. He couldn''t stay underground forever because he uses more magic than he does normally digging tunnels. So, like the cornered animal he was all he could do was act irrationally and lash out at everything around him. While he didn''t particularly like such a fool hardy plan Desmond knew he had to create some kind of chaos to escape. Since it was his best bet Desmond went with it and he dug another tunnel he tried not to dig much, but he somehow made it in front of the stage. Not carring about were he ended up anymore Desmond started to attack blindly not carring about who he hit or killed. Desmond didn''t launch any spells at anyone because he only had less then half of his magic left. In such a dangerous situation filled with unknowns He wanted to keep his attacks simple to conserve magic. He used the same trick that helped kill the first three purifiers, the only change was that the stones Desmond chucked at them were crushed. To make them scatter out like a shotgun when he through them. While Desmond''s attacks were nothing fancy they were effective, multiple people got ripped through like wet paper when the stones came flying at them. Some of the children even got hit a few died after bleeding out for a bit, a couple of their limbs got hit crushing their frail bones, while a very unlucky kid got hit in the eye and had his brain burst out of hit head. Desmond didn''t know how many people your allowed to kill before it stops being self defense, but he was about to find out. 93 The Sacrifice Part 6 The pain filled screams of the purifiers filled the building in an increasing number. Cornel was not happy with such a turn of events so, his words were filled with as much hate as Gresham and Leopold had for Desmond when he shouted. "Enough of this whether I dig out his heart with my own hands or blast him to bits its all the same. His blood will flow and the great Kali will be pleased. So, shoot him then we will paint the walls with his blood to honor the lives of our brothers that he cut short". The armed purifier guards in the group didn''t need Cornel to tell them anything they had long since taken aim at Desmond and were ready to shoot. The only problem was that their were to many people in the way, but it was only a minor problem because Desmond was clearing them out of the way. As people dropped to the ground left and right Desmond was beginning to become trully appalled, by how easy it was to kill a normal human. When magic is involved there''s basically no resistance. Desmond wasn''t looking for an epic life or death battle, but looking at how easily people are dropping dead in front of him makes him a bit ashamed to be human. As more people dropped down dead he saw a glimpse of a few automatic weapons peering out of the crowd and knew he had staid in one spot for to long. In a hurry Desmond dove back underground seconds before a hailstorm of enchanted bullets rained down were he once was. Every bullet was like a cannon ball when it was fired, the shear force from each bullet dug up the dirt and flung it into the air. A dirt cloud spreaded out filling the room while Desmond was cowering underneath the earth. He was to deep for the bullets to reach him, but each shot compressed the dirt around him. Desmond felt as though he was beginning crushed as his already slow movements slowed even more under the weight of the dirt. Even though the ground shook violently from the rain of bullets the building never did. Cornel had yet to call for assistance and wards placed on the building before hand made the building appear normal. Making the other purifiers outside the building were still oblivious as to what was happening outside. When the dust settled Cornel wasn''t going to take any more chances with Desmond anymore. Desmond had killed a little over 20 people and injured a few more. Cornel not wanting anymore losses said, "that old man might still be alive I want every man, woman and child to grab a weapon from the armory and shoot anything that pops out of the ground. The other purifiers developed a burning hatred for Desmond after what he had done. He took the lives of some of the parents children and many others friends. There were those who spent their time kneeling in the dirt crying over the loss of their loved ones. Not up for the task of slaying Desmond while others couldn''t be anymore eager to kill him. As people were rushing to arm themselves Desmond was attempting to gain his bearings if even just a little. Being constantly lost underground wasn''t helping him so, Desmond spreaded out his spirit threads to see if he regain even a little sence of direction back. His experiment was a complete failure it only aided in him getting so lost that he now had difficulty distinguishing up from down. Desmond tried to follow his old tunnels, but a majority of them collapses from the violently of bullets. Desmond wriggled around underground trying to reach the surface only to find something else instead. It was an immaculant gold plated incense burner with the symbols of the eight auspicious signs carved on the sides. The same smoke that Desmond saw all around him underground was being released from the top. "So, this is the thing thats been screwing with my sence of direction". Desmond was happy that he found the source of his missory Misery and wanted to Destroy it to finally be free, but Desmond''s greed got a hold of him. He could see the strong energy raidiating off of the incense burner laying next to it Desmond felt oppressed by it. Despite knowing full well trying to leave with the incense burner would bring more difficulties hDesmond just couldn''t bring himself to depart without it. After a tough debate with himself he made the decision to take it. Desmond took hold of the incense burner he felt the whole world warp around him when he did. In that moment Desmond knew that his sence of direction was completely taken away from him. Not wanting to worry about that Desmond twisted the incense burner''s lid stopping the smoke from seeping out and focused solely on escaping. It took a while, but Desmond came up with a plan to escape with the incense burner. It was just as stupid as his first plan were he tried shooting his way out, but with how little magic he had left he was running out of options. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Reluctantly Desmond attempted something he swore he wouldn''t do until he had more experience which was alter a spell. Creating or altering a spell is extremely dangerous even for masters at it. The spell could easily become unstable and explode which was what Desmond was hoping for. Underground Desmond began the fusion of the two beginner rank spells illuminate and produce sound to create a flash bang. The spell didn''t need to be perfect only very bright and loud to allow Desmond to enact faze two of his escape plan. Over time Desmond came up with a ruff magic circle design. The magic circle was constantly breaking appart, but Desmond kept it stable in his hands. With the spell ready Desmond let the magical energy inside of him burst outwards. Just like when he fought Eliot Row as Desmond released his energy the ground beneath everyone''s feet bulged and burst out ward. Soil was scattered as people standing on top of the mound were flung away along with a few greaving widows. When the ground popped dozens of people didn''t hesitate to shoot into it. It sounded like the forth of july as every gun in the building shot off simultaneously. Until everyone got an eye full of the present Desmond had in store for them. 94 The sacrifice Part 7 At the same time, people were beginning to shoot inside the hole Desmond cast the new spell he created. The result was a bright explosion that created a constant screeching sound. The bright light and sound messed with everyone''s aim and blinded them. Saving him from getting shot as he took the opportunity to slip into the crowd in search of his target. Desmond''s antics only served to infuriate Cornel who was blinded just like everyone else. The spell didn''t last long only a few seconds. When it did end everyone slowly regained their senses and was able to see again. Cornel moved towards the hole but didn''t see Desmond in there. He was beyond displeased with such an outcome. Cornel didn''t care about the ritual sacrifice anymore he just wanted Desmond dead. Believing Desmond was still hiding underground Cornel attempted to give people new instructions, but what came out of his mouth was something he didn''t expect. "You racist twats is that all you''ve got I''m still standing right here?" Cornels was puzzled by what he just said and his face would look it as well, but only his displeasure and disgust could be conveyed as he looked around the room. His scowl received the same response from everyone as they all pointed their guns at Cornel. He wanted to ask what those idiots were doing, but what he said was, "You think I''m scared of any of you? Why do you think I''m standing here? It''s so I can look you all in the eye and say screw you!". Cornel tried hard to get the right words to come out, but it just wasn''t happening. Which was bad because from where he was standing he could clearly see how badly people wanted to pull their trigger. Cornel was still a bit perplexed on what was going on until suddenly he saw himself walking out of the crowd head held high ready to judge the dirty old man in front of him. Desmond had altered his and Cornel''s appearance it was a near perfect representation of both of them. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. While Desmond''s plan proved to be effective he knew it wouldn''t work for long because his spells had many flaws that would be exposed the longer he tries to keep up the charade. Desmond dedicated daily training in the sewers has finally born fruit. The results brought a smile to Desmond''s face as he passed judgment on him. With his arms raised Desmond said "My brothers and sister this old fool has not only taken the lives of cherished members of our community but the lives of your loved ones that you will never see again. So, I feel it is only befitting that his life end by the hands of those he took from. Doing so will please not only the great kali but your loved ones as well". Cornel couldn''t help laughing at Desmond''s words. Cornel immediately had a few choice words of his own to say to Desmond. As he activated the power of the mutated bull skull mask just to have his words changed into. "You think I care about what you think of me or your filthy families at least if I die it will be on my feet standing against you people. Then I won''t have to keep breathing the same air as you. so, go on kill me. You heard me I said kill me!". As cornel''s eyes glowed bright and sparks escaped his mouth the people in the crowd followed threw with his plea for death. The whole crowd opened fire giving him exactly what he asked for. The sea of bullets broke Cornel''s protective charm, shot him to bits and tore a massive hole in the side of the building. With one side of the building''s walls destroyed all the wards placed beforehand were destroyed as well. Alerting the entire compound to the abnormalities happening inside. The four people who were originally on the roof of the building with automatic guns were startled into action. They rushed to help along with the rest of the compound. After the volley of gunfire was finished a few people noticed some peculiar things about the torn up body. Mostly how it looked just like Cornel. Then even more people started to point out the similar clothes, face, and broken magic items laying on the ground. All of which would have been a problem for Desmond if it wasn''t already too late to stop him. While people were realizing what had just happened Desmond had already slipped next to a person holding an automatic weapon and used his ultimate move heartbreak on him. Before the man didn''t even get to know who killed him before he died with blood gushing from his mouth. As the man''s body was falling to the ground Desmond Desmond grabbed the gun and got it ready to fire in mear moments because of his military training. Without restraint, Desmond fired into the crowd dropping people like flies while still disguised as Cornel. The people on the compound who rushed to assist were appalled to witness Cornel a man who they trusted dearly had lost his mind. The more Desmond killed the more his blood lust rose making his soul stir. He had completely forgotten the plan to escape and only wanted to kill and feed. The people who just showed up couldn''t allow Cornel to continue mowing down people. So, they took aim at Cornel and fired upon him. Desmond tried to fight them all off, but more people continued to pour into the building while others started to surround it. While Desmond did want to kill people and eat their souls he hadn''t lost all sense of reasoning. He could still see the disadvantage that he was in especially when people started to down shoot at him from the ceiling. Surrounded and outgunned Desmond made a decision that took an equal amount of brains as it did balls but was mostly just pure insanity. Desmond in his blood crazed state took aim at the only blast furnace that was on and unloaded his magazine at it. The resulting explosion was enormous, the entire building exploded and went up in flames. The explosion caught many of the people trying to surround the building in it. While those who were standing on the roof helped paint the floor red when the crashed landed on the ground and broke their skulls on the pavement. As the building burned down around Desmond he picked himself up from the ground while he was still on fire and put himself out. His body was cooked, but Desmond wasn''t going any were without a meal. So, Desmond stayed a little longer while being roasted by the flames having himself a fantastic feast. He ate as many souls as he could find before turning invisible and leaving with the incense burner. 95 Unthinkable As the building burnt down it became a clear beacon in the night. It drew the gaze of others from nearby factories and pedestrians on the street. The raging flames made every passerby on the street wonder what happened as they drew closer to the steel mill. Sirens blared in the distance as they steadily neared the compound. It looked like madmen were behind the wheel as multiple DCPD cars swerved all over the street to get to the scene of the fire faster. The purifiers tried to tend to the wounded at hand with little hope. There were far too many people to save and the burning building falling down wasn''t helping. As the DCPD came even closer along with the prying eyes of other people the purifiers really started to feel the heat on them. Leopold who had been assigned to help guard the perimeter was almost speechless when he learned the cause of the whole situation. "I can''t believe Cornel actually lost his mind and started killing everyone like that. It makes no sense Cornel is a good man with a heart of gold he would never do such a thing". A short man who overheard what Leopold said, "whether you believe it or not doesn''t change what happened". Leopold looked over at the short man to see it was Randolph who he was talking to. Randolph was second in control when Cornel was around now he is the interim leader until someone else is appointed. "Randolph, I know it will change nothing, but you knew Cornel better than me this mess must be a trick set up by some magi". Leopold uttered as spit escaped his mouth ever time he flapped his lips. "It might be it also might not finding out the truth will have to wait until after we deal with this mess. The DCPD stationed around here is apart of the purifiers so we don''t have to worry about them. I also already made people stay behind to keep people from wandering in. We just need to make everything look like a normal fire and hope nothing else happens. Until I can inform our cities representative of what happened". Leopold wasn''t a fan of having to wait for anything he wanted immediate action to be taken. For the sake, his fallen friends especially to clear Cornel''s good name. He was filled with sorrow and rage the two feelings made Leopold tense up and yell at the sky in his anger. Leopold heaved heavily as the scene of the starry sky filled his eyes. The beautiful stars calmed him down a bit as they twinkled with an immaculate luster before hundreds of the stars in the sky turned deadly and came crashing down on the compound. It happened so fast Leopold didn''t even have time to switch to an afterthought before everything turned to white in his eyes. The falling stars drowned the purifiers in a sea of explosions that none had any hope of escaping from. The hundreds of repetitive explosions severely damaged surrounding buildings, cars, and destroyed windows. Caused nearby civilians to cower in their home, on the streets, and at their workplace in complete fear for their lives. Robert who was at a nearby convenience store was already surprised by the first explosion but became completely gobsmacked when the force from all the hundred other explosions pushed him back and forced the DCPD cars rushing to the compound to flip over. When everything was over the people nearby still willing to poke their heads out bared witness to the aftermath of what happened. There was nothing left of the steel mill a molten crater replaced were it once stood. As for the perpetrator behind such an unthinkable act, she was leisurely sitting on top of a building a few miles away playing with her black tale as she looked up at the stars. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Was that a bit overkill? No, those guys cause problems for the city anyway and steel is only useful to normal people. A new factory can be built there in less than a week so there''s no loss. Andrea Briggs looked happy after what she had done, but she was filled with worry for what was to come as she laid down at the edge of the roof looking up at the stars. "Its been 50 years already now were going back to war again I wonder who''s going to win this time". *** Flax Street, Delmar City After an hour of traveling the car, Gresham and three other people were inside came to a stop in front of an abandoned building in district C. The streets were quiet barely anyone could be seen walking nearby. The chilling air at night made Gresham and his colleagues shiver as they exited the car. Gresham still had an ice pack on his cheek but threw it away because he needed both hands free just in case he was walking into a trap. Gresham had trust that the magic items Cornel gave him would keep him from coming under someone else''s influence, but Gresham knew all item had their limits and weren''t all-powerful. So, the chance was still there regardless of what he took. Before heading inside Gresham checked his gun along with everyone else then proceeded towards the abandoned building. The building was a one-story tall single-family house it had all of its windows boarded up and graffiti on the sides of the walls. The lawn looked like it hadn''t been done in years as Gresham and his colleagues trudged through the tall grass that almost reached their knees. Not knowing what was going to happen when he walked in Gresham wanted to play it safe. "You two stay outside and circle around the building if we take to long or if you hear gunshot rush in and help. Peter, you''re going in with me I need someone to watch my back". No one refused what Gresham said they followed along and did as he said. The two men went in opposite directions and started to circle the building while Gresham and Peter went threw the front. Peter looked like he was in his 30s he had an unkempt beard a light tan and blue eyes. Unsure of what to think Peter said to Gresham. "Do you believe they actually made contact with a real god?". Gresham with as much confidence as peter told him, "I don''t know, but if it''s true then this could be the day our revolution finally begins". 96 Reunion Gresham and Peter approached the boarded up front door of the abandoned building together and knocked on it. The sound from the knocking echoed through the decaying building and reached the ears of those who rested inside. The living room where five men currently resided was lit up by an electric lamp placed in the center of the room. Most of their bags were located next to it along with their food and drinks. The electric lamp barely illuminated the room enough for one of the five men who waited for Gresham''s group to arrive to find his way to the front door. The stout man who got up from his spot grunted as he fumbled over the bags in the center of the room to answer the door. As he opened the door letting his figure peep through a surprised gasp escaped Gresham''s lips. "Emerson, what are you doing here? You''re supposed to be at the Elven Kingdom''s capital Wynwood (Wynwood is the correct spelling)" all the tension and worry Gresham felt moments ago was placed in the back of his mind as soon as he saw Emerson''s face. Emerson was just as surprised to see Gresham, without a second thought Emerson''s meaty arms opened wide to give Gresham a hug. Which Gresham did hesitate to receive. "Gresham you little devil I can''t believe how much you''ve grown your even taking on such important missions for the purifiers. I was actually planning on paying you a visit after this was over there''s just so, much we have to catch up on". Gresham was still rubbing the back of his head blushing from all of Emerson''s praise when he replied, "I''m just doing what you taught me I''ve got to protect my family and my community. The purifiers is both so why wouldn''t I put the work into improving it". Emerson grabbed both of Gresham''s shoulders the said to Gresham, "your mother Martha would be proud of you". Peter looked at the moment Gresham and Emerson were having as he checked the area with a look of concern then said, "guys can you do that inside the fewer people that see us the better". Emerson realizing Gresham''s colleague Peter was right he stepped back to let them both through the door and locked it when after they stepped in. As Emerson walked with Gresham and Peter to the living room he told them why he was there. "When I learned of people claiming to have been able to contact actual gods I left Wynwood to check it out. After I learned it was true I joined a small group of people to help spread word of those gods that man told us about". "Gods so theirs more than one?" Emerson fervently agreed, "yes, there are dozens of them each one is strange and peculiar in their own may. Its something truly unique to this world none of us have ever seen before. No matter how much research we did we couldn''t find any gods like them on record. While Gresham trusted Emerson greatly he was still skeptical about what he said "how do you know its not just some trick. Magic could have been used to fool everyone". "I had your same concerns, but this is different when you learn of what I''m talking about you will see how foolish it is to think such otherworldly beings and creatures could solely be devised by the mind of men". Gresham and Peter were both Intrigued, almost in unison they asked the same questions "what kinds of gods are they". Emerson was pleased that they were willing to listen now he only hopes that they can keep an open mind. "I''ll let their messenger himself tell you". As Gresham and Peter walked into the livening room they were greeted by all the other in the room except one. He stayed seated on the floor in the corner with deadpan eyes. The man looked as though he hadn''t slept in weeks as he kept a leather book close to his chest. Quickly Gresham received confirmation that he was the one they came to see. Sparing no time for any extra chatting Gresham made his way to the man on the floor to speak with him. "Hello, my name is Gresham Stokes I''m one of the people tasked to inspect you Mr... uhh. My apologies, but I was never told your name. The man seated on the floor turned his whole body towards Gresham to look up at him easier as he replied, "My name is Doran Russell, but that name sounds alien to me so when you speak to me please just call me Howard". "Alright then Howard I''m going to ask you a few questions, but I''m going to skip all the preliminary questions like where you live and other stuff like that because I''m sure our people figured stuff like that out a long time ago. What I want to know is where did you obtain information on dozens of unheard-of gods before and I want only the truth". When Gresham finished speaking he pulled out two small bells from his pocket. When the bells clanked together Howard could hear their sound from every direction while the rest of the room remained silent from everyone else. The bells created a hypnotic sound that hypnotized those who heard their chime. "Now tell me what I want to know". Gresham waited for Howard''s reply but was by what Howard said. "You know that''s not going to work on me. If you want to know something just ask I won''t lie". Startled by the mystic items inability to work on Howard Gresham pulled out his gun in one swift motion ready to shoot Howard in the face. Howard was surprised by the sudden change of events so was everyone else in the room. Before Gresham could pull his trigger he was stopped by Peter. "Gresham that''s enough let go of the gun" Coming back into reality Gresham noticed what he had done, "sorry guy the mystic item I have called dreamer bells has a side effect where it makes the user a bit rash". There are many kinds of mystic items in the world some made by men others created from strange coincidences. They could be produced in the middle of a fierce battle, the clashing forces of elements, from the deaths of powerful magi and cultivators. Even failed experiments could produce mystic items with strange effects. Not all mystic items are useful most mystic items do have side effects. The side effects could be weak or strong and the strength of the item it''s self isn''t related to the mystic items side effects. The thing that is used to make mystic items is called a characteristic. The appearance a characteristic takes after forming is influenced by many factors many of them are still unknown. After forming a characteristic it could then be imbued into an item of choice unless it has already randomly fused itself with another nearby item. Some mystic items are so dangerous that they must be sealed away. Many of the more dangerous mystic items require unique sealing methods to keep the items power from influencing the surrounding area. The sealing method could be very simple like burying an item underground.Just like the incense burner Desmond stole or far more complex methods. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. After Gresham''s break down Peter took Gresham''s gun and took Gresham''s place in questioning Howard. 97 New Gods or Old Gresham walked away next to the other purifiers then Peter started questioning Howard once more. "Sorry for what happened, but since his actions were out of his control I hope you can forgive him". Said peter in a calm tone. "It''s alright I''m no stranger to matters of this nature so, I won''t hold it against him". Peter was thankful for Howard''s understanding yet, it still didn''t change a thing. He needed answers to the questions on everyone''s minds. "With that out of the way can you please tell me how you came across information pertaining to those gods you discovered". Peter''s burned with anticipation as he waited for the answer to leave his lips. "It came to me in my dreams". Howard''s answer was short and simple, but it only raised more questions as Howard began to doubt everything Emerson claimed and what Howard was was going to say next. "Knowledge about dozens of gods came to you in you''re dreams so, in short, you''re being manipulated by someone and yet, you don''t even try to hide that fact". Howard snickered at Peter''s deduction then said, "We''re all being manipulated by forces and beings our minds cannot even begin to comprehend. Though I can assure you my mind is my own, but my will is that of another". "There is no difference in what you said. If your will is not you''re own then who''s is it, who am I talking to, is it a mage?". Peter was beings not to trust Howard, but he needed to know more before he made a decision. "No, the things I know will make even those magi know fear, you are speaking to me and me alone". "Alright then if it''s just you then why did you seek us out? You must know how dangerous trying to serve any deity is? The elves may still believe in the moon, but they don''t worship any god or give the slightest bit of praise or recognition to any god associated with the moon. They believe the moon was their origin since they were created from a drop of water produced from it. If they stray from that path in the slightest they will be put on the magi''s extermination list". Howard looked upon Peter''s face with his unnerving eyes calmly replying, "I didn''t seek you out I found you by accident nor do I care what the magi think or do. My goal is to simply do as I have done before and worn the world So, that I can finally sleep". Peter was confused by Howard''s statement the more he thought about it the less it made sense. "I was told there was no record of any of your gods so, how could you have spread knowledge of them all over the world yet, there be no record of them". Howard didn''t answer the questions he instead mumbled to himself fervently. "Howard please answer me". Howard continued to mumble to himself, but Peter was able to pick up a few words that he said. "I saved them ... Tried to save ... Listen ... Mistaken ... I disobeyed again ... Won''t ... I failed ... It''s what they wanted ... Must try ... Repeat ... It''s what they want". Tears began to stream from Howard''s eyes and drip on the floor. Seeing that question got him no were Peter moved on from it. "Tell me about these gods of yours?". It took some time for Howard to stop mumbling for him to respond properly. Once he did he said, "once you know of their experience you can never unknow them". "I still want to know". Howard knowing full well that Peter may end up regretting his decision in the future or even a full-fledged believer of one of the existence written inside the book''s pages if he didn''t go mad from the knowledge first. Howard still handed Peter the blook he kept close to his chest. Peter took the leather book and looked at its unremarkable outward appearance then checked to see what was inside. The moment Peter''s eyes fell on the pages inside he couldn''t believe what he was looking at. Strange glyphs, symbols, and pictures covered every single page of the book. The book was as complicated as it was horrifying. Peter couldn''t read a single thing inside the book with alien text but, looking at what was written inside gave Peter a sense of dread. Feeling an unsettling feeling growing inside his heart Peter slamming the book shut unsure if he wanted to open it again. With a cold sweat, Peter asked Howard, " what in the world is that book". Unsurprised by Peter''s reaching Howard told him, "that book called Kitab al-Azif, also known as the Necronomicon it''s even referred to as The Book of the Dead. In it are rituals capable of summing, communicating, and banishing beings like the elder gods, outer gods, and the great old ones. Its pages also contain Spells, stories, information on different creatures, and places beyond your thought process". "Where did you get this book?". Peter asked sternly. "I wrote that book, not because I read the original one. I couldn''t possibly remember every little detail. I was able to write it because it came to me in my dreams". Hearing that line again made Peter wish he had let Gresham shoot Howard in the face. Knowing it was too late for such regrets Peter continued. "Can you read what is write in the book?". Howard nodded his head in agreement. Peter happy about that fact asked Howard if he could teach him how to read it. Howard''s response was unsettling to Peter. "There''s no need you''ve already been exposed the knowledge will come to you just like all the others". Not liking a single word Howard said that time Peter took out his gun forced Howard to his feet. He then swung behind Howard wrapped his left arm around his neck and placed his gun to his temple. Furiously Peter demanded of Howard to know what he said meant. Seeing a gun being pulled on Howard a second time the people in the room tried to calm Peter down. Steadily approaching Peter was one of the other purifiers in the room he wanted to deescalate the situation as best as possible. "Peter listen Howard didn''t mean what you think what he ...". "Shut up" Peter shouted at everyone in the room. "I know exactly what he meant". Being influenced unknowingly was nothing to scoff at so, to Peter everyone in the room except for Gresham was his enemy. Emerson not wanting things to get out of hand wanted Gresham to talk to Peter, but when he turned around his view of Gresham was obstructed by the spare gunGresham caried now pointed at his face. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Everyone down on your knees I won''t hesitate to shoot every one of you" Gresham''s eyes were cold and focused he was completely fine with what he was doing. To prove they were no threat everyone in the room listened to Gresham''s demands. They laid face down with their hands on their heads. While Gresham and Peter left with Howard as a captive along with the Necronomicon. 98 Old wounds With hurried steps, Gresham and Peter made their way outside the abandoned building. The gun to Howard''s head made him fully complacent as he was being forced out the door. When the door flew open it gained the attention of the two men Gresham had stay outside. They were sure prised to see Gresham and Peter dragging along someone with them at gunpoint, but were quick to draw their own weapons knowing something had gone terribly wrong. "What happened in there", one of the men who waited outside asked hurriedly. "I''ll explain later for now just help Peter get that man in the car. Also, if you see anyone come out of that building assume they''re trying to stop us and shoot them". Receiving Gresham''s instructions everyone hurriedly towards their car while keeping an eye out for anyone coming out of the building. Things went smoothly no one exited the abandoned building while they shoved Howard into the trunk of the car. Taking off some of the worries they had as the group sped away from the abandoned building. The car moved quickly down the street in the middle of the night, homes appeared to blitz past them as they drove down the street. It wasn''t long before the two who waited outside started asking about what happened inside. Gresham was going to tell them what happened, but it was then Gresham received an unlikely call from Robert. Gresham didn''t particularly like using mobile phones along with every other mage and cultivator in the world because cell phones can easily be tracked and spied on. Instead, Gresham used communication seals he kept in a notebook. Gresham wondering why Robert would using his emergency sigil to contact him he quickly used his notebook to call him only to receive the surprise of his life. ... The once slumbering city stirred awake by the sound of dozens of explosions. Had its streets filled with terrified and concerned citizens. Their gasps and murmurs never stopped just the sound of sirens in the air heading towards the disastrous scene. Despite the tragedy that happened at the steel mill the unluckiest people that day were those who stumbled upon an odd figure on the streets. The best way to describe what people saw as it ran by in the streets full stride while cackling with a joyous laugh on a level previously unknown to it before would be to describe a well-roasted chicken. Its skin was clearly a dark golden brown the cloths the figure had on were mostly burnt away. Only dark tattered remnants of his clothes remained which was better than his hair that got lit ablaze from the inferno the figure once stood inside. His eyes were damaged by the raging flames even his lungs suffered the scolding hot air. There was nothing about that man''s appearance that would lead a person to believe he should still be alive. Yet, Desmond ran with as much vigor as a child as he carried the golden incense burning that has been welded to his hands from the heat of the burning. Every movement brought only pain and split his charred skin releasing the juices contained inside. Desmond, however, didn''t care about such things he couldn''t even bring himself to care even if he wanted to because he had lost all sense of reason. Even the side effects of the incense burner with the 8 auspicious signs carved on its side which made him completely lose all sense of direction didn''t impede Desmond. So unperturbed by anything and with complete disregard for himself and others Desmond continued to run joyously into the night. ... Morning Road, Delmar City At the Hunter''s Bazaar still, late at night, Seraphine had returned from one of her usual daily escapades. She wore a slim blue dress that had the skirt cut down the side and carried a small purse with her. She was heading upstairs when the sound of ooze seeping from the walls caught her ears. The ooze converged next to the check out counter taking the form of the strange man. He breathed out large plumes of smoke that coiled around his body and cascaded onto the floor. Noticing him Seraphine asked in a cold tone, "what do you want Zane?". "I regret to inform you that I''ll be departing in two weeks. I know how much you enjoy my company, but you must find the strength to move forward until I return. Now for the matter about my bill, I believe this should cover it". When Zane stopped speaking his coat parted away revealing only darkness, but from that darkness outstretched a crocodile-like arm holding a small package held firmly in its claws. Seraphine wondered what he was giving her when suddenly Seraphine felt like her stomach was being stabbed by a thousand needles. Her pain was followed by a dark smoke with sn ominous aura slipping out of her clothes. Zane didn''t try to help he only watched Seraphine wraith in pain as she struggled to keep up. "I noticed the seal on your curse was weakening so I presumed this would be of assistance and it looks as though I was right just by how much the curse reacts to this thing". It took a while, but Seraphine was able to regain her composer. After she did she walked towards Zane and took his payment. "Thank you I really needed something like this ... Oh right before you leave I''ll need you to tell me what you know about Desmond Gillies. Zane breathed out smoke into Seraphine''s face the asked, "why do you even care about trash like that. He''s too weak to garner the attention of people like us even if he knows your an assassin its no problem to you. I only mess with him because it helps mess with you even after five whole minutes of thinking your motive it alluded me so, I gave up on it". Seraphine was not shocked by Zane''s blatant honesty, but since her motive wasn''t anything special she told him the truth. "There are information brokers seeking to uncover the reason why a weak nobody like him hasn''t suffered from the wrath of Secret Visage even after so much time has passed. He committed a grave offense death would be getting off easy for him. If he happens to be apart of some elite organization then there''s no harm in playing nice. If not then I waisted only your time not mine". Zane laughed Seraphine''s words then said, "from what I''ve seen he''s not anyone great or mysterious he''s just a lucky idiot". "What do you mean?" Seraphine asked with one eyebrow raised. "The mark I gave him not only lets me track him, but see every facet of his life along with a few other things. He''s nothing more than a wannabe soul eater. I don''t know where he obtained such knowledge, but its incomplete he just eats souls directly. That''s how he was able to step into the world of mages and cultivators and become an intermediate rank apprentice. From what I can see he has no skill to speak of really that''s why he''s currently running around the streets uncontrollable and crazy". Picking up on what Zane said Seraphine let out a sigh and begrudgingly asked Zane to bring Desmond to her. Zane confused as to why Seraphine wouldn''t ask that demanded to know why. What Zane got in return for his question was a simple threat. "Bring him to me now or else I''ll tell the world your last name". "You wouldn''t dare", Zane uttered in a strange tongue that made both the shadows and light seeping through the window warp in like an abstract painting. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Try me", Seraphine replied in the same tongue blending the light and shadows together even more. Zane''s body grew tall in response to Seraphine''s threat his back touched the ceiling while he leaned in close to her face. Seraphine was only an inch away from the terrifying monstrosity known as Zane, but she didn''t retreat in the slightest. Knowing full well his attempts would get him nowhere with Seraphine Zane let out one final shriek before disappearing from where he stood in a puff of smoke. Zane grumbled as he traveled on top of rooftops at a blistering speed. It appeared as though the laws of physics had no hold of the man as he quickly made his way in front of his target. Not bothering to be gentle in the slightest Zane grasped hold of Desmond''s skull while he was running in the street and shoved him inside his coat. With his target in hand, Zane blitzed back to the Hunter''s Bizarre. It wasn''t long before Seraphine witnessed the well-roasted body of Desmond being chucked threw her window toppling many books over and Zane walking calmly through the front door. "My window why couldn''t you drag him through the front door" Seraphine uttered while giving Zane a look of disbelief (The your stupid look). "I would of but my hands were full," Zane said while chowing down on a bag of baked goods that disappear into the darkness of his face. 100 Unexpected Turn part 2 Eliot let out a long relaxed sigh as he lifted up his head and reminisced over the wonderful life he once lived. "I am completely at peace with myself and what I have done. There is nothing you can say or do that can possibly hurt me". Eliot spoke to his torturers plainly and with emotionless eyes. They weren''t the eyes of a lier, They were the eyes of someone who has seen countless people die, someone who has ended countless lives himself and was ready to die all the same. Edgar and Creeg recognized those eyes there are no shortage of people on Theotera who have gone through unimaginable trials. Like the loss of a friend or loved one taken from them by the forces of nature, time, an enemy or by their own hands. There are even those who have drenched entire worlds in blood, but there are few who have come to terms with it all and found true pieces like Eliot. "Oh, if that''s true then do you mind if I have a try". An enchanting voice coming from all around started Edgar and Creeg when the woman''s voice reached their ears. They both sensed no other presence approach the room yet, someone had clearly appeared. "Who is there? speak!" Creeg uttered as he extended his field of perception to find where the voice came from. "Who are you to make demands of me?" Creeg''s words had offended the owner of the voice whom he could not find. As punishment for his offense, the owner of the voice turned half of Creeg''s organs into moths. Creeg felt the painful change happening inside of him as the moths rampaged inside of him forcing his body to bloat. Creeg released multiple different cries of pain coming from over 100 different mouths. His body continued to expand until all the moths inside Creeg''s body came shooting out of his mouths. The blood covered moths filled the room then began to converge taking the shape of a humanoid figure. Creeg had already flopped to the ground coughing large amounts of his blood, but he wasn''t dead. Nor would he ever dare sully presence of the person before him with his death. With every ounce of strength Creeg had left in his body he forced himself to prostrate before the great being in front of him. Edgar quickly followed suit before he received a punishment similar to Creeg. Filled with equal amounts of admiration as fear Edgar and Creeg spoke in unison as they uttered the name, rank, and title of the person before them. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "May all know of your incomparable might, matchless beauty, and untold legends that they will write about you Rank 6 Myra Garza Matriarch of Moths. We are unworthy to be in your presence or look upon your form. Strike us down now for any offense we have committed". Edgar and Creeg bowed down as low as they could they were even ready to dig a hole to prostrate even lower to appease Myra. Creeg had forced himself to stop coughing, he knew he had played with death enough to last a lifetime any further disrespect and he would truly meet a fate worse than death. While Edgar and Creeg were busy groveling on the floor Eliot couldn''t stop himself from laughing. "You fucking cowards both of you are to pathetic to watch". Eliot had nothing but detest for Edgar and Creeg after what they had done. To prostrate before someone simply because there stronger is sickening in his eyes. Eliot shifting his eyes over started to stare down the large cluster of moths shaped like a human walking in front of him. "So, your one of the strongest people this world has and you want to take a shot at breaking me go ahead". The cluster of moths stopped in front of Eliot then said, "not break, subdue. What I want is your will fragment". Eliot could only laugh the insane words uttered by Myra. "You want my will fragment that''s never going to happen. I may not be from this world, but I did my research a will fragment can only be given willingly it in the name. With it, you would have full control over me and you can decide whenever I die even where I go after death. Losing your will fragment is without a doubt worse than death. There is no way I''m ever going to do that so, just hypnotize me force me under your submission with a soul brand, or use me as ingredients in your experiments because that''s the only way you''re going to get me to do what you want". Myra listened to what Eliot told her then simply said "ok" before she turned around and ordered Edgar and Creeg to leave the room. Edgar stood up as quick as he could then promptly left the room Creeg, on the other hand, found it difficult to stand. If it wasn''t for the terrifying vitality rank 2 magi possessed he would already be dead. Unable to stand Creeg crawled away out the door leaving behind a long trail of blood as he did leading out the door. Despite being alone with the demi-god and knowing what was coming Eliot wasn''t scared. While he didn''t get to do much his ambitions had long since been satisfied whatever came next he would still be happy. ... Time passed by slowly as Edgar and Creeg waited outside the torture chamber for Myra. A long time passed until the door to the torture chamber finally opened. When signs that door was about to open showed Edgar and Creeg were prepared to prostrate themselves once more, but what they saw was only Eliot coming out of the room. He once again had his skin and wore his suit in his signature color purple. The green hair on top of his head was well combed back, Eliot looked nothing like the miserable state he was once in. Edgar and Creeg''s gaze only fell behind Eliot only when they found no trace of Myra did their eyes land on Eliot. "So, he''s under our control now" stated Edgar as he looked over at Creeg. "It appears so, judging by how he''s staring at us blankly he''ll only move after we give him commands". Edgar let out a long sigh then said, "that''s good, you know we''re incredibly lucky I''ve never seen a rank 6 before. I actually thought I would never get to see one much less our second in command Myra. "I know, why did she even come here anyway? She told us nothing before she left". "I don''t know there could be all kinds of reason" Creeg grumbled a bit before looking at his wound, "Edgar you set up our new puppet I have to take care of my wounds". Edgar and Creeg were about to separate when suddenly Eliot spoke giving his former captures a big shock. "Prostrate your selves", when those words left Eliot''s lips Edgar and Creeg felt as though a mountain had fallen on top of them. The tried to resist with all they had the ground beneath their feet even gave away to the sheer amount of force they use to keep upright, but their resistance was futile. They both ended up in the dirt with their faces planted in the ground while Eliot lorded over them from above. "Now that you both are in a listening position let me explain what is going on. That woman Myra whatever the rest of her name is has made me her acting representative. Meaning I am her eyes, ears, and essentially just her making me until who knows when your boss along with everyone else she has power over. Now for the reason as to why she was here since it appears you have some concerns about that. Myra was here because many powerful existences have set their eyes on this place because of that big event 2 years ago. Also to inform everyone to pack up and prepare to leave just in case ownership of Delmar City switches to the elves because of the clan war that''s about to happen. Now with all that settled let''s get down to the real business at hand". Edgar and Creeg were still struggling on the ground when Eliot lifted them both up by their necks and proceeded to drag them back to the torture chamber. "You two have got to learn how to torture someone it''s not just about inflicting pain it is a form of art. I''m going to show you some tricks from my world I hope you learn something from them". Edgar and Creeg struggling in Eliot''s arms, but couldn''t escape his iron grip. As they were brought inside the torture chamber an inescapable sense of fear crept upon them. Their magic had been sealed away by Eliot''s words they felt as though they were no different than ordinary humans. As Eliot made them both share the same chair of needles he once sat on which was still coated in Eliot''s blood. The torture room that was once filled with endless laughter once again had chilled screams come out of it. Those passing who knew of the struggle Edgar and Creeg faced while torturing their captive could only congratulate them on their success of finally making him whimper and moan for days without end. 101 Elven War Council Down south deep into Clover Forest where the seemingly endless sea of green meets the unstoppable force that is a heart''s desire lays Galendor the elven iron fortress at the center of clover forest. Galendor is erected around an artificially created volcano that spews out lava constantly. The lava that comes out of the volcano''s summit is not normal lava comprised of molten rock, but instead its molten ore. As the molten ore flows down from the top of the volcano it is funneled through large canals. Which is connected to thousands of automated factories throughout Galendor. Every factory that the ore is sent to cools and filters the ore before it is further sent to other factories that will melt the ore down again to purify them and turn them into ingots. The manufacturing process never stops to keep up with the high demand for ore, gems, and crystals that mages and cultivators require. As the endless stream of ore was being processed meticulously a meeting was being held at Galendor''s central mage tower Hestera by some of the most elite elves and most important financial backers currently on clover Island. Despite being called a mage tower Hestera itself wasn''t a tower, but a palace built on the side of the volcano. Hestera acted as a stopgap and regulator for the artificial volcano as well as the main point of focus in Galendor''s defense network. Hestera is not a normal shaped palace it is a series of oval domes stacked on top of each other as it cascades down the volcano. Built from a white colored mana stone which is used in the construction of most magic related buildings because they can dampen the effect of magic directed at it. Glass layered the top of most of the domes and through the skylight of one of the largest buildings at the top of the volcano the war meeting could be seen being held. The interior of the conference room where the war meeting was being held had a futuristic style similar to the other surrounding rooms. Its floors were a spotless metallic chrome even the chairs were coated with real gold. The room had four points of entry at every corner which gave easy access to the many seats that surrounded the seats of honor at the center of the room reserved for Galendor''s most important backers. As time passed all the seats in the hall were filled with representatives from prestigious clans allied for the inevitable battle to claim Delmar City. The six people who filled the seats of honor in representation of their clan stayed quiet as they waited for the war meeting to start. Their presence drew attention towards them to from the other surrounding members. Despite having their every move scrutinized by the other magi and cultivators in the room the honored guests paid little mind to them. Such things are normal for people in positions of power and acceptable, so long as no one crosses their bottom line. Zach a rank 3 spiritualist (Practically the same as a druid) preferred to meditate as he waited. He was human and wore dark purple tattered robes that glowed the same shade of green as the energy coursing through the cracks on his body. His skin was dark gray and appeared to be made out of wood at first glance, but was closer to stone. The staff that floated next to him appeared to be made out of the same material he was. It had thorns at its top and had the same rhythmic energy pattern as Zach''s. Seemingly the only part of Zach''s body that didn''t pulsate with energy was his thick gray stony beard. Sitting on a chair nearby squirming inside of a sack made of his own skin was a man named Ulric Baxter Rank 3 Bard. Ulric''s unique form drew the attention of many people in the room. He was an oddity amongst bards, instead of any instrument he uses his own body to produce music. Whether it is the swishing of blood or bones pounding on flesh all shall be used in Ulric''s work. His music is strange and many things are uncertain about him, but one thing that is certain his music was to die for. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Sitting nearby him was a woman named Miriam who was a rank 3 seer and a highly skilled puppeteer. Most seers have very low combat capabilities but are never looked down on by other mages. When strong enough seers can bend and distort fate. A force few truly understand, but all wish to control. Advancing as a seer is significantly more difficult than many other branches of magic because it requires the user to gather enough of the power of fate where it converges most. This doesn''t imply random fights, but moments in time that hold true significance. Whether Its the end of a nation or the birth of a legend. Miriam was a tall dark elf who by no means was as beautiful as Seraphine though she did have a unique charm about her. The robe she wore was made out of paper peculiar, but understandable given her profession because to truly advance as a seer one must give themselves up to fate. Miriam understood that and that''s was why she managed to climb as high as she did. Next to her was a rank 3 swordsman named Fabian. Fabian was a hobgoblin he wore nothing flashy only plain clothes. The thing that made him stand out amongst the group on the table wasn''t the fact that he was a lowly goblin with green skin. It was his sword that caught the eyes of many. His sword was a masterfully crafted work of art that looks as though it was made from glass. It had a similar appearance to a katana, but that is as far as the similarities those two weapons share goes. The sword had no sheath allowing the blade to be seen by all, so they can admire its crystalline beauty. Just beside him was a rank 3 illusionist named Braxa. He didn''t sit on any chairs, instead, Braxa laid down on top of one of his bubbles with a playful grin. Braxa didn''t like to were constrictive clothes that''s why he wore only shorts that showed off his hairy legs, a white shirt, an orange jacket and a pair of flip-flops to tie his outfit together. The last of the group was another dark elf who was a rank 3 Elementalist named Neal. Neal specialized in only fire magic, he sacrificed his affinity with most other elements to be one with fire. Neal wore dark red robes embedded with crystals that came from hunting elemental creatures. The air around Neal burned just like his robes that shifted between its physical form to flames. Those six people were some of the strongest and most skilled in Hestera. So, it was only natural they would listen to those as strong or stronger than them. That is why each and every person in the room stood up without fail to pay their respects to the last person who entered the room. 102 Nester Vargas With steady steps he entered the room, no clamoring could be heard only the echo of his footsteps sounded in everyone''s ears. He stood tall as he walked with the dignity of a prince towards the center of the room. His long white hair shined like metal in the light which managed to complement his dark ebony skin. The name of the man whose beauty radiated outward like the sun was Nester Vargas overseer of Galendor The Nester''s charms were accentuated by the tightly fitted black and white gown he wore. His robes were similar to that of a Daoist, but he certainly wasn''t one. The man was a peak rank 3 wizard with a very rare affinity with the element of space. Mages are able to manipulate space to a degree while people with a strong affinity with space are able to draw out a greater potential in things related to it. Space related spells are very powerful and very taxing on the user even for those who have Space affinity. Despite those with space affinity requiring less magic to cast space related spells. After making his way down a flight of stairs Nester stood in an open space at the center of the room where he began to conduct the war meeting. "To all respected clan partners and wondering magi (different from rogue magi) affiliated with the Solaris Kingdom once more I thank you on behalf of my King with aiding in the conquest of Delmar City. I know we have been through this before, but the final plan has been rewritten and needs to be finalized because of the unique danger all of our troupes will have to brave through everyone''s rolls must be made clear once more". Stopping for a brief moment Nester turned on a massive holographic projector that showed a detailed outline of most of Delmar City''s defenses. Memorial wall covered a monstrously large amount of land. In total Memorial wall has millions of high powered enchanted guns different from the ones sold to normal civilians. Including hundreds of thousands of cannons both automated and not stationed all throughout the wall. Not including the weapons and defense arrays built into the city streets. "Through our numerous failures to take back control of the largest ore reserve ever discovered on Clover Island and spies placed inside Delmar City we have uncovered most of the City''s defenses. This allowed us to create this new plan, while risky does hold the greatest chance for success". Following that statement, Nester propped up the assault plan on Delmar City. People in the room were silently going through the plan to claim Delmar City when suddenly people started noticing alterations to the initially agreed upon plan. The changes were small at first but became more ambitious the further they got to the end. It was needless to say that people were outraged by the new strategy submitted by Neal. The small discussions amongst other members quickly grew into a storm of displeasure. From out of the endless chatter a deep gruff voice cut through it was from Zach. He had stopped meditating and looked at Nester with pulsating black and green eyes as he asked. "Why would you change the assault plan so close to the agreed-upon time to strike. Not to mention how much danger this proposal of yours puts us all in. If we follow threw with this plan the death toll will be immense. A frontal assault is a fool''s mission only for those quickly seeking death. Is Solaris openly admitting it doesn''t care about there investors or is there something else going on?" More murmurs sprung up as people begun to consider Zach''s words. Nester fully understood everyone''s concerns, but he also needed to pacify everyone before more people like Zach chime in. It typically takes months of planning, bribing, and blackmailing to make a bunch of ancient geezers dance to one tune, but Nester only had a few weeks. "All of your concerns are valid, but please allow me the chance to explain the new plan in its entirety before you decide. Solaris troupes are also taking part in this war as well and we are reimbursing everyone in the event of failure. Making Solaris have more to lose than everyone else in the case of failure so please listen". Settling down everyone in the room gave Nester that chance he requested for". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Seizing the opportunity Nester began to explain why the plan was laid out in such a bizarre way. "The king of Solaris has just recently allowed for the usage of a new weapon that has been developed in secret for a few years now. While non-lethal it is a mage and most cultivator''s worst nightmare". Switch over to another slide of the weapon many people sucked in a breath of cold air after finding out what the weapon did. The stats of the new weapon made many people retract their previous statements as they reevaluated the chances of success the new plan held. "Once fired the weapon affects everything in its range indiscriminately. We do have a workaround, but those unaffected shell only be a select few to ensure that the annoying trio is kept at bay. I''m sure everyone knows who I''m talking about if not then let me remind you of The Keeper of Justice then there''s General Emma Von cooler and the worst one of them all the Overseer of Delmar City Nisus Bel. (A/E: the author will not mention Keeper of justice''s name because it''s a big spoiler) Everyone in the room was fully aware of who those three were because they were always the biggest pain in their side during every war to claim Delmar City. The problem wasn''t that they had no one to contest against them. The problem was that those three were just freakishly strong especially Nisus Bel. The war meeting continued for hours by the time it ended Nester had a bad taste in his mouth and a headache because he knew he had to spend every second he''s awake convincing people to back the new plan of attack. While what he had to do was stress full it wasn''t entirely impossible so Nester still saw light on the other side. 103 Somethings Going On When the room cleared Nester was preparing to leave as well when his spiritual sense triggered. This prompted him to look down to see the abnormality happening to his own shadow. Nester''s shadow looked nothing like him it swirled and wiggled before taking on the shape of a slender woman. Nester could only let out a long sigh after seeing who it was. "What do you want Elvira" Elvira let out a soft chuckle as she replied to Nester "nothing really". "Then what are you doing inside my shadow if its just nothing. You should be preparing our assassins for war, Umbra''s Hand is needed for my plans. Nester said plainly to Elvira who shifted around in her shadow form on the floor. "They have been ready long ago. Jeez, you typically enjoy it when we attack Delmar City, but now you don''t look happy at all. Did the elf king''s sudden change of plans ruin your mood that much?". Elvira responded playfully as she swished around in the shadows. "Yes, it did. While I do appreciate being allowed to use a new weapon. Having the original plans changed out of the blue puts a huge strain on me and everyone else. Everything would have been fine if the weapon was given to me months ago, but I guess I''m not subject to such high levels of treatment". Nester sighed and rubbed his temple as he wondered if he could find someone to dump all of his work on. As Nester thought about how he could delegate his work he soon found himself once again thinking about the Elf King "Our king''s decision now reminds me of some of the things he''s done in the past. You know what all the history books say about him right Elvira?. "Of course I do. Ever since the elven king fell ill thousands of years ago his decision-making haven exactly been the best in the world. But, that gives no one the right to slander him especially us. You know demigods are not to be trifled with even if we don''t say his name he might hear us". "Your right lets stop talking about him them". "What''s done can not be changed to get your mind off it try thinking about something else. Like how you''re going to creep Seraphine out later when you see her after the war you sicko". Nester''s response to Elvira''s last sentence was him lightly tapping his foot on the floor. Nester didn''t use much force but the moment his foot touched the metallic floor the floor broke apart into perfect cube pieces creating a small crater in the middle of the room. Shrapnel and dust flew off everywhere and in the distance was Elvira''s voice as she laughed at him. Elvira''s laughter gradually stopped as she said one word to Nester before promptly leaving, "pervert". Nester snorted at Elvira''s comment as he walked away from the mess that he made. With his head held high Nester gave an earnest reply to Elvira''s words as he left "I am not a pervert you are just uncultured." *** Presley Street, Delmar City Late at night In district-D at the city morgue, two people had already stepped out of their car and made their way inside the building. Those two people who''s figures were exposed by the moonlight were Peter and Gresham. They walked past the security guard stationed at the entrance of the morgue who only nodded his head in response to them trespassing inside the facility. Along with the other guards who let them enter unobstructed to where the bodies were kept inside the city morgue. After the incident at the steel mill, many of the Purifiers went into hiding. While activity involving the Purifiers had mostly ceased inside Delmar City. Once Howard was dumped off at an undisclosed location Peter and Gresham had done the same until they both received a call from the leader of the purifiers in Delmar City Randell Roffe. They expected someone to deal with the chaotic mess that happened and Randell was definitely the best man for the job, but what they didn''t know was why both of them were called to meet him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Not long after arriving Gresham and Peter found the room they were looking for. Inside the room were five guys standing next to a chard body that laid flat on a metal table. Four of the guys were clearly bodyguards. They all looked like tough opponents with rigid attitudes clearly they each had their own story to tell. Out of the four bodyguards, two of them stood out from the group. They both stood next to each other while holding one end of what looked like a heavy custom made briefcase. The briefcase was wider then a normal one and the exterior of it was metal and inscribed with seals. The briefcase also had special cuffs that were designed to draw blood at each end of the case. Both of which were currently around the wrists of the two bodyguards. Peter and Gresham saw a constant stream of blood slipping out of those two bodyguards bodies, but didn''t utter a word about it. Their attention was mostly on the well-groomed gentleman in front of them named Randell Roffe. He was a skinny short man with curly hair that looked like he had just come back from a night club which would explain the smell of alcohol coming off him. Randell''s tuxedo was custom made just like the fancy cane that he walked with. In truth, Randell resembled a playboy to good for everyone in the world as he cleared a path through every obstacle in his way with daddy''s money, but Peter and Gresham knew that was only what he wanted people to think. In truth, Randell was a two face man who hated every single mage and cultivator because of the shitty unjust world they created. 104 Dead Men Tell No Lies Randell inspected Peter and Gresham they walked in the room. After a brief inspection, Randell kept a mental note on both of there appearances. Not because he planned on becoming overly familiar with the two, but because Randell didn''t like doing business with people couldn''t clean themselves up well or at least had the potential to look nice. It was a pet peeve of his that he found hard to get rid of. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. After seeing Peter and Gresham looked well enough Randell put those thoughts of his behind him so that he could complete what he came there for. "Are you two Peter and Gresham" Randell spoke with an upper-class accent which was a dead giveaway to the kind of life he lives if the fancy clothes weren''t enough evidence already. "Yes, we are I''m Gresham and this is Peter" Gresham eloquently presented himself just like he did at the bar where he got his teeth bashed in by Desmond. "Ahh so your Gresham than I guess I''ll start with you first" Gresham and Peter hand no Idea what Randell wanted from them. Not wanting to be in the dark any longer Gresham asked. Hearing Gresham''s question Randell had a look on his face that made him appear more confused than Gresham. "Why are you here, do you not see the chard dead body in front of you? You, sir, are here because of the royal fuck up that you made". As if struck by lightning Randell instantly knew what he meant "you''re talking about what happened at the steel mill, but I had no part in what happened there I wasn''t even there when it happened". While leaning on his cane Randell said, "you had a much bigger part in what happened there that day than you think. Your probably not going to believe me unless I showed you, so Hansel and Samuel Please bring out the Widow''s Diary for me". Listening to Randell''s instructions Hansel and Samuel both put down the heavy suitcase in their hands. As they opened it everyone could clearly see what was contained inside. It was a big cylindrical container made of reinforced glass while the lid was metal. The cylinder was filled with blood all of which clearly came from Randell''s two bodyguards. Inside the cylinder was a squirming meaty mass that greedily sucked up as much of the blood inside the cylinder as possible. Randell seeing Gresham and Peter''s intrigued gazes explained what was inside the suitcase. "That creature that your looking at is a mystic Item called Widow''s Diary. Despite it being on the lower tear when compared to other mystic items It is very unique and just as dangerous. It is an intelligent mystic Item which increases its overall danger, but it''s not as intelligent as a human which makes it easier to trick or threaten it. It has the ability to mimic everything a person has ever done or said in the last 24 hours of there death. No soul is required for the mystic Items ability to work all it needs is enough of the body of the person it''s mimicking. Its ability does not work 1 month after the death of the targeted body has died and it also does not listen to the user''s requests until it is given enough blood to kill a person. Animal blood can''t be given as a substation nor can you store human blood to give to it later. This mystic Item is intelligent so it can tell the difference". After being given a quick description Gresham and Peter knew what to expect and weren''t surprised when they saw The Widow''s Diary first hand. Randell''s bodyguards unsealed the creature inside the flask and let it flop on top of the chard corps. It wasn''t long until the Widow''s Diary melted like ice cream and spread over every single inch of the corps. The chard corps was mostly just the head, torso, half an arm, and no legs. The body was burnt beyond recognition, not even the person''s gender could be identified without an expert to check. Yet, not long after the Widow''s Diary took effect the body everyone saw was completely unrecognizable. It was a woman who appeared to be in her 40s she had brown hair and a somewhat pale complexion. Gresham was impressed by the small details that the mystic Item didn''t skip over. Every missing part of the corps was fixed even the cloths that the woman wore before her death was recreated. As Gresham and Peter marveled at the mystic Items abilities Randell had already given it a command. "Reperform everything that this woman did 1 hour before targets death" Randell had already conducted his investigation and seen everything that the Widow''s Diary was going to show him so he skipped to the meat of the issue. Receiving its orders the Widow''s Diary immediately got off the table and began its performance. It slumped on the floor started crying silently, her cries of sorrow were quickly changed to cries of pain when she suddenly screamed and jolted about as she looked up at someone with a look of fear before she continued to sulk in silence. Gresham quickly figured out that the person was someone brought to be sacrificed, but what he didn''t know was why she was important. "Speed up, move 3 times faster" Randell had been at the morgue for a long time, he may have looked like he had a lot of energy, but he was dead tired inside. If it wasn''t for the emergency flask filled with alcohol he kept on himself at all times he knew he would long have begun sleeping with the dead. Following Randell''s command, Widow''s Diary began to move three times faster than before. Both the voice and actions it performed looked like someone pressed the fast forward button on a tv. Randell let that continue for a while until he heard the woman utter the word help. At that moment he had Widow''s Diary backtrack and mimic the dead woman''s actions normally. The woman spoke softly she had a sore throat from all of the crying she did, but that clearly wasn''t the reason why she kept her voice down low she did so to not be caught. "Please help I don''t want to die" the woman spoke selfish words in her attempts to strike a chord sympathy with someone in a bid to get that person to free her and the rest of the sacrifices. The outcome of her attempts was obvious, but what Gresham would like to know is who was she speaking to. Randell knowing that he was at the right moment he needed gave Widow''s Diary a new command "Take on the form of the person she is speaking to and mimic that persons movements". Complying with Randell''s orders Widow''s Diary became someone Gresham completely forgot about but still hated, Desmond Gillies. 105 Not Forgotten Gresham gave Desmond''s figure portrayed by the Widow''s Diary a hate filled glare. Widow''s Diary couldn''t display Desmond figure as accurately as it did the woman it mimicked first, but it was more than enough for Gresham to tell who it was. The memories of what happened to him less than a week ago by Desmond''s hands completely resurfaced. Randell saw the change of expression on Gresham''s face and knew what was going on in his head. "I''m glad to see that you still remember him since that''s the case then you should be able to pinpoint the movement you fucked up now". Gresham was still drawing a blank as to how himself and Desmond were involved in the destruction of the steel mill. Wanting to know the secret to the mystery Gresham asked Randell to tell him. "That old man is named Desmond Gillies a member of the Delmar City Reserve and an intermediate rank apprentice mage". Gresham''s mouth opened wide with the new information that Randell dumped on him. "He''s an intermediate mage, I never once saw him cast a single spell even when we fought. I just thought he was just some righteous crazy old man. I still remember when he told us he was part of some weird organization or gang named Oto, Otik, Otago ... umm, Otaku that''s what he said it was". "Otaku", Randell repeated the strange sounding word inside his head repeatedly, but couldn''t associate it with anything. Not wanting to make a future blunder because of pure ignorance Randell decided to make a mental note of that word. Putting the matter regarding the significance of the word Otaku behind him Randell furiously pointed his finger at Gresham''s face as he said, "that right there is why I''m guessing you ''forgot'' about protocol letting Desmond Gillies easily break free of his cage and go on a killing spree inside the steel mill". Gresham''s eyes grew wider and his throat became dry as he struggled to let those few words escape his mouth, "killing spree". "Yes, because of your foolishness along with those other two Leopold and Robert. The steel mill was destroyed by a lieutenant cornel in the Delmar City Guards resulting in the deaths of over 200 of our members, but not before that old man you kidnapped in the middle of the street got free and had his way with them first". Randell was in a temper as he irately reprimanded Gresham for what he had done. He showed no restraint in concern for Gresham''s feelings as he took every chance to thoroughly remind Gresham that everything that happened at the steel mill was his fault. To further engrave Gresham''s failure into his heart Randell made Widow''s Diary mimic the deaths of everyone at the steel mill, so Gresham could watch. With a heavy heart, Gresham watched as Widow''s Diary took on the forms of many people that he knew. Gresham kept watching even when he was on the verge of crying. As tears were about to stream down Gresham''s face his attention was caught by the strange movements that the Widow''s Diary was making. Its body twitched violently as it struggled to perform two different sets of movements at the same time. Unsure of what was happening Gresham asked Randell, "what was going on?". Randell replied, "The Widow''s Diary can only mimic one person at a time. Its ability to mimic also sharply declines when it is tasked to mimic things from what it can pry from its host''s brain that''s not the original host. As you can see Widow''s Diary is trying to mimic Cornel, but it''s struggling a lot more than it did with the others because there are two people that look exactly the same in this instance". "Two people, you mean that old man took on Cornel''s form to escape?". "That is correct, I do not know if he plans on becoming an illusionist or not, but he most certainly dabbled a little bit in it. Originally that Desmond fellow tried to escape underground, that plan of his obviously ended in failure because of the mystic item we used to defend against division and scrying had a minor side effect where whoever comes into contact with its smoke loses their sense of direction. Seeing as escaping that way failed he then decided to pose as Cornel where he then tricked others into killing the real Cornel before he gunned the rest of them down himself. He struggled a lot to get out safely before he couldn''t resist anymore and blew the building up. Enlightened on Desmond''s heinous acts Gresham''s grief turned to rage which he once again directed at Desmond. "That bastard if he wasn''t already dead I would kill him". Gresham already knew that the person who destroyed the entire steel mill was named Andrea Briggs. Not only was she a rank 2 archer, but she was also a lieutenant cornel in the Delmar City Guards. Making her untouchable to the purifiers who struggle even when fending off against apprentice those at an apprentice''s level. Gresham also knew the chances of someone like Andrea caring about the life of someone like Desmond was very small. So, she wouldn''t have waited to kill the purifiers just because Desmond was inside the building. "I never said anything about that old man being dead. Shortly after the steel mill was destroyed there were multiply sightings of a severely burnt lunatic running in the street. He was laughing at the top of his lungs as he proceeded to kill anyone that got to close to him. At first, I thought he was one of our own that just got lucky. Until I heard that the man used a golden object to bash in the skulls of his five victims. Considering how I still have not received my mystic item back and how fragments of it weren''t found in the wreckage I can only assume Desmond Gillies has it". Gresham was glad to find out Desmond was still alive because now it meant he could make a few wrongs right. "That bastard killed our people, good people we can''t let him just walk away. I know I messed up so let me find him I''ll make sure to make an example out of him for what he did and hang him from the tallest building I can find". Randell was still displeased with Gresham so Randell did not care to make Gresham feel better by giving him what he wanted. Randell instead told Gresham plain and clearly, "no, you will not go out to find that man the purifiers have suffered too much of a loss as is. Plus, a war with the elves for ownership of Delmar City is just around the corner more deaths help no one but our enemies. While you did mess up by attracting the ire of Andrea Briggs when you went to that bar it was mostly Leopold''s falt. Since you attempted to alleviate the situation and because he is already dead your transgressions can be forgiven". While talking to Gresham Randell took a moment to take out a slip of paper from an inner pocket inside his suit. "As for Desmond Gillies, his transgressions shall not be forgotten". Gresham received the folded piece of paper from Randell and unfold it. He quickly became shocked by what he read, "5,000 magic crystals that price is a little high even for someone like him". "I''ve already posted that bounty in the underworld it''s circulating throughout the city as we speak. It won''t attract anyone who managed to break through rank 1, but it''s more than enough to make an endless stream of people at an apprentice''s level come looking for him. Randell finished talking with Gresham shifted his attention towards Peter. Randell''s eyes glanced up and down Peter''s body as he guessed Peter''s condition. Peter knowing he was next to get himself torn a new ass hole braced himself for Randell''s harsh Reprimand. "Peter, are you doing well? Did you get enough sleep last night? If not you should try drinking some warm milk before bed it tends to help people sleep". Peter was almost at a loss for words he thought he was going to go through the same thing as Gresham. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Awkwardly rubbing the back of his head Peter replied, "yes I''ve had no trouble sleeping". "Are you sure, no sudden chills or shortness of breath?". "Yes, I''m sure" replied Peter. "That''s great to hear after what happened with Howard I just had to make sure of a few things, but you never know so please if anything strange happens to you write me a letter threw my spiritual messenger I will send someone over to your place immediately". Once again Randell reached into his inner pocket and took out a piece of paper with details on how to summon his spiritual messenger which he handed to Peter. "Remember everything on that piece of paper then burn it. I will not be happy if you forgot to do that". Randell said jokingly, but Peter knew he was serious. Randell feeling his eyes becoming heavy brought their discussion to a close so he could finally go back to sleep. In a hurry to leave Randell took out a plain looking harmonica which he blew on to remove Widow''s Diary from the body it was in. It took less than a minute for Randell''s Guards to shove the mystic item back in its container. Randell ready to leave didn''t bother with the pleasantries as he began to leave. As Randell was about to leave he had a gut feeling Gresham was going to do something stupid and above all cliche. "Gresham remember don''t get involved with Desmond Gillies let the bounty hunters handle him. If you still want to get back at him find out everything you can about that Otaku group he said he was apart of". Gresham gave Randell an understanding nod as he watched him leave. 106 Sweet Dreams Orchard Street, Delmar City Inside a lavish mansion in district-A were only the most wealthy and those of royal blood can stay was a dimly lit bedroom. Beautiful paintings, furniture, and other commodities surrounded the luxurious canopy bed that cradled Randell to sleep. A peaceful smile was on Randell''s face as he had a pleasant dream about the death and destruction of all magi and cultivators. Randell dreamt of there horrific screams as they ran threw the streets away from the people they once oppressed. While he leads the revolution against the false gods and tore down all their monuments and replaced them with spikes that had the heads of those mortal men once feared. Drool slipped out of Randell''s mouth onto his pillow as he slept in bliss. It was a pleasant monument shared by Randell and the eyes that watched him as well. The figure attached to the cold emotionless eyes that blended well into the shadows watched on as Randell peacefully slept for a while before uttering two words. "Wake up" The owner of those cold eyes words were not met with the reply of Randell confused and demanding of an explanation, but by the sound of a compact automatic weapon similar to an uzi firing over 100 enchanted rounds in the direction, the voice came from. In the time it took Randell to point his weapon in the mysterious voices direction a second dark form stepped in front of the first. As the uzi rapidly fired it produced flashes of light that gave Randell brief glimpses of hundreds of hungry mouths greedily devouring each and every bullet that was supposed to tear thew its targets. When Randell saw that a hate filled word escaped his lips, "magi". Assuming the worst Randell made every attempt to leave. He tried to activate one of the mystic items he held close by, but his body suddenly became stiff. Randell couldn''t move a single inch as all the lights in the room were swiftly turned on. With the lights on Randell quickly got a good look at the disturbing figure he only glimpsed at before. Hundred of black lines crisscrossing across a body with no kind of discernible facial features. The strange persons was Creeg as for the man he was protecting he wore a fancy suit dyed in his signature color purple with his uniquely styled green hair. It was the unmistakable figure of Eliot Row, he was unfazed by the gunshots and only cared about getting some dust off his clothes at the moment. Cleaned up Eliot Pushed Creeg aside and walked forward a bit as he began to greet Randell. "Mr. Randell Roffe my name is Eliot Row. I''m quite sorry for the unannounced visit and intruding into your home, but we need to have a little chat". Eliot looked around the fancy room that had suddenly become a mess then ignored that small problem as he turned to give Creeg a simple order as he pointed at a spot on the floor, "Creeg, chair now". Randell couldn''t move nor could he speak at the moment because he was restrained by a shadow that extended from Creeg''s body. If Randell could speak it would have been about the miracle Eliot had just performed. Randell half believed he was still asleep as he witnessed a mage obediently kneel on the floor and become a chair for Eliot to sit on despite there being a perfectly good chair a few steps to their left. After Eliot witnessed Edgar and Creeg so easily kneel in front of a demigod he had lost any kind of respect for them that he could possibly give. Their greatest use to him now was equal to that of a portable chair. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Eliot didn''t care about the ranks people in Theotera valued so much or how man planets a person could blow up with a wave of their hand. Eliot believed so long as you could lie, cheat, and scheme against someone then the battle is never truly lost. There are all kinds of legends were mortals win against gods so why not him why not everyone. *** "It''s dark why is it so dark?" were the only words that Desmond had said consistently to himself since the event at the steel mill. All around him was nothing but darkness the perception of time for Desmond was infinitely short as it was long. He couldn''t tell the difference between a minute and an hour or an hour vs. a day. So, Desmond had no clew how long he had been in darkness, but despite that Desmond didn''t mind. He had no thoughts about leaving where he was because Desmond after such a long time of worrying whether his stay on Theotera would be cut short Desmond only felt peace instead of worry. But, in the end in the back of his mind, he still wondered the same thing, why it was so dark? After a long time or short Desmond couldn''t tell the difference the endless darkness continued till a great change happened. From the darkness came a sound it was a voice that was not his own. At first, there was only one then two the voices kept multiplying till Desmond couldn''t distinguish them from his own. The voices caused Desmond''s soul to rumble it caused a great amount of pain throughout Desmond''s entire body forcing him awake. As Desmond shot straight up and opened his eyes an impossible scene was before him. A dark grey ground with rocks and craters all over clearly illuminated by the sun''s rays. Stars dotted the sky while a broken planet not bearing the slightest resemblance to earth loomed over from above. Desmond struggled to come to grips with what he was seeing, but he knew it was probably true. "Impossible how did I get on the moon". 108 Advancemen After Ragnar punched Desmond unconscious he slept for days while the rainbow colored soul fire that covered his body kept burning. As the fire burned it made small changes to Desmond''s body. It burnt away much of the impurities in Desmond''s body like the impurities contained inside the healing potions he drank years ago. The flames enhanced his body Desmond''s body making his muscle stronger and his skin tougher. Not long after the flames extinguished Desmond awoke from his long slumber. His vision was unsteady and his head was pounding as he tried to get his bearings. "Where am I?" Desmond said as every inch of his body suddenly overcame with pain. Desmond''s veins bulged as he endured a tremendous amount of pain. As time went forward Desmond''s face contorted in anguish turned to a face filled with pleasure. Desmond was enjoying the pain for the first time in ever he liked to get hurt and deep down he wanted someone to hurt him even more. Desmond was drowning in pleasure, so much of it he took his hands and started to touch his own body. His hands traveled all over his body down his legs (Not his junk), on his torse, up his arms to the top of his head were his immersion was ruined once he felt out he had no hair. "What, my hair its all gone how can that be" getting up from the comfortable bed was a bit challenging for Desmond, but he managed to do it in time. His back ached and his bones creaked as Desmond made his way to a dresser with a tall mirror on it. The dresser was super fancy along with everything else in the room. Treasure could be seen at every corner of the room, a chest overflowing with all kinds of gems and trinkets was carelessly tossed in a corner of the room left to collect dust. Desmond even found magical items in a bowl on the dresser left out in the open like candy. "Where the hell am I, who''s home am I in?" Desmond thought to himself in his head as he inspected himself in the mirror. His leathery skin was just as old and wrinkly as he remembered there was no visible damage anywhere on Desmond''s body. "Some asshole shaved my head or did I lose my hair when I got set on fire in my tunnel at the steel mill?". Desmond didn''t really mind losing his hair he already knew he was as ugly as a donkey''s ass him having no hair just helped show that. Desmond spent little time wondering about his hair his thoughts along with his body instead drifted towards a tall bookcase next to him. The bookcase was completely full and in it were advanced magical books Desmond was never given the chance to see. "Curses, star reading, a book on how to become a lich, space and time magic, blood magic, bloodline magic and how to obtain a bloodline. There''s even stuff on how to increase your life span, sealing magic, summon demons, brewing potions and so much more". The books that Desmond was allowed to see as a member of the reserve unit were only about 30% of what they actually had In a specific subject and even then it was only basic and the most common stuff in magic. There wasn''t even the slightest mention of how to perform necromancy no matter were Desmond looked. It was almost as if they were worried someone would create an undead army inside of the city. In the end, Desmond wasn''t sure where he was, but he was starting to believe it was heaven. Desmond became as chipper as a little girl as he carefully chose a book from the shelf "Illusionary hands". The book Desmond chose was a martial arts technique. He chose that book because while he did know how to fight no one taught Desmond any of the super fancy fighting techniques he always saw on TV. Desmond wanted to become just like those bull shit characters he admired when he was young so he could fully live out his otaku dreams. When Desmond opened the book he was shocked by what he saw. "You have got to be kidding me this book it''s filled with nothing but lies!" said Desmond as he furiously threw the book on the floor and stomped on it. The inside of the book was completely censored by magic Desmond couldn''t read a single word inside of it or any of the other books on the shelf when he checked. Defeated Desmond slumped onto the floor sulking in his shattered dreams. "Why would someone put this in front of me if I can''t read anything. If I learned how to perform curses or manipulate someone''s fate I would become the most bull shit characters in the word". As Desmond said those words it hit him Illusions, curses, and the power of fate each one was difficult to deal with in their own way. If someone wielded all three then in gamer terms they would just be a troll. "Illusions that can curse someone and change there fate how do I achieve such a thing". [That will require you to dive deep into the fields of Necromancy and mysticism. Witches are known to be quite skilled in curses especially hags. Hags love to concoct strange curses and place them on people. Their sense of beauty is warped they see the world as the inverse of everything. To a hag a puppy is ugly, but its rotting corpse is cute. The power of fate is very complex it is more obscure than most other fields. It requires time to amass large amounts of fate''s power. That is one of the reasons why the Oracle who is the strongest Seer in all of Theotera is only a rank 5 messenger and not a rank 6 demigod despite how strong she is. Illusionist manipulates a person''s mind, body, and the world. It is a complex field few have succeeded in one of the main reasons is because many illusionists die young. Illusionist are seen as infuriatingly annoying by everyone so out of a large group an illusionist is at the top of everyone''s list to die first. Since sir Desmond has no affinity, hasn''t yet achieved rank 1, and hadn''t his personal rune inscribed into his core by the world you are free to do as you choose. All paths are suitable for advertisement except blood magic, bloodline magic since host has no bloodline, space-time magic, and a few others]. Desmond knew what the tower spirit was talking about since he read about it to become rank 1 you have to survive a difficult engraving process done by the world its self. It is a single personal rune that no one else has a copy of even after a person''s death. That final rune unlocks a special ability that corresponds with the path that person walks down. A new special ability is unlocked after each rank until rank 4 where the user gains no more new special ability. If Desmond became an illusionist he would get a special ability that follows that field. The same would happen if he decided to become an ice mage. Most special abilities are different some people have one that''s almost identical. Only bloodline mages have the exact same ability always. Same with there ultimate ability which they gain at rank 4. The ultimate ability combines the three previous special abilities obtained after advancement into something new unique to only the user. Once someone walks down a specific path of advancement they can not change it. They can still dabble in other fields of magic, but the special ability obtained will have no influence on those other fields. The characteristics abilities are similar to the special ability of who ever or what ever it was obtained from. Desmond got up off the floor and said to the tower spirit, "Who are you?". The tower spirit replied, [I am Beta a tower spirit. My masters are named Seraphine and Ragnar. At there request I am temporarily at your command]. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. 109 Strange Sound Learning that Bata was basically an A.I wasn''t super shocking for Desmond since it was the most rational thing Desmond had encountered in Theotera. Desmond was a bit shocked by the tidbit of info Bata did tell him. He had no idea how he ended up in Seraphine and Ragnar''s home let alone why they took him to the moon of all places. What happened at the steel mill was somewhat of a blur to Desmond in some parts, but overall he remembered what happened. In the end, no matter how he rationalized the situation he just couldn''t see himself running to Seraphine and Ragnar''s shop for help in the middle of the night. "How did I ended up here" [You were brought here by Mr. Zane] "Who''s Mr. Zane," Desmond asked unknowingly as he scratched the left side of his cheek. [Mr. Zane is the man you met on your second visit to Hunter''s Bizarre. He is tall, has a sickening aura, and almost killed you the first time you met him]. "Oh so it was him he''s ..." [An ass hole] Bata said interrupting Desmond as he was speaking. [He was the one who brought you to the Hunter''s bizarre at the request of Seraphine. Which he completed after throwing you face first threw the store''s display window]. Desmond wasn''t sure how to feel about Zane after hearing that. On one hand, he saved Desmond''s life on the other the man is a Sociopathic ass hole. Desmond knowing he could do nothing to change what had happened so he decided to move on from that subject. "Why was I brought to the moon?". [This is Seraphine and Ragnar''s real home, Hunter''s Bizarre is connected to here by a gate. You were brought here because you needed to be treated. Every part of your body was burnt to a crisp. If you weren''t a soul possessing a persons body you would have been dead in the true sense of the word. If not for Seraphine''s kind heart you would have been captured, imprisoned, and because of how unique you are. You would have also been experimented on and enslaved at best if not sold to the highest bidder]. "So, my secrets have been exposed. Well, I already guessed that those three would have found out eventually ever since I learned Seraphine was an assassin". Desmond could only sigh and accept the situation. Everywhere he turned he was outclassed and outgunned. It didn''t matter if it was resources, knowledge, allies, or techniques Desmond just could compare to anyone. Desmond always found himself in a pathetic state, but at least his situation wasn''t completely unsalvageable. "Were is Seraphine I want to talk to her?". [I suggest that you wait to speak to her for a few more minutes at least until your transformation is complete]. Desmond''s brow raised slightly in the air when he said to Bata, "my soul is going under some kind of transformation. What kind of transformation?". [During your treatment I performed multiple deep scans of your body. The results show that your soul is thousands of years old making you an ancient soul. A wandering soul that is thousands of years old is extremely rare in Theotera. Since most souls extinguish if the can not find other souls to feed on or a source of negative energy to sustain themselves. Which comes from a large concentration emotional pain, death, and other stuff like that. Your soul is mutating because of all the souls that you consumed. Which is something that would not typically happen if say for example a human performed the same act. Typically a meager 100 souls would never prompt an advancement, but since your a starving ancient soul the strength you gathered was enough to make you mutate in a bizarre direction]. Bata''s words made Desmond eagerly inspect the condition of his soul. What he found was stunning, Desmond''s soul was completely unrecognizable from what it used to be. An endless stream of flowing rainbows pact into a ball made up the new form of Desmond''s soul body. Surrounding the form of Desmond''s mesmerizing spirit body was a dark baleful aura. It was comprised of the anguish, fear, resentment, and all of the other emotions that the soul''s Desmond consumed had inside them. Desmond heard a senseless howling being emitted from the darkness around Desmond''s soul it made Desmond howl along with it. As Desmond resonated with the other soul contained inside him his eyes became foggy and he released another ghostly whale. Unlike last time Desmond was promptly sealed inside of a cube. The cube restrained Desmond''s transformation allowing no harm to come to the room even when Desmond caught on fire again. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. As time passed and the flames died Desmond basked in the pain. The pain made him think clearly even as his ears were being assaulted by a constant white noise. The sound was constantly changing like when you turn a nob on a radio. Sometimes the sound was high others low Desmond didn''t know what the sound was or what it signified, but he knew deep down that it was something he should have heard long ago. It tried to commune with the deepest parts of Desmond and awaken some kind of primal instinct. He was unsure whether he should love or fear the noise, but he did know he was stuck with it forever. As the flames subsided Desmond appeared to be just the same as before. When he opened his eyes Desmond bathed the world in color. Desmond''s eyes were just as beautiful as his soul, the colors may have constantly shifted yet it did nothing to change how they glimmered. [The eyes are the gateway to the soul. When a person''s eyes glow it is proof of the strength of their soul. Most people are only able to make their eyes glow after they advance to rank 1. By harnessing the power from all the other souls that you ate to strengthen your soul grew stronger. Regardless of the method used it is a feat worthy of praise, so congratulations intermediate rank apprentice mage Desmond Gillies. On taking a big step in understand the truth of everything as you try to reach the pinnacle of the world. Now if you don''t mind tell me what you see]. 110 Peculiar Friend Desmond immersed himself with the new power he felt inside his body. As he took a moment to look around the room Desmond saw the color from everything he looked at fade away. "Gray, all I see is black and gray it''s similar to how I see magic particles in the air, but this new sence is completely different from it". Desmond said as he shifted his eyes to his flaming had. "This fire is the only thing that''s color won''t fade while even my arms have turned grey. Why is that?". [From what you are describing you have awakened a natural ability that ever spirit entity has called specter''s gaze. It allows you to see a person''s soul even thew walls it''s just as useful as a spirit''s magic sight. Typically most humans can''t see magic until they reach rank 1 nor can they see a person''s soul unless they use some kind of spell or tool to aid them in forcibly inspect someone''s body. Since soul fire is comprised of spirit power you are able to see it clearly. Soul fire can not only burn both hot and cold it can directly damage a person''s soul. It can purity, be used in creating mystic items and heal the undead, but I must warn you few people possess a soul fire. While it is commonly seen amongst undead living people can not naturally weald it unless it has been reforged by a master who specializes in creating things like artificers or if find the special kind naturally created in the wild. That Makes it a treasure people will think they can simply steal from you when the actual chance of that is low since your soul fire isn''t an item, but a symbol of your life]. Desmond felt a bit down after gaining the ability to create soul fire because Desmond hated fire related spells it stemmed from his hatred of fire elemental mages. While Desmond believed fire elemental mages were powerful and deserved every bit of recognition that they earned. Desmond also felt that they were so common that he couldn''t respect them anymore. That''s why Desmond never once considered walking down the path of an elementalist. It had no relation to him almost blowing himself up and setting himself on fire every time he tried to cast fire spells. "Is my transformation done yet?" Desmond asked because he didn''t want to be kept in a box for hours. [Yes you are stable now so you can go. I have already informed Seraphine of your condition. She wants you to get cleaned up and join them for dinner]. "it''s finally time for me to find out why seraphine keeps saving my life" Desmond said to himself as he remembered the day he was almost killed by Zane and nearly shit himself at the same time only to be saved by seraphine. "Uhh, I just hope Zane isn''t there" ... The dining room was circular and had a glass dome for a ceiling. In its center was the ruined form of Theotera. The hall''s massive size was enough to fit in over 1000 people, but that space was taken up by the skeletons of 6 gigantic giants that lived during the era of the fallen. On their bodies was the same once immaculate now tethered armor they died in. Their forms still gave off a strong intimating presence as they stood arms raise towards Theotera. The light in the room danced on the giant''s armor which reflected the polished obsidian floor and the figures of two figures arguing. Their near endless bickering filled the room if anyone was eating the large spread of food on the table they would have had their meal spoiled. Ragnar and Zane were always at each other''s throats this fight of theirs was no different. They both had a foot firmly planted on top of the table as they attempted to strangle each other. Ragnar had partly transformed into a werewolf his claws dug deep into Zane''s neck latching hold of whatever Zane kept hidden under his cloak. While Zane had two meaty gorilla paws around Ragnar''s neck. Both of them were strong enough to tear apart a tank from earth like it was toilet paper, but both of them struggled with breaking the thin layer of skin the other had on them. "You hack of a mage your nothing, but a phony. Your not a real mage and never will be". Ragnar said as he struggled to speak. Zane laughed at Ragnar''s statement his voice was clear unimpeded Ragnar''s hold on his neck or whatever Zane kept hidden under his cloak, "that shows what you know a mage studies the arcane in a bid to unravel the mystery of the universe and come to the pinnacle of truth regardless of who or what you may be so long as you walk down a path in pursuit of truth you are a mage. "You still suck. Why am I even friends with you, every time I see you I want to kill you?". "Its because you know you need me you wouldn''t be alive today if not for me". Ragnar''s veins bulged on his neck he visibly became even madder after what Zane said to him "You''ve attempted to kill me more times than you tried to save me and it was for dumb things too. I remember when you left me for dead in the middle of nowhere because I snored too loudly ounce while I was still injured and couldn''t regenerate, but not before you attracted every beast you could to me". "That was one time you can''t still blame me for that it doesn''t mean I''m actively trying to kill you". "One time my ass what about the time when we fought that djinn. You prioritized killing its slaves, destroying everything it owned, and stealing every piece of valuable loot in front of it just to piss it off while me and Seraphine had to take care of it by ourselves. Djinns are powerful we almost died that time because of you". Ragnar shouted at Zane with enough force to almost blow the hat off the top of his head. "What you''re mentioning is nothing more than isolated incidences. They each only happened one time completely independent from the other it proves nothing. Your false accusations hurt me deep all I have ever been was helpful and supportive I think you owe me an apology". Zane said as he plew smoke up Ragnar''s nose just to piss him off more. "How about I throw you out into space instead of ripping whatever it is you call ahead off. Will you accept that as an apology you fake mage". "Your people skills really are shit it''s why you have so few friends luckily you will always have me I''m nothing like Seraphine she''s always faking it in bed with you what we have is real". Zane laughed as Ragnar''s claws dug deeper inside him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Hay Ragnar guess what?" Zane said before a human baby''s arm stretched out of the darkness where his face was supposed to be and slapped Ragnar''s wolf nose. Ragnar was so made at Zane for all that he had done to him he wouldn''t have been surprised if he ''accidentally'' killed him. "That''s it" Ragnar uttered as he pulled out his right claws from Zane''s body and struck down in with all his strength. Ragnar''s attack split the air and left deep gashes on the floor. Zane had dodge Ragnar''s strike by making his body soft and limp. It allowed him to coil around Ragnar''s arm and slip behind him. As soon as Zane arrived behind Ragnar a massive jagged horn like a rhino''s slipped out of Zane''s coat ready to impale Ragnar''s back. Ragnar twisted his body around so fast a phantom image was left were he once was. Using the added speed from twisting his body Ragnar was able to overwhelm Zane when the two collided. Ragnar uppercuted Zane''s horn with enough force to snap it in two and send Zane flying towards one of the 6 giant warrior skeleton''s skull. Zane landed on the giant''s skull like a bullet, but the skull didn''t break Zane''s landing only rattled the bones. On top of the skull, Zane shot out over 100 different beasts towards Ragnar. It was a relentless stream of creatures that''s only goal was to tear a piece off of Ragnar. Ragnar didn''t fret over such a sight he had seen how Zane fought hundreds of times. As the creatures, Zane released charged at Ragnar he picked up the tip of the horn he broke off and threw it at them. The horn ripped most of the creatures apart turning them to a meat paste. As the horn came in front of Zane he slapped it away shattering it as a result. Loving the battle they were having Zane jumped into the air and breathed out a humongous plum of smoke filling the room. The smoke blinded Ragnar, but Ragnar never needed his eyes to fight he still had all his other senses to rely on and when those fail there was still pure animal instinct. With his strong legs Ragnar jumped straight towards Zane, Ragnar could tell exactly where he was even in all the smoke. In the smoke Ragnar was met with obstacles first it was a shark then a snake which was followed by a gigantic foot and a tone other things. Ragnar cleaved his way threw ripping whatever came his way apart. His bestial roar overshadowed all the other monsters in the room as an alpha predator should. Ragnar and Zane''s clash was defending the sound of roaring thunder would have been suppressed by them. Desmond who had been teleported into the room moments before those two started fighting found it hard to breathe and stand. He started to sweat profusely and was on the verge of passing out. The walls in the room kept him from being blown away by the shock waves lettering him have a good view enough of the two monsters in front of him. Smoke obscured Desmond''s vision, but flashes of light let Desmond see glimpses. It was like watching a shadow puppet show while it was interesting and cool Desmond mostly just felt terror. He knew someone like him shouldn''t be there or see anything like he was yet. As Ragnar and Zane continued to fight they started to insult each other again. "Mangy pup" "Narcissistic asshole" "Fleabag" Zane and Ragnar kept shouting insults at each other until Ragnar took out the big guns. "Zobow" When Ragnar said that ward the intense battle that the two had stopped. Ragnar had a triumphant devilish grin on his face while something else was going on with Zane. His body twitched as the cloths he used to conceal himself became heavily worn out and wrinkled. Iron spikes grew out of his body and extended into the floor. Zane''s new form made him look like an old leather coat and hat flopping in the wind, but it was so much more terrifying than that. When Zane finished transforming he released an unholy roar that blew away all the smoke he released. Even when Ragnar saw Zane''s strange transformation he didn''t relent he still called him the single word Zane hated most in the world, Zobow. Zane overcome with rage whipped one of the rods protruding out of his back into the ground towards Ragnar. Ragnar was flung towards the table hard completely breaking it. All the fresh and expensive food that was on the table was flung into the air. As the food came up Zane''s attacks came raining down he stabbed Ragnar hundreds of times. He was unrelenting hearts, eyes brain Zane didn''t care what it was he just kept stabbing. Ragnar''s body was full of holes and had dozens of rods embed inside him he was enjoying himself to the fullest. All the blood that splattered out of him and any bits of his flesh came rushing back towards him. His body was repaired in seconds and he was itching to fight. Lethal injuries were nothing to Ragnar werewolfs had one of the best regeneration abilities in the world like vampires. Ragnar''s eyes became wide and yellow as he switched to his full werewolf form. His fur was glorious and smooth, his muscles bulged while his feet turned into hind legs like a wolf''s. Ragnar was three to four times as his previous size he was just as deadly as he looked and even more. While on the ground Ragnar released a powerful howl that broke every spike Zane had inside of him and slammed Zane at the top of the dome. Faster than it takes a person to blink. Ragnar forced every foreign fragment outside of his body as he used his massive hind legs to shoot himself directly at Zane to deliver a powerful punch that shook the room they were in but didn''t break the glass became it was magically protected. The punch produced another strong shock wave that sent even more feed and debris. As that was going on Seraphine walked into the room from another door. She held a small bowl in her hand that glowed with a soft light. As those two fought Seraphine''s figure disappeared while at the same time Ragnar and Zane came crashing down. They both had to take the time to dig themselves out of the hole seraphine buried them in while she yelled at them. "That''s enough look at the mess you two battle maniacs caused". Seraphine said clearly angry at both of them. When Zane pulled himself out of the ground he screeched into the air then looked around. Catching his eye was Desmond''s pathetic figure barely holding on from the battle he was in close proximity to. Seeing Desmond and still filled with anger Zane ran towards him. Zane looked like a black streak as he appeared behind Desmond. Desmond had an other worldy sense of danger it felt like it was a higher level of perception. While he knew it was coming Desmond was to slow and weak to stop Zane from ripping out his spine. Large chunks of flesh was still on the spine as Zane began showering in Desmond''s blood. 111 The Truth The alarming amount of pain that Desmond felt was all turned into pleasure for him. Ever since Desmond''s transformation Desmond loved pain he wanted to experience more of it and Zane brought him what he wanted. Desmond immersing himself in all the pleasure pain brought him he focused only on the pain, as a result, he lost control of his new powers for a moment and burst into flames. The beautiful rainbow soul fire ignited Zane''s furry beast arm which only served to piss him off more. "Pathetic, what a weak flame. Something like that couldn''t burn dry grass let alone harm me". Zane''s soul was like tungsten while soul fire could directly damage a person''s soul it couldn''t do what was beyond Desmond''s abilities. Desmond was only an intermediate rank apprentice mage while Zane was rank 3 their abilities couldn''t even beginning to compare. Zane proved that point almost immediately when a mouth with hundreds of rows of teeth slipped out of the darkness in his coat and sucked the soul fire off of Desmond''s body. Desmond was fully conscious, while he liked the feeling of what happened he didn''t appreciate being ripped apart again by someone. Desmond struggled to get the words out, but after much effort, Desmond was able to let out one strained word from his mouth. "Asshole". In a rage, Zane threw Desmond on the floor in front of him and began to whip Desmond''s back with his own spine. Each strike was gruesome to witness while didn''t use all of his strength Zane showed no mercy to Desmond as he punished him for his disrespect. "Who are you to speak to me that way? I am a rank 3 magus you should be honored to even be in my presence. Let alone opportunity to speak to me know your place trash". Zane said as he brought down Desmond''s spine once again which tore off the flesh from Desmond''s body and broke his bones. Zane''s words were harsh and his methods to get his point across was worse, but what he said was true. People in Theotera respect strength even if someone is far smarter than another or even braver. It means nothing if all that they built or had ever accomplished could be whipped away with a wave of someone''s hand. It was only coincidence, luck, and personal interest that Desmond was able to meet such powerful people, speak to them, and not be immediately killed by one of them. "Zane, how many times do I have to tell you to stop ripping people''s spines out before you understand?". Seraphine was already angry about the waited food that she worked hard prepared. So, Zane ripping Desmond''s spine out and betting him with it when he was her guest was bringing her close to the edge. Zane stopped whipping Desmond and turned to Seraphine. He held Desmond''s bloody spine straight and pointed it at her as he said, "and how many times have I told you guys that, that name was gifted to me. Though it is my name I do not like being called it". Seraphine cared little for Zane''s delicate feelings her care could even be seen in her eyes. "You''re telling me that gives you the right to assault my guest in my y home. I don''t give a damn if you were insulted or how much you were hurt. You will put my guest spine back now, repair his body along with his clothes before I lose what little patience I have left and make you". Zane huffed out a big ball of smoke then replied, "I am not scared of you are not what you once were. I wonder how long you can keep fighting at your peek before that old wound of yours becomes your downfall". Seraphine snickered and replied, "I wonder too, but it''s about how many of your hearts I can destroy before you realize you can''t even touch me? It doesn''t matter how injured I am you will still find it difficult to match me and you know it". "Indeed that special ability of yours is annoying It makes fighting you not fun at all". After weighing the odds in his head Zane conceded and began to repair Desmond. For Zane repairing Desmond''s body was as easy as breathing transmutation was his specialty. Reshaping blood, flesh, and bones was something Zane did every day. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. It was even easier for Zane to alter Desmond''s body than his own or what he typically worked with because Desmond was still a very low rank. The higher a person''s rank the harder it is to repair their injuries. For instance, someone below rank 1 has millions of options to heal themselves and repair their bodies. If they used, for instance, a high grade heal potion then it will be like their injuries never happened depending on the extent of the damage. While someone at rank 1 can still use healing potions, but it would have the same amazing effects. The potion would only be good enough for burns, cuts, and other less severe injuries. At rank 2 a healing potion is useless so is 70% of most common treatment methods. Forcing people to find ways to treat themselves when they get injured. The higher a person''s rank the more expensive the treatment. A small scratch could cost millions to heal depending on the person and how unique their body is. Many people are forced to let their body recover naturally because of how expensive treatment could get. Zane finished fixing Desmond in less than a minute his body was practically still human something Zane had a lot of practice experimenting on. As a result, there were no complications and Desmond was able to stand up like nothing ever happened. Desmond checked his own body then looked at Zane he had mixed feelings about Zane so he did know what to say to him. But deep down in Desmond''s heart he knew that Zane was an asshole. 111 Bastard The alarming amount of pain that Desmond felt was all turned into pleasure for him. Ever since Desmond''s transformation Desmond loved pain he wanted to experience more of it and Zane brought him what he wanted. Desmond immersing himself in all the pleasure pain brought him he focused only on the pain, as a result, he lost control of his new powers for a moment and burst into flames. The beautiful rainbow soul fire ignited Zane''s furry beast arm which only served to piss him off more. "Pathetic, what a weak flame. Something like that couldn''t burn dry grass let alone harm me". Zane''s soul was like tungsten while soul fire could directly damage a person''s soul it couldn''t do what was beyond Desmond''s abilities. Desmond was only an intermediate rank apprentice mage while Zane was rank 3 their abilities couldn''t even beginning to compare. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Zane proved that point almost immediately when a mouth with hundreds of rows of teeth slipped out of the darkness in his coat and sucked the soul fire off of Desmond''s body. Desmond was fully conscious, while he liked the feeling of what happened he didn''t appreciate being ripped apart again by someone. Desmond struggled to get the words out, but after much effort, Desmond was able to let out one strained word from his mouth. "Asshole". In a rage, Zane threw Desmond on the floor in front of him and began to whip Desmond''s back with his own spine. Each strike was gruesome to witness while didn''t use all of his strength Zane showed no mercy to Desmond as he punished him for his disrespect. "Who are you to speak to me that way? I am a rank 3 magus you should be honored to even be in my presence. Let alone opportunity to speak to me know your place trash". Zane said as he brought down Desmond''s spine once again which tore off the flesh from Desmond''s body and broke his bones. Zane''s words were harsh and his methods to get his point across was worse, but what he said was true. People in Theotera respect strength even if someone is far smarter than another or even braver. It means nothing if all that they built or had ever accomplished could be whipped away with a wave of someone''s hand. It was only coincidence, luck, and personal interest that Desmond was able to meet such powerful people, speak to them, and not be immediately killed by one of them. "Zane, how many times do I have to tell you to stop ripping people''s spines out before you understand?". Seraphine was already angry about the waited food that she worked hard prepared. So, Zane ripping Desmond''s spine out and betting him with it when he was her guest was bringing her close to the edge. Zane stopped whipping Desmond and turned to Seraphine. He held Desmond''s bloody spine straight and pointed it at her as he said, "and how many times have I told you guys that, that name was gifted to me. Though it is my name I do not like being called it". Seraphine cared little for Zane''s delicate feelings her care could even be seen in her eyes. "You''re telling me that gives you the right to assault my guest in my y home. I don''t give a damn if you were insulted or how much you were hurt. You will put my guest spine back now, repair his body along with his clothes before I lose what little patience I have left and make you". Zane huffed out a big ball of smoke then replied, "I am not scared of you are not what you once were. I wonder how long you can keep fighting at your peek before that old wound of yours becomes your downfall". Seraphine snickered and replied, "I wonder too, but it''s about how many of your hearts I can destroy before you realize you can''t even touch me? It doesn''t matter how injured I am you will still find it difficult to match me and you know it". "Indeed that special ability of yours is annoying It makes fighting you not fun at all". After weighing the odds in his head Zane conceded and began to repair Desmond. For Zane repairing Desmond''s body was as easy as breathing transmutation was his specialty. Reshaping blood, flesh, and bones was something Zane did every day. It was even easier for Zane to alter Desmond''s body than his own or what he typically worked with because Desmond was still a very low rank. The higher a person''s rank the harder it is to repair their injuries. For instance, someone below rank 1 has millions of options to heal themselves and repair their bodies. If they used, for instance, a high grade heal potion then it will be like their injuries never happened depending on the extent of the damage. While someone at rank 1 can still use healing potions, but it would have the same amazing effects. The potion would only be good enough for burns, cuts, and other less severe injuries. At rank 2 a healing potion is useless so is 70% of most common treatment methods. Forcing people to find ways to treat themselves when they get injured. The higher a person''s rank the more expensive the treatment. A small scratch could cost millions to heal depending on the person and how unique their body is. Many people are forced to let their body recover naturally because of how expensive treatment could get. Zane finished fixing Desmond in less than a minute his body was practically still human something Zane had a lot of practice experimenting on. As a result, there were no complications and Desmond was able to stand up like nothing ever happened. Desmond checked his own body then looked at Zane he had mixed feelings about Zane so he did know what to say to him. But deep down in Desmond''s heart he knew that Zane was an asshole. 112 The Truth After Desmond was healed Zane didn''t bother staying next to him for long instead he walked back to the dinner table that was slowly repairing its self. Zane didn''t mind Seraphine''s menacing look as he walked past her he just ignored it and took his seat near Ragnar. Food was still splashed around everywhere along with a large number of dead beasts and their scattered chunks. Neither Zane or Ragnar had a single thought about cleaning anything they left it all for the tower spirit to do. While Zane and Ragnar were getting comfortable Seraphine walked up to Desmond while still holding a bowl with something glowing inside it. She stopped near Desmond and said to him in a sweet tone, "You have beautiful eyes". Seraphine said what she believed to be true and it was. Desmond''s eyes looked like he trapped an aurora inside them. They twinkle like gems before shifting to something new Desmond''s eyes may one day draw the envy of many before they are harvested and kept as a trophy or treasure to be admired. "Thank you Ms. Seraphine" Desmond replied earnestly because she had saved his life multiple times. He couldn''t be disrespectful to her even if he wanted to because he knew what kind of circumstance he was in. He knew that he had no power, no say, no control he was completely at Seraphine''s mercy. "I am quite sorry about Zane he''s well Zane. Along with the mess I wanted a peaceful meal, but I rarely get what I want". Almost simultaneously Zane and Ragnar both said, "You always get what you want". Though Zane and Ragnar rarely agree with each other they both called out Seraphine''s lie fully supporting the other because they both had suffered at Seraphine''s hand. Ignoring the outburst of the two trouble makers behind her Seraphine continued to speak. "I''m quite glad your transformation went well I was beginning to get worried because you didn''t wake up for 10 days. Now I see that I worried for nothing. You''ve grown up so much since the first time I''ve seen you. I''ve even noticed you''ve awakened your spirit sense though you''ve only been practicing magic for less than 2 years. Your growth speed is truly amazing". Spiritual sense was an additional sense people awaken naturally when cultivating. Spiritual sense allows a person to perceive immediate danger and sense when someone is using magic nearby. A person with a strong spiritual sense can even predict danger or their sudden death long before it happens, but not the specifics. Yet, it still allows them to make preparations or escape beforehand. Desmond after hearing what Seraphine said let out a long sigh then said, "Seraphine I am truly thankful for all that you have done for me, but it''s clearly obvious that you know who I am or in your case what I am. This has been bothering me for a while, but I must know why do you keep helping me? I know what mages and cultivators have done to others of my kind yet you haven''t why?". Seraphine waved her hand in the air dismissing Desmond''s concerns, "I know what you must be thinking and how you feel, but there is no reason to be worried. I will answer all your questions in a moment, for now, sit down dinners getting cold". Finished speaking Seraphine guided Desmond to his seat next to Ragnar and Zane. Seraphine fully aware of how overbearing both Zane and Ragnar could be had the tower spirit morph the dinner table into a circle so everyone was equal distance from each other and Seraphine could have an easier time managing everyone. Once Desmond took his seat Seraphine placed the bowl with glowing contents inside in front of Desmond then said, "You just finished transforming so I thought you needed something light to eat. This dish is called wisp soup as its name states its made from Will o'' wisps which is a ghostly fire found in marshes and stuff like that, they''re typically generated by fairies. This dish is a favorite amongst necromancers who turned their bodies undead, but I had all miasma, negative energy, and any lingering emotions removed so there is no need to worry about anything like that affecting your body". While Desmond was technically a wondering spirit and should thrive in places filled with miasma and negative energy. Desmond''s body wasn''t attuned to any of that stuff meaning if he was confronted it, it will rot his body and damage his spirit. Desmond gazed down and inspected the soup, it glowed a light shade of blue while its surface lightly burned. Desmond picked up a spoon and lightly dunked it in. It intrigued him that the soup made out of such a strange ingredient was actually in a liquid form. A quick taste revealed to Desmond that the soup really was easy to eat. It didn''t feel like it was some kind of thick broth, but it was still rich with flavor. The soup couldn''t hold a candle to the dish Vincent served him. A soul that had gone through an immense amount of suffering and torment yet it was still one of the best things Desmond had eaten since he came to Theotera. "It''s delicious, I have eaten few things that could compare to it" Seraphine smiled as she took her seat across from Desmond accepting the compliment he gave her fully. "Thank you so much for that. It was impossible for me to taste that dish so I had no idea how it turned out I''m glad you liked it". As Seraphine and Desmond were talking Zane interrupted them to say, "where is my food?". Seraphine''s eyebrows twitched as she held in her anger and looked at Zane to say, "it''s on the floor were you and Ragnar left it so go on and eat up". Zane looked around the room with the food still on the floor and bits of his creatures squirming or still somehow desperately clinging to life. Then he looked back at Seraphine said, "ahh your food tastes like ass anyway". Zane then let loose a massive fire panther, its majestic form was enhanced by the creature''s ferociousness. It stood on the table tall and proud as it released its dominating aura. Its presence in the world didn''t last long because Zane abruptly rushed in and grabbed the panther from behind pulling it back into the darkness inside of his coat were he began to eat it ass first. The panther dug its sharp claws deep inside the table, but it couldn''t resist being pulled closer to Zane who was savagely eating it. The crunching of bone, the spraying of blood, and the whimpers that the terrifying beast made was unnerving for Desmond to watch. Zane''s whole meal was finished faster than what should be physically possible which just made Desmond want to ask a question that''s been burning in his heart for a long time. "What the hell are you?". Zane turned towards Desmond covered in the blood of the fire panther from head to toe and said, "You and every other person I meet ask the same question and I give the same answer. I don''t know why don''t you try and find out?". Zane then began to stare at Desmond menacingly while Seraphine had her head down rubbing her brow because of the painful headache Zane was giving her. Ragnar was fine with what had just happened because that was the least annoying/disturbing thing Zane has did since he showed up. Desmond not wanting to touch the mess Zane was trying to unleash with a 9-foot pole turned to Ragnar and said, "how are you friends with him?". Ragnar sitting shirtless at the table because Zane ripped most of his clothes during their fight looked towards Zane then at Desmond and said, "that''s a bit complicated. You see here is what you have to understand about Zane. On a good day, he will plan your death out loud. He will even go into the tiniest details with you. On a normal day, he will actively try to kill you even go out of his way to ruin any plan that you have. When he tells you to do something normal like go get firewood, go buy some ingredients, or watch my food that''s when you have a problem. It means he''s bored and has a plan in store for you. That''s your signal to drop everything that you''re doing and run. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. But despite how many times he tries to kill you he is somehow one of the most trustworthy people you will ever meet". After remembering a few close calls in her life because of Zane Seraphine began to laugh. "Its true Zane had purposely brought us to death''s door more times than I can count. Then he saves us at the last minute. When you''re with Zane your always in for something stupid and crazy that will most likely get you killed, but somehow as an ally, there is no one better to have at your side. Whether you''re in need of pure luck or skill with Zane at your side it doesn''t matter because he makes a miracle always happen. "Your words touch my withered heart, stop it now before I burn this place to the ground". Zane uttered as he slammed his flipper on the table. Zane and Seraphine just laughed his words off while Seraphine said as she giggled. "there is no reason to do that I believe you. We will stop talking about the past instead let''s get to the main topic at hand and talk about the past". "Mr.Gillies you wish to know why I spared your life when you found out I''m an assassin and even more why I saved you despite knowing full well your one of those special wandering souls that fully maintained there sentience which appeared 2 years ago. Well, the reason for that is because I''m not a bad person. I kill for money not pleasure and while you do have a tempting price on your head. Even more so after I found out that you''re an ancient spirit that has existed for thousands of years untainted by anything except for the souls of those people you consumed. Making me want you even more, but I resisted that urge to have you fully repay me for everything". Desmond became weary after learning what Seraphine wanted because in Desmond''s time on Theotera he had learned of the terrible deals mages concoct. When making deals with some you have to nitpick every single word or else a simple transaction will have a person, for example, turned into an undead thrall bound to there master for all eternity in servitude. But the problem with Desmond''s situation is that he couldn''t resist regardless of what he did he had to agree regardless. Desmond in his fear of what Seraphine wanted was already starting to silently shit himself. "I just wanted to practice magic why does this keep happening to me" Desmond though in his head. Seraphine seeing Desmond''s sweating bullets said "You can relax what I want you to do is far off into the future. Your to weak to be of any assistance to my problems right now". Desmond sighed in relief than asked, "how do you know I will even be of assistance to you in the future? Judging by my luck I''ll be lucky to still be alive next year". Seraphine answered Desmond''s question with a question. "Do you know what a relic is?". "Umm something old, but I''m guessing you mean something totally different". Desmond replied. "You got the old part correct, but relics for people like us also refers to something very old and powerful. I''m not surprised you don''t know mages and cultivators aren''t keen on sharing information especially on something like this to mear mortals. You see in this world there are magic items made without a characteristic that are obtained from people, creatures, and special circumstances. Those magic items vary in quality and are heavily dependent on a person''s skill in their craft. Some magic items have side effects most don''t it depends on what it is and who made it. Mystic items are those made with a characteristic there are each unique and almost all of them have side effects because of the rejection a person faces when using it. Only the person or thing that you killed to acquire the characteristic will face no rejection. While relics are like both of the other two, but their origins are obscure, some possess restrictions limiting who can use them, many of them break all boundaries of what should be possible, some are capable of destroying worlds, others have godly origins. In short, a relic is super dangerous, powerful, and I have one. 113 Student and Master Desmond shook his head hopelessly after Seraphine told him she owned a relic because it was just one more thing someone like him shouldn''t know. Such knowledge put Desmond in even more danger then he typically was. There may even come a day when Desmond will be silenced to keep the secret he now holds. "This shit is getting old fast," Desmond thought to himself. Between always being in constant danger, feeling helpless, and always at someone else''s mercy every single day of his life it was sickening Desmond was tired of it. "If I was strong I wouldn''t be constantly smacked to the floor, ripped apart, and actually in a position to make deals with someone. If I was strong then ..." as Desmond was pondering something dawned on him. "What the hell am I thinking about? Strength I never chose to walk the path of a mage because I wanted strength, revenge for being spat on, betrayed, money, or fame. Everything I did am doing is for love, true love because I love magic. Whether someone beats me, spits on me uses me it should be the least of my concerns. So long as I get closer to the pinnacle of magic is there ever truly a loss. How could I let my mind wander towards something as trivial as strength I just want magic". As Desmond felt he was on the verge of an epiphany while Seraphine backed him into a corner with kind words. A second voice popped inside Desmond''s head and said, "but without strength how can you practice magic?." "That is true ... wait I just settled on not needing strength why am I second guessing myself now" Desmond thought to himself. "Without strength how can you acquire what you seek?" a third voice in the back of Desmond''s mind stated. "That does make sense, but I can be smart I can plan. Seek help from friends, buy, sell, and trade". "To what extent, you will not get everything you want that way?" the fifth voice said. "If it comes to that I can ..." "How can you protect yourself?" the thirtieth voice uttered. "I ..." "Your weak" the seventy-eighth voice muttered. The more Desmond thought the more he felt something was odd. Was it how everyone''s movements slowed to a crawl. To the point, he could even see the spit flying out of Seraphine''s mouth? That thought was quickly dismissed by Desmond things always moved that slowly it was just how the world was there was nothing strange about it and ultimately nothing Desmond could do to fix it. Could it be the infinite tunnel of white to Desmond''s right with promises to show him who he once was? Desmond tossed that thought out of his head immediately as well because there was nothing strange about it. Everyone has an infinitely long corridor that makes weird promises to them it was common knowledge. Besides that, he already knew that he was because he had lived the same life for many years. How could he forget all the times his aunt May played grave robbers with him or the times he stole money out of her purse during his teens. People called him a lazy slacker, but he changed. He was no longer a slacker he was someone everyone could rely on just like aunt May wanted. Theodore Bigs was his name and he said it loud and proud to honor the household his actions once shamed. The hord of people behind him screaming in his ear wasn''t the problem either. As for the high pitch sound in the distance that was always there. It gets higher and lower constantly like it was trying to communicate with Desmond. It had just been slightly out of reach, but as every second ticked it got louder and clearer. Though everything was normal Desmond knew there was one thing that was out of place something truly odd. Desmond racked his brain furiously it was like an itch he couldn''t scratch. He did that until Desmond saw it, the oddity was directly in front of him yet he was oblivious to it for so long. Seeing the problem Desmond fixed it immediately, he grasped the spoon he ate with on the table and turned it slightly to the left. With the problem fixed Desmond was finally able to focus on what Seraphine was saying again. Her lips moved slowly and her words sounded slushed, but Desmond was able to make out every word clearly. "Des ... Desmond are you alright you looked like you spaced out for a moment?" Seraphine said to Desmond. "I''m completely fine a small thing was bugging me, but I took care of it you may continue" Seraphine knew about the kind of position she was putting Desmond in, so she didn''t linger on Desmond spacing out for long. "Alright, so as I was saying the relic that I have revealed to me that I will be in great danger sometime in the distant future. It also showed me that you for whatever reason will be one of my best support pillars to overcome this disaster. In light of this, I want to extend my hand and make a deal with you. In exchange for your full support in whatever disaster I face in the future, I will assist you three times. Whether you need someone killed or something else so long as the task is within reason I will do it". Desmond wasn''t sure about how good Seraphine''s help would be. He knew for sure she was strong stronger than he may ever be just by how easily she smacked Zane and Ragnar into the floor. He also knew that she could probably protect him from the Mirror Man, but not the organization he was a member of. So, Seraphine''s help had extreme limits, but it was a lot better than what Desmond could have done alone which was wait to die. With Seraphine''s help, Desmond knew he had a real chance to see tomorrow. But even with that, it wasn''t enough Desmond wanted more Seraphine was going to use him anyway, so Desmond thought he might as well try to use her as well. "Seraphine while I am willing to help you the assistance I can provide will be limited. The knowledge I possess in magic is only at the basic level and the rate at which I advance has stagnated. If you could provide me with magical knowledge and the advanced runes along with the corresponding ritual for me to become a rank 1 illusionist. I might be able to start being of assistance much sooner". Seraphine listened to Desmond''s request and said, "no". Desmond wasn''t hopeful in getting much out of the deal then what Seraphine was offering, but he never thought she would plainly just say no to him. "May you please tell me why such a thing is off the table when it clearly has little meaning to you". Seraphine was nibbling on some of the food that was splashed on the table when she said to Desmond, "its because I''m not a charity. While the thing that you want is nothing to me its priceless to you along with a majority of other people. Even if I am investing in you a bit it will be strange if I just gave away such things for free. Especially after I have extended a helping hand to you none stop ever since we first met. I have saved your life a minimum of 10 times since we have first met. Most of them has been just me shielding you from Zane. When we found out what you were I had to keep Zane from turning you into ingredients for whatever he is concocting. Not to mention when he recently ripped you apart and I had to step in forcing him to heal you. I don''t know if you noticed, but Zane will kill you. We joke about it because we can defend our selves you can''t do anything". Creatures in Zane''s coat were screeching in pain as they battled in Zane''s coat. Zane ignored that and gave an affirmative nod to what Seraphine said as he uttered, "its true". Seraphine continued her rant as she said, "if it wasn''t for me you would have been arrested by the DCPD who would have handed you into the loving arms of the Eclipse Association. Once a super clan like them gets a hold of you it''s easy to imagine what would happen. There was also the chance that you would have been captured by those purifier fanatics again because you didn''t remove the locater sigil they placed on the mystic item you stole. You''re already lucky that the mystic item that you stole is rare and can defend against most forms of detection magic like divination and scrying. I know that this world is new to you and that you really want to practice magic, but you must also know your limits". Seraphine''s words reminded Ragnar that Desmond wasn''t from their world, so there was a good chance he could lead them to another world. Wanting to see if there was any kind of chance he could be lead them there Ragnar said, "Seraphine I think he gets the point the man just wants to experience the world and explore new horizons. I did the same when I learned how big the world truly was. I wanted everything the world had to offer. So, I did what I wanted and took everything from everyone. I killed, stole, lied, made friends, enemies, and whatever Zane is I think he''s a mix of the two. I experience life to the fullest and still want more. While he''s got a second chance and is just getting started. In his old life, he probably didn''t get to do the things he can now. Desmond on your world did you ever get to do what you could here and live to the fullest?". Ragnar had lived for many years and has experienced much in his life letting him know that one of the best ways to get someone to tell you what you want is to ask for it indirectly. A common tactic that Desmond would have noticed if he was as extremely cautious with information as many of the more seasoned people in Theotera are. Sadly had no clue he was being used at that moment and spoke the truth. "I can''t remember much of anything about who I was, but I can clearly remember my old world. While it was an advanced civilization life there was soul-sucking. There was no real freedom everyone was secretly monitored by their government. Many people had to get by with whatever meager salary they had which most of the time would fill their fridge. Despite how dangerous it is this world is better there''s actual magic here something people on my world could only dream about. My old world is so bad they even named it after dirt. Trust me if you ever get the chance to go to Earth don''t Theotera is way better". Ragnar was happy when Desmond started to talk about his old world, but he became disappointed when he found out what Desmond''s old world was called. "Earth do you mean Midgard?". Desmond was stunned that Ragnar actually knew the place Desmond was talking about. "Midgard is what my old planet was referred to in Norse mythology how do you know that". Hearing Desmond''s conformation Ragnar was extremely disappointed he even had difficulty hiding it on his face. "Midgard is one of the nine worlds connected to the tree of Yggdrasil. Originally the location of Midgard was lost, but thousands of years ago some ancient demon that was stranded on Midgard clawed their way back to Theotera by using all the life energy that the planet had to catapult there way back here. Needless to say, many people at the time were pissed such a precious world was destroyed which inevitably lead to a massive battle and the death of the thing that crossed over. After that whole mess, the planet became a magic dead zone and a place where we throw our banished and some of the worst criminals Theotera has to offer. A silver lining out of the whole thing was that because of what happened we were able to find all the other missing worlds connected to Yggdrasil". "My entire world was destroyed" many thoughts went threw Desmond''s head at that moment. Such a thing would bring many people to tears, but for some reason, Desmond felt nothing. He wasn''t the tiniest bit upset he wasn''t entirely sure if he even cared. Desmond was perplexed by his lack of emotion towards the destruction of his entire planet. He knew he could still feel every single emotion the problem was that he skipped over it just like how he skipped over how he was supposed to feel when he found out he was thousands of years old. Such a thing wasn''t right something was changing inside Desmond and he knew it, but he also knew for now he could do nothing to fix it. Since the problem most likely came from all the souls he ate. With a lack of flair, Desmond said, "Is that so its a shame my world was destroyed, but it''s not like I could have done anything to stop it. The architecture and lifestyle in Delmar City is quite similar to a few specific eras in my old world. So it''s good enough to replace what I have lost and fill any semblance of longing that I have". "The reason there are things similar to your old world here is because this city was designed after some of the things we were able to salvage from Midgard. As for the clothes that were currently wearing they were revitalized by a few popular fashion designers. Since many clans in Theotera rely on concurring worlds it''s not uncommon for people to implement their designs into our own". Seraphine uttered. "I see thank you for telling me this I thought it was odd so many things resembled the 1920s period from my old world". Seraphine was sipping on some tea when she said, "your welcome, but you must tell me now are you willing to accept my offer because without my help it''s going to be hard for you to serve all of those bounty hunters that will be coming after you". Desmond picked his eyebrow up thinking he heard Seraphine wrong, "what bounty hunters?". Seraphine planned on show Desmond his bounty, so she always had Desmond''s bounty notice on her. Once Desmond received the bounty notice he was appalled by the sky high bounty on his head. "5,000 magic crystals what in the world did I do to disserve this?" Zane chuckled and said to Desmond, "I don''t know if you remember, but you killed a lot of people, blew up a building, and stole a precious mystic item from the purifiers. Your execution was flawed and paled in comparison to Andrea Briggs who swooped in and finished the job, but I have to commend you for your efforts". "Those bastards kidnapped me, tried to sacrifice me yet they still come after me like I''m in the wrong". Desmond felt his blood boiling as his body ignited. "Seraphine I accept your offer, but I have no idea what the task you''re going to ask of me will be so when that day comes I want to be paid fairly and I don''t want to be forced into putting my life on the line". Seraphine shrugged at Desmond''s request because it was something basic that everyone placed in the event they needed to retreat. Seraphine and Desmond signed a contract shortly after that. The contract was short it was barely half of a page allowing both of them to halve a lot of wiggle room in the future. Once Zane saw that the contract was complete he started to be himself again. "Already Seraphine I completed my end of the deal now its time for you to hold up yours". "Fine go ahead". Zane''s body shook with joy as his coat spread open. A long roach leg came out of Zane''s coat while it was holding a birdcage that had a purple candlestick in it. Zane placed the cage on the table and said to Desmond, "get in". Desmond was confused and looked towards Seraphine for clarification. What Seraphine said didn''t sit right with Desmond. "Do you remember when I said I stopped Zane from turning you into magical ingredients?". "Yes," Desmond said worriedly. "And you do know that your a rare ancient soul that has existed thousands of years with practically no corruption correct". "Oh god no don''t tell me that you sold me to him". Desmond said as he looked at Zane fearfully. "No I didn''t sell you to him we all captured a few of the souls like you, but none of them were ancient souls. Many of them were from animals or insects few were from an intelligent species because of my thing I''m not going to capture you, Zane, on the other hand, was very adamant about getting a piece of you. So we made a deal he waits to the end of our discussion and I don''t interfere in whatever he does so long as you willingly go along with him". Seraphine said as she looked over at Zane who was throwing out soul gem shards at Desmond like it was bird feed as he tried to attract Desmond into the cage. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Soul gems are capable of containing souls and are used in crafting magic items. The quality of soul gems varies depending on the kind of soul a person is trying to trap. While Zane was throwing out high quality soul gem shards that gave off a tempting Aroma Desmond wasn''t stupid enough to go anywhere near Zane. He just kept looking at Zane like he was stupid. "Stop that I''m not getting in that cage so that you can do who knows what to me. Not long ago you ripped out and beat me with my own spine. Why in the world would I willingly get in that cage." Zane scoffed at how shallow Desmond was being. Other people needed his soul for thing yet he was selfishly hogging it. " There''s no reason to be like that what''s a little spine ripping amongst friends". Angrily Desmond shouted at Zane, "I''m never getting in that cage so just stop". "Hmm, I hear that you''re still a bit unsure it''s clear that you just need a little encouragement". Once Zane said that a woman''s hand slipped out of Zane''s coat. It was holding something small wrapped in a ragged cloth. Zane unwrapped the item letting its dark energy spill out. The item Zane revealed was clearly visible to all. It was a finger bone that was whiter than the ivory tusks of an elephant. Zane placed the finger bone inside the birdcage and called Desmond over once more. Feeling the energy radiating off of the finger bone turned Desmond into a mindless drone. His eyes were clouded over and his soul was pacified Desmond was only waiting for orders which Zane quickly gave. Desmond moved closer to the candle and felt his soul being sucked out, but kept moving closer as instructed. Seraphine and Ragnar didn''t like what he was doing and immediately stopped him. Seraphine''s body turned into a blur that even Zane had trouble keeping track of. A second later Seraphine was next to Zane pointing a custom made mystic item that she favorited. It was a dagger made from a raptor''s talon and its bone as the hilt. Without hesitation, Seraphine always moved to threaten Zane when she felt he was trying to do something shady. "Don''t move or else". Zane sucked his tongue in annoyance the said, "I did nothing wrong he''s coming over to me willingly. So, you have no right to point your weapon at me". "You call that willingly, Desmond is only an intermediate rank apprentice there''s no way he could resist the aura radiating off of a finger bone of a rank 4 lich" While Seraphine was talking to Zane, Ragnar was wrapping up the finger bone in the tattered cloth sealing its aura. Once the finger bone was wrapped up Desmond regained his senses and was breathing heavily in fear. "What in the world is that?" Desmond said visibly afraid of the finger bone in Ragnar''s hand. "Its a finger bone from a rank 4 lich that we killed a long time ago". Seeing the finger bone reminded Ragnar of his glory days, but the day that they faced off against that lich wasn''t a pleasant memory. When Ragnar and his group stumbled upon the location were the lich was sealed Zane immediately unsealed it once he found out how. Forcing Ragnar and everyone else in his group that were exploring the defiled lands to fight the rank 4 lich. Ragnar and everyone else in the group at the time won the battle by a hair''s width because the person who sealed the lich at the time was the lich''s brother. The brother believing the lich would awaken one day and begin his rain of terror once more. Left the lich''s phylactery exposed and placed a powerful barrier around it so the lich could get near. Giving Ragnar and his group the chance to destroy the phylactery. Someone at a lower rank beating someone at a higher rank is not impossible just situational. In a fair 1 on 1 direct conflict with someone at rank 1 vs a rank 2. The odds are in the rank ''s favor, but depending on injuries, environment, weapons, combat style and other factors the odds could go in the rank 1''s favor allowing them to 1 up there superior. But the difference between ranks grows the higher the realm. If 100 advanced apprentices attached a rank 1 mage they wouldn''t be able to scratch him let alone kill him. If a group of rank 1''s attempted to kill a rank 2 mage then there is a chance of them succeeding. Ragnar and a small group of rank 3''s trying to kill a rank 4 powerhouse was a suicidal mission where the cards lucky stacked in their favor. Which allowed them to claim great rewards after it was over, but Ragnar still didn''t like thinking about that day because of how dangerous it was. Not wanting to think about the past any further Ragnar placed the finger bone in his pocket and said to Zane, "You are only allowed to use your words to get what you want no items". Zane huffed out smoke then begrudgingly agreed to Ragnar''s demand prompting Seraphine to let Zane go. When Seraphine and Zane went back to their seats Zane said to Desmond, "so can I get a piece of your soul". "Stay the fuck away from me I''m not giving you a piece of my soul, "Desmond said as he scouched his chair was from Zane". "You can repair your soul easily I''ll even give you a few souls to munch on. This deal has no loss for you". "What deal you didn''t even offer me anything". "Fine then what do you want jewels, precious metals, magic ingredients, weapons, magic books?". Desmond though for a moment before a devious thought popped up in his head. Whether it was Seraphine, Ragnar, or Zane they were all so wealthy whatever Desmond asked for they would practically face no loss. While Desmond was so poor to them it was laughable. All three of them could do what they wanted when they wanted. Desmond also wanted that so of course, aim to get the most out of what Zane was offering. "I want all of it" "All of it" Zane didn''t even consider what Desmond was asking for before he replied, "alright". Zane had lived for a long time he was truly to wealthy to care about such a small loss. Typically he would be able to scam Desmond, but because Seraphine was nearby he couldn''t which still was no problem to Zane. "No, you miss understand. I want everything that you have to offer, I want to be your apprentice". 114 Rank 10 Magus In Theotera when a mage or cultivator taking on an apprentice is a big deal. It is not like when a mage becomes a teacher at a school or when they are required to periodically educate apprentices once a month when they''re sent to a resource sight. When someone takes on an apprentice for real it means they have full intention to bequeath all the knowledge that they have gained in their lifetime to that person. Something most people don''t do unless they see death encroaching on them. Once someone takes on an apprentice that apprentice by law has full right to inherit everything their master owned upon death. The master''s apprentice even has more right to own their master''s belongings then his master''s legitimate children. Zane knowing full well what taking on an apprentice implied made his stance on the matter clear to Desmond. In one swift motion faster then Desmond''s eyes could track Zane slapped Desmond out of his seat and onto the floor. Desmond''s cheek was burning from the friction of Zane''s hand sliding across his face. In the split second it took Zane to slap Desmond, Zane injected Desmond with, so much magic it was impossible for Desmond to remove it from his body which made the burning sensation worse. Before Desmond liked the pain, but Zane with a little bit of magic and a lot of skill changed that in an instant. Zane was able to make Desmond feel worse pain then when he ripped out Desmond''s spine. Though Desmond didn''t spend much time on the floor, his body had been broken and beaten time and again with little to show for it. So, there was no way Desmond was going to let the asshole above him win without taking a bite out of him. Pushing himself Desmond made his way back to his chair where he was promptly flung back onto the ground by the force of a second slap across his face that doubled the pain Desmond felt originally. Blood filled Desmond''s mouth and he spit it onto the floor. If Desmond had teeth then they all would have been broken by Zane already. After being continuously thrashed around Desmond was becoming use to it. It gave him the strength to get up again only to get smacked back to the ground by Zane. Seraphine and Ragnar caught off guard by Desmond''s request didn''t have the strength in them to help Desmond they were to busy laughing at Zane. "You washed up hack looks like its time for you to settle down and get cozy with your new apprentice" Ragnar teased Zane without restraint which just made Zane angry as he struck Desmond harder then he did before. Such a rare opportunity to ridicule Zane doesn''t come often, so Seraphine was fully on board. "Why are you resisting Desmond''s request, so much you were never going to be recognized as a true mage anyway? You might as well do something useful with your time and start teaching the next generation. Having rows of students calling you sensei don''t you think that suits you?". Zane didn''t like the repeated pop shots being taken at him. Enraged by everything that has transpired Zane grabbed Desmond by his collar and lifted him up then said to Desmond threateningly. "I will not be your master choose something else anything else". Zane leaked out a bit of his imposing aura which mage Desmond feel as though he was back in Clover Forest. Facing off against the thunder wolf, but instead of just one Desmond had the feeling he was cornered by thousands. Desmond always knew the gap between Zane and himself was huge, but he never got a clear answer despite the fight he saw between Zane and Ragnar. The question loomed over him just like he was strung up above Zane''s head. How strong was someone at rank 3?. The intimating aura Zane gave off gave Desmond a taste, but it wasn''t enough. He wanted to know the depths of those ranks people pride themselves on just as much as he wants to explore the depth of magic. Desmond ignorent on the vast dangers the world had to offer stood firm on his request unwilling to give into the dangerous beast in front of him. "No I will not change it. if you want my soul that is the price you must pay. I am willing to give everything I have to study magic. Whether its my life or my soul it doesn''t matter because It is something I never had, something I never knew truly existed, but always dreamt about. It was something I always truly wanted, something I needed in my life. What about you what are you willing to sacrifice?" Zane hissed at Desmond then said, "do not speak to me about sacrifice. You know nothing about sacrifice or what I have done to get closer to magic". Wanting to find a different solution to his problem Zane turned to Seraphine. "Seraphine you teach him to be an assassin or something I don''t care I''ll pay you too. You''ll make a much better teacher anyway". Seraphine shook her head as she said, "there''s no way I can teach him I''m not even a mage I use chi not magic making me a cultivator. Mages seek to understand the universe while cultivator go against it. That''s why magic and chi can''t be fused together what I have will not suit Desmond. Same with Ragnar we may know some stuff about magic, but neither of us can compare to you teach". Zane looked towards Ragnar for hope, Ragnar on the other hand gave no such thing he simply smurked at Zane and said, "acquiring grade 4 ingredients has never been easy especially something as rare as his soul. So, stop trying to pawn your pupal on others and go start your heart filled journey of self discovery with him". Zane''s useless friends put Zane on the verge of killing someone at the moment, so he turned towards Desmond and said. "You want a teacher I can get you into the Twilight Academy. They have everything you could possibly need. If I do that will you give me your soul then?". Desmond unmoved by Zane''s offer said, "no, Twilight Academy may have everything I could possibly ever need, but it is unsuitable for me. The place has hundreds of mages and cultivators inside. If I go there eventually my secret will be exposed then I will be dissected, enslaved, sold, or some other crazy thing you people do. Thats worst case best case scenario is i''m not exposed, but I will still have to go threw the day to day bull shit that is my cultivation level, other students drama and schemes, missions to earn contribution points just so I can read one book and a whole lot of other things that is not only cliche, but boring and a waist of my time. I''m no world class genius, but I''m not stupid either. Now despite how dangerous and unbearable you are to be around you are the best option that I have to become a true mage". Zane was less moved by Desmond''s words then Desmond was with his counter offer. When it came down to it for people like Zane benefits was all that mattered. While Zane didn''t want an apprentice or to teach anyone for the matter. When Zane slowed down to think about the benefits out wayed the cost. To Zane Desmond was nothing more then a very rare and precious grade 4 material which he could use on all sorts of things. While to Desmond Zane was everything in the world he was his goal his very future. If Zane grabbed hold of such a precious resource he could drain it regularly with little cost to him. His target would even supply the resource willingly. Desmond was a walking gold mine that all Zane had to exchange for was trash he didn''t need and a little bit of respect from others. Realizing that the true winner in the end was himself Zane embraced the gold opportunity with open arms. "Your words have moved me. In light of that I will take you on as my apprentice". Zane''s words made everyone in the room go silent. Seraphine and Ragnar thought that they heard wrong. They were sure in their hearts Zane would have torn off Desmond''s head at one point or at least pulled out his heart a couple of times. Desmond on the other hand was shocked that his spur of the moment request actually got him what he wanted. For a second Desmond also believed that was a symbol that his luck was turning around. Zane not wanting to damage his student (property) any more than he has to gently tossed Desmond on the floor. Zane''s accepting Desmond, so easily made Seraphine feel uneasy, but because of her deal with Zane all she could do at the moment was watch. Zane looked at Desmond''s pathetic form on the floor and said to him, "you requesting to be my pupal is like an outer branch member in a large clan skipping ahead of everyone in front of him including the core disciples of a clan. The ones with actual skill, then kneeling in front of a clan elder expecting him to teach you all that he knows. In other words your request was insane and stupid. Two qualities that are very much needed to become my disciple". Zane''s words irked Desmond, irritated Desmond said to Zane, "I am not stupid" "Yes you are and it is that stupidity that has gotten you this far, so rejoice for you have a long journey ahead of you. Now, If you truly want to become my disciple then you must swear to me that you will conceal all my secrets as if they were your own. Swear that you will defend your masters honor, support your master when he is in need, be unwavering in your pursuit of immortality". Desmond listened to Zane''s rant about the things he was suppose to swear to and didn''t like any of them. "Hell no, I''m not swearing to any of that stuff. Conceal all your secrets fine I have no problem with that. Swear to defend your honor fuck no, I am not going to die defending your honor. Who knows how many people want you dead all of which I''m betting are a whole lot stronger then me. I could defend your honor all day and I would still make no progress. As for supporting you when you are in need anything that you need help on is definitely out of my league. Your already getting bits of my soul stop trying to turn me into a slave. As for the whole immortality thing I honestly don''t care about immortality. Its not my goal reaching the pinnacle of magic is my goal. What in the world am I going to do if I become immortal and can not die. I think I I will just spend my time seeking death". Zane could accept Desmond not becoming his lap dog, but a mage not pursuing immortality is something he couldn''t stand. Just as fast as before Zane slapped Desmond to the floor then he stepped on his head. Desmond felt as though Zane''s foot weighed a thousand tons it was im possible for Desmond to slip out. Without emotion Zane said, "if you don''t want to swear to what I said then fine, but not persuing immortality is a deal breaker. Cultivators go against heaven and the earth while mages seek to understand it. Once a person becomes an immortal their eyes will be open to the secrets that have alluded them and everyone for, so long. Unless you become an immortal you will never reach the pinnacle of magic that you seek. As for your worry of not dying there is no reason to have it because immortals can die just by the hands of other immortals. You might be confused of that part, so let me explain Rank 9 immortality does not imply biological immortality. True immortality is when you understand the laws of both time and space pushing you into the realm of immortals were you can construct your own personal law with all the knowledge that you have gathered that even the very universe will have to follow. I risked my life for that little bit of information you should be thankful that I gave it to you for free". While Desmond head felt like it was going to explode he also felt as though he was enlightened. Zane was an asshole Desmond knew that, but he knew his stuff and above all loved magic. Desmond knew for sure Zane was the best kind of teacher for Desmond to have if he wanted to survive in Theotera and become a true mage. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Wanting to be enlightened once more Desmond said, "I am indeed thankful, but I must know why are their only 9 ranks is their a higher realm then immortal. Zane blew out a puff of smoke then gave Desmond his reply, "Indeed there is". Wide eyed and curious Desmond asked "what is it?". "its more of a joke then something actual obtainable". "I still want to know" Zane''s reply wasn''t what Desmond was expecting, but it made complete sense". "Your inside of it right now. Rank 10 Magus is The Universe". Everything that you see, eat, drink, breath. Everything that you are, everything that you were, everything that ever will be is Rank 10. There can only be one thoughts of reaching such a hight it is nothing more than a fools dream. 115 Unwilling Teacher, Unwanted Studen Desmond having his problem with immortality clarified for him and unable to continue withstanding Zane''s foot on his head hurriedly agreed to Zane''s demand, so Zane would relieve the pressure from his skull. "Alright I swear to pursue immortality" Desmond uttered desperately in duress. Zane ignored Desmond''s words and kept the pressure on Desmond''s skull as he said to Desmond. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Do you have any idea how easy it is for me to kill you? Its just as easy as crushing your skull. You may not die from that, but loosing your head would be very troublesome won''t it. With no one to help you your body will eventually rot and you''ll be nothing more than a soul desperately trying to control skin and bones. Your flimsy desire to reach the pinnacle of magic is obstructed by your weak body and will. Along with the many other people who are actually willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the same goal you have, my self included". Desmond not willing to let the physical and mental pressure Zane put him under get to him said," I am not weak". Zane breathed out more turbid smoke that coiled around him then replied, "my foot says otherwise". Then Zane increased the amount of pressure on Desmond''s skull. The thought that flashed threw Desmond''s mind at that moment was about the seriousness of Zane''s words. Desmond fully believed that Zane would crush his skull if he didn''t escape from under Zane''s foot. As the pressure on Desmond''s skull grew Desmond used all his strength to slide out from under Zane''s foot, yet it wasn''t enough. Feeling that his skull was on the verge of cracking Desmond used magic to deconstruct the floor turning it to sand. But something went wrong when he did. The strength of the magic he used was much more powerful then then what he was used to using. He only ment to alter the ground near his head instead he affected the area that was 20 feet around him. The strength of the magic a person can effectively mobilize is highly dependent on the strength of a person soul. Which also effects how well a person can control a spell and how many different kinds of spells at the same time. Desmond hadn''t used any magic since he awakened, so he never realized the massive change to what he could do till now. It was an unexpected surprise for him, but not one he is going to question. Using the brief moment of the ground changing to escape Zane''s grasp. Desmond was able to safely escape Zane''s foot that smashed into the ground. Before Zane came for him again Desmond said to Zane, "you are wrong I am not weak. Magic is all I have and all I ever wanted I will not let the chance to become what I have always dreamed escape my grasp. If that means that I have to become a bigger asshole than you to achieve that dream then, so be it. You may spit on me, call me what you want, even break my bones, But I will not have my resolve questioned or have what I love taken away from me. If agreeing to your shitty terms is what it taked to achieve that dream then fine. I swear to keep your secrets, to defend your honor, to aid you when you are in need, and above all to be unwavering in my pursuit for immortality. I shall overcome any obstacle and vanquish any foe this I swear and I will say it again if I must, but you must swear to me that you will teach me all that you know without lies whenever I ask. I wish to see the truth this world hold, so show it to me". "I swear for, so do I". Once Zane said those words the sound of something breaking graced Desmond''s ear. Looking down Desmond saw a complex magic circle beneath him. It shined a light green as it broke apart slowly as it vanished. "What was that?" Desmond said weakly as he had a bad premonition the magic circle that he was in symbolized nothing good. As Desmond was kneeling on the ground perplexed and worried Ragnar stepped in to clearify. "That was a binding circle it is commonly used when a master and student share their vows with each other. Once it is complete the master and student are bound forever to follow the vows the took with each other. In short were obviously manipulated by Zane and now your fucked. But look on the bright side at least you got that magic knowledge you always wanted and all it took was your, soul and servitude. That''s a good price the only problem is who you sold it to". To rub salt on Desmond''s wounds further Zane reached out and grabbed Desmond by his shoulder and said to him, "I told you, you were stupid. I can only hope this first lesson of mine enlightened you on how things work". Zane played with Desmond''s emotions and backed him into a corner both physically and mentally to make Desmond do what he wanted. After thinking about Desmond wasn''t sure if he should be angry, sad, or terrified after dancing in Zane''s hand just how he wanted. Desmond was aspiring to be an illusionist, but he had never done something like that. He didn''t even know if he could. In light of what happened Desmond laughed looked, stood up, looked at Zane and said, "You''re an asshole". After what Desmond said Zane could have done any number of things. Mostly his favorite which was ripping Desmond in half, but instead he said, "I know and now you must become an even bigger one then me". 116 Unwilling Teacher, Unwanted Student Part 2 Zane had achieved his goal, he easily procedured a rank 4 resource (Desmond) and the greatest cost to own it all was his pride. With great fortune in hand Zane began searching the inside of Desmond''s body. Zane had placed his hand on Desmond''s shoulder to begin his harvest as well as to ridicule Desmond. It took mere moments for Zane to find his prize. Desmond''s soul was beautiful to look at, but their was a horrid aura surrounding his soul. Zane was sick to his core just looking at how badly Desmond had been managing his soul. Desmond''s soul was being influenced by the wills of the souls Desmond had consumed. As the wills inside Desmond''s soul conflicted it would lead to disastrous results for Desmond both physically and mentally. After thinking for a brief moment Zane took the best course of action and began harvesting Desmond''s soul. Desmond had no idea what Zane was doing to him until Zane began taking apart Desmondas soul. Desmond let out an inhuman screech the moment Zane made the first slice. Every instinct in Desmond''s body made Desmond want to get away, but Desmond couldn''t escape Zane''s grasp. As Zane took pieces of Desmond''s soul Desmond felt felt worse pain then when he cut off his own skin. It reminded him of when his soul exploded. The process was almost unbearable and when it was over Desmond felt as though hours had past while in actuality it had only been 10 seconds. Desmond slumped over when Zane was finished. He heaved loudly and his body was beginning to sweat profusely. Some parts of his body were going limp as he found it difficult to control his meat suit while suppressing the other spirits inside of him. As Desmond struggled to keep himself together Zane quickly inspected Desmond''s soul fragment. Zane had expertly avoided every part of Desmond''s soul that was facing corruption. Taking only the the purist parts of Desmond''s soul which he promptly stuffed into his bird cage that vanished into the darkness of Zane''s coat. As for the many wills Desmond had influencing him Zane left those alone. The corruption of Desmond''s soul wasn''t his problem to confront it was Desmond''s. Plus to Zane the corruption of the many wills Desmond faced inside of him only benefited Zane because it ment Desmond would have to rely on him or Seraphine to help. The purity of Desmond''s soul while important to his plans was of little consern because Zane could cleans those impurities any time he wanted. \"Help me\". Desmond saw what Zane had done and he excepted it because it was the price he had to pay for magic. While Desmond did accept it he also looked at the piece of him which he felt a strong connection to with sorrow in his eyes. The fragment contained Desmond''s memories, his hopes, and his dreams. While Desmond was willing to give and do anything for magic this was the first time it dawned on him what his words truly ment. That was simply the first of many tough choices Desmond was going to have to make. Desmond was gonna have to continuously give pieces of himself to Zane and by the time Zane had had his fill Desmond didn''t know what would be left of himself or if he would even have the same obsession? Zane seeing Desmond on the verge of breaking down took out a fist full of soul gems filled with purified intermediate level souls and crushed them in front of Desmond''s face. The souls inside the gems floated up into the air, Zane was going to carefully feed the soul''s to Desmond, but Desmond seeing many defenseless souls floating around felt hungry. Then as if upon instinct he unhinged his jaw and sucked all the souls in front of him into his mouth. Desmond devoured the souls just like he did all the others aiding in the repair of his own. Zane viewed the way Desmond ate souls and was intrigued. Zane knew Desmond''s soul mutated, but to what degree he did not know. The abilities Desmond displayed were possessed by different kinds of specters and creatures. It was rare there was something that possessed a mutated soul fire, devoured souls the way Desmond did, and shrieked like a banshee. Zane was able to unveil more secrets about Desmond when he inspected Desmond''s mouth. The inside of Desmond''s mouth was perfectly normal. It was hot and moist with not a single tooth in sight. Zane was amazed by the sight before him because no matter were he looked Desmond''s mouth was in pristine condition. \"Incredible there''s absolutely no damage inside your mouth. So that is your mutation, your soul fire altered your body during your transformation and now you can turn your body partly etherial. This is a great starting point for study\". As Zane finished inspected Desmond he was certain Desmond was worthy of being grade 4 material. Desmond after having his mouth violated by Zane right after Zane had his way with his soul let those matters go and focused on what was truly important to him, which was being fed. \"More souls, please give me more souls\". Zane knew exactly why Desmond wanted more souls that''s why his reply didn''t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. \"No, I will not give you anymore souls to eat. Besides when you have to repair your soul you should never eat them\". \"What?\" Desmond was visibly pissed that Zane wasn''t going to give him more souls. He was even more pissed hearing Zane wanted him to stop eating souls entirely. \"Are you mad? Do you have any Idea the immense verity of flavors a single soul contains? It is the single piece of heaven I have found other then magic and demi-humans on this world I can''t give that up\". Zane scoffed at Desmond''s short sited foolishness then said, \"the souls that you eat make you stronger indeed, but they also corrupt you. After you devour one soul you will only wish to seek out another soul to consume. It is a bottomless pit of despair that will have you turning just as dumb and single minded as the normal wandering souls out in the world. If you had a way to fight off the wills of the souls inside of you that would be a different story. But after a while the same problem will arise again\". \"I can battle the wills inside of me?\". Desmond wasn''t oblivious to everything he knew their was something wrong with him. He also knew about the gaps in his memory, lapses in judgement, along with the other problem that had been slowly arising since he started eating souls. But since Desmond had no way to fix the problem he left it as is. \"Of corse you can, there are many different kinds of wills in the world and each are useful for different things. For instance star will is useful for deductions and thinking, fake will can manipulate others, so subtly the person you use it on will not know they are being influenced unless you tell them. Deliberate will can engrave a will''s effect deeply into a target making it difficult to remove. A malicious will can cause harm and if done correctly kill a target\". Desmond''s eyes twinkled after hearing such things. It made him speak like an eager child, \"how do I control wills, teach me\". \"You use wills every single of the day of your life. Every time you think or move you create and destroy them. You have just never utilized them to their maximum potential. An example of you using wills above normal is when your casting spells and giving them shape. As for me teaching you about those things I will not\". Desmond thinking that he heard wrong said, \"what did you say?\". \"I said I''m not going to teach you any thing I have better things to do\". Desmond couldn''t believe what he was hearing. While stammering Desmond said, \"bu- but I gave you a piece of my soul\". \"Yes you did, but that doesn''t mean I have to teach you anything personally\". \"But the binding circle it should have ...\" \"The binding circle is valid I agreed to one thing and that was to teach you all that I know truthfully whenever you asked. Its not like I have to be here to do that or do it personally\". Zane rummaged threw his coat and pulled out an iron ball along with an oval jewel and a leather pouch which he handed to Desmond. The jewel bounded around in Desmond''s hand then burrowed inside of his body. Desmond was shocked by what happened and tried tried to keep the jewel from going inside to no avail. The jewel was long gone Desmond couldn''t find it even when he searched with his soul. \"What was that thing\" \"That thing will hide the age of your soul from others. It should stay on you always unless you want people like me to pay you an unexpected visit\". \"No, I''m good\" \"As for the iron ball it shall be your teacher. It contains my will inside of it, but it also has limited capabilities since I just made it a minute ago. The leather pouch is a storage pouch inside of it is 25,000 magic crystals, 500 beginner grade magic cores, 500 intermediate grade magic cores, and 500 advanced magic cores\". \"Why are you giving me, so many magic cores?\". \"I wasn''t going to give you anything originally, but your body is to weak to support further growth. Which limits the quality of your soul when I come to extract more of it. A problem I wouldn''t have if you didn''t neglect the basics for such a long time. By absorbing the cores you can increase the strength of your own. Which will provide a solid foundation for your next advancement and increase your magical reserves. With the magic cores you can also ''safely'' tamper your soul. That will also help in mitigating the effect the wills have on you, but as a cost if you use the cores for that the magic core will break and you will not be able to absorb it increasing your foundation\". Once Zane stopped talking he reached out towards Desmond once more and performed a grabbing motion. As Zane closed his fist dozens of bugs flew out of Desmond''s body into Zane''s fist. The way the insects burrowed out of Desmond''s body left large gaping holes all over Desmond''s body which quickly closed up. \"What the hell was that?\" Zane didn''t feel the need to lie, so he told the truth. \"That was plan B you know just in case I didn''t get what I wanted. I put those inside of you when I healed you earlier\". Seraphine saw Zane implant the insects inside of Desmond earlier, but did not try to stop him because she knew he wouldn''t cross her bottom line. \"If I didn''t give you what you wanted what would you have done to me?\". Desmond said with a bit of fear inside of him. \"There''s no reason to be worried I''m your master if you can''t trust me then who can you trust. But you must remember other people won''t have as much good will as me towards you, so you must never let random people treat your body. You should come straight to me instead I''ll take good care of you\". Desmond did not trust Zane''s words he believed he would have been robbed of his soul regardless of what he said today. Once Desmond finished his thought Zane''s coat parted and more bugs flew out which all burrowed inside of Desmond. Desmond felt no pain as the bugs dug inside of him, but it mad him shiver to his core knowing that there was a, bunch of bugs inside of him. \"Why in the world did you do that\" \"You don''t have to worry about that. Alright I''m done with you, so you can go home now\". Zane said as he began to shew Desmond away. \"You can''t let your student go out like that he''ll draw to much attention. He just had a bounty placed on him at least show him how to suppress his soul\". Seraphine said while eating some of the spilled food on the table. \"Surpress my soul why would I need to do that\" Desmond asked with a bit of confusion. \"You may not have noticed, but your soul is far to overbearing for normal people to handel. Your spiritual energy is leaking out, so much people might mistakenly think your trying to kill them. Every shift in your emotion is clear to read. Its northing to us, but to others you can clearly see its a problem\". Desmond nodded his head in understanding. His spiritual energy made Desmond stand out like a lion in a pack of rabbits. Every shift in his emotion scared those rabbits away, but would also attract other much more dangerous predators. \"Uhh ... fine it shouldn''t take long anyway\" Zane uttered. Desmond wasn''t like other people he had great control of his spirit since the beginning. In addition to Desmond''s magical practice Teaching Desmond how to suppress his spirit only took 10 minutes. Desmond''s body was like a water basin with many wholes. Zane only Directed Desmond on how to plug the wholes and keep the energy deep inside him. The instructions made Desmond appear just as he usually did. It even altered his eyes back to their normal color. For Desmond to surpress his spirit he had to constantly focus on it which forced Desmond to split his attention. The act caused Desmond''s mind to be constrained which limited the amount of things that he could do. If Desmond wanted to cast magic while suppressing his spirit he would have to do it slowly or give up on concealment entirely to fight effectively. \"There now you can go\" Abruptly Zane flicked his finger conjuring a huge gust of wind that picked Desmond up and began to carry him away. \"Wait I''m not finished asking questions and there''s still people hunting me down\". Though the time they spent together was short Zane was tired of hearing Desmond''s voice. Coldy he responded by saying, \"I don''t care\". Then Zane whisked Desmond away past many large corridors decorated with items from Seraphine and Ragnars travels. Towards a room containing an active star gate of which Desmond was thrown inside. The star gate teleported Desmond back to the Hunter''s Bazaar where he was flung outside of onto the door. Desmond picked himself up off of the floor and wanted to immediately shout insults at Zane, but his focus was on a suitcase that was flying quickly at him. By ducking away Desmond was able to avoid being hit by the large suitcase. Believing that the suitcase was for him Desmond walked over to inspect it. The suitcase was normal with nothing fancy about it. The only thing that stood out was a note attached to the side of it that said,\" Mystic items effective range is 150 -200 meters, must bury before usage. Use as soon as possible to defend against enemy detections. P.S do not tell anyone about star gate its obviously illegal to have\". After reading the note Desmond looked inside the suitcase to find the golden seven treasure incense burner. It was placed in the middle of the suitcase surrounded by compact dirt. Desmond quickly closed the suitcase again, so no one would see then he let out a drained sigh. \"I''ve lost, so much in just a few days but I''ve also gained much in return. The truth about Immortality, the value of my soul, and wills. Every single bit of this knowledge is priceless to me I have such a wondrous opportunity, yet I''ve been complacent. I can not let this go on I must reach the pinnacle of magic\". When Desmond finished gearing himself up for an epic training montage the headline of a newspaper under his feet caught his eye. Desmond read the article briefly before tearing it to shreds. \"I was just recently captured to be sacrificed, blown up, had a bounty placed on me. Then I had to sell my soul for magic. Right after all that I now find out a war is on the horizon. This is just great, just fucking great. Why did no one tell me?\". *** On The Surface of The Moon Zane was seated in his original spot while playing with Desmond''s soul in his hand. Seraphine and Ragnar were seated next to him relaxing when Zane suddenly spoke. \"How long do we have to keep playing these games with that thing. It belongs in a bottle inside my lab. This tiny bit of its soul is barely enough to satisfy my needs for now\". Seraphine responded by saying, \"You must hold on you saw what the relic showed us. The pillar of light he generates is immense. I have seen very few like his in the world. You know my relic only shows opportunity of my actions and the opportunity those around me represent. The last time we followed the pillars light we gained unimaginable wealth. If I knew more about what his pillar signified then we wouldn''t have to play games with him\". \"Yes I know, but its not like that relic is all powerful. Everything is subject to change by forces out side of our control\". Seraphine nodded in agreement then replied, \"if his pillar ever grows dim then he would have exhausted his usefulness then we would just have to kill him and divide up his soul. For now we just have to wait and see we''ve already connected our fates with his as per planed. You just have to not go overboard with the experimenting\". Zane snicked then said, \"sure i''ll restrain my self, but you need to get your shit together and get some acting lessons\". Seraphine had a displeased look on her face while she asked Zane what he ment. \"Your telling me you did that on purpose? Remember when you said you don''t kill for pleasure only money. If he spent more then 5 minutes alone with you he would know that was a lie immediately. Your more blood thirsty then me and Ragnar\". Seraphine''s eyebrow twiched then she furiously replied, \"Don''t question my acting methods the only reason no one can tell if your acting or not is because you don''t have to change your an asshole all day around\". \"I''m a saint compared to you\" \"After everything that you''ve done you have the gull to call yourself a saint\" \"Yes because unlike you I didn''t leave my entire race to die\". Zane''s words truck a powerful blow to Seraphine making her feel the sting of her past. But Seraphine was not to be messed with she mobilized the full might of a rank 3 and directed her killing intent towards Zane. Zane was not scared off he did the same. Both of their auras clashed resulting in sparks generating and the sound of explosions. The ground and table broke apart while the air in the room swished around violently. Zane stood up from his seat ready to fight, but Seraphine didn''t move instead she lifted up her hand that healed two beating hearts in it. Zane screeched and roared at Seraphine for what she done along with all the other creatures in his coat. \"lets revisit that question I asked you before. How many of your hearts can I rip out before you realize you can''t touch me? With the first strike I took two, but what about the next?. \"Your not even fast its that stupid special ability of yours which is the problem\" \"Oh do you really think I can''t kick your ass without it?\". Seraphine''s words were met with the hungry glare of hundred of beasts inside of Zane''s coat. Moments before Seraphine and Zane were about to fight Ragnar stepped in to defuse the situation. \"That''s enough from the both of you everyone in this room is a terrible person that can not be redeemed in anyway. If you under stand that then stop fighting because its almost time for mechanical heart to start and i''m not going to have your fighting get between me and my show\". Having Ragnar angrily defuse the situation to save his show killed the mood making both Seraphine and Zane not want to fight. \"I''m not going to get caught up in someone elses war, so I''m leaving early. But before I go Ragnar I need you to do something since your going to fight in the war\". Ragnar a bit suspicious asked \"what is it?\" Zane replied, \"Say hello to Nester Vargas for me\". 117 Behind The Stars The Sewer The sewer was pitch black darker then a night without the moon''s glow. The sound of rushing water filled Desmond''s ears along with the consistent thumping of his steps on the wet concrete floor. Desmond walked unimpeded in the darkness because to him the world couldn''t be clearer. Before Desmond only had the lingering magic particles in the air to guide him. Now Desmond can also see the souls of everything around him. Every insect and rodent even the people rummaging around inside their homes above him couldn''t escape his sight. When Desmond focused he could combine his two sense and perceive the flow of magic inside of the rats that scurried past his feet. Every creature in the world was magical regardless of how ordinary it seemed. Even the weakest creatures are on Theotera are on steroids compared to the creatures on earth. That''s because the magic on Theotera is incredibly thick compared to earth and most other places in the universe. As Desmond walked he pondered the reason why magic was much more abundant on Theotera then earth and other places in the universe? Why did, so many gods choose to live on Theotera? Desmond thought for a while, but he couldn''t give a definitive answer at the time. He only ended up pondering about such questions because of his lingering problems with immortality. \"For there to actually be a realm were you can eternaly leave your mark on the universe which everyone in it including the universe its self would have to follow is insane. Doesn''t that mean gravity was created by someone along with the law of the conservation of energy or had those existed since the beginning?\". The more Desmond thought about it the more he found himself in love with Theotera. In Desmond''s mind Theotera was like a feisty woman that consistently spat on him, beat him, humiliated him in public. But no matter what she did there was always something that drew him back to her allowing him to endure the same roller coaster of pain and humiliation all over again. It had been less then an hour since Desmond left from Hunter''s Bazaar he had been travelling without stop to reach the same spot he usually trained. Desmond knew that the bounty on his head would eventually attract others to his home, so he made no plans on staying there for the night . As Desmond got closer to that place the area got more destroyed. Some of the walls had crumbled down, scorch marks littered the place from Desmond''s numerous failed attempts at casting fire related spells, there was even some parts were the stone was melted from Desmond''s training with acid splash. Desmond had experimented with many different kinds of spells, but never used them because the situations he was in did not call for it or because they were unsuitable for the specific circumstance that he was in. For example Desmond could have destroyed the roof of the building he was fighting Eliot Row on or used acid splash to melt him. But if he did that he would have gotten arrested and would have been unable to explain why he destroyed a house or melted a man in the middle of the street. As for why Desmond received a one sided beating from Eliot that was because Desmond wasn''t expecting Eliot to be a complete beast when they fought. Eliot fought more like an animal then a human. Desmond was unexperience defending against such wild movements. Desmond''s fighting strength was restrained a second time when he was forced underground. Desmond was incapable of manoeuvring underground effectively. Desmond was also limited on the spells he could use because he had no magic crystals on hand to replenish his magic which was mostly used in digging tunnels. Desmond knew he would be able to kill people with little to no consequence if he was with a clan because people in a clan can kill a mortal for almost anything. Desmond was apart of the military which did have similar perks, but they were only for full members and people in the military needed a slightly better excuse to kill a mortal. Joining a clan was impossible at the moment, so Desmond didn''t regret his actions because those were the best options for him to take at the time. As Desmond made his way past the rubble Desmond soon stopped at a wall near by. The wall looked ordinary indistinguishable from any of the others Desmond made sure of that. Except for when Desmond used his eyes to perceive the magic the wall was radiating. It was like a beacon that screamed secret base. Desmond had no way to disguise the magic the wall radiated, so he left it as is. Desmond obtained the method to create the fake wall from his pile of books that he stole from Vincent. Occasionally a few of his memorise along with his crews would resurface inside of him helping in the creation of the fake wall. In front of the wall Desmond quickly spoke a few lines in ancient Zedrick the language mages use when using magic. Which greatly differs from modern Zedrick the language Desmond usually speaks because the language contains no understanding of natural laws behind it which amplify a spells might and help stabilize it. Once Desmond spoke the phrase the fake wall in front of him disintegrated turning into a pile of gravel on the floor allowing Desmond to step inside. Once inside Desmond spoke a different phrase prompting the wall to close behind him. The secret room was built by Desmond to store most of his things and it was also used as a place for Desmond to rest comfortably after his training. The room was a perfect square it went 30 feet in every direction making it not cramped in the slightest and at the moment it was just as dark as the rest of the sewer. \"Illuminate\" Desmond cast the spell illuminate to light up the room, but a problem immediately arose once he did. He had accidentally used to much magic causing the spell formation to crumble and explode in a bright flash of light briefly blinding him. The unexpected spell failure caused Desmond to get a splitting headache. \"Damb it, having a strong soul is nice, but if I don''t get use to it quickly i''ll be forced to alter all of my spells\". Spell circles are like circuits in computers they distribute both information and power. The spells Desmond uses only have a generic structure, so none of his spells are personalized. Spell alteration was a field Desmond wasn''t confident in since Desmond had no teacher and because mistakes can leave a person crippled or dead which implied to Desmond as well despite how different he is from others. Desmond didn''t try casting spells again for the moment instead he used a battery powered lamp to light up the room. He then grabbed a shovel and pickaxe laying in a corner then went to the center of the room and started to dig. The ground was rock hard, but it gave way to Desmond''s strikes. Desmond''s muscles bulged and glistened under the soft glow the lamp brought. His strong callous hands held each tool tightly s he dug his way 6 feet underground. Once there Desmond took the seven treasure mystic item from the suitcase and placed it below. When the item was safely placed Desmond turned the lid releasing the smoke prompting him to get out as fast as he could. As Desmond started to climb out of the hole his eyes turned cloudy making him lose his grip and fall backwards back inside the hole. Where Desmond layed still stairing at the ceiling as the hole slowly filled with smoke. As Desmond layed on the floor multiple scenes flashed past Desmond''s eyes. ... \"How long do we have to keep playing these games with that thing? It belongs in a bottle inside my lab\". \"My relic only shows the opportunity my actions bring and the opportunity those around me represent ... we gained unimaginable wealth\". \"Everything is subject to change by forces outside of our control\". \"If his pillar ever goes dim ... kill him and devide up his soul\". \"... Unlike you I didn''t leave my entire race to die\" ... As Desmond watched a cruel truth play out before him he couldn''t help, but shed a tear at the end. He had witnessed what what Seraphine and Zane really thought of him while he wasn''t even on Ragnar''s radar. Ragnar cared more about his TV show then he did about Desmond''s life. As Desmond replayed what they said about him in his mind Desmond could only come to one conclusion. \"Their all asshole''s every single one. They didn''t even have the decency to call me by my name I was just an ''it'' to them a disposable tool or a fucking pile of ingredients. What is wrong with this world I''ve never once tried to find danger, but danger has always found me. It''s almost as if someone is actually trying to kill me. Secret Visage, The Purifiers, the bounty hunters, and now those rich heartless monsters at Hunter''s Bazaar\". Desmond''s brain worked over time to find a way out of the incredible shit show he keeps finding himself in. He used every ounce of power his brain could muster till he finally found the answer. \"Negotiating with them is impossible I have no leg to stand on. Secret Visage will never forgive me because I used their name their group don''t listen to reason to begin. Every nation in the world has difficulty dealing with them, so there''s definitely nothing I can in that regard. The purifier''s are mostly made up of ordinary humans, but they have a deep hatred for mages and cultivators. Since I am trying to become a mage negotiations will go sour before it even started. Not to mention I killed a lot of their members, so unless I can give them something they want more than me there''s no solution. As for the problem everyone at Hunters Bazaar represents the problems are numerous. They can kill me the second I stop being useful which could be at any time. I can''t see the light pillar, so I have no Idea when that time will be\". The more Desmond thought about it the more he felt as though he was slowly being suffocate. \"I have no other choice, to survive I have to kill them, but as I am now I can''t do anything. But that doesn''t mean I can''t do anything at all. Zane said Seraphine left her race to die and Zane''s just an all around asshole. People like them have enemies, but to scheme against them will be impossible. Zane left a bunch of bugs inside me and he could have also done who knows what to me. So, before I can act against Seraphine and Ragnar I have to kill Zane with my own hands\". During his thought process Desmond didn''t say a word and he knew that he never could. Desmond was weary about what methods Zane left behind to deal with himself. He simply got up from the ditch and began to refill it with the mystic item inside. As Desmond filled the ditch a horrible taste filled his mouth as he said out loud, \"strength why does it always come down to strength. For once can it just be something else\". Strength was never Desmond''s goal, but now he was forced to pursue it. He hated it with ever fiber of his being, but he was left with no other choice. To continue on his path if magic Desmond had to become strong and kill all who stand in his way. 117 Enemies on all sides The Sewer The sewer was pitch black darker then a night without the moon''s glow. The sound of rushing water filled Desmond''s ears along with the consistent thumping of his steps on the wet concrete floor. Desmond walked unimpeded in the darkness because to him the world couldn''t be clearer. Before Desmond only had the lingering magic particles in the air to guide him. Now Desmond can also see the souls of everything around him. Every insect and rodent even the people rummaging around inside their homes above him couldn''t escape his sight. When Desmond focused he could combine his two sense and perceive the flow of magic inside of the rats that scurried past his feet. Every creature in the world was magical regardless of how ordinary it seemed. Even the weakest creatures are on Theotera are on steroids compared to the creatures on earth. That''s because the magic on Theotera is incredibly thick compared to earth and most other places in the universe. As Desmond walked he pondered the reason why magic was much more abundant on Theotera then earth and other places in the universe? Why did, so many gods choose to live on Theotera? Desmond thought for a while, but he couldn''t give a definitive answer at the time. He only ended up pondering about such questions because of his lingering problems with immortality. \"For there to actually be a realm were you can eternaly leave your mark on the universe which everyone in it including the universe its self would have to follow is insane. Doesn''t that mean gravity was created by someone along with the law of the conservation of energy or had those existed since the beginning?\". The more Desmond thought about it the more he found himself in love with Theotera. In Desmond''s mind Theotera was like a feisty woman that consistently spat on him, beat him, humiliated him in public. But no matter what she did there was always something that drew him back to her allowing him to endure the same roller coaster of pain and humiliation all over again. It had been less then an hour since Desmond left from Hunter''s Bazaar he had been travelling without stop to reach the same spot he usually trained. Desmond knew that the bounty on his head would eventually attract others to his home, so he made no plans on staying there for the night . As Desmond got closer to that place the area got more destroyed. Some of the walls had crumbled down, scorch marks littered the place from Desmond''s numerous failed attempts at casting fire related spells, there was even some parts were the stone was melted from Desmond''s training with acid splash. Desmond had experimented with many different kinds of spells, but never used them because the situations he was in did not call for it or because they were unsuitable for the specific circumstance that he was in. For example Desmond could have destroyed the roof of the building he was fighting Eliot Row on or used acid splash to melt him. But if he did that he would have gotten arrested and would have been unable to explain why he destroyed a house or melted a man in the middle of the street. As for why Desmond received a one sided beating from Eliot that was because Desmond wasn''t expecting Eliot to be a complete beast when they fought. Eliot fought more like an animal then a human. Desmond was unexperience defending against such wild movements. Desmond''s fighting strength was restrained a second time when he was forced underground. Desmond was incapable of manoeuvring underground effectively. Desmond was also limited on the spells he could use because he had no magic crystals on hand to replenish his magic which was mostly used in digging tunnels. Desmond knew he would be able to kill people with little to no consequence if he was with a clan because people in a clan can kill a mortal for almost anything. Desmond was apart of the military which did have similar perks, but they were only for full members and people in the military needed a slightly better excuse to kill a mortal. Joining a clan was impossible at the moment, so Desmond didn''t regret his actions because those were the best options for him to take at the time. As Desmond made his way past the rubble Desmond soon stopped at a wall near by. The wall looked ordinary indistinguishable from any of the others Desmond made sure of that. Except for when Desmond used his eyes to perceive the magic the wall was radiating. It was like a beacon that screamed secret base. Desmond had no way to disguise the magic the wall radiated, so he left it as is. Desmond obtained the method to create the fake wall from his pile of books that he stole from Vincent. Occasionally a few of his memorise along with his crews would resurface inside of him helping in the creation of the fake wall. In front of the wall Desmond quickly spoke a few lines in ancient Zedrick the language mages use when using magic. Which greatly differs from modern Zedrick the language Desmond usually speaks because the language contains no understanding of natural laws behind it which amplify a spells might and help stabilize it. Once Desmond spoke the phrase the fake wall in front of him disintegrated turning into a pile of gravel on the floor allowing Desmond to step inside. Once inside Desmond spoke a different phrase prompting the wall to close behind him. The secret room was built by Desmond to store most of his things and it was also used as a place for Desmond to rest comfortably after his training. The room was a perfect square it went 30 feet in every direction making it not cramped in the slightest and at the moment it was just as dark as the rest of the sewer. \"Illuminate\" Desmond cast the spell illuminate to light up the room, but a problem immediately arose once he did. He had accidentally used to much magic causing the spell formation to crumble and explode in a bright flash of light briefly blinding him. The unexpected spell failure caused Desmond to get a splitting headache. \"Damb it, having a strong soul is nice, but if I don''t get use to it quickly i''ll be forced to alter all of my spells\". Spell circles are like circuits in computers they distribute both information and power. The spells Desmond uses only have a generic structure, so none of his spells are personalized. Spell alteration was a field Desmond wasn''t confident in since Desmond had no teacher and because mistakes can leave a person crippled or dead which implied to Desmond as well despite how different he is from others. Desmond didn''t try casting spells again for the moment instead he used a battery powered lamp to light up the room. He then grabbed a shovel and pickaxe laying in a corner then went to the center of the room and started to dig. The ground was rock hard, but it gave way to Desmond''s strikes. Desmond''s muscles bulged and glistened under the soft glow the lamp brought. His strong callous hands held each tool tightly s he dug his way 6 feet underground. Once there Desmond took the seven treasure mystic item from the suitcase and placed it below. When the item was safely placed Desmond turned the lid releasing the smoke prompting him to get out as fast as he could. As Desmond started to climb out of the hole his eyes turned cloudy making him lose his grip and fall backwards back inside the hole. Where Desmond layed still stairing at the ceiling as the hole slowly filled with smoke. As Desmond layed on the floor multiple scenes flashed past Desmond''s eyes. ... \"How long do we have to keep playing these games with that thing? It belongs in a bottle inside my lab\". \"My relic only shows the opportunity my actions bring and the opportunity those around me represent ... we gained unimaginable wealth\". \"Everything is subject to change by forces outside of our control\". \"If his pillar ever goes dim ... kill him and devide up his soul\". \"... Unlike you I didn''t leave my entire race to die\" ... As Desmond watched a cruel truth play out before him he couldn''t help, but shed a tear at the end. He had witnessed what what Seraphine and Zane really thought of him while he wasn''t even on Ragnar''s radar. Ragnar cared more about his TV show then he did about Desmond''s life. As Desmond replayed what they said about him in his mind Desmond could only come to one conclusion. \"Their all asshole''s every single one. They didn''t even have the decency to call me by my name I was just an ''it'' to them a disposable tool or a fucking pile of ingredients. What is wrong with this world I''ve never once tried to find danger, but danger has always found me. It''s almost as if someone is actually trying to kill me. Secret Visage, The Purifiers, the bounty hunters, and now those rich heartless monsters at Hunter''s Bazaar\". Desmond''s brain worked over time to find a way out of the incredible shit show he keeps finding himself in. He used every ounce of power his brain could muster till he finally found the answer. \"Negotiating with them is impossible I have no leg to stand on. Secret Visage will never forgive me because I used their name their group don''t listen to reason to begin. Every nation in the world has difficulty dealing with them, so there''s definitely nothing I can in that regard. The purifier''s are mostly made up of ordinary humans, but they have a deep hatred for mages and cultivators. Since I am trying to become a mage negotiations will go sour before it even started. Not to mention I killed a lot of their members, so unless I can give them something they want more than me there''s no solution. As for the problem everyone at Hunters Bazaar represents the problems are numerous. They can kill me the second I stop being useful which could be at any time. I can''t see the light pillar, so I have no Idea when that time will be\". The more Desmond thought about it the more he felt as though he was slowly being suffocate. \"I have no other choice, to survive I have to kill them, but as I am now I can''t do anything. But that doesn''t mean I can''t do anything at all. Zane said Seraphine left her race to die and Zane''s just an all around asshole. People like them have enemies, but to scheme against them will be impossible. Zane left a bunch of bugs inside me and he could have also done who knows what to me. So, before I can act against Seraphine and Ragnar I have to kill Zane with my own hands\". During his thought process Desmond didn''t say a word and he knew that he never could. Desmond was weary about what methods Zane left behind to deal with himself. He simply got up from the ditch and began to refill it with the mystic item inside. As Desmond filled the ditch a horrible taste filled his mouth as he said out loud, \"strength why does it always come down to strength. For once can it just be something else\". Strength was never Desmond''s goal, but now he was forced to pursue it. He hated it with ever fiber of his being, but he was left with no other choice. To continue on his path if magic Desmond had to become strong and kill all who stand in his way. 118 Beyond The Stars After Desmond finished filling the hole he wasn''t in the mood to study or start any kind of special training because of the numerous threats to his life that kept popping up Desmond lacked the mental energy to continue. But Desmond knew he had to keep going, so he sucked up any kind of self respect he had for himself and sought the help of the only person he could turn to at the moment. Desmond reached into his dimensional storage pouch and pulled out the iron ball Zane gifted Desmond. The iron ball was nothing special in Desmond''s eyes, but inside of it contained Zane''s will which had a vast amount of Zane''s knowledge. Not wanting to waste time waiting Desmond injected his magic into the iron ball to make contact with the will inside of it, but what happened wasn''t what Desmond expected. Instead of receiving knowledged Desmond received a mental attack. The attack rattled Desmond''s brain, It was like being punched in the face when you weren''t expecting it. Being suddenly struck with pain made Desmond drop the iron ball that released a splendid glow which manifested its self into the form of Zane. When Desmond saw the form of Zane before him he dropped all pleasantries and said, "you asshole why did you attack me this time". Zane''s will looked straight at Desmond and said plainly, "because your an idiot. I''m a composite will left behind by Zane to instruct you. Which would have been difficult if you accidentally destroyed me when you injected your magic into the iron ball". "I could have destroyed you?" Desmond asked with a look of suspicion and distrust on his face. "No, you only used magic to probe the iron ball. Wills aren''t affected greatly by magic they are affected most affected by mental energy or other wills". "If I possed no threat then why did you attack me?" Zane''s will replied emotionlessly, "because your an idiot and I am not. Why would I leave any problem to chance letting the opportunity for uncertainty and doubt to take over when I can just take those problems out of the equation for good? If I didn''t do that then I would be as foolish as you". Desmond didn''t like what Zane''s will was saying to him, but he wasn''t in a position to deny what it said either. Zane''s will''s words were the truth he had been played for a fool and was now on the chopping block ready to be killed when ever someone else wanted. "Yup your definitely Zane''s will, so if you''re done being just like the original can you give me the advanced rune set. "I will not" Desmond after hearing those words took in a deep breath and tried not to curse out Zane''s will as he calmly said, "may you please tell me why you will not even after I gave you''re original body a piece of my soul". "Sure, you see there are 2 reasons why. The first is because your far 2 weak you have skipped the basics of building your foundation and only relied on strengthening your soul to get were you are now. Carving advanced runes on a core as weak as yours will only cripple you making you unable to cultivate like a human. You must absorb the magic cores given to you strengthening your base allowing you to proceed further. The second reason i''m not giving you the advanced rune set is because I was told to never give you that or the required ritual to become a rank 1 illusionist". Desmond not believing what he was hearing said, "why the fuck did Zane tell you to do that?". "It was to teach you that nothing is easily obtained in this world. If you want those things you are gonna have to buy it, trade for it, or steal it yourself. ". "Easily obtained, you''ve got to be kidding me I traded a piece of my soul for that stuff, yet I''m still denied it". Desmond said angrily. Despite how pissed he was Desmond didn''t linger on the matter for long because he already knew the truth he saw it with his own eyes. "Those bastards their trying to delay my growth, so I will be of even less of a threat to them. They are only training me to passify and strengthening me to improve the quality of my soul". Desmond''s thoughts ran rampant inside his head as he shifted to a different questions. "Can you make me strong?". Zane''s will replied, "of course how is that even a question you''ve seen me in person did I look weak to you?" Desmond knew the answer to that question was an obvious no. Zane was strong and to kill Zane Desmond knew he had to be stronger. "Then make me strong, stronger than everyone that wants to come after me". Desmond said will unwavering resolve. "If you want that then there''s many things we need to do, but first I should teach you how to walk". "How to walk you''ve got to be kidding me. I''ve got a bunch of people after my head I should learn how to conceal myself first". "Its because your being hunted down is the reason why I''m showing you this first. During normal circumstances I would have recommended you do physical training first before brushing up on the basics. But because of the encroaching war and all your other problems you have I have no choice, but to teach you these things first. Since you haven''t reached rank 1 you will not go past the wall to fight you will only man the weapons on the city wall. Just because you face less danger than average doesn''t mean there isn none, so don''t look down on what I''m about to show you. The move I''m going to teach you is called journey of a thousand miles. With it you will be able to traverse any kind of terrain as if it were flat ground". Desmond thought that the technique sounded quite fancy and also practical. Fights don''t always happen on the most favorable places, so a technique like that in his arsenal could possibly save him more times than he can count. "Alright you have me intrigued show me the move". Zane''s will gave Desmond a vicious look. It had a similar personality to its owner, so it was natural for it not to like others telling it what to do. But it also had its marching orders leaving it no choice, but to obediently comply with Desmond request. Zane''s will walked towards Desmond, but in an odd manner that made him sway back and forth like a drunk. It appeared as though Zane''s will could have tumbled over from even a light push while in truth the strange manner in which Zane''s will moved would make someone incredibly stable. As Zane''s will moved forward afterimages followed closely behind which made Desmond feel as though he was watching a phantom faze in and out of reality. Once Zane''s will stopped Desmond said, "ya there''s no way I''m going to be able to do that". "Well you will learn it or you will die in the street like some poor wretched fool. I haven''t forgot the deal we made when we first met. You dying, so soon would go against the promise we made. Which will sour my mood because I intend to uphold that promise don''t you?". Zane''s words had brought Desmond a bit of confusion because the promise Desmond made to Zane was completely contradictory to what he knew Zane was actually trying to do. When Desmond and Zane first met Desmond promised to Zane he would add Zane to his pile in his climb to becoming a mage or find someway to entertain Zane. But Desmond knew Zane wanted to experiment with his soul and was also after whatever opportunity Desmond signified. Desmond thoughts ran rampant as he thought to himself, "could it be that he''s just trying to trick me or is everything he does actually randomly based on his mood?". How Zane operates is complicated and in short both questions could be true, but it won''t change the fact that Desmond has to kill him to survive. Desmond gave Zane''s will a wide friendlysmile that fully displayed his gums then said, "of course I fully intend to uphold our promise just like you and when the time comes I''m sure it will be truly entertaining for you. *** Cherry Wood Street, Delmar City Above ground it was the time night ruled once more. Darkness slipped into every nook and cranny some of it was kept at bay by the light that the street lamps cast down, but at a 5 story apartment building nearby something was different an eary quiet encompassed the surrounding area. While an even darker force crept into one of the rooms on the 4th floor. Inside the sparsely decorated room a man was tossing and turning frequently in his sleep. His bed and chest were both heavily drenched in sweat as he crinkled his eye brows in pain as he tried to fight off a nightmare. That man was Peter and this wasn''t the first nightmare he had either. Ever since Peter laid eyes on that horrific book he only had nightmares when he slept and a strange feeling that he was never alone when he was awake. As Peter dreamed he dreamt of boils that bubbled downward threw a crack that displayed things Peter couldn''t even begin to describe. The boils wraithed and screamed a song that pounded the air. No feeling of joy or sorrow was conveyed from the song Peter heared only a dreary indifference. As the mass grew in size even larger than an entire planet Peter realized what he was gazing up at and the truth petrified him because he was staring at something that should never have been seen by someone like him or anyone for that matter. It made Peter wonder if anything he had ever done had any meaning and briefly think that all those mages that he hated were right. While Peter''s mind was having difficulty processing everything that he was seeing. The endlessly stream of boils spiraled downward and embraced Peter''s petrified figure. Peter was slowly beging surrounded in a viscous slime that felt like a million insects marching on his skin. The slim tore Peter''s flesh as though he was being dragged across a paved road. As the slime climbed up Peter who was stiff in fright the slime seeped into everyone of Peter''s orifices and grounded up his insides as if it were being done by gravel. The pain broke Peter free of the nightmare. He huffed heavily as he tried to catch his breath as he darted his eyes arouned for any monsters lurking in the shadows. Not believing that he was truly alone Peter rushed towards every light switch in his home and turned them all on. Though every room was illuminated Peter was still unsure if he was safe. In a hurry Peter turned his home upside down. He checked his clawset, every cabinet, and drawer Peter even ripped apart his own bead to make sure there was no danger, but it was all useless just like Peter thought it would be. Stressed and tired from days without proper sleep Peter said angrily, "I can''t live like this, I can''t do this any more I need something I need, ... HIM". Peter Knowing that the only solution to his problem was with the person who made him as he was now. He hurried to wards a drawer in his room that had all of its contents scattered on the floor. They were all an assortment of ritual oils also known as anoint oil, herbs, metals, and crystals used for rituals. Peter was planning on performing a ritual to contact Randell''s spiritual messenger . Which was possible for anyone to do because the ritual Peter was performing did not use the strength of the user, but who or what ever their contacting instead. Which was only possible in this specific case because the spirit Peter was trying to contact already had a contract signed with Randell. It was even possible to use the power of the realm from what ever a person is trying to contact something from exists in to establish a connection with a strong spirit. Peter took the ingredients that were needed then he began constructing a magic circle on the floor with a piece of chalk. Peter drew a square and triangle inside of a circle with some writing on the edges. Then he placed three lit candles on the edges of the triangle which symbolized himself, the world, and the spirit he was contacting. On the other edges of the circle was were the crystals and metalswere placed each each of which coresponded with a different element. Seeing everything was ready Peter folded the slip of paper Randell gave him and said out loud in ancient Zedrik. "I summon to my side the creature that journeys across a ruined plane, who''s steps answer the cry of those who seek justice, the creature bound to Randell Roffe". Peter repeated that chant multiple times while he place a few drops of the ritual oil onto the candles and let there scent fill the room. While the oils burned Peter took a bundleup pile of jing a special plant that is often used in rituals because of its ability to briefly enhance a persons spiritual energy. The oils were and every thing else used in the ritual was only meant to appease the thing he was summoning as well as calm and stregthen Peter''s spirit, so there would be no problems during the ritual. Peter repeated the incantation once more as he waved the burning jing in the air. Once the ritual finished Peter had a strong sence of danger, but a different danger then the one that plagued him. The feeling was as if someone was looming behind him. Peter had been on edge for days, so he was sensitive to such things. But when Peter turned over to look no one was there. Such a sight brought Peter no calm it only made Peter more worried. As Peter thought he was loosing his mind again the sound of foot steps coming from behind him reached hid ears. Peter turned around again trying to find the source of the but found nothing. No matter were Peter turned he could find no one he only heared the sound of foot steps that got closer to him. "Are you Randell''s messenger?" Peter said in a high strung tone. No words were spoken by the messenger it only made tapping sounds that somehow conveyed its intent louder then words. Peter received the messenger''s message clearly then replied, "since you are tell Randell that I lied to him when we first met all I have are nightmares. I can''t live like this anymore I need to see Howard he''s the only one who can help. Quickly go tell Randell right now!". Peter couldn''t really tell if the messenger was gone or not, but because he felt no danger he believed it to be. As Peter waited for Randell''s reply time ticked by slowly which drove Peter to his whit''s end. Minutes passed by like hours and by the time 30 minutes went by Peter was already loosing his cool. He verbally and physically beat himself to keep his mind focused as to not slip into a dark place. All of which was witnessed threw the scope of a man in the building across the street from Peter. Ever since Peter seen the contents of the Necronomicon Randell had never let Peter out of his sight. He had people watching his every move day and night documenting everything he did waiting to strike. Once they received Randell''s message they finally did what they had long awaited to do with deadly precision. The sniper across the street fired a single tranquilizer round from his riffle into Peter Peter''s neck as he paced around. The sound of the gun shot was muffled because of the silencer at the end, but the sound of glass breaking and Peter''s body hitting the floor couldn''t be hidden. Which was the signal for a group of 6 armed men clad in body armor to bust Peter''s door down and take him captive. Peter''s body was slumped on the groud as the armed men took him in. His body felt like jelly as they used magic sealing cuffs on Peter''s arms and feet. The noise the group made quickly drew the attention of the other residents inside the building. Since Peter was safely captured one of the men came out and said out loud. "Everyone please for your safety stay inside of your homes this is official DCPD business". None of the people watching needed much more proof than that to prove what was happening was real because who would dare walk around impersonating a DCPD officer while carrying there equipment and weapons. Even if someone did have there suspicions and did a background check they would quickly find out everyone there was an actual DCPD officer. With Peter in hand the armed men quickly left with him in a DCPD vehicle and left a few others there to stand around and make thing look as official as possible to anyone watching. ... After an unknown amount of time Peter found himself in a white room completely padded down both the walls and floor with some kind of cushion and a matrice was on the floor nearby. Peter looked around and was immediately confused "A psych ward why am I here I''m not crazy". Peter said out loud 100% sure of what he said. "You say that now, but my men have assured me otherwise". The reply Peter heard came from a speaker in the uper left corner above him. "Who am I speaking to?". Said peter on alert. "It''s me Randell Roffe, you said that you wanted to see me so lets chat". Peter unsure if it was really Randell he was speaking to said, "if your really Randell then prove it". "Sure, when we first met I was accompanied by 5 armed guards named ..., they wore ..., two of the men were carrying a specially made briefcase that had a mystic item inside called thehe Widow''s Diary. What it showed us was ..., what you and Gresham wore was -". Randell described the events of what happened that day perfectly. With magic a person could get some answers, but rarely could a person get that level of detail. "Alright I believe you. So, why am I here I contacted you so I could speak with Howard. I need answers to the nightmares I''m having and he''s the only one who can help". "In your nightmares do you see a crack with somekind of strange thing that you can hardly describe with words seeping threw". Peter was shocked that Randell already knew, "yes, how did you know that?". "Everyone who has seen the Necronomicon has recently had similar dreams. The physical appearence of what you all see is different as well as the space you describe the only thing that has remained the same threw out is the crack you all describe". "There are others like me then does that mean you found a way to stop the dreams" Peter Said ecstatically with much hope in his eye''s. "We haven''t gotten that far, yet the thing you seek may very well be with Howard. It is something that we want as well, so letting you speak with him to obtain it is not an impossibility". Peter shed a few tears in joy because there was a chance for him to make the nightmares finally stop. "When can I speak with him" Peter said with much enthusiasm. "I''m sure you will not be able to rest properly even if we make you wait, so lets do it right now. Once Randell said that he cut of the speaker and nearby Peter heard the sweet sound of jingling keys. A small flap opened up in the door by a guard standing on the other side who said, "place you hands threw, so I can cuff you then step away from the door and get on your knees or I will taze you". The guard wasn''t joking about the last part of what he said he had already been tackled, bitten, and malled by a few of the other people that he was guarding. Peter obediently complied with everything that the guard said. Once the guard saw Peter on the ground he opened the door and stepped inside along with two other guards for assistance. Two of the guards kept there distance with there hands on there tazers ready to fire at a moments notice once anything strange happens. The other guard strapped on more jewelry for Peter to wear and made sure because he was really not taking any more chances with the people locked up in there. With Peter locked up tight the guards brought him out into the hallway and walked him towards Howards cell. The concrete hallway had a dreary look that complemented the beauty of the rusted steel doors that lined the walls. The pounding and howls of people who had witnessed the contents of the necronomicon filled the hallway. As Peter was escorted down the unsettling tunnel a face slammed onto the small window in one of the cells. Peter instantly recognized who the person was once he showed his face, "Emerson?" Peter remembered Emerson from when he went to inspect Howard. He also remembered Emerson had close ties with Gresham. Emerson remembered Peter as well the moment he saw him. "It''s you if you''re here then you''ve seen it haven''t you. I told you it was real you believe me now don''t you. Since you believe me you have to tell Gresham, make him see the book, make him believe. With there power we can get topple the magi and get revenge for Martha". Emerson kept shouting other things at Peter, but Peter was dragged further down the hall by the guards till Emerson''s voice was obstructed by all the others. Soon Peter was in front of a cell in a completely separate wing from the others. Once there the guards opened up the door to Howard''s cell. When Peter stepped inside he was a biy upset by the stark difference in treatment Peter and Howard had. Peter only had a cheap matrice while Howard had a high quality bed, dozens of books, a table, and leftovers from a gourmet meal. Peter hadn''t even been served food yet, but he had a suspicion he wasn''t going to be served that. While Howard''s cell was nicer Peter cared little for it he only wanted a way to stop the nightmares. Inside the guards chained Peter to a metal bar attached to the wall for Howard''s saftey and left Peter there. Howard didn''t care what the guard''s did he wasn''t even paying attention to them or anyone else for that matter. His attention was fully focused on what he was writing at his desk. Peter saw Howard writing away madly not bothering to spare him a glance, so Peter shout Howard''s name to get his attention. "Howard, Howard, HOWARD!!!" Peter shouted again and again, but Howard paid Peter no attention. Peter seeing shouting was getting him no were with Howard he changed his tactics and did something he believed Howard would most likely respond to. He spoke in a strange language that could not properly be spoken by man. "llll mgr''luh ya ymg'' bastard (look at me you bastard)". Howard hearing such a familiar language being spoken to him turned around to look at Peter and said to him. "You know R''lyehian?" Peter said displeased "how couldn''t I that damb language has been etched into my brain" Howard responded by saying "I would prefer it if you spoke Aklo instead its a bit easier to pronounce the words" "And I would prefer it if you spoke modern Zedrik" Howard seeing what Peter was getting at changed what he was saying and spoke modern Zedrik instead. [Note: Everything said is the small section above spoken in R''lyehian it was not writen as such because R''lyehian and Aklo are both long and difficult languages to write in] "Fine I''ll speak in your language, so what do you want?". "What I want is for you to tell me how to stop those nightmares you cursed me with". "You speak as though what your going through is because of some illness that can be cured with a little medicine. What your experiencing is a result of you gazing into something none are ready for. To return to the piece you once had is impossible because to do, so you would have to become as ignorant as the time before you looked into the necronomicon". Howard spoke with a lack of feeling as he plainly explained to Peter his situation. Howard had seen the same thing countless times already he had become numb to the pleas of people like Howard. Peter didn''t except what Howard he shouted at him angrily, "you made me like this, so fix me?" "I didn''t make you anything I warned you clearly about what would happen if you learned what the book contained. You can not unsee what has been seen, now that you have cracked open the door into a forbidden realm there is no going back its contents will slip out without stop". "I can''t stay like this forever these nightmares there horrifying. I don''t even under stand what most of them are. An ancient spiraling city submerged under unfathomable depths and a dreary land colder then outer space filled grey and spiders. There were so many spiders, but nothing kept its form everything kept twisting and changing. Howard listened to Peter''s words and said, "the city you saw is called R''lyeh its a prison for something you don''t want to imagine. As for the othe thing you described you weren''t dreaming you were a place called the Plateau of Leng". "I was physical at that place called leng thats impossible I never left my room". To many things were going wrong for Peter, so he at least wanted physics to still make sence. Howard said to Peter "the Plateau of Leng has no fixed location it connects all realities, so its entirely possible for you to stumble in threw a dream". "But that''s crazy, it should simply be impossible". "I know how it all seems, but you will soon realize you aren''t who you are, you aren''t were you are, you aren''t even what you are. The things that you know to be truth, will soon reveal themselves to be lies by beings, so incomprehensible they are ignorent to our existence. In the Necronomicon there are old stories about the battles these beings waged against each other, there life, but never there death, were they have and will be". Peter heared what Howard said and was becoming more perplexed by the moment. "What does that even mean?". "it means that the old gods aren''t old, but new. Many of them may not have even been born yet". Peter was stupified by Howard''s words because what Howard said meant many things. "If what you say is true than what I saw and what I''m experiencing its- ". "Its there power seeping out through space and time". Peter found it hard to come to terms with what he was told because if it was true than the power the gods written in the Necronomicon were beyond imagination. The more Peter thought about it the more he fealt fear grasping his heart. As Peter was beginning to break down from what he was told Howard said, "there may not be much you can do against such beings, but you can defend yourself against them". Howard then took out a blank piece of paper and drew two symbols on it. One looked like a brach with 5 patruding ends while the other looked like a bent star. Howard gave the paper with the symbols on it to Peter then said, "they''re called the elder sign''s they will protect you with it you should be able to sleep at night". Peter looked at the two symbols on the paper and clasped them firmly in his hand. As Peter healed those symbols close he fealt safer already. As Peter and Howard finished there conversation the same 3 guards quickly came and took Peter back to his cell. Once there the guards took the paper from Peter and began uncuffing him to lock him back in his cell. When Peter was inside he turned back to get his slip of paper, but the guards had already left with it. "Ha come back I need that I won''t be able to sleep without those" Peter banged and shouted, but his words fell on deaf ears because the guards were long gone. ... Inside the monitoring room Randell was sitting down thinking about the conversation Peter and Howard had when the three guards who locked petter back up came into the room. "Here''s the piece of paper that you requested sir". One of the guards said. Randell didn''t say anything in return he only unfold the paper to look at the symbols inside. "There''s so much we don''t know about these gods as well as Howard, but if we can understand those things than nothing will be impossible anymore. Its a shame that I have to send the book of to the leader along with Howard". Randell crincled his brow at the thought of such a thing, "this is the dawn of a new era and I should be at the center of it. If I was at a higher position of power then I wouldn''t be on the side line like this. But at least I can make a copy of the Necronomicon and keep the ones who were affected by it. So if I play my cards wright with enough time and research I will be able to make progress on my own earn some merits and move up that way. As Randell thought about it the more feasible it sounded. With Randell''s future goals set the biggest problem he had at the moment was Secret Visage. But just when Randell was about to tackle that problem an alarm sounded. Startled Randell looked around then said whats going on. The 3 guards in front of Randell didn''t know as for the guards that usually accompanied Randell they were all killed when Eliot row paid him a visit. Randell had, yet to find suitable replacements. The confusion in the room was dispersed when the guards received an announcement threw their radio. The news of which made Randell quickly check the video feed in Peter''s cell. The screen displayed Peter''s once pure white cell covered in the symbol of the elder sign written in Peter''s blood. Peter on the screen was being pinned to the floor by a group of other guards who discovered what he had done. As they held him down they tried to bandage his right hand because Peter bit off his index and middle finger to get enough material to wright with. "What are you guys doing were safe here there''s no need for violence I made it safe". Was the last thing Peter said before he happily slipped into a deep sleep. As Randell watched what happened the only thing he said was, "I need more guards". 119 Big Brain and Little Brain Clover Forest The Clover Forest is home to many bizarre and strange magical things one of which are the orcs. Orcs are a brutish race that love the taste of battle and seek it out whenever they can. Their way of life has held strong even after the fall of the gods. They followed and respect the strong, but there is an inequality amongst orcs which is a problem that stems from their DNA. Not all orcs are born the same because of their jeans some orcs are smart and strong while others are weak and stupid or a mix of the two. During the afternoon nearby an orc stronghold deep inside the clover forests an adult orc named Krug adventured alone. He went out seeking to increase his strength before the coming war. A few years ago an elf diplomat came to the orcs stronghold seeking to cooperate to take down Delmar City. But the leader of the orcs in Krug''s stronghold wasn''t stupid he knew full well the difficulty in overthrowing the current rulers of Delmar City. Delmar City was jointly defended by 3 super clans the Eclipse Association, Black Cauldron, and the Order of Peth along with multiply large clans. To be recognized as a large clan a person not only needed the resources, forces, connections, but also at least 1 member who is at rank 4. Unless someone at rank 4 builds their own guild convince someone at that level to do anything is extremely difficulty because not only are they strong there are only around 5,000 known people who are at that level in the entire world. Giving them the freedom to choose and do almost anything because they''re, so few of them. Super clans are incomparable to large clans because to become a super clan 1 of their members has to be a rank 6 demigod. In the entire world their are only 20 living known demigods, and the amount of them who still even bother to interfere with the mortal world or bother build a clancan be counted on 1 hand. The only clan in the entire history of Theotera who was globally recognized as a super clan despite their clan master only being a rank 5 messenger is Providence. A clan souly built by The Oracle from the ground up thousands of years ago. The orc stronghold leader knew that information clearly, so he wasn''t going to break the long standing neutrality pact he had with Delmar City and sacrifice his men for the elves ambitions. Krug on the other hand wasn''t the sharpest tool in the shead the day he heard talk about a war was one of the best days of his life. Krug was an adult, so he could make decisions for himself allowing him to leave and join in the war. He could hardly sleep at night as he waited in expectation for the war. Krug believed war was a place for the strong and for the strong to become stronger, to be recognized, and feared. It was a place Krug believed he belonged because Krug believed he was not only strong, but smart. Muscle is good, but muscle plus brain is better. All the strong in Krug''s home showed that, so it was what Krug believed as well. The dumb die, the weak die just the same. Krug was still alive, so Krug must not have been dumb or weak. It was simple logic that''s why Krug has big brain. As Krug adventured into the depths of clover forests the sunrays that shined threw the tree tops showed Krug''s body clearly. His ash grey skin was smeard with green and brown paint that helped him blend in better with his surroundings and mask his smell. His yellow teeth gleamed like gold and had enough crust on them that could be spread on bread like butter. Enchanted leather armer with bits of metal covered the parts of Krug that weren''t exposed. On his hip was his trusty axe that produced a cold aura when someone touched it and his shotgun gun. While on his back was a strong metallic bow with many different arrows inside of a quiver. Krug carried with him a few magical means to hide himself, but it wasn''t the first time Krug had hunted. He knew the danger of using more energy for something than necessary. Everywhere in Theotera was dangerous, so people prefer to conserve their energy as much as they can to not be defenseless when confronted with unexpected danger. Even amongst orcs a quick and quiet kill is at times more respected than a loud and sloppy one. Krug maneuvered threw the forests as stealthfuly and as quickly as he could because he was on the hunt for creatures magical cores. But not ever creature though because Krug knew he only had a strong elemental affinity to water, wind, and earth. Any creature that didn''t correspond to those elements wasn''t on his kill list. Bushes and trees blurred past Krug''s eyes as he made his way towards a different hunting ground than his usual spot. Ever since the announcement of war many more people have gone out hunting for resources to protect themselves with for later. The increase of people lead to many conflicts sprouting up all over. Even human apprentice''s have joined into the conflict of resources increasing the death toll on both sides. Competition was fierce, so Krug had to be fiercer. As Krug maneuvered through the forest his foot steps came to a sudden stop. Krug had caught a whiff of something from his nose and a grinding sound made him pick up his ears. "Beastie smell familiar, ground rumble, beastie bellow feet". Krug put his ear to the ground and listened to the unknown creature move around. "Beastie not deep, bestie stupid". Krug was an advanced rank apprentice that walked the path of a cultivator. Since Krug was an orc he nationaly had superior strength compared to a human. Despite Krug being a similar size as an average human Krug could easily break a tree in half when he was only a beginner rank apprentice. Ever since Krug became an advanced apprentice he could do, so much more. Krug grabbed the axe hanging from his hip, took in deep breathes, and channelled a large amount of his chi into the axe. What Krug was doing was similar to what Desmond had commonly done before, but much more advanced. As Krug''s weapon glowed the glow took form around the axe making the axe appear larger in size. Krug had long ago accidentally created his own special skill. The skill was similar to a summoner spell called [bound weapon] which creates the form of a weapon that the user wants for battle with. Despite Krug not nowing the spell Krug created a powerful enhancement skill that gives the user all the benefits of using 2 of the same weapon in 1 hand. Krug beautifuly named that skill [two axe] and it was key to many of Krug''s victories. Using his powerful muscular legs Krug jumped 20 feet into the air and came down like a meteor. Krug''s landing caved in the ground and almost completely upruted some of the surrounding trees. Krug stood inside of the crater he made with an ugly smurk on his face from the wanderful surprise attack he landed on the creature. But soon the smile vanished from Krug''s face because he realized that the mysterious creaturer was a rock worm. Rock worms were natoriouse for being difficult to deal with. Those creatures have a hard rock like shell and can burrow underground allowing them to hide for as long as they want. The rock worm before Krug was just a young one that reached advanced apprentice rank. Krug knew that because adult rock worms are as wide as houses and as long as a train. Krug saw that he gravelly injured the rock worm, but didn''t stay next to it or attack it again. Instead Krug ran toward a tree that wasn''t destroyed and stayed up there. The rock worm wasn''t happy about what Krug did in its furry it rampaged. Tearing up the ground far mor than Krug did. As the rock worm rampage Krug saw that the rock worm was actually about 50 meters long and the spot Krug struck before was near its butt clearly explaining why it was, so pissed. The rock worm''s mouth had hundreds of teeth spinning in different directions. Its mouth was like an industrial grinder perfectly designed for crushing rack and Krug''s body. Krug looked at the fearsome rock worm, but not with fear just excitement for the hunt. It was well know that rock worms are sensitive to movement on the ground, but have extremely poor eye sight. Using that information to his advantage Krug switched to his bow and then knocked back a red arrow that was aimed at the rock worm''s mouth. The bow Krug used was sturdy and strong to fully pully back the string took over 1000 pounds of force Once Krug realeased it the arrow screeched through the air directly into the rock worm''s mouth. The arrow exploded inside the rock worm''s mouth causing it to sway its head back and forth, but did minimal damage. After being struck by the arrow the rock worm burrowed underground and advanced towards Krug''s location. Krug saw the rock worm coming towards him, but could do nothing to it since it was underground, so he chose to move towards a different tree. The rock worm ramemed the tree Krug was once on sending it Flying into the air. At that same time Krug sent 2 more red arrows flying into the back of the rock worm''s head. Bits of the rock worms armor fell off yet it wasn''t enough to reveal the meaty layer underneath. Krug knew killing the rock warm was going to be a long grind just by seeing how little damage it took. Krug was mentally preparing himself for a long fight when something the rock worm did caught his eye. The area were Krug last attached was being repaired at a visible rate. That sight completely killed Krug''s desire to fight the rock worm. Krug originally believed he could win against the rock worm as long as he kept his distance and whittled it down. But the truth was different if Krug stayed and fought the rock worm Krug would end up losing all of his things. Things that he needed for the coming war while the rock worm would barely suffer any lose at all. "Stupid bestie, stubborn bestie, bestie make Krug strong not weak.Why not die quickly stupid bestie?". Krug fumed in rage as he slandered the rock worm from the tree top. The rock worm as if understanding Krug''s words retaliated by dragging its whole body above ground and doing a long tail sweep that destroyed every tree within 40 meters of the rock worm. Krug fell heavily on the ground when the tree fell, yet managed to roll himself back up like nothing happened in time before the rock worm''s next attack. With his tree destroyed and no tree for support within 40 meters Krug was forced to face the rock worm on its turf. As the battle began to heat up Krug unknowingly had a spectator in the distance. It was a singular red eye crow that would witness Krug''s fall or victory. 120 Big Brain Little Brain Part 2 Far away from where Krugs battle was taking place another one was coming to an end. The forest in this particular area had become stained with black blood from many fallen orcs. The battle that ensured there changed the terrain of the forest in a half a mile of area. Creators formed hills, rotten trees laid scattered on the ground, a section of a river broke off forming a new one that trickled down into a large ravine and extinguished raging flames. Though there was a lot of damage to the forest it was insignificant. The forest was already slowly repairing its self as it usually does. Unless someone uses the correct method to change the topography places like the clover forest will always revert back to how they once were. As smoke from extinguished flames raised into the air the once glorious sound of an intense battle died down the sound of huffing and grunting. It came from the remnant force of the orc group that got slaughtered. The four of them looked at the three mages across from them with hatred in their eyes and a bit of fear. The orcs hated those three mages because of what they clearly did to their group and they feared them because they knew those mages were going to be their executioners. The time to talk had long since passed and retreat was an impossibility because surrounding them on all sides was hundreds of red eye watcher crows. The crows sat on broken tree branches and flew in circles above them. Like every normal living thing the orcs had a fear of death, but they wouldn''t cower before it. Knowing death was coming they met it the best way they knew how. With their hand tightly clamped around their enemy''s throat and a weapon in the other as they charge forwarded blindly as one. "Kill them dead". One orc fiercely shouted. That orcs inspiring words received a powerful warrior shout from all the others that did not effect their opponent''s moral in the least since they had no reason to fear dead men walking. Once the orcs charged at them the three mages took action. A female gnome that was 4 feet tall rushed an orc that was the furthest right of the group. She wore a tightly fitted ranger style outfit that had many pouches wrapped around her waist. As she charged the orc her small size didn''t impede here movements. Her legs kicked up a dust storm that clung to her body forming a sturdy rock armor. The orc she targeted proved to be a stubborn one that walked the path of a body refiner. Once he saw the female gnome rushing him he expanded his body till he was 8 feet tall. With his growth came an extra set of black bone arms that ripped out of his body. The bone arms were black from the orcs blood that dripped onto the floor. The gnome met her opponent without fear of his transformation. Their fist clashed resulting in the ground cracking and forming new dents everywhere they went. The orcs wanted to restrain the gnome''s movements by grabbing hold of her tightly with two oh his arms while he assaulted her with the others, but the gnome proved to be a slippery woman. The rock armor she wore didn''t slow her down she instead moved faster then before. She used magic to soften, bend, and shift the ground beneath her feet. She skated effortlessly on the ground as if it were ice weaving through the orcs attacks as she landed heavy blowes on him. The orc was flustered he wasn''t sure what to do next he already used the strongest technique he possessed, but was still reduced to applying constant buffs to himself to endure the enemy''s attacks. The female gnome never intended to give the orc any more chances to resist. She skated circles around the orc until she finally found the perfect chance to maker move. Disgruntled by the gnome''s movements the orc decided to slame his armes onto the ground to disrupt her movements. The powerful slam created a shock wave that ripped outward and proved to be the key in ending that orcs life. The female gnome seized the opportunity when the orc couldn''t change his movements and cast two earth spike spells that jabbed directly into both the orc''s feet. The orc let out a pain filled scream as he looked at the two blood spikes in his feet. But the gnome wasn''t done she placed her hand on the floor creating a sand trap that such the orc into the ground quickly till only his head was poking out. Though the orc was restrained the female gnome showed no mercy. She mobilized her magic creating a stone platform which she stood on that hovered the orcs head before she brought it down like the hammer of god. The orc she fought was nothing more than a stain on the ground and her partners had similar results. The male human magician that stood next to the gnome had blonde curly hair and a deep scar on his throat that made him a mute. He finished his opponent much quicker than the gnome girl. His opponent stood in front of him dead Thorns grew out of his mouth and wrapped around his body till it was completely covered. The other guy with them never gave his opponents the chance to resist. The two orcs he fought were swarmed by a flock of crows and brought up into the sky. The birds clawed, pecked, and sliced those two orcs up till the dropped onto the floor as a meaty paste. Inside the orcs remains were their cores which he grabbed and placed inside of his bag. That man had feathers growing on top of his head in place of hair. He also had yellow bird like eyes, a small red gem on his forehead, and a black coat that drapped around him strangely. The man look bizarre, but was most definitely a human. That man had performed many transplants on himself to make himself stronger. It is something many people have chosen to do before because there is no cost to great when studying magic. That man looked around with his yellow eyes and then recalled all the crows that he sent out. The crows flew to him without delay and became one with the cloak that he wore restoring the sections that were once lost until that man was completely shrouded pack in the cloak. "Linda, Jasper go collect the core''s of all the orcs here. Take a few of the intact bodies of the strong ones their prices just increased because of the war. As for the ones we turned to mush see if their organs ar still any good. Then quickly rest up i''ll find our next target". "Alright Ferrise" Linda said nonchalantly. All of them were equal partners there was no leader in the group, but none of them minded that nor did it restrict their cooperation because they hunted together before. Yet none of them were friends they worked together because they knew the other was strong. They worked together now because all of them were desperate for money. All of them are apart of the Twilight academy were clans affiliated with Delmar City send some of their more promising candidates. None of them would fight directly in the war only help manage the wall and keep a few mortals alive while ensuring the wall received a constant supply of supplies. But that has never ment the death toll they face will be small. After every war the amount of student that perish at Twilight Academy have always been around 30%-40 at minimum. Every academy that teaches magic and/or cultivation has never held their students hand when doing things. War is just another way to weed out the weak in the academy for them. Everyone in the world new this, so no one cared if a few hundred apprentice died. The world of swords and magic is as bloody as it can get you have to be cold hearted to survive in it. As Linda and Jasper collected anything of value. Ferrise was searching the area threw the eyes of his crows till he spotted something of value. "Guy''s I found an orc trying to fight a rock worm by himself". "Did you say rock worm" Ferrise''s words immediately attracted Linda and Jasper''s attention. Rock worms lived deep under ground and typically didn''t surface unless they were hunting something. Their bodies were strong, but above all their bodies were valuable. The rock worm core alone is worth a minimum of 500 magic crystals while entire body is worth 2-3k magic crystals. Ferrise responded to Linda''s words by saying, "yup, just by this I can see our luck is pretty good today. The orc should be able to last 30 more minutes and since rock worms are aggressive creatures it wont give up on him even if he runs. We''ve got time to rest and let the orc tire himself out. Get ready guys we leave in 20 minutes". 121 Big Brain Little Brain Part 3 Like a war drum Krug''s heart beat vigorously. He was excited about the tough opponent in front of him, but was also worried he would lose most of his equipment if he continued the fight. As many thoughts crossed Krug''s minds he said out loud, "No, to much thinking make Krug axe weak. Axe weak then Krug weak". To many problems hurts Krug''s head. Krug doesn''t like when his head hurts because that showed weakness. Not wanting to be seen as weak Krug decided to simplify all of his problems. "Krug not weak Krug strong. Kill bestie show Krug''s strength". Krug no long cared about his equipment or sought to exchange words with the rock worm because his axe would do the talking for him. Both sides charged towards each other Krug held his mighty axe up high while the rock worm bared its teeth downward in an attempt to eat Krug whole. Krug dodge to the left when the rock worm came crashing down. The rock worm missed Krug narrowly it could now only burrow underground then come back for another shot at Krug. As the rock worm burrowed underground Krug took the opportunity to land powerful blows on the rock worm''s long body. Each hit chipped away a piece of the rock worm''s armor, but was nothing serious to the rock worm. Krug didn''t like tickling his enemy he wanted the rock worm to hurt. So, Krug activated his axe''s ability and waited for the rock worms return. The sound was muffled but Krug could hear the rock worm moving underground it wasn''t attacking yet so Krug stayed patient with his axe that softly glowed and left a chill in the air. When Krug felt his feet rumble he knew that it was time. Without hesitation Krug lept away before the rock worm popped out of the ground were he once stood. Once the rock worm burst out Krug swung his axe like a baseball player at the rock worm''s head used his skill [Two axe] along with the enchantment on his axe to create a marvelous effect. In that moment the entire battle field turned white. Snow covered the tree tops while the ground and rock worm were encased in a thick layer of ice. Krug axe has a freezing effect that Krug can greatly magnify with his skill [two axe]. But the feat Krug performed had drawbacks and limitations. Krug had to use an equal amount of energy equivalent to the feat he performed, the skill damaged the rune engravings on Krug''s axe, and Krug can only enhance something he''s familiar with. So, if Krug used a weapon that was attuned to darkness there was nothing Krug could do to improve it. Krug looked at the frozen rock worm and gave it a devilish smile. "Bestie to weak to challenge Krug. Krug strongest there is". As crug was enjoyinging his victory it soon came to an end. The ground beneath Krug''s feet cracked and rumbled. The terrain was changing at a visible rate breaking all the ice on the ground and on the rock worm. Krug had a bad feeling after witnessing the change that made made Krug run towards the trees as fast as he could. When Krug reached the safety of the trees he was happy he got there quickly because the entire ground turned into a swirling vortex that broke all of the ice and freed the rock worm. The rock worm was at the center of the vortex everywhere it went the vortex followed. The ground was now to dangerous for Krug it heavily limited what he could do. The rock worm even more enraged then it was before quickly found Krug and charged at him. Krug seeing that the rock worm wanted to run him over made a strategic retreat. He move quickly but the rock worm was somehow even faster. No tree, rock, or passing beast slowed down the rock worm as it followed Krug everywere he went. After a short 10 minutes of resistance the rock worm fully caught up with Krug. It surrounded the tree Krug stood on inside the vortex of sand weakening the trees support making it fall down with Krug along with it. Krug didn''t cower as he fell towards the rock worm''s mouth he flipped himself upright in the air and swung his axe downward at the rock worm''s face. The axe burst with a splendid light that froze the rock worm''s head. The rock worm reeled back in its head as it tried to get the ice off Krug was happy at that sight, but the rock worm didn''t let Krug off easy just because its head was frozen. It knew Krug location, so it swung its tail at him sending him flying a long distance away. Krug spun in the air like a football he had no control over his body. The spinning made him disoriented and nauseous when Krug came crashing down Krug hit a tree and nearly split it in half. As Krug laid on the floor he found it a bit difficult to get up three of his ribs were broken and the rock worm almost broke his left arm. Krug''s ribs didn''t puncture anything, but he still coughed up some blood because he was bleeding internally from somewhere inside his body. To treat his injurys Krug took out a purple leaf from his pouch called a rot leaf and ate one. The rot leaf is not a naturally found plant it can only be made inside of a lab. Once someone eats the leaf the person goes though a weak zombification process. It slows down the rate of blood loss and numbs pain inside of a persons body, but at a cost the user''s body will increasingly rot away faster until they take an antidote. Krug has used many healing potions before, so much that now healing potions have no more effect on him. Unless he uses a higher grade healing potions like the ones Desmond has in his possession Krug is forced to use other methods. Many people suffer from the same problem especially those of a higher rank than Krug. Once the leaf melted inside of Krug''s body he could feel it taking effect, but he needed a few minutes for the effect of the leaf to spread every were, so he had to wait. At least Krug didn''t have to weight alone. He had many corpse keeping him company keeping him company. As Krug looked around he saw many skeletons and rusty weapons littered all around him. Lizard men, orc, human, beastmen, and more were all there. Where Krug got launched wasn''t any kind of animals den it was just another forgot battle field. People fight and die in clover forest all the time finding places like these were nothing special. Krug only gave the place a quick once over before turning his attention to the rumbleing sound in the distance. The rock worm was coming for him and Krug knew it. "look like were not to late that dumb or actually managed to keep the rock worm above ground for, so long". Krug''s attention was attracted to who produced that voice. Once he turned around he saw 3 figures standinga distance behind him. "Soft skins" Soft skins is what Krug called humans Krug never had much time to learn big fancy words. So most of the time he kept things practical and called things how they were instead of what they were. Krug didn''t have any love or hatred for humans he traded and fought them with them equally. Krug had a feeling that the humans didn''t want to trade, so that left 1 option. But Krug was at a severe disadvantage the rock worm was coming and he had to face 3 humans without his axe. He had lost his axe when the rock worm sent him flying along with most of his arrows leaving him with only 10 arrows. Krug still had his trusty shotgun, but he wasn''t sure if that was enough. As Krug geared up for an even bigger fight then before a rusty longsword that was imbeded the rib cage of a dead dwarf a few feet away let out a soft cheerful shimmer. 122 Big Brain Little Brain Part 4 As the rock worm charged forward Krug turned completely towards the three mages who suddenly showed up and insulted him with a look of detest in his eye. "You can not call Krug dumb Krug have big brain. Your eyes can not see, that makes you blind and dumb". Ferrise didn''t take pay attention to Krughe didn''t even care about killing Krug his focus was solely on obtaining the rock worm. "Linda me and you will take down the rock worm. Jasper kill that stupid orc we need ever bit of money possible". Linda and Jasper gave Ferrise a simple nod once they received their tasks, but Ferrise''s words words angered Krug. "You try to steal bestie. Krug wont let you, bestie Krug''s not yours". Krug''s words fell on deaf ears Ferrise and his group didn''t care their attention was mostly on the rock worm that caught up with Krug. The ground rumbled and softened beneath Krug''s feet the rock worm''s pressence turned the ground into a death trap. Krug fumble around a bit as the shifting ground kept him off balance while Ferrise and the other mages charged forward. Ferrise and Linda ran past Krug towards the rock worm while Jasper collided with Krug. Wanted to stop Ferrise and Linda, but Jasper had his feet tied down with roots that suddenly popped up out of the ground. Krug pulled his legs up with all his might breaking the roots that were holding him in place, but as that was happening another root burst out of the ground and drilled a hole into Krug''s stomach. The gut wrenching pain was dulled by the rot leaf, but it still hurt Krug immensely. Krug seeing that his enemy was going to be tricky to fight Krug stopped holding back. Krug grabbed the root that was rammed into his gut and ripped it out of the ground. Black blood spilled out like a river at first then slowed to a trickle. The rot leaf kept Krug from bleeding excessively allowing him to keep fighting in top condition. He then took a stance, balled up his fist while directing his energy to it, then punched forward while shouting the name of the technique. "Fist crush rock [Rock crushing fist]" Rock crushing fist is a basic technique, but it was also one Krug polished to perfection. Krug''s fist turned a dark red from all the energy he put into it. When he punched out wards towards Jasper his fist turned into a blur that was followed by the sound of claping thunder. Krug''s punch parted the ground leaving a clear pathway that lead directly towards Jasper. Krug''s attack was, so fast Jasper had no way of dodging. He was able to set up 3 layers of defense in time, but even those no match for Krug''s punch. The root walls in front of Jasper crashed down weakly when Jasper looked down at himself in disbelief he saw a large gaping hole in his chest. The sound of Krug''s attack made Ferrise glance over. "Don''t bother focusing on whats going on over there Jasper''s got it handle". Said Linda as she bent down and pressed her hands on the floor gently.Linda was focusing her magic to counter the rock worm vortex giving Ferrise solid ground to stand on while he fought the rock worm. Ferrise had already released his crows they swarmed the rock worm constantly. By using the birds tough iron like wings Ferrise could chip away at the rock worm''s armor more efficiently than Krug. When the rock worm tried to burrow under ground Ferrise swiched out with Linda. She continuously fought the rock worm below ground until it was forced back up. As Ferrise and Linda slowly beat the rock worm to death Jasper took the opportunity were Krug was paying attention to his falling body and struck. Another root aimed at Krug''s heart shot out of the ground. Krug''s senced the sudden attack he bent down and rolled away dodging it. When Krug arrived at his new position he felt two hands firmly clasped around his ankles. When Krug bent down he saw half of Jasper''s body sticking out of the ground looking at him with a smug grin on his face. Jasper then took in a deep breath blew releasing a small cloud of spores from his mouth. The spores covered Krug''s body and entered his exposed wounds. Krug ignored the spores for the moment and only focused on slaming his fist into Jasper''s face. Since Krug struck at a downward angle Krug''s fist smashed Jasper''s skull, spine and rib cage. As Krug looked at the gory mess bellow his feet it all changed into a bundle of plants just like the first fake Krug took down. The real Jasper was hiding safely nearby he wouldn''t dare risking his life for minor gains like today. As Krug lamented over another false kill another Jasper appeared in Krug''s vision. But Krug did fight that one he instead said, "soft skin you think Krug like rock worm, but Krug not Krug chase shadow no longer". After Krug said that he began running towards Ferrise and Linda, but after the fist couple of steps Krug was on his knees. Thorns started to sprout out of Krug''s body they grew under his skin and kept spreading. They wrapped around his legs and were starting to wrap around his organs, but the more the vines grew the darker and more sickly they became till all the vines died. The rot leaf Krug ate filled Krug''s body with the element of darkness. Which is a natural counter to plants killing them off quickly. [Note: Author is not the kind of person that would have the rot leaf be the only way Krug could have solved the problem. That is far to much of a coincidence but coincidences do happen, so it passes]. Krug looked at Jasper fiercely while Jasper wondered how Krug killed his plants. Krug shared no further words with Jasper he simply used [Rock Crushing Fist] to destroy Jasper''s puppet and continued towards Ferrise and Linda. Krug knew that he couldn''t beat Jasper since he couldn''t find him, so he focused all of his rage on the other two. Krug came running at Ferrise like a ball of furry. Krug''s rage filled scream that sounded very close made Ferrise turn around. "Damb it Jasper you had one job". Ferrise sent part of his flock towards the enraged Krug. Krug took the swarm of crows coming at him seriously became he knew how dangerous those crows were. Watcher crows were known as death crows they had an innate curse ability that their all born with. Their curse is tied to their eyes making it, so that what ever they look at suffers from the curse of weakness. When one crow does it the effect is as weak as if a beginner apprentice mage cast the curse. But if hundreds of crows look at one person then the victim would continue to get weak till it kills them. The only reason Ferrise never used the crow''s weakness curse on the rock worm was because it was to big making the effect meaningless. Krug knowing what he was up against used a risky move to not stay in the crows vision to long. "[Blood Burn]" [Blood Burn] is a risky technique that lets the user exceed their limits at the cost of inflicting damage onto themselves. The risk is further enhanced because of the rot leaf Krug consumed. [Blood Burn] will increase the user''s heart rate which in turn increase the speed at which Krug''s body rots away. Krug''s Grey body quickly turned darker till his body was an obsidian black and his eyes turned blood shot. By the time Krug''s body fully charged he vanished from everyone''s sight. Jasper created another puppet and wasn''t sure were Krug was till he heard Ferrise''s being slammed to the floor. Krug moved far faster then he ever did before to not stay in the crows line of sight he had to take a risk. Crows surrounded Krug on all sides, but Krug blasted threw them as he made his way toward Ferrise.Ferrise wasn''t expecting such a massive suden increase in speed from Krug. It caught him off guard allowing Krug to grab his head and slam him to the ground. After he slammed Ferrise to the ground he didn''t stay there. He sped over to words Linda who was now soloing the rockworm and stepped on the back of her head pushingher face into the ground. As he used her head as a spring boards Krug jumped into the air like a bullet pushing Linda''s head down further and upper cutted the rockworm. "Rockworm Krug''s kill, filthy soft skins find own". Krug''s words spread far for all to hear. As the rockworm recoiled backwards from Krug''s punch and Krug flew high into the air over shadowing everyone else with his glorious form. Everything that happened made Linda feel embarrassed and Ferrise furious. While Jasper was secretly laughing in his hidey hole. 123 Big Brain Little Brain Part 5 The beating that the rockworm took from Ferrise and Linda severely damaged the rockworm''s shell. Krug''s uppercut caused a chain reaction that made large bits of its shell fall off. It wanted to burrow underground to hide, but Linda prevented it. Backed into a corner the rockworm did what any normal beast would do and lashed out. The ground rocked back and forth as the rockworm attempted to save its life. The three mages not letting Krug actions get to them focused on what was important and prioritized the rockworm. Ferrise and Jasper switched rolls, Jasper went off to assist Linda while Ferrise went to go beat the shit out of Krug since he was just starting to fall down. Up in the air Krug saw the whole battle field, but it was quickly blocked by a swarm of angry crows. Krug sneared at the pack of crows then took out his bow and nocked back a green arrow. The strong wind and constant decline in elevation made aiming hard. But luckily for Krug the crows were so clumped up together even the worst archer could hit the group of crows. Once crug shot the arrow it flew far off from were he intended, but it still hit a large group of crows. Once the arrow got near that large group of crows it exploded into a large amount of sticky slime. The slime covered a bunch of crows making it impossible for them to fly. Those crows plummeted to the ground while others in the flock took there place. Krug managed to shoot another arrow getting him the same result before the crows swarmed all over his body. The crows clawed deep into Krug''s flesh and there wings were starting to slice him up. Before the crows managed to rip Krug''s body apart Krug took all of the remaining arrows in his quiver in his right hand and detonate them all at once. Krug and hundreds of crows lit up into a big ball of fire their bodies came raining down like meteors from the sky. Ferrise saw what Krug had done from the ground and felt no emotion for the crows that died. He had more and could easily replenish their numbers later. Ferrise was more focused on the opening Krug gave him. Taking his chance Ferrise turned into a blur and charged straight towards Krug within moments Ferrise reached Krug''s burning body and punched him in the ribs. Ferrise''s punch made Krug''s already broken ribs shatter even more. Krug coughed up black blood and had a twisted expression on his face as piece of bones dug into his gut. Ferrise could feel Krug''s broken bones as he dug his fist deep into Krug''s body. After Ferrise found out Krug''s weakness he didn''t hold back. Ferrise let out a flurry of blows to Krug''s face, and torso, but he mostly kept punching Krug''s ribs. Normal Krug would have been able to resist Ferrise''s attacks this time however Krug was in the air were Ferrise specialized in fighting. Ferrise''s merciless attacks extinguished the flames on Krug''s body and made him regret the moment his feet left the ground. "You dumb orc you had that massive speed boost, but didn''t use it right and flung yourself into the air. Now your at my mercy". Krug balled himself up to endure Ferrise''s attacks, but he was finding it hard to hold on. Ferrise wasn''t ever going to let Krug touch the floor easily and Krug''s injurys were starting to effect him. Everything was turning blurry in Krug''s eyes, but Krug was to stubborn to fall yet. As Ferrise came in close for another blow Krug counter with a cross hook to Ferrise''s face. Krug''s left fist shined red as he used his skill [Rock Crushing Fist] during his counter. Ferrise saw what Krug was doing and didn''t feel threatened by that technique. He nimbly dodged to Krug''s right avoiding Krug''s attack, grabbed Krug''s left arm, kneed it shattering Krug''s elbow, and then twisted it into an odd position. Krug knew full well that he wasn''t going to be able to punch Ferrise he moved to nimbly in the air for that. Krug only tried to punched Ferrise to line him up for his real attack which was the short double barrel enchanted shotgun pointed at Ferrise''s gut. By the time Ferrise noticed the shotgun in Krug''s other hand Krug had already pulled the trigger. The enchanted shotgun is much stronger than the other guns Desmond had used before. Each shotgun shell costs 50 magic crystals and when fired it can deal a gross amount of damage. After Krug pulled the trigger he only saw Ferrise shocked face overcome by a blinding white light and heard the sound of roaring thunder assaulting his ears. The shot had a wide spread and covered everything in front of Krug. The Force of the shot sent Krug flying backwards until he landed hard on his back on to the ground. Krug wasn''t in a good state he suffered first and second degree burns on his body. His left arm was a contorted mess while right hand was used to hold the arrows that he detonated, so it looked worse than his left arm, but it was still usable. Five or six of Krug''s ribs were broken and each dug into something they shouldn''t. The wound on Krug''s stomach was cauterized when he turned into a ball of flames, but the blood that did leak out from other places came out thick like sludge and left a stench in the air that reminded you of death. The rot leaf was doing its job by helping Krug keep on fighting, but it was also killing him. As the ground vigorously rumble from the rockworm''s desperate attempt to save its life Krug said to himself "Do Krug die today? Does this mean Krug weak not strong, dumb like other dead things? If Krug die today that is fine. Krug die fighting stronger enemy, Krug die like true orc by fighting in battle". With a loud grunt Krug got up off the shaking ground and looked up. In the sky Krug saw Ferrise disheveled figure he managed to dodge out of the way in time to save his life, but not completely part of his right side was missing. He still had his arms, legs, and head, but bellow his ribs a large chunk of flesh was missing. Krug saw him chewing on a doll made of straw that he put into his mouth while stairing daggers at Krug. After he swallowed it large wings made of crows sprouted on Ferrise''s back. Ferrise instantly regenerated the crows Krug killed and sent them all directy at Krug. Because of the beating Krug took from Ferrise to much running arround would hurt Krug tremendously, so Krug stood his ground and used his only usable arm to fend of the tide of crows. Krug felt the crows weakness curse taking effect it made him sleepy, nauseous, tired, unfocused, and a lot of other things, but Krug pushed threw and attacked. "Many Fist Crush Rock" After Krug said that Krug''s fist produced over 100 after images each of which launched forward with tremendous speed and strength. Each fist bore threw the swarm of birds just like Jesus parted the sea. It was a beautiful sight guts, blood, and bird parts rained down baptizing the cracking ground in gore. The ground cracked under Krug''s feet and kept spreading quickly until the entire battle ground cracked apart. The rockworm''s desperate attempt to save its life had finally taken effect. As the ground cracked apart it began to collapse downward until it boke away entirely. A deep dark pit formed were everyone once stood that lead to a depth unknown. 124 Big Brain Little Brain part 6 Ferrise looked down at the massive pit from the air and had a grimace look on his face. Ferrise''s partner Linda was dragged underground along with the rockworm, Jasper''s puppet and Krug. "That orc has no Idea how lucky it is". The wound Krug gave Ferrise''s bleed profusely. Ferrise didn''t mind the blood loss because he could transplant the crows blood for his own. The problem for him was the pound of flesh Krug shot off. Its going to take Ferrise a lot of time and money to fix that problem which he didn''t like because his finances were already at their limits. Having no solution at the moment Ferrise took out a purple syringe and injected it inside his wound. It turned his wound purple and clotted all the blood stopping the bleeding allowing him to ignore the wound for now. "Jasper stop hiding get out here" Not far away from the gaping hole in the ground Jasper''s actual body popped out of the ground. Ferrise after seeing Jasper flew down to him and said, "we have to go down and get Linda. We all signed a contract together, so we have to at least make an effort before we can abandon her. So, can you see whats going on down there". Jasper spoke in sign language most of the time. Mages have too deal with many complicated issues daily learning sign language is a simple thing for most of them. Jasper moved his hand around a bit and said to Ferrise. "No I can''t" "What do you mean you can''t whats the problem". "I lost connection I can only stay connected to my puppets when there within 1 mile of me. The pit is too deep for that". "Uhh this has not been going as planned. I''ll carry you down lets just hope we can still profit from this fight. If not I at least want to kill that orc". Jasper responded by giving Ferrise an affermative nod after which they both set off for the depths below. ... Inside the pit rock and sand dropped down at a quick pace allong with all the broken down corpes of all those who perished long before Krug showed up. Jasper''s puppet couldn''t receive Jasper''s signal, so it flopped around in the air as it fell. Linda placed herself in a ball made of rocks and waited inside till they reach the bottom. While Krug cast safey aside and instead decided to vigorously punch the rockworm. The rockworm was very weak it had significantly less armor on it then before after everyone chipped away at him. Krug didn''t give up despite all of the injurys he suffered Krug consistently used [Rock Crushing Fist] on the rockworm. He found it, so only he had the right to kill it was the only thought running through Krug''s mind as kept punching the rockworm. Not long after everyone fell down they all crashed to the bottom which turned out to be the sealing of a massive cavern. The ceiling broke under everyone''s weight making everyone come falling down once more. The caver was filled with glowing crystals just like in Delmar city. Once Krug and everyone else hit the floor more debrie fellon top of their bodies covering them and in that debrie was a rusty longsword. The long sword seemingly altered the corse of its fall in the air aiming directly towards Krug. It fell fast and plunged its self directly into Krug''s crippled arm. The pain Krug felt had been dulled to an extreme amount because of the rot leaf, but Krug still cursed his Luck because he was unlucky enough to be stabbed in the arm by a random sword. Krug was very tired and wanted to fall a sleep at that moment instead of worrying about anything else. But not to his surprise the rockworm was still alive and angry at him and Linda who Just broke out of her protective sphere. Krug being the closest to him made it attack him first. Krug couldn''t rest, so he had no choice, but to keep fighting. As the rockworm drew closer Krug grabbed the hand of the rusty longsword by the hilt and pulled it out of his arm. The sword''s blade was coated black with Krug thick pungent blood. It robbed the sword of what little glimmer that it once possessed giving it an eerie look. With every breath the distance between Krug and the rockworm shrunk. When the two were once again next to each other they both pounced towards the other. Krug swung the longsword with all his might while the rockworm tried to devour Krug. The longsword sword left a dark streak in the air that collided with rockworm''s hard shell and pierced threw. Krug felt almost no resistance as he witnessed the rockworm that caused him considerable problems split apart in half. Krug became slack jaw as he was unsure what happened. Linda was the same her eyes almost popped out of her head after seeing what Krug did. "How in the world did he do that the rockworm still had some of its armor left". As Linda was about to figure out the puzzle in front of her Ferrise and Jasper flew out of the hole in the ceiling and landed next to her. "The Undergrowth of all places why did the hole have to lead to The Undergrowth. Well at least were lucky enough for there to be no creatures nearby". The Undergrowth is a large series of tunnels that connect everywere in Theotera. Each layer is a completely separate world from the other and is filled with all sorts of powerful monsters. Only supper guilds have the strength to claim an entire layer for themselves. Large guilds cant because the difficulty in managing and protecting a layer is enormous. There''s over 100 layers, but most are completely occupied by monsters or in hospitable because of The War of The Fallen. Ferrise and Jasper saw that Linda was fine, so they focused there attention on Krug. Ferrise scrutinize the scene in front of him and then asked Linda what happened. "That orc picked up that sword and then suddenly killed the rockworm in one swing". After hearing what linda said greed flashed in Ferrise''s eyes he then focused his attention back on Krug. "It looks like that orc found us a decent weapon. Lets kill him quickly him I have to go back to treat my wound". No one had any objections the three of them against one orc ment the fight would be over in less than a minute. Krug paid no attention to Ferrise and the others because he couldn''t. The sword he pulled out of his arm was strange it vibrated and made a soft humming noise in the air. Soon after it started doing that Krug found that he couldn''t relax his grip on the sword. It was like the sword was holding him instead of the other way around. "This strange sharp club normal sharp clumb not do this. It must be wicked sharp clumb". Krug felt a ting of fear because cursed items could do all sorts of things that would make the wielder wish they were dead. As Krug was in the middle of evaluating the danger of the sword in his hands Ferrise and the others attached. Linda conjured a large wave of earth spikes that completely encompassed Krug and rushed directly at him. Ferrise sent out a flock of crows that swooped down from above. while Jasper had wrapped thorny vines around Krug feet keeping him temporarily immobile. Death came for Krug on all sides besides forcibly breaking threw their encirclement on one end Krug couldn''t think of any other way out. In the remaining seconds Krug still had alive Krug''s body acted without his will. Krug tightened his grip on his sword and swung it horizontally the blade screeched like nails on a chalk board in the air and followd with a loud boom. A highly compressed wave of sound expanded out wards destroying everything the three mages sent at Krug along with the ground. All the birds Ferrise sent out plopped to the ground dead while Linda''s earth spikes were reduced to ruble. "You''ve got to be kidding me he found something like that" linda said in a displeased tone. Because of what they saw everyone had to reassess the danger of the situation and the value of the sword. Krug didn''t have the luxury to admire what happened he was more focused on resisting the sword in his hand. "What is wrong with this sharp clumb?" Krug veins bulged all up his right arm and continued to spread even to his right leg. Krug took a step forward and charged towards Jasper. Jasper was ready for Krug and created dozens of vines around him. Krug stepped again, but this time towards an empty Zoner were no one was stand and sword his sword downwards. An invisible sound wave spread over that area and destroyed everything there. A seemingly meaning less act left a terrified expression on Jasper''s face. A blood curdling groan escaped the ground which became silent ounce Krug made his way there and plunged his sword into the earth. Ferrise and Linda were to slow to stop Krug they could only witness him pull out his sword that was now dyed red and See Jaspers puppet flop to the ground. "Damb it how did he find Jasper? This is turning out to be a bad day Jasper was suppose to carry most of the stuff". Ferrise didn''t care about Jasper''s death apprentices die all the time in Clover Forest there partnership was only a matter of benefits. With Jasper dead it ment a larger share of the loot and less competition its a win-win scenario for Ferrise and Linda. Krug killed Jasper he couldn''t hold on any longer and dropped to his Knees in tears. "It hurts make it stop I beg of you make it stop". Pleaded to the sword while Ferrise and Linda watched. "What''s he doing Ferrise?". "Who cares he''s wide open lets gust kill him and take the loot". As Linda and Ferrise were about to strike again the sword in Krug''s hands shook vigorously and released multiple shock waves that collided with them. Each wave that struck them made them cough up blood. "Shit Ferrise this is bad that sword can directly damage a persons soul we have to get out of here" Linda uttered frantically. Her body shivered and blood dripped from here eyes and nose. Ferrise wasn''t doing any better than her despite not being the target of the sword''s attack Ferrise was about ready to keel over. "You don''t think I see that that dumb orc must have picked up a sword with runes that were to degraded to repair and used it like a fool. Its going to kill him and us if we stay here any longer, so climb onto my back". Linda didn''t dally she lached onto Ferrise''s back and both of them darted out of the cavern as fast as they could. Despite danger Ferrise wasn''t leaving empty handed he summoned a large number of crows and had them carry the rockworm''s body away. Alone in the cavern pleaded once more. "I beg of you please please stop it hurts to much". The sword hadn''t damaged Krug''s soul like Ferrise''s suspected it had instead done considerable mental damage to Krug. Krug had no Idea how to fight against such attacks Krug punched the sword and bashed it on the ground with no success. Krug even tried smashing his own head against the sword repeatedly to give the sword a tast of its own medicine, but it only made Krug''s head hurt more. The sword in Krug''s hand was Just like Desmond, but unlike him it didn''t have any luck in finding a body and accidentally fused with the sword in Krug''s hands. Ever since Krug showed up it was overjoyed because it hadn''t seen intelligent people in years. It found hope in Krug, but above all it found its new body. It Vibrated and made all Kinds of noise to attract anyone enough to pick it up, but to no advail everyone was to focused on killing each other to notice the sword. It could barely move by its self when the ground cracked it saw its chance and used all it had it stab Krug''s body in order to force Krug to pick it up. Ever since then it has been trying to claim Krug''s body but to no advail. It could only barely control Krug''s body, but in the end Krug always regained control. Not wanting to be left alone in the wild to rot it had no choice but to compromise. "Submit to me" those word echoed in Krug''s head and without hesitation Krug submitted to the sword. With tears in his eyes Krug said "You are strong stronger then Krug. Krug submit to soft skin shape club, shap club makes rules now". Following the strongest was a natural thing in orc society, so Krug felt no shame in submitting to the sword. Once Krug submitted it stopped trying to steal Krug''s body. "What is your name strange thing". "Krug''s name is Krug". "Ok, then can you tell me where I am Krug" "Sharp club underground Krug underground as well, fell threw hole we did". The sword found the creature before it strange and to dumb to talk to. "I ment whats the name of the planet were on?" "World called Theotera it is home of orcs" "What is an orc?". "Krug is orc" "Ok, you are an orc but what is an orc". "Krug is orc" The two spent less than two minutes talking, but the sword already found Krug irritable. Moving on from that dead end question the sword asked Krug. "What were things you fought". "Those were soft skins". "What are ..." the sword stopped its self from asking another dead end question and ask something else. "What am I?" "You are sharp club soft skins make you, but orc make better sharp club". The sword took Krug''s word with a grain of salt because it had to confirm everything its self. "I wish to see the world do as I say from now on and in turn I will help you". "Sharp club stronger then Krug, so Krug follow. But sharp club have small brain, sharp club need big brain like Krug to servive. Krug follow but Krug make plans". "Thats fine lets just go" "Not now Krug sleepy Krug sleep now". The injurys Krug suffered were severe Krug immediately fell unconscious with the sword tightly grasped in his hand. The sword shook as it tried to wake Krug up, but with no luck it could only wait for better days to come. 125 Seeking Equality District-B, Delmar City It was early in the afternoon the streets were teaming with people going about there day. Drivers consistently honked there horns as they complained about the other incompetent drivers on the road. Similarly none were worried about the approaching war. At a food stall by the road Eliot Row was enjoying the simplicity of life. He savored every bite of yeti meat he bought as it melted in his mouth and handed another serving of the same dish to a well dressed man standing next to him. Randell took the serving of food Eliot gave him and ate some. Yeti meat was nothing special to Randell he wasn''t even hungry he Just took it not to be rude. "Is it to your liking?". Eliot asked in a thoughtful and conserned tone. Randell faced Eliot and said, "Yes its quite good". "Thats excellent to her, now let us move on". Eliot and Randell walked down the street normally like they were two average people which was not what Randell expected when it was time for them to chat again. "Eliot why are we meeting out in the open like this don''t you people like to stay hidden". Randell said as respectfully as he could to not cause problems latter. Eliot raised up an eye brow as he looked at Randell strangely, "You people you mean Secret Visage. Randell I assure you I''m nothing like them or anyone else you''ve seen before". Eliot said those words out loud which shock Randell because it ment Eliot did care who knew what the two were talking about or his Identity, but that didn''t mean Randell wanted people to Know he was secretly conversing with a member of Secret Visage. The Purifiers is a large organisation that is only big because it is made up of mostly normal people. They are united by there common hatred for mages and the like. The Purifiers are a thorn in mages side, but its a thorn mages and cultivators have to tolerate. To get rid of the purifiers someone would have to kill all mortals. Its an impossible act that will leed only to self destruction. While Secret Visage is worse than any other Kind of known organisation to date they act without any known motive and seek only to cause destruction and chaos. "Secret Visage trully is an insane group of people, so why the hell am I here?" Randell thought to himself". Randell soon got out of his head and snapped back to reality, "I am sorry if I offended you". "Its alright, what I want to know now is your answer to my offer when we first met". "That offer of your is something that someone like myself can not give a reply to. I simply oversee matters in Delmar City I can not speak on behalf of everyone else. Even if I inform someone high up then me I can not guarantee that someone will give a response. I may even be let go just for talking to you". Eliot scoffed at Randell''s reply, "I do not need any kind of permission or your help, so there''s no reason for me to speak to anyone higher up then you. What I plan to do will not change it will terrift those who you hate and satisfy the need of Secret Visage". "Yes, you''ve said it before you wish to bring ''equality'', but how do you plan to do it and what definition of the word equality are you planning on using ours or Secret Visage''s?. You can understand why I ask this its not like the organisation your in has the best reputation". Randell asked questionly. Eliot laughed and replied, "It will be my own and when the time comes I hope you use the opportunity I give you well". As Eliot faced forward noticed he had arrived at his location and said, "it looks like were here. Tell me do you wish to accompany me in or shall we part ways here. Randell look at the place Eliot wanted to go to which put a frown on his face, "why in the world are you going into the city guard''s training camp arn''t you afraid of being apprehended the moment you step in". "Of core not those people have no useful information about me and beside its not like I''m planning on causing any trouble. I''m just going there to meet someone who caught my eye. I''ve put our meeting off for far to long, so its time I met him". "Well your gonna have to go meet him alone. If I''m seen walking in with you it will be bad for me later on". "Then this is were we part ways. Till next time Mr. Roffe". "Same to you Mr. Row" ... City Guard Training Camp, Delmar City The training camp was bustling with activity far more then usual. The announcement that there was going to be war for the rights over Delmar City put everyone in high gear. Every platoon was given extra training while more weapons were being shipped into the city from all over. In the south western section of the training camp Desmond friends John, Lance, and Roy Just completed there drills for the day and were taking the time to chat with each other before they were ordered to do something else. "I can''t believe the elves declared war again so soon after I joined. I came here to make extra money. I don''t want to die by a stray shot". Roy continued to lampoon about how cruel the universe has been to him and forced John and Lance to listen to him sulk. Lance annoyed by Roy constantly bringing down the mood lashed out at him. "Can you shut up already you''ve been complaining for days. How dow do you think I feel about this Roy I have 2 little sisters to take care of. If I knew that there was going to be a war after 2 years of me joining I wouldn''t have considered joining either". John seeing the two squabble decided to step in and mitigate the issue. "You two need to call down and look at the bright side of things". "Whats the bright side out of all this". Lance replied in an unhappy tone. "The bright side is that were all gonna die, but at least we''ll die quickly". John replied seriously, but he still had that same grin on his face which made Lance and Roy think he wasn''t serious at all. "That doesn''t make me feel better at all John". Said Lance as he held back the urge to punch John in the face. "It was worth a try. Anyway do either of you know what happened to Desmond he hasn''t been here in days and the sergeant Freeman is pissed that he has yet to show and keeps taking it out on us". "Its obvious that he ran away already. I''m half considering doing the same thing". Roy said in a depressed tone. "Roy didn''t I tell you to shut up already. If Desmond actually ran away then he would be a deserter and if they find him after that imprisonment would be considered getting off easy." As the group debated whether or not Desmond actually deserted or not Eliot came walking towards them. Lance quickly noticed Eliot and stopped talking to his idiot friends for the moment to speak to him. "Eliot what are you doing here". Lance asked in a chipper tone. Eliot saved him from his friends stupidity, so he was quite happy to see him. "I had a business meeting nearby, and that''s when I thought of you. I haven''t seen you in some time because of some important things that popped up and wanted to personally apologize for missing that party you invited me to". Eliot spoke in a refined tone everything he did was high class in Lance''s eyes. "Its alright a small get together like what we had would most likely not be to your liking anyway". Lance said while feeling a bit embarrassed for inviting someone as high class as Eliot to a dingy party. "That''s nonsense I truly wish that I could have come and since I have the time now I would like to make that up to you. Are these the friends you told me about". Lance couldn''t believe Eliot took time out of his day just to hang out with someone like him. It was in that moment Lance believed Eliot was truly a kind person. "I guess even high class people are just normal people after all". As Lance took the time to introduce his friends Eliot had his eye firmly planted on John the real reason for his visit. 126 Target Acquired The Sewer, Delmar City Inside Desmond''s secret base he was sitting down in a corner of the room meditating with a beginner grade magic core in his hands. The magical and spiritual energy stored inside the creatures core followed outwards threw Desmond''s body and into his own core. As time passed the core in Desmond''s hands degraded until it was only dust. The energy the core provided allowed Desmond''s core to grow 1 centimeter larger. The feeling of having his core expanded made Desmond feel uncomfortable. A terrible itch assaulted his chest, but no matter how he scratched it it would never go away. Desmond was only able to use the beginner and intermediate grade cores to strengthen his own and tamper his soul because he has only reached intermediate rank. If Desmond attempted to use a core that was a higher grade then his rank it will only harm him providing him no benefits. "That''s enough for today you already absorbed 3 cores anymore will only harm you and might crack your core". Zane''s will instructed Desmond threw his training with no passion. Every time he spoke it brought Desmond''s mood down even though he was doing his favorite thing which was practicing magic. "Isn''t there a faster way to strengthen my core?" Desmond spoke to Zane''s will plainly its very appearance upsetted Desmond, but he sucked it up and waited until the day he was stronger then Zane. "Of corse, but your body can''t handle it. You can''t even handle strengthening your core and tampering your soul on the same day. So, stop looking for short cuts and do as your told". As Desmond spent time with Zane''s will he got use to how it treated him, so he didn''t linger on such things. "Whatever you say just let me switch to training with my soul fire then you''ll help me customise my spells alright". Zane''s will gave no response and Desmond didn''t try to get one out of him he switched to practicing with his soul fire. Desmond''s soul fire is unique Zane found out about its unique ability and was amazed by it. Desmond didn''t have the opportunity to nerd out over his new power because of all the things that were suddenly thrown at him, but when he did he was amazed by it as well. Desmond sat in the same spot and picked up a brick then let his soul fire wash over it. It wasn''t long until his soul fire''s unique ability kicked in and the brick started becoming see threw. Like someone turned down the opacity on it in photoshop. Desmond''s soul fire can make physical objects spectral. The things he affects don''t lose there mass what his soul fire does is closer to a change in matter. He removes some elements, but also leaves something behind in its place. Desmond is able to partly turn himself ethereal and back again safely, but he hasn''t figured out how to do it to other things. Ever since Desmond found out he could affect matter in such a strange way he was extremely intrigued by it because it ment if he mastered it most people couldn''t defend against his attacks. Desmond would theoretically be able to change the property of his attacks mid battle leaving no room for his enemies to counter. He would also be able to strip a persons defense away like it was paper if they had a lot of armor on or used a shield. Such things would be meaningless to Desmond. A long drawn out battle would only benefit Desmond allowing him to stand up as a true champion. Desmond enjoyed such thoughts just as much as he enjoyed messing with the odd objects he creates with his soul fire. Desmond can easily touch the things he makes ethereal and pass threw them as for others they may not have such an easy time. "20 seconds that is far to long to completely change the property of something when in the middle of a fight". Desmond has met consistent danger since coming to Theotera. Though it wasn''t who he was before Desmond has made piece with having to fight and potentially kill to get what he needs. "Zane can you show me how to incorporate my soul fire''s unique ability into all of my spells" "It is possible many have done it before. Since that is what you want then you will have to stop using those baby arrays and start incorporating the pentagram into your spells. The pentagram allows you to draw out the power of the soul. You will also need to add the necessary runes that correspond to the soul. Which is information that is not sold easily, so your lucky you have me. There are other things to do as well, but you get the gist. After a month or two you should be able to alter a spell to one that suits you". Desmond was displeased with Zane''s time frame just to alter one spell because he was in danger now. "Isn''t that a bit to long". Zane''s will said coldly, "a month or two is the time frame with my help without it you would be lucky to create a new spell with in the next 5 years. Your attainment level in this field isn''t even at ordinary grade. It is only after hundreds of years did my original self become a formation path Grandmaster and even after all that time I have yet to see the door way to become a Quasi-Supreme Master. Magic is no joke people dedicate there lives to it, so stop looking for short cuts unless you want to be just another third rate mage that gets killed without anyone knowing there name". Attainment level refers to a persons mastery in a subject. There multiply different levels which range from Ordinary, Master, Grandmaster, Supreme Master, and Overlord. In between those levels are ''quasi'' levels that refer to someone who is part way to the next. The skill gap between each level is massive and a high proficiency in something heavily factors into the kinds of things someone can make or do. Finding a person with a specific level of skill in a subject is more rare the higher up you go. Grandmasters are treated with the highest amount of respect anywhere they go. Supreme Masters are more rare then demigods while an Overlord can''t compare to any of the others. They have reached the pinnacle of there field and are capable of creating a new path for others to follow. Overlord''s are respected and feared because they are pioneers there emergence signifys the end of an era and the beginning of something new. There are numerous paths a person can study such as Formation path, blood, star, dark (and all the other elements), rule, fate, law, transformation, flight, time, space, and more. Zane is a terrible person, but his love for magic is genuine and it translated over to his will. "Alright I''ll take the long way around, but since creating a new spell will take a bit I''ll hole off on that till tomorrow. Instead teach me what you know about necromancy, how to train the mind, the power of fate". "I can teach you necromancy best if we had a body, human preferribly. I know of a few techniques to train the mind as well, but the best ones suited for you also require a living person. As for Fate its a complex field with more theorys then answers that will take a few years to cover". Desmond thought about what Zane said and wasn''t completely opposed to the Idea finding someone of the streets to use in his training. The more Desmond thought about it the more he realized it was a great idea. He had plenty of enemies to choose from and 3 of them stood out from the rest in his mind. "Do you have a way to track down 3 humans". Desmond asked with a sadistic smile on his face. "Are they mortal?" "Yes". "Then I have hundreds of ways to do that. All I need is something that''s personal of there''s to get started". Desmond had a disappointed look on his face as he said, "I don''t have anything like that. I kind of know were to get it, but I also Kind of don''t. A lot of memorise have mixed in with my own and its kind of hard to differentiate between them". "Just learn how to soul seach to fix that. Either way that eliminates all the easy ways to find the ones your looking for, but there''s still options.". Zane''s will turned to wards the shelf Desmond had all of his thing''s stored and said, "to find those three we will need to contact a entity from the spirit world called Zavna. Zavna is a low level mischievous spirit that likes to feed on memorise. By feeding it some of your memorise of the ones you seek it will give you visions about those people. But that is only if you do the ritual right to control it. If you fail Zavna will eat all your memorise and leave you brain dead". "Jeez, isn''t there anything safer". "There would have been if you managed to take one of there personal belongings, but since you didn''t no there isn''t. Besides this is magic were dealing with it is as safe as it gets". Desmond considered not doing the ritual, but the thought of lettering those people who kidnapped him and tried to sacrifice him walk around safe and happy when he was fully capable of getting revenge didn''t sit right with him. "Alright lets do it". "Not backing out because of a little danger is good because real safety doesn''t exist when pursuing magic. Now go grab the pure silver on the shelf to purify the room and create a spiritual ward. Then grab a bowl and fill it with that vile of death water, bown powder, hemlock, wormwood, and your blood. But before we start the ritual you''ll need to draw a few defensive magic arrays on the floor and walls". Zane''s will lectured Desmond for hours on what to do and how to do it. It was only after a 10 hour lecture and multiple practice did Desmond have the opportunity to do the ritual. From head to tow the room was filled with complex arrays that Desmond mostly didn''t understand, but he under stood the gist of it. Desmond kneed on the floor in front of a bowl that had all the things Zane asked for. Many candles were lit around the room and Desmond was ready. He cut his hand letting his blood drip into a bowl before he wrapped his hand in a cloth. Desmond chanted a phrase in ancient Zedric and before long all the candles extinguished all at ounce plunging Desmond in darkness. From the darkness Desmond found light. The light radiated out wards from a massive burning red eye. Desmond looked into the eye and saw himself, but not as some old decrepit old man. But as a tall, strong, handsome man with caramel skin and a distant glare that kept others away. "Short dark hair, thin muscular build, ice cold demeanor who in the world am I looking at could that actually be me". As Desmond lost focus Zavna lashed out and tried to consume all of Desmond''s memorise. But the arrays placed beforehand saved Desmond. "Don''t lose focus pay attention" Zane''s word drew Desmond back to what he was doing allowing him to abandon that memory. Before long Desmond was able to accomplish his goal. The room was silent as Desmond thought about the what he saw. "Who in the world was I really. I never had any memorise of who I was so I never really thought about it, but that man there was something wrong with him. When I think of him it feels me with terror inside". Desmond''s body shivered as he thought about what he saw, but Zane drew him out of it. "Did you find who you seek". "Yes, I found one person, but for the others all I saw was darkness and pure white". "The darkness means that person is alive, but is using something to defend against spying. White means that person is dead". "Well at least I can get one person. I''ll go get him now I could use the fresh air". "Happy hunting to you then". Zane''s will said jokingly because when something involves the suffering of others Zane''s always onboard. 127 Eye For An Eye District-C, Welter Street, Delmar city A man who is tired is the best way to the best way to describe Roberts personality. He''s tired of paying his insanely high bills every month. He''s to tired after work and assisting The Purifiers to be a better father to his wife, son and daughter. But above all he''s tired of the treatment mortals receive from mages and cultivator''s. That trait of his affected every aspect of his being all the way from the way he talks to the way he walks. He is a man who gives off an aura of someone who has been drained of all he had, but in the end he still works as hard as ever. Robert gave everything he could to ensure a better future for his family and he would give more if he could to make sure they got to see a better tomorrow. In an average apartment the smell of an almost finished dinner filled the room. While the panicked steps of a home wife thumped on the floors with much vigor. She searched threw ever cabinet including the fridge, but couldn''t find what she was looking for. "Robert were''s the chocolate I thought I saw it here not long ago?". Daisy said with a perplexed look on her face. Robert was sitting on the couch in the living room watching T.V. He had just finished eating the last bit of chocolate in the house when his wife suddenly called out to him. A ting of fear filled his heart, but he had been married a long time and knew just what to say to escape with his life safely. "I saw Dash eat the last of it a litte while ago". In times of crisis it is a fathers right to sacrifice his own hid to his mother to save himself. "What, I''m trying to cook us a nice dinner before the war with the elves starts and were all forced to stay underground. All flights on the Nimbus have been taken and the stargate is to expensive for all of us to use. How in the world am I going to make this meal perfect without desert?". Daisy was very up set she had worked hard to make the perfect meal and her kid ruined it. "You don''t have to worry about it its just chocolate i''ll go to the store right now and get some". "Also pick up milk why your there I just realized were almost out". "Already". As Robert hurried his way out the door to safety his 12 year old son along with his teen daughter walked thew the door. "Dad, were are you going". Dash said in a sweet tone. While his daughter ignored him as all teen do. Robert after seeing Dash had a wonderful Idea. Robert bent down and placed his hand on his Kids shoulder then said to him. "Your mom''s been cooking all day I''m going down to the store to help, but you have to do your part as well. So, take this and go help your mom". Robert then handed Dash the evidence and quickly made his escape, before he was dragged into things as well. ... At a department store Robert exited with a few groceries that he needed and a pack of cigarettes as a reward for his brilliant planning. He was enjoying his reward when someone he Knew passed by him. "Gresham what are you doing here you don''t live near here?". Robert said with a joyfully, it was always a nice sight to a familiar face on the streets especially one you got along with. Gresham had a look of surprise on his face he wasn''t expecting Robert to be there. "Robert I wasn''t expecting to see you here either. It really is a small world". "It is, so are you grocery shopping as well?". "No, i''ve been assigned to help fix up a new base ever since the last one, well you known went boom". "I thought everyone was hiding ever since what happened, but its nice to know there are people still out there working. So, were is the new place?" "Its not far from here its only a few block away. Hay, since were about to announce the location mind helping me shop and carry some things back there". Robert felt Gresham''s request was kind of sudden, but it wasn''t difficult, so he agreed. "Sure I''ll help I need to make sure my wife has time to cool down after what I did anyway". "That''s greet there''s a place that sells the tools I need across the street lets go". ... Once Gresham and Robert arrived inside the other store Gresham began picking out the tools he needed while remembering to always be mindful and always get Roberts opinion on things. "Hay Robert which tool do you think will be the best for pulling out nails". Gresham whole heartedly wanted Robert''s opinion he wanted to use only the best tools he had available. "obviously that hammer over there". "Yes, typically I would agree with you, but these nails are a bit harder to remove. I was thinking about using pliers, yet then again Its probably safer to get both just in case". Gresham continued to brows the store until he found the safety equipment he was looking for. "How many feet of chains do you recommend to tie down something thats about this big". "I would say 6 feet, but you should always get a little more just to have some wiggle room". "Thank''s for the tip, but I''m not so sure about the locks they sell here. I''m gonna go see if these are really the best heavy duty locks they sell here. Do you mind seeing if they sell any saws good enough to cut threw metal and first aid kits". Gresham asked Robert kindly with a wide smile on his face. "Sure I''ll get right on it". ... By the time Gresham and Robert finished shopping they had filled up two carts full of thing. Gresham had Robert help him borrow (steal) a few carts from the grocery store nearby just to carry everything. "Jeez, Gresham didn''t you say the place was almost done why do you still need, so much stuff". Robert looked down at all the things he helped Gresham buy and felt awkward pushing everything down the street. Gresham bought a blowtorch, a bunch of different knives, barbwire, even a mini battery. "I was just as shocked when Jerry gave me the list, but it turned out he''s just sending most of this stuf to other places. Were trying to get everything set up right before the war starts, so you can see the urgency for everything. The war''s got everyone doing what ever they can to stay safe. I''ve doing everything I can to protect myself as well, but I''ve had little luck getting the things I need. All the places I usually go to buy magic equipment have had all there good stuff sold. Hay, Robert you wouldn''t know about any mid level black maket trade groups would you". Gresham had a desperate look on his face he was truly desperate to find a decent black maket trade group. Robert thought for a moment before he said, "ya, I know a few places for mid and high level deals, but most of them are invitation only. I Recommend you go to Corvo''s shop in The Underground if you say the code words in the right order he''ll point you in the direction of whatever you need for a price". Gresham eyes lit up after he leared Robert actually knew what he had been searching, so long for. "What''s the code words" "Its ...". Words can not describe how overjoyed Gresham felt after leared how to obtain what he needed. "Are we almost there?". "Ya, were almost there we just have to pass threw that alleyway". As Gresham and Robert entered the alley they saw a man standing in the middle of it tagging a wall. The man''s painting was beautiful the one who painted it was so focused in what he was doing it looked as if he was in a trance as he continued to paint. After a few seconds he noticed Gresham and Robert the three of them locked eye''s for a brief moment before he ran. "Its another refugee". "How can you tell Robert?". "Ever since the refugee''s came here there was a major spike in the amount of graffiti found around town and all there art is somewhat similar, so after a while you can tell them apart. But that doesn''t matter lets just go". As Robert continued to move forward Gresham said, "there''s no need were already here". "We ar ...". Before Robert could finish Robert felt something hard hit him on his head causing him to fall to the ground. A terrible pain washed over him as blood spilled into his eye. Gresham stood over Robert grabbed him by the throat. "Yo_r ... n_ot" Robert struggled to get his words out of his mouth words as Gresham squeezed tighter . "[Air Compression]" Gresham created created a sphercal ball of air around Robert head. The sphere cut off all of Robert''s air suffocating him. "[Muffle]" As Robert struggled Gresham cast another spell that greatly reduces the amount of noise in an area reducing the chance of someone hereing his screams. Not long after Gresham towered over Robert''s weak body then took the time to once again look at the graffiti on the wall. The graffiti gave him an odd feeling, but he had no time to inspect it and he also didn''t care that much about it anyway. "[Invisibility], [False Image]" Gresham''s magic made the alley seem normal to the naked eye as he made his escape into the sewer with his captive. ... Back inside Desmond''s secret base the sound of a fist pounding on flesh echoed out clear. It hadn''t been long since Desmond captured Robert, but he had already beaten him to a bloody mess. Desmond had Robert chained up to a wall as he continued punching him. "Hay, stop trying to fall unconscious I just got you and I haven''t even used any of the stuff we bought together. I was thinking about starting with those stubborn finger nails, so I took out the pliers. But I value your opinion so lets first see what the hammer can do". Desmond had a sadistic smile on his face as he assaulted Robert. Robert''s gaze was unfocussed the world span around in circles even when Desmond grabbed him by his hair and forced Robert to look at him Robert''s gaze shifted which only made Desmond hit him more. Zane''s will watched from the side quietly until he said, "you''ve let those wills influence you to much you were not like this before. I recommend ...". Zane''s voice made Desmond angry he lashed out and said, "you shut the fuck up if I want your opinion on something i''ll ask for it". Those word brought out the dark side in Zane''s will, before Desmond even knew what happened his entire body was implanted inside of a wall. Zane''s will released a terrifying dark aura that petrified Desmond as he walked towards Desmond. Desmond looked at Zane''s will fearfully as he said, "how did you do that aren''t you basically a hologram?". "Do not speak simply listen. I may simply be a will, but I am the will of someone you can only dream of matching. Currently I have been very kind, but mark my words speak to me like that again and I will kill you. Your nothing in the eye''s of someone like me. Now nod if you understand". Desmond noded just like Zane''s will said fearfully. What Zane''s will did drew up all of Desmond''s fears of him, but it also made him rational. Reluctantly Desmond said, "Thanks". "I don''t need your thanks all I need is for you to remember you''ve been warned. Now do you want to learn how to properly torture someone or not". "Yes, I do". " That''s good, but to learn how to torture someone that comes with a condition". "What is it?" "The condition is whatever you want to do to someone you must first do to yourself". " What?" Desmond felt Zane''s condition weird and it made him a bit worried about the days ahead. "What did you think that''s everything you want is just going to be handed to you? Magic comes from pain. Every sacrifice you make, every loss, every win, scrape, bruise, death all of it strengthens your soul, it makes you stronger in turn it makes you a better mage. so, I will say it once more do you wish to learn?". Desmond hesitated for a moment, but then he realized he had already suffered so much pain and loss to get where he is today, so what''s a little more. With unwavering conviction Desmond replied, " yes". 128 Shady Dealings Part 1 Twilight''s Academy, Delmar City In District 0 where only official Mages, cultivators, and those associated with them are allowed to purchase property and live stands the Twilight Academy. Twilight Academy was build to nurture the most promising apprentice mages from various clans associated with Delmar City. Inside of its magnificent walls rich with history Linda was standing alone in a grand hallway that had jewel-encrusted chandeliers and a velvet rug covering the floor. Linda knocked on the door in front of her and waited for a reply from the person in the room. The dorm room she knocked on belong to Ferrise. Him and Linda had recently come back from there hunting trip and each took the time take care of their own business. Ferrise immediately parted with Linda tend to his wounds, but after he got back all he could do was stabilize himself and not regrow the pound of flesh Krug shot off of him. Most of the students who supply the means to do so had taken missions far away from Delmar City to escape the war. The ones who were still left already sold out all their Goods to trade. The war has severely limited his options. Before healing such a wound would have been no trouble at all so long as he had the money. But now you needed more then money to get what you want. The wound wasn''t life threatening but it was a glaring weak point that he did not want to leave unattended. When Ferrise heard knocking on his door he stopped tending to his wound to open it. Once you Ferrise saw it was only Linda he let her in. "So, did you find someone that had what I need?". Ferrise hoped for good new, but received the worst new possible for him do hear. "I found out that there was someone that recently still had what you needed, but a problem arose before I could acquire it". "What kind of problem?". Linda took a second and cautiously replied, "the Maverick kind" Once the word Maverick slipped threw Linda''s mouth Ferrise lost his cool and broke the chair he was next to along with some other things in the room. Howell Maverick is an advanced apprentice just like Ferrise and linda who has almost reached the peak of apprentice grade, but unlike them in the school he is well known for being cold hearted and manipulative. He has tormented many other students at the academy by abusing the school rules to the maximum. Many students have confronted maverick before of which none have ended well. If you bother Maverick to much he will find an excuse to out right kill you in front of everyone or make you suffer a humiliation worse then death. Jasper was living proof of what could happen to someone when they cross paths with Maverick. During a tournament at Twilight Academy Maverick had the honor of facing Maverick. The second it started Maverick unleashed a hail storm of attacks that gave him an opening to cut Jasper''s throat. Because of the rules set in place the only way that the battle would stop was if the opponent gave up, was out of bounds, or if the the opponent was unconscious. Maverick purposly slit Jasper''s throat to remove on of his options and because he had plenty of ways to keep Jasper alive and conscious. The battle didn''t end till every inch of the stage was covered in Jasper''s blood. After the match ended everyone else was forced to continue the match on the blood stained ring. No one wanted to challenge Maverick after that except a few easily winning him the tournament. "What did he do this time?". Ferrise knew when Maverick''s name was attached to something that it wasn''t going to be good so he braced himself for what Linda was going to say next. "Maverick accused the person who had what you needed of robbery and took most of his stuff as compensation. The evidence he had was solid even the teachers admitted they would find it hard pressed to make someone look anymore guilty". "That bastard is at it again with his tricks. He''s the worst kind of opponent for people like us because everything he does is fair and legal. That crafty devil knows now bounds if I could kill him I would, but the way he fights make him difficult to deal with". Dealing with Maverick brought endless headaches to Ferrise. To alleviate the pain Ferrise forgot about Maverick and focused on problems that he had the ability to solve. "Linda how many underground trade gatherings do you know about I need to go to all of them to boost the chances of finding what I want". "I know of a couple, but that info''s going to cost you". Linda and Ferrise weren''t friends they supported each other because of mutual benefit. "I can pay you no problem, but we have to talk about the issue about our group because Jasper''s dead we need someone to take his place, any recommendations?". "I know a few people we can choose from". "Good that makes this easy". ... Inside of a different room on the other side of the Twilight Academy sparks produced from someone welding flew sporadically all around. All kinds of complicated machinery, blueprints and scrap metal could be found all around the room. The man who was welding stopped when an alert on his computer monitor caught his attention. The welder took of his welding face mask, gloves, and apron to comfortably interact with the computer fully displaying his face. It was a face everyone in Twilight Academy knew and disliked because it was Maverick''s. Maverick wasn''t handsome, but he most definitely wasn''t ugly. He was average in every as spect. Maverick had long dark hair that reached his waist, a common looking face, and dark eyes. Maverick watched the video that played on his monitor with a devious smile on his face. He placed micro cameras all over and in many of the students dorms. The information he gathered on everyone in the academy was plentiful it didn''t matter if it was about specific items someone had or bathroom habits Maverick categorized and documented everything. He repeatedly used that information to get what he needed in the academy.The video he was watching was a recording of the conversation Linda and Ferrise just had together. Once the video ended Maverick looked at a specially made glass container next to him. Inside was a special kind of silkworm called a flesh worm that can only be created thew a difficult refinement process. The silkworm eats dead flesh and then spits out a new health strand that is commonly used in skin graphing and other things. The worm has a short life span of about 6 months, so many people choose to sell the worm if they have no personal need for it. Maverick didn''t particularly need the worm he only acquired it because he knew Ferrise needed something like it. Everything Maverick recently did was all in a bid to get Ferrise to move how he needed him to. All in a bid to acquire what he needed. "That stone is waisted on you Ferrise its about time someone who can bring out its full potential uses it". The impending war has forced everyone to scrape together what litte they can to ensure there own safety. So there was no way Maverick was going to let Ferrise keep what he desperately wanted. 129 Shady Dealings Part 2 Inside Desmond''s secret base unnerving screams escaped Desmond''s mouth. The chains wrapped around his arm rattle ceaselessly. Desmond tugged and squirmed with all his might he was ready to pull off his own arms to escape the pain Zane was inflicting on him. Zane''s figure stood nearby Desmond and watched him struggle. One mental attack after the assaulted Desmond''s mind until he foamed at his mouth and fell unconscious. To properly torture someone you must break their mind not just their body. Zane''s will etched that lesson into Desmond and he will repeatedly do so as part of Desmond''s training. Time passed and after a while, Desmond awoke from his long slumber. His entire body was shivering every muscle in Desmond''s body remembered how Zane''s will mutilated him and the illusions he trapped him in, but no matter where Desmond checked his body was perfectly fine. Despite what his eyes told him everyone one of his other senses told him otherwise. The signals he received were overwhelming so he turned them all off. Desmond''s body completely shut down his spirit body huddled in a corner deep inside himself fixing all the errors that he found and only reemerged when he was done. When Desmond finished his ragdoll of a body spontaneously regained life and struggled to his feet. Desmond focused his eyes on Zane''s will and then asked him. "How long have I been unconscious this time?". Zane''s will spared no sentiment or concern about Desmond''s health he only explained and moved forward. "You''ve been unconscious for 18 hours this time since we''ve been at this for a week none stop your mental walls in your sea of consciousness is showing signs of breaking because of this we will stop your magical training for a few days and focus on your studies". The sea of consciousness refers to a person''s mental strength and its stability. A strong mind can significantly boost a person''s control of a spell, complexity of a spell a person can use, and amount of different spells a person can use at one time. Along with various other things that are indispensable to mages and cultivators. Desmond didn''t like that he had to temporarily stop his magic training, but he also wasn''t a person who was stupidly stubborn who takes unnecessary risks, so he went along with what Zane''s will requested. "That''s fine, but I need you to help alter my spells. All the spells I know break apart when too much energy is inserted inside. That significantly increases my rate of failure when casting a spell when I''m not careful. Incorporating the property of my soul fire will take about 1 -2 months, but how long would it take just to increase the amount of energy I can impute into all of my spells". Desmond had plans to eventually return to the reserve unit before they think he deserted which implied him being out in the open for all of his enemies for long periods at a time so he didn''t want to be completely defenseless. Zane''s will replied, "that will take about an hour to alter all the spells that you know." Desmond was amazed by how fast Zane''s will could get his request done. "How come you can get that done so quickly but not the other thing". Desmond asked very skeptical about Zane''s time frames. "The spells that you know are only at an apprentices level which is no problem for someone with the skills of a formation path grandmaster like myself to alter. Your first request will take longer because not only do I have to create a new spell formation that suits you specifically, I have to incorporate the usage of your spirit energy that is tainted by the wills of a bunch of other souls while creating something that can add in the unique property of your soul fire". Zane''s will''s voice contained a tinge of anger because his skills were coming into question by someone who had none. Desmond clearly felt its anger so Desmond didn''t question further and just did what the will wanted. Desmond removed the chains holding him down with a key that he had in his poket and then began his lessons. The lessons Zane''s will put Desmond through incorporated a wide variety of things. herbalism, magical beast and human Anatomy, history, along with runes, math and language skills. Listening of Zane''s will preach hours on end made Desmond feel like he was back in school. Desmond only cared about the magical side of things, but even when Zane''s will got to those topics it''s beauty was tainted by the presence of math. "Why is there so much math? There''s more math then Magic". The numbers and equations Desmond was presented with would make Nobel prize-winning professors have a headache. Magic becomes exceedingly more difficult the further down the path you get to the point of performing brain surgery while doing rocket science would seem like a piece of cake. Desmond endured 4 days worth of that torture until his mental walls healed and he could safely use magic again. Zane''s will had long since presented Desmond with the altered version of his spells. sparing no time Desmond tested them all out. Quickly he found that his spells were a bit more flexible than before. he could inject as much Magic in them as he felt like but they wouldn''t break down. But that simple alteration made each spell enormously more complex than before. That put a big cap on the amount of spells Desmond can you simultaneously. Before Desmond can only need two Spells at the same time. After the transformation he went through the strength of his soul was significantly boosted. So if he continued using the same spell formation Desmond could launch more then 10 Spells at the same time. But because of the complexity of the spell and his own lack in Foundation Desmond can only cast five Spells at the same time. Desmond was very happy about his boost in power. he was just a tinge sad about not being able to go all out. if Desmond caused too much of a commotion in the sewer it would attract unwanted attention. Desmond played around with this spells a bit and cast the spell [shape water] on the sewer water which allowed him to change the states of the water near him from liquid, solid, to gas. The sewer water with a 3 meters of him completely froze which surprise Desmond because that significantly exceeded what a beginner rank spell could do. All because of the alterations Zane''s will made Desmond can increase the power and range of all his spells by expanding more Magic. But what Desmond really wanted was to utilize Spirit energy as a substitute for Magic because Desmond magic reserves had a limit and so did his Spirit energy but his spiritual energy was significantly stronger the magic he currently had inside his body. By switching between the two Desmond could increase the length he could fight. Desmond had many issues that he needed to solve to increase his combat power which will leave him completely reliant on Zane for a very long time. "Stop testing spells and get over here. Your next lesson starts now". Every type of will had limited functions and specialitys there actions are tied to the desires and emotions of the person who created it at the time of its creation. Zane''s will only wanted to teach Desmond so it can complete the task it was made for. When Desmond spent time playing around it got annoyed. Desmond looked coldy at Zane''s will who was standing inside the base watching him as he walked back into the base. "What''s then next lesson?". Zane''s will replied, "it will be strengthening your sea of consciousness. Since you want you become an illusionist this is a subject you can''t slack on. Illusionist have to trick the mind and senses of people with extraordinarily strong wills and mental fortitude. To over come that your mind must be stronger then your opponents. There are many ways to strengthen your sea of consciousness and about 90% of them involve enduring a strong external mental pressure to slowly expand your mind. Your mind right now is quite weak you can''t even enter your sea of consciousness when you meditate making it no better then a mortals. That''s because your mind at this point is in a gas state which is bad because it means it easily influenced by external pressure. By using the technique i''m about to give you, you will be able to increase the pressure on your mind which will condense the gas till it becomes liquid and expands to become a vast sea". Zane''s will then waved his hand which let out a birst of energy and carved the proper way to perfom the technique he wanted Desmond to learn. Having the information forcefully implant in his head heart but Desmond endured it. Zane continued explaining and said, "the technique is called [fools challenge] it allows a person to strengthen there sea of consciousness by grinding away at another persons mind. Its a top grade technique that is very useful and can shave years off the time it would take to condense your sea of consciousness. While its a great technique the problem is it can be quite dangerous. Having your mind exposed to someone else leaves you vulnerable to even the weakest opponent because what your doing is fighting a person off with only will power as your weapon not physical strength or magic. If your will is weaker then your opponents you can become heavily injured to the point your journey down the path of magic could immediately end or just die". Desmond didn''t like hearing about the potential dangers of a technique that Zane''s will wash showing him because they were always so extreme. It made him wonder if the consept of making techniques with little to no risk even existed in the new world he was in. With a bit of hope Desmond asked Zane''s will if there was anyway to lower the danger just like how he did with the summoning that he performed. Zane''s will laughed maniacally and told Desmond, " there is". Desmond relieved at the new asked what it was. Zane responded by saying, "its the same lesson that I spent that long week grinding into your body". Desmond felt a chill run down his spine because he instantly knew what Zane''s will meant. After figuring out what had to be done Desmond turned to towards Robert. His poor naked figure was still chained to the wall in a half conscious state. Blood, dirt, and sweat clung tightly to his body while dark bruises, burn marks, and cut were all clearly visible even from a distance. A large wide empty bin layed under Robert, Desmond put it there to be Robert''s toilet and to collect any other bodily fluids like blood that fell to the ground. A tired sigh escaped Desmond''s mouth as he looked at Rober. He felt no pity or remorse for what he had done he just became mentally tired from thinking about all the time him and robert were going to share together. The technique [fools challenge] allows the users mind to battle against the mind of there opponent since the battle is a contest of wills there is a way to cheat. Which is to inflict the same amount of torment that Desmond endured for a week on his opponent. Essential all Desmond has to do to greatly ensure his own safety is torture Robert till his mind breaks. Desmond spared no time getting to work he completely remembered the painful things Zane''s will did to him and how he did it. With so many toys that he never got the chance to touch the two of them had no shortage of activities to play together. 130 Shady Dealings Part 3 The time Desmond spent bonding with Robert passed rather quickly for Desmond. Before he knew it 4 days passed, Robert on the other hand didn''t feel the the same way. Minutes felt like hours to Robert he had long ago lost track of time. Robert was only sure about what happened in the present. He didn''t have the the luxury about worrying about the future because he knew his future was uncertain. Ever since Robert fell into Desmond''s hands he had known only pain. Pain is beauty, it is a form of art. As Desmond''s blade continuously danced across Robert''s body his inexperience showed, but Zane''s will was always there to steady his hand. Resulting in the wounds becoming deeper snd shallower where they should be. Ensuring Robert stayed alive while the most pain was inflicted. Rest was not really required for Desmond he can push his body past its breaking point whenever he wanted. Desmond only temporarily stopped tormenting Robert when he was worried Robert would actually die. Desmond absolutely didn''t want that, death was an escape ultimately it ment it was a show of mercy. After all Desmond was put through he didn''t have a single thought about showing mercy. Desmond had full intention to always keep Robert alive and health because he will for a very long time be Desmond''s most prized guinea pig. "That is enough it should be safe to use the technique on him now". Zane''s will had been watching Desmond torture Robert closely to make sure he didn''t accidentally go overboard and ruin a perfectly good test training dummy. Once Desmond heared those words he was happy to stop. Torturing someone was mentally and physically taxing it brought Desmond no pleasure only magic did that. After all the time Desmond spent inflicting pain on Robert his arms were sore and he was sick of the various smells a single human could produce when you''ve tormented them to such an extreme as Desmond had. "Alright I''ll start now then". Desmond had the technique [emperor''s challenge] engraved in his mind all of its strengths and weakness were clear as day to Desmond. In his free time when he wasn''t tormenting Robert he practiced the activation of the technique. Since it was a new technique Desmond wasn''t particularly good at it, but he was good enough to succeed in activating it once out of every three attempts. Which was simply amazing for something that your unfamiliar with. Desmond placed his hands around Robert''s bloody skull and focused his mind. Desmond''s mind wasn''t particularly outstanding it was on the level of a normal humans, the things that Desmond experienced has considerably strengthened his mental fortitude far beyond what a average human typically has. Desmond''s mind is at the level of a battle harden soldier that you could find on earth making it nothing in the eyes of a true mage, but at least it meant Desmond wouldn''t go down without a fight. For 2 hours Desmond stood completely still the technique puts a great strain on the mind, but that didn''t discourage Desmond he continued to focuse until it finally happen. Desmond''s pupils expanded till they were as wide as an owl''s and once again radiated a beautiful rainbow glow. While Desmond''s eyes were marvelous to look at they lacked a certain awareness. Thats because apart of his mind had left his body and entered Robert''s. Inside Robert''s sea of consciousness his mind was just like Desmond''s it was in the state of a gas cloud. Not a single drop of water representing a persons mental strength could be seen. There where only 2 eye catching things inside Robert''s sea of consciousness which were its outer walls which had large cracks on them which allowed a strange gas to easily invade Robert mind. That foreign gas was Desmond''s consciousness invading Robert''s mind. The moment Desmond''s consciousness entered Robert''s mind Robert''s unconsciously lashed out. It was an instinctive measure that everyone possesses. As Robert''s mind clashed with Desmond''s sparks were formed they shot out in every direction dispersing large sections of the gas cloud that formed both Robert and Desmond. Robert had the upper hand over Desmond since they were inside his mind. The amount of force he could generate was significantly stronger then Desmond but all that torture Desmond put Robert through wasn''t for nothing. It disoriented him making it hard for him to focuse his senses it often made him pay more attention to what was happening outside of his body thin in his mind. Robert had a strained expression of pain plastered on his face and so did Desmond. Neither of them were doing well. Desmond may have significantly reduced the danger for himself by torturing Robert but it didn''t make what he was doing any less dangerous. Every spark that was generated when Robert and Desmond''s minds clashed where their neurons flairing. Every large and small burst could potentially lead to a neuron dying or a blood vessel in their brain bursting which is exactly what happened to both of them. Desmond couldn''t handle the pain of blood vessels bursting like popcorn inside of his head it forced him to let go and kneel on the floor to hold his head. Blood dripped from Desmond''s nose onto the floor his ears rand loudly as he cradled his head in his hands. The pain was so excruciating Desmond didn''t even have the energy to get mad at Robert for puking on him. As soon as Desmond had regained some of his composure he asked Zane''s will. "How long did I last?" Desmond wasn''t yet able to tell time when he was inside of someones mind because time is perseved differently inside of someones mind so he had to ask Zane''s will. Zane''s will emotionlessly replied, "7 minutes and 4 seconds". Desmond was shocked by that number. "7 minutes, all that time I wasted on that piece of shit and yet all It brought me was 7 minutes". "You should be happy about that number I expected you to last 3. Besides its not like what your doing is some kind of game were you get everything you want. On average for someone''s mind to reach even the most bottom tear amongst mages and cultivators using the conventional method takes about 10-15 years. My method is a bit less conventional and will allow your mind to reach a satisfactory level in about 7-10 years. If you had some kind of natural born talent in this field then that would be shorten again to around 5+ years. Strengthening a persons sea of consciousness is considered by many more difficult then strengthening a persons soul. Since there are a lot of ways to strengthen the soul when compared to the mind. This is why many people lag behind in this aspect when compared to their other abilities but it is not something anyone has ever given up on cultivating. The benefits given from having a strong mind is simply to numerous for that". The road of magic is truly a long one Desmond just had yet to realize how stupidly long it actually was. Desmond seeing that there was clearly no work around gave up any thought about mastering something in a weak and taking his reveng because now he knew he was in for a long ride. "I''m going to take a quick nap then go find that shop I told you about. Magic training is obviously going to take a while so I''m going to take care of other things real quick. That stupid war is around the corner yet I have far to little things to protect myself with. Not to mention that I haven''t been to the training camp for about a month". Desmond released a long sigh because the future for him was filled with nothing but work. Zane''s will looked at Desmond and said to him, "thats fine but while your away I need you to acquire a few things". "Like what?" "Weapons every kind you can get a hold of, but more specifically a morning star. That absolutely can not be missing from the pile. You must be trained in every kind of weapon, you don''t need to master them but you should know the basics. Also you will need to acquire an alchemy set even if you don''t plan on becoming an alchemist you must know the basics such knowledge may save your life". "I understand the alchemy and why I must gather a bunch of different weapons but why specifically a morning star?". "That''s because it is one of the weapons I am most proficient in and the one you will master". Desmond didn''t know how to feel about having his weapons chosen for him. He kind of liked daggers the most and always assumed he would master that if he wanted to truly master using a cold weapon. "Do I get a choice?". "What do you think?" "I''ll get your stupid morning star then?". 131 Shady Dealings Part 4 Vine Street, Delmar City In a shopping district located in The Underground is a store that''s not as glamorous as many others that have always somehow manage to catch a customers eye from a far. But what it lacked in physical appeal it made up for in absolutely nothing else. The store was as close to a dump as a person could get without it literally being a dump. Trash and junk was randomly thrown everywhere while insects and rodents actively made their their presence known by hissing, snarling like a rabid dog, and walking over the feet of everyone that went to that shop. Anyone that came there was considered a trespasser to those things. They clamed that land years ago and that clam still held strong. Corvo''s Shop was a true gem when Desmond found the place he was flabbergast by what he was seeing. To live or even work in such a place is hard to imagine and thats coming from someone who''s currently living in a sewer. The own of the shop could have given the most obsessive horders a run for their money. As filthy as it was outside it somehow got dirter the the further he went in. Desmond had to dig himself a path out of a sea junk just to get to the shops entrance. During Desmond''s travel to the front door he stumble upon a few other saps that had to go through the same thing as him to get the information they needed. Those people pointed him in the right direction allowing him to reach the front door easier. When Desmond finally arrived at the entrance he heared the screams of an unlucky person that encroached to far into layer of one of the beasts that lie beneath the trash. Desmond could do nothing for that person he was to far away. Desmond could only pray for that persons soul and hope that he himself wouldn''t become part of the trash on his journey back. Once Desmond stepped into the filth shack that had Corvo''s sign up top Desmond was presented with a different scene. The shop was clean and possessed many antique items that filled the shelves and hung from the ceiling. The shop gave off a scholarly aura that was a completely unexpected vibe someone would expect to see when they first came in. The shop was so charming and well decorated Desmond felt as though it almost made up for the trip there. Desmond walked around a bit till a man at the counter caught his eye. The man looked to be in his 40s, he was well groomed, had a small beard but no mustache, a monocle in his right, and a fance suit. If Desmond saw him on the streets he could only assume the man live a good life in high society. Now Desmond wasn''t sure what to think about the man because when Desmond inspected him he could tell that he was an advanced rank apprentice but as Desmond inspected closer Desmond could see that the energy circulating through him didn''t move properly. Desmond quickly figured out that was because the man was severely injured bringing his cultivation journey to an end. As Desmond was inspecting the man the shop keeper said to Desmond, "welcome to Corvo''s Shop, I''m Corvo the owner of this beautiful antique establishment and there person who you need to call if there''s anything you need". Corvo spoke like a gentleman but with a playful and cheerful attitude anyone who spoke with him would instantly know how out going he was. Desmond know that once Corvo finished introducing himself that he should immediately start speaking the secret code because if he says it any other time after Corvo won''t accept it and just play dumb. "Ohh, that''s nice to hear then if you don''t mind me asking do you have any refreshments the trip here was tiring". "Of course we do sir, now tell me what you would like water, juice, or maybe a little liquor would satisfy your thirst". "None, of that I would like tea if you have it". "Excellency choice and what kind of fince china would you like it surved in?" "That''s far to fancy for me I''ve always lived a simply life and think my self no better than any other so serve it in a dirty boot if you have one". After Desmond and Corvo''s exchange of words ended Corvo looked at Desmond a bit differently then politely asked, "are you a member of the purifiers since you know that code I can only assume you are". "No i''m not I just have a bit of history with them is all so someone kindly pointed me to you and told me what to say". "That''s fine whether you are or not makes no difference my shop serves all parties since you know the code you are given premium service so tell me what would you like". Desmond was cheering like a little girl inside after pretending to be one guy he was finally able to find an informant that knows a bunch of stuff related to the city''s underworld. "I would like to know the location of a secret gathering were I can buy and trade items. The place must be mid tear, none of the small ones comprised of wannabe losers and none of the high tear one''s I know you need an invite to get in". Corvo''s thought about Desmond''s request for a bit and then told him that the price was 4 magic crystals. Desmond was stunned by how cheap it was but then he remembers 4 magic crystal was equivalent to 40,000 U.S which is a years salary for most people. While cheep to Desmond most people''s hearts would ache at such a number. Only things related to magic, cultivation and a few other things are expensive. So its enough for someone who wants to live the life of a mortal but not even close for those who seek to reach the top. Desmond paid the man his money and then Corvo explained how he could locate what he''s searching for through ads on the news paper. Corvo took out a local news from under the counter and pointed at a normal looking add that showed a gathering was being held tonight in the underground. Desmond was happy there was a meeting tonight because it ment he didn''t have to stress himself by out waiting. Once that was over Corvo asked, "is there anything else I can help you with?" Desmond only came to know where and when a gathering was being held and didn''t care about anything else the shop sold but that didn''t mean nothing in the shop caught his eye. While Desmond was talking to Corvo his eyes constantly fell upon a remarkable outfit. A black hooded cloak draped over a lether outfit with many pockets and straps. The boots and gloves looked tough while the design made it look like it was streamline for speed allowing the wearer to have great maneuverability. It was the coolest rouges outfit Desmond had ever seen. Desmond knew it would be silly to buy something like that yet alone wear it in public but the Weeaboo in him said something different. "How much for that outfit back there". Corvo looked behind him and said, "you have a good eye that outfit is a Thomas clint original he based the outfit off of what he originally war during his youth, you know before he decided to become a fashion designer". "How much". "Though it is an originally its not one of his enchanted works so the price will only be 7 mage stones ($3500 U.S)". "I''ll take it". Corvo''s was very delighted someone bought something from his store that wasn''t just information. "You sir are clearly a man of taste, the whole reason I built my shop in a place like this was to weed true connoisseurs from those pompous fakes. In my opinion if you are willing to dig through even a sea of trash to obtain what you desire then your love for it must be true". Desmond felt that Corvo''s word rang true in his heart. ''Love, yes I do love magic''. As Desmond through that to himself Corvo''s turned to retrieve the Rouges outfit that Desmond wanted and thats when Desmond saw the moon staring right at him. The whitest ass Desmond had ever seen was jiggling back and forth in front of his face. The entire back side of Corvo''s pants was cut off expossing Corvo''s rear end. "Corvo''s why are you wearing assless chaps?" Corvo''s was wondering what Desmond was talking about until his eyes followed Desmond''s gaze. "Ohh, you''re talking about my pants I can see why you''re confused but I assure you i''m all right its just a uniform". "Why is that you''re uniform?". "Why are you asking why for I''m surprised everyone doesn''t wear these. There comfortable, let in a nice cool breeze, and its easier to go to the bathroom". Desmond couldn''t believe what he was hearing. ''Whatever injury he has clearly did something to his brain''. Desmond thought to himself. "June get the outfit I picked". "Alright, but feel free to keep looking around". "No, i''m just gonna leave after this". After that Desmond left Corvo''s Shop and hoped he did have to go back anytime soon. ... A Few Hours later on the same day In a quiet back street behind a couple of shops seemingly ignored by light three knocks on an old door disturbed that silence. The source of those knocks gained the attention of a man on the other side of the door. He cracked the door open to see who it was. When one of the three figures held up an ad from a piece of news paper the man didn''t say anything to those three he only opened the door wider to let them in. Once inside they were directed to the only room guests where allowed to enter. The room was wide and it was filled with others who hid their faces as well except for one in particular person whith a plain face, lond dark hair, and wide dark eyes who those three figures noticed immediately. That person who they saw noticed them to and waved at them with a smile on his face. That persons actions only drew their eire and put them on guard. "Its Maverick, whats he doing here? Do you guys think this is just a coincidence or is he up to something again" Linda wispered to Ferrise and her new team mate Gerald who was a lot more cool about seeing Maverick then Ferrise. Ferrise always had to hold back his anger when seeing Maverick. "Who ever really knows with him lets just ignore him and move on". Linda and Gerald followed Ferrise''s lead and just ignored Maverick. The stayed standing in the furthest corner away from him and away from another person who leaked out a bit of his aura that let people know not to approach him and that person name was Desmond. Desmond sported his knew rouge uniform that he bought which made him feel like a bad ass when he wore it. But what Desmond didn''t like about the cloths were how much they were ridding up his ass. Desmond used that feeling and his thoughts about Zane, Seriphine, and Ragnar along with all the other bad things that happened to him to fuel his do not approach attitude that he gently emitted outwards. No one could see Desmond''s face or inside his cloak. Desmond stole a bit of Zane''s style because despite hime being an asshole he was undeniable a badass that had a bunch of style points. As time for the trade encroached a woman walked out of a separate room she exuded a dominating aura that befit her rank of a rank 1 mage. Desmond had felt much stronger auras directed at him but against her Desmond could only draw back his own. 132 Shady Dealings Part 5 Just like Maverick the woman had no need to hide her face. She had brown eyes and elegant curly hair that moved around a lot when she walked. When someone reaches rank 1 it is a status symbol of power. Laws are bent in your favor unlike when your a normal human since you have now reached a status to be treated like a normal person that actually matters. When someone like that hosts an underground trade gathering it means many things of which are the reassuring facts that the place is wll protected, the trade will go smoothly, and the low probability of being scammed. For someone like that to hosts a trade gathering its likely because that person is a rouge mage. Who is a person who didn''t conform to the rules set to midget cultivators impact on the world, join a legal organisation, and is most likely a criminal wanted for something. Rouges are complete different from wanderers who also arn''t part of any legal organisation, but they do mostly follow the law, and at times offer their services to people and other organisations. The woman''s boots made heavy thumping sounds on the wooden floor as she made her way to a tall stool in front of everyone. Once she sat down she took a quick look around the room at the various people who were either standing or sitting in chairs before she spoke. "To any everyone here I am your host many know me as Foxtail you may call me Fox for short. Before we get started I must explain a few things, first things is that I am skilled in divination meaning I can easily tell the difference between a real and a fake item. So, if anyone trys to trade a fake item in my presence they will have me to deal with. Second thing is that your not allowed to resell an Item you just bought in here on the same day. What you do with it outside of these walls is your own business. Third once the gathering is over you will all leave one at a time in 5 minute intervals randomly regardless if your in a group or not. Forth thing is that you must remember that this is an underground gathering price her are set strictly on what the owner of the item wants and how much you value something so no complaining about prices being to high. Simply negotiate to find a middle ground. The forth thing that I would like to mention that I have already received the items those amongst you would like to trade. I will be selling the items given to me in their place to keep the sellers identity enormous when I do so I take a 10% commission fee but only if the item sells. It is not required to give me your items to sell. If you feel what you are selling is safer in your own hands than you can wait till the free exchange to come up to the front where you can then sell the item yourself or make a request to the whole group to see if anyone may have what you seek. If there is still anyone who wishes for me to sell an item in their place tell me now and we will go into the backroom". Everyone in the room stood still Fox seeing no one speaking out moved the gathering along. "Alright then lets get started. The first item for sale is a pack of 10 magic scroll that can release an advanced apprentice level spell called [Thunder strike]. Each magic scroll is valued at 60 magic crystals each. While loud the spells is quite fast and hard to dodge for people at an apprentice level and its strong enough to instantly kill a mortal, but then again what isn''t. The owner wants a new advanced level spellbook that''s either lighting or wind based. He is also willing to accept a magic item of a similar element geared towards attack or defense". A bunch of people were interested in the first sale especially Desmond because that spell was significantly stronger than anything he could safely perform and they where 10 of them no less its would be more of a question why wouldn''t he buy them. As much as Desmond wanted the spells he could only watch them be taken by someone else because he couldn''t satisfy the requirements. Inside of Vincents entire stash there wasn''t a single book or scroll that mentioned anything about lighting magic and for the stuff that referenced wind magic none of it reached the level of an advanced apprentice. "The next it is up for sale is a pair of inscribed magic items called incinerator gloves. The gloves are capable of igniting by themselves but the power of the flames is beginner grade. They can also automatically adjusting their size to fit the wearers requirements, and hardening to become as hard as metal while still retaining there flexibility and comfortability. The owner wants defensive related magic item the element doesn''t matter it just has to be intermediate grade or higher. You can also use something else that can attract the owners attention". Desmond was happy that one of the items that he put up for sale was being sold so early. The gloves Desmond put up for sale where the same ones he took from Vincent''s stash. Desmond decided to sell them because the gloves while cool were useless to him. The strength of the blue flame it produced was equal to that of a beginner grade spell, so even if Desmond did use them he would only be able to roast a steak with his bare hands. Which is exactly what Desmond did with them on his free time. The only useful aspect is the hardening that the gloves do a feature that Desmond can''t exploit because he can''t punch through walls with just his body strengthen. He has to use magic to strengthen himself and weaken his taget before he can do that. Making the intended purpose of the gloves squandered so long as they remain in Desmonds hands. As for why Desmond only asked for Defense instead of an attack related magic item is because he knew there was no way he was actually going to fight anyone. To fight on the front lines you have to be rank 1 at minimum which was something Desmond was glad he wasn''t. Fox took out the magic item to show to everyone which resulted in a few interested gazes, but less then before because a war was around the corner from starting many people wanted things that could increase their survivability if even just by a little. Desmond gloves while nice would be considered a luxurious purchase at the moment. While it wasn''t what most people desperately wanted Desmond''s gloves didn''t go without a few offers. "I''ll trade 6 deadly mana poison potions called [lovers kiss]. If someone at an intermediate rank gets infected with it there is a 80% chance of death. Advanced apprentices have a 30-40% chance of dying while becaming severely injured if they do survive". "I offer to trade 4 intermediate grade spell scroll called [bind]. It can restrain a taget for up to 5 seconds though that''s depending on the strength of the taget. "I have a body cultivation technique that I''ll trade for it called [copper skin]. It can make a persons body as strong or stronger then the natural metal they absorb into their body". The person who made the last offer was Gerald he took an immediate interest in the gloves because they suited his fighting style. Desmond though about the offers for a second until he ultimately decided pick the cultivation technique [Copper skin]. The other three offers where not valuable in Desmond''s eyes because he already had those items. Vincent''s stash had an assortment of scrolls, potions, magic ingredients, and spell books. The thing he lacked most of at the moment was magic ingredients because they mostly all rotted away over the past 2 years. The most abundant item Desmond has in his layer is 20 bricks of pixie dust and over 300 bottles of skooma. The only reason Desmond chose to take all the drugs and leave all of Vincent''s guns was because he thought that at the off chance that he couldn''t make a living in his new home becoming a drug dealer would have been easier than becoming an arms dealer. As soon as Desmond finished thinking about what he wanted the host Fox sent Desmond a mental message. Desmond didn''t like people intruding inside of his mind but he let the matter go to complete the deal. The trade went smoothly but Desmond wasn''t ecstatic after he secured the technique because he knew he could probably get Zane''s will to tell him everything about the technique. The reason Desmond traded for it was because Desmond didn''t trust Zane''s will. Desmond wanted to see how good the information Zane''s will provide him was because for all Desmond knew Zane''s will could have left important info out of things. To know the truth Desmond would gladly sacrifice a few piece of magic equipment. Time passed and many items where bought and sold. A few people where willing to part with their items for magic crystals, but ultimately nothing really interested Desmond because he already had it or because he could easily get the same thing out of Zane''s will. The stuff regarding alchemy interested Desmond a lot but he held off on trying to get anything that wasn''t a complete potion because his knowledge in that field was lacking to much. ''This sucks this is my first trade gathering yet almost none of the stuff here is of any use to me. I can''t get my hands on certain things because i''m lacking things people actually want. Not to mention that not a single defensive or attack magic item was up for trade because everyone was keeping them for themselves. I need to visit more than one trade gathering the stuff at these places is just to random''. As Desmond was sulking because he couldn''t buy anything nice another item of his came up for trade which was a magic wand. The second his magic wand was put up for trade the atmosphere changed a bit because that was exactly the kind of item most people wanted but could find no one to sell. The host Fox saw the intrigue of a lot of the guests their but the value of the item in ger hand met nothing to her just like everyone''s fervent gazes. "The next item is a magic wand that is capable of increasing the amount of earth, wind, and water elements you can collect in the air. Thus shortening the casting time of spells and increasing the overall damage of a spell by 20%. The owner wants a suitable magic item that can defend their self with or some thing that can boost their survivability. An item that can peak the owners interests is also suitable". After fox finished speaking many people stopped hiding some of their good stuff and offered it up for trade. Desmond was interested in a bunch of the items people where talking about but one person stood out to Desmond. He was a cloaked figure who stood on the other side of the room who said, " I''ll trade a marrow beatle and 50 blood thinning pills. The marrow beatle can eat a person''s bones then reform them till there as hard as steel. The blood thinning pills will help in the circulation of enery through the body during physical exercise". Desmond didn''t care much for the blood thinning pills what Desmond found great interest in was the marrow beatle because he knew how many times his body has been torn apart more than anyone and he hated it every time it happened. The second Fox sent Desmond a mental message he told her what he wanted and she conveyed that to the buyer. "The owner doesn''t care about the blood thinning pills the owner wants to know is if you have something similar to that marrow beatle that can alter a persons physical body and increase their physical strength?". The buy didn''t take long to answer back he replied, "yes, I do have a different kind of creature that can do that called ventricle worms. They can replace a person''s entire muscular system in a matter of weeks the a rapid process of eating and continues breeding till nothing is left of the old muscular system. Each worm can only live for 5 days but even after the task is complete they don''t know when to stop so a person would have to take a poison bath to kill them all after their done. Its en extremely painful process might I add". "The owner doesn''t care about the pain and would like to trade the wand for your marrow beatle and ventricle worms". "I can''t make that trade because those thing put together are worth more than the wand thats only worth around 2,000 magic crystals. The owner of the wand would have to add something else to complete the trade". Fox took a second to speak to Desmond then replied, "Would 1,000 magic crystals satisfy you?". "Yes, its just enough to cover the difference". Desmond was happy when the trade concluded to obtain such an explosive increase in physical strength would take months or even years with a body cultivation method which was time Desmond didn''t have. As the gathering went on Desmond traded a few [anti-divination] scrolls along with 700 magic crystals for a piece of enchanted chainmail that can disperse blunt force to the entirety of the body instead of just one place. Desmond was glad he had what the owner wanted because not only did the chainmail make a good piece of armer it was something that he could study to eventually reproduce the effect of amongst the rest of his clothes. After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time Fox took out her last item for trade. Inside the bottle was a red liquid of which many people knew all to well but this bottle was different because inside that liquid contained an aurora. While valuable the potion Desmond showed Fox had practically no value to her she had consumed to many of them in her life forcing her to find other ways to heal. That''s how she was able to sell such a high grade potion without emotion. "As everyone her know a war is about to start and like in every war people are going to die but with this it doesn''t have to be you because unlike those who have already become rank 1 they don''t have a second life. But with this grade 1 healing potion you can have one". No one in the room needed an explanation as to what a grade 1 healing potion could do for those at an apprentice level. For an apprentice the effects of a grade 1 healing potion could only be described as a miracle. It can completely repair a person''s body even in the worst conditions just like it did for Desmond when the Mirror Man tore him apart. Ferrise saw the potion and desperately wanted it, but when he hurd the what the owner of it wanted he knew he couldn''t meet the conditions. "The owner wants as much info on wills and the star path as possible. More specifically how wills are affected by contracts". Desmond did not trust Zane or his will at all. Though he knew he was out classed Desmond still wanted to find someway to out smart Zane. To not be prematurely killed off before he has fully explored the depths of magic Desmond graciously sacrificed one of the three rank 1 healing potions that he had left leaving him now with 2. Many people where dissapointed disappointed when they heared the requirements. A lot of info in the world is restricted for someone until they become rank 1. None of the people there where rank 1 not to mention that the thing Desmond wanted info on was about wills and the star path which is one one of the least chosen subjects people choose to study and cultivate their techniques in. While in the silent room people thought Desmond''s request was hopeless there came laughter. Way in the back a plain looking figure stood up and proclaimed, "I have what you seek". That person was Maverick, he had envious and skeptical people staring at him. But if they knew about the kind of info junkie Maverick was they would have all instantly believed in his words. 133 Shady Dealings Part 6 After Maverick made his bold claim he walked up to Fox and handed her a metallic info drive that was shaped like a diamond. Fox without care took the info drive and shoved it into a slot inside her wrist. Fox''s arm lit up like lights at a disco before it displayed a bunch of info in front of her eyes. Fox only took a second to see if the info was real. She already knew exactly what Desmond wanted to know but because what he offered didn''t interest her she didn''t bother with it. While it is not prevalently well displayed in Delmar city the technology level on Theotera far surpasses anything earth once had. People on Theotera have seized control of hundreds of planets and destroyed even more. Their the kind of civilization that''s greed knows no bounds. One of the few things that keep Theotera from fully extending their hands to every corner of the universe is the lack of places rich in mana. While they are capable of surviving in the harshest conditions it is very uncomfortable for them. It''s like being taken out of an ocean and being placed in a desert. That''s why people on Theotera prefer to reap all the resources a planet has to offer and enslave a civilization if not outright kill them then nurture a planet and build a galactic empire. After Fox examined the drive she had a short conversation with Desmond before she once again spoke to Maverick. "The seller is satisfied with the information you have on the drive but he doesn''t have any device capable of examining the data it contains. So he wanted me to ask you if you have an item on hand that can inspect the drive that you are willing to sell to him". Maverick didn''t even need a second to consider that request to buy a device capable of inspecting the info drive is as easy as buying a computer back on earth and just as cheap too. "That''s no problem at all. Tell the seller the price is 2 mage stones ($1000 U.S) for my communicator". The exchange finished quickly when Maverick finally got his hands on the grade 1 healing potion even he couldn''t hide the grin on his face. While a few people especially Ferrise that was standing in the back had difficulty hiding their animosity towards him. Maverick paid those people no mind because he was gliding on cloud 9. ''I can''t believe my luck today. To obtain such an amazing item in exchange for some random info on the star and law path I dug up is simply amazing. Whoever sold this is out of his mind grade 1 items and above are impossible to purchase even if you have the money for it. You have to reach grade 1 to legally buy any of those items or have a deal with some organization. While the seller is mad I have to thank him or her because now I don''t have to stalk Ferrise and his group they''ll come to me''. As Maverick was deviously redeveloping his plan of attack on Ferrise''s group the people who he was colluding conspiring against had a short conversation of their own. Gerald scratched the side of his face as he quietly said to the others in his group, "So, where gonna rob him right?". Gerald''s words where met with a mean glare from Ferrise as he spoke softly but in a harsh tone. "Of corse where going to rob him he use to do that to use all the time it''s time to repay the favor". A wicked smile creped on everyone''s face in the group after Ferrise said that. A lot of people wanted their revenge on Maverick, after all the things he did to them it was understandable. But everyone also knew facing Maverick wasn''t going to be easy so whether they could win was up to question. Desmond knew nothing about the plans being developed in secret behind him. Even if he did he wouldn''t care because none of it had anything to do with him. He was only focused on Fox''s words. "Since the last Item I possess has now been sold it''s now time to move into the free exchange. Anyone who wants to make a request please come up one at a time and speak your business". As soon as Fox switched to the free exchange Ferrise made sure to be the first one who walked up. He saw practically nothing useful to him during the exchange so he wanted to quickly state what he wanted and see if only robbing Maverick would be the only good thing to look forward to that night. " I''m looking to purchase one pound of human flesh. Preferably of the darkness or wind element. The blood type doesn''t matter neither does the grade of the flesh or gender, so does anyone have some". Ferrise''s words caused Desmond''s heart to stir a bit but he soon calmed down. Desmond was simply caught him off guard when someone openly requested such an item without fear of repercussions. as Desmond looked around he soon realized that there was no problem with Ferrise''s request that all. people of all walks of life have gathered together in that room making Ferrise''s request equivalent to nothing more than a normal purchase. A few second after Ferrise made his request a cloaked woman spoke. "I have what you want. I can provide the flesh of someone with a high elemental affinity to the wind element. The person never cultivated before and hasn''t practiced magic either. But 1 pound is to little you''ll have to purchase more than that at least 10 lb since its the flesh of a normal human which will cost you 15 magic crystals (150,000 dollars U.S)". "That''s an acceptable price, so do have it on you or will we have to conduct this exchange in a different manner". "I don''t have it on me at the moment, come over here so we can discuss the specifics privately". Ferrise has had terrible luck finding something that could replace the chunk of flesh he got shot off of him, so he decided to opt for a less favorable method to fix his wound. Though his luck was bad he wasn''t all to worried about his wound because he could still fight well enough with it. As the free exchange went on Desmond watched intensely to learn from the others before he went up himself. When the free exchange was nearing its end Desmond felt confident enough to go up himself. As Desmond stood in front of the crowd he spoke in a gruff voice. Desmond didn''t want to give any important information about himself away, so he altered his voice a bit while he was there. Having so many hidden figures eyeing him made Desmond feel a bit nervous, but he soon dispersed that feeling because he knew those where the kind of people he was gonna have to mingle with a lot in the future. "I''m looking to purchase weapons one of every kind you can think of guns, swords, ... ect. It doesn''t mater it just has to be in an acceptable price range. None of the weapons have to be high quality just usable. I also whish to perchace a tool that can assist in training mental energy or concentrating it". Since Desmond was walking down the path of an illusionist he needed tools that could magnify that power. The wand Desmond sold before wasn''t particularly useful for that because it was geared towards conducting elemental energy. Since Desmond has no elemental affinity he can use every elemental equally, but absorbing those elements is half as efficient then someone with an element and his attacks are also less powerful. If Desmond kept the wand it would have helped in the short run, but would have become a weakness later on. That''s why Desmond wanted tools that could amplify mental energy. As for the perchace advanced rune set Desmond didn''t even think about it. The higher the rank of something is the more difficult it is to acquire. Not to mention how expensive such a perchace would be. Plus Desmond hadn''t even finished carving all the intermediate runes on his core. The new found strength of his soul made carving the intermediate runes significantly easy to the point Desmond thought he was carving butter with a hot knife but with all that raw power came problems. Desmond failed to fully control the stream of energy he was carving with which damaged the run he was working on slightly forcing him to wait till his core repaired its self enough so he could start again. When looking around the room Desmond saw no one respond to his request. The sight filled him with disappointment because it ment that there was no arm dealers in the room or that no one was willing to sell such a large quantity of weapons at that time. Knowing that Desmond wasn''t to disappointed because he knew the world didn''t revolve around him and because acquiring good items took luck, connections, and skill in the trade. After recieving no response Desmond quietly sat back down until the gathering was over. Once the last person in the room made their claim the hostess Fox stood up from her stool and spoke once again to the crowd. "The gathering have now come to a close. For the people whoms items I sold I will call you into a separate room one at a time using the number I gave you in advance. During that time we will be lettering people leave one at a time through separate exits In 5 minute intervals". Fox didn''t say anything after that she just walked into the back and called numbers out one at a time after people came and left from the separate room. As that was happening Maverick and Ferrise group where ready to clash. *** 45 Minutes later Through the back end of a small shop that was still open in the middle of the night Desmond''s dark figure slipped out and sped down the street. As he ran Desmond used wind magic to speed himself up and illusion magic to make himself invisible along with the spell muffle to make his movements quieter. As he passed by unsuspecting people his presence was only a momentary disturbance before they ignored the sudden gust of wind that kicked up. Stealthfully and quietly Desmond took all kinds of different roots while always remembering to back track and take different roots from before. Desmond feared someone following him and robbing him its one of the reasons why he somewhat feared shady underground gatherings because anything could happen. But despite the risk Desmond was sure he would make the same trip a million time over not only because of his love for magic but because of how enlightening the trip proved to be. After Desmond sold his rank 1 healing potion he gained unbelievably priceless information for himself because he learned that Zane''s will couldn''t be trusted. Every time Desmond thought about the information that was on the info drive he felt stupid, used, and abused. The truth was plainly in front of his eyes yet he was oblivious to it. It was so obvious Desmond shouldn''t have even needed the info drive to figure it out but he did because he wasn''t thinking when he made the deal with Zane. The contract Desmond has with Zane forces him to teach Desmond truthfully but that only applies to Zane himself not Zane''s Will. What that means is that not only does Zane''s will not have to teach Desmond but he can feed Desmond false information without him knowing. Which is bad but the truth of the matter is worse then that. Desmond realized Zane''s will can not only alter information but also place subtle flaws in his spells. He wouldn''t even be able to find them even if he tried because Zane''s will has the skills of a formation path grandmaster. ''GOD DAMB IT! I''m not even a threat to that man, but he''s already made a dozen moves against me. The mark he left on my forehead in exchange for those magic books, the insects he left in me, him forcing me away from him before I asked to many questions, not to mention all the lies. He beautifully deceived me with truth and by dangling scraps in front of my face. He didn''t care if I could threaten him or not he still treated me like I could hurt him and made so many moves to take care of me before I could. But the worst thing of all is the fact that I desperately need to rely on him which just allows him to dig his claws into me deeper''. The world waits for no man Desmond is nothing but a weakling compared to people like Zane yet, he still tried to make deals with giants as if he was on there level and foolishly enough believed their words for truth. When in reality everything was a lie a contract means little if you don''t have the strength and the whits to not get manipulated by the other party. As that lesson sunk deep into Desmond''s mind Desmond stopped running for a bit to transform his appearance to that of a youthful looking man before he blended into the streets with all the other average looking people. Desmond''s appearance appeared flawless to normal people they couldn''t even notice two small plastic cages on Desmond waist. Which contained the marrow Beatle and ventricle worms. Desmond couldn''t store those two items inside of his dimensional pouch because inside the store pouch contains no air. Its definitely not because of some stupid rule like dimensional pouchs can''t contain living creatures because they can. Its just that such an item is more expensive than normal dimensional pouchs just like a pouch that can preserve items. As Desmond took careful steps returning home trouble was brewing nearby. ... A few blocks away Ferrise and his group where having a somewhat difficult time locating Maverick. He had the luck to leave the gathering earlier than the other three which gave him the opportunity to disappear from their sights. Linda, Ferrise, and Gerald where all leaping off of rooftops searching in the immediate area while Ferrise''s crows spread out wide in search for Maverick. "Ferrise what in the world is wrong with your crows that''s the fifth person we found that you said was Maverick?". Gerald questioned Ferrise''s scouting ability because their plan for ambushing Maverick turned into a wild goose chase. Every person they thought was Ferrise turned out to be someone else. "There''s nothing wrong with my crows the problem is what ever trick Maverick is using to deceive us. My crows picked up Maverick''s energy signature 5 times not to mention that every person we found was in similar proximity to each other meaning Maverick was definitely here at one point. He just did something that temporarily through us of his trail. So just be patient the distance between us and each energy signature is getting smaller we''ll catch up eventually". Gerald and Linda believed Ferrise words for now and waited until the crows found something else. A few moments later Ferrise crows found something. "I found something the location is super close hurry before he disappears again". Without hesitation Everyone sped off in the direction Ferrise guide them towards. ... In a deserted ally away from prying eyes Desmond walked calmly through still disguised as a young man. He had made loops and turns as he took the most bazaar route he could come up with he even used an [anti-divination] scroll to hide his tracks. Desmond had over 200 [Anti-divination] scrolls, running a criminal organisation in a world with magic is not easy so Desmond found it understandable why he found so many of the same kind of scrolls. After all that he felt safe enough to return to the sewer through a manhole he found in that ally. As Desmond was about to enter the sewer his spiritual sence activated telling him that someone was using magic nearby. The feeling of an imminent crept up Desmond''s spine but he wouldn''t let it take hold of his heart. The same damb thing has repeated its self to many times. Desmond will not roll over and remain the town bike where everyone can get a free ride any longer. He knew of the potential threats he would face whether it was the Purifiers, bounty hunter, or someone trying to rob him Desmond didn''t care because this time Desmond was ready. 134 Mastermind Before the treat arrived Desmond made a few quick preparations. He reached inside of his dementional pouch and took out a small vial, It was the poison known as [Lovers Kiss]. While Desmond didn''t purchase any at the gathering he had some on him because he took it from his own stash. Along with a few other magic scrolls and potions that he thought would come in handy during desperate times. Desmond carefully pored the poison onto his enchanted dagger that he had for almost 2 years and put it back into its holster near his hip. Then Desmond crouched on the the floor where he stood and started drawing symbols on the ground at a rapid speed as a gift for whomever he was about to meet. With the little amount of time that Desmond had he knew that he could do no more so he waited to confront the threat and end it once and for all. With a calm demeanor Desmond waited though it wasn''t long till the people he sensed finally showed. Two cloaked figures jumped down from the rooftop and stood at opposite ends of the ally way while a third loomed over Desmond from up above. The ally way blocked most of the light from the glow stones that lined the walls everywhere in the Underground which helped obscure the faces of the people who blocked him in but the darkness never affected Desmond much to begin with. He clearly saw the faces of Ferrise, Linda, and Gerald and as he did he started analyzing each of them. Desmond perceived the amount of magic flowing from them all and immediately knew that they where all a higher rank than him. Which was trouble some because it ment that they could all cast stronger spells then Desmond, but he could also tell that their souls where significantly weaker then Desmond''s which gave him a lethal edge. As Desmond analyzed the three of them he spent a bit longer looking at Ferrise because his body was, so strange and eye catching. Ferrise had bird feathers, eyes, and a red gem on his forehead which from Desmond''s perspective was like a tiny vortex. ''What in the world is that man a harpy? No, harpies should all be female maybe he''s some kind of harpy hybrid or birdman species''. Desmond didn''t spend a moment longer on that though because it was useless. He was clearly in danger and needed to know the reason for their presence and If they where targeting him from the beginning he needed to know how they where tracking him. Without a second though Desmond deactivated the illusion that made him look like an ordinary young man. Returning him back into his previous appearance fully displaying the rogue outfit while at the same time keeping his face shrouded in darkness. They had already found him so the previous illusion was useless. The reason Desmond still kept his face hidden was in hopes he could still protect his Identity while also because it just plain looked cool so he had no reason not to. After Desmond changed his appearance he mobilized a bit of his spiritual energy and put it out on full display for all three of them to feel. By utilizing his spirit Desmond conveyed his strength, anger, announce, and cold hearted killing intent. Desmond''s spiritual energy rushed outward and flowed over Ferrise''s group making them feel as if they had all just taken an ice bath. Each of them including Ferrise himself was drenched in a cold sweat at that moment because they each realize just how much of a threat the man before them was. Desmond''s strength was pathetic when he first arrived in Theotara. He could have been bullied by even the smallest bug and died. He was nothing special when he killed Vincent and his crew. The measly strength Desmond did gain was over shadowed by the strength Eliot Row''s soul and the wind shield of a car when Leopold ran him over. It was only through the use of his whit and luck that Desmond somehow stayed alive. But after Desmond''s transformation things where different even Desmond didn''t know how strong he truly was because he never fought people near his level. He was always overwhelmed by the might of Zane, Seraphine, and Ragnar. But Ferrise and his group clearly felt how unusual and powerful Desmond was compared to them solidifying their stance on not fighting him. "Tell me why have you come to disturb this old man?". Desmond spoke plainly and without much force, but because he was still releasing his spiritual energy Desmond''s words turned into chilling needles that pierced their souls. An effect Desmond didn''t know he could cause. No one in Ferrise group wanted to start a fight with Desmond. It was an unnecessary risk that provided no benefit in their eyes so they each would rather defuse the situation before it escalated. Gerald was closest to Desmond so he spoke to him, "I am quite sorry our group has obstructed you it was not our intention. We where simply looking for a friend of ours that got separated from us. When we thought we found him we found you instead. So as you see this is clearly nothing, but a misunderstanding". Desmond easily understood what Gerald''s words implied. Whether they where true or not didn''t really matter so long as they left him alone. "Yes, a misunderstanding that''s what I like to hear. This friend of yours is quite a lucky person to have such caring friends that would spend their time tracking the other down and surround them just to ensure that the other is safe and well protected from the dangers of the world. Its a shame I don''t have friends like that". "Maybe you will one day, but today we aren''t those friends. Where just stangers passing by". Gerald was a bit nervous when dealing with Desmond. He could tell Desmond was a lower rank then them, but the strength of his soul was beyond abnormal. He hoped things wouldn''t go any further as he cursed Ferrise''s shitty detection skills for getting them in their current mess. Desmond analyzed the situation and Gerald''s words then retracted his spiritual energy. Not a drop of Desmond''s chilling aura could be felt like before which took a burden off of everyone''s backs. After Desmond retracted his energy he spoke once more to them. "Since your just passing by then I guess you should get going. You don''t wanna keep your friend waiting". Everyone was please with the peaceful resolution especially Ferrise. While Ferrise thought that he could take on Desmond since he was still a lower rank than him. He didn''t want to because it waisted time and there was also the question of whether or not he would walk out unscathed or not. After a peaceful understanding was established something suddenly broke that peace. Without warning a bullet shot from behind Gerald and past by his ear without harming him. The bullet continued to travel until it reached Desmond. It struck the side of Desmond''s cheek leaving a long bloody cut on his face. After the bullet grazed the side of Desmond''s face it hit the hoodie on Desmond''s head forcefully pushing it of his head and struck the wall behind Desmond. The sudden shock of what happened made Desmond loose focus causing the illusion Desmond covered his face with to fail exposing his wrinkled face to everyone. A stunned look was plastered on Desmond''s face after that. His stunned expression quickly to turned into anger when he realized the truth. ''All their words where complete bull shit when they saw I wasn''t easy to deal with they tried to kill me with a sniper those bastards''. While Desmond thought he knew the truth It was completely different from what he believed. Ferrise and his group where all startled and on guard against the same threat. They didn''t know who it was for sure but they all had a good guess. After that shot was fired Ferrise had his crows in that area take a look and that''s when Ferrise saw the face of the most detestable human being Ferrise has ever had the displeasure of meeting. He waved playfully without care at the crows that began to surround him while still holding his custom made electromagnetic rifle. The gun is powerful enough to punch a hole through a tank on earth. Maverick used it at its lowest setting not to kill, but spook Desmond so his plan could become realized. It was maverick who orchestrated Ferrise''s entire group bumping into Desmond because he wanted to know more about the person who could obtain a grade 1 healing potion. That''s why he placed a tracking device in the info drive he traded along with the other thing he sold to Desmond. Once he saw their was an opportunity to start a fight maverick took it as a bonus to his plan. "MAVERICK!" Ferrise angrily shouted before he shot off in Maverick''s direction. The crows already around Maverick stopped circling him like pray and then started to dive bomb him. Their razer sharp wings cut the air and their talons aimed downward with full intent to claw out Maverick''s eyes but Maverick didn''t care he didn''t even spare the crows another look. He kept his eyes locked on Ferrise who started generating more crows. As Maverick stared down Ferrise the crows that came to attack him met their end. Over 50 circular shaped turrets disguised as shingles on the roof popped out and opened fire blasting all the birds that attacked Maverick to bits. Ferrise didn''t mind the death of the birds he knew defeating Maverick wasn''t going to be that easy anyway, but his body started dripping in a cold sweat when he saw even more turrets popping up all around him putting him in the cross fire of over 100 turrets. Such a horrific sight is why many people don''t like confronting mechanical adepts. Mechanical adepts also known as gear heads, tinkers, mechanics, and other slang terms are a branch of mages that became wide spred around 50,000 years. After its creator also known as the beast achieved the highest attainment level possible in his field becoming an Overlord, created a new branch of mages and the first to become a god as a mechanical adept. Mechanical adepts focus on becoming one with mechines. While they do have many strong points they have weak ones as well. They are considerably lethal to illusionist and psychics but are also at the same time weak to them as well. "Its a trap" The second Ferrise got surrounded he knew he had played right into Maverick''s hand. Every single one of Maverick''s guns where fired using electromagnetism like Maverick''s rifle. The threat of 1 railgun is not to be underestimated, but the threat of 100 is just not fair. Maverick had little reason to hold back against Ferrise if it wasn''t for the item he was carrying Maverick would have used a larger force against Ferrise, but that still didn''t stop him from unleashing hellfire down on him. The storm of bullets forced Ferrise into a defensive position. Perfectly dodging, so many bullets was impossible for Ferrise to do. To protect himself Ferrise placed himself inside of a cocoon made of crows and plumit to the ground. The Railguns tore through the crows, but missed Ferrise entirely. On the ground Ferrise sped towards the building Maverick was on top of while staying out of the turrets line of fire. By the time Ferrise made it to the building and tried to scale the side of it he caught a glimpse of hell. More torrents popped out of the walls around him all of which spared no time in firing every bullet they contained at him. The second Ferrise noticed the predicament he was in he thought of the one trick he knew would save him in that instance. Without hesitation Ferrise scattered most of the crows he had towards all the turrets while some chaotically flew around in the air nearby. The rest of which completely covered Ferrise''s body not letting an inch of his body be revealed. The turret fired sporadically at all the crows completely ignoring Ferrise''s presence. As that happened it gave Ferrise the chance to Destroy all the turrets. Most of the weapons Maverick uses especially the turrets are controlled using an AI. The AI helps lower the strain Maverick faces when controlling a bunch of tech. But because Ferrise knew that the AI Maverick uses wasn''t super advanced and relied of mostly facial recognition and thermal imaging. He could exploit that by creating hundreds of similar targets all at the same threat level forcing the AI to prioritize the closest target instead of Ferrise himself. Two large pair of wings made of crows grew on Ferrise back and he used them as large blades that cut all the torrents he passed by into pieces. Once all the turrets on the ground nearby where destroyed. Ferrise morphed the bodies of the crows that formed his wings. Their flesh, eyes, and feathers quickly compressed forming a grotesque pair of black wings with a metallic shine and hundreds of red eyes. The wings on Ferrise''s back are very unnatural they can bend like rubber while also maintaining there sturdy structure. Ferrise spread his wings and flew on top of the building Maverick was on. The moment he flew above the buildings all the turrets that couldn''t find their target opened fire on Ferrise. While the turrets where still very dangerous Ferrise''s wings shielded him circumventing most of the pressure off him. Ferrise''s wings weren''t strong enough to directly withstand the full might of any of Maverick''s weapons. But they where capable of moving independently by themselves and strong enough as well as fast enough to alter the direction of every bullet before they fully hit him. Every time Ferrise''s wings altered a bullets direction Ferrise felt as though he was being hit by a truck that was driving 100 miles an hour. The amount of strain it put on Ferrise''s body was tremendous it even made the wound Krug gave him worse, but he still had enough in him to fight. Without hesitation Ferrise charged at Maverick and in that moment he cast a spell that conjured a shimmering purple staff made up of a dense amount of energy. Ferrise pointed the conjured energy staff at Maverick and it extended at an incredible speed. The staff extended so fast it created a sonic boom that made large gusts of wind where ever it past and greatly damaging the roof top. Maverick had already put folded the custom made sniper and put it away allowing him enough maneuverability to roll away and pull out an electromagnetic pistol. Ferrise''s staff could be shorten just as fast as it could extend. Using that he was able to shield himself from the pistols shot. But being under an endless burrage of bullets wasn''t easy. Ferrise dodge and weaved as much as he could while attacking Maverick, but each hit took a massive toll on him. Even the building maverick and Ferrise where fighting on top of was crumbling under the endless storm of attacks from the two. Because he was in such a dangerous situation Ferrise put everything regarding causing a large destruction in the city and involving civilians in a Magus fight to the back of his mind and did whatever it took to destroy those turrets. Not caring about the consequences Ferrise ignored Maverick for a moment and switched his attention to the turrets. He then held the energy staff in his hand and threw it like a javelin. As Ferrise''s spell pierced threw the air it broke apart into over a dozen smaller versions of the same spell. Each spell rained down causing a marvelous display of destruction throughout the block. Buildings and streets crumbled away as flames generated from the numerous explosion engulfed them. Civilians caught in the cross where either burned alive, crushed under the weight of the building above them, or had their organs damaged from the shock wave of each explosion if they where unlucky. Ferrise did the same thing to each place he spotted a turret. Maverick''s turrets tried to shoot down all of Ferrise''s attacks, but they only aided in there destruction. "You AI is just as shit as it was before Maverick If I didn''t know better I''d think you where offering them up as targets for me". A weakness that all mechanical adepts suffer from is in short a lack of funds and time. Their strength is mostly displayed through their machines. So if a mechanical adept is lacking in funds or enough time then they cannot build their machines resulting in a poor display of power. To overcome that obstacle Maverick conspired against all of the students in Twilight Academy so that he would have enough funds to build what he wanted. Maverick didn''t care much about Ferrise insulting his creations he nor did he get made he instead calmly replied. "That''s alright everything here is nothing more than an investment. I''ll make back everything here after I take your head and raid your room after I''m done". "Your still after my key stone after all this time just buy your own". "I would but I prefer the five finger discount. You know how I''m always short on funds". "Cheapskate". As Ferrise and Maverick clashed he found himself consistently losing ground as he is forced more of the defensive by Maverick''s attacks. Maverick moved quickly around the crumbling building because of his high frequency propulsion boots that allow him to move as if the ground was friction less and make sharp turns in the air. Though Ferrise destroy most of the surrounding turrets it didn''t stop Maverick from unleashing more robots that uncompressed themselves and started attacking Ferrise. A battle of attribution is not easily won against mechanical adepts. Ferrise knew that that''s why he never wanted to fight Maverick alone. his fighting style simply wasn''t suited against people like Maverick. ''Where in the world is Gerald and Linda they should have been here a long time ago''. Ferrise couldn''t hold on much longer and he knew it. His once intimidating wings where so beaten up it made him look like a sick bird. While Ferrise managed to deflect the bullets he couldn''t block the shrapnel that riddled him with holes or the large impact from every shot. If it wasn''t for Ferrise strong vitality he would have been dead already. ''I can''t win like this I have to team up with Linda and Gerald''. Ferrise knowing defeating Maverick by himself was nothing more than a fleeting dream gave up on it and tried to fly away. The second Ferrise spread his wingsto fly away Maverick activated a spell then took out a pistol significantly different from all the other weapons he used before. It was silver with a bunch of different wires exposed it was also a bit bulkier and heavier as well. "[Overload]" The spell [Overload] that Maverick cast is an old classic that mechanical adepts use it overcharges their weapons increasing a weapons damage at the risk of decreasing a weapons durability or just out right breaking it. Because of the spell the weapon Maverick had only took a second to fully change. Once it did a thick blue lazer fired out of the gun and cut off one of Ferrise''s wings. Ferrise''s wings where cut through like butter by the powerful lazer along with the building beneath both of their feet. That lazer gun was the strongest weapon Maverick had but it was also incomplete and almost complete uncontrollable. It was made from an incomplete set of data Maverick acquired regarding such weapons. Which limited the guns ability to only being able to fire once or twice if Maverick was lucky before completely breaking down. After being fired the lazer gun overheated in Maverick''s hand and dtarted to come apart. Maverick didn''t care about that and threw the gun away then charge towards Ferrise as he tried to take full advantage of the opening that the weapon brought him. As Maverick ran towards Ferrise a large robotic limb covered Maverick''s right arm once it did he swung it down at full force towards Ferrise. Ferrise knew that in his condition he couldn''t take that attack directly or else it would spell his doom. As Maverick''s fist came down like the hammer of god Ferrise body burst into dozens of crows. Maverick''s fist slammed down on the spot Ferrise once was leaving a large crater in that spot. The hole expanded till the entire roof collapse and the building along with it. As the building began to fall Maverick saw Ferrise reforming his body a few metters away and cough up blood. The trick Ferrise used to escape is nothing compared to what Zane does regularly. It is flawed and would have been impossible to do if he didn''t augment his body so much. That''s why Ferrise started to heavily cough up blood. But despite the damage Ferrise suffereed from his own technique and the desperate situation he was in he still saw hope in winning so long as he made it back to the rest of his group. Ferrise quickly left the crumbling building in search for Gerald and Linda while Maverick trailed closely behind him. As Ferrise approached Gerald and Linda''s location he saw a beautiful yet disheartening sight. Large amounts of flames as colorful as a rainbow pushed back against the raging inferno surrounding it. The ice cold chill that the colorful flames brought with them was nothing compared to who stood in its center. A decrepit old man who should have been waiting for death in a nursing home. Stood proudly over the body of a man who wasn''t even a quarter of his age and a woman who was holding onto life by a thread as she desperately gasped for air on her knees in front of the monster before her. That sight stupified Ferrise even Maverick was shocked by what he saw. He didn''t expect things to go so far with those three he just wanted to buy more time for himself while also finding out more about the person capable of acquiring a grade 1 healing potion. "What the hell happened?". Desmond didn''t answer Ferrise''s question he only looked coldy at Maverick and Ferrise then attacked. 135 Teaching A Lesson "MAVERICK" That hateful name was the only thing Desmond heard being spat out of Ferrise''s mouth before he took off alone. A peaceful silence fell onto the ally after that, but any semblance of peace was false because Desmond at the time was overcome with an indescribable rage. The muscles all over his body contracted making his biceps bulge. Desmond looked like he was about ready to blow up anyone minute, but instead in that rage filled moment Desmond became calm and found peace within himself. Gerald and Linda noticed every change in Desmond''s mood. Both of them didn''t want to fight him they only wanted to leave at that moment to confront Maverick. Neither of them did because they weren''t sure how peaceful Desmond would be after what just happened or who he would blame. In a bid to mitigate the situation Gerald tried to clear up any misconceptions. "Sir, I can assure you that this is nothing more than another misunderstanding. You see..." "Shut up".Desmond coldly uttered. He wasn''t interested in any of Gerald''s excuses he didn''t care if what he was about to say was only lies or truth. Desmond had already made up his mind he needed this to happen, he wanted it desperately. As Desmond''s determination became as firm as stone his eyes began to emit the glow of an aura. That sight was shocking to Gerald he knew Desmond''s soul was strong but he didn''t think it had reached such a high level. In Theotera your eyes only glow when you reach rank 1 for an apprentice''s eyes to glow like that it typically means that they are a peerless talent. Once Gerald saw that he thought to himself, ''you got to be kidding me there''s no way that bag of bones is some kind of once in a lifetime genus it makes no sense if that was true he wouldn''t look so old''. As Gerald tried to rationalize Desmond''s threat level Desmond began to calmly walk closer to him. Gerald and Linda didn''t know what to make of Desmond''s actions at that moment so they watched him closely. If he was trying to leave they wouldn''t stop him but if he attacked then he only had himself to blame for what would happen next. "Everywhere I turn someone new wants to make me their enemy and I am sick of it. So, it makes me wonder what must I do to correct these people, what kind of person must I become? You don''t have to answer, but you should at least look at me when I talk to you". Desmond''s last sentence stunned Gerald for a moment and made a shiver run down his spine. Not because of how it was said but because those words were suddenly spoken from behind him. The heat and stench from Desmond''s breath caressed his neck gently as it ran up his nose. Gerald wasn''t sure when it happened or how he only knew for sure that the old man that disappeared from his sight was standing directly behind him burning a hole in his head with his glare. Such speed baffled Gerald but it also pushed aside any arrogance that he still held and fully regard Desmond as a threat. The moment Desmond disappeared and reappeared behind Gerald Linda saw the whole thing and knew the truth about Desmond''s actions. "Gerald its an illusion". Linda''s words came a bit too late at that moment Gerald''s moments where already locked in place. He kicked out at full force towards the illusion of Desmond and hit nothing but air. While Gerald was momentarily stuck in that posture Desmond''s shadowy figure came from behind while holding his enchanted dagger and stabbed towards Gerald''s gut. Desmond enchanted dagger glowed a soft blue as Desmond poured his energy into it increasing its sharpness. Once the blade struck Gerald''s gut it managed to leave a long gash about a centimeter deep before it stopped there. Gerald tampered his body by using the [copper body] cultivation technique and various other methods endure his highly destructive fighting style. Desmond was surprised by how hard it was to cut Gerald''s body. He had to use all the strength his arms could muster to cut him. But Desmond was still happy because he saw that he drew blood and that was good enough because it meant the poison on the dagger was in his system. Gerald winced a little in pain after Desmond cut him. Though he bled Gerald didn''t fret he knew how resilient his body was and that he could easily keep fighting. Gerald firmly planted his foot down, turned his body and swung his fist at Desmond. After he did so his fist didn''t his fist didn''t hit what he expected instead of Desmond''s face he struck a burning sheet of paper left in his place. "Where are you looking now? If you don''t start paying attention it will be the death of you". Desmond''s figure appeared out of the corner of Gerald''s eye he was clearly casting a spell and it was a slow one at that. Typically Gerald would feel as though he would have plenty of time to counter in that situation but he couldn''t because in that moment his movements became stiff. It was almost as if all his joints where super glued together. That momentary lapse gave Desmond all the time he needed to finish casting his spell. "[Acid splash]". Through the usage of the spell scroll [bind] and a few simple illusions Desmond was able to create the perfect opening for himself. The spell struck Gerald point blank and started destroying jis clothes and boiling his skin. A normal person would have had there entire body melted by Desmond''s attack but the resilience of Gerald''s body reduced the damage of the spell to mostly a bad skin burn. Even through the full might of the spell wasn''t realized it did help weaken Gerald''s skin allowing Desmond to cut him 2 centimeters deeper instead of just 1. Just when Desmond was about to strike Gerald again his spiritual sense went off warning him of an approaching damage. Having no reason to rebuke such a thing Desmond followed his instinct and dodge to the left. A mear second ofter he did Linda clad in rock armor came crashing down from above him forcing him to retreat a few feet. Her timely interference gave Gerald himself from the spell binding him. "Are you still able to fight". "I''m perfectly fine its just a mild skin burn and a few cuts. He gives off a dangerous vibe but his attackes are weak. If he could cast advanced level spells then this would be a different story". "I see, then since your such an excellent sponge you''ll be the vanguard i''ll act as support". "Whatever gets this over with quicker, we still have to go support Ferrise". "Ferrise can last a few minutes by himself besides its his fault for running off". Desmond was interested about how Linda snuck up on him he never took his eye off her yet she still somehow made an earth clone of herself and fooled him. Such a sight ignited his love for magic and made him want to dive into the topic at once. But sadly that would have to wait till after he beat them. "You call my attacks weak don''t make me laugh. Haven''t you realized that i''ve mearly been holding back. If I whole wholeheartedly attacked you then you would barely be able to resist and then you wouldn''t be able to learn a thing except for the insurmountable gap between us". Linda tightened her brows in annoyance its fine to talk big but the old man before her had no shame. "You know you spew out a lot of shit out of your mouth old man yet you''ve shown little proof to back up that claim of yours". "If its proof you want then just attack me. Come let this old man send you off to meet your ancestors, so that you can tell them personally how much of a disappointment you where". Desmond heard every word that he said and even he was cringing inside. He doesn''t know why he always goes for the wise and cocky old man persona. He knew it was partly because he always wanted to say stuff like that to someone, but the words that have been coming out of his mouth lately are a bit to embarrassing to bare. It took all of Desmond''s strength to stop himself from laughing and break the mood that was in place. Gerald accepting Desmond''s challenge as he walked out the figure of a coiling dragon took form around him. The dragon hissed and burned the air as it followed everyone of Gerald''s movements. Once Gerald took a single step the dragon flicked the ground with its tail allowing Gerald to explode forward in a dazzling display of fireworks. Gerald''s became nothing but a blur in Desmond''s eyes. He couldn''t help, but worry for his life as he became drenched in a cold sweat. Desmond can''t move or react that stupidly fast and he knew it. His foundation as weak while the others before him were solid allowing them to display a stupid degree of strength and speed. As Desmond was scolding himself for not ending Gerald''s life in one move when he he had the chance Gerald had just ran on the spot Desmond placed the trap rune and exploded. Desmond was secretly happy that the trap rune briefly stopped Gerald''s advance while Linda was ashamed Gerald instant fell for another one of Desmond''s tricks. Once the smoke cleared it was easy to see Gerald''s shoes where destroyed and that his feet where covered in soot, but for the most part he was perfectly fine. Gerald showed a bit of a pissed off expression on his face as the one dragon on his body became two and coiled around his arms before he slammed them both down. A seemingly endless wave of explosions travelled straight towards Desmond destroying everything in its path. The attack was, so dangerous Desmond knew for sure that his body would have been blasted apart if he took it head on. The walls on the buildings on both sides where crumbling down but that didn''t stop Desmond from scaling them. Through the usage of wind magic Desmond was able to leap 20 feet in the air allowing him to avoid the attack. He was glad that he managed to avoid the attack but that stopped once he realized that the crumbling building was swallowing both his arms and legs locking him in place a courtesy done by linda. Desmond had no time to break out of the binds holding him because Gerald came shooting at him. Once Gerald finally got cose enough to Desmond a storm of explosive punches rained down. Each punch beat Desmond further into the wall and broke his bones, fractured his skull, ruptured a few organs, and caused multiple other injurys in a short time. Gerald is like a living grenade. His cells are filled to the brim with energy and by using a special technique he can almost instantaneously expel that energy for an explosive boost in both strength and speed. But the technique also causes self harm and drains a significant amount of stamina. That is why Gerald had such a tough and durable body he simply had no choice but to strengthen himself as much as he could to not fall victim to his own technique. Though Desmond was having his body beaten black and blue he cared little about that at the moment what pissed Desmond off was the damage he was causing to the marrow beatle and ventricle worms. He had plans for those two insects but Gerald''s attacks might kill both of them before he even had the chance to use them. Once Gerald finished his volley of attacks he nocked Desmond through the wall slamming him through 2 floors till he crashed on the ground floor down. Gerald fealt relieved after he finally got the chance to shut Desmond up. His face was beaming with joy as he walked towards Linda. "Is he dead?", Linda asked worried about the old mans return. "I don''t know for sure I know I broke a bunch of his bones and most likely did some internal damage but it doesn''t matter if he''s dead or not. We''ve waisted to much time on that old man already the injuries I gave him should put him out of commission for a while. Ferrise needs our help now just listen to what''s happening over there it sounds like a war zone". "Your right let''s go". Soon after Gerald and Linda began to leave an inexplicable sense of dread washed over both of them. That sensation put them both on guard and flip around to see what gave them that feeling. It was Desmond climbing out of the whole and landing on the ground seemingly uninjured. Though in actuality he was still suffering from all the injuries Gerald inflicted upon him. Desmond had a few healing potions on him he didn''t use any of them he only rearranged his broken bones and stiched them together because he wasn''t in a desperate enough of a situation that would warrent waisting one on himself. "What are you trying to leave already? This battles only just begun, ... Ha young people not an ounce of patience in you, but since your in a hurry I''ll be kind and speed up your demise". Desmond didn''t move from where he stood after he spoke, but his threat level in Gerald and Linda''s hearts just skyrocketed. Both of there spiritual senses were going off like crazy telling them that danger was all around them. Though neither of them could see the threat it didn''t stop them from dodging and firing attacks wildly at were they thought the threat was. Linda felt as thought her actions did little to nothing to shield herself from whatever danger was coming while Gerald felt as though his explosions did something to remove it. Both of them were right but in the end both of there actions are ultimately fruitless. They have both already been surrounded by Desmond''s spirit threads and he had no plans to spare either of them. Gerald and Linda unable to remove the surrounding danger both decided to kill the source of it. Gerald''s body exploaded forward and struck from above he became a dazzling explosive dragon that decended from the heavens. While Linda turned the entire ground into quicksand that started to swallow Desmond whole. Desmond wasn''t threatened by there display it instead filled him with excitement because one day he would be able to do that as well and better but for now he has to rely on other means to win his fights. As an imposing dragon came crashing down Desmond confronted it with a ghostly whale. The two imposing force clashed in the middle of the ally and shook everything around them. An endless rumbling of explosions cascaded downwards towards Desmond but couldn''t touch his body. Desmond ghostly whale was equal in force to Gerald''s attack forcing both of them into a standstill. Though both sides where equal in power Gerald found himself on the loosing side of the exchange. The sound waves from Desmond''s attack not only rattled his bones it also shook his soul. Gerald had no defense to defend against such an attack. Resulting in cracks appearing on his soul. The severe damage to his soul was excruciating to bear it made his attack waver weaken his momentum. The Gerald tried to endure it a little longer he couldn''t because of the massive amount of magic that he used it sped up the rate at which the magic poison spread throughout his body till at that moment when the effect of the poison reached its peak and caused Gerald to vomit blood. Gerald''s attack in that instance dispersed allowing Desmond''s ghostly whale to hit him in full force. Gerald couldn''t escape the attack and neither could Linda the speed of sound was to fast for them to dodge from. Linda raised a rock wall to block Desmond''s attack but she only saw it crumble in front of her along with her rock armor as her soul cracked from Desmond''s attack. Both Gerald and linda laid on the ground in pain damage to the soul is not something mear apprentices can handle, so the found it difficult to muster up the strength to cast magic. As Gerald laid spewing blood onto the ground Desmond walked towards him. Gerald saw Desmond coming for him so he mobilize what strength that he had and fired a stream of deadly explosions in his direction. As the explosions washed over Desmond''s figure it only made the illusions of him flicker. Desmond had already been standing next to Gerald since he fell down. He had simply been waiting for Gerald to make one last desperate attack to save himself. Attacking using a spell while your soul is damaged will only expand the damage. Gerald''s attack only made it easier for Desmond to overpower Gerald''s soul. Desmond''s soul threads invaded Gerald''s body and pumped his spirit energy inside of him disrupting Gerald''s use of magic. Gerald couldn''t help but become overwhelmed with emotions as Desmond cradled his head in his hands and looked directly into his eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the soul and as he faced death Gerald''s eyes portrayed many things shock, fear, disbelief, anger, but above all a dwindling sence of hope. "Stop you can''t kill me I''m a core student of Twilight Academy my master will have your head for this if you take this any further". With a cold and indifferent look Desmond sneered then replied, "I don''t care". Desmond without care for the consequences unhinged his jaw to an inhuman degree then unleashed a horrendous whale at point blank range. Gerald''s eyes where pushed backwards into the furthest depths of his head, his brain was also pushed back inside his skull and squeezed into paste while blook trickle out of all of Gerald''s orifices. When Gerald''s body flopped onto the ground like a potato sack Desmond moved hiz gaze towards Linda. Linda not wanting to end up like Gerald ignored the damage to he soul and focused on serving. A great amount of magic was utilized by linda and then used it to bring both buildings on opposite sides of Desmond down upon him. Desmond saw what she was doing but it was already to late to stop her both buildings where already fragile from the earlier clashes. So linda only needed to tilt them a little to make them fall. There was far to much rubble for Desmond to avoid forcing him to confront it directly. In less then a second Desmond produced 5 wind blades and sent them all towards the rubble above him. Each wind blade brake and cut apart the rubble when they disappeared Desmond cast the spell again and again till the sky was filled with wind blades. When the debris stopped falling Desmond was heaving loudly it took a lot of his magic to resist being crushed by two buildings. Though the debris stopped falling the danger wasn''t over the rubble started swarming Desmond at a fast speed. It completely covered his body and kept packing on till he was encased in a large earth sphere. Such a spell caused Linda a great amount of pain to cast but she wasn''t done she planned to crush Desmond then and there. It was for her own sake she wanted to live and knew confronting him with a damaged soul was impossible. Linda used all the strength that she had to compact the sphere as much as she could. When Linda felt she was nearing he goal the sphere suddenly started to expand rapidly. Bits of smoke and a colorful flame seeped out of the cracks. Linda tried her hardest to control the situation but it was of no use. Desmond soul fire burst the sphere open allowing Desmond to walk out freely. Gorgeous flames enveloped Desmond''s body as he rubbed jis stiff joints. "That was quite the display you showed, but its going to take more than that to kill this old man. But for your effort i''ll give you a beautiful death". Tears trickled from Linda''s eyes after she heard Desmond''s words and saw him wave his hand that seemes to be able to set the world on fire. Regret a painful regret from an unrealized dream pained her heart ever so. As Linda bathed in crystalline flames that regret turned into wonder. She wondered about how her life would have been if she chose a different path. Such thoughts different last long because it was replaced by an unimaginable amount of pain. Desmond''s flames ravaged her body and soul. Besides leaving the area in time there was no way for her to stop the effects of the soul fire. Witth his enemies defeated Desmond was overjoyed. He had overcome so much bull shit to get to were he now stands. Though it wasn''t enough to mean anything against all the giants that want a piece of him it was a start and that''s all that mattered. As Desmond stood proudly over his victim someone''s voice caught his ear. "What the hell happened". Desmond didn''t spare any words for Ferrise and Maverick who both had a shocked expression on their faces he only looked at them coldy then attacked. 136 It Has Begun With his body wrapped in crystalline flames Desmond charged towards Ferrise. As Desmond approached Ferrise Desmond swung his right hand sending a tidal wave of flames towards him. The soul fire engulfed everything in its path and threatened to do the same to Ferrise. Ferrise didn''t know what those strange flames that started to surround him were, but he could feel how dangerous it was to be hit by them. [Negative impact] To avoid being hit by the soul fire Ferrise cast a spell that creates a sphere of dark energy of which expands continuously for about 30-50 meters. The spell Ferrise cast is a weakened version of a higher grade spell with the same name that can completely atomize a person when hit with it especially those who have a weakness to the darkness element. While Ferrise''s spell is incapable of doing such a thing it can push things back with a great amount of force and force negative energy into a person''s body. Desmond and Maverick were both in range of Ferrise''s spell. Desmond was able to withstand the attack by firing a stream of soul fire towards it. The spell still managed pushed him back a few meters and forced Desmond to dig two long trenches in the sand with his feet. But Desmond was still standing after it and completely unaffected by the spell''s negative energy because of the soul fires purification ability. Maverick on the other hand was also pushed back. He resisted a majority of the damage by using 4 orbs that floated around him that could generate a strong sonic wave. The sonic waves shielded him from the physical damage but did nothing about the negative energy that seeped through. That energy deteriorated some of Maverick''s cells causing his skin to swell in different places and pop like cherries filled with blood. The pain was hard to endure but it wasn''t enough to make Maverick stop pursuing Ferrise. Ferrise knew that he was in an impossibly difficult situation to win. Both his partners were defeated by a mysterious old man making it impossible to defeat Maverick as of right now leaving escape as his only option. Without making some kind of sacrifice it would be impossible for Ferrise to escape alive. So he changed tactics to see if he could get the strange old man to switch targets. "Hay old man me and you have no animosity between each other nor was it me who tried to shoot you in the beginning. It was him he tried to shoot you, so you should be angry at him, not me. I can even forget about what you did to Gerald and Linda burying any transgressions between us right here and now". Ferrise furiously pointed at Maverick as he tried to persuade Desmond to attack Maverick instead. Maverick became even more on guard than usual. He didn''t know anything significant about Desmond and worst of all he didn''t know what kind of decision Desmond would decide to make. All he knew for certain was that he was able to beat two people at the same time that even he would have difficulty beating in a short amount of time. Which meant that Desmond would be a difficult opponent to face in his opinion. Desmond pondered over Ferrise''s words for a moment before he spoke. "I may be old but my vision hasn''t failed me. You''re clearly at the end of your rope and while I do not like what that brat did to me I am not dumb enough to pass up such an opportunity to make an easy profit. So, with that being said do you want to put aside our difference for the time being and work together with me young man. If you agree then we can split what''s on him 50-50". Desmond had given the matter serious thought. He witnessed part of the battle between Ferrise and Maverick and knew that he could be neither of there opponents in a fair fight especially against Maverick. Desmond may be stronger than before but he knew for certain that he could not outpace a gun. Not only that but Desmond could even see all of the modifications that Maverick had hidden inside of his body. Warning him ahead of time about the added risk when fighting someone like Maverick. Desmond may have been angry about what Maverick did but he was not dumb enough to start a fight that he knew he could not win. Maverick had a devious smile on his face while Ferrise was stunned. Maverick never expected to gain such a powerful ally so easily while Ferrise didn''t think he would actually have to face off against two powerful foes. "I''m willing to partner up, so long as you don''t slow me down, old man". "You cheeky brat is that any way to speak to a senior when he''s lending you a hand. Learn to be a bit more respectful it can go a long way". As Desmond and Maverick happily joined forces Ferrise was absolutely furious. He had faced off against Maverick before and every time he did Ferrise always felt as though the universe had it out for him. ''Every time, every god damn time we fight seemingly random things all lined up into place as if placed there for Maverick to take hold of. If that''s true then is that fate was I always fated to lose against you Maverick?''. Ferrise unwilling to accept such a cut and dry notion felt something snap in his head. All the strain Ferrise faced added in the expansion of his sea of consciousness. He broke into a new realm and he felt amazing. Amongst the three of them, Desmond unquestionably has the strongest soul but Ferrise now had the strongest mind. Ferrise always needed a strong mind to effectively control all the crows that he summoned. An ability of which he had been strengthen using the Keystone on his forehead. The Keystone that Ferrise had though small still amplifies mental energy by 20% and was exactly what Maverick was after. That additional 20% could allow Maverick to control more machines than he already can. If Desmond knew what the key stone was and its effect he would be after it as well because it could have become one of the main ingredients in creating a suitable support item. Ferrise unwilling to be Maverick stepping stone lashed out yet mostly focused on escaping. [Corrupt fissure] Ferrise''s hand began to glow once it did he chopped downward towards Desmond that action distorted the air and sent a wave of energy shaped like a crescent moon barreling towards Desmond. Desmond felt the hairs all over his body stand on end because of that attack. Frightened by it Desmond took out an advanced magic scroll and activated it. [Ice wall] A cold gust of wind that made everyone feel as though they were standing in a frozen tundra gushed everywhere. Within in a second a massive ice wall erected itself in front of Desmond. Ferrise''s spell clashed with the ice wall sending large chunks of it flying away. Though the ice wall was sturdy it started to heavily crack and give way to Ferrise''s attack. When Desmond saw that he had already crouched to the ground to cast a spell of his own. [Stone wall] Desmond managed to cast the spell twice effectively erecting 2 stone walls behind the ice wall before all the layers of defense that Desmond set crumbled under the might of Ferrise''s spell. Desmond''s defenses gave Desmond the time to avoid the spell in time but he was still shocked by how strong that one spell was. Even after it destroyed the walls it still corroded the ground for about an additional 5 meters. After Ferrise chopped down at Desmond he cast another spell called [dark lance] and launched it towards Maverick. Maverick did not have the confidence to tank such an attack so he blitzed out of the way as fast as his boots could take him. Though Maverick was fast the [dark lance] was faster. The tip of the lance crackled like lighting as it penetrated Maverick''s left thy and shot straight through. Once it shot through Maverick''s thy it exploded behind him abruptly with a thunderous clap. Responding to the danger Maverick''s sonic orbs created a shield that blocked most the expansion and shrapnel from hitting him [Dark prison] Though Ferrise received a boost in power he was in no condition to the fight people as strong as Desmond and Maverick simultaneously. So he cast a spell that plunged the area within 100 meters into complete darkness. The spell cut off sight, smell, and sound. Ferrise knew that the spell was completely useless on Maverick because of all the different pieces up technology he uses but the spell wasn''t for him anyway. He just wanted to create an opening to slip past Desmond. Yet, sadly the spell was just as useless on Desmond as it was on Maverick. Even if the spell could completely cut off Desmond''s senses his soul was simply too strong to be fooled by such a spell. As Ferrise approached Desmond he blocked Ferrise''s path by creating a wall of soul fire between them and firing a barrage of flames towards him. Ferrise weaved through Desmond''s attack and was surprised by how accurate they all were. As Desmond blocked his advance Maverick attacked from behind. Maverik sent out a swarm of drones while his for Sonic orb stayed close by to guard him. The drones gave Ferrise a hard time, but not as much as Desmond''s soul fire. Ferrise couldn''t risk being hit once from those flames. He noticed how strange they were and worst of all how they started to change the environments around them. Everything that his soul fire touched started to become translucent even Desmond''s own body partly started to turn. Ferrise didn''t know what that meant for him if he was hit by it but he didn''t want to find out. As threatening as Desmond soul fire was it turned out to work better against Desmond then for him. Desmond lacked control over his soul fire. He can move it just as easily as moving one of his own limbs, but that didn''t stop the soul fire from turning everything it touched ethereal. That ability did not come from nothing it took Desmond''s spiritual energy to shift the state of matter. Desmond''s lack of control was starting to overtax his soul and dulled his senses. If Desmond continued to overuse his soul fire it would force him to pass out. Ferrise threw feathers from his arms to destroy Mavericks drones and sent waves out with dark energy to keep Desmond soul fire from touching him. As Ferrise defended he took out a grass doll and ate it. Ferrise didn''t want to summon his crows at that time but he was left with no other choice. Rapid summoning crows for Ferris may seem easy but each crow is born from small sacks in his body and it takes a tiny bit of Ferrise''s flesh each time he does summon one when he doesn''t. Which is completely safe to do so long as he reabsorbs the crows afterward. large dark wings made of hundreds of crowd sprouted on Ferrise''s back. Once they did hundreds of crows swarmed Desmond and Maverick. Though they didn''t want to both we''re forced to engaged the crows before they could fight ferrise. Ferrise used that opportunity to escape. Desmond wanted to immediately chase after Ferrise but he suddenly became nauseous and stumble to the ground because he felt like his bones suddenly became brittle. The crows stack the weakness curse on to Desmond one after the other slowing him down. Maverick wasn''t affected by the curse because he had a counter for it but he was still slowed down a bit by the pestering crows. Maverick took out an automatic rifle and a few drones that both rapidly unfolded from there compressed states and started to mow down the crows. Maverick wasn''t worried about Ferrise flying away he knew Ferrise''s abilities to well and planned for too long to easily let him escape. When flew a few meters off the ground a massive blue net entered Ferrise''s vision. Ferrise was familiar with the kind of nets Maverick typically used and knew how dangerous they all were. If Ferrise got caught in any of them he knew that he was as good as dead because each net was capable of vibrating at a high frequency and had enough tensile strength to support a small bridge. Ferrise''s body would be chopped apart into meaty blocks in an instant once the net caught hold of him. Confronted with such a dangerous situation Ferrise utilized his martial arts techniques and seemingly began dancing in the air. His entire body mimiced the actions of a butterfly that fluttered in the sky. His strange movements made him more nimble in the air allowing him to barreling dodge the net. As soon as Ferrise avoided the net and became relieved a rocket shot out by one of Maverick''s turrets hidden nearby crossed Ferrise''s path and exploded. The explosion forced Ferrise back to the ground. After Ferrise crashed to the floor he was disoriented and heavily injured. His left arm and the left side of his face were both badly damaged from the explosion. Smoke rose up from his body as blood trickled out of his crushed left eye and down from his face. Though it was badly damaged Ferrise was still able to use his left arm he just had to fight through the pain to do so. Ferrise exchanged a hate filled glare with his most hated enemy while Maverick had an in different look the entire time. Maverick long since plugged the hole in his left leg with a specially made bio gel that promoted rapid healing. The wound still hurt even after he injected himself with something to heal it but it was still manageable for him. Soon after their quick stare down Maverick dove in full speed towards Ferrise. Ferrise may have been heavily injured and lacked both the stamina and magic to continue fighting effectively but he wouldn''t let yhat keep him from punching Maverick in the face. Ferrise''s wounds were to serious for Ferrise to dodge effectively forcing him to confront Maverick in that instance. When Maverick near a strange crow flew out of Ferrise''s mouth. The only difference it had from all of Ferrise''s other crows was that it was oddly wet to an unnecessary degree. Most people would think that the crow was drenched in saliva but it wasn''t it was ... BOOM!!! As soon as the crow was close enough to Maverick the crow exploaded in a gory fashion. Bits and chunks of what should have bern inside hundred of bird flew out of only one while a highly acidic dark mist filled the area around them. Ferrise was immune to the mist and laughed in joy as he watched Maverick being corroded by it. The mist scalded Mavericks skin and stated to make puss filled warts sprout up on him. Maverick instantly decided to leave the effected area once he saw what was happen but in the end he couldn''t. Numerous hands sprung out of the blood pool beneath Maverick and threatened to drag him down to a world unknown to him. Maverick wildly fired upon all the hands that where holding him down but the all kept reforming quicker then he could destroy them. As Maverick was being taken away the flag of death sprung up on Ferrise''s head. The loud sound of something travelling trough the air caught Ferrise''s attention when he saw what it was it startled him because it was one of Maverick''s specially designed nets. Not wanting to be truck by such a thing Ferrise maneuvered out of the way. Once he did he senced some kind of danger yet saw none in the immediate area. On instinct alone Ferrise wanted to dadge again but he was to slow. He had already moved to already exactly Desmond wanted him to be leaving him open to be struck by Desmond''s soul threads. Ferrise''s movements slowly down significantly and strangely enough he found that his vision had become split. Ferrise turned his only good eye to look at the cause of his demise and saw Desmond wrapped in a cloak of soul fire. It took him a minute but Desmond eventually figure out that the weakness curse could also be dispelled by using his soul fire making Ferrise''s crows completely useless against him in all regards. "What''s with that look forgot about me already? That''s alright i''m sure you''ll remember me after this". Ferrise''s eyes widened as Desmond snapped his fingers which lit the spark the engulfed Ferrise in flames. Desmond soul fire made Ferrise experience a hell far worse then what Maverick had ever done to him. Ferrise tried extinguishing the flames but he couldn''t the flames now raged within the depths of his soul and he had no way to put it out. As Ferrise was the face of death Maverick saw opportunity. To seize it Maverick hardened his resolve and revealed a long hidden blade hidden inside his right arm. The blade shimmered as it glowed a soft light blue. Maverick without hesitation used the blade to cut off both his legs (below his ankles). Once he did the 4 sonic orbs surrounding Maverick launched him forward allowing the arms that sprung out of the pool of blood to claim Maverick''s legs. Maverick''s body flew in the acidic air which corroded him further. As he barreled towards Ferrise who was shouting loudly Maverick swung his blade one final time. A blood fountain sprayed into the air after Ferrise''s head was severed from his shoulders. That unbelievable scene of his decapitate body set aflame by his most hated enemy and some random old man was engraved inside Ferrise mind and in his final movements time slowed. So many confusing and conflicting emotions swelled up inside. There where to many thoughts and ideas of what could be, what could have been, and what will happen. All those things made Ferrise panic so much he fealt as though he would die from that alone. So, he made all those confusing thoughts simple and turned it all into rage an intense rage born under so much pressure it rippled outward. Ferrise was unwilling to go silently into the night his hatred was to strong for that. In the final act before all life left Ferrise''s body and his eyes no longer burned with the same hatred as before. A strong mental wave undulated forward in all directions striking both Desmond and Maverick. Maverick attempted to resist it but his mind still cracked under the extreme pressure it received. Desmond fared even worse then Maverick he may have a strong will and an unquestionable resolve to pursue his dream of magic but he had only just begun strengthenin his sea of consciousness. Large cracks reminiscent of the grand canyon appeared everywhere inside of Desmond''s mind. If it wasn''t for Desmond''s sheer grit alone in resisting Ferrise''s mental shock wave he could have died from it or ended up brain dead. Maverick was trying to catch his breath on the floor after enduring the sudden mental attack. Maverick after taking a second to rest crawled to Ferrise head and a red jem off of Ferrise''s forehead. The key stone that he sought to take from Ferrise for so long was finally in his hands. Though he took a few losses to do it, it was all worth it in Maverick''s eyes. After storing the item away Maverick gazed up at the old man who had been watching him the hole time. Their partnership has ended so anything can happen now. Maverick even though that Desmond would betray him half way threw yet he didn''t. But that didn''t mean much in Maverick''s eyes anyway. To him Desmond could have partnered up with him for any number of reasons the two most likely ones being he thought Ferrise was more of a treat or that he himself was to dangerous of an opponent in Desmond''s eyes, so he decided to ally with him. But now that he appears weak and injured what would Desmond do?. Desmond stood upright and appeared completely unfazed by all the fights he endured in Maverick eyes which worried him. But Desmond had no thoughts of fighting in the slightest he just didn''t want to show weakness in front of Maverick. Since he only had less then 10% of his magic left, his spiritual energy was practically almost gone, his body was heavily injured. plus he was still not stupid enough to pick a fight with someone like Maverick. After looking around Desmond saw how much his soul fire had altered the terrain and didn''t like it. It clearly displayed were he was lacking so he waved his hand and grasped the air to get ride of it. Desmond didn''t know how to change an item back after he altered it. but he did know after he altered something he establishes a small connection with it and can destabilize that object breaking it down until it became like sand. After Desmond destabilized everything all the objects he affected turned to sand. Desmond gazed at Maverick suddenly sprouted metal spikes out of his stubs and used them for legs. After spending a little time with Maverick Desmond could clearly see how cold and cruel he was just by how brutally he treated even himself. "Maverick is your name correct?" "Its actually my last name but I prefer it when people call me by it rather then my first name. The value of a name holds a lot of significance to a person I''m sure you can understand why Mr. Desmond Gillies". "Oh, so you know my name that''s, so terrifying. Tell me did you figure that all out by using the implant in your right eye or am I simply just that famous". "You can spot my implants that''s quite impressive your quite the man of mystery Mr.Gillies". "Yes and your waisting my time so why don''t you take what you want of that corps and go where done here". Desmond and Maverick gazed at each other for a moment sizing the other up one last time before another person joined in on the conversation "Go, and were will that be I wonder shouldn''t you two explain yourself before you try to leave?". The battle between everyone destroyed an entire block. The DCPD had long since arrived to evacuate people and handle the situation but the person standing before Desmond and Maverick wasn''t apart of the DCPD it was an official grade 1 magus of Delmar City. Seeing who was both Desmond and Maverick respectively bowed. In front of a real mage that''s all they could do. "Explain now". Maverick stopped bowing and respectively explained what had transpired. "Your lordship this is what has happened you see in their desperation to prepare for the coming war my fellow students resorted to robbing innocent civilians. They targeted this old man at first who fought back hard to resist. I happened to be in the area when I heard the commotion. Seeing how my comrades where smearing the good name of our academy I felt that I had to do something that when the battle intensified". Maverick didn''t stutter once when he spoke, he was eloquent through to the very end. Only a seasoned lier could utter that much shit from there mouths and do it with a smile. "Your trying to tell me a simple robbery turned into this mess. Why in the world would they be willing to die for a handful of magic crystals". "They weren''t sir the reason this escalated to such a degree was because of my presence. When I came to inspect the commotion I had no clue what to expecte. It never once crossed my mind that I would run into three old enemies. You see since the beginning they have always been jealous of my talent. This drew a wedge between us especially between me and Ferrise over there. For years their anger for me grew until they let it all out on this day when they believed they had the opportunity to finally put an end to me since I was out numbered. If it wasn''t for courageous old man risking life and limb it would be me dead on the ground right now". As Maverick pointed down at Ferrise''s body and gave an invigorating speach the word shameless popped up in Desmond''s mind because that''s all he could come up with to describe Maverick''s actions absolutely shameless. There was no real way for the mage to easily prove Maverick''s story since there where no camera''s in the area courtesy of the underworld elites making deals with the higher ups. Mind reading was also against the rules for legal reasons, and after the mage inspected all the bodies he was surprised to find not even a trace of anyone''s soul because of Desmond''s soul fire. "Who killed these apprentices?" "It was my your grace". "How did you do it?". Desmond didn''t hesitate to show the mage his soul fire because it would lead to unnecessary trouble if he did. A look of surprise appeared on the mage''s face, "A soul fire how in the would did you acquire something, so valuable". If Maverick told the mage they fought for Desmond''s soul fire he would believe it in an instant because not even official mages can acquire something like that without risk or a steep price. "It was gifted to me by my master". "And who is your master?". The mage asked that not only because he had to but because he wanted to know if his master was someone who he could personally offend. If so he could take away Desmond''s soul fire for himself. "He is a rank 3 magus I don''t know his full name but he prefers to go by the name Zane". Maverick and the official magus both sucked in a breath of cold are after that statement because it was a bold claim that could spell doom for the both of them if it was real and his master decided to act. "I''m gonna need to verify that, stay still". The mage took out a piece of glass and cast a spell while looking through it the results of which were disheartening. "its true you are a mages apprentice which makes you an official apprentice unlike other apprentice level civilians and depending on your masters status you actions will be deemed insignificant but your master will still receive a fine for the damages that you caused". "That''s fine my master loves to take care of me and will deal with this joyfully". After Desmond said that he began coughing up blood. The insects Zane left inside Desmond gave Desmond''s internal organsa few love bites. "Ok then, so you both know Twilight Academy shall be noticed of this incident and it will be up to them if they want to persue the matter any further. One of you is apart of Twilight Academy so your safe but you''re not so they may take action against you". The mage was was about to say more when suddenly the entire place shook. The sound of a terrible explosion travelled all throughout the city. The time had come, that explosion signaled the call to armes for the best and the brightest because it was time for war. 137 Dawn Of War Inside Desmond''s apartment before the explosion on the surface that alarmed the city. The room was just as messy and dark as when Desmond left it a month ago. Dozens of piles of papers filled with runes, incantations, art work, and failed attempts at enchanting could be found everywhere even in the shower. Oleg''s music reverbed through the walls pounding in the head of a shadowy figure that sat still on Desmond''s couch in the darkness. Poor lighting resulted in not being able to see many of the figures details but the outline of a gun on his lap hard to miss. That mysterious figure who sat patiently in the dark was Gresham Stokes. He had been waiting for Desmond''s return for a while but only received an endless amount of torture from Oleg''s music instead. Time and again Gresham contemplated switching targets it was only was only natural he''d think, so because he''d been driven to his wits end. A simple revenge mission for all the people Desmond kill was all it was, yet it was proving impossible to complete since Gresham couldn''t find his target. Which in turn means that he can''t redeem himself for his massive failure. He may have not been the one to angered Andrea Briggs, but he did lead the group to the bar despite knowing full well that he shouldn''t have. That''s why the incident at the steel mill weighed so heavily on his heart because it was his foolish decision that lead to the death of so many good people. As Gresham sat contemplating what to do an old acquaintance contacted him using a communication seal. "What do you want I''m kinda in the middle of something?". "Gresham were are you?". "I''m, ahh at my friends place trying to rekindle an old flame. Why did you ask?" "I''m asking because people are looking for you man". "What for?". "Because you were the last known person to be seen with Robert". "Seen with Robert what do you mean?". "He''s missing and some people think that you have something to do with it since you where the last known person to be seen with him. His wife is freaking out and his kids are worried sick. His wife contacted us a while ago saying he was gone and we just recently found a video recording with you and him together shopping". Gresham felt like what he heard was ridiculous, "I did no such thing I haven''t seen or contacted robbert since what happened at the steel mill". "Ya, well you still gonna have to come in and explain your side of things". "Fine I''ll be right over". Gresham cut off the communication and was annoyed by what was going on. Though it was a displeasing situation Gresham was happy to finally leave that dreary place. Being surrounded on all side with text refering to magic wasn''t a pleasant feeling. It only reminded him of his mother Martha and what she did to ensure his future. Those memories were what kept the embers of his hatred burning brightly no matter the amount of time that had passed. Just as terrible memories in Gresham''s mind began to resurface the sound of a monsterous explosion over took every thing. The air visibly shook as the room swayback and forth. Gresham clung tightly to the couch as he endured the whole experience. After the effects of the explosion ended a siren blaired loudly in the background all throughout the city. That siren informed all civilians to migrate underground for refuge because the war had begun. "You''ve got be kidding me the war has started already, uhh". War brought endless troubles for ever body and made you realize your insignificance because war was the time that all of the side characters stepped down while the true protagonist of the world took to the stage. Knowing how little time he had left before the streets became flooded with all sorts of people. Gresham didn''t dally he stood up and prepared to leave. Before he left Gresham took out a small brown bag from inside his pocket. The bag contained a fine red powder of which Gresham began to sprinkle in every room in the house. The powder was called [spark powder] once ignited the powder burns better then magnesium. After the powder was spread Gresham ignited it, almost in an instant most of Desmond''s hard work over the nearly 2 year he had been on Theotera went up in smoke. All of the precious books Desmond obtained from Zane along with the book copies Desmond spent endless hours copying and thousands of magic crystals obtain. The flames engulfed everything except the 500 spare magic crystals ($5 million U.S) Desmond kept in his apartment Gresham happily walked outside of Desmond''s apartment complex with that. As the flames spread Gresham walked down the street like nothing ever happened. ... Memorial wall-South Gate, Delmar City Before the explosion that rattled all of Delmar City it was an ordinary peaceful night. At the top of the memorial wall a strong wind blew. The cold wind that would send shivers down ordinary peoples spines couldn''t faze any of the men or woman there. There mind, bodies and spirits were far to strong to be disturbed by such a thing because they were all at minimum rank 1 cultivators or magi. The thousands of artificially generated stars illuminated the dark allowing the enchanting beauty of the city and Clover Forest to easily remain within view. As the guards conducted their duty a red star was suddenly birthed in the sky. That red star hurdle towards Memorial wall faster than an of the rank 1 or 2 soldiers could perceive. Moments before many of the soldiers thought that the red star was going to crash into them that red star stopped and hovered in the air above Memorial Wall. The blinding light from the star that parked its self above everyone basked the world in a red glow. The glowing ball of light gave off a sinister energy that made everyone''s skin crawl, while threatening the rank 3 soldiers on duty were not impressed they resisted the imposing aura easily. To handle the situation a rank 3 brigadier general nearby rushed to the scene. He released a monsterous aura of his own as he spoke to the person above him. "I am brigadier general Damon Reed and you are trespassing in Delmar City''s air space. It is forbidden for anyone not associated with Delmar City to fly above 500 feet within Delmar City''s territory. Cease flying now, return to the ground, and you will only receive a fine. Disregard my instructions and we will attack you with lethal force". The person who stood above everyone didn''t heed Damon''s words in the slightest they kept standing still but they did retract their energy allowing their appearance to clearly be seen. A well decorated woman in a red and gold metallic dress that was created by sowing together precious metals and gems that have all been heavily enchanted. The outfit made here look like a warrior but could also double as an evening gown. She had a well defined jaw and facial features, black hair that flowed like ink and almost demonic eyes that glowed a light shade of red. After getting a clear look at who the person above him was general Damon was stunned then his attitude became even more serious. "Rank 3 blood mage Minerva The Crimson Cloud what in the world is someone like you doing here?". "So you know of me?" Minerva asked lazily. "Of corse I know about you I aften look some of the famous wanted posters in the world and dream about what it would be like to catch someone like you. Now that someone with a 3 billion magic crystal reward on their heads is standing before me I can''t help but feel elated because that means that I can now accomplish that dream. A vile rogue blood mage like you should just hurry up and die you bring mages everywhere a bad name". Minerva didn''t care about anything Damon said to her the fates of people like Damon who foolishly challenge her all had the same pathetic end. Continuing to talk to trash like those before her brought Minerva no benefits so she simply did what she came to do. Abruptly a nightmarish power that made even the rank 3 officers on top of Memorial Wall feel as weak and vulnerable just like back in their apprentice days spirted out of Minerva. That power made everyone on the wall take a few steps back without hesitation and made a majority of them literally sweat bullets. Though Minerva was only one rank 3 mage there were very few people dumb enough or brave enough to confront the kind of attack Minerva was about to release. Merely being at the same rank as another person doesn''t mean that your as strong, smart, or even skilled as another it only meant that you''ve reached that grades standard. But there are still people who are regarded as exceedingly strong even in their own rank. Minerva wasn''t a famous wanted criminal because she played games. It was because she was strong that people feared her and also because she had all the skills to back up any claim she made. "Full retreat its a rank 5 mystic item, retreat". Mystic items don''t grow on trees and acquiring one depending on its rank becomes exceedingly difficult especially for one that matches your affinity and combat style. The mystic item that Minerva possesses was upgraded by her. She used an already existing rank 4 mystic item that she possesses and with it concocted a recipe that allowed her to reforge it. Creating a recipe to create a mystic item or even reforge it is not easy at all. Minerva was only able to do it was because she was a refinement path grandmaster. But even despite that creating the recipe to upgrade her item was not a simple task and took her over 120 years to achieve that alone. The actual refinement process in its self was another hurdle all together because the materials needed to reforge a mystic item at such a high level can easily bankrupt a large clan and put them in debt. Not only that but because of the difference in rank between Minerva and the mystic item she was reforging meant Minerva was unable accomplish the task by utilizing her own power. It was only through the aid of someone or something stronger than herself that she was able to reforge the mystic item. Yet, even then such a massive task bears an immense risk of death. A risk that would be pointless to take because most people can''t us items or equipment that are to far out of there rank. If it wasn''t that Minerva was in desperate need for that mystic item to be at rank 5 she would have never taken such a huge risk in creating such a thing. Every soldier around Minerva scattered as fast as they could. There existed a massive dome like shield that protected the entirety of Delmar City but the shield had an upper limit to what it could handle and an attack supported by a grade 5 mystic item was definitely pushing that limit. Minerva gently pushed her hand forwarded after she did so one of the 50 story tall statues of mages clasping their hands activated. Delmar City which is jointly protected by 3 super guilds, 12 large guilds, and multiple other medium and small guilds is not easily threatened. There may be no being who is stronger than rank 3 in all if Delmar City but there are the one hundred and thirty four 50 story tall statues placed all around Delmar City all of which have rank 4 combat power. None of the statues can express the strength of a real rank 4 powerhouse or ever beat one but it doesn''t mean they aren''t exceedingly powerful. The massive statue launched off the ground and shot towards Minerva at a speed that shouldn''t have been possible for such a large object. In an instant the palm of the statue collided with Minerva''s attack and the collision created a blind white explosion. The explosion expanded in all directions destroying everything in its path for 10 square miles. It slammed against the protective shield encompassing Delmar City and some of it energy leaked though. That energy expanded thoughout the city at a phenomenal speed in a single breath that energy spread into the homes of thousands of citizens living inside of the wall. Memorial wall significantly reduced how far such an attack could spread but it still spread to a large portion of district-D it even reached all of the soldiers and commanders who tried to flee away before hand by using all sorts of techniques and life saving items that they had. But it was all useless because in the next second they all die. Only a blood mist and tattered clothes remained of those who once were. There was no resistance the difference between the two opposing powers was simply to great. When the explosion died down a huge dust cloud rose from the after math of the collision that generated a 10 mile wide crater beside Delmar City. Memorial wall while it did waver under Minerva''s attack it still stood strong. The results of the collision of Minerva with the statue left Minerva lightly injured while the statue itself only received a few light scratches. Fresh blood escaped Minerva''s lips the taste delighted her as she seductively liked her lips. Though the damage to the statue was minor Minervawas quite happy with it her mystic item is almost completely useless when used against inorganic targets. Plus the difference between rank 3 and 4 is incredibly vast for a mystic item to boost her combat power to even lightly damage a rank 4 target is already a huge achievement. In Theotera rank 1 is the bottom tier standard for not dying instantly when you walk outside by yourself. They are typically highly skilled combatants, who have a large assortment of abilities, can destroy large plots of land by themselves, but are still used as common foot soldiers by everyone. Rank 2 combatants can wipe out an army by themselves while people at rank 3 can survive a nuke at point blank range. The power of a rank 4 is the equivalent to that of a natural disaster. While rank 5s can destroy entire plants by themselves and anything beyond that is bull shit. [Note From Author: Just because an item is at rank 5 doesn''t mean it can destroy entire worlds it just means that if used correctly it has the power to damage or threaten the life of someone at that rank]. Seeing as he job was complete Minerva turned to leave the magus statue only automatically responds to direct threats since it received no orders to stop Minerva it didn''t try to stop her. "Leaving already, but I just got here that''s so rude of you". Those word made her stop for a moment and turn around. Once she did a charming middle age man with black hair, green eyes, and a scholarly aura floated nearby. Though the woman before him just recently killed thousands that were under his command there was no rage burning in his eyes only an endless sence of calm. "Nisus Bel to what do I owe the pleasure to your visit". Minerva said jokingly. "You attack the city I manage and kill thousands under my watch isn''t that reson enough". "I can''t believe what i''m hearing to think that such weaklings are still in your view. If I tell other about this they''ll think you''ve gone soft". "You can test out for your self how soft I''ve gotten Minerva". Minerva burst out laughing from Nisus''s invitation to battle, "You know I was only joking like hell I''d randomly start a fight with you I''m not looking to die". "You say your not looking to die but here you are". "I''m just here to take a few cheep shots at you while I still can. Its not everyday someone like me can spit in the faces of 3 super clans and all those other smaller clans you have under you all in one day". "Using the war to your benefit I see but you do realize this event will just make our clans start fervently hunting you down. They may even send a rank 4 elder after you for this or simply just to retrieve that grade 5 mystic item in your possession". "I fear no one and besides you should be more worried about them over there then me". Nisus had already noticed the peculiarity far off in the distance. The sound of wild beasts roariing and stomping on the ground endlessly sounded clearly in the night. "It seem like the elves have made their move". "Yes, and that is also my signal to go". Abruptly Minerva''s body started to break apart as she disappeared into a blood mist. Nisus did try to stop her such an action would be meaningless he only watched her fade away and once she did his body did the same. ... Eclipse Association, Delmar City Inside the Eclipse Association branch tower Lord Nisus Bel opened his eyes. What spoke to Minerva earlier was only a mental projection that he created. Immediately after opening his eyes put his hands on a crystal ball in front of him and made an announcement. "This is an urgent announcement today Delmar City was attacked by rogue blood mage Minerva The Crimson Cloud. In the attack she took the live of an unknown amount of fellow colleagues and citizens. Though she escaped before we could apprehend her I assure you all that the Eclipse Association condemns her actions and the actions of those like her. She will be brought to justice and pay for the crimes she committed. Along with that I bring even worse new the enemy is approaching our doorstep. But it is not a time to feel fear it is time to fight and show our enemies who they should fear". A loud cheer reverbed throughout the Eclipse Association it even overcame the blaring siren echoing through the city. After that announcement was made Nisus switched to call Velar Kadyn. "Velar arrange a meeting in the war room with all the clans acting managers if they can''t make it let their representatives attend". "I shall do so right away". There conversation didn''t last long but it got to the point. Trouble was brewing and depending on how its handled will decided the futur of Delmar City. 138 The Proposition After Minerva''s attack, the entire city was placed under full lockdown. The city guards rushed to the walls along with the reserve units who were tasked with transporting supplies and manning the guns on the walls. The DCPD kept civilians from rampaging in the streets in distress as they carefully evacuated everyone towards The Underground. While that was transpiring above ground Desmond had already made his way back to his home in the sewer. The rank 1 magi let Desmond go after taking some of his information. He wasn''t detained because the magi had more pressing matters to attend to and since Desmond had a master making him an official apprentice which altered how specific laws work against him. Typically the act of murder would get a person arrested and prosecuted just like on earth. But since both sides were official apprentices it was considered an apprentice battle which made the whole situation legal. That includes the act of looting of the loser''s body afterward. The damage to the city and loss of civilian lives is something both sides masters were suppose to bare. Desmond trudged inside his base at a steady pace, he tried his hardest to keep up his appearance when he was in front of people. But after he snuck back into the sewer Desmond''s facade completely broke down. A thick layer of sweat made Desmond''s skin stick tightly to his clothes, his knees buckle under his own weight, while his vision was mostly an amalgamation of blobs and blurs. Desmond''s spirit was weak, he overused his soul fire which placed him in a weakened state. He had almost no magic left inside him. Desmond couldn''t even properly restore his magic by using the magic crystals he had on him. But all those things were of little significance when compared to the state of Desmond''s mind. Desmond''s sea of consciousness was like a piece of shattered glass. Thinking alone pushed the capabilities of Desmond''s mind to its limits forcing him to keep his thoughts to a minimum. But it was hard before this incident Desmond never realized how much energy people waisted on useless thoughts. When Desmond entered his base Zane''s will saw the state he was in and honestly didn''t care, but he also had nothing else to do so he was interested in it nonetheless. "What happened to you?". Zane''s will spoke in a plain tone it didn''t even bother trying to covey a sense of worry for Desmond or the slightest bit of empathy. He made it clear he was only asking because he had a fleeting interest. Desmond remembered how untrustworthy Zane''s will was but he wasn''t in a good enough state to worry about that. Zane''s will was pretending to be on Desmond''s side and that''s all that mattered. Desmond slowly took off the rogue outfit that had become cumbersome for him to wear after all the injuries he received. Under the rogue outfit was the enchanted chainmail that he purchased at the gathering. The chainmail helped disperse most of Gerald''s attacks keeping Desmond from being blasted apart. Though the chainmail helped save Desmond''s life it wasn''t the greatest piece of armor. After enduring Gerald''s attacks it was in desperate need of repairs. The runes used to enchant it were all dull and barely shimmered at all. After Desmond took off his clothes dozens of dark purple bruises could be seen all over his body. Broken bones stuck out from under his skin and made him wince in pain. Desmond couldn''t cut off his pain receptors because his soul was too weak. He could only endure it like he endured Zane''s hellish torture. "Heal me, please" Desmond didn''t want to grovel for Zane''s help but he had few choices. He could use a healing potion but those were meant for emergencies while Zane''s talent at healing was far superior than the potion could ever be. "Why should I, you never even answered my question when I asked you?". Desmond knew how the conversation was going to turn out if he didn''t comply with Zane''s demand first so he took the time to tell Zane everything that happened to him while he bled on the floor. "Interesting you actually managed to kill 3 apprentices that were a higher rank than you that almost never happens. But you did damage their souls so it''s understandable that you won that way. Though if it was a fair conflict you most definitely would have lost. The training at The Twilight Academy is far superior then what you received at the reserve unit". "I know that I would have lost if it wasn''t for my ability to directly damage a person''s soul I couldn''t even cut that deep into that person''s skin with an enchanted dagger". "That''s good you think that too many people blame their equipment for there own lack of skill and end up dead afterward. A highly skilled person can kill a well equipped one while a well equipped person can easily do the same. There are too many possibilities for what could happen in a fight. All that matters is what you do to prepare yourself before it''s your turn to die". "Your words are truly insightful but I killed multiply students from Twilight Academy and one of them said their master was going to seek revenge for what I did so how should I handle this matter". "Obviously you do nothing, no one at Twilight Academy would dare cross me over such a small matter they know better than that. I don''t care how many clans support that school I''ll still burn it to the ground. You have actual power in your corner now don''t worry about small things like this". Desmond listened to Zane''s and found it difficult to continue listening, the room started to spin as Desmond found it increasingly difficult to stand upright. "I am honored to have such an amazing master, but can you help me now, please". "Your such a needy bastard". Zane''s will grumbled for a moment lightly before he continued to speak. "I can heal you but that will take a lot of my energy. I am a will not a living person I have a limited time frame that I can exist without a source of energy to replenish myself. So, the more tasks I do outside of what I was meant to do the less time that I can stay here. The original me will send others like me to you to continue your education before I eventually disappear but I am unsure if he has even created another like me or when my substitute will arrive". "I am more than willing to make that sacrifice". Zane''s will didn''t comment on Desmond''s obvious lack of respect he just touched Desmond''s chest and begun healing his wounds. Desmond''s entire body felt numb for a moment before he felt a twisting pain all over his body. Desmond felt his muscles and bones turned into sand before they were magically reformed until they were even more compact and sturdy than ever. Before Desmond was already muscular, but Zane''s healing made Desmond''s muscles more defined. Desmond still felt like shit because Zane''s magic didn''t defy any natural laws all he did was rebuild Desmond''s body which took away a lot of Desmond''s own energy as well. "How were you able to do this?". Desmond said absolutely amazed by Zane''s work. "I am a transmutation grandmaster as well as a transformation and blood path master". "I thought you were just a formation path grandmaster". "People can have more than one field of expertise. I personally have achieved grandmaster attainment level in 6 different paths and am a master in 12 others. Not many magi or cultivators have achieved what I have. Typically someone at my rank is only a grandmaster in 1 or 2 fields of study or probable none at all. I am a rare breed amongst my kind a true elite". Zane''s will gave off a smug aura as he bragged about his skills. That moment to Desmond was like watching a university professor flaunt his degrees in an ignorant student''s face. While it was disheartening it made Desmond realize killing Zane may be a bit harder then he thought. As Zane gloated Desmond felt a hammer bash against his head. "You didn''t fix the damage inside my mind". "That''s because I can''t its something that you got to let time heal or fix yourself. Though even if I could fix you mind I wouldn''t". "Why not?". "Because it would only encourage you to fight this stupidly again. Lisen well because I''m not going to sugar coat this. You can no longer use magic the injuries you sustained to your sea of consciousness is too great. Your foolish way of fighting almost killed you and has currently placed you inches away from death. The damage your mind sustained is more than enough to kill a person. You typically need an extremely sturdy mind to withstand that level of damage and not die, go crazy or end up brain dead. The only reason I can think of for you to survive those injuries besides you being too stubborn to die is the fact that your not human or a normal living creature. Don''t get my words twisted and miss understand me what you are allowed you to exceed the damage a normal person can endure. But as you are your own thought process and any stimulating external stimulus is enough to kill you or at least turn you as dumb as normal wandering spirits". Zane''s wills words made Desmond turn pale as a ghost as he began to worry about his future. "There has to be a way to fix this I have to go participate in the war soon. If I don''t show up I won''t be able to even walk a block down the street before I''m arrested". "There isn''t a quick fix that isn''t expensive but there is a way to stitch up your mind before it gets any worse and boost the rate at which it repairs". "If there is then let''s do it I''m not going to have my path to magic cut off just because of something like this". Desmond felt as though his journey had just begun so he was unwilling to have it end just because of some random person on the street and his vendetta. "You haven''t even heard of the potential dangers, so hold on. The method I suggest to fix your mind is for you to put a piece of your soul fire inside of your sea of consciousness. Because it is your own personal soul fire you shouldn''t face any rejection from it entering your mind. Doing this can aid in the expansion of your sea of consciousness but we don''t want that if your mind expands any further before it heals it will break. You must use your soul fire''s purifying ability to speed up the repair. While this is an easy fix it comes with severe consequences. The wills of the people that you''ve eaten has contaminated your soul fire that is clear from its unique color. Putting it in your mind will allow for those wills to influence your mind easier. Not only that but your soul fire''s unique mutation may have unpredictable side effects, whether they will be good or bad I do not know. Which is why I didn''t opt for this method beforehand. In addition to this, I will need to place a dampener on almost all your emotions temporarily. It''s for your own good the cracks in your mind will make you easily susceptible to external things. if your over emotional because of something you''ll just make all this work pointless. You will still feel things but your emotions will be suppressed". Desmond didn''t bother thinking about a single one of the consequences he Immediately agreed to everything. Magic was Desmond''s world it was his life to have it slip away so easily from him was acceptable unacceptable. "What must I do?". Desmond''s resolve was shown in his eyes as a fire raged behind them. "create a bit of your soul fire in your hand then give it to me I''ll do all the work you just need to lay on the floor and go to sleep". Desmond did what Zane suggested and began to fall asleep while he didn''t like Zane''s will having full access to his mind or body Zane already had Desmond by the balls anyway so it meant little difference. As Desmond''s mind slipped into darkness a small fire flickered in his mind. A multitude of voices emerged from the rainbow flame it was a beacon of change because when Desmond woke up he will be a different man. ... Twilight Academy, Delmar City In District 0 Twilight Academy stood tall its structure radiated an aura of a high standard quality of life. In its massive courtyard, a plethora of students gathered to be assigned their tasks to assist with the war. Walking by that large crowd of people was Maverick, he wore a dark hid to cover up the extensive injuries he received all over his body. The metal spikes that Maverick used for legs dug into the concrete and made a metallic clacking sound as he walked. As he walked towards his dormitory another student had long since sensed his approach. That man had similar features to Maverick but was more handsome and popular in school then Maverick was. Girls often threw themselves at his feet while other boys while jealous of him and his talent often befriended him because he was so easy to get along with. That person was Warren Maverick, Howell Maverick''s younger brother (Howell is the person that the author only refers to as Maverick). Few people refer to Howell by his first name Warren is one of them. The reason other students don''t call Howell by his first name is because Howell made it crystal clear what would happen to those who do. [Note from the author: I will only refer to Howell by his first name only when he is interacting with people who does use his first name or only when he speaks to his brother. Every other time he will be called Maverick]. "Howell, there you are I finally found you. I leave for a few weeks on a mission and when I return I hear about all those underhanded things that you''ve done. This academy is meant to transform us into leaders, people who others look towards for guidance. But you keep messing around and act like some common thug. I demand that you return what you''ve stolen from our fellow classmates and apologize to them at once". Howell raised his brow and spoke in a sarcastic tone as he talked to his brother. "Stolen? I stole nothing the reason I was able to take what those people had was because they broke the rules and stole from me. You of all people dear brother should know that I always follow the rules to the letter". "Howell you can not keep doing these things you commit all these misdeeds that make people spit on our family name. You act like a child Howell, what do you think our aunt and uncle will say about this". "Why should I care about the thoughts of those third rate mages. Their both nothing more than a waste of space anyway". "Take that back Howell their our family they took us in, raised us, and helped get us into this school. We owe everything we have to them". Howell could only sigh at his brother''s stupidity, he couldn''t even realize the real reason why their aunt and uncle took them in was only for their inheritance money. Howell knew that their aunt and uncle owned multiple businesses that were failing a few years ago. The timely death of Howell and Warren''s parents saved there business. Howell knew all about it but he never told his little brother. In Howell''s opinion if his brother couldn''t figure out something as simple as that on his own then he was useless to his plans. "Your blind Warren but I''m not going to open your eyes for you". "I can see just fine Howell I can see that - uhh ... your skin it''s red, covered in puss, and bursting blisters. Wait a second there''s a stone on your head too that stone, don''t tell me that you, WHAT DID YOU DO TO FERRISE!". "Oh, him well you see Ferrise and a few of his friends were tarnishing the reputation of this school. When I saw them walking down the wrong path and knew that they couldn''t be saved. So, I took them off that treacherous road and guided them down to the underworld. There no need to thank me its what any good student would do". Warren couldn''t believe what he heard. While Warren was stunned by the news Howell tried to walk past him to get to his room. When Warren saw Howell trying to walkway he tried to stop him. Warren grabbed Howell''s shoulder but when he did ... *Bang*, *Crack* Without Warren noticing Howell had his finger pointed at Warren''s right knee and out of Howell''s finger shot out a bullet that tore threw Warren''s knee and shattered it. Speed was not Warren''s strongest point so even with his inhuman reflexes the bullet still hit him. The sound of Howell''s hidden weapon firing off and Warren''s scream attracted many people''s attention. Warren supported himself with his other leg and a near by poll so he didn''t fall down but he did tightly grip his leg in pain. Howell then said to Warren as affectionately as he always has these words. "I am in a good mood so I will leave you with only that small wound but don''t ever come to me with the problems of others ever again. I don''t have time to listen to repetitive drivel about people who cower behind you to get to me". Howell didn''t say anything to Warren after that he promptly left towards his room leaving his brother to bleed out where he stood. ... Inside Maverick''s room Maverick when he entered went straight towards a large metal cabinet that stored all sorts of spare limbs Maverick created in advance for any situation. From the cabinet, Maverick pulled out a fresh new pair of legs that looked exactly like his old ones. An artificial layer of skin that Maverick developed covered the entire thing while runes inside the legs made them stronger and more durable. Maverick didn''t care about losing his legs he was striving to become a mechanical adept anyway which is a group of people that love to augment their bodies so it''s not like it mattered much. Maverick didn''t immediately attach his new legs instead he moved towards a dissection table with his new legs and laid down on it. "Edna start procedure-12 remove infected skin then decontaminate my body. Once that is complete graph a new layer of skin onto me and attach the legs with serial number 2443690". [Understood while the medical procedure is being conducted does master wish to be incapacitated?]. "No, just sedate me. While that is going on pull up all information I have on a man named Desmond Gillies". [Understood]. Rows of information hovered above Maverick as it was displayed via holographic projection. Maverick looked thew everything regarding Desmond Gillies that he had but it wasn''t much and most of it was far too normal. Most of the information Maverick had was so normal that it was suspicious. Maverick was disappointed in what he was seeing till he saw a bounty posting for a 1000 magic crystals. The bounty wasn''t official but it was a clue to find out more information about Desmon. Yet, In the end, Maverick had too little information to go on to effectively plan for the future". "Edna mark everything related to the man named Desmond Gillies as important and inform me about it immediately". [Understood. Notification alert maked as important] "Display". When Maverick saw that the alert was about Desmond''s apartment complex on fire Maverick didn''t know what to think about it. Was it a coincidence or could it mean something more? "Access community camera footage in that area around the time of the fire and download everything". [Understood. Access denied city security has been significantly increased because we are currently in war time]. "Check to see if the academy posted any missions to aid the DCPD". [There are Exactly 10 separate missions with various rewards currently available]. "Sign me up for one whichever allows me access into there office the most]. [Understood]. As Maverick waited for his body to heal he thought about the proposition he made to Desmond and whether he would accept it or not. ... A few hours ago After the explosion startled everyone the magi that questioned Desmond and Maverick had left leaving Desmond and maverick together alone. After the magi left Desmond immediately went towards the 3 dead bodies and started looting them. On Ferrise, Desmond found a Magic ring that could significantly reduce a person''s weight making them buoyant to the point it looked like they were bobbing up and down inside water. Desmond also found a none enchanted bag with 400 Magic crystals, and 5 advanced scrolls containing the [dark lance] spell. Linda''s only possessed a strange bracelet that Desmond didn''t know the effect of while Gerald''s loot was even worse than Linda''s because he only had a frog in his pocket. Was it magical, did it possess some kind of hidden secret? Desmond didn''t know all he knew was that he went through hell because of those people and wasn''t leaving empty handed. After acquiring everything off the bodies Desmond checked the conditions of the morrow beatle and Ventricle worms only to discover that they both looked like shit. The beatle was flipped over and twitching while the worms were somehow spitting out blood. After Desmond saw that he got everything of value he decided to leave. "Just going to leave like that without even a goodbye. Someone as old as you should have better manners than me". Desmond had hoped Maverick would stay quiet while he left but he was obviously hoping for too much. Desmond turned to face Maverick and said to him, "what do you want kid I''m busy, or do you want to fight me too?". "I wish for nothing of the sort I simply wish to make a proposition to you" "Oh, and what would that be?". "It will be a mutually beneficial agreement for both of us. I scratch your back you scratch mine that sort of thing". "I see an what is it that you think I can do for you and what can you do for me?". "I''m sure an experienced man such as your self can provide any number quality skills to any group as for myself I am a student at Twilight Academy meaning that I have access to a lot of knowledge. Most of which I can''t sell so long as it belongs to the academy but that doesn''t mean what I have is useless. I can purchase all kinds of restricted items and give them to you, I can get easy access to all kinds of buildings, I have knowledge about a plethora of black market deals. I can even provide aid In a few discreet jobs that you have planned. I offer all this and more all you have to do is agree". A friend on the inside Desmond knew how amazing something like that was. Desmond lacked useful people like that and needed friends of his own badly. He knew powerful people but he sadly couldn''t call any of them friends. "I''ll can sider your proposal but let me warn you I never want to see this shit show happen again. I know it was you that caused all this to happen all because I traded that healing potion with you earlier. Coincidences do happen but not like this, you did something to the items I traded with you didn''t you". "I admit it I did place a tracker on those items I sold you, but I assure you it won''t happen again". "Your a crafty man Maverick and honestly one of the most dangerous kinds of people that I''ve seen. Your shrewd, cynical, and above all shameless, honestly it might be interesting working with you but only time will tell if we do". Maverick had a devilish smile on his face as he said, "you flatter me too much". After that, the two parted way and whether their paths will cross again in the distant future remains a mystery. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 139 The War Room Eclipse Association, Delmar City Early in the morning inside the Eclipse Association Rank 2 magus and acting manager of The Order of Peth''s side branch preacher Revon entered the building. His twinkling black and grey mage robes fluttered around when he moved. He had a few piercings one pair connected from his lip to his ear, another on his left eyebrow, and a third set on his nose. Revon''s bald head shined in the light just as much his piercing. Once inside the building, Revon walked unimpeded towards the war room. As he opened the door he saw a neat row of people sitting across from each other. They were all either clan branch managers or representatives like himself. But as he looked around Revon realized that he was the only representative in the group. Undiscouraged by that Revon quietly took his seat while he listened to a few other members converse with each other. "Shut your mouth, you old crone and leave me alone". Those distasteful words were uttered out of the mouth of a woman who''s beauty didn''t fall short of the legends spoken about her kind. Her bluish green hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her near flawless skin was just as smooth as her silky hair. Her ample bosom appeared to wish to burst forward but was held back by the artistically designed shells holding her chest together. The color of the shells mirrored that of her hair that hung around her neck, scales that covered her entire lower fish half, and green eyes that were currently staring at an old woman in front of her. The woman had the appearance of an enchanting mermaid but you would be a fool if you judged her on that alone and meet a similar end to many sailors of old because that woman wasn''t a mermaid but a treacherous siren. The woman''s name is Delphin she is a rank 3 elemental mage and branch manager in one of the large guilds in Delmar City. Delphin moves around not by flying but swimming. By utilizing her special ability she is able to create ripples were ever she wants effectively making the world her ocean. "Why are you getting so upset for, I simply want to know the secret to your beauty? That scaly dry skin, those dead cloudy eyes, that perfect row of needle like teeth, and that amazing smell of your that never seems to leave the room. I have no interest in that fake beauty that you show everyone only your real beauty. I work hard to maintain this perfect figure of mine, but I could always use a few improvements. So, woman to woman tell me what is your secret". Delphin isn''t ashamed of her other appearance every siren has that hideous other half the problem for her was that that the person asking for beauty tips was a freaking hag. She knew that when she transforms that she wasn''t the best to look at but she never once thought that she was so ugly that a hag would come to her for beauty tips. The hag''s name was Allegra Morag rank 3 witch and manager of the Black Cauldron side branch. The Black Cauldron is a super clan use to be completely comprised of females. Today it is a highly diverse clan that is publicly known as the wealthiest clan in the world. Allegra wore multiple old tattered clothes that were layered over her. Shrunken heads were wrapped around her waist. The heads were just as hideous as her own face that was covered in moles and had a huge crooked large nose. "You filthy hag I have nothing to give to you so, stop asking". "Ah, I see so your looks are natural, *humph* some people have all the luck". With a displeased look Delphin said, "why do I have to suffer through this and endure the pestering of Raijin''s flies while we wait?". Next to Delphin was a freshly rotting corpse it wore black and red robes that looked brand new despite the state of the body. Flies and maggots escaped out of the hollowed out eye sockets and moved in a coordinated pattern around it. Raijin is a rank 3 cultivator and a man who has mastered the art of the living buddha. Delphin was swatting away a bunch of flies that kept bothering her while she waited and amongst everyone there she was having the worst time. "You sat next to them meaning you only have yourself to blame". The man playfully joking at Delphin''s expense was named Mason ward. He is a rank 3 mechanical adept and an incurable horder. Both Mason''s arms and legs were clearly replaced with mechanical ones. He had a strong jawline and a muscular physique that seamlessly blended well with his mechanical parts. "No, I didn''t they sat next to me, and, uh-huh why won''t these Flies leave me alone". "That''s because their trying to communicate with you, but you keep swatting them away force them to restart". Mason said while rolling his eyes as he stated the obvious. "Well, what are they saying then?" "How am I suppose to know when you won''t let them finish speak". A vein popped up on Delphin''s head as she became fed up with the flies. "Stupid flies, why can''t Raijin just speak like a normal person I know that he can". "Hay, swarm of flies is a regional dialect that has a long history many people still speak it today. There''s no reason to get upset at him just because you''re too ignorant to learn". Stated Mason as he defended Raijin''s choice of speech. A loud buzzing sound filled the room as Raijin tried to say something. Once the buzzing ended everyone at the table burst out in laughter except Delphin because she didn''t know what he said. With a look of confusion, she asked, "what is it, what did he say?". Allegra after she was finished laughing said to Delphin, "it''s best if you don''t know you wouldn''t get it anyway". The others nodded in agreement as Delphin stared at Raijin''s rotting body with a glare as painful as daggers. While Delphin was being ridiculed Revon was having a conversation of his own with someone else. He was speaking to a shirtless man that appeared to be in his mid twenties. That man had the appearance of a human but had two sets of horns growing out of his head. One pair grew upwards while the other grew forward. Barely any fat could be spotted anywhere one his body he simply had layer after layer of muscles, yet still had a thin figure. His hair was as wild as Ragnar''s but still looked well groomed. The depths of his eyes contained a deep loneliness while everything else about his demeanor radiated only strength. That man''s name is Nigel Rey also known as The Black Fist or more popularly known as the Black Tide. He is a rank 3 seal master a class that is not only a way of cultivation but a path of study. Most people when they first learn about seal masters believe that they only specialize in sealing things but that is only partly true. Sealmasters are without a doubt one of the deadliest close range to mid range combatants in the world. Sealmasters were developed after a great mage became an overlord in his field of study just like mechanical adepts. Sealmasters are a classification of mages that combine the techniques of magi and the fragmented knowledge of one of the greatest beings that ever existed asura. Through the consecutive usage of strange poses and an enormous number of runes seal masters barrage their opponents with an seemingly unending number of debuffs while buffing themselves and converting the entire battlefield into their home ground at the same time as they fight. If it wasn''t for seal masters weakness against long range tactics they would be much deadlier then they already are. "So, Revon what happened to william this time since you''re still acting as the manager I can only assume the worst". Nigel spoke in a peaceful tone as he conversed with Revon. Revon rubbed his smooth head for a moment before he said to Nigel. "William is no longer with us". "Is he dead". Nigel asked with a bit of concern in his voice. "No, he is somehow currently in Niflheim (mist world, land of frost giants" "How in the world did he get there?". "I have no idea. One day that man was taking a walk in the clover forest, next he''s on a boat in the middle of the Blood Sea, now I hear that he''s somehow in Niflheim. How he achieved that is a mystery to everyone". "That man''s sense of direction was always otherworldly". As Nigel and Revon talked Mason Interrupted them to add his own remarks. "I believe you mean to say that man''s sense of direction was always piss poor. I''ve seen that man get lost going down a straight hallway. He''s an amazing fighter and he''s good at politics too but I can''t help but wonder how that man is still alive". "I agree its only a matter of time before that man finds himself inside of a place too dangerous for him to return from. Allegra stated what she believed to be the truth. Raijin''s flies buzzed in agreement while Delphin nodded her head in agreement". As the group continued to converse about William''s likely demise the main door parted allowing 3 figures to walk through. They were lord Nisus Bel overseer and strongest person within Delmar City, Velar Kadyn who was Nisus''s right hand and held authority only second to Nisus Bel himself during peacetime, The third person was General Emma Von Cooler she is the general of the army meaning that she has authority second only to Nisus Bel during wartime. Emma Von Cooler was shockingly a very small girl. She had blond hair, long eyelashes, a petite build, a flat chest making her in no way look older than 10 years old. In fact, her adorable looks and demeanor would make people think she was younger. But those people would be fools to think so and would all be manhandled by Emma until she couldn''t find any more walls to throw them through. Emma Von Cooler is without a doubt a monster of a person that is feared by many. He has lived a long life and had enough kids with dozens of different men to be classified as someone''s great grandmother 100 times over. Emma wore an all black military uniform that was decorated with red velvet and gold ornaments, a large assortment of medals and badges. She had a strong aura that demanded everyone''s attention even as she stood next to Nisus Bel. After Nisus took his seat the war meeting finally begun. Please go to to read the latest chapters for free 140 The War Room Part 2 After Nisus looked around he finally spoke to everyone at the table, "Greetings everyone, while it is nice seeing all your faces gathered in one place the gravity of this matter requires me to skip all pleasantries and get down to business". No one at the table had a problem with that meetings have a tendency to be overly long and boring anyway even if its one about their battle tactics on how to defend the city. Everyone at the table has gone through the same thing, so many times their fed up with it and welcome anything that would cut the time down even if it''s by a second. Since everyone had a mutual understanding Nisus continued, "As you, all know this war that decides the fate of Delmar City isn''t a normal one. For us, it is a battle of attribution while for the enemy every second matters. Since we illegally claimed it while within the Solaris Kingdom we are subject to many restraints. Some of which as you know entails that we can not claim territory outside of the borders of Delmar City along with not being able to attack any clan that is associated with the Solaris Kingdom or land governed by a noble, ... Ect. The restraints also include that we also can not call for aid from the Starling Empire (Magi Empire). Though it''s not like they would have given it for a small clan war it limits us nonetheless in the face of an enemy that isn''t subject to any of that. While many of the restraints are lifted during wartime it doesn''t change the fact that we are at a disadvantage. The only way for us to overcome that disadvantage is to use the loopholes in the deal we brokered with the Solaris Kingdom. Since our city not only has to defend against the might of not only every clan that those dark elves have been able to gather but along with whatever aid the Solaris Kingdom is willing to send we have a time restraint of 3 years before the war is contracted to end. With that said, Nisus stopped speaking to allow Velar Kadyn to have a few words. Velar spoke eloquently as he addressed a few important subjects. "After the sudden attack from the rogue blood mage known as Minerva The Crimson Cloud our forces took a bit of a hit. Her attack killed 4 rank 3 combatants, 50 people at rank 2, over 300 soldiers at the realm of rank 1, and is estimated to have killed over 10,000 citizens. We are still calculating the actual amount. Memorial Wall of which sustained no damage was able to significantly reduce the range of her attack if it didn''t the death toll would be much higher. While the losses aren''t that high when compared to the force of 500,000 soldiers that we have active her excluding the reserve unit of course. The loss of those rank 3 combatants is a devastating blow to us. Our army is mostly comprised of over 450,000 rank 1 soldiers the rest of which is mostly just rank 2 soldiers. Through the combination of all our clan''s aid, we could only scrounge up a total of 50 rank 3 combatants a number which has now become 46. But through my efforts, we were able to procure a few wondering magi and cultivators willing to lend us a hand bringing the combined total of rank 3 combatants up to 76. Because of our world''s continued war against that universal level civilization, our clans are extremely limited in what kind of aid they can send and that stands true for the Solaris Kingdom as well". Universal level civilizations are peak level civilization''s they have full control over thousand of galaxies, can cross vast distances near instantly, and can harness power from stars, black holes, even from other dimensions. Theotera has encountered 2 such civilizations in its existence. They completely obliterated one of them and are in the process of destroying the second one they happened to encounter. The war has been a long and bloody one. During the war, legendary people have continuously been born and fallen. Even demigods have fallen fighting in the war which speaks volumes about the might of the civilization its self. "Apart from that, there has been an increase in suspicious activity inside the city. Ever since the refugee we brought in the amount of graffiti inside the city has significantly risen. After a thorough inspection, it was discovered that the graffiti was harmless nor did any of it have any religious meaning or resemblance. But because I could not rule out spies from the Solaris Kingdom amongst the refugee I had all of them continuously monitored. The monitoring has brought to light a few suspicious people, but one of which stood out from all the other. That Person''s name is Eliot Row. He is a nobleman with no cultivation of any kind and is currently a refugee in the city. Ever since he arrived here he hasn''t done much besides getting into a heated conflict with a reserve unit member by the name of Desmond Gillies. But ever since then that man has been nearly untrackable. He pops around the city and leaves just as quickly as he arrived. During our monitoring of him, we found him conversing friendly with a suspected high ranking purifier member. This leads us to assume that he is one himself or is merely acting as a middle man". Mason was listening to Velar''s report and was already getting bored of it. He was fully focused when Velar spoke about the general makeup of the army but quickly lost interest the moment Velar went on about a potential nobody. "Sorry for interrupting you Velar, but what has this Eliot person done to warrant this much attention? I can think of dozens of ways that a mortal with enough knowledge in magic can escape your detection methods even if they have no cultivation. But I still would make them enemy number one just for that". Velar didn''t hold anything against Mason for his questions he simply answered to the best of his ability. "The reason this man is the most suspicious to me is because of the say he disappears is strangely similar to that of a known member of Secret Visage. We have absolutely no proof that even remotely says that their connected in any way but I can not dismiss such a thing either" Mason didn''t bother asking another question after that. Anything even remotely connected to Secret Visage should be given top priority. No one ever knows what their planning and whatever they have planned has never been good. Every member of Secret Visage are nothing but agents of chaos. An order comprised of the worst kind of filth one can currently find in the world. After settling Mason''s question Velar continued on about a few other general topics about ammunition, food supplies, daily yield, weapon production, medical aid, reimbursement for loss of life, damage to property, ... ect. Once he finished he handed things over to Emma Von Cooler. Emma''s cute appearance and adorable voice was overshadowed by the strong aura she emitted. With a wave of her hand, a large hologram appeared in front of everyone. It showed the outline of Delmar City, its defense, along with the current position of every ally moving in real time. The green dots indicating allies were like a million marching ants. A number that was currently overshadowed by the overwhelming number of red dots in the forest. "As everyone can see her outside of the city a horde of magical beasts. While we are unsure of the exact number it is currently estimated to be 10 million and that number is projected to steadily increase as time goes by. Solaris is attempting to use those wild beasts as cannon fodder in controlled waves to control the flow of the war. Which is fine but the current tactic their using is strange, but simplistic which makes me worrisome". "And why is that General Emma?" Allegra uttered while softly cackling. "That''s because the way their going about attacking is completely different than usual. This is is the first time that they have been, so direct when sieging the city, but that''s not what''s weird. What''s strange is that their only attacking the south side of the city while completely ignoring everything else. They''re not even trying to spread out our manpower as thin as possible". "The war has just started we can''t be too sure about any of their plans as is, so this could also just be a clear display of their lack of control in coordinating that many beasts all at once". Uttered Delphin as she gave her own take on the situation. Emma gave a light nod in agreement with Delphin, "while that may be true it might not while forcing a monster tide at this scale isn''t easy with their resource they should be able to do more than force them to attack in a straight line, so I can not be truly certain about that. Either way that massive number of creatures is a problem that needs to be taken care of quickly. The tide won''t be able to break down our defense, but because of them I also can''t send out any large teams to attack the enemies lurking nearby. A small group might be able to sneak past all those creatures and provide us with a much needed update on our enemy''s position. But that team might also get killed by the swarm of magical beasts before they could accomplish anything. We tried sending out drones, but every drone that we''ve sent out was destroyed before it could transmit back anything substantial. Allowing us no choice but to send out people. We need an exact confirmation on our enemy''s position before we can enact the first stage of our plan which is the release of the dark matter particles. Once the dark matter is released it will create a dense cloud that will obscure everyone''s vision who enters it and it will sever all enemy communication within a 1000 mile area around the city. The dark matter will also interfere with the space around it making things like teleportation impossible. This will not only help with cutting off enemy supply lines, but it will also reduce the threat of Nester Vargas personally interfering, provide cover for when we assault the enemy units, and make a quick retreat much more difficult. The dark matter cloud will only last about 6 months before it dissipates, but our goal is mostly to buy time as we whittle down the enemy, so that''s fine. As long as we can stretch the battle out long enough or cause enough financial damage we win. I will organize a team that has good scouting abilities and will send them out in a few days. While there gathering intelligence I need as many people as possible to clear out those magical beasts. The grade 4 guardian statues can make short work of those beasts, but they can''t be used infinitely and should be saved for when a real threat arrives. Once the magical beasts are dealt with I will release the dark matter. As for the ones who launch the first assault I believe that honor should go to The Order Of Peth since they have, so many highly skilled and powerful members at their disposal. Everyone in the room glanced over at Revon who was quite pleased with being the first group sent out into battle. "I''m sure everyone in my clan will be thrilled with the news. If we''re lucky then maybe we all may be able to experience a new sensation of pain". The Order Of Peth is largely comprised of people who enjoy pain their tolerance for it is shockingly high. While pain weakens others it gives their members strength in an actual sense. The Order Of Peth found a way to harness pain and turn it into power a power that is displayed through their tattoos that cover their bodies. Only full fledge members possess those tattoos which are not easily obtained for most. A trial of pain is required to obtain those tattoo a trial that not many survive. The trial becomes significantly harder to pass the higher rank someone is that''s why most people who tend to join The Order Of Peth as apprentices or when there rank 1. Everyone in the room had a knowing look on there face because the members from The Order Of Peth love for punishment was so world renown. "I''m sure your clan won''t let us down". Uttered General Emma who didn''t give further thought to Revon''s love for pain. "Let''s move on then shall we. For the person who will lead the combat medics I see no better person then Allegra". Allegra thought about her assigned position for a moment before she asked, "am I allowed to experiment on those that I treat". Emma gave a tired sigh before she replied, "only if that person gives their consent of which you haven''t forced out of them". Allegra thought for a moment before she replied back, "That''s doable I accept". "Hay, since we can make requests can I have authority over one of the guardians". The sudden requests came from Mason who received a unanimous answer from both Emma and Nisus. "NO!". "I have the highest authority in the city and while I could technically give you control over 1 of the guardian statues I won''t. I already know what you want to do with it and I won''t have something that expensive destroyed just because you want a power boost. Use that special ability of yours on something else". Nisus wasn''t annoyed by Mason''s requests, but it did sound like it because of how blunt he was when he spoke. "Come on have a heart Nisus you don''t need that kind of power boost because you can practically wipe out their entire army by yourself. Look at me and my flimsy mechanical arms I''m a weak broken man can''t you see that I need all the help that I can get". "I seem to remember you being able to endure the combined might of hundreds of opponents all at once what weak about that". "Ya, but what that compared to you, you swat people at the same level as you like flies. We could win this war within a month if we just send you at all of them". While a lot of people don''t want to believe it, it was true Nisus Bel was too strong. Even people at the same level had trouble with him because Nisus''s abilities have forced a standard on everyone. A standard of which that someone doesn''t meet means instant death. "While you words flatter me I''m not all powerful besides I have to stay here. The moment I step out to fight Nester Vargas will come to intercept me and the same applies to him if he suddenly pops up on the battlefield. If you feeling light on weaponry go raid the armory we can easily rebuild what you take anyway". Mason was happy that his amazing conversational skills got him exactly what he wanted with little effort. Since Mason was a mechanical adept his combat abilities were primarily related to his equipment. This understandably can become very expensive to manage especially at his level, so he has to always find ways to stick other people with the bill whenever he can. The war meeting continued onwards after that much needed to be discussed and even more needed to get done. For the welfare of the city and their own interests, everyone endured the long process ahead. 141 The Principal At the far end inside Twilight Academy''s central building was the office of rank 3 magus Principal Duvall. His office was like a living fantasy, books flew off their shelves and rearranged themselves in a neat order, magic seals flew around the room creating flashes of dazzling light that shimmered off the large waterfall he had in the back. A light sprinkle of morning dew could be found on all the vibrant plants the water nourished. It was a magical sigh just as magical as the wizard who floated on top of a small grass hill in the middle of his room. Duvall''s dark blue robes fluttered gently as if they were billowing in the wind. It was a small display in his skills in enchanting items for all to see. Duvall appeared to be somewhat old, around the age of 40-45. He had a somewhat wrinkly face with a small mole on the right side, a noticeable amount of bags under his eyes, brown hair, and a short beard. He had a stern expression on his face even while he was studying which matched his Demeanor. As Duvall was looking through various books a knock came from his door. After nocking, a little green goblin stepped inside the room. That goblin though wasn''t normal it was a goblin special breed and genetically modified by mages. Natural goblins are typical quite ugly but the genetically modified ones aren''t. The goblin that walked in was quite small, but also very cute. She had short dark hair, near flawless green skin, large eyes that made her look more adorable when she looked at you, and sharp pointy ears that were currently pointed downwards in the presence of her master. She wore a typical maids outfit and had a submissive demeanor about her. Though she was a slave it is important to know that people on Theotera can''t be enslaved. Theotera typically only enslave species from other worlds because it is Illegal to enslave any Theotera denizen that isn''t a mindless beast. The only way around that law is to acquire that persons will fragment. Will fragments allow people to control whether a person lives or dies they also allow the holder to decide where that person can go after death. The method to perform such a thing is not widely spread and even those with great power and influence have almost no chance of acquiring the method to do so. That''s because The Pantheon Of Valdora acquired all known methods spread throughout the world and sealed it away. So, though the goblin is intelligent and a denizen of Theotera she has no real rights as a person because she lost her will fragment. As the goblin stepped in she bowed to Duvall and said to him in a soft and intimidated voice, "Master I know I have no right to disturb you but it has already been an hour since the war meeting started didn''t you have plans to go?". The goblin''s soft voice was gentle to the ears and pleasant to listen to but her nice voice didn''t have any effect on Duvall''s attitude. Sissy felt ashamed that she disturbed her master during something important so much that she started punishing herself for her mistake. "Stupid Sissy, bad Sissy, how could you be so forgetful, master doesn''t need you to remind him". Sissy slapped and punched herself repeatedly hard has punishment. She even banged her head against a nearby bookshelf making it wobble around a bit after every hit. "That''s enough of that sissy your making to much noise". Duvall wasn''t particularly kind to Sissy but her wasn''t mean to her either. It was a strange in between where he taught her how to punish herself when she felt as though she went out of line. That method of his had obvious effects on her personality because she''s always timid and insecure about everything which makes her punish herself all the time for every little thing. She had a sad face after Duvall told her to be quite her ears drooped down even more while her puppy dog eyes started to tear up. "How could you foolish Sissy your master already said he was in the middle of something important". That realization only made her beat herself even harder than before. She grabbed a thick book off the shelf and started slamming it over her head. Duvall didn''t stop her he had seen her do that for many years and was use to it. But it did make him wonder if he had possibly gone wrong somewhere when training her? Duvall thought for a moment then quickly realized that it was possibly already too late to change her. Though it''s not like he minded it anyway, he had become too accustomed to her personality that if it were to suddenly change he would feel as though the world was crumbling around him. As Sissy beat herself senseless with a book a sudden knock came from the door. That nock made Sissy come to her senses and do her job like a proper maid (slave). After she exited the room to have a short conversation with the person outside she returned to inform her master of who it was. "Master Professor Loodwell is her to see you". "About what?". "The death of his student" "Uhh ... so, it''s going to be one of those talks". Duvall didn''t want to go through this conversation, but he knew that he had no choice, so he might as well get it over with. "Alright let him in". Quickly responding to her master''s orders Sissy let the man inside. Rank 2 magus Professor Loodwell walked inside with a scowl on his face. He was quite upset with the sudden death of his student and wanted to see if he could get the Academy''s help in making the perpetrator''s life a living hell. Someone at his level killing someone at an apprentice level is below him and would leave him open for a large amount of criticism from others at his level including his peers. Overall it wasn''t something he needed in his life but he still wanted to do something for his fallen student because he had thoughts of making Gerald officially his apprentice. "Principal Duvall I am grateful that you are willing to speak with me about this matter". "I was gonna have to speak with you anyway so we might as well do this now rather than later". "Excellent so I must know what the academy intends to do to exact justice for my student and those other students who were brutally murdered yesterday by Howell Maverick and his accomplice. Howell has been rampaging inside this school unchecked for too long. We must do something about him before he starts thinking that he can walk over even his teachers". "I hear what your saying Professor Loodwell and I can assure you that the academy will do absolutely nothing to resolve this matter". Loodwell was surprised and upset by what Duvall said to him because he wasn''t expecting it. "What do you mean your planning on doing nothing are we really going to let Howell get away with murdering 3 students in cold blood that''s against the rules". "Are you sure he murdered those students because as I recall the report said that he honorably risked his life in defense of an old man who was being assaulted and robbed by your student and his friends. All of which in turn protected our school''s reputation. How could I possibly punish someone that would go to such lengths to protect this city''s citizens and the school itself". "All that is nothing more than a bunch of beautiful lies that he whipped up". "So, what if they are do you have proof to refute them because I certainly don''t. At this school we training our students to be leaders, to fight, to be mages and cultivators in the truest sense of the word. How in the world can they be that if they can''t adapt to every situation thrown at them or above all read a book? Every single word in the student guide book was chosen carefully and Howell found the purpose of each one and used them to his benefit. That is what we are teaching here and he is a shining example of what a true mage should be able to do. Not those useless brats who died moments before the war even started. If you want to act against Howell go ahead, so long as you don''t abuse your power as a professor or as an official mage I won''t care. A few big losses will teach Howell not to get too cocky". While Loodwell didn''t like what Duvall said he respected and listed to hid decision. "Fine I understand your stance on Howell but what about that old man in the reserve unit who personally killed 2 students and assisted in killing one other. Why won''t you do anything against him". "Well for starters it is officially stated that he was acting in self defense. So, us pursuing a man who was simply defending himself from our who were robbing citizens will not go well no matter how you look at it. We could always use our massive influence to win the case but why should we even bother. The second reason I will not pursue this is because it''s too dangerous". Loodwell had an intrigued look as he asked, " dangerous how so?". "This old man claims to be the official apprentice of a powerful and extremely skilled mage rank 3 that goes by the name Zane. While I don''t believe that its true for a second because I actually know that bastard his words mean one of two things. One is that he is publicly claiming that Zane has some kind of invested interest in him so messing with him would be the same as messing with Zane. Which is something you don''t want to do unprepared or he is announcing that he is the biggest idiot in the world and will most likely be dead within a week once Zane finds out someone was using his name again". "Again, someone misused this man''s name before?" Duvall had a complicated look on his faces as he explained what happened, " don''t you remember the One Man Riot about a hundred years ago". "You mean that slaughter that one man carried out hunting down every person with the same name as him across the world because someone stole his name and made a bunch of deals and trades while pretending to be him". "Ya, it''s the same guy he''s an absolute lunatic that should have been imprisoned years ago. If that''s not enough for you then you should know that man fought against Nisus Bel and Nester Vargas yet is still alive to talk about it. So, I highly recommend you drop the matter against the old guy for your own health". Loodwell not expecting the situation to be so complicated was happy he didn''t do anything beforehand and talked to Duvall first. With nothing left to address Loodwell respectively said his fair well to Duvall and left. Duvall alone at last immediately got back to his research while Sissy moped in the corner. 142 Punishmen Inside building 12 room 132 was Derek who was currently still disguised as Sergeant Joe Freeman. He was still wearing his pure white formal uniform as he stood in the middle of his office with an expression on his face that none of the reserve unit members that he trained has ever seen before. This was a rare occasion were Derek while disguised as Sergeant Freeman had a smile on his face. His joyful smile was birthed from the sudden misfortune of Andrea Briggs who stood in the room with Derek while wearing plain civilian clothes with her arms crossed in annoyance as she waited for Derek to be finished mocking her. A gentle stream of tears dripped down Derek''s face as he laughed at Andrea, "this is too precise I always knew that this was going to happen to you because of your temper I just didn''t think it would happen like this. So, how does it feel being suspended for excessive use of force, damage to the city and civilian property, and a huge pile of other things Andrea". Andrea didn''t take Derek''s words in any bad way they were both each other''s rivals but ultimately friends in the end. With a smirk of her own on her face, Andrea replied, " honestly it feels great. Being suspended was probably the best thing that''s happened to me recently because now not only do I not have to fight in the war I get paid not to do it as well. If it was any other time it might have been bad but now it''s basically a vacation. Which is a lot better then what you have to do". "Fighting in this war is an honor and unlike you, I''m fine risking my life for the sake of others. It''s one of the reasons why I joined the army and not a clan in the first place". With a devilish grin, Andrea replied, "I''m so happy to hear you say that because its that kind of mentality that you''re going to need to have right now if your gonna want to survive". "Survive what?". "Well, you see because I got suspended they need a person with a very particular set of skills to fill my position for a very important mission and while I am suspended I still have some authority. It wasn''t enough to change their decision but it was enough for them to allow me the honor of presenting this message to you". Andrea took out a fancy glowing letter that was magically sealed and presented it to Derek for him to read. After Derek read the contents of the letter his eyes became wide like saucers as he struggled to make sense of the letter he just read. "This can''t be right they want me to do recon. Why would they as me to do this? Did they not see the horde of magical beasts outside the wall? One wrong move out there and I could actually die. The letter even has Emma Von Cooler''s emblem of approval. How in the world did I get so unlucky". With a gleaming look in his eye, Derek realized something. "It was you wasn''t? you got me put this mission". "How dare you make such an accusation did you not just hear what I said I''m suspended I can''t go I must repent for my action. Clearly, I''m not welcome here if you''re making such outrageous comments. I''ll be taking my leave then". Andrea sped out of the room before Derek could stop her leaving him alone and furious. Derek is fine fighting for the sake of others but he doesn''t like being thrown to his death like this. Derek furiously shouted down the long hallway at Andrea''s quickly fading figure. "Get back here Andrea and explain this". In the long corridor Andrea''s voice echoed into Derek''s ear, "it was you or me". Andrea''s response made Derek angrily slam his office door and walk around in his office in a humph. As Derek trudged around his eyes glanced out of his window for a second allowing him to catch a glimpse of a certain insubordinate old man that''s been A-wall for a little over a month. His figure was surrounded by 3 other soldiers who he also recognized because he was the one that had to train them for a year straight. ... In the courtyard, Desmond was surrounded by his 3 closest friends Roy, Lance, as well as John, and was happily chatting with them. They were some of the few people Desmond had met in the world that didn''t want to spontaneously kill him or use him in some way. Desmond was grateful to see their faces because it helped alleviate much of the pain and stress that has accumulated over the past couple of weeks. As they chatted Desmond couldn''t help but feel at ease. "Desmond where the bloody hell have you been you''ve been gone for a month and left me alone with these two idiots. Do you have any idea the amount of pain I''ve been through?". Lance complained to Desmond about his untimely disappearance when suddenly Roy interjected. "What do you mean by idiots were the best kind of company a person could ask for. Ain''t that right John". John had a rifle attached to his back with the same upbeat smile plastered on his face as he replied, "of course we are if it wasn''t for us you would have been beaten black and blue in that fight we had a few weeks ago" "If it wasn''t for you guys there wouldn''t have been a fight in the first place since you started it". "That''s because Roy didn''t have a chance to participate in the last one. We''ve got to look out for our own". Roy grabbed the side of John''s shoulder and in a tone full of brotherly love, "thank''s buddy". John replied back, "don''t mention it". Lance looked at both of them while shaking his head then said to Desmond, "you see what I mean". Desmond shook his head vigorously as he said, "ya, I do I see just fine. I see that ya''ll trying to exclude me. Not cool bro''s rise or shine if there''s a fight I wanna be in it". "Oh come on" While Lance lampooned Desmond huddled together with the other idiots in their group. As that was going on a disgruntled figure made his way towards the group. The group quickly noticed who was approaching and stood in a line at attention in moments. Everyone clearly saw that their drill Sergeant was pissed and exactly who he was pissed at. "Sergeant Freeman sir, Desmond Gillies reporting in for duty sir". Sergeant Freeman continued to walk towards Desmond and only stopped when he was inches away from his face. Desmond while he didn''t show it had his emotions heavily suppressed it was because he was a fairly decent actor that it was a bit hard to notice. But Desmond could still feel things and people like Sergeant Freeman definitely made Desmond''s emotions stir which was quite bad because Desmond keeping his emotions in check was the difference between life and death. When Sergeant Freeman arrived in front of Desmond he could instantly tell the difference between Desmond a month ago and Desmond before him today. He was a rank 2 practitioner it would be weird if he couldn''t sense such differences. While Desmond had gotten stronger and he secretly commended Desmond for it didn''t stop him from chewing Desmond out. Sergeant Freeman grabbed Desmond by his skull with both hands and lifted him up above his head. While it would be difficult for average people to do such a thing to someone who''s a similar weight and hight Freeman wasn''t an average person. "Reporting for duty what do you mean by reporting for duty. Because from what I understand you should have reported ages ago. What in the world was more important than informing your superior officer of your absence". Desmond didn''t say anything because he knew it was a trap. "That what I thought you poor excuse for a soldier. There ain''t nothing more important in this world than fulfilling your duty. Yet, you don''t seem to understand that so not only are you on latrine duty for the foreseeable future you also have the honor to be deployed as close to the front lines as I''m allowed to put you. That also includes the rest of you grunts as well. You will also be deployed to the top of the wall under the command of Captain Tusk because you''re all equally guilty by association. Now, are there any objections to my decision". "Sir, no sir". "Then get moving those toilets aren''t going to clean themselves". As Sergeant Freeman what the four musketeers rush away terrified of him. It brought him no joy because he''s gonna have to start running for his life very soon too. 143 Uniqueness He wasn''t scared, anxious, or the least bit worried. Only a few extreme things can cause his emotions to fluster. Like Sergeant Freeman but that''s mostly just because Sergeant Freeman instilled absolute fear into Desmond for a year straight. After what Zane''s will did to him he was almost completely numb to everything and instead of worrying about everything Desmond began to look at the world around him objectively. It was a state of mind that allowed Desmond to further appreciate the beauty in the horrifyingly difficult world that he was thrown into. Theotera was a land of swords and magic but it was also high tech enough to reach further into the stars than his old world ever could. Yet, despite how advanced it was the law of the jungle still ruled supreme. Meaning that with enough strength anything was possible. While Desmond didn''t truly pursue strength as much as others he did pursue knowledge. All the knowledge that the secrets of magic could provide to him. While other advanced civilizations would call it barbaric, it was still simple cold cut and beautiful. It was a place someone like Desmond could truly be free to do whatever he wanted without objection even something like kill all his friends. It was a horrendous and immoral thing to do, but in Desmond''s defense, they smelt, so good. Ever since Desmond woke up and Zane''s well discovered what his soul fire''s ability most likely was Desmond has been fighting back against an intense hunger. His hunger wasn''t physical but came from the depths of his soul. Before Desmond could smell souls but that was only when they were exposed and it wasn''t that intense. Now Desmond can smell the souls of people even when they are inside of a body. He can tell exactly where someone has been and where they are going. While souls don''t actually have a smell that people are used to like cookies or bacon they do have spiritual energy and emotions. Spiritual energy is something many people know about and are capable of hiding but emotions are something even high ranking powerhouses have difficulty hiding. Emotions are capable of permeating the air and if strong enough can stay in the same place for years. Ever since the city was attacked people all over have been drenching the town in worry and fear. That many twisted emotions all at once turned the town into a bakery were only Desmond could smell what''s cooking. ... A Few Hours Ago Inside Desmond''s secret base Desmond was still laying on his mattress. Desmond''s eyes twitched vigorously showing that he was moments away from waking up. While Zane''s will waited for Desmond to awaken he rummaged threw Desmond''s spoiled and found that he risked his life and obtained nothing, but trash. The low grade ring of levitation, 5 advanced scrolls with the spell [dark lance], and magic crystals that Desmond obtained from Ferrise''s body was absolute trash in Zane''s will''s eyes. The bracelet Desmond obtained from Linda''s body was halfway decent because the bracelet was made with the essence of a low grade earth elemental. The bracelet''s ability allows it to reduce the cost of magic needed when using earth related spells and shortens casting time for the user. While the bracelet is decent its still complete trash because its only useful for those at an apprentice level and is useless to Desmond unless he uses an earth related spell. The frog that Desmond brought oddly enough was a storage pouch. Since most apprentices are dirt poor they have to get creative and cut corners were ever they can. The frog Desmond brought is proof of that because its a special type of frog that''s rare in the region that they are currently in. That frog while small has 7 stomachs and can compress the things put inside of it. Inside the frog Zane''s will found the [ignition gloves] Desmond originally sold, a scroll on how to train in a martial art technique called [rising dragon], 670 magic crystals, and some cheap alchemy ingredients he doesn''t even want to mention. To someone at an apprentice level, all that was a fortune Zane''s will has the knowledge of a great mage who has seen to much and been alive too long to be moved by any of it. As Zane''s will criticized Desmond''s loot Desmond awoke from his slumber. Once Desmond awoke he didn''t move or make a sound he simply turned his head and watched Zane''s will rummage threw the things he brought back. Desmond watched for a short while before Desmond asked, "what are you doing?". Zane''s will wasn''t startled or surprised he already knew Desmond was awake the moment he woke up. Zane''s will didn''t turn around to speak to Desmond he kept doing what he was doing as he replied, "I''m looking threw the stuff you and have noticed its nothing but junk. Just look at this marrow beatle and ventricle worms for example. How in the world are they useful? Did you buy it or did you take it off those apprentices you killed?". "I bought them. I was planning on using them to enhance my body". "Well don''t do that its a stupid idea. Those things will only make your body as tough as iron, not even steel. While that may sound strong it''s only useful at an apprentice level fight. Your soul fire is more than enough to strengthen your body far better than any average body refinement method. Since you purchased those things I can only assume that you also purchased the [copper body] training manual as well. Probably in hopes that it will fix the fact that the Ventricle worms and marrow beatle don''t improve the toughness of your skin or organs correct". "That wasn''t my full thought process but kind of, it was more for research than anything else". "You fool cultivation is not some kind of game where you can add whatever sounds similar and pleasant to the ears together and expect it to work. Did you not once consider if the marrow beatle, ventricle worms, and [copper body] were even compatible with each other or how the metal will poison your bloodstream if you train in [copper body]? Not to mention the adverse effects you soul fire will have to your new body especially since you don''t have the best control over it. You have to follow your own path in this world and not others don''t be sheep. You can use things as a reference, but you shouldn''t go further then that if you want to reach the top". As Zane''s will described a bunch of major flaws that his idea to quickly strengthen his body Desmond realized how he had changed. Zane''s voice wasn''t as annoying or unbearable as before. Despite everything that Zane is Desmond currently found him to be tolerable. "If I can''t use any of those things that''s fine just because I can''t doesn''t mean someone else can''t". Desmond said as his gaze drifted over towards Robert''s beaten body for a brief moment before landing back on Zane''s will. Zane''s will turned towards Desmond and said, "whatever you decide it just better not be another stupid decision. Now, how do you feel?". "I have a slight headache but other than that I feel normal. I can even think again now without my mind tearing itself apart". "That''s most likely more of a placebo effect. The damage is all still there so you shouldn''t feel the effects that quickly. It will take around 6 months to a year for your mind to fully heal. You should be able to start casting spells again when your mind is half healed. You just shouldn''t overdo it before its fully healed or else you will cause more harm to your mind then now. During that time you will basically be just as weak as any other mortal, but there is a way for you to still defend yourself. Your not the only one who''s had their mind damaged throughout the year''s people have developed ways to circumvent that period of weakness. Resulting in a new battle style called rupture. The rupture style is good for close and mid range combat. It mostly involves two different forms which are violent and gentle. It takes a bit of practice but after that, you will be able to use moves and incantations that have a similar effect to magic. Needless to say, most people don''t use this style when their not mentally injured because the drain on their spiritual energy can be quite taxing. But its still a good fighting style that allows you to keep up a good fight with someone for a good while. Giving you the time to escape or something else. In addition to that, I finished creating the spells that you wanted but since you can''t use magic I tweaked them a bit so that they can be used with only your spiritual energy. This is not something that can be done with all spells. It''s only because the spells you asked for were based around the usage of your soul fire that I was able to do this. There are 3 spells the first spell is a type of binding spell called [soul snare] that requires you to make physical contact with your enemy. Once cast it shoots a burst of your spiritual energy inside of your opponent. That burst will make your opponent''s soul go berserk and create threads made from your opponent''s soul that will physically stick to your opponent binding them. For them to break free they must either have good soul control or they must rip apart there own soul. I doubt any of the opponents you face could do it so that spell if full proof. The second spell [specter bullet] is similar to [magic missile] except my spell is a bit more lethal. It shoots a projectile that can''t be blocked by normal means. It will bypass most defense and strike that person''s soul most likely killing them upon contact. The last spell is called [specter grasp] it originally was a lot more different then the one I''m giving you but your condition made me change it. This spell condenses your soul fire onto your hands into the shape of a claw. This spell is built to enhance the rate at which your soul fire alters the physical state of matter by around 5 times. So, it should only take around 4 seconds for you to change the state of something instead of 20". Once Zane''s will finished Desmond pondered over the spells and martial techniques for a bit before he realized the severe limitations all those things bring. "The spells that you''ve made are quite wonderful but from the sound of it, the amount of spiritual energy that all those things will consume is quite high. I won''t be able to fight long using all those things I''ll end up unconscious after a couple of minutes. Not to also mention how long it would take me to learn all those things. I''ll still be defenseless for who knows how long". "I know, but that''s not my problem now is it?". Desmond couldn''t help but smirk from that, "your care and affection towards me is as heartwarming as always". The rise Zane''s will got out of Desmond caused his head to ache. Desmond held his head gently as his brain palpated inside his head. "Are you sure you did it right my head still hurts?". In a huff, Zane''s will replied, "don''t question my skills people beg for my assistance all the time There''s no way I made a mistake on something like this". "Then check because my head feels weird". Zane''s will didn''t believe for a second that he made a mistake but in consideration of how abnormal Desmond''s soul fire is he humored the notion and checked Desmond''s mind. What Zane''s will found inside shocked him. What Zane''s will saw would shock anyone who''s seen it because what Zane''s will saw was an impossibility. Desmond''s mind was still shattered that was normal what was abnormal was Desmond''s soul fire. It was completely different than before because Desmond''s soul fire was a colorful flame filled with spiritual energy. Now Desmond''s soul fire was taking on the aspects of its surroundings and becoming a colorful fog that still raged like a flame. There wasn''t a hint of spiritual energy anywhere it was all mental energy. It was an impossible scene made possible by Desmond''s flame. "This can not be, you, how?". Desmond looked at Zane''s will in confutation while Zane''s will gazed at Desmond with shock an wonder. "This is a treasure an absolute treasure. How in the world could you gain such an ability". Desmond still oblivious asked, "what ability?". Zane''s will looked at Desmond while calculating the usefulness and probably of Desmond awakening such an astounding ability before he replied to him. "Your soul fire has altered its form in a way that shouldn''t be possible. This leads me to believe your soul fire ability is completely different from what I thought". Desmond was intrigued such amazing fantasy things were exactly why he gets up in the morning and now he''s discovering that he had an ability that he had no idea about. Though his emotions were suppressed Desmond''s blood instinctively began to boil with excitement. "Well come on don''t keep me waiting". Zane''s will seeing Desmond''s desire to know just said it, "your soul fire can not only alter physical matter to make it ethereal but it can also alter its self to become another form entirely. Allowing it to have the exact same effects as what it''s mimicking and because it''s your soul fire you can control whatever it becomes without problem. But what''s more shocking is what your soul fire has done inside your sea of consciousness. Once your soul fire transformed and became pure mental energy it became a condensed piece of mass. Which is a critical building block for mages and practitioners everywhere to build their sea of consciousness? Which is not something that should be possible for you currently. The only people that should be able to do that are those who are at the peak of grade 3 or above. This does not mean that your mind is equivalent to those who are grade 3 and up. What it means is that the word talent is practically meaningless to you now because that ability of yours allows you to completely overshadow any genius. Since the growth and foundations of your mind will be at a monstrous level. Not only that but because you can change spirit energy directly into mental you can easily resupply any lossed mental or even magical energy but I don''t know if the same can be said in reverse". Even with Desmond''s emotions suppressed he became flabbergasted from what Zane''s will said because even the shittiest gamer would know what all that implied. "I''m a walking energy converter how is that even possible?". "I don''t know, but my original self has a piece of your soul, so help probably figure it out in time". ... City Guard Training Grounds, Delmar City Still inside the bathroom scrubbing away at the brown stains at the bottom of the toilet bowl Desmond''s mind was going haywire he couldn''t stop thinking about what his abilities implied. His soul fire could convert physical matter but could also become another type of energy. It couldn''t become something like wood, stone, diamonds ... Ect. But if he obtained something like hellfire wouldn''t his soul burn like the flames of hell and since his soul fire can change matter doesn''t that mean he can bring hell with him where ever he can go. The more Desmond thought about it the more Desmond hated the war because now he has to waste his time fighting when he should be experimenting. Desmond can feel that the piece soul fire inside of his mind isn''t finished integrating because once he left his secret base he suddenly gained the ability to smell everyone soul''s and essentially their emotions So, it made him wonder what ability he would get once the process was over. Though Desmond was quite pleased with what he received he did also ponder upon how he got these special abilities and if he was special or not because if he wasn''t doesn''t that mean that there are thousands of other souls like Desmond with the same or similar abilities? Desmond hoped that wasn''t the case but knowing his luck he knew it was probably true. As Desmond cleaned the toilet a monstrous hand pointed over his shoulder and said, "you missed a spot". That person was Zane''s will though Desmond had no thoughts about it before he ultimately decided to bring Zane''s will along with him because he was going to participate in an actual war. Desmond knew that could actually die at any moment so to prevent that Desmond took Zane''s will along with him. Zane''s will may grumble and express his detest for everything but Desmond saw the conversation Zane had with Seraphine and knew that he wouldn''t let Desmond die so easily. He may watch as Desmond''s body gets blown to pieces but so long as Zane''s will saved Desmond''s soul in the end from fading away or being captured Desmond didn''t care. While Desmond continued to clean with Zane''s figure looming over him someone came into the bathroom shouting at everyone. "All of you stop what you''re doing and move it. We need all the fresh bodies we can get down at the south wall". "Sir, but we were told to - ". "I don''t care grunt this order supersedes whatever you were told the entire facility is moving out now so get to it". Without any talkback Desmond and everyone else dropped what they were doing and rushed to their respective stations. 144 Defending The Wall Outside the city, a sea of magical beasts created all sorts of bizarre sounds that would instill fear into any normal man. Their charge shook the earth like a war drum that sounded out their endless hunger which made the beasts appear even more ferocious. Swarms of creatures blocked the sun that hung high in the sky from shining down, letting out only a few rays of sunshine every time their wings flapped in the sky. Like an unmovable mountain, Memorial Wall stood firm against the beast tide. Thousands of enchanted mounted guns and cannons aimed both above and below let out an opposing beat of their own. With every shot blood clouds burst into the air bringing down one foul creature after another. Gunfire ripped each beast apart in a gory mess while each cannon carved out massive mile long gulleys into the terrain. While those stationed at the wall fought back the magical beast hoard it wasn''t without loss. Every single creature had abilities of their own and each one focused their attacks at the wall. Memorial Wall has superb defenses that are difficult to break, but a near endless amount of focused fire from millions of creatures weakened the integrity of the force field in some places allowing a few attacks and creatures to pass threw. Though the shields themselves were far from breaking they also can''t endure that much punishment all at once in one single area. The beast attacks that slipped threw lit up the wall like the fourth of July. Powerful attacks of all kinds made the wall ceaselessly rumble. Memorial wall is made out of the same material most wizard towers are created from making it capable of absorbing and dispersing magical attacks. Allowing it to endure a lot of attacks, but some of the shock waves still slipped threw and spread threw the wall. While it was only a partial amount of power the real attacks contain they still ended the lives of a few unfortunate souls. In the midst of all this platoon 23-B6 which was Desmond''s unit arrived on scene. Soldiers shouting out and gunfire hammered consistently into their ears. While the unnerving sight of wild beasts and injured soldiers shook the hearts of the passing soldiers. The evidence of Minerva''s assault on Delmar City that could easily be found everywhere shook them even more. The sudden fierce attack from the horde of magical beasts left little time to clean up the bloodstains, bone, and tooth fragments embedded in the walls that were one of the few reminders of the people that once lived there. Desmond''s platoon was sent to the top of the wall where they got the best view of out of most people there. Roy''s eyes became as wide as hawks as he took in a clear view of everything happening around him. He had never fought in such a large scale battle before, so he was nervous during the whole trip up the wall. The seemingly endless stream of magical beasts didn''t help with that feeling either. "Ya". Replied Lance who was secretly just as nervous as Roy, but didn''t show it. "Then why are there way more beasts then yesterday? I''m no mathematician, but 10 million magical beasts shouldn''t be able to completely cover 20 square miles like this, right?". "I''m not sure either, but I''m inclined to agree". As Roy and Lance were both secretly sweating bullets a bulky man in a captain''s uniform arrived in front of the freshly dispatched soldiers. Captain Tusk didn''t bother with any pleasantries and said what he had to. "Soldiers nows not the time to stand there and gander. If you''ve got the time to do that then you''ve got the time to fire a gun. You were brought in to fill the 10 hour rotation period, so until your shift is over or your guts are on the floor I better see you giving this war everything you got. Now swap out with the previous unit and get to killing. I don''t wanna be the man captaining the team with the lowest body count". As a unit everyone captain Tusk spoke to shouted in reply, "Sir, yes sir". Before they unhesitatingly made their way to the mounted guns. Desmond and his crew all worked together to operate a large cannon that was 2 arm lengths wide and about 12 feet long. It was a perfect fusion of tech and magic the external design was simplistic and nothing fancy, but the internal workings of the cannon were, so complex that it alone could boost earth''s technology by at least 100 years. This monster of a weapon used concentrated dark matter and fired it out in a devastating beam. As the weapon fired it particularly loud, but it was incredibly destructive. The beam traveled faster then Desmond or any of his friends could see. They were only able to catch a glimpse of something firing out before a bright flash filled their eyes and a massive explosion erupted below. The cannon fire cut a huge swathe threw the sea of creatures killing hundreds of them from the initial explosion alone. The explosion was so powerful it knocked over and gravely injured creatures that weren''t even near the blast radius. All of the marvelous weaponry displayed by Delmar City made Desmond feel a tinge of shame when he compared it to his old planets. Though that sense of shame was obscured by a growing bloodlust. The scent of worry, death, and, fear made Desmond''s soul rumble. While the magical beasts horde that mirrored the image of demons being let loose from the gates of hell made Desmond''s heart palpate like a schoolgirl who found her first love. Though his hands should be sweaty and his legs should be buckling under the weight of his fear. Desmond was still as he relished in the feeling of amazement from what he was experiencing. It was nothing more than a prelude to something greater for the original denizens of Theotera, but to Desmond who came from a world inferior to their own. It was a fantasy battle that bards would sing songs about in taverns until the story became myth and myth became legend. It was a glorious battle that deep down Desmond had always yearned for. It stirred Desmond''s emotions to the point that even Zane''s seal on Desmond''s emotions could not keep Desmond''s feelings suppressed. The surge of emotions made Desmond shed a single tear it wasn''t much but to Desmond it meant the world. Desmond''s true display of emotion didn''t go completely unnoticed. Zane''s will who lurked around the wall beside Desmond completely unnoticed by everyone except Desmond. Watched the tear fall down Desmond''s cheek and on to the floor. That tear could have meant anything but Zane''s will knew better he knew for the briefest moment his seal gave way. As for what could have caused it there were too many possibilities especially on a battlefield during a war. Thought it was only a single teardrop it made Zane''s will vigilant and concerned about Desmond well being. A concern that Zane''s will never really had but did now all because Desmond has proven himself to be far more valuable of a prize than he knew. A prize that shall belong solely to Zane. 145 The Prowess Of Rank 1 Cultivators Part 1 The concern Tusk had was because of how clearly coordinated all of the magical beasts were. At first glance, it would seem to anyone that the attack was just a simple straight forward charge. Until you looked again and noticed how spread out all the creatures were from each other and how each volley of attacks came within a 1 to 3 second difference of the other. Meaning that the beasts were coordinating their attacks to allow the shields as little time as possible to reform. This was especially bad because Captain Tusk clearly knew where the city officials'' priorities lied in situations like this. Since this is a war of attrition to safeguard the city, the city officials won''t use 100 percent of the city''s defense capabilities. At maximum power, the shield surrounding Delmar City fully has the capability to completely defend against all attacks that the city is currently facing. But, no one will fully activate the city''s defense system because that will quickly drain the central energy core of which without the city will become essentially defenseless. To make sure that doesn''t happen Delmar City would rather sacrifice the safety and lives of a few low grade soldiers rather than guarantee the safety of all their soldiers. It''s a cruel fact that Captain Tusk doesn''t like, but also has no say in. So, he can only buckle down and be the best leader for the brave soldiers who would dare brave the cruelty of war and risk their lives under him. In the midst of the siege Captain Tusk couldn''t remove an uneasy feeling that he had. So, he called on the aid of a trusted subordinate. "Trevor get overhear". Trevor with a stern face approached Captain Tusk the moment he was called. The long scar on the side of his face made him look quite domineering wherever he went. Once Trevor arrived in front of Captain Tusk he asked Trevor a question. "Where''s Derek he should have been here a while ago?". Without needing to think much about it Trevor replied, "Captain, Derek was recently put on a separate mission issued by General Emma. I don''t know when he will be back but it won''t be any time soon". "Geez, no one even bothered to tell me. Even after they took one of the best archers in the city from me. Whatever since he''s gone you''ll have to do. So tell me how far can you see?". "That range is stupidly huge, you archers always did have a grotesque sense of range". "Ya, but it''s not like I can attack that far. I''m not Derek, so my attack range is only about 2-3 miles". "Either way it''s way better than any average person at the same rank as use which makes you perfect for locating those rank 3 magical beasts. There''s not a single one attacking the wall which is to strange for it to be a coincidence. "I actually already have sir, before you called me I found them gathering together at the edge of the battlefield. They are all out of range of our mounted weapons on the wall. To hit them we would have to use the missiles". Captain Tusk shook his head as he replied, "Their''s no need to stirrup that mess of trouble this early on. I just wanted to keep tabs on all of them because once the rank 3 magical beasts join the fight the difficulty we''ll face when defending the city will rise exponentially. Right now all those beasts are outputting as much damage as a being at the beginner stage of rank 4, but once all those rank 3 beasts join in their joint attacks might reach the intermediate stage of rank 4. The difference between the two stages is bigger than just their titles". As Captain Tusk worried about the future he heard something a bit strange happen behind him. It was the clearly distinct sound of something hitting the shields by what he could only described at the time as a wet bag. Once Captain Tusk turned to look he witnessed a scene that could be described as both brave and foolish. With complete disregard for their lives, dozens of the flying magical beasts started to dive bomb the city. Which only ended up with them turning into splatter stains. Captain Tusk watched what was happening with an intrigued look on his face, "how in the world did those bastards cause them to do this". As Captain Tusk watched on he saw the dozens of strange and terrible magical beasts that were dive bombing the city increase from dozens to hundreds and hundreds to thousands. The wild creature and insects both big and small spiraled down like a tornado. The uneasy feeling and pressure all those beasts brought down on all the soldiers on top of the wall was immense. With little time left Captain Tusk could only act, "archers at the ready, reserve unit redirect all weapons up above". Captain Tusk had over 100 rank, 1 combatants, under him excluding the surplus of troops under him from the reserve unit. Once Captain Tusk gave the order all 50 of the people under him who specialized in archery drew their weapons and aimed towards the sky. Similarly, other squadrons stationed on top of the wall did something similar. After the order left Captain Tusk''s lips the tornado formed from all sorts of creatures splashed full force onto the shield above them. The coalition almost completely encased the soldiers in darkness, yet that was only for a brief moment. "FIRE!!!" *BOOM*, *BOOM*,*BOOM*. A single order shouted similarly from captains all over changed that in an instant. A wide scale flurry of attack made even more beautiful and oppressive in the darkness launched out ceaselessly. The archer arrows that glowed all sorts of colors shot out like laser beams at a disco. Their hands moved at inhuman speeds as they struck down one fowl creature after another. The disgusting stench that those beasts brought with them filled the soldier''s noses. As each fiendish creature continued to trickle down like rain, so to did their blood. Though their brethren fell dead beside them those mindless beasts consumed by their own rage and hunger blinded them from making a wise retreat. As they continued to relentlessly attack the shields regardless of life or limb their goal soon became clear to all those around. "Damn, their trying to enter the city through the temporary gaps in the shields that the beasts on the ground created''. Everyone in the vicinity had similar thoughts as Captain Tusk and was just as anxious once they realized the truth. "Archers focus your fire at any gaps in the shields, reserve unit use a rapid barrage of artillery fire to disperse this swarm of magical beasts". Captain Tusk''s commands were implemented as swiftly as every soldier could. The rank 1 practitioners and mages kept the beast from entering as best as they could with all sorts of powerful attacks that dwarfed any spell Desmond had ever mustered to use. The reserve units'' rapid shell barrage did lessen the strain on everyone else, but it still wasn''t enough. While not many some creatures got through by utilizing the bodies of their own kind as shields were able to slip through the force field and attack the wall directly. Forcing a few of the soldiers to face off against them directly before they caused a catastrophe. A large green mantis like insectoid creature that slipped through spared no time releasing its fury out on the soldiers. Despite its large size, the mantis blitzed around at such incredible speeds that it briefly disappears from sight leaving only a blurry trail in its path. That mantis entered through a hole in the shields a little further down from the top of the wall. Once inside it rushed to the top of the wall while avoiding being shot down from the other soldiers inside the lower section of the wall. As the vicious mantis neared the top it readied its large mandibles that gleamed in the flickering lights with a metallic shine for a feast. As Desmond and his friends were about to fire the canon they operated together a green blur came out of nowhere and chopped it clean in half with its serrated tibia (tibia is the front claw part of a mantis). Desmond and the others saw the monstrosity large creature and were briefly Petrified stiff for a moment. The insectoid had a strong presence it was, so strong in fact intelligible words did not need to be conveyed, yet those bellow it could clearly understand its desire to feed. With such a strong predator looming over them everyone''s survival instincts kicked in. They withdrew a step and pulled out their guns issued by the city and started firing at it. The guns and ammo supplied by the city is superior to what people can normally buy in the stores. The ammo fired alone is 40% stronger than any of the enchanted bullets Desmond has. Not to mention the guns that are more durable then anything Desmond has seen before. As everyone fired their weapons at the insectoid the bullets bashed against its carapace with a similar tone to colliding steel. Small cracks formed on the creatures shell even after over a dozen each bullet struck it with the force of a cannon from earth. Each shot forced the creature back towards the edge a bit, but why would it stay there to be assaulted? The insectoid seeing its prey continuously pester it, it didn''t bother playing with its meal and struck to kill. In an intimidating display, the mantis unfurled its wings and dashed away from everyone''s view easily even though it was under heavy gunfire. As for where the creature went Roy could easily confirm that. The mantis flashed beside Roy as quick and silently as a ghost and brought down one of its serrated limbs towards Roy''s neck. In response to this Roy''s body went into overdrive. Just like how master swordsmen have their senses heightened to the extreme when confronting someone at an equal level. Everything in Roy''s vision slowed down to the extreme. He didn''t know the cause of that happening until he glanced to his left and saw the sickle of death bearing down at him. There was nothing Roy could do except watch as death claimed him. *BOOM* In a sudden upset just as Roy was about to have his head chopped off a large custom made war axe. The ax''s edge was light blue while the head of the weapon to the handle was almost entirely white. That elegant yet beastly weapon was wielded by Captain Tusk who kept the shocked and stuttering Roy alive but only by a hair''s width because the mantis''s serrated forelimb was currently caressing Roy''s tender neck drawing a few droplets of blood in the process. 145 Prowess Of Rank 1 Cultivators Part 1 The concern Tusk had was because of how clearly coordinated all of the magical beasts were. At first glance, it would seem to anyone that the attack was just a simple straight forward charge. Until you looked again and noticed how spread out all the creatures were from each other and how each volley of attacks came within a 1 to 3 second difference of the other. Meaning that the beasts were coordinating their attacks to allow the shields as little time as possible to reform. This was especially bad because Captain Tusk clearly knew where the city officials'' priorities lied in situations like this. Since this is a war of attrition to safeguard the city, the city officials won''t use 100 percent of the city''s defense capabilities. At maximum power, the shield surrounding Delmar City fully has the capability to completely defend against all attacks that the city is currently facing. But, no one will fully activate the city''s defense system because that will quickly drain the central energy core of which without the city will become essentially defenseless. To make sure that doesn''t happen Delmar City would rather sacrifice the safety and lives of a few low grade soldiers rather than guarantee the safety of all their soldiers. It''s a cruel fact that Captain Tusk doesn''t like, but also has no say in. So, he can only buckle down and be the best leader for the brave soldiers who would dare brave the cruelty of war and risk their lives under him. In the midst of the siege Captain Tusk couldn''t remove an uneasy feeling that he had. So, he called on the aid of a trusted subordinate. "Trevor get overhear". Trevor with a stern face approached Captain Tusk the moment he was called. The long scar on the side of his face made him look quite domineering wherever he went. Once Trevor arrived in front of Captain Tusk he asked Trevor a question. "Where''s Derek he should have been here a while ago?". Without needing to think much about it Trevor replied, "Captain, Derek was recently put on a separate mission issued by General Emma. I don''t know when he will be back but it won''t be any time soon". "Geez, no one even bothered to tell me. Even after they took one of the best archers in the city from me. Whatever since he''s gone you''ll have to do. So tell me how far can you see?". "That range is stupidly huge, you archers always did have a grotesque sense of range". "Ya, but it''s not like I can attack that far. I''m not Derek, so my attack range is only about 2-3 miles". "Either way it''s way better than any average person at the same rank as use which makes you perfect for locating those rank 3 magical beasts. There''s not a single one attacking the wall which is to strange for it to be a coincidence. "I actually already have sir, before you called me I found them gathering together at the edge of the battlefield. They are all out of range of our mounted weapons on the wall. To hit them we would have to use the missiles". Captain Tusk shook his head as he replied, "Their''s no need to stirrup that mess of trouble this early on. I just wanted to keep tabs on all of them because once the rank 3 magical beasts join the fight the difficulty we''ll face when defending the city will rise exponentially. Right now all those beasts are outputting as much damage as a being at the beginner stage of rank 4, but once all those rank 3 beasts join in their joint attacks might reach the intermediate stage of rank 4. The difference between the two stages is bigger than just their titles". As Captain Tusk worried about the future he heard something a bit strange happen behind him. It was the clearly distinct sound of something hitting the shields by what he could only described at the time as a wet bag. Once Captain Tusk turned to look he witnessed a scene that could be described as both brave and foolish. With complete disregard for their lives, dozens of the flying magical beasts started to dive bomb the city. Which only ended up with them turning into splatter stains. Captain Tusk watched what was happening with an intrigued look on his face, "how in the world did those bastards cause them to do this". As Captain Tusk watched on he saw the dozens of strange and terrible magical beasts that were dive bombing the city increase from dozens to hundreds and hundreds to thousands. The wild creature and insects both big and small spiraled down like a tornado. The uneasy feeling and pressure all those beasts brought down on all the soldiers on top of the wall was immense. With little time left Captain Tusk could only act, "archers at the ready, reserve unit redirect all weapons up above". Captain Tusk had over 100 rank, 1 combatants, under him excluding the surplus of troops under him from the reserve unit. Once Captain Tusk gave the order all 50 of the people under him who specialized in archery drew their weapons and aimed towards the sky. Similarly, other squadrons stationed on top of the wall did something similar. After the order left Captain Tusk''s lips the tornado formed from all sorts of creatures splashed full force onto the shield above them. The coalition almost completely encased the soldiers in darkness, yet that was only for a brief moment. "FIRE!!!" *BOOM*, *BOOM*,*BOOM*. A single order shouted similarly from captains all over changed that in an instant. A wide scale flurry of attack made even more beautiful and oppressive in the darkness launched out ceaselessly. The archer arrows that glowed all sorts of colors shot out like laser beams at a disco. Their hands moved at inhuman speeds as they struck down one fowl creature after another. The disgusting stench that those beasts brought with them filled the soldier''s noses. As each fiendish creature continued to trickle down like rain, so to did their blood. Though their brethren fell dead beside them those mindless beasts consumed by their own rage and hunger blinded them from making a wise retreat. As they continued to relentlessly attack the shields regardless of life or limb their goal soon became clear to all those around. "Damn, their trying to enter the city through the temporary gaps in the shields that the beasts on the ground created''. Everyone in the vicinity had similar thoughts as Captain Tusk and was just as anxious once they realized the truth. "Archers focus your fire at any gaps in the shields, reserve unit use a rapid barrage of artillery fire to disperse this swarm of magical beasts". Captain Tusk''s commands were implemented as swiftly as every soldier could. The rank 1 practitioners and mages kept the beast from entering as best as they could with all sorts of powerful attacks that dwarfed any spell Desmond had ever mustered to use. The reserve units'' rapid shell barrage did lessen the strain on everyone else, but it still wasn''t enough. While not many some creatures got through by utilizing the bodies of their own kind as shields were able to slip through the force field and attack the wall directly. Forcing a few of the soldiers to face off against them directly before they caused a catastrophe. A large green mantis like insectoid creature that slipped through spared no time releasing its fury out on the soldiers. Despite its large size, the mantis blitzed around at such incredible speeds that it briefly disappears from sight leaving only a blurry trail in its path. That mantis entered through a hole in the shields a little further down from the top of the wall. Once inside it rushed to the top of the wall while avoiding being shot down from the other soldiers inside the lower section of the wall. As the vicious mantis neared the top it readied its large mandibles that gleamed in the flickering lights with a metallic shine for a feast. As Desmond and his friends were about to fire the canon they operated together a green blur came out of nowhere and chopped it clean in half with its serrated tibia (tibia is the front claw part of a mantis). Desmond and the others saw the monstrosity large creature and were briefly Petrified stiff for a moment. The insectoid had a strong presence it was, so strong in fact intelligible words did not need to be conveyed, yet those bellow it could clearly understand its desire to feed. With such a strong predator looming over them everyone''s survival instincts kicked in. They withdrew a step and pulled out their guns issued by the city and started firing at it. The guns and ammo supplied by the city is superior to what people can normally buy in the stores. The ammo fired alone is 40% stronger than any of the enchanted bullets Desmond has. Not to mention the guns that are more durable then anything Desmond has seen before. As everyone fired their weapons at the insectoid creature the bullets bashed against its carapace with a similar tone to colliding steel. Only small cracks formed on the creatures shell even after over a dozen each bullet struck it with the force of a cannon from earth. Each shot forced the creature back towards the edge a bit, but why would it stay there to be assaulted? The insectoid seeing its prey continuously pester it didn''t bother playing with its meal and struck to kill. In an intimidating display, the mantis unfurled its wings and dashed away from everyone''s view easily even though it was under heavy gunfire. As for where the creature went Roy could easily confirm that. The mantis flashed beside Roy as quickly and silently as a ghost and brought down one of its serrated limbs towards Roy''s neck. In response to this Roy''s body went into overdrive. Just like how master swordsmen have their senses heightened to the extreme when confronting someone at an equal level. Everything in Roy''s vision slowed down to the extreme. He didn''t know the cause of that happening until he glanced to his left and saw the sickle of death bearing down at him. There was nothing Roy could do except watch as death claimed him. *BOOM* In a sudden upset just as Roy was about to have his head chopped off a large custom made war ax intervened. The ax''s edge was light blue while the head of the weapon to the handle was almost entirely white. That elegant yet beastly weapon was wielded by Captain Tusk who kept the shocked and stuttering Roy alive but only by a hair''s width because the mantis''s serrated forelimb was currently caressing Roy''s tender neck drawing a few droplets of blood in the process. 146 Prowess Of Rank 1 Cultivators part 2 Captain Tusk with his rippling muscles kept the mantis at bay, but it wasn''t easy for him to do. Not because the creature outclassed his own abilities, but because he has to fight while limiting his own abilities as to not cause any friendly fire. Captain Tusk is a rank 1 blade master which is a class of people who specialize in the usage of all sorts of weaponry or a single one. They don''t use magic, they rely on the usage of chi to achieve devastatingly powerful attacks, crowd control, and massive bursts in speed. [Note: Author changed the class swordsman, along with any warrior specific class, and any other weapon specific profession to the more generalized term blademaster]. If Captain Tusk fights without restraint next to Roy he could kill him just from him clashing with the enemy and his aura outburst alone. Captain Tusk knows that there are sacrifices in war, but he does not want to see anyone die especially someone who he knows that he can save. The mantis creature after having one of its forearms blocked retaliated by striking down with its other limb. It being challenged by its food fueled the mantis''s fury allowing its second attack to flash by three times faster than the first. Captain Tusk wasn''t deterred by the rapidly approaching attack. He had just as much speed as he did Raw power behind every attack. Captain Tusk''s heavy ax seemed just as light as a feather in his hands. He twirled it around as gracefully as one would a ribbon but struck with the unrelenting force of a bull. A powerful upward below clashed head on with the Mantis''s second attack and completely overpowered it flinging the mantis''s left limb into the air creating a wide opening. But, instead of attacking the Mantis once more Captain tusk utilized his chi and directed it backward forcefully pushing the still dazed Roy away to safety. After Roy was blown away Captain Tusk felt relieved because it meant he could fight properly now. With a quick adjustment in posture and a seemingly simple wrist change a whirlwind of attacks, we''re unleashed. Captain Tusk attacked with the fury of a raging storm, the wind howled every swing beating against the mantis''s hard carapace with every swing. The small amount of damage that was previously inflicted on it could not compare to what Captain Tusk had achieved in a short time. Small bits of the creatures shell fell off and larger segments we soon to fallow, fully exposing the tender flesh it hid from Captain Tusk''s ax. That creature wasn''t easy to fight close up and Captain Tusk knew it the moment he laid eyes on it. But to save the life of a fellow soldier he threw all caution to the wind regardless of his safety or the cultivation rank of the person he was saving. The pain Captain Tusk caused made the mantis feel threatened. To get a better advantage the mantis unfurled its wings and attempted to fly. Captain Tusk noticing that knew that he couldn''t let the mantis fly around as it pleased because if he did the number of heads that would be sent flying wouldn''t be a low number. To impede this Captain Tusk unleashed an unrestrained [howl]. [Howl] is a skill that a great many people favor using in the lower ranks because it can completely stun a person with a weaker will (mental strength) or spirit, duration varies depending on stat difference and strength of the opponent. Captain Tusk''s [howl] bashed the with a yellow wave of energy that mantis feel as though their roles were swapped and it was suddenly the pray. The mantis''s movements stiffened in light of this and stepped back. As the Mantis backed away Captain Tusk flashed forward. Through a skillful usage of foot techniques, Captain Tusk left an afterimage where he once stood and stealthily around behind the mantis. [Double Swing] Once Captain Tusk arrived behind the mantis''s he skillfully swung his ax while utilizing another skill at the same time. As Tusk''s ax moved forward the image of a second ax following closely behind the shadow of the first took form. Tusk''s single swing left two large gashes on the mantis''s back mangling all four of its wings in the process crippling its ability to fly. [Sweeping Wind] Not letting the opportunity he created pass him by Captain Tusk seized it by quickly following up with another skill. Captain Tusk slid on the floor while rotating 360 degrees forming a large sharp wind blade in the process. The wind blade spread out in every direction while cutting through all of the mantis''s legs. The roaring wind sprayed the mantis''s gushing purple blood in the air as it came tumbling down like a tree in a forest. The mantis with the little time it had left cried out in injustice as it wriggled on the floor still full of vitality as if the gallons of blood it lost meant nothing to it. Its harrowing cries fell on deaf ears as Captain Tusk stood over it and swung his executioner''s ax once more giving it the justice it deserved. 147 Prowess Of Rank 1 Cultivators Part 3 Desmond was quite intrigued by what he had seen except Zane''s will who had nothing nice to say about Captain Tusk''s selfless act of bravery. "That man''s fighting ability has clearly stagnated he''s been leading troops for so long that he has had probably little time to properly train. Those foolish errors of his can tarnish our reputation if I was actually here I would have killed him for his incompetence. I hope you paid attention to everything that you saw because its a prime example of what not to do in a fight. Though he finished the creature off quickly he made over 20 mistakes that almost cost him his life. Never be fooled by a person''s rank or their flashy techniques except for me everyone makes mistakes and it is your responsibility to see threw that facade to seize any opportunity given". Desmond didn''t say anything to Zane''s will he just patiently listened till the end. Captain Tusk cleaned his ax dripping with the insects blood with a single swing splatering the blood onto the floor. Then swiftly kicked the over 400 pound creature over the wall and watched it plummet down the wall to join the rest of its kind. Captain Tusk looked over towards the soldiers that he saved and said to them. "Do not let this moment scar you if you don''t face your fears now then you will only break down in the face of true fear. It may be had for you to do this now but none the less you must keep fighting. Now, pick up your arms and shoot down these infernal creatures. Don''t worry about the loss of the cannon it will be replaced shortly". Roy and a few others of Desmond''s friends suppressed their fears and replied energetically, "sir, yes sir". Captain Tusk didn''t linger around Desmond''s group there where still other creatures that invaded and were currently attacking the top of wall. Captain Tusk didn''t personally battle further than that mostly because there was no need to. The top of the wall had a ton of skilled combatants all over the place that were fully capable of handling the trickle of creatures that flew in. In light of that Captain Tusk chose to stay in place and watch a couple of the soldiers that he favored fight. ... Trent who was an incredibly handsome man had held back his anger after it happened the first couple of times but that beast was the last straw. "What the hell Trevor do you really suck that so much that you can only fight something after I''ve beaten them within an inch of their life". Trent grimaced as he confronted Trevor. Trevor had a smug look on his face as he replied. "What i''m just trying to help without me you''d probably be dead already". "like hell I would". "Oh, you sure about that let me hear some proof. Tell me how many creatures". Trent angrily said, "only three". "Only three those are rookie numbers and yet you say you say that you would still be alive today without me. I killed way more than that". "I know because those were all my kills". "Don''t try to shift this around Trent just because you can''t handle my awesome skills doesn''t mean you should make excuses". A vein grew on Trent''s forehead as he was starting to get ticked off. "Awesome skills I see how it is then lets just see who''s skills are more awesome". Without anything else needing to be said a fierce competition started between the two. Without further nonsense Trent twisted back around and knocked back an energy arrow thats formed automatically every time he pulles back his bow. Through utilizing there chi archers like Trent can attach a wide variety of effects to their arrows. Trent didn''t use his his chi to augment the arrow instead he used his special ability that he acquired after cultivating to the realm of rank 1 called [seeker]. [Seeker] allows a person to track and locate touched and or seen with pinpoint accuracy so long as said target is within the users range. After acquiring that ability Trent integrated it into almost everything he does because Trent''s special ability [seeker] in layman terms is no different from an aim bot. Even after barely getting a good look at a target near him Trent blindly fired his arrow and it instantly adjusted itself allowing it to fire directly between a flying creatures eyes. As the arrow was about to piece between the beast eyes it curved hard hard to the right hitting nothing while a second arrow like before seemingly out of nowhere went in between the beast eyes through its brain. Creatures like these have a monstrously strong vitality making them a bit difficult and at times annoying to kill. That why that same arrow shapely turned back around and punctured that creatures skull from different angles 10 more times. The light trail the arrow left behind made it look like a swarm of angry bees. [Vector Control] Trevor has the ability to forcefully alter the direction of any objects including his opponent''s body. Trent''s lip twitched fervently, but he didn''t turn around to glare at Trevor he already knew what Trevor''s smug grin looked like and didn''t want to fuel his ego any more than he has. ''If this is how its going to be then lets start this game'', Trent thought as a fire to win raged inside of him.